Dinner Belles

Knock-off Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bars

2011-11-18T11:54:00.000-07:00

You know it's "beginning to look a lot like Christmas" when Starbucks places their Cranberry Bliss Bars in the pastry case! They don't have them year-round because Cranberry Bliss Bars, like Peppermint Mochas just aren't right in July!

Anyway, these yummy seasonal treats are a personal favorite of my dad's. I think he treats himself to 1 a year. (His birthday is always right around or on Thanksgiving.) Now, however, my sisters can make him a whole Cranberry Bliss Bar cake to help him celebrate!

I recently made these for a coffee I attended and they were a hit. I did not make the drizzled royal icing to top the cream cheese frosting because I figured they'd be sweet enough. They were! :)

Ingredients:

Cake:
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp nutmeg
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 bag craisins
1/2 bag white chocolate chips

Frosting:
1 8oz.-package cream cheese
3 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. lemon extract
1 tsp. vanilla extract
(the other) 1/2 bag craisins
(the other) 1/2 bag white chocolate chips

Drizzled Icing:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1-3 tablespoons milk (add 1 tablespoon at a time)

Directions:

Cake:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2) Cream your butter and sugar together until smooth and fluffy with an electric stand mixer
3) In a separate bowl, sift together the flour & baking powder
4) Add eggs, 1 at time, mix until well combined
5) Add cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, salt, and vanilla. Beat well.
6) Add flour mixture. Be careful to not overmix (this could result in a tough cake)
7) Using a wooden spoon, stir in white chocolate chips and craisins.
8) Pour batter into a well greased 9X13 dish & bake for 25-35 minutes, or until cake it golden brown.
9) Allow cake to cool completely before frosting

Frosting:
1) Combine 1 cup of powdered sugar at a time with cream cheese in stand mixer (I like to use my whisk attachment - it gets out any powdered sugar lumps!) until cream cheese is smooth
2) Add extracts and beat well
3) When cake has cooled, using a spatula, spread the frosting evenly over the entire cake
4) Sprinkle remaining chocolate chips and craisins over the top of the frosted cake

Chill cake if not serving immediately. Can be made 1 day ahead.

Recipe from: http://www.topsecretrecipes.com

Butternut Squash Lasagna

2011-10-28T13:23:00.000-06:00

Photo courtesy of www.bhg.com

This recipe is one of my most favorite things to make in the fall! I got it out of a Better Homes & Gardens Italian Cooking magazines a few years ago. It's been a hit in our house ever since! :) One of the best things about it is that you don't have to roast the squash ahead of time. Just peel, cube, and throw it in your lasagna layers! :) Sometimes I add ham if John is feeling the need for "meat." :) Oh & the no-boil noodles to make this SUPER easy! :)

3
pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/4- to 1/2-inch-thick slices
3
tablespoons olive oil
1/2
teaspoon salt
1/4
cup butter
6
cloves garlic, minced
1/4
cup all-purpose flour
1/2
teaspoon salt
4
cups milk
1
tablespoon snipped fresh rosemary
9
no-boil lasagna noodles
1 1/3
cups finely shredded Parmesan cheese (5-1/2 oz.)
1
cup whipping cream (I usually just use milk)

Directions:
1.Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly grease a 15x10x1-inch baking pan. Place squash in the prepared baking pan. Add oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt; toss gently to coat. Spread in an even layer. Roast, uncovered, for 25 to 30 minutes or until squash is tender, stirring once. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees F.
2.For sauce: Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, heat butter over medium heat. Add garlic; cook and stir for 1 minute. Stir in flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Gradually stir in milk. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Stir in squash and rosemary.
3.Lightly grease a 13x9x2-inch baking dish or 3-quart rectangular casserole. To assemble, spread about 1 cup of the sauce in the the prepared baking dish. Layer three of the noodles in dish. Spread with one-third of the remaining sauce. Sprinkle with 1/3 cup of the Pamesan cheese. Repeat layering noodles, sauce, and Parmesan cheese two more times. Pour whipping cream evenly over layers in dish. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese.
4.Cover dish with foil. Bake for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake about 10 minutes more or until edges are bubbly and top is lightly browned. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

2011-10-09T19:03:00.004-06:00

Spaghetti Squash with Veggies and Cheese

Do you love spaghetti squash but run out of inventive ways to cook it for dinner? I ran across this simple recipe today on allrecipes.com and was shocked at how amazing it turned out. I made a few tweaks of my own. The original recipe did not include the sausage, zucchini or green pepper but I think either way it would be delicious.

1 spaghetti squash halved lengthwise and seeded
2 Tb. EVOO
1 yellow onion chopped
1 green pepper chopped
1 zucchini sliced in half moons
1 can diced tomatoes (italian style) drained
1 small can sliced black olives
1 Lb. spicy italian sausage
1 clove minced garlic
2 Tb. fresh chopped basil
4oz cheese of your choice ie: italian mix, parmesan, feta etc.

1. Preheat oven to 350 and place squash cut side down on lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake for 30-40 min. or until skin pierces easily with a fork.
2. Meanwhile heat oil in a large skillet and sautee onions, green peppers, and sausage until sausage is nearly cooked through.
3. Add zucchini, and garlic and stir gently until sausage is cooked through and zucchini is soft and opaque.
4. Add tomatos, olives and basil and heat until warmed through.
5. Remove squash from oven and place aside until cool enough to handle.
6. Remove strands of squash and toss with skillet mixture and cheese (and butter if you're in the mood).

Basil Hummus

2011-09-07T11:41:00.004-06:00

I found this recipe on one of my favorite food blogs Simply Recipes and I had to share it because it was so good & super easy!

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup pine nuts
2 cups sweet basil leaves, packed (yes, this is a ton of basil, but its worth it!)
3 cloves garlic, smashed then minced
2 15-ounce cans garbanzo beans (chickpeas), rinsed and drained*
1/4 cup olive oil
Up to 1/4 cup water
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons salt
Several dashes Tabasco
1 teaspoon tomato paste

METHOD

Heat the pine nuts in a small skillet on medium high heat. Stir them when they start to brown. When most of them have lightly browned, remove them from the pan into a bowl to cool. (Reserve a few pine nuts for garnish.)
In the bowl of a food processor, place the basil leaves and the garlic. Pulse until finely chopped. Add the rinsed and drained garbanzo beans, most of the pine nuts, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, tomato paste, and a few dashes of Tabasco. Pulse several times, for several seconds each time, until the hummus is smooth. Add more Tabasco and salt or lemon juice to taste. Add water to the point of desired consistency.
To serve, place in a bowl and drizzle a little olive oil over it. Sprinkle with a few toasted pine nuts. Serve with pita wedges, crackers, or rustic bread.

Makes about 3 cups

Pork Tostadas (as seen on America's Test Kitchen)

2011-08-30T16:25:00.001-06:00

(photo courtesy of America's Test Kitchen)

These slightly spicy pork tostadas were AMAZING! They are not hard to make, they just take some time. We also made our tostadas the way they describe in the recipe (fried in oil) but I suppose if you're looking for a healthier alternative you could brush the tortillas with EVOO and bake them until crispy. (But for the record they won't be the same... so go ahead... just this once and indulge in a crispy fried tortilla!! :-)

I was just reading on America's Test Kitchen's website that the video of how to make these should be available in a few weeks. Click on this link, it will take you to the web page, check there to see if the video has been posted. After watching it you'll see how easy these are to make!!

Ingredients

2 pounds boneless pork butt, (I used a pork shoulder and it turned out just fine) trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 medium onions , 1 quartered and 1 chopped fine
5 medium garlic cloves , 3 peeled and smashed and 2 minced or pressed through garlic press
4 sprigs fresh thyme
S&P
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1(14.5-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 tsp. cayenne pepper (use only a 1/2 a tsp. if you don't want the pork to be too spicy)
2 bay leaves

Directions

Cut up your pork in 1-inch pieces and trim it of most the excess fat. Don't trim all the fat off as it will keep the pork tender as it cooks.
Bring pork, quartered onion, smashed garlic cloves, thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and 6 cups water to simmer in large saucepan over medium-high heat, skimming off any foam that rises to surface. Reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover, and cook until pork is tender, 75 to 90 minutes.
Drain pork mixture, through a colander, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid or the stock. Discard the onion, garlic, and thyme.
Return pork to saucepan and, using potato masher, mash until shredded into rough ½-inch pieces, set aside.
Heat the EVOO in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add shredded pork, chopped onion, and oregano; cook, stirring often, until pork is well browned and crisp, 7 to 10 minutes.
Add minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Stir in tomato sauce, cayenne pepper, reserved pork cooking liquid, and bay leaves; simmer until almost all liquid has evaporated, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove and discard bay leaves and season with salt and pepper to taste.

To make the tostadas:

Ingredients:

3/4 cup vegetable oil
6 inch corn tortillas
Salt

Directions:

Heat vegetable oil in small skillet over medium heat (if you have a thermometer heat it to 350 degrees).
Using fork, poke center of each tortilla 3 or 4 times (to prevent puffing and allow for even cooking). Fry 1 at a time, holding metal potato masher in upright position on top of tortilla to keep it submerged (see photo below), until crisp and lightly browned, 45 to 60 seconds (no flipping is necessary).
Drain on paper towel-lined plate and season with salt to taste. Repeat with remaining tortillas.

Serve your tostadas with the pork and your favorite garnishes. Here are a few suggestions, avocado, cilantro, lettuce, tomato, queso fresco or your favorite cheese.

Panang Curry Recipe

2011-08-22T21:28:00.003-06:00

Serves 1 (I usually make double)
1 Tbl Panang Curry Paste (I use the Mae Ploy Panang Curry Paste)
1 cup coconut milk
1 Tbl sugar
2 Tbl fish sauce (even though this smells terrible you CAN'T leave it out!)
peanuts (optional)
Meat of choice (I have had it with salmon, pork and chicken)
Veggies of choice (according to the man at Uwajimaya you HAVE to have potatoes, but I have put in zucchini, broccoli or cauliflower, red peppers, onions and carrots)

Heat dry wok over medium heat, add curry paste and stir into pan until fragrant

Add meat and veggies and 1/4 cup coconut milk and stir until meat is cooked

Once meat is cooked add remaining coconut milk

In a separate dish mix sugar, fish sauce and peanuts and add to the mixture.

Stir until thick and serve over rice.

This recipe is compliments of a friend from school. It is very easy and delicious! It can be a bit spicy, but if you can handle the heat... it's a keeper!

Bree's meatballs

2011-08-08T19:09:00.001-06:00

** You can ask your butcher or usually find a "meatloaf" or "meatball" mix at your local grocery store **

1/2 lb. ground veal
1/2 lb. ground pork
1/2 lb. lean ground beef
1 egg - lightly beaten
1 small-medium sized sweet onion, finely diced
1/2 cup shredded cheese (I try and get a blend of asiago, pecorino romano, and parmesan)
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 and 1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 and 1/2 tsp dried parsley
1 and 1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp ground thyme
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (or more if you like it hot-hot-hot!) :)
Favorite jar of marinara or my favorite Trader Joe's Organic Vodka Sauce! :)

Turn crockpot on medium heat (depending on how much time you want meatballs to simmer - low heat if you want them to simmer all day!) :)
Pour favorite sauce in crockpot - set aside
Preheat oven to 400 degrees & spray a jelly roll cookie sheet with an Olive Oil spray (my fav is from Trader Joe's) - set aside
Beat your egg (I do this by hand with a fork) with all your herbs, finely diced onion, S&P, and cheese until well combined
Using your hands, thoroughly combine the meat with the egg mixture being careful to NOT over mix (this will result in a tough meatball) - set aside
Using a cookie dough or small ice cream scoop (I use the 2Tbsp. Pamper Chef scoop) scoop out meatballs & roll them with your hands to make them round & place them on your prepared cookie sheet (You should make between 48 and 56 meatballs depending on how much meat your started with)
Bake meatballs in your preheated oven for 20 minutes
Place your meatballs in your sauce that is in your crockpot. Let simmer at least 2 hours before serving!
Serve with pasta or make meatball sandwiches with provolone cheese & hoagie rolls! YUMMO! :)

Grilled Chicken & Arugula Salad

2011-08-08T11:03:00.003-06:00

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, grilled & shredded

arugula

raw corn cut from 2 cobs

gorgonzola cheese, crumbled

cherry tomatoes, halved

Mix chicken, arugula, corn, tomatoes and cheese in large bowl

Mix 2 Tbs. olive oil & 2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice and pour over salad; Enjoy!!

Opah's Grilled Chicken

2011-08-08T10:53:00.003-06:00

4 large garlic cloves, chopped

juice of 2 limes

1/4 c. EVO

handful of minced fresh basil

1/2 tsp. coarse salt

freshly ground pepper

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 3 in. strips (or use chicken tenders)

1. Combine all ingredients in ziplock bag, add chicken, seal and refrigerate for 4 hrs. or up to overnight

2. Heat grill to medium high, place chicken on grill and cook 6-10 min.

Serve on a bed of arugula drizzled with a little EVO (optional)

2011-07-11T13:39:00.001-06:00

Spaghetti Aglio e Olio

1 lb. spaghetti

1/3 c. olive oil

8 large cloves garlic, peeled and cut into thin slices

1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 c. freshly minced parsley (I used dried parsley flakes)

1 c. freshly grated parmesan cheese

Kosher salt

Directions:

Bring water to boil, add 2 Tbs. salt and cook pasta according to directions on pkg. Reserve 1 1/2 c. water before draining pasta

Heat olive oil in large pot and cook garlic for 2 min. or until it turns golden on edges, stirring frequently; Add red pepper flakes, then reserve pasta water; Bring to a boil and then lower heat, add 1 tsp. salt and simmer for 5 min. until liquid is reduced by about a third

Add pasta to garlic sauce and toss; Off heat, add cheese and parsley and mix well; Allow pasta to rest 5 min. before serving ENJOY!!!!!

2011-07-11T13:35:00.001-06:00

Lasagna Cupcakes…

These tasty lasagna cupcakes are a snap to make! Recipe makes 12:

Ingredients

1 cup marinara sauce or any spaghetti sauce you like

3/4 pound ground beef or turkey; browned

24 wonton wrappers (approx, 3 in. squares)

8 ounces shredded mozzarella

3 ounces Parmesan cheese

4 ounces Ricotta cheese

(optional) fresh basil for garnish; or add dried basil, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder or italian herbs when browning meat to jazz up flavor

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray muffin tin with cooking spray.

Brown beef and season with salt and pepper or your preferance(s). Drain.

Cut wonton wrappers into circle shapes using a biscuit cutter or using the top of a drinking glass. You can cut several at a time.

Reserve 6 tablespoons Parmesan cheese and 6 tablespoon mozzarella for the top of you cupcakes. Start layering your lasagna cupcakes. Begin with a wonton wrapper and press it into the bottom of each muffin tin. Sprinkle a little Parmesan cheese, Ricotta cheese, and mozzarella cheese. Top with a little meat sauce and marinara sauce. Use around 1-2 teaspoons of all the ingredients depending on your personal preference.

Repeat layers ending with marinara sauce. Top with reserved Parmesan and mozzarella cheese.

Bake for 18-20 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes. To remove use a knife to loosen the edges then pop each lasagna out.

Garnish with fresh basil and serve.

Asparagus Salad

2011-07-05T23:14:00.000-06:00

Salty, sweet, and de-lish! This salad is great for warm summer days because it is light but substantial enough to be dinner, & is served cool!

Ingredients:

1 bunch asparagus trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 ripe cantaloupe cut into bite-sized pieces
4oz pancetta, baked until crisp and then cumbled
1 ball fresh mozzarella, cut into bite-sized pieces

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Place pancetta on cookie sheet & bake in oven until crisp.
While pancetta is cooking, trim asparagus & cut into bite-sized pieces. Set aside
Cut cantaloupe into bite-sized pieces & set aside.
When pancetta is crisp remove from cookie sheet & drain on paper towels - DO NOT discard pancetta drippings
Place cut asparagus onto cookie sheet and drizzle with olive oil.
Season asparagus with salt and pepper to taste.
Toss seasoned asparagus in the pancetta drippings and olive oil.
Roast asparagus in oven until crisp tender.
Remove asparagus from oven & squeeze 1/2 a fresh lemon over freshly roasted asparagus.
When asparagus is cool, pour asparagus (including pancetta drippings, olive oil, and lemon juice) into a bowl. Toss & combine with cantaloupe, crumbled pancetta, and mozzarella

Serve as a side or as an entree with crusty bread!

Cherrywood Planked Copper River Salmon with Whiskey-Maple-Butter Sauce

2011-07-05T22:54:00.001-06:00

Ingredients:
2 1/2 lbs Copper River Salmon
2 Cherrywood Planks

Instructions:

Soak your planks (totally covered in water) at least 3 hours (if new.) If not new & re-using soak for at least an hour
Season salmon with salt and pepper to taste
Place planks on heated grill
Place seasoned salmon on planks
Cover grill with lid & roast/smoke/grill/ salmon until desired doneness

Sauce:
1/2 cup Whiskey
1/4 cup Maple Syrup (the real stuff - NOT Mrs. Buttersworth!) :)
1/2 lb. butter cut into pieces

Instructions:

Pour Whiskey and Maple Syrup into large saucepan
Simmer on medium-low heat until reduced to about 1/4 cup
Add butter and keep warm until salmon is ready
Pour sauce over salmon and reserve extra for individuals to add as desired

This sauce is also excellent on corn on the cob OR maybe even pancakes or waffles! :)

Strawberry Mascarpone Tart with Port Glaze

2011-04-25T09:00:00.003-06:00

This is another recipe I found when we visited the McDougall's in North Carolina and it was such a good find. I know when you skim this you're going to think its a lot of work, but its really not that hard. It takes a little time but it is worth every second. This recipe is so good that Bree and I have already discussed seasonal variations so we don't have to wait for the berries to arrive to enjoy it. Trust me, try it out!

Strawberry Mascarpone Tart with Port Glaze
For tart shell:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
Rounded 1/4 teaspoon salt
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 large egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons cold water

For filling:
1 1/2 pounds strawberries (about 1 1/2 quarts), trimmed and halved lengthwise
1/3 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup ruby Port
1 pound mascarpone (about 2 cups)
1/4 cup confectioners sugar
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Equipment: a 10-inch fluted tart pan with removable bottom; pie weights or dried beans

Make tart shell:
Blend together flour, sugar, salt, and butter in a bowl with your fingertips or a pastry blender (or pulse in a food processor) just until mixture resembles coarse meal with some roughly pea-size butter lumps. Beat together yolk, vanilla, lemon juice, and water with a fork, then drizzle over flour mixture and stir with fork (or pulse) until mixture comes together.

Gently knead with floured hands on a lightly floured surface until a dough forms, then gently knead 4 or 5 times. Press into a 5-inch disk. Place in center of tart pan and cover with plastic wrap. Using your fingers and bottom of a flat-bottomed measuring cup, spread and push dough to evenly cover bottom and side of pan. Prick bottom of tart shell all over with a fork and freeze until firm, about 10 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375°F with rack in middle.

Line tart shell with foil and fill with pie weights. Bake until side is set and edge is pale golden, about 20 minutes. Carefully remove foil and weights and continue to bake until shell is deep golden all over, about 20 minutes more. Cool in pan, about 45 minutes.

Make filling while tart shell cools:
Stir together strawberries and granulated sugar in a bowl and let stand, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes. Strain in a sieve set over a small saucepan, reserving berries. Add Port to liquid in saucepan and boil until reduced to about 1/4 cup, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl to cool slightly.

Meanwhile, whisk together mascarpone, confectioners sugar, lemon juice, zest, vanilla, and a pinch of salt until stiff.

Assemble tart:
Spread mascarpone mixture evenly in cooled tart shell, then top with strawberries. Drizzle Port glaze all over tart.

Tart shell can be baked 1 day ahead and kept at room temperature.

Grilled Salmon with Lime Butter Sauce

2011-04-23T09:00:00.002-06:00

Gourmet Magazine gets all the credit for this one. We tried this for the first time when we were visiting the McDougall's in Ft. Bragg and I've made it again since I got home. Its a simple way to prepare salmon and its really good especially alongside a spinach and strawberry salad for dinner. Try it out.

Grilled Salmon with Lime Butter Sauce

6 (6-oz) pieces center-cut salmon fillet (about 1 inch thick) with skin
1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated fresh lime zest
6 tablespoons lime butter sauce (see recipe below)

Prepare grill for cooking over medium-hot charcoal (moderate heat for gas).

Season salmon all over with salt and pepper, then grill, flesh sides down, on lightly oiled grill rack (covered only if using gas grill) 4 minutes. Turn fillets over and grill (covered only if using gas grill) until just cooked through, 4 to 6 minutes more. Sprinkle fillets with zest and top each with 1 tablespoon lime butter sauce.

If you aren't able to grill outdoors, salmon can be cooked in a hot lightly oiled well-seasoned large (2-burner) ridged grill pan over moderately high heat.

Lime Butter Sauce

1 large garlic clove, chopped
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, melted

Purée garlic with lime juice, salt, and pepper in a blender until smooth. With motor running, add melted butter and blend until emulsified, about 30 seconds.

Lime butter sauce can be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Stir before using.

Garlic Confit Vinaigrette

2011-04-21T13:43:00.002-06:00

I know the name makes it sound way to high-class, but it is such a good dressing and its something I stumbled upon thats a keeper for me now.

Confit (French, pronounced "con-fee") is a generic term for various kinds of food that have been immersed in a substance for both flavor and preservation. Sealed and stored in a cool place, confit can last for several months. Confit is one of the oldest ways to preserve food, and is a speciality of southwestern France.

In this case its garlic that have been slowly simmered in olive oil and then used as the base for a salad dressing. I would add this to almost any salad, its light, full of flavor, and because you're cooked the garlic, its not rough on the stomach. Plus you get this leftover garlic confit to put in other dishes and some amazing infused garlic oil. Like I said, its a keeper for sure.

Garlic Confit Vinaigrette
Makes 3/4 cup of vinaigrette. The extra garlic confit can be stored in the refrigerator submerged in the remaining oil for about a week.

(For the garlic confit)
the cloves from 2 heads of garlic, peeled and stem ends sliced off
3 sprigs fresh thyme or rosemary
1 to 1/2 cups olive oil

(For the vinaigrette)
8 cloves (or so) garlic confit
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
Juice of half a lemon
1/2 cup garlic-infused olive oil

First make the garlic confit. In a very small saucepan, combine the peeled garlic cloves, thyme or rosemary and the olive oil. Make sure the olive oil completely covers the garlic cloves. Cook the mixture over as low a heat as possible for 25 to 35 minutes, until the garlic cloves are golden brown and very tender. Allow the garlic and oil to return to room temperature.

To make the vinaigrette, take 8 or so of the garlic cloves and place in a small bowl or in a food processor (my preferred method). Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and using a spoon (or pulse the food processor), mash the garlic until it is very smooth. Add the lemon juice and vinegar and whisk to combine. In a slow, steady stream, add 1/2 cup of the oil that the garlic cooked in, whisking to emulsify. Grind in a bit of fresh cracked black pepper and taste to see if the seasonings need adjusting.

Black Bean and Corn Quesadillas

2011-04-15T21:28:00.002-06:00

Need a meatless dish??? At this one to your list!!!
Make it even better and dare to make some homemade tortillas.

This recipe comes from allrecipes and we had it for dinner tonight. It was awesome and delish, not to mention, without having to do any meat it was ready in about 20 minutes or less!

2 tsp olive oil
3 TBSP finely chopped onion (I used the whole thing)
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can whole kernel corn, drained
1 TBSP brown sugar
1/2 Cup Salsa (or more)
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (we left these out for the kids sake)
2 TBSP butter, divided
8 Flour tortillas
1 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (or more), divided
(note: I used large tortillas and it made about 5 quesadillas.)

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in onion, and cook until softened. Stir in beans and corn, then add sugar, salsa and pepper flakes; mix well. Cook until heated through, a few minutes.

Melt 2 tsp butter in a large skillet over med heat. Place tortilla in the skilled, sprinkle evenly with cheese, then top with some of the bean mixture. Place another tortilla on top, cook until golden, then flip and cool on the other side.
Melt more butter as needed and repeat with remaining tortillas and filling.

Serve with sour cream and salsa on the side and enjoy!

Homemade Vegetable Broccoli Soup!

2011-04-13T10:50:00.003-06:00

Sorry no picture, but if you can imagine green creamy soup, that's what this looks like :)
I actually found this recipe online from a website called homemademothering. It is easy, yummy and great for those picky eaters when it comes to vegetables.

2 TBSP butter
1 Onion - diced
4-5 garlic cloves
1 1/2 C carrotts - diced
4 Medium Potatoes (I like 5 or 6 to make it a little thicker)
8 C liquid (water or broth)
3 medium heads of broccoli - chopped
(The recipe doesn't call for Cauliflower but I think it would be a great addition or use it in place of some of the potatoes for less carbs)

In a large pot melt butter over medium heat.
Add onions and saute until soft, about 6 minutes.
Add potatoes and carrotts, cook 5 minutes.
Add garlic, cook until fragrant.
Pour in liquid and bring to a boil.
Cook until potatoes begin to soften, about 10-15 minutes.
Stir in chopped broccoli flourets and stems and cool until just begining to soften.
Puree using a handheld immersion blender or in batches using a regular counter top blender.

(note: I don't have an immersion blender so I used my counter top blender, let the soup cool down a little first!! I might be stating the obviouse but when I did it I was in such a hurry to get to work that I didn't have time to let it cool and the lid blew off from the pressure making a big green mess in the kitchen. Just fyi)

Red Pepper, Corn, Tomato Soup

2011-04-12T23:36:00.001-06:00

April 12th is National Grilled Cheese Day!

I decided to make a red pepper, corn, tomato soup to go with our grilled cheese on National Grilled Cheese Day! This recipe calls for fresh whole cherry tomatoes, whenever you get a bite with a cherry tomato in it there is a burst of sweetness! (That was my husbands favorite part.) The soup turned out really great, a little spicy but that's how I like my tomato soup.

Ingredients:

1 onion, chopped
1 package of cherry tomatoes, keep whole
1 package of frozen corn, slightly thawed
2 red bell peppers, chopped
4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 small jar of salsa, I use Trader Joe's classic salsa
a few dashes of hot sauce to add some spice
S&P
2 tbl. EVOO
Feta cheese

Directions:

Pour EVOO in a medium-large size pot, turn heat on medium high. Put onions in the pot and saute for about 3-4 minutes stirring around. Add bell peppers and continue to saute for 3-4 minutes.
Add corn and tomatoes to the pot, saute until corn is warmed about another 3-4 minutes.
Add broth, salsa and as much hot sauce as desired. Salt and pepper the soup.
Bring to a boil and then turn heat down to low. Let simmer for about 30 minutes.
Blend about 1/3 of the soup in a blender, when returning the liquid to the pot pour through a colander with small holes to keep some of the tomato and bell pepper skins out. I wasn't super particular about this and my soup ended up a bit chunky but I was okay with that. Don't forget to let the soup cool a bit before you try to blend it.
Serve the soup with a bit of crumbled feta on top and a grilled cheese!

Tortellini SALAD

2011-04-05T15:00:00.001-06:00

Tortellini Salad, a summer favorite in our house! This salad can be served warm or chilled. A great side dish for a summer BBQ's or potlucks! Can even be served as an entree with garlic bread.

Ingredients:

Serves 4

one package of frozen or fresh tortellini (I prefer 3 cheese filling for this recipe)
one container cherry/grape tomatoes
6 tbl. chopped fresh basil
2 cloves of garlic
1/4 c. EVOO
2 tbl. white vinegar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. sugar

Directions:

Cook tortellini according to directions on the package. Drain pasta and run cold water over it once it's done cooking to cool it down a bit. Place in desired serving bowl.
Slice tomatoes in half, add to the pasta.
Prepare dressing, crush garlic in a small bowl, add chopped basil, EVOO, white vinegar, salt and sugar. Whisk together and drizzle over pasta and tomatoes. Toss to combine then chill in refrigerator or serve right away.

Lucky Rainbow Cupcakes

2011-03-16T19:28:00.002-06:00

I recently made these rainbow cupcakes with the cute kid pictured above, see here. Below is the recipe.

Rainbow Cupcakes can be enjoyed on St. Patrick's Day or anytime you're feeling a little lucky! Enjoy, they are fun to make!

Ingredients:

Makes about 15-24 cupcakes (depending on how full you fill your muffin pans with batter)

white cake mix (and all the ingredients the cake calls for, eggs, water, oil)
food coloring
whipped cream or frosting (I used Rainbow Chip store bought frosting, but you could definitely make your own butter cream)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make the cake batter as directed on the box.

2. Pour batter into six small bowls. Add food coloring to each individual bowl as follows:

Purple: 9 drops of red and 6 drops of blue, blend

Blue: 12 drops of blue, blend

Green: 12 drops of green, blend

Yellow: 12 drops of yellow, blend

Orange: 12 drops of yellow and 4 drops of red, blend

Red: 18 drops of red, blend

3. Spray muffin pan with Pam, evenly distribute the purple batter among the cups, then blue, and so on. As you go gently spread each layer with the back of the spoon. Make sure not to over fill the cups as your cupcakes with become too large!

4. Bake the cupcakes as directed on the box. Frost once they have completely cooled!

Jello Punch

2011-03-10T20:41:00.000-07:00

Here is a secret family recipe -- ha! No, not really, just a family tradition. At everyone of my birthday parties and each of my sisters parties our parents would make Jello Punch. As we got older I remember occasionally being able to choose the flavor! :-) Anyway, this recipe is for my sister Bree who is planning an all out Dr. Seuss bash for her son's 1st birthday. Hope the Jello Punch makes the day even more Seuss-filled!

Ingredients:

1 (6oz) box of Jello, your choice on flavor
2 cups sugar
2 quarts (8 cups) boiling water
3/4 cup lemon juice
1 (46) oz can pineapple juice
2 quarts cold water
Ginger ale or Sprite

Directions:

Dissolve Jello and sugar in boiling water. Add remaining ingredients except Ginger ale or Sprite.
Pour into containers to freeze. I used my large batter bowl from Pampered Chef, if you have one of those it's the perfect size and shape for dissolving in your punch bowl.
Remove from freezer about 45minutes - 1 hr before desired serving time. Set out container(s) and let them thaw out a bit set block in a punch bowl. Pour Ginger ale or Sprite on the punch mixture and break it up until it's slushy.
Continue to add more Ginger ale or Sprite to the bowl has the block of punch mixture dissolves and guests consume it. By adding more Ginger ale or Sprite it will keep the punch from tasting too concentrated.

Spicy Shrimp Tacos with Tomatillo Salsa

2011-03-10T17:54:00.001-07:00

photo courtesy of Cooking Light

These shrimp tacos were a nice alternative to a regular fish taco, the fresh tomatillo salsa is a great addition too!

Ingredients:

Serves 4

Shrimp:

1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. group red pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
3 garlic cloves, minced or crushed
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined (you can also by the pre-cook frozen shrimp)
2 tsp. EVOO

Salsa:

1/2 lb. tomatillos, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1/3 cup sour cream
2 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
2 tbsp. cider vinegar
1 tbsp. lime juice
1 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 avocado, peeled and pitted
1 serrano chile, seeded and chopped
6 inch corn tortillas

Directions:

To prepare shrimp, combine first 5 ingredients in a bowl. Refrigerate 30 minutes. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp; saute 4 minutes or until done if using raw shrimp.
To prepare salsa, place tomatillos and next 9 ingredients (through serrano chile) in a food processor (or blender); process until smooth.
Warm tortillas according to package directions. Divide shrimp evenly among tortillas (I made 2 tacos for the 4 people I was serving, total of 8). Top each with salsa; serve with corn, rice and/or beans on the side!

Caesar Salad with Homemade Croutons

2011-03-09T21:10:00.000-07:00

I love a good Caesar salad in a restaurant but am often disappointed when I try and recreate the dish at home. Often times I'm disappointed because I fall back on a bottled Caesar dressing. This recipe offers an easy dressing that will knock your 'garlic' socks off! :-)

Ingredients:

Serves 4

2 garlic cloves
S&P
rustic French bread (crusts removed, cut into small crouton size pieces)
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons EVOO
2 heads Romain lettuce (outer leaves discarded, inner leaves cut into strips)
cherry tomatoes sliced in half
Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, crush 1 garlic clove and blend with some salt and 1 tablespoon of EVOO. Add bread cubes and toss to combine. Spread cubes in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until crisp and golden, about 20 minutes, turning once.
Make the vinaigrette: In a small bowl, crush remaining garlic clove (I was tempted to add another garlic clove but was happy that I didn't; since the garlic is raw in the dressing it keeps its strength.) whisk in lemon juice, Worcestershire, mustard and pepper. Slowly whisk in the EVOO.
In a large serving bowl, toss lettuce and tomatoes with vinaigrette and croutons. Serve immediately , garnished with shaved Parmesan.

Butterscotch Crescent Rolls

2011-03-08T18:03:00.002-07:00

I would look forward to these sweet rolls every Christmas morning as a child. A family friend would deliver them warm to our house wrapped in foil! This year for Christmas that same family friend shared the recipe with me and I was able to 'deliver' them to my parents house, and a few other people who happened to be on our way. The sweet rolls got such rave reviews that I believe I'm expected to make them again next year and for many years to come.

The rolls may seem like a lot of work (and they are) but they are worth every second of your time. Once you have completed baking and frosting the rolls you can wrapped them in foil and freeze them. Wrapping them in foil will allow for convenient thawing and warming of the rolls in the oven on a future date.

The following ingredients and directions will make 36 crescent rolls.

Ingredients for the dough:

1 pkg. active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1 – 3 oz pkg. butterscotch pudding and pie filling mix (not instant)
1 – 12 oz. can evaporate milk
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 eggs unbeaten
1 tsp. salt
4-1/2 to 5-1/2 cups flour

Instructions:

Dissolve yeast in warm water and set aside.
Prepare pudding mix with the evaporated milk. Stir often. When cooked, stir in butter and cool to lukewarm, about 20-30 minutes.
Blend eggs and salt into pudding mixture, then add yeast and mix well.
Stir in flour gradually to form a stiff dough. Knead on board until smooth and no longer sticky. This may take up to 20 minutes. (I use a Kitchen Aid mixer with the dough hook for this making it less laborious). Cover and let rise in warm place until light and doubled in size, about 1-1/2 hours.

Ingredients for the filling:

1/2 cup butter, melted
1-1/3 cup flaked coconut
1-1/3 cup brown sugar
2/3 to 1 cup chopped pecans
4 Tbsp. flour

Directions:

Combine filling ingredients in small bowl and mix well until blended.
Punch down dough and divide into thirds. Roll out each part to a 15" circle. Cut each circle into 12 wedges and place a rounded teaspoonful of brown sugar mixture on each wedge.
Roll up, starting with wide end and rolling to a point. Moisten fingers and seal the point to the main part of the roll. Curve ends to form crescent. Place point side down on greased baking sheets.
Cover with towel and let rise in warm place until light and doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Bake at 375 degrees for 12-15 minutes until light brown. Remove rolls to a wire rack to cool. Frost while warm.

Ingredients for the frosting:

1/2 cup brown sugar
4 Tbsp. butter
1-1/2 cups powdered sugar
4 Tbsp. evaporated milk
2 cups powdered sugar - sifted

Directions:

Combine brown sugar, water and butter the top of a double boiler and bring to a boil. Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
Remove from heat and beat in powdered sugar with wire whisk. Set the pan over the bottom of the double boiler with simmering water.
Don’t let the glaze get too thick. Add more evaporated milk if necessary to reach desired spreading consistency.
Frost rolls. Note: the frosting is very hot and can burn your fingers. Use great caution! Place frosted rolls on wire racks to cool and dry.
When you serve the rolls they should be served warm... they taste best that way! :-)

Salmon Niçoise Salad

2011-03-07T23:20:00.000-07:00

This easy french niçoise salad (pronounced ni-swaa) is a great fresh tasting main course! I was first introduced to this salad during my bridal shower. I loved the blanched vegetables and potatoes! This particular recipe calls for salmon which was a nice addition but not mandatory if you are looking for a vegetarian option.

Ingredients:

Serves 4

2 skinless salmon fillets (or about a 1lb. piece)
coarse salt and ground pepper
2 heads of Romain lettuce
Steamed Green Beans
Fingerling Potatoes
4 plum tomatoes
3 Hard-Cooked Eggs
1 medium red onion
1/4 cup Kalamata (or black) olives
Dijon Vinaigrette (see recipe below)

Directions:

1. If you haven't already hard boiled your eggs, do that first so you can place them in an ice bath allowing them to cool down while you prepare everything else.

2. In a medium pot, bring water to a boil; add fingerling potatoes about four to five per person for each person you'll be serving. Cover; cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 14 to 16 minutes.

3. With a slotted spoon, transfer potatoes to a bowl salt and pepper. Set aside to cool. Add a generous handful of green beans to the pot of boiling water. Cover; cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon. Rinse under cool water, and set aside.

4. This recipe suggests you cook your salmon in a skillet on your range. I always cook my salmon under the broiler so I opted for that method. If you decide to broil your salmon place it on some foil S&P it and set it under the broiler for 7-10 minutes; until it is opaque throughout. Here is the skillet method: Fill a deep skillet with 1/4 inch water. Season salmon on both sides with salt and pepper; place in skillet. Bring water to a gentle simmer; cover, and cook until salmon is opaque throughout, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a plate; flake with a fork, and let cool.

5. While salmon is cooking, tear lettuce into pieces, quarter potatoes and tomatoes, peel and quarter eggs, and thinly slice onion.

6. On a large platter (or four serving plates), arrange lettuce, salmon, green beans, potatoes, eggs, tomatoes, onion, and olives. Serve with Dijon Vinaigrette on the side.

Dijon Vinaigrette:
Ingredients

2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Salt and Pepper
1/4 cup olive oil

Directions:

Place all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk together.

Calling all Dinner Belles!

2011-03-04T15:55:00.001-07:00

I am renewing my commitment and excitement for posting on

Dinner Belles!

Our recipe blog has been severely neglected

(not by our readers, I had 2 people tell me they made something off Dinner-Belles this week!),

and I know that's not because we haven't been cooking!

I have tried many new recipes but have been lazy about posting them,

so I'm committing today to be better and post more often!

Check back next week, I promise a new recipe everyday!

Also, I've started another poll.

What kind of recipes are you wanting to see?

I'm in need of some good chicken recipes.

I always have frozen chicken on hand but fall back on the same 3-4 recipes.

Anyone out there have any good recipes for chicken breasts or tenders?

Place your vote today, you can vote for more than one thing!

EDIT: Stellar Baked Shells - Additional Suggestions

2011-03-03T21:00:00.001-07:00

EDIT: I wanted to make Stuffed Baked Shells last night but went to three groceries stores unable to find the large shells needed for the recipe. So I decided I would still make everything the same and rather than stuffing shells I would boil medium size shells, spread them in a 9x13 pan (on top of about 2 cups of sauce), and spread the 'stuffing' on top. Then I topped the covered shells with the remaining sauce and sliced some fresh mozzarella in circles and placed them on top. I baked the pasta on 350 for about 20-25 minutes. Since the 'stuffing' mostly consists of cheese once it was baked it had melted a covered the noodles nicely.

This baked shell, casserole, concoction, I threw together was fantastic. So if you have been intimidated with 'stuffing the shells' thinking it would be a lot of work try the recipe this way. It was great and super easy! I also highly recommend the fresh mozzarella rounds on top, they were delicious!

(Making this recipe the casserole way would also allow for a gluten-free eater to use their favorite gluten-free pasta!)

These were great! (I know I say that about every recipe I post, but I only post the best! HA!) The shells took sometime to assemble but all in all it was easier than I had expected.

Ingredients:

Serve 6

1/4 cup boiling water

6 sun-dried tomatoes
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon parsley
S&P
2 cups ricotta cheese (whatever the amount is in smaller container you get at the grocery store)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 box jumbo pasta shells, you can find them with the lasagna noodles

SAUCE:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 chopped onion
1 chopped green bell pepper
1 chopped red bell pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
EVOO
3/4 - 1 pound low-fat turkey sausage, casings removed
1/4 cup red wine
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
S&P
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°.
To prepare stuffing, combine 1/4 cup boiling water and sun-dried tomatoes in a small bowl; let stand 20 minutes or until tomatoes soften. Drain and finely chop. Combine tomatoes, mozzarella, and next 6 ingredients (through egg) in a food processor; process until smooth. Spoon 2 tablespoons stuffing into each shell. Set stuffed shells aside.
To prepare sauce, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell peppers, and garlic; sauté 6 minutes or until tender. Place onion mixture in a bowl.
Coat pan with cooking spray; return pan to heat. Add sausage, and cook 6 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Add wine; cook until wine is reduced to 2 tablespoons (about 3 minutes). Stir in onion mixture, tomato paste, and next 5 ingredients (through tomatoes); bring to a simmer. Cook 25 minutes or until slightly thick.
Spread 2 cups sauce over bottom of an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange stuffed shells in a single layer in pan; top with remaining sauce. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons Parmesan over sauce. Bake at 350° for 40 minutes or until bubbly.

Pork Tenderloin with Pesto, Provolone, and Pancetta

2011-01-22T11:18:00.002-07:00

2 pork tenderloins
pesto
6 slices of provolone cheese
10-12 slices pancetta

1. Slit tenderloins lengthwise, creating a generous size pocket
2. Smear a generous amount of pesto in pocket, and then place half-slices of cheese on top, & push down into pocket
3. Lay pancetta along the length of tenderloin and pull pocket closed, tying in several places with cotton twine to hold together
4. Place in baking dish and bake 25 min. @ 400 degrees; Check with meat thermometer before removing from oven

(I cooked 3 tenderloins in same dish and it too approx. 40 min.

Thanksgiving Cornbread Goodness (for Demmy!)

2010-11-24T12:28:00.001-07:00

It just wouldn't be Thanksgiving without this delicious side dish!

1 can whole kernel corn (juice, too)
1 can cream style corn
1 c. sour cream
1/4 c. sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 c. melted butter
1 (8 oz.) box Jiffy corn muffin mix

Mix together adding muffin mix last. Bake in large casserole or 9x13 pan at 350 degrees 50-60 minutes until set. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Pumpkin Pancakes

2010-10-20T16:17:00.002-06:00

Anyone who knows me knows that I pretty much love ALL things pumpkin! Sweet or savory, if it's pumpkin, I will probably enjoy it. Pumpkin lattes, pumpkin risotto, pumpkin scones, pumpkin soup, and of course pumpkin pie! Well tonight the kiddos asked for "brefquist" (AKA "breakfast") for dinner and since I love breakfasty type foods almost as much as I love pumpkin I was more than happy to make them "brefquist" for dinner. (Especially since John is currently gone.)

Today was the first really cool & rainy day we've had in North Carolina since we've moved here so I decided to "celebrate" with Pumpkin Pancakes. The results were DELICIOUS and actually pumpkiny! I loved them. The kiddos did too. Micah & Lydia both ate 3! (We won't talk about how many I ate...) :) Noah even had a few little pieces. I would suggest serving them with real maple syrup or fried apples or apple butter.

whisk 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour; 2 tablespoons sugar; 2 teaspoons baking powder; 1/2 teaspoon each cinnamon, ground ginger, and salt; 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg; and a pinch of ground cloves.
In a separate bowl, stir together 1 cup milk, 6 tablespoons canned pumpkin puree, 2 tablespoons melted butter, and 1 egg; fold mixture into dry ingredients.
Melt some butter in a skillet over medium heat; pour in 1/4 cup batter for each pancake.
Cook pancakes about 3 minutes per side; serve with butter and syrup.

Makes 8 to 10.Read more at Marthastewart.com: Pumpkin Pancakes - Martha Stewart Recipes

Old-Fashioned Soft Pumpkin Cookies

2010-10-11T17:38:00.002-06:00

While I cannot claim this recipe as mine, I can claim that these cookies are DE-LISH! I made them this afternoon with my monkeys (my kiddos) to sort of break up a rough day & wait for the excuse to pour myself a drink. Ha! Anyway, I hope you enjoy the cookies. I will be taking them to the women's Bible study that I am a part of tomorrow to enjoy with coffee & the Word instead of Merlot & some whine. :) I expect that, in the company of grown-up adult conversation, a hot cup of coffee, and friends they will be even more yummy!

Old-Fashioned Soft Pumpkin Cookies

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Glaze (recipe follows)
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease baking sheets.
Combine flour, baking soda, baking power, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in medium bowl. beat sugar and butter in large mixer bowl until well blended. Beat in pumpkin, egg and vanilla extract until smooth. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto prepared baking sheets.
Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until edges are firm. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Drizzle Glaze over cookies.
For Glaze: Combine 2 cups sifted powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons milk, 1 tablespoon melted butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract in small bowl until smooth.
Prep: 10 min Cooking: 18 min Cooling time: 2 min cooling Yields: 36 cookies
Tip: For a variation add 1/2 cup chocolate chips or nuts to the recipe.

Honey-Pear Gorgonzola Bruschetta

2010-10-07T08:28:00.002-06:00

This is more of "chick" appetizer but if you've got the girls over to watch college gameday or for drinks or something you might as well treat them to something yummy! :) This was a HUGE hit at a Wives' Coffee I hosted here at Ft. Bragg.

Honey-Pear-Gorgonzola Bruschetta

Preheat oven to 450
Slice french baguette into thin slices
Arrange slices of bread on cookie sheet
Drizzle slices of bread with olive oil
Toast in oven about 5 minutes or until just barely golden
Dice up about 2 pears
Caramelize diced pears in a skillet with some olive oil, fresh chopped rosemary, 1/2 cup walnut pieces, & 1/4 cup honey
Toss pear mixture together with about a cup (less if you don't want it as strong) gorgonzola cheese
Place about 1-2 tablespoons pear-gorgonzola mixture on top toasted bread slices
Re-toast bruschetta with the topping about 5 more minutes or until bruschetta is golden & topping is ooey-gooey-goodness.
Enjoy! :)

P.S. If you "need" to add meat to this to make it more "manly" you could always add some prosciutto or plain old yummy bacon. And really, how could you go wrong with bacon? :)

Healthy Egg Salad

2010-09-23T15:13:00.000-06:00

I have never been the biggest fan of egg salad; it's all the yoke that wares on me. When I found this recipe I was excited to give it a try. Happy to report that it was a hit for me + it's healthy! Bonus!

Ingredients:

8 eggs
3 tbsp. part skim ricotta cheese
3 tbsp. plain yogurt
2 tsp. dijon mustard
2 tbsp. finely chopped chives (you could also use green onions, if they are easier to have on hand)
1/2 tsp. coarse salt
pepper

Directions

Prepare an ice water bath
Hard boil your eggs and plunge into ice water bath to cool
Peel eggs, reserve two yokes discard the rest, (keep all the whites) finely chop and crumble the eggs
Whisk ricotta cheese, yogurt, mustard, chives, and S&P, to combine
Add to eggs, and mix

Serve on your favorite bread with some lettuce and your other favorite sandwich fixin's!

Bow Tie Pasta with Spinach

2010-08-25T18:41:00.002-06:00

Below is a DELICIOUS pasta salad that was shared with our family through our Aunt Debbie's friend JoAnn. This can be served hot or cold and with our without chicken. We usually buy a rotisserie chicken, cut it up and put it in the salad and have it for dinner. Also the cranberries can be substituted for a jar of sun dried tomatoes if you prefer that instead. Enjoy!

Bow Tie Pasta w/Spinach

1 lb Bow Tie Pasta
1 bag Baby Spinach
1 bag Dried Cranberries
3-4 cloves Chopped Garlic
3 oz Pine Nuts
½ cup Olive Oil, approximately
Salt & Pepper

In a dry pan, toast pine nuts, set aside in pasta bowl.
In same pan add olive oil, garlic, cranberries, salt & pepper and heat thru
Boil pasta
Add pasta to pine nuts
Add olive oil mixture, toss
Add baby spinach raw, heat from oil and Pasta will wilt spinach
Serve hot or room temperature.

My Latest Greatest Discovery...

2010-08-09T13:49:00.002-06:00

I wanted to share this because I noticed that it is also available to Washingtinians, now if it is in your area at all that I am not sure of...but.. they are always opening up new locations so there are the possibilities.

I joined a food co-op called Bountiful Baskets. This is only our 3rd week getting a basket but I am having so much fun with it. It can be a little tricky because you never know exactly what you are going to get, it's like Christmas morning with fruits and vegis. You receive about $35 worth of produce for $15 (regular) and $25 (organic). And since it is a co-op it is all volunteer based. It's the same quality as you would get at your local grocer, just takes out the middle-man and you get much more for your money.
This week was my favorite so far, we got...Bananas, catelope, strawberries, raspberries, grapes, pears (I'm going to make Eileens Roast w/Pears and honey and mustard), celery, lettuce, slicing tomatoes, broccoli, green peppers, and I was able to order 7 dozen of fresh made (no preservatives) flour and corn tortillas - freezable or shareable - for $10.00. We have also participated in getting 5 loafs of 9 grain bread for $10.00, very very yummy! They have different options each week of extras you can add if you would like.
It's tax free but a 1.00 handeling fee.
In the past we have gotten...banana squash, mangos, aprictos, nectarines, cauliflower, potatoes, pinapple, limes, white asparagus, cherry tomatoes.

Anyway... if any of ya want to check it out go to www.bountifulbaskets.org and go to Locations, change state to WA and see if it's in your area. If not, I am sure there are yummy markets and food co-ops right around your corner!

Turkey Tetrazzini by Joy Bauer

2010-03-30T10:07:00.008-06:00

This recipe does take about an hour including prep and cook time, but so worth it!

Photo: Con Poulos

INGREDIENTS
1 lb turkey breast cutlets

(or boneless, skinless chicken breasts or chicken tenders)

1/2 tsp kosher salt

3/4 tsp black pepper

1 medium onion, diced

1 pkg (8 to 10 oz) white button mushrooms, trimmed and sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1/3 cup all-purpose flour or whole-wheat flour

3 cups lowfat unsalted or reduced-sodium chicken broth

8 oz whole-wheat pasta (about 1/2 a standard box; angel hair, spaghetti, or linguine work best)

4 oz (1/2 cup) lowfat cream cheese

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

1 cup chopped roasted red peppers

1 can (about 14 oz) artichoke hearts packed in water or brine, thoroughly rinsed and drained, roughly chopped

6 cups fresh spinach, large stems removed, leaves roughly chopped
PREPARATION
1. Heat oven to 350ºF. Bring a 6-qt pot of unsalted water to a boil. While the water heats, liberally coat a 5-qt saucepan or Dutch oven with nonstick spray and heat it over medium heat. 2. Season the turkey cutlets with 1/4 tsp of the salt and 1⁄4 tsp of the black pepper. Place the cutlets in the saucepan and cook on the first side until nicely browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Turn the cutlets over and finish cooking on the other side until browned, about 4 minutes. Transfer the cutlets to a plate.

3. To the same saucepan, liberally reapply nonstick spray and add the onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, about 4 minutes, adding a Tbsp of water at a time as necessary to prevent scorching.

4. Add mushrooms, garlic and pepper flakes. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are soft, about 5 minutes.

5. Push the vegetables to the outskirts of the pan to create a well in the center. Add the flour to the well. Pour 1 cup of the chicken broth over the flour, whisking vigorously; continue whisking to combine the flour and broth into a thick paste.

6. Slowly start to bring the vegetables into the paste, then stir to thoroughly combine. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, to allow the raw flour taste to cook out.

7. Add the remaining 2 cups broth and whisk vigorously to combine. Still working over medium heat, bring the sauce to a gentle simmer and cook, uncovered, for 10 minutes. The sauce will begin to thicken slightly.

8. While sauce simmers, break the pasta into 2-in. pieces (roughly) with your hands. Add the pasta pieces to the boiling water and follow the directions on the package for al dente. Don’t overcook the pasta; it will continue to cook in the oven. Reserve 1⁄2 cup of the cooking water; set aside. Drain pasta.

9. Season the sauce with the remaining 1/4 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. Add the cream cheese and 1/4 cup of the Parmesan. Stir until the cream cheese is completely incorporated.

10. Chop the reserved turkey cutlets into 1/2-in. pieces. Add the chopped turkey, roasted red peppers, artichoke hearts and spinach to the sauce. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until spinach is wilted, about 3 minutes.

11. Add the cooked pasta. Stir until all the ingredients are evenly coated with sauce. If the sauce is too thick, thin it with the reserved pasta water, adding 2 Tbsp at a time and stirring after each addition to test the consistency.

12. Transfer the mixture to a 3-qt shallow baking dish coated with nonstick spray, and smooth the top. Or if you used a Dutch oven, simply remove it from the heat and smooth the mixture directly in the dish. Sprinkle the remaining 1⁄4 cup Parmesan evenly over the casserole.

13. Bake, uncovered, on the middle oven rack for 20 to 25 minutes, until the top is golden and the casserole is bubbling around the sides.

Chicken with 40 garlic cloves

2010-03-22T00:02:00.006-06:00

1 4 lb. chicken, rinsed & patted dry
1/2 tsp. salt & pepper
1 cup olive oil
2 fresh flat-leaf parsley sprigs
1 each fresh rosemary, thyme, and sage sprig (some stores sell them in combination for poultry)
1 Turkish bay leaf or 1/2 California bay leaf (I forgot this and it was still tasty!)
1 celery rib
40 peeled garlic cloves

Sprinkle chicken with salt & pepper; Tie chicken legs together with kitchen string
Heat oil in 6-8 qt. wide oven proof pot over moderate heat; Add chicken & sear, turning until golden brown all over and then transfer chicken to a plate
Tie herbs & celery together and add to pot; Scatter garlic over bottom of pot and place chicken on top
Cover tightly & transfer to oven, baking until thermometer inserted in thigh reads 170 degrees (30 - 40 min.)
Transfer chicken to cutting board & let rest 10 min. before carving
Spread garlic on mini-toasts and enjoy!

* Cook spaghetti & combine with left over garlic cloves, oil, and a jar of marinated artichokes (quartered) the next day for a second meal. Mix in pieces of chicken to make it even more yummy!

Food Network Crockpot Chicken Chile

2010-02-25T21:47:00.003-07:00

I give credit to Carolina for this one. She served it at Christophers b-day party and we all fell in love. I decided to serve it at Mikey's b-day and it was a hit again. It kindof has a lot of little ingredients but most are items already in the cupboard, it is really pretty easy.

2 lbs. ground chicken
3 TBSP chili powder + 2 tsp for later
1 can kidney beans (rinsed) add an extra can for larger groups
1 can white beans (rinsed) add an extra can for larger groups
2 cans diced (fire roasted) tomatoes
1 (15 oz) can chicken broth
1/4 cup instant tapioca
2 TBSP soy sauce
1 TBSP salt
1 tsp oregano
1 TBSP onion powder
2 TBSP garlic powder
1 TBSP cumin
1/4 tsp cinnamon
pinch of ground cloves
1 small sweet potatoe peeled and shredded

Put chicken in the crockpot.
Add 3 TBSP chili powder and all other ingredients.
Stir, cover, and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
Just before serving stir in additional 2 tsp. chili powder

Serve with some chips, shredded cheese, sour cream and anything else you think sounds good. Enjoy!!!

Crockpot Meatloaf

2010-02-25T21:30:00.003-07:00

I love meatloaf and I love this recipe, especially because it isn't greasy. I guess it's not for everyone but if you like meatloaf, try it out and see what you think.
First of all, the crockpot I like to use is kindof an oval shape (about 5 1/2 quart), I use this one so that the fat isn't surrounding the meat the whole time.

2 1/2 pounds of ground beef or turkey (or a mix of both)
1/4 cup ketchup, plus 2 TBSP for later
1/4 cup water
1 egg
1 cup bread crumbs
1 TBSP brown sugar
1 TBSP worchestershire sauce
1 small onion (diced)
Salt/Pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl.
Form into meatloaf shape.
Line crockpot with aluminum foil (for a much easier clean up).
Place meatloaf into crockpot, top with an additional 2 TBSP ketchup.
Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

We love to serve it with green beans, mashed potatoes, and some brown gravy.
Enjoy!!!

Alcohol Substitutes

2010-01-24T17:06:00.003-07:00

I have been noticing that a lot of recipes I've been getting out of Cooking Light call for white or red wine. I know that not all of us have wine on hand so I thought this article I found on "Alcohol Substitutes" might help when you don't want to buy a whole bottle of wine for one recipe.

Beer or Ale

Chicken Broth, white grape juice, or ginger ale

Rum (for all those desserts!)

white grape juice, apple juice, or pineapple juice

Wine, Red

red grape juice, cranberry juice, apple cider, or chicken broth,

Wine, White

white grape juice, apple cider, apple juice, vegetable stock, or water

Hearty Beef and Potato Stew

2010-01-24T16:12:00.002-07:00

I got a Le Creuset dutch oven for our wedding (3 years ago) and haven't made very many things with it. So this winter I've been on the hunt for good dutch oven recipes! As I've experimented I have to say I love cooking with it! I highly recommend getting a dutch oven, I know Le Creuset's are expensive but I think they are worth every penny! Ben requested a "beef stew" recipe and I had this one among my collection. We were very pleased with it.

Ingredients:

Serve 6 (or 4 with left overs for lunch the next day!)

8 cloves of garlic
1 onion chopped
1.5 lbs chuck roast, cubed (a lot of the time you can find beef specifically for stew already pre-cubed in the meat section)
1/2 cup red wine (if you prefer not cooking with wine you can substitute for more beef broth/stock)
3 carrots chopped
2 tsp rosemary
S&P
2 bay leaves
1 cup water, divided
1 cup beef broth
2 cans (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes undrained
1 1/2 lbs baking potatoes cut into bite size pieces
1/2 tbsp flour (or cornstarch to make this recipe gluten-free, just be sure to dissolve the cornstarch in water before adding it to the pot)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees
Heat a medium-large dutch oven or medium-high heat. Coat pan with EVOO or cooking spray. Add garlic, saute 1 minute remove garlic with a slotted spoon and place in a large bowl. Coat pan with EVOO; add onion, saute for 3 minutes. Add onion to garlic. Coat pan with EVOO add beef to pan; saute for 5 minutes or until lightly browned on all sides. Add beef and accumulated juices to onion and garlic mixture.
Add wine (or 1/2 cup beef broth) to pan and and loosen browned bits. Add beef mixture. Stir in carrot, rosemary, salt, pepper, and bay leaves. Add 1/2 cup water, broth, and tomatoes; stir to combine. Bring to a boil; cook 1 minute. Remove from heat; cover and bake at 300 for 90 minutes. Remove from oven; uncover and stir in potatoes.
Combine remaining 1/2 cup water and flour; stir with a whisk until smooth. Stir flour mixture into the stew. Cover and bake an additional 90 minutes until beef is tender. Discard bay leaves.
Serve with bread and a salad!

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

2010-01-22T16:42:00.003-07:00

I made this soup while Ben and I had some visitors in town. It turned out great, however, I added way too much rice so I ended up having to add more broth making the pot of soup HUGE! So even though the amount of rice sounds small it will end up being plenty. Don't double the amount like I did!

Ingredients:

Serves 4 (generous amounts)

EVOO
4 carrots chopped
4 celery stalks chopped
1 small onion chopped
coarse S&P
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
1 zucchini chopped
2 cups frozen peas
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (cooked)
2/3 cup wild-rice

Directions:

Ahead of time I put some EVOO and seasoned chicken in a skillet and cooked until no longer pink. Chop the chicken in small bit size chunks.
In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium high heat. Add carrots, celery, and onion; season with S&P. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are crisp-tender, 3-5 minutes.
Add broth, chicken, rice, and 2 cups water to pan. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer, and cover. Cook for 10 minutes add zucchini and peas, cover and cook for another 10 minutes. (Or until rice is tender.) Season with S&P to taste, serve with bread and a salad.

Baked Soaked Oatmeal

2010-01-20T22:59:00.003-07:00

Breakfast is seriously like my archnemisis. (Did I spell that right?) Anyway, I'm not a morning person, don't like feeling like a short-order cook, & at 36 weeks pregnant with baby #3, the thought of making something fancy for 2 kiddos for breakfast does not appeal. (It never really appeals though!) And... for those who know me, know that this year I've been taking baby steps towards a more "traditional" and whole food diet for our family. One of those baby steps has been researching soaked oatmeal recipes. I found this one and have adapted this recipe from http://thenourishedlife.blogspot.com/

While at Cannon Beach this past weekend I tried the recipe out on my family & everyone seemed to like it. (They were either lying or really did like it. HA!) :) So here it is! Super easy, and can be easily reheated for SUPER EASY breakfasts, and it won't make you feel like you're a short order cook! :)

Soak OVERNIGHT or all day:

Cover 3 cups of steel cut oats (I like Bob's Red Mill) and 1 cup of walnuts with water

The next morning or in the later evening:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
Drain off any excess water and set oats aside
Beat 4 eggs and then combine with 1/2 cup maple syrup and 2 tablespoons coconut oil - set aside
Add 1 cup toasted (whole) flaxseeds to oats, 1 tablespoon cinnamon, and a cup or 2 of dried cranberries, frozen blueberries... fruit of your choice. Stir until everything is well mixed into oats
Add the egg, syrup, and coconut oil mixture to the oats - stir until well combined
Add 2 cups milk to oat mixture and stir until until well combined
Pour the oat mixture into a greased 9x13 pan.
Bake for an hour or golden

Serve fresh and hot with fresh fruit, yogurt, syrup, and/or honey or reheat the next morning in individual bowls for an easy and quick breakfast!

BBQ Bone-In Pork Chops

2010-01-12T12:07:00.004-07:00

I made these in my cast iron grill pan, but I'm sure you could make them in a regular skillet. This recipe is just the rub for the pork chops, it calls for quite a few spices. I didn't have all the spices but I found that Whole Foods Market has a bulk spice section where I could get just the amount of paprika, or dry mustard that I would need. This was a much more cost effective way to make this recipe!

Ingredients:

Serves 4

1 tablespoon of light brown sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
3/4 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. dry mustard
1/8 tsp. all spice
1/8 tsp. ground red pepper (or I used a few cracks of my black pepper)
4 bone-in center-cut pork chops (I used bone-in pork chops but if you don't want to purchase bone-in this rub would work just fine with boneless.)

Directions:

Combine the first 9 ingredients; rub over both sides of pork and let them sit (in the refrigerator) for about 30 minutes.
Heat your grill pan or skillet over MEDIUM-high heat. Coat pan with olive oil, add pork and cook for 2 minutes on each side. Reduce the heat to medium, cover, and cook for 8-10 minutes more or until done, turning occasionally. Remove from pan and let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
Serve with potatoes and your favorite vegetable.

DELICIOUS Oat Scone Recipe

2009-12-20T23:27:00.001-07:00

Hi all! I know that it has been a while since we have posted. I just recently made these scones again and forgot how easy they are and how GREAT it is to have these in the freezer and be able to just pop them in the oven. Enjoy!!

Oat Scones
Mix the following together in Kitchen Aid mixer, using “paddle” attachment.
2 cups Whole-wheat flour
1 ¼ cups White (unbleached) flour
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 ½ cups dry Oatmeal
1 cup dried Cherries or Blueberries (I use Costco “Crasins”)

Make certain the plastic shield is in place on your K.A. mixer.
Remove Unsalted Butter from frig and slice into thin pieces.
Gradually add:10 oz. Cold Unsalted Butter

When it’s well mixed and looks like moist meal,
Add:2/3 cup cold Buttermilk.

As it’s mixing, it will gradually come away from sides of the bowl & the motor will slow down. (It should be well mixed by this time)

Place a long narrow piece of parchment-paper on the counter, scraping dough on it to make a Log shape rectangle of aprx. 16” long X 3 ½” tall X 1 ½” high.
Take a sharp knife and gently “score” the top so that you have aprx. 13 triangle pieces (larger or smaller, depending on the size YOU want).

Slip a cookie sheet under the paper (with the dough) and place in freezer for 15 to 20 minutes (any longer and you will have a very difficult time cutting it). After this time, the dough will be slightly firm. Remove it to a cutting board and cut completely through with a smooth, sharp Chef’s knife (where formerly scored).

Take each piece, firming up any loose edges and place the scones into a gallon-size Ziploc bag. Place sealed bag in freezer, at least overnight. (Can be frozen for at least a month or longer).

When ready to bake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place frozen scones* on cookie sheet (I prefer Air-bake type pans, so they don’t get over-baked on bottom).
Bake 30 minutes (depending on oven) until only slightly browned on edges.

*I’ve never done this but just before baking, you can brush scones with heavy cream and add sanding sugar or possibly sliced almonds on top.

Roast Pork & Pears with Mustard/Honey Glaze

2009-12-07T21:57:00.005-07:00

1 1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
1 1/2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. each of pepper & nutmeg
2 pork tenderloins, about 1 lb. each
1 Tbs. olive oil
3 ripe bosc pears, cut into wedges & sprinkled with 1 Tbs. sugar
2 tsp. lemon juice
1/4 c. Dijon mustard
1/4 c. honey

1. Mix first 5 ingredients and rub all over pork; Mix pears with sugar & lemon juice; Pour oil into 9X13 pan, preheat in oven for 5 min. @ 375 degrees and then add pork & pears; Roast 25 min.
2. Stir together mustard, honey, & 1 tsp. additional paprika; Use 1/2 for basting and 1/2 for serving
3. After 25 min., baste roast & cook additional 5 min. or until cooked through but still juicy
4. Let stand for 5 min., then slice & serve with honey mustard mixture

5. substitute apples for pears or mix the fruit...Yum

Makes 6 servings

Cobb Salad with Green Goddess Dressing

2009-12-04T12:31:00.004-07:00

Another recipe from my magazine clipping stack. Ben and I love cobb salads, this green goddess dressing is a great way to change things up on an old favorite. The dressing also makes a great dip for vegi's at a party! This recipe is from Cooking Light so there is no bacon in it, but it can be added if you desire.

Ingredients:

Serves 4

DRESSING:
1/2 cup plain fat-free yogurt
1/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (I used my dry parsley and it turned out just fine.)
3 tablespoons chopped green onions
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
S&P
2 garlic cloves, minced
SALAD:
1 head of romaine lettuce, chopped
2 chicken breast cooked and cut into small chunks. I cooked mine in a frying pan with a little EVOO and S&P.
2 tomatoes, cut into wedges
2 hard-cooked large eggs, each cut into 4 wedges
1 avocado peeled and diced
1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese (We don't put blue cheese in our cobb salad, it's too stinky. :)

Directions:

To prepare dressing, place first 11 ingredients in a blender or food processor; process until smooth. Chill.
To prepare salad, place lettuce on each of 4 plates. Arrange a handful of chicken, 4 tomato wedges, 2 egg wedges, avocado, and cheese over each serving. Top with dressing.

Garden Style Lasagna

2009-12-02T15:38:00.006-07:00

photo from Cooking Light

This lasagna is so delicious!!!! I can't emphasize how good it was! I found the recipe in Cooking Light magazine, I've been getting this magazine for years but have never tried any recipes. I was a little hesitant at first because I've had the occasional vegi lasagna that has an over powering spinach taste or that just tastes bland, but this met and exceeded my every expectation. I did make a few changes to the recipe, for example it called for cottage cheese for the filling but I used ricotta cheese. I'm sure cottage cheese would've been "lighter" but I wanted to go with the more traditional lasagna filling.

This recipe does have a lot of steps and did take some time, but the end result is worth all the hard work you'll put into it. One tip, prep all your vegetables before you start cooking. It will allow for a much smoother cooking process!

Ingredients:

Serves 8

1 chopped onion
5 garlic cloves, minced
EVOO
1 chopped zucchini
1 chopped yellow squash
3 thinly sliced carrot
1 bunch of broccoli chopped
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups low-fat milk
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
Dash of nutmeg (optional)
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
2 cups preshredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
12 no-boil lasagna noodles, divided
S&P

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with 1 tablespoons of EVOO. Add onion to pan; sauté 4 minutes or until lightly browned. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Spoon onion mixture into a large bowl.
Heat 1 teaspoon oil in the same pan over medium-high heat. Add zucchini and yellow squash; sauté 4 minutes or until tender and just beginning to brown. Add to onion mixture.
Heat 1 teaspoon oil in the same pan over medium-high heat. Add sliced carrot; sauté 4 minutes or until tender. Add chopped broccoli; sauté 4 minutes or until crisp-tender. Add to onion mixture. Sprinkle with salt; toss well to combine.
Place flour in a medium saucepan. Gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until blended. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook 2 minutes or until thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add 1/2 cup Parmesan, S&P, and nutmeg; stir until smooth. Stir in spinach.
Combine ricotta cheese and 1 1/2 cups mozzarella; stir well. Spread 1/2 cup spinach mixture in bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 4 noodles over spinach mixture in dish; top with half of ricotta cheese mixture (about 1 1/2 cups), half of vegetable mixture (about 2 1/2 cups), and about 1 cup spinach mixture. Repeat layers. Spread remaining spinach mixture over noodles; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan and remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella.
Cover and bake at 375° for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 20 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and beginning to brown. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Delightfully Spiced Carrots

2009-12-01T09:54:00.002-07:00

These carrots are so yummy and easy! I served them with chicken tenders dipped in thai peanut sauce and roasted cauliflower. The whole dinner took me about 15min!!-and was packed with flavor.
8 carrots cut into 1/4in. diagonal slices
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1/4 tsp. salt.

Heat skillet over med heat- add olive oil, cumin, and cinnamon; cook for 30sec.
Add carrots and garlic; turn with tongs to coat with spices.
Add salt and cover; cook for 5-8min or until tender.

Acorn Squash Stuffed with Almond-Apple-Cherry Rice

2009-11-26T13:34:00.009-07:00

When I first saw this recipe, it looked intimidating for some reason and sounded weird, but it turned out to be a wonderful vegetarian dinner. It was pretty easy and Kerry didn't even miss the meat :).

1cu. brown basmati rice (prepare according to package)

Cooking Spray

2 acorn squashes, halved and seeded

1Tb. olive oil

1 onion minced

1/3cu. chopped almonds

1/4tsp. minced garlic

1/4tsp. salt

1 unpeeled apple, chopped

1/4cu. dried cherries

Cook Rice according to package (basmati usually takes 30-40min.)

Preheat oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with foil and spritz with cooking spray. Place squash on sheet, cut side down. Roast for 35-40min or until you can pierce skin easily with a fork. Remove from oven and set aside.

While squash and rice are cooking, heat skillet over med heat, add olive oil and swirl to coat. Add onion and cook stirring often, for about 7min. Add almonds and cook stirring frequently for 5-7min. Stir in garlic and salt and cook for 5min. Remove from heat. Fluff rice and transfer to bowl. Add skillet mixture, apples and cherries to rice and stir to combine. Spoon mixture into squash.

Zuppa Toscana-Wanna-be aka Zuppa Tosouppa

2009-11-19T23:50:00.008-07:00

Since so many of our poll respondents wanted soup recipes, here is a favorite of mine. Anyone who enjoys Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana will appreciate this yummy soup, adapted from a copycat recipe found on the internet. Some say they like it even better than the original. Fat and calories are reduced by using turkey bacon, turkey or chicken sausage, and half & half instead of cream.

Ingredients:
1 lb. mild (spicy if you want) Italian chicken or turkey sausage, crumbled
1/2 lb. turkey bacon (Wellshire Peppered Turkey Bacon is great)
4 cups water
4 cups chicken broth (if using canned, use 2 14.5 oz. cans plus 1/3 cup water)
2 med. russet potatoes (peeled or well-scrubbed and cubed)
1 small head cauliflower (cut into small florets) Note: Not in original recipe, but I think this makes it healthier and yummier. You can omit and add another potato if desired or you can omit the potatoes to make it low carb.
2-3 cloves garlic (minced)
1 med. onion (peeled and chopped)
1 bunch kale (washed and torn away from tough veins)
1 cup half & half
salt and pepper to taste

Method:
-In a skillet over med. heat, brown crumbled sausage, drain (if nec.), set aside.
-In same skillet brown bacon (I cut it into small pieces with shears before browning), drain (if nec.-very little fat with turkey bacon), set aside.
-Place water, broth, potatoes, cauliflower, garlic, and onion in a soup pot; simmer over med. heat until potatoes and cauliflower are tender.
-Add sausage and bacon to pot; simmer for 10 min.
-Add kale and half & half to pot; season with salt and pepper; heat through.

Serve with a salad dressed with Italian Vinaigrette and breadsticks. Very satisfying. I promise you will not be disappointed.

Love To All,
Jules

Tomato-Lime Tortilla Soup

2009-11-06T19:29:00.004-07:00

We had this soup tonight for dinner & it was so souper delicious! Ha! :) I got the recipe from one of my most recent Food Network magazines. It was way easy and Lydia (my 4 year old) inhaled it, John raved about it, and I (the preggo momma) ate 2 bowls. Micah was the only one who decided to eat just chips - but really, who can blame him on that choice?!?! :) Anyway, here is the recipe:

2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 medium sized shallots or 4-5 garlic cloves finely diced
2 pints fresh cherry or grape tomatoes (optional)
8 cups chicken stock or broth
1 large can (28oz.) diced tomatoes
1 bag frozen corn kernels
4 limes juiced
1/4 cup diced fresh cilantro (or 2 tablespoons dried cilantro)
2 tsp. dried, ground cumin
2 chicken breasts, boiled & then shredded

Salt and pepper to taste

1) Saute diced shallots in olive oil until they soften
* Salt & pepper the shallots to make them sweat - a pinch of sugar works too
2) Add cherry tomatoes & saute until the skins begin to burst
3) Add 8 cups chicken stock or broth, canned tomatoes, corn, lime juice, cilantro, and cumin.
4) Bring soup to a boil, stir, and then simmer for 20 minutes to an hour
5) Add shredded chicken breasts

Serve & top with tortilla chips, shredded cheddar cheese, and salsa.

** Take out the chips and I believe this is gluten free! **

Boeuf Bourguignon with Roasted Vegetables and Mashed Potatoes

2009-11-04T19:15:00.005-07:00

When will my Julie and Julia references stop?!?!?!? Here is another plug for the movie! Ben has been asking about Boeuf Bourguignon since Julie Powell (Amy Adams) made it in the movie. I did a little researching online and found Julia Child's recipe, it was far too complex for me. Something about using wine to deglaze my pan... I don't know what deglazing is let alone why I would use wine to do it. So I searched some more and found an easier version on my trusty Everyday Food website/magazine!

I made it on Halloween for Ben and our friends Tyler and Stacy. I'm not sure how it differs from Julia Child's recipe but it got RAVE reviews! Ben and still talking about it. I will definitely be making this recipe again, it was delicious and fairly inexpensive to make!

Ingredients

Serves 8

4 slices bacon (1/4 pound), cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces
3 1/2 pounds boneless beef chuck roast, large pieces of fat trimmed, cut into 2-inch chunks, patted dry I used the "stew meat" that is already precut into chunks. I was able to get 2lbs. for $4.00!
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 large onion, chopped
3 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
6 medium carrots, cut diagonally into 3/4-inch slices
1 bottle dry red wine (3 cups) The cheapest bottle you can find, I found a bottle for $3.99!
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

Directions:

In a 6-to-8-quart saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, cook bacon uncovered over medium-low heat until browned, 10 to 15 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate; set aside. Reserve bacon fat.
Season beef generously with salt and pepper. In a large bowl, dredge beef in flour, shaking off excess. Raise heat to medium. Working in two batches, brown beef in bacon fat on all sides, without crowding, about 10 minutes per batch. Transfer each batch to a bowl.
Pour 1/2 cup water into pan; bring to a boil. Cook, stirring, to loosen browned bits, until liquid has reduced to a few tablespoons, 2 to 3 minutes.
Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring, until slightly softened, 3 minutes. Add tomato paste; cook 1 minute.
Add carrots, meat (with juices), wine, thyme, and reserved bacon. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer over low, stirring occasionally, until meat is tender, but not falling apart, 3 to 3 1/2 hours.
Skim fat off surface of stew; discard. Stir Roasted Mushrooms and Pearl Onions into beef; season with salt and pepper. Serve, or refrigerate, covered, up to overnight.

I served this meal with roasted mushrooms, zucchini, and pearl onions. Here is how I roasted them:

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
Place whole mushrooms, (stems trimmed) zucchini, (sliced in thick strips) and thawed pearl onions on a rimmed cookie sheet. Pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the vegetables, mix the vegetables to coat. Season with S&P.
Roast for about 25-30 minutes in the oven.

I also made mashed potatoes and our friends brought bread. I know carb overload, but a small french baguette was nice to have with this meal because it helped soak up the yummy sauce from the meat.

Update and Sauteed Mushrooms

2009-10-31T13:43:00.005-06:00

I've had a few people ask if I've been sticking with my resolution to make every recipe out of my magazine clipping collection before I have any repeats. The answer is YES! It has been fun, but sometimes Ben gets depressed when I make something he really likes. He says, "You're really not going to make this again until your done trying every recipe?" I suppose I can make a exception here and there but so far I haven't had any repeats. The following posts are a few of my newest finds/favorites.

I've had fun tracking our poll lately. Soup continues to be the winner, so all you Dinner-Belles out there lets post some good soup recipes! Here are the rest of the results to the poll for those who are wondering:

Soup - 25%

Dessert- 14%

Easy Meals (5 Items or less) - 14%

Gluten Free - 14%

Crockpot - 11%

Salads - 7%

Vegetarian - 7%

Steak - 4%

Pork - 4%

Chicken - 0%

Now for the sauteed mushrooms... I was making a salmon dish one night and decided to serve it with mushrooms. Things got a little crazy, I had too many pots going at once so I hollered for Ben to help. He happily took care of the mushrooms. As he was making the mushrooms he was quoting from Julie and Julia, "don't crowd the mushrooms!"

Ben did an excellent job at sauteeing the mushrooms they turned out to be the best thing on the plate that night. The salmon I was making had a white sauce over it and neither of us cared for the sauce, so I won't be posting that one!

These mushrooms are truly tasty and would be a great side kick to any meal, try em out!

Ingredients:

Serves 2

>1 tsp. EVOO
1/2 lb. mushrooms (I got the cheap cremini kind)
Salt and Pepper
1 tsp. red wine vinegar

Directions

In a large skillet heat oil over medium heat. Add mushrooms; season with S&P, and cook until tender and lightly browned, 12-13 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in vinegar.

Shredded Pork Tacos

2009-10-31T13:25:00.002-06:00

Ingredients:

Serves 4

1 large onion, chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
2 bay leaves
salt and pepper
3 tbl. tomato paste
a 2 lb (about) pork shoulder
1 28oz. can chopped tomatoes
1 large chipotle chile in adobo sauce (from a can) minced
8-12 corn tortillas
shredded cheddar or jack cheese
1 c. fresh cilantro leaves

Directions

In your crock pot toss onion, garlic, thyme, oregano, tomato paste, can of chopped tomatoes, chipotle chili. Mix together. Add pork shoulder and turn in mixture to coat evenly. Place bay leaves on top, cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours.
Uncover after 8-10 hours and discard bay leaves. Using tongs transfer meat to a large bowl and shred with two forks, discarding any large pieces of fat. Return meat to crock pot and mix with sauce.
Spoon pork and onions into tortillas with a slotted spoon. Top with cheese, cilantro, and Crunchy Slaw. (See recipe below)

Crunchy Slaw

1/3 c. mayo
1 1/2 tbl white wine vinegar
3 tbl. lime juice
1 tbl. sugar
Salt and Pepper
1/2 a Bag of Coleslaw Mix

Whisk together mayo, white wine vinegar, lime juice, sugar, salt, and pepper.
Pour over coleslaw mix, toss.
Place in refrigerator until ready to serve (up to 8 hours)

Chicken Curry

2009-10-31T13:06:00.002-06:00

This chicken curry dish a easy to make and you can prepare it in the morning and let it cook in your crockpot all day long! A great dinner for those nights when there is a lot going on and not enough time to make dinner.

Ingredients:

Serves 8

I use the same amount of garlic, coconut milk, ginger, and spices, that the recipe calls for even if I am cooking less meat. (I want the flavors to come out the same.) So if you are trying to cut this recipe in half my reccomendation is to only reduce the amount of chicken, peas, and onions you use.

3 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs (I always use chicken breast just because it is what I have in my freezer.)
2 medium onions
8 cloves of garlic
16 thin slices peeled fresh ginger
2 c. unsweetened coconut milk
2 tbl. curry powder
1 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. ground cumin
2 packages frozen peas (if you don't love peas you could use brocoli, green beans, zucchini, really any vegetable you like would work great with this dish.)

Directions:

In your crockpot, toss chicken, onion, garlic, ginger, curry powder, coriander, and cumin. Mix around to make sure chicken is well coated. Season with salt. Cover and cook for the amount of time you desire. Cook on HIGH for 4 hours, MEDIUM for 6 hours, LOW for 8-10 hours.
Once your chicken is done uncover and stir in coconut milk, cover and cook for another 20 minutes. Transfer chicken to a large bowl and shred with forks. Return to pot; toss with sauce.
Heat peas in microwave/stove.
Serve chicken and onions with sauce over a bed of rice, top with cooked peas, add cilantro if desired.

Chocolate Chip Walnut Banana Bread

2009-10-31T12:37:00.005-06:00

Got brown bananas? Toss them in your freezer, once you have 3 or 4 you can thaw and make delicious banana bread!
Ingredients

Makes one regular loaf or 3 mini loaves

1/4 c. vegetable oil, plus a little more for your pan(s)
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour, plus a little more for your pan(s)
1 c. sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. orange zest
1/2 tsp. salt
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 c. mashed bananas (around 3 or 4 medium size whole bananas)
3/4 c. semi sweet chocolate chips
1/2 c. coarsely chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a loaf pan, I have a large loaf pan that has four mini loaf sections. (This recipe made enough to fill 3 mini loaf sections.) In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, zest, and salt. Mix in oil, eggs, and bananas. Stir in chocolate chips and walnuts. Pour into pan(s).
Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 70-80 minutes. For mini loaves about 40-50 minutes, in my oven. If the loaf browns too quickly you can tent with foil and continue baking.
Cool loaf 10 minutes in pan; then remove from pan and cool completely, right side up, on a rack.

Poll Update

2009-10-26T22:59:00.002-06:00

It was brought to my attention that a few of you were having difficulty voting on the poll. I don't know what was happening, but I created another poll from a different website. So we'll see if that helps! Vote away! I added a few categories from the comment section, but I had to remove "Seafood" because this poll would only allow 10 options. I figured since we are in fall, seafood might not be what most people are looking for. We can poll again in the spring/summer! :)

If you voted on the last poll please vote again. As your last vote was erased when I changed the poll.

A Dinner-Belle Poll

2009-10-20T23:02:00.004-06:00

Hey Dinner-Belles! Have you noticed the "visitor map" on the right side of our blog? The map was a suggestion from Jules to track our readers, how many we are getting and where they are from.

I thought it would be fun to also create a Dinner-Belles Poll. The poll is to find out what kind of recipes you and our other readers are searching for! On the right side of the poll vote for whatever kind of recipes you are wanting more of. The Dinner-Belles can keep their eyes on the poll and have the results in mind when planning meals and reporting/sharing recipes! Fun huh?

ANYONE can vote, and you can vote for more than one item! The poll will end on Halloween!

If there are still other recipes you are looking for that aren't covered in the poll leave a comment and I can add them!

Homemade Chicken Stock

2009-10-14T21:58:00.003-06:00

Ok ladies (and Colin!)... now I know what you're thinking... "I'm not Martha Stewart - I cannot possible make my own chicken stock!" Oh but you can! And with all the hype about flu and swine flu and colds and the sniffles there is really no reason not to make your own stock! Homemade stock has some of the best germ fighting-immune system boosting stuff ever! And how is this for a clincher - it's easy and it will stretch your food dollar!

First you need to, need to, need to, start with a whole ORGANIC chicken. If not, you'll be making stock and eating concentrated chemically filled chicken... YUCK! You can get whole organic chickens at Costco for $2.99/lb. - that's a deal in my mind. Especially when I consider the fact that 1 roasted chicken will get me through 2 dinners and then make enough stock for about 3 soup recipes!

Now, I can't claim this recipe as my own but I can tell you it's the one I've followed and it's way easy! Enjoy! (Oh and LEAVE the gelatinous fat on the top of the stock when it's done - it's really good for you too!)

Recipe courtesy of: http://www.musingsofahousewife.com/?s=chicken+stock

Chicken Stock
1. When the chicken is cooled down enough to handle without burning your fingers, you’ll want to remove the rest of the meat from the bones.

2. Place the chicken carcass (break it up some if you want) and any discarded chicken bones from dinner into a large stockpot. Throw in the "holy trinity of stock veggies" AKA some washed but unpeeled carrots (2-3) - you don't peel them because the good minerals/vitamins are right there under the skin, an onion - sliced in 1/2, and some celery stalks. If I have it, I also throw in some cilantro, parsley, and thyme.

3. Cover the bones and veggies with cold water, cover the pot, and place it on the stove over high heat until it comes to a boil. (For optimum health benefits, you should first soak the bones in a vinegar/water solution for about an hour. This draws the minerals out of the bones. Just add 2 tablespoons of vinegar to the pot and let it sit for an hour before you start to boil.) Also, you’re supposed to skim off any junk that rises to the surface as it comes to a boil; supposedly this is full of impurities. I have never noticed anything. I doubt that my chickens are particularly clean; I’m just not that observant.

4. Once the pot is boiling, turn it down to low so that it’s just simmering. You may have to adjust the temperature a few times to get it right. I simmer mine for anywhere from 2-4 hours.

5. When you’re done, drain the stock through a colander set over a large bowl. Discard the pieces of bone and skin and veggies.

6. I usually drain again, this time through a wire mesh strainer, over a big glass liquid measuring cup – the kind with a spout. That gets the little bits out and makes a nice, clear stock. After it cools down a bit, I pour the stock into quart-sized mason jars and store them in the freezer. And I always have stock when a recipe calls for it!

One-Pot (really!) Sausage Lentil Soup

2009-10-14T21:50:00.004-06:00

Ciao tutti!

Here is a delicious and souper :) easy Sausage Lentil Soup recipe. Last year a lady in my Bible study brough it for dinner and it was a hit. I am pretty sure it's gluten free too - Julie you'd have to let me know on that one! :) I love it because it literally takes one pot to make this soup. Tonight I made it in about an hour and 20 minutes. 20 minutes to brown sausage & chop veggies and then 1 hour to let it all simmer together into yummy goodness! Great recipe for a momma with young and busy kiddos. Oh, and did I mention the kiddos eat this!?!? :)

Sausage Lentil Soup

1/2 lb. Italian Sausage (tonight I used Trader Joe's "Hoefbrau Brats" - you can use any sweet italian sausage though)
1 onion chopped
2 bell peppers chopped
2 carrots chopped
3 garlic clove pressed
1 bay leaf
1 qt. chicken broth
16 oz. can diced tomatoes (undrained)
1 cup water
3/4 dry lentils

Directions:
1. Take sausage out of casings and brown sausage, add veggies and saute for a few minutes.
- If you MUST drain the fat off of the browned sausage you can do so, however, I've found that if I buy a lean sausage there is no need to do so.

2. Add rest of ingredients. Cover and simmer for 1 hour.
3. Serve with dijon mustard (sounds funny but the soup isn't quite as tasty without a little dollop of dijon mustard stirred into each individual bowl!)

Split Pea Soup

2009-10-13T20:00:00.004-06:00

This delicious soup takes a little while to cook, but is very easy to prepare and your kitchen will smell wonderful!

5 slices center cut bacon cut into pieces (could use smoked sausage or ham instead)
1 onion chopped
1/2 cu. chopped celery
2 cu. dried split peas (rinsed and drained)
4 cu. water
2 cans chicken broth
1 bay leaf
4 medium carrots sliced and halved
2 potatoes peeled and diced
4 cloves garlic chopped
1/4 Tsp. smoked paprika (optional)
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/2 Tsp. dried Thyme

In a large pot, saute the bacon, onion, and celery until tender. Add the peas, water, chicken broth, bay leaf, carrot, potato, salt, pepper, thyme and paprika. Bring the soup to a boil, reduce heat, and cook covered for 11/2 to 2 hours. Stir occasionally. If soup becomes too thick, thin with additional broth or water. Remove bay leaf before serving.

Black Bean & Chicken Enchiladas

2009-10-13T19:37:00.005-06:00

This is another variation of a lighter enchilada that we thought turned out very tasty.

1 1/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 slices center cut bacon (make split pea soup that week and use the rest of the bacon :)
3 cloves minced garlic
16oz jar of your favorite salsa (divided)
1 15oz. can of black beans, undrained
1 red or green bell pepper chopped (optional)
1 Tsp. ground cumin
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 bunch green onions chopped
8 (6-8-inch) flour tortillas
8 ounces mexican blend or monterey jack shredded cheese

Preheat oven to 350
1. Cut chicken into chunks and set aside.
2. In a skillet, cook the bacon until crisp. Remove bacon to a paper towel to soak any excess grease; discard any grease in the skillet.
3. In the same skillet, coated with nonstick cooking spray, saute the chicken and garlic until the chicken is almost done, 5-7min. stir in 1/2 of the jar of salsa, the beans, bell pepper, cumin, salt and pepper. Simmer until thickened, about 5min., stirring occasionally until the chicken is done. Stir in green onions and crumbled bacon.
4. Divide the mixture among the tortillas, topping each with cheese, then rolling and placing seam down in a 13x9x2 inch baking dish. Spoon the remaining salsa evenly over the enchiladas and top with the remaining cheese.
5. Bake for 15 min or until cheese is melted.

Chicken with Feta Cheese

2009-10-11T22:20:00.002-06:00

A super easy and fast dinner, a favorite at our house... 30 minutes start to finish!

Ingredients:
Serves 4

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 tbs. EVOO
3/4 c. crumbled feta cheese (I use seasoned feta, with basil)
1 tsp. dried oregano
Salt and Pepper

Directions:

Combine feta and oregano, created a pocket in each chicken breast by slicing across the top of the breast. Stuff with feta mixture, season with salt and pepper.
Heat oil in a large skillet, add chicken and cook 6-7 min per side.
Cover skillet and continue cooking until chicken is cooked though, or until 160 degrees internal temp.
Serve with rice and your favorite vegetable or salad!

Lighter Chicken Enchiladas

2009-10-10T19:41:00.005-06:00

I love enchilada's but a lot of time when I make or order them they seem really heavy and saucy. This "lighter" enchilada recipe is a great alternative to the red sauce usually found in enchilada's. Everything about this meal is gluten-free except you have to add a little flour to the sauce to thicken it. I'm wondering you can replace the flour with a little corn starch? What do you think Julie?

Ingredients:

Serves 4

Coarse salt and ground pepper
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, or I about 8 chicken breast tenders
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, such as safflower
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 to 2 tablespoons minced canned chipotles in adobo (I used 2 chipotles and our dish was very spicy)
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) reduced-sodium chicken broth
8 corn tortillas
1/2 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese I also used a little Cheddar

Directions:

In a large skillet with a tight-fitting lid, bring 1 inch salted water to a boil. Add chicken. Cover; reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer 5 minutes; remove skillet from heat. Let chicken steam, covered, until opaque throughout, 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer chicken to a medium bowl; shred with two forks. Set aside.
While chicken is cooking, make sauce: In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium. Add garlic; cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Add flour, cumin, and chipotles in adobo; cook, whisking, 1 minute. Whisk in broth and 1/2 cup water; bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, and cook, whisking occasionally, until sauce has thickened slightly, 5 to 8 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Transfer 1 cup sauce to bowl with chicken; toss to combine.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Pour 1/4 cup sauce into bottom of an 8-inch square baking dish; set aside. Stack tortillas, and wrap in a double layer of damp paper towels; microwave until hot, about 1 minute. Fill each tortilla with chicken mixture; roll up tightly, and arrange, seam side down, in baking dish. Cover with remaining sauce, and top with cheese. Bake until hot and bubbling, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.

Baked Ziti with Crunch Garlic Bread

2009-10-10T15:42:00.006-06:00

photo from: Everyday Food

This recipe is easy and quick to make and the crunchy garlic bread is a nice addition! Ben and I are trying to have one meatless meal a week, we've found that it cuts down on our grocery bill and makes us (me) be more creative in meal planning. I know pasta isn't that crazy of an alternative to meat but this was our meatless for the week.

Ingredients:

Serves 4

Coarse salt and ground pepper
8 ounces ziti rigate (I used rigatoni)
1 cup part-skim ricotta
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup finely grated Parmesan
1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella
1 jar (24 to 26 ounces) tomato sauce (about 3 1/2 cups) I LOVE Classico Brand, Spicy Tomato Basil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente, according to package instructions; drain and reserve.
In a small bowl, combine ricotta, egg, 1/4 cup Parmesan, and half the mozzarella; season with salt and pepper.
In the bottom of a shallow 2-quart casserole dish, spread half the tomato sauce. Top with ziti, then ricotta mixture and remaining sauce. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan and remaining mozzarella. Place casserole on a rimmed baking sheet, and bake until top is browned and sauce is bubbling, 20 to 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare garlic bread: Make deep, even cuts into the bread, about 1/2 inch apart, without cutting through the bottom. In a small bowl, combine butter and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Brush garlic butter between cuts in bread. Wrap bread loosely in aluminum foil, and bake with ziti during last 10 minutes of baking.
Serve with your favorite salad!

Roast Pork Tenderloin with Acorn Squash

2009-10-10T14:37:00.006-06:00

I'm sticking with my challenge to make every recipe I have cut out of magazines before I have any repeats. I haven't posted in a while because I had a few "misses"... namely, chicken cheese steak sandwiches that were very bland, a spaghetti frittata (an Italian omelet) that was so heavy Ben and I were sick afterwards, and an attempted spaghetti sauce that turned out to be just O.K. (not worth posting)

This Roast Pork Tenderloin ended the streak of bad dinners. The pork was so tender and smelled delicious while it was roasting in the oven. My only complaint with the recipe is I wasn't impressed with the acorn squash. It was a little bitter and dry, maybe I didn't cook it long enough? If any of you Dinner-Belles out there have suggestions on:

How to select a squash at the grocery store.
Your favorite kind of squash.
How long to cook a squash and what texture it should be when it's done.

I'd welcome them. I rarely make squash so I know one the reason why I didn't like the acorn squash in the this recipe very well could be how I selected/prepared it.

Ingredients:

Serves 4

1 acorn squash (2 pounds)
8 garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 pork tenderloins (about 1 pound each)
4 teaspoons olive oil
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce (found in the Asian food's section at the grocery store)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut and spoon out the seeds inside your squash.
Scatter squash and garlic in a large roasting pan. Mix rosemary, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; rub into pork. Place in pan with vegetables; drizzle with oil.
Roast 25 minutes. Brush pork with hoisin. Continue roasting, about 15 minutes, until pork reaches an internal temperature of 140 degrees.
Let meat stand 5 minutes before slicing.
Serve with the acorn squash and whole cloves of garlic.

Tip O' The Day

2009-10-04T22:25:00.003-06:00

Okay, so here goes my first official post on the wonderful Dinner-Belles Blog. This idea was shared with me at a women's retreat I attended a couple of weeks ago and I decided to give it a try. This will work with any ground meat and really is a time saver. To eliminate the "oh no, I forgot to take the meat out of the freezer" problem, try this...
Step 1 - Buy meat (especially in bulk on sale)
Step 2 - When you get home, do not freeze the meat. If you are not able to move on to step three right away, put it in the fridge (but don't forget about it)
Step 3 - Get 1 - 2 large skillets ready for cooking (or more depending on the amount of meat you bought)
Step 4 - Divide meat into skillets and begin browning (feel free to take this time to tidy up the kitchen, or something, just keep an eye on it)
Step 5 - Drain meat really well
Step 6 - Add onion and garlic and a little salt or pepper and any additional spices you may like
Step 7 - Let meat cool a bit and divide into individual freezer bags
Step 8 - Store meat in the freezer and pull them out when you need them
Make sure you get as much air as possible out of the bags to prevent freezer burned meat. If you know you will be using the meat ahead of time, pull it out and put it in the fridge to thaw out. Otherwise it comes out very easily from the freezer storage bags and can be heated on the stove top or in the microwave.
Okay now, my mom told me this was a lot of steps but if you read through it you will see they are really easy and fast and so far it has saved me a lot of time for some of my dinners. I used it to make Bree's Taco Soup and was able to put it together in less than 5 minutes.
Hope this little tip can be helpful! Happy Cooking :)

Ham Fried Rice

2009-10-03T17:46:00.006-06:00

I have tried to make chinese at home before but it never quite turns out right, this time it worked pretty well with a little help from Simply Asian sauce and spice packets. Kerry said it was better than our local chinese and tasted fresher! They have packets for about 6 different dishes- they have recipes on the back, but I made up my own.

4cu. short grain rice cooked (I used Minute Rice Brown rice to save time)
1 tsp sesame oil
2 eggs beaten
2 carrots diced
2 cu. bean sprouts
2 cu. frozen peas (defrosted)
1 tsp. minced garlic
5 green onions sliced
6 oz. diced ham
2 Tb. canola oil
1 packet Simply Asian Fried Rice spice Mix (optional-works well without it too- I don't think it's gluten free)

1. Heat canola oil and sesame oil in large skillet or wok on med/high heat. Add ham carrots and garlic stirring constantly for 2-3min.
2. Add onion, bean sprouts, and peas, stirring constantly and cook for 2-4 min.
3. Push mixture to side of pan and scramble egg in the middle, once egg begins to set, stir in with other ingredients. Add rice, soy sauce, and spice packet and continue to stir until warmed through.

Pumpkin Layer Cake

2009-09-30T21:30:00.003-06:00

Ben loves pumpkin! So for his birthday, rather than do the traditional pumpkin pie I decided to try this Pumpkin Layer Cake and it was scrumptious!

Ingredients:

Serves 12

2 sticks of butter, plus a little more to butter your pans
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus a little more for your pans
1 tablespoon pumpkin-pie spice
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 can pure pumpkin puree

For Frosting

2 sticks room temperature butter
1 bar, 8 oz cream cheese room temperature
1 lb confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin-pie spice

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter two 9-inch round cake pans, dust pans with flour tapping out excess. In a medium bowl whisk flour, pumpkin-pie spice, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and creamy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition; beat in pumpkin puree. With mixer on low speed, gradually add flour mixture; mix until combined.
Divide batter between prepared pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of cakes comes out clean, 40-45 minutes. Cool 15 minutes in pans, run a knife around the edge of pans and place on wire cooling racks.
Frost once the cakes have completely cooled.

Directions for frosting:

In a large bowl using an electric mixer beat together butter and cream cheese until smooth. Gradually add confectioners' sugar until smooth. Mix in pumpkin-pie spice.

I marked mine with a "B" because it was for Ben! :)

Asian Chicken Salad

2009-09-27T17:48:00.005-06:00

This is a yummy, refreshing pasta salad that is a big hit at my work parties. I think the recipe is for 8 servings- but it goes fast!

Salad

14-16 ounces bowtie pasta
2 cu. cooked chicken bite size pieces
2 cu. raw spinach
1 cu. dried cranberries
1 can mandarin oranges (drained)
1 can water chestnuts (drained and sliced)
1/4 cu. toasted sesame seeds
1 bu. green onion chopped
3/4 cup peanuts (chopped)

Dressing*

1 cu vegetable oil
2/3 cu. terriyaki sauce/marinade
6 Tb. sugar
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

*I have also used a bottled Asian Sesame dressing instead and it works well too- just a slightly different flavor.

Combine pasta and dressing and refrigerate for 2hrs. Add remaining ingredients just before serving.

Sloppy Joes

2009-09-14T19:05:00.003-06:00

My mom actually found this recipe so I need to give her credit and it was actually originally posted by a guy named Jeff on allrecipes.com so I should give him credit too. Either way it is delicious!

1 Tb. EVOO
1/2 cu. chopped sweet onion
3 cloves garlic chopped
1/4 cu. green bell pepper chopped
1 stalk celery chopped
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
1 lb. Italian sweet sausage (you can use a combination of sausage, ground beef, ground turkey etc. I thought the sausage gave great flavor)
6oz. chili sauce (you can use more or less depending on how much liquid you need-I start out with this then add a little more at the end if needed)
1Tb. red wine vinegar
1 1/2 tsp. worcestershire sauce.

1. Heat oil in skillet on med heat, add onion, garlic, bell pepper, celery and oregano- saute 5min. until tender, move to plate.
2. On med high heat, saute meat for approx. 10min.
3. Add veggies, chili sauce, vinegar and worcestershire sauce, mix well until heated through.

Broccoli Gouda Soup

2009-09-14T18:46:00.003-06:00

First off let me just say a huge thanks to Mandy who has probably saved my marriage since starting this blog :) Secondly, this is the BEST broccoli cheese soup I have ever had and so easy. I added a few tweaks of my own since I believe every recipe should contain onion and garlic.

2 med red potatoes chopped
1 14oz can chicken broth (veggie broth for vegetarian)
3 cu. Broccoli florets fresh
2 cu. milk
3 Tb. all purpose flour (I bet gluten free flour would work for dad :)
1 Tb. EVOO
1 small onion chopped
2 cloves garlic chopped
2 cu. smoked Gouda cheese (shredded)
salt and pepper to taste

1. In large saucepan heat oil and saute onion until soft, add garlic and continue to cook until fragrant.
2. Add potatoes and broth and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer covered for 8min. (or until potatoes are soft). Mash slightly, add broccoli and milk, bring to simmer.
2. In bowl, toss flour and cheese, gradually add to soup, season with salt and pepper.

A Challenge and A Commitment

2009-09-10T20:49:00.000-06:00

**Warning this post is very long! It doesn't contain a recipe... it's mainly me babbling, so feel free to skip! -Mandy **

I know a few authors on this blog have seen Julie and Julia. A current hit at the box office featuring Meryl Streep as Julia Child and Amy Adams as Julie Powell. The premise of the movie is:

Julie Powell, government worker by day, budding author/blogger/food lover by night, challenges herself to make all 524 recipes out of Julia Child's cookbook in 365 days. The movie also takes us back in time to showcase Julia Child's beginnings as a chef/cook/foodie (if you will) and authoring Mastering the Art of French Cooking. The same book that Julie Powell has committed to make every recipe.

Ben and I saw Julie and Julia last weekend and loved it. Amy Adam's just happens to be one of my favorite actresses and I'm realizing along with the rest of the world that you never go wrong with Meryl Streep! Anyway, upon seeing this movie I thought about my recipe collection, all the books and magazines I've collected over the years and created a challenge for me. I have over 30 cook books and picture below is the collection of magazine clippings I have stored away in notebooks. Ridiculous, I know!

So what's my challenge? I have decided to try every recipe from my magazine clipping collection (pictured above) and I will not fall back on any old standbys until I have successfully tried every one. I find that I often get into a "dinner rut," resulting in the same old stuff recycled over and over again. There is nothing wrong with the "dinner rut," unless you are like me and have endless amounts of recipes that are going unexplored. I made 6 new recipes in the last two weeks and had some HITS and some MISSES. Here is what I made:

HIT - Cayenne-Rubbed Chicken with Avocado Salsa

HIT - Orzo with Chicken, Corn, and Green Beans

HIT - Flank Steak with Lime Marinade, Mashed Potatoes, and Glazed Carrots

MISS - Chicken Cheese Steaks (Bland)

MISS - Spaghetti and Meatballs (The sauce was just OK. I've had better.)

HIT - Southwestern Corn Chowder

As the weeks go on and I continue to try more recipes I will post my HITS to share with all of you! I hoping by the time I go through all the recipes I'll be able to downsize from 7 notebooks to 5 or 4!!! HA!

Flank Steak with Lime Marinade and Glazed Carrots

2009-09-10T20:40:00.004-06:00

For the Flank Steak

Ingredients:

Serves 4

1/3 cup (about 4 limes) freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 scallions (about 1/3 cup), thinly sliced
2 tablespoons minced, peeled fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
1 1/2 pounds flank steak
Coarse salt and ground black pepper

Directions:

In a resealable plastic bag, combine lime juice, soy sauce, scallions, ginger, and red-pepper flakes. Add steak, and seal bag (place in a dish to catch any leaks); marinate in the refrigerator, turning occasionally, up to 1 hour.
Heat broiler. Remove steak from marinade, letting excess drip off (discard marinade); season with salt and black pepper. Place on broiling pan. Cook, turning once, until meat reaches desired doneness, 6 to 8 minutes for medium-rare. Let rest 10 minutes before slicing thinly.

Glazed Carrots

Ingredients:

Serves 4

1 1/2 lbs carrots, peeled and cut into 2 inch lengths, halved or quartered if thick
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
coarse salt
ground pepper

Directions:

In a large skillet, place carrots, butter, sugar, rosemary, and 1 1/4 cups water; season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer, and cook until carrots are tender, 10-12 minutes. (If water evaporates before carrots are tender, add 1/4 cup more.)
Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until liquid is reduced to a glaze, 1 to 2 minutes more.

Cayenne-Rubbed Chicken with Avocado Salsa

2009-09-10T20:29:00.006-06:00

photo from: Everyday Food

The avocado salsa on top is what makes this dish! As my friend Stacy says, "Is there anything better than an avocado?" Stacy and I made this meal as a combined effort, I made the chicken and she made a delicious cilantro rice. I'll try to get the recipe from her to post with this meal.

Ingredients:

Serves 4

Coarse salt and ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 medium red onion, finely diced
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 Hass avocado, pitted and cut into chunks

Directions:

In a small bowl, combine 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and cayenne; rub all over chicken.
In a large skillet, heat oil over medium. Add chicken, and cook until browned on the outside and opaque throughout, 8 to 10 minutes per side.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine onion and lime juice; set aside. Just before serving, fold avocado chunks into onion mixture; season with salt and pepper. Serve chicken topped with salsa.

Southwestern Corn Chowder

2009-09-10T19:00:00.005-06:00

I am making Southwestern Corn Chowder right now as I type. I haven't tasted it yet, but the smell that is filling my kitchen has my mouth watering! I know it's going to be a keeper! Here is the recipe, it is so easy! This is a recipe for 2... so all you empty nesters out there or couples without kids this is a great dinner! :)

Ingredients:

Serves 2

1 tablespoon butter
1 scallion, white and green parts separated, thinly sliced
1 medium carrot, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
coarse salt and ground pepper
1 baking potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 package (10 ounces) frozen corn kernels
1 can (14.5 ounces) reduced-sodium chicken broth, use vegetable broth to make this dish vegetarian
1 cup milk

Directions:

In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add white part of scallion, carrot, chili powder, and oregano; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until scallion is soft, about 2 minutes. Add potato, corn, broth, and milk.
Bring to a boil over medium-high, and reduce to a simmer. Cook until potato is easily pierced with the tip of a knife, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in green part of scallion, and season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 1 day.

Pictures and a review of the meal later!

Super Easy and FAST Taco Soup

2009-09-08T14:34:00.004-06:00

Fall is soup season in our house and this taco soup is the perfect meal for a blustery rainy Pacific Northwest Fall day - pair it with a football game and you've got a hit on your hands! One of the best things about this soup is that it is so easy and fast - oh and it freezes well too. (I plan on freezing a batch right before I have our 3rd baby.) Lydia cannot get enough of this soup - she ate 2 bowls for lunch today! Even Micah picked through it and eaten bits. Plus, you can make it as spicy or as mild as you like. We make it mild (for me and the kiddos) and then John adds some of his hot chipotle salsa (from Trader Joe's). I've adapted the original recipe to make a little lower in sodium.

Ingredients:

1lb ground beef, ground turkey, or shredded chicken (your choice!)
1 large onion, chopped finely
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 box of low sodium chicken broth or stock
3 (15.5oz) cans Mexican-style chili beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15.25oz) can whole kernal corn, drained
1 (15oz) jar or can tomato sauce or salsa (your choice!)
1 (28oz) can diced tomatoes (I try and buy the kind that have seasoning like garlic or chiles - more flavor!) DO NOT DRAIN the tomatoes
1 (4.5oz) can of fire-roasted chopped green chiles
1 (1oz) packet/envelope Ranch-style dressing
1 (1.5oz) packet/envelope low-sodium taco seasoning mix
1 and 1/2 cups water

Toppings: (Pick and choose what you like!) tortilla chips, shredded cheddar cheese, avocado slices, sour cream (or plain greek yogurt), shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes

1. Cook your ground meat over med-high heat until meat is browned and crumbled - drain and set aside

2. In the pot you will use to cook the soup, cook your diced onion in 2 tablespoons of olive oil over med-high heat until they are tender and translucent

3. Add to onion:

the chicken broth, cooked meat, rinsed beans and all other remaining ingredients

4. Bring soup mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure all ingredients combine.

5. Serve soup into bowls and top with the desired toppings!

Butternut Squash Risotto

2009-09-01T15:47:00.003-06:00

Risotto is probably my most favorite Italian entree. Risotto is one of those things that once you have a base recipe you can add almost anything to it. Last night I decided to usher in September with a butternut squash risotto. Fall is my favorite season and I LOVE all the delicious squashes that come with seasonal fall food. The recipe below is my adaption of Ina Garten's butternut squash risotto recipe which can be found on foodnetwork.com

Ingredients:

1 butternut squash (2 pounds)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 cups chicken stock
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
2 ounces pancetta, diced
1/2 cup minced shallots (2 large)
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice (10 ounces)
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 teaspoons nutmeg (my secret ingredient)
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Grana Padano

Directions:

1. Peel the butternut squash, remove the seeds, and cut it into 3/4-inch cubes. You should have about 6 cups. Place the squash in a LARGE saucepan and pour the chicken stock overtop of the squash cubes. Heat broth and squash until just simmering and then keep on low heat.

2. In a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter and saute the pancetta and shallots on medium-low heat for 10 minutes, until the shallots are translucent but not browned.

3. Add the rice and stir to coat the grains with butter. Add the wine and cook for 2 minutes. Add about 1 cup stock to the rice plus the nutmeg, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Stir, and simmer until the stock is absorbed, 5 to 10 minutes.

4. Continue to add the stock, 1 cup at a time stirring every few minutes. Each time, cook until the mixture seems a little dry, then add more stock. Continue until the rice is cooked through, but still al dente, about 30 minutes total. Then, take off the heat, add Parmesan.

5. Mix well and serve with more grated Parmesan or Grana on the side.

Orzo with Chicken, Corn, and Green Beans

2009-08-31T21:18:00.006-06:00

photo from: Everyday Food

Have you tried Orzo? I had never made orzo or used it in any recipe before tonight. I found this dish very easy to prepare and had lots of flavor! The sweetness of the corn, garlic and salty flavors all compliment each other making this dish a delight! I am a fan of orzo and will be looking for more recipes that call for it!

One tip: Have everything prepped before you start cooking!

Ingredients:

Serves 4

Coarse salt and ground pepper
1/2 pound orzo
8 ounces green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 package (10 ounces) frozen corn kernels, thawed
1 whole roasted chicken, (3 pounds), skin discarded, shredded (about 3 1/2 cups) I didn't use a whole roasted chicken, I just fried 5 chicken breast tenders in a little EVOO and cracked some salt and pepper over them while they were frying.

Directions:

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook orzo until al dente, according to package instructions; add green beans during last 6 minutes of cooking.
Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium. Add garlic; cook until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add corn and 1 teaspoon salt; cook until warmed through, 2 to 3 minutes.
Toss pasta and green beans with corn mixture and chicken. Season generously with salt and pepper.

Broccoli Tomato Salad

2009-08-27T21:06:00.005-06:00

This is a delicious summer time salad, and a nice alternative to a pasta salad!

Ingredients:

Serves 6

Large bunch of broccoli
1 pint of little tomatoes, I've used cherry or grape both are great.
4 green onions sliced thinly
Cheddar Cheese Chunks, as many as you would like.
1/2 c. mayo
1/4 c. sugar
1 1/2 tbsp. red wine vinegar

Directions:

Cut the broccoli flowerettes off and steam in shallow boiling water for 2-3 minutes. Remove from the boiling water immediately and place in a colander. Rinse with cold water to get the broccoli cooled down.
Slice the tomatoes in half, chop the onions, and cheese. Combine in a bowl with broccoli.
Put mayo, sugar, and red wine vinegar in a bowl and whisk together.
Pour the dressing over the vegetables and combine.
Serve right away or place in the refrigerator and serve later. I've even made it a night before and taken it to work for lunch and it still tastes fresh!

Pennies From Heaven

2009-08-27T20:27:00.003-06:00

I think several of the "Dinner-Belles" have made pennies from heaven, but I thought I'd include the recipe/how to do on our blog. Pennies from heaven were created by the kids I nanny, they are a lunch time favorite! I don't remember exactly how the name came about, I think while I was making them one day and I was in a silly mood and told they kids they were pennies. Natalie and Andrew were commenting on how much they LOVED the pennies, that I must have said "they are like pennies from heaven!" The name stuck and to this day they ask for pennies from heaven quite regularly!

1. Slice your zucchini in semi-thick circles.

2. Sometimes I chopped the zucchini circles in half, I know, they don't look like pennies anymore but they are easier to flip around in a pan. So, whatever you prefer.

3. Heat about 1 Tablespoon of EVOO in a larger pan over Medium-High Heat. Coat the pan evenly, and add the zucchini. Fry the zucchini in the pan for about 2 minutes, mixing them around getting them evenly coated with the oil. Make sure to keep the zucchini moving in the pan our they will burn.

4. Add 1/4 Cup of water to the pan and cover. Let simmer for about 1 min, no more than 2... depending on how "cooked" you like your vegetables.

5. Serve as a side dish with a little salt cracked over them.

Skirt Steak with Cilantro Garlic Sauce

2009-08-23T23:34:00.004-06:00

So I used to have this all the time in Arizona and since moving to Washington I've missed it a ton. Then I saw this recipe in this book that Gourmet Magazine sent me, I tried it, and it reminded me of home. It's super good and really easy too. Don't leave out the chipotle chili powder, it gives it that extra something. Try it out! - Colin

Serves 6

20 minutes, start to finish

Sauce:

1 medium garlic clove

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tbs fresh lemon juice

1/4 ~ 1/2 tsp roasted chipotle chili powder (essential!)

Steak:

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

2 lb skirt steak, cut crosswise into 3-4 inch pieces

Make Sauce

1. Finely mince garlic

2. Add garlic and remaining ingredients to a blender, then blend until smooth

Grill Steak

1. Stir together cumin, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.

2. Pat steak dry, then rub all sides of each piece with cumin mixture

3. Heat grill to high heat and grill steak, turning occasionally, 2-3 minutes per side for medium-rare. (Can be done under a broiler for same length of time)

4. Let steak rest for 5-10 minutes

5. Serve steak with sauce drizzled over and enjoy.

(I put extra sauce out because some people like alot of it!)

Delicious Cheese Pie

2009-08-20T14:19:00.004-06:00

This is just like a cheese cake except rather than having a graham cracker crust it forms it's own "crust" when it bakes. Also note that this is made in a pie dish and not a spring-form pan.

Ingredients:

Bottom:
16 oz cream cheese
3 eggs
2/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 tsp. lemon juice (or more if you want it more lemony)

Top:
2 cups sour cream
3 TB sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Directions:

~Beat the cream cheese unit smooth, beat in one egg at a time. Then add remaining sugar, vanilla and lemon juice and beat until creamy.
~Pour into a greased 9 inch pie pan
~Bake at 325 degrees for 50 minutes
~After the 50 minutes are up, take the pie out of the oven and let cool for about 30 minutes. (At this point the pie will have puffed up A LOT... don't worry, it will go down before you have to put the top on)
~While the pie is cooling mix all of the ingredients together for the top.
~After the pie is cooled (about 30 minutes) pour the mixture on top and bake at 325 degrees for another 15 minutes.
~Chill in the fridge for about 5-6 hours

This pie is great served with fresh fruit or a jam on top! Enjoy!!

Divine Sauteed Shrimp Cocktail

2009-08-17T19:52:00.003-06:00

Well I have a new addiction-since recovering from my HGTV obsession I have moved on to the Food Network. This new infatuation is only slightly more practical in the sense that I may actually be able to do some of the things I see. This recipe is from Giada @ Home who seems to be able to make flavorful dishes with few ingredients, I happened on this one by chance but it is a keeper! Kerry and I ate it as a meal with some crusty bread but it is actually an appetizer.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound jumbo shrimp, peeled, tail left on, deveined
1 tablespoon herbes de Provence
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/4 cups plain yogurt
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard (recommended: Maille)
1 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 cup freshly chopped basil leaves
Directions
In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and herbes de Provence. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until the shrimp are pink and cooked through, about 2 minutes each side.
In a small bowl, mix together the yogurt, mayonnaise, mustard, maple syrup, turmeric, and basil until smooth. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Place the yogurt mixture in a dipping bowl.
Place the bowl of dipping sauce on a serving platter with the cooked shrimp.

If you have never used herbes de Provence seasoning, or heard of it like me, it is worth the investment!! It was fabulous and easy to find and could be used for many poultry and fish dishes. I used lowfat yogurt and mayo. Don't omit anything, it all adds to the dish, however I would use a little less oil next time (and you could get away without the basil). For those of you that have a Target near by, they sell frozen, raw, peeled, deveined, tail on shrimp that is very good. The recipe makes a lot of sauce but don't worry, mix with some chicken the next day and you have a great chicken salad sandwich. Enjoy!

Sweet Potatoes: "We be yammin'!"

2009-08-17T00:06:00.011-06:00

I'm excited about sweet potatoes. After recently tasting the scrumptious baked sweet potato fries at Au Naturale Restaurant, I knew I needed to be able to make this treat at home for a fraction of the cost. In searching for recipes and nutrition info., I learned that this homely tuber is kind of like a geode, ugly on the outside, but truly a gem on the inside--a nutritional gem. In fact, The Center for Science in the Public Interest rated it as the best vegetable you could eat. (I don't think that applies if they're smothered in brown sugar, swimming in butter, and topped with a fluffy crown of marshmallows.) If you do a "google search" there's lots of interesting nutrition facts on the web. BTW, when the orange fleshed sweet potatoes entered the market, they were called "yams" to differentiate them from the white fleshed sweet potatoes. However, they are not even in the same botanical family as true yams. Nowdays there are several varieties of sweet potatoes with various colors, so don't be confused if you can only find something labeled "yams" in the produce department. They are really sweet potatoes.

This is the recipe I tried for sweet potato fries. The basic process remains the same, but there are many seasoning combinations you could try, both sweet and savory. Keep an eye on them as they cook. They need to be turned to prevent burning. Also, don't cut them too thin.

Ingredients:

2 medium sweet potatoes
2 tablespoons EVOO
1-2 teaspoons italian spice blend
1 teaspoon crushed rosemary
sea salt
pepper

Method:

Wash and dry sweet potatoes (if using organics, no need to peel them--amazingly, the price at my local grocery store was the same)
Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees
Cut potatoes in half, then cut each half into uniform sized rectangles, not too thin
Put potatoes into a large bowl, drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat, sprinkle with italian seasoning, rosemary, salt and pepper and toss again
Arrange on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper
Bake for 30 min. turning potatoes after 15 min. (watch closely, they burn easily)
Remove from oven and cool for a few minutes. Serve with dipping sauce.

Dipping Sauces: (endless variations)

Equal parts mayo and sour cream or yogurt with a minced garlic clove added
Equal parts mayo and ketchup
Mayo with curry powder or paste

Easy Chicken Tacos

2009-08-11T13:52:00.003-06:00

This is a great recipe that can easily be used twice - the 1st night for tacos and the 2nd night you could add a can of black beans and turn your leftovers into enchiladas!

What you need:

A crockpot
3 -4 chicken breasts
1 jar salsa of your choice (we use a roasted garlic salsa from Trader Joe's)
1 can corn
1 red bell pepper diced
tortillas
shredded cheese (we use extra sharp cheddar)
sour cream (if desired)
guacamole (if desired)

How to make it:
1. In the morning put your chicken breasts in your crockpot (they can even be frozen!!!)
2. Empty the entire jar of salsa into the crockpot & cover crockpot with lid
3. Cook chicken and salsa on low for 8-10 hours
4. About 30 minutes before serving shred the chicken in the crockpot (it should pretty much fall apart on its own) and add the can of corn & diced bell pepper

at this point you could also add a can of green chiles, or onions, or black beans - whatever you want in your tacos or enchiladas

5. Fill your tacos with the chicken mixture (watch out it may be a little juicy if the chicken breasts were frozen before) and top with shredded cheese, sour cream, guacamole (maybe some fresh chopped cilantro?) and enjoy!

6. Night 2 with leftovers? Add a can of black beans or beans of your choice and use the leftovers and enchilada fillings!

Barilla PLUS

2009-08-08T14:11:00.003-06:00

I am NOT a fan of whole wheat noodles. I despise them! They ruin my love for pasta. I am aware that a switch from white noodles to whole wheat would be much better for my health, but I just can't do it. Whole wheat noodles are so grainy and tough tasting. While perusing the pasta isle a few months ago I saw Barilla PLUS noodles. They caught my eye and I thought I would give them a try. I was pleasantly surprised by the taste and texture of these noodles. I know they are not truly whole wheat, but I do feel a little better eating a bowl of Barilla PLUS noodles than just the plain old white kind. Try them!

Kathy's Mac N' Chesse

2009-08-08T13:49:00.004-06:00

This is known fondly around the Treusch household by many names, "Kathy's Mac N' Cheese," "Mom's Mac N' Cheese," "Nona's-Kath Noodles," and as Ben sometimes refers to it, "Manderoni N' Cheese." My mom's friend Kathy deserves all the credit to this recipe that I grew up loving and am still preparing to this day.

Igreidents:
Serves 4 (usually with some left overs)

1 14.5 oz box of noodles (Use any kind you like, I prefer the medium shells, but as pictured above penne works just fine too!)
1 container of 8 oz of sour cream
1 can of low sodium cream of mushroom soup
Ham (You can add as much as you like. A lot of the time this is a recipe my mom makes when she has left over ham from an Easter dinner or some sort of occasion. You can also buy precubed ham in the meat section. I think I usually add about a pound to this recipe.)
Shredded Cheddar Cheese (Again this is an ingredient that I just eyeball as I'm adding it. If you buy the preshredded cheese I would use the whole bag. If you're shredding it yourself, shred enough to cover the noodles once in the pan.

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Cube ham.
Shred Cheese
Boil pasta according to directions on the box.
While the pasta is cooking combine the sour cream and cream of mushroom in a large bowl, add ham and sometimes I add a little cheese (small hand full) to the mixture.
Drain pasta and add to the sour cream and cream of mushroom mixture. Stir and evenly coat the noodles.
Pour into a 11x13 pan and top with cheese. I like to crack black pepper on top and cover with foil.
Bake for 25-30 minutes.

Honey-Lime-Garlic-Chicken

2009-08-03T21:47:00.004-06:00

Since my sister Mandy called and asked for this recipe today I thought I'd make it my first contribution to this awesome blog! I learned this recipe from a girl I went to Nicaragua with in 2000. I've tweaked it a bit to bump up the lime flavor and have (of course!) added garlic! :) This is a super easy dish that can be made any night of the week and the bonus is, if you prep the night before, it marinates all day infusing the chicken with all that honey lime and garlic goodness!

What you need:

4 chicken breasts (for feeding 4-5 people)
1 lime per chicken breast (so in this case 4 limes)
1 bottle of honey (or maybe plain agave nectar would work?!?!)
2 garlic cloves
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. zest limes and set zest aside
2. juice limes and pour juice into whatever dish you'll be cooking the chicken in
3. add about 1/2 cup honey to lime juice and whisk until ALL honey is combined with lime juice
4. taste the lime juice - is it too tart (probably!) so add more honey until you get the sweetness you desire. My family likes it a teeny bit on the sweet side. :)
5. press your garlic cloves into the lime juice and whisk to combine
6. add zest, then salt and pepper the lime juice to taste
7. marinate your chicken for 30 minutes to 24 hours before cooking
8. Bake chicken at 350 for about 35 minutes (depending on the thickness of your chicken - you can always pound the chicken breasts to flatten and thin them out if you're in a hurry!)

I always serve this chicken over a bed of couscous or rice. That way I can drizzle a little bit of the cooked juices over the chicken and bed of grains. As a side my hubby usually prefers broccoli.

Mandy, I hope your dinner turns out great! This one is always a hit for me!

Ciao for now! <>< Bree

Easy Chicken Cacciatore

2009-08-03T00:55:00.003-06:00

a.k.a. "Kitchen Catch-A-Story" (so quick and easy, you can sit down and read a story in the time you'll save) . . . I "invented" this recipe in a moment of dinner desperation, and amazingly my family thought it tasted great. Everyone I've shared it with has had a similar reaction, which gives me the courage to share it as my very first blog post EVER. Hopefully it will help someone dear to me in a moment of dinner desperation. You can adjust the number of servings by how much chicken you use. BTW, if you need to, you can skip the browning of the chicken and throw it in the crock pot with the salsa and spaghetti sauce, cook it all day and fix the pasta when you get home. Let me know what you think.

Serves 6 with left-overs. I combine the remaining pasta and chicken and refrigerate. Keeps well for 3 days.

Ingredients:

2 tsp. olive oil
salt/pepper
6-7 chicken tenders
1 jar mild salsa (16 oz.)
1 jar sphaghetti sauce (24 oz.) (I like Classico or Barilla "Roasted Garlic")
fresh grated parmesan cheese
pasta (approx 12 oz.) (I use Mrs. Leeper's Organic Rice-Vegetable Twists to keep it gluten free)

Directions:

Heat oil in large skillet over med. high heat. Brown chicken 2-3min. each side, salt and pepper lightly.
Pour salsa and spaghetti sauce over chicken, cover and cook 25-30 min. over med. heat until chicken is cooked enough to break into small chunks or shreds. Stir chicken chunks around in sauce, reduce heat to low and continue to simmer another 10-15 min. while cooking pasta.
Prepare pasta according to package directions. Drain. Toss with a little butter and olive oil to prevent sticking.

Serve chicken mixture over pasta, topped with parmesan cheese. Add a garden salad, maybe some garlic bread, and YUM!

P.S. BIG THANKS and HUGS to Mandy (our digital whiz kid) for getting our Dinner Belles blog launched. She has already posted some awesome recipes. Her enthusiasm is contagious. I am so excited to share recipes and ideas for nourishing our families, stretching our budgets, and changing meal planning from a JOB to a JOY. Love to all.