This is the next recipe I have marked to make as I blaze through this month's Simple & Delicious. Steve really likes alfredo. I don't love it. But I do love Mexican food. So we tried this. It makes 2 casseroles, we ate one and we are passing the other one along to a family from church that just had a new baby.
Mexican Chicken Alfredo
1 pkg (16 oz) spiral pasta (I used whole wheat rotini)
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tbsp canola oil
2 jars (15 oz each) Alfredo sauce (I bought Classico's reduced fat version...I hear that you can make your own alfredo from scratch but I've never done it)
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup medium salsa (we used mild)
1/4 cup milk
2 tsp taco seasoning
Cook pasta according to pkg directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, cook the chicken, onion, salt and pepper in oil until chicken is no longer pink. Stir in Alfredo sauce; bring to a boil. Stir in cheese, salsa, milk, and taco seasoning.
Drain pasta; toss with chicken mixture. Divide between 2 greased 8-inch square baking dishes.
Cover and freeze one casserole for up to 3 months (or give it to a family with a new baby, if you know one). Cover and bake remaining casserole at 350 for 30-35 minutes or until bubbly.
To use frozen casserole: Thaw in fridge overnight. Remove 30 minutes before baking. Cover and bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes or until bubbly.
Really really good. Even the kids liked it. I'm not crazy about alfredo but I liked it too. Steve said he wished there was more of it and he scarfed it down because he ate it so fast because he liked it so much. But no seconds for you, Stevie. We have to share with a family with a new baby. Soooo selfish. =o)
Monday, August 29, 2011
Candy Corn Rice Krispy Treats
Yep. This flies in the face of everything I have been trying to do, dietary-wise, in my family these last couple of years. But something about fall, and fall desserts, and stuff. Sometimes I do things that just aren't rational. So I made these today. They have two big things I've been trying to eliminate (with varying degrees of success...baby steps, right?): refined sugar and artificial color, and they have nothing that I've been trying to add in: nutritional value. But they look so yummy and fallish in the picture. And it's just for once in a while, so I guess it's okay. We are going to have a house full of people tonight, so hopefully we can spread them around and eat them all tonight and a bunch of people will get a little bit instead of our family eating them all. This is from the Fall 2011 Kraft Food & Family which my sister just passed along to me.
Candy Corn Rice Krispy Treats
1/4 cup butter
6 cups mini marshmallows (or 1 bag of the regular-size marshmallows)
12 drops yellow food coloring
4 drops red food coloring (this is to make them orange...I happened to have both of these already)
6 cups rice krispies
2 cups candy corn
Microwave butter in large microwaveable bowl on high 45 seconds or until melted. Add marshmallows; toss to coat. Microwave 1 1/2 minutes or until marshmallows are completely melted and mixture is well blended, stirring in food colorings after 45 seconds. (If you don't want to microwave them, do it the old-fashioned way, like me: melt butter in large saucepan over medium low heat. Add marshmallows and stir frequently until melted. Add the food colorings. Then proceed with the rest of the recipe.)
Add cereal and candy corn; mix well. Press onto bottom of 13x9 pan sprayed with cooking spray.
Cool completely before cutting into bars. Cut each bar diagonally in half (to make triangles. I'm planning to not do that part. Just squares for us square Pages ha ha).
So, don't judge me. Just make these if you want. Of course the kids are going to love them.
Candy Corn Rice Krispy Treats
1/4 cup butter
6 cups mini marshmallows (or 1 bag of the regular-size marshmallows)
12 drops yellow food coloring
4 drops red food coloring (this is to make them orange...I happened to have both of these already)
6 cups rice krispies
2 cups candy corn
Microwave butter in large microwaveable bowl on high 45 seconds or until melted. Add marshmallows; toss to coat. Microwave 1 1/2 minutes or until marshmallows are completely melted and mixture is well blended, stirring in food colorings after 45 seconds. (If you don't want to microwave them, do it the old-fashioned way, like me: melt butter in large saucepan over medium low heat. Add marshmallows and stir frequently until melted. Add the food colorings. Then proceed with the rest of the recipe.)
Add cereal and candy corn; mix well. Press onto bottom of 13x9 pan sprayed with cooking spray.
Cool completely before cutting into bars. Cut each bar diagonally in half (to make triangles. I'm planning to not do that part. Just squares for us square Pages ha ha).
So, don't judge me. Just make these if you want. Of course the kids are going to love them.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Celery Seed Brisket
This is another recipe from the latest Simple & Delicious. I always like to make roasts in the crock pot, but it makes a ton of food and a ton of leftovers. But Steve's parents are here from Florida, so I thought this would be good to make for dinner since it would feed a crowd. It's supposed to be brisket, but they didn't have brisket at Walmart, and I just googled "brisket" to find out that it's a tough cut of meat with a lot of connective tissue that must be properly tenderized, usually by slow-cooking, to make it taste good. So maybe it's usually cheaper? Also this is the cut of beef people usually "corn" for corned beef. I just bought the cut of roast that Walmart had. You can't really mess up meat in a crock pot anyway.
Celery Seed Brisket
1 fresh beef brisket (3-4 lbs)
1 can (28 oz) Italian crushed tomatoes (they didn't have this at Walmart either, so I bought garlic seasoned ones and left out the garlic later in the recipe)
1 large red onion, chopped
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp celery seed
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp Liquid Smoke
4 tsp cornstarch
3 tbsp cold water
Cut brisket in half; place in 5 qt slow cooker. Combine tomatoes, onion, vinegar, worcestershire sauce, garlic, brown sugar, celery seed, pepper, salt, cumin, and Liquid Smoke in a bowl. Pour over beef. Cover and cook on low 8-10 hours or until meat is tender.
Remove meat to serving platter; keep warm. In a large saucepan, combine cornstarch and water until smooth. Gradually stir in 4 cups cooking liquid. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Slice brisket across the grain; serve with gravy.
Of course this was very easy to throw in the crock pot. I love recipes for the crock pot where you don't have to saute vegetables or brown meat first. Because usually if I'm crock potting, I have to put it in first thing in the morning, when I am (studies and evidence conclusively show) not at my best. So I liked the easiness of the recipe. It also, of course, made the kitchen smell great all day. It also tasted fabulous and the beef was very tender. One thing I didn't do was thicken the cooking juices...I always make a huge mess when I do that, so I just put them on the table in their unthickened form. It was still pretty thick and it tasted great on the meat and potatoes. I made this a few days ago and just haven't posted the recipe, but tonight we had the leftovers of it and the kids were SO excited to eat this again! So we fed 11 people the first time around and then 5 people the leftovers. We had it with mashed potatoes, carrots, and homemade bread. Also these awesome bread and butter pickles that Steve's cousin made. They were so good it almost makes me want to make pickles. So I am definitely keeping this recipe!
Celery Seed Brisket
1 fresh beef brisket (3-4 lbs)
1 can (28 oz) Italian crushed tomatoes (they didn't have this at Walmart either, so I bought garlic seasoned ones and left out the garlic later in the recipe)
1 large red onion, chopped
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp celery seed
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp Liquid Smoke
4 tsp cornstarch
3 tbsp cold water
Cut brisket in half; place in 5 qt slow cooker. Combine tomatoes, onion, vinegar, worcestershire sauce, garlic, brown sugar, celery seed, pepper, salt, cumin, and Liquid Smoke in a bowl. Pour over beef. Cover and cook on low 8-10 hours or until meat is tender.
Remove meat to serving platter; keep warm. In a large saucepan, combine cornstarch and water until smooth. Gradually stir in 4 cups cooking liquid. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Slice brisket across the grain; serve with gravy.
Of course this was very easy to throw in the crock pot. I love recipes for the crock pot where you don't have to saute vegetables or brown meat first. Because usually if I'm crock potting, I have to put it in first thing in the morning, when I am (studies and evidence conclusively show) not at my best. So I liked the easiness of the recipe. It also, of course, made the kitchen smell great all day. It also tasted fabulous and the beef was very tender. One thing I didn't do was thicken the cooking juices...I always make a huge mess when I do that, so I just put them on the table in their unthickened form. It was still pretty thick and it tasted great on the meat and potatoes. I made this a few days ago and just haven't posted the recipe, but tonight we had the leftovers of it and the kids were SO excited to eat this again! So we fed 11 people the first time around and then 5 people the leftovers. We had it with mashed potatoes, carrots, and homemade bread. Also these awesome bread and butter pickles that Steve's cousin made. They were so good it almost makes me want to make pickles. So I am definitely keeping this recipe!
Peanut Butter Blondies
Of course I had to make these. This is the type of thing my family loves to eat! It's from the Aug/Sept Simple & Delicious. I have 6 recipes marked to make in this one, and I'm going to try to make them all in this 2 week period...a couple of them I didn't have to buy any ingredients for, or just one ingredient, like the peanut butter cups for this one. We had this for dessert the other night when Steve's parents came over.
Peanut Butter Blondies
2 eggs
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled
3 tbsp milk
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
4 peanut butter cups, chopped (you can get these in the candy aisle for $1 for 8 individually wrapped ones...that's cheaper than getting them at the check out)
Beat eggs and brown sugar for 3 minutes in a large bowl. Add peanut butter, butter, and milk; mix well. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; gradually add to sugar mixture, beating just until blended. Stir in the peanut butter cups.
Spread in greased 8-in square baking dish. Bake at 350 for 23-25 minutes or until toothpick comes back clean. Cool on a wire rack. Cut into bars.
So so so yummy. Of course. Easy to make and everyone loved eating them. A simple yummy keeper!
Peanut Butter Blondies
2 eggs
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled
3 tbsp milk
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
4 peanut butter cups, chopped (you can get these in the candy aisle for $1 for 8 individually wrapped ones...that's cheaper than getting them at the check out)
Beat eggs and brown sugar for 3 minutes in a large bowl. Add peanut butter, butter, and milk; mix well. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; gradually add to sugar mixture, beating just until blended. Stir in the peanut butter cups.
Spread in greased 8-in square baking dish. Bake at 350 for 23-25 minutes or until toothpick comes back clean. Cool on a wire rack. Cut into bars.
So so so yummy. Of course. Easy to make and everyone loved eating them. A simple yummy keeper!
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Summer Turkey Salads
Not the "turkey salad" that contains mayo and you eat it on bread or with crackers. I would never never make that (because I detest mayo, for all my new readers [2]). This is just a salad you should make in summer, because it's the peak of blueberry season. I was so so excited when I saw this recipe because we have 2 high bush blueberry bushes that have been very prolific this year and we have harvested (what seems to us like) a lot of blueberries. In years past the berries have been so bitter you could hardly use them. This year they are sweet and perfect, and Steve has been going out every few nights to pick them. As soon as I saw this recipe in the latest Simple & Delicious, I knew I would have to make it. And then once it was made I was so excited because they looked fabulous.
Summer Turkey Salads
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
1/2 tsp dried rosemary, crushed
8.8 oz turkey breast cutlets, cut into strips (I couldn't find these...I did find turkey breast "chops" so I used those)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 pkg (5 oz) spring mix salad greens (I used a more palatable mix, but it did have baby spinach)
2 plum tomatoes, cut into wedges (I left these out)
1 cup fresh blueberries
1/2 cup mandarin oranges
2 green onions, thinly sliced
Blueberry Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup fresh blueberries
1 tbsp honey
2 tsp dijon mustard
1/4 cup olive oil
Combine flour and salt in a shallow bowl. Place egg in second shallow bowl. Combine walnuts and rosemary in third shallow bowl (good thing I have 3 of these). Coat turkey in flour mixture, then dip in egg, then coat with walnut mixture.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook turkey in batches for 2-3 minutes on each side or until meat is no longer pink.
Divide salad greens among four serving plates (or 3 if you live at my house); top with tomatoes, blueberries, oranges, onions, and turkey strips.
Process vinegar, blueberries, honey, and mustard in a blender (I used my Tupperware Quick Chef Pro...I LOVE that thing!). While processing, gradually add oil in a steady stream (easy to do with the Quick Chef). Serve with salad.
This was a crazy good meal. My only critique is that the vinaigrette was, well, too vinegar-y. I had used a bit less of the vinegar than it called for, because I tend not to like it too much anyway, but next time I will cut it in half. Sam said he liked the salad, except for the "sauce." Steve loved this. He said it was like something you could get at a restaurant, and not even the type we usually frequent, such as KFC. It really looked so nice on the plates, and we loved that we were eating our own blueberries with it. Absolutely keeping this one.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Creamy Mocha Frozen Dessert
I wish this had a more creative name. Because I made it to bring to work. And when my work friends say, "what is this called?" I had to say that long, descriptive, yet boring name. This is from the TOH Seasons cookbook, and it was yet another coffee-containing dessert that I wanted to make that Steve wouldn't like and that I knew I shouldn't make and eat all on my own.
Creamy Mocha Frozen Dessert
2 tsp instant coffee granules
1 tbsp hot water
1 cup Oreo cookie crumbs (I used about 1 row out of 3 in the Oreo package...so I have the rest left to offer as a consolation prize to the fam, if they get mad that I made a dessert they won't like to bring to share with people they don't know)
3/4 cup chopped pecans, divided
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 pkg (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened (I got 1 regular and 1 fat free...so less guilt)
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup chocolate syrup
1 carton (8 oz) Cool Whip, thawed (seems like Cool Whip has been frequently featured lately on NRN)
In a small bowl, dissolve coffee granules in hot water; set aside. In another bowl, combine cookie crumbs, 1/2 cup pecans, and butter. Pat into 13x9 baking dish.
In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until light and fluffy. Blend in coffee, milk, and chocolate syrup. Fold in Cool Whip and spread over crust. Sprinkle remaining pecans on top. Freeze. 24 servings (or far fewer hungry hospital workers, to include nurses, CNAs, secretaries, and 1 nursing supervisor).
This was really good. Everybody liked it. To quote a few coworkers...Aundra said "it's so good I want to lay down in it and roll around in it." Sheila the Spy said "I don't know, it was really good. I don't know what else to say." Jamie said "scrumdiddlyumptious." And then she looked up how to spell the word, but I had spelled it right already. Sharon said "you can bake for me anytime." So I said, "can I no-bake for you? Because that was a no-bake dessert." She said okay. I left the only remaining piece wrapped up in the freezer for Michelle to eat tonight. We pretty much universally agreed that the crust should be doubled...and it was very thinly spread when I made it. The crust tasted so good, it definitely seemed like it needed more.
Creamy Mocha Frozen Dessert
2 tsp instant coffee granules
1 tbsp hot water
1 cup Oreo cookie crumbs (I used about 1 row out of 3 in the Oreo package...so I have the rest left to offer as a consolation prize to the fam, if they get mad that I made a dessert they won't like to bring to share with people they don't know)
3/4 cup chopped pecans, divided
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 pkg (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened (I got 1 regular and 1 fat free...so less guilt)
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup chocolate syrup
1 carton (8 oz) Cool Whip, thawed (seems like Cool Whip has been frequently featured lately on NRN)
In a small bowl, dissolve coffee granules in hot water; set aside. In another bowl, combine cookie crumbs, 1/2 cup pecans, and butter. Pat into 13x9 baking dish.
In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until light and fluffy. Blend in coffee, milk, and chocolate syrup. Fold in Cool Whip and spread over crust. Sprinkle remaining pecans on top. Freeze. 24 servings (or far fewer hungry hospital workers, to include nurses, CNAs, secretaries, and 1 nursing supervisor).
This was really good. Everybody liked it. To quote a few coworkers...Aundra said "it's so good I want to lay down in it and roll around in it." Sheila the Spy said "I don't know, it was really good. I don't know what else to say." Jamie said "scrumdiddlyumptious." And then she looked up how to spell the word, but I had spelled it right already. Sharon said "you can bake for me anytime." So I said, "can I no-bake for you? Because that was a no-bake dessert." She said okay. I left the only remaining piece wrapped up in the freezer for Michelle to eat tonight. We pretty much universally agreed that the crust should be doubled...and it was very thinly spread when I made it. The crust tasted so good, it definitely seemed like it needed more.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Grasshopper Pie
Doesn't that sound great? Just think of the crunch of the grasshoppers. Eww. Really, of course, this is just a minty green pie. It's from the TOH Seasons cookbook I'm going through, and it's in the St Patrick's Day section. Which is 1 page long. Also they have a Mardi Gras section. But this one I think will still be good even though it's not March. I had intended to make this for home fellowship last week, but I was wikkid tired and forgot to take the Cool Whip out of the freezer. By the time I remembered, it was 4:00, and we have to leave the house at 5:30. So no dessert this week. But we didn't get kicked out or anything. It ended up working out though because Steve's BFF from high school who moved to North Carolina came for dinner last night, with my parents and his sweet wife & new baby. So we had it last night.
Grasshopper Pie
1 1/2 cups cold milk
1 pkg (3.9 oz) instant chocolate pudding mix
2 3/4 cup cool whip, divided (basically an 8 oz container)
1 pkg (4.67 oz) Andes candies, chopped, divided (it's annoying that you have to unwrap all of these...I wish they sold them already unwrapped)(also I used my sweet Tupperware choppy thing to chop these...I am getting a lot of use out of that chopper, which I think Stevie did not expect...I bet he thought it would be just another dust collector, but he thought wrong)
1 chocolate crumb crust (9 inches) (you probably could make your own but I didn't, I bought one)
1/4 tsp mint extract
2 drops green food coloring, optional
In a small bowl, whisk milk and pudding mix for 2 minutes. Let stand for 2 minutes or until soft-set. Fold in 3/4 cup cool whip. Fold in 3/4 cup candies. Spoon into crust.
In another bowl, combine extract and remaining cool whip; add food coloring if desired. Spread over pudding layer; sprinkle with remaining candies. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or until set. 8 servings.
This was very yummy! Everyone seemed to like it. Shelley is like a spy and was able to guess all the ingredients while she was eating it. That was cool. It came together so easy and everyone liked it. Definitely going to keep this one. Even though Andes candies are expensive, and even though I had to unwrap each one.
Grasshopper Pie
1 1/2 cups cold milk
1 pkg (3.9 oz) instant chocolate pudding mix
2 3/4 cup cool whip, divided (basically an 8 oz container)
1 pkg (4.67 oz) Andes candies, chopped, divided (it's annoying that you have to unwrap all of these...I wish they sold them already unwrapped)(also I used my sweet Tupperware choppy thing to chop these...I am getting a lot of use out of that chopper, which I think Stevie did not expect...I bet he thought it would be just another dust collector, but he thought wrong)
1 chocolate crumb crust (9 inches) (you probably could make your own but I didn't, I bought one)
1/4 tsp mint extract
2 drops green food coloring, optional
In a small bowl, whisk milk and pudding mix for 2 minutes. Let stand for 2 minutes or until soft-set. Fold in 3/4 cup cool whip. Fold in 3/4 cup candies. Spoon into crust.
In another bowl, combine extract and remaining cool whip; add food coloring if desired. Spread over pudding layer; sprinkle with remaining candies. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or until set. 8 servings.
This was very yummy! Everyone seemed to like it. Shelley is like a spy and was able to guess all the ingredients while she was eating it. That was cool. It came together so easy and everyone liked it. Definitely going to keep this one. Even though Andes candies are expensive, and even though I had to unwrap each one.
Morning Maple Muffins
Just to be rebellious, we had these for supper last night, even though it says "morning". We love having breakfast for supper. Also I am useless in the mornings so I could never pull this off then. Anything more complicated than a coffee pot has to wait. This is from the TOH Cooking through the Seasons book.
Morning Maple Muffins
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup sour cream (I used plain yogurt)
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla (I bet you could use vanilla yogurt instead of plain and leave out this vanilla)
Topping:
3 tbsp flour
3 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp chopped nuts (I badly wanted to include these, because I have pecans in the cupboard, but I knew the kids wouldn't eat them then. So I left them out)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp cold butter
In a large bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, combine the milk, butter, syrup, sour cream, egg, and vanilla. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.
Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups 2/3 full. For topping, combine flour, sugar, nuts, and cinnamon; cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over batter (then press down slightly with the back of a spoon and it will stay on better while you're eating it).
Bake at 400 for 16-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks. Serve warm. 16 muffins (that is a dumb yield for muffins. I made ours be 18, but you can do what you want).
The kids loved these. We had them with "cheesy eggs" and sausage. Emma called them syrup muffins. It probably would be nice if they had real maple syrup in them instead of the fake stuff, but that's okay. Definitely keeping this recipe!
Morning Maple Muffins
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup sour cream (I used plain yogurt)
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla (I bet you could use vanilla yogurt instead of plain and leave out this vanilla)
Topping:
3 tbsp flour
3 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp chopped nuts (I badly wanted to include these, because I have pecans in the cupboard, but I knew the kids wouldn't eat them then. So I left them out)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp cold butter
In a large bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, combine the milk, butter, syrup, sour cream, egg, and vanilla. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.
Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups 2/3 full. For topping, combine flour, sugar, nuts, and cinnamon; cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over batter (then press down slightly with the back of a spoon and it will stay on better while you're eating it).
Bake at 400 for 16-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks. Serve warm. 16 muffins (that is a dumb yield for muffins. I made ours be 18, but you can do what you want).
The kids loved these. We had them with "cheesy eggs" and sausage. Emma called them syrup muffins. It probably would be nice if they had real maple syrup in them instead of the fake stuff, but that's okay. Definitely keeping this recipe!
Heavenly Earth Burgers
This was my first foray into veggie burgers. I had been wanting to try this recipe for a while, just to see how it would be received, but you need a food processor and I (still) don't have one. But I do have my Tupperware choppy thing, so I thought I would try it in there. It worked pretty well. I was going to make these on my George Foreman grill, but they didn't really hold together all that well so I just made them in a skillet like it says to. They were only a little crumbly. This recipe is from my Christmas cookbook from my mom, the TOH Cooking Through the Seasons. I haven't made anything out of it for awhile because there were so many recipes to make out of the Simple & Delicious magazines, but I made all the marked ones so I am back into this. The other day I got a new magazine so of course I'll start going through that one soon.
Heavenly Earth Burgers
1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup sunflower kernels
1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs (I ended up having to add more because I had bit less rice than it called for)
1/2 cup shredded carrot
3 tbsp minced fresh parsley
2 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 egg
1 egg white
1 cup garbanzo beans or chick peas, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 tsp canola oil
6 whole wheat hamburger buns, split (I also grilled them to make the kids want to eat them more)
6 lettuce leaves
6 slices tomato (nope)
6 slices onion (we had red onion left from another recipe so I used that)
In a large bowl, combine the first 8 ingredients. In a food processor, combine the egg, egg white, and garbanzo beans. Cover and process until smooth. Stir into rice mixture. Shape into 6 patties.
In a nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, cook patties in oil for 5-6 minutes on each side or until lightly browned and crisp. Serve on buns with lettuce, tomato, and onion.
I was pleasantly surprised by how well these were received. Of course the little ones didn't like them, but really you can't go by that. I just gave them some of the crumbles that came off the burgers while they were cooking, and gave them a grilled bun separately. They each tried it, and neither of them liked it. But Sam loved them! He said, "if we were vegetarians, we could eat these like 5 times a week." Steve and I were both surprised by how good they were. They were also extremely filling. Mine sat like a rock in my stomach for about 2 hours after I ate it. Good for appetite control, ha ha. So I will keep this recipe. I don't know how often I'll make it, but it was good. We had these with tater tots and/or curly fries (kids' choice). No veggie on the side since it was a veggie burger. Can't have too much of that at one meal, you know.
Heavenly Earth Burgers
1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup sunflower kernels
1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs (I ended up having to add more because I had bit less rice than it called for)
1/2 cup shredded carrot
3 tbsp minced fresh parsley
2 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 egg
1 egg white
1 cup garbanzo beans or chick peas, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 tsp canola oil
6 whole wheat hamburger buns, split (I also grilled them to make the kids want to eat them more)
6 lettuce leaves
6 slices tomato (nope)
6 slices onion (we had red onion left from another recipe so I used that)
In a large bowl, combine the first 8 ingredients. In a food processor, combine the egg, egg white, and garbanzo beans. Cover and process until smooth. Stir into rice mixture. Shape into 6 patties.
In a nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, cook patties in oil for 5-6 minutes on each side or until lightly browned and crisp. Serve on buns with lettuce, tomato, and onion.
I was pleasantly surprised by how well these were received. Of course the little ones didn't like them, but really you can't go by that. I just gave them some of the crumbles that came off the burgers while they were cooking, and gave them a grilled bun separately. They each tried it, and neither of them liked it. But Sam loved them! He said, "if we were vegetarians, we could eat these like 5 times a week." Steve and I were both surprised by how good they were. They were also extremely filling. Mine sat like a rock in my stomach for about 2 hours after I ate it. Good for appetite control, ha ha. So I will keep this recipe. I don't know how often I'll make it, but it was good. We had these with tater tots and/or curly fries (kids' choice). No veggie on the side since it was a veggie burger. Can't have too much of that at one meal, you know.
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Orange-Spiced Chicken
We had this for lunch today. I used my totally awesome George Foreman Grill with Removable Plates. This wasn't the first time I've used it. It was the second time. I love how the plates can go in the dishwasher. They really came clean, too. I thought this recipe sounded really yummy, and the only thing I had to buy to make it was frozen orange juice concentrate. We had this with rice and carrots. It's from Simple & Delicious June/July 2011.
Orange-Spiced Chicken
1/2 cup thawed orange juice concentrate
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tsp Chinese five-spice powder (I already had this, but I remember that it's pretty expensive to buy...however I looked up how to make it [http://chinesefood.about.com/cs/sauces/ht/fivespicepowder.htm] and it is extremely complicated...I don't know if they have it at the NLC or not)
1/2 tsp garlic powder
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
In a small bowl, combine first five ingredients. Pour 1/2 cup of marinade into a large ziploc bag; add chicken. Seal bag and turn to coat. Refrigerate for 2 hours. Cover and refrigerate remaining marinade.
Drain and discard marinade. Grease your grill. Grill chicken, covered, over medium heat, or broil 4 inches from the heat for 5-7 minutes on each side (if you have a sweet GF grill it grills both sides at once, thereby cutting your cooking time in half) or until temperature reaches 170, basting frequently with reserved marinade.
Everyone liked this!! Well Sam wasn't here, but the little ones ate it and said it was very yummy. So a total score, and definitely keeping this one.
Orange-Spiced Chicken
1/2 cup thawed orange juice concentrate
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tsp Chinese five-spice powder (I already had this, but I remember that it's pretty expensive to buy...however I looked up how to make it [http://chinesefood.about.com/cs/sauces/ht/fivespicepowder.htm] and it is extremely complicated...I don't know if they have it at the NLC or not)
1/2 tsp garlic powder
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
In a small bowl, combine first five ingredients. Pour 1/2 cup of marinade into a large ziploc bag; add chicken. Seal bag and turn to coat. Refrigerate for 2 hours. Cover and refrigerate remaining marinade.
Drain and discard marinade. Grease your grill. Grill chicken, covered, over medium heat, or broil 4 inches from the heat for 5-7 minutes on each side (if you have a sweet GF grill it grills both sides at once, thereby cutting your cooking time in half) or until temperature reaches 170, basting frequently with reserved marinade.
Everyone liked this!! Well Sam wasn't here, but the little ones ate it and said it was very yummy. So a total score, and definitely keeping this one.
Friday, August 5, 2011
Butter Pecan Biscotti
In case you don't know what biscotti is, and some people don't, it is a cookie that is really dry, almost stale, that is most commonly eaten while drinking coffee. I realize that description may not make you want any. Let me see if I can find a better definition. According to wikipedia, biscotti is "a twice-baked cake made dry and crunchy through cutting the loaf of dough while still hot and fresh from baking in the oven." That sounds better, doesn't it? I have never tried making it before. I have tried eating it before. My friend Autumn has made some in the past, and hers had chocolate. It was great with coffee. So when I saw this recipe I knew I wanted to make it, and since Steve doesn't like pecans or coffee, I made it to bring to work. We drink a lot of coffee there. Also bringing treats in to work is all a part of my plan to make them like me at my new job. So far I have made Taco Dip (which I believe is on the blog) and now the biscotti. I think my plan is working pretty good, both have gotten good reviews. One sweet lady at work even said I could open a bakery because they were so good. Now that is good feedback. I didn't tell her that the first ingredient in this recipe is a cake mix, but probably I should have. But you will see that you add a lot to it, and it's a time-consuming recipe, so this totally counts as something you make yourself. It's from the April/May 2011 Simple & Delicious.
Butter Pecan Biscotti
1 pkg (18 1/4 oz) butter pecan cake mix
1 cup flour
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 eggs
3 tbsp maple syrup
2 1/2 tsp instant coffee granules
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup white baking chips
1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tbsp brewed coffee
1 cup finely chopped pecans
In a large bowl, beat cake mix, flour, butter, eggs, syrup, coffee granules, and vanilla until well blended (dough will be very thick). Fold in chips. Divide dough in half. On an ungreased baking sheet, shape each portion into a 12x2 inch rectangle (you can put both of them on the same cookie sheet). Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown.
Place pan on wire rack. When cool enough to handle, transfer to a cutting board; cut diagonally with a serrated knife into 3/4-inch slices. Place cut side down on ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until firm. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.
In a small bowl, combine confectioners' sugar and coffee. Drizzle over biscotti; sprinkle with pecans. Let stand until set. Store in airtight container.
These were really good. They almost tasted butterscotch-y. So so good. Everybody liked them. There were none left, and it was a fairly big batch. Even though it took a while to make (bake it cool it bake it cool it glaze it let it set) it wasn't difficult, just time consuming. So this one is most definitely one I am keeping. Also I did make a general announcement to my co-workers that "it starts with a cake mix" when someone asked me how hard it was to make. It didn't seem to change the way they felt about me, so phew. I don't know if Charlotte still thinks I could open a bakery, but it's okay because I don't really plan to anyway.
Butter Pecan Biscotti
1 pkg (18 1/4 oz) butter pecan cake mix
1 cup flour
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 eggs
3 tbsp maple syrup
2 1/2 tsp instant coffee granules
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup white baking chips
1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tbsp brewed coffee
1 cup finely chopped pecans
In a large bowl, beat cake mix, flour, butter, eggs, syrup, coffee granules, and vanilla until well blended (dough will be very thick). Fold in chips. Divide dough in half. On an ungreased baking sheet, shape each portion into a 12x2 inch rectangle (you can put both of them on the same cookie sheet). Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown.
Place pan on wire rack. When cool enough to handle, transfer to a cutting board; cut diagonally with a serrated knife into 3/4-inch slices. Place cut side down on ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until firm. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.
In a small bowl, combine confectioners' sugar and coffee. Drizzle over biscotti; sprinkle with pecans. Let stand until set. Store in airtight container.
These were really good. They almost tasted butterscotch-y. So so good. Everybody liked them. There were none left, and it was a fairly big batch. Even though it took a while to make (bake it cool it bake it cool it glaze it let it set) it wasn't difficult, just time consuming. So this one is most definitely one I am keeping. Also I did make a general announcement to my co-workers that "it starts with a cake mix" when someone asked me how hard it was to make. It didn't seem to change the way they felt about me, so phew. I don't know if Charlotte still thinks I could open a bakery, but it's okay because I don't really plan to anyway.
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