The Wooden Spoon

Fire Roasted White Chicken Chili

2012-01-16T13:07:00.001-05:00

Last month when we hosted our son’s engagement party, a dear friend brought over White Chicken Chili. It smelled wonderful and everyone ranted about how delicious it was. However, I was warned not to eat it myself as I can only tolerate so much heat in food and it was said to be hotter n’ hot.

However, it left me intrigued to find a recipe to make for myself. It sounded so good and I wanted to try it too!

I searched the internet and found a couple of recipes that sparked my interest. I made some changes to make it more my style and this is what I ended up with. It was delicious, and just kicky enough to make my nose run, but not so kicky that I couldn’t taste all the wonderful flavors melding together.

WARNING: When melting cheese into a soup, be sure it is on low heat. Allow your shredded cheese to come to room temperature and add it a little at a time, stirring to melt. Do not let the soup heat up after that. Once it’s melted you are done…unless you want globs of goo instead of melted cheese…your choice. Don’t ask how I know this…sigh.

For the Printable Recipe, click here.

Heat your olive oil in a dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat…

Chop up your onion into a nice dice

Add to the pot and stir it around to coat…

Using your handy-dandy garlic press, add a couple or 3 garlic cloves to the pot.

While that sautes nicely, chop up your Roasted Poblano Peppers…go here to learn how to roast them… or just open up 2-4oz cans.

When your onions and garlic look like this…all nice and golden…

Dump in the chilis! Chiles? Chilly’s?

Take a bottle of good quality white wine and pour a decent amount into the pot…this is the part that throw it over the top for me. Ok, don’t go crazy, about 1/4 – 1/2 cup should do. Let that simmer for 2-3 minutes.

While that simmers, chop up your chicken.

Go here if you wanna know how I seasoned my chicken.

Throw your chicken in the pot.

Add the seasonings, and stir it up.

Action shot..

Pour in your broth. As you can see, I was using what I had on hand…I had to use up some beef broth…so NOT so “white” chili.

Cover the pot and let that simmer for 30 minutes.

Shred your cheese and let it sit at room temp for the whole time your soup simmers. Trust me here, I did not do this…sigh. Let your yogurt/sour cream sit at room temp too!

Turn heat to low, add cheese to the pot a little at a time, so it melts nicely and does not turn into the “Blob”…

I stirred like crazy until I realized I could not undo my mistake and I would be eating cheese blobs. It still tasted fantastic. I can’t wait to make it the right way, lol

Once the cheese is melted, gently stir in the yogurt (or sour cream). You are now done. Get your toppings ready and get ready to EAT!

Hey, while that soup was cooking I threw in a dish of cheesy cornbread, because chili and cornbread kinda go together.

Get cookin’!

Fire Roasting Peppers and Tomatoes

2012-01-16T12:07:00.001-05:00

Roasting peppers and tomatoes brings out the best in them. When roasted, these already tasty items become sweetly smoky in flavor, adding a distinctive flair to whatever they are used in.

Yes, it’s easier to buy a jar or can. But where’s the fun in that?

I’ve roasted peppers over the burner of my gas stove. It was time consuming and tedious.

I’ve roasted tomatoes in my oven, it heated up the house, took a long time and the skins didn’t come off quite as easily as I’d hoped.

Roasting peppers and tomatoes on the grill has proven to be the easiest method, with the best results.

I wanted to try my hand at making a Fire Roasted White Chicken Chili, so I grabbed 5 Poblano Chilis at the grocery. An inexpensive purchase.

Heat your grill up on High and clean the grate. Rinse and dry your peppers/tomatoes. Place peppers/tomatoes directly on the grill and close the lid.

NOTE: I roasted these on separate days, but you could put all three of these on the grill at the same time if you wanted.

Come back after about 3-5 minutes. Turn the peppers a quarter turn when the bottom is blackened and blistered.

Tomatoes will not hold their shape, so just move them around until all sides are blackened.

For bell shaped peppers, stand on both ends as well as sides.

Continue to turn, close lid and roast for 3-5 minutes (or more if needed) until they are completely blackened and blistered. Remove from grill to a plate or bowl and cover with foil. This steams them and allows the skins to separate easily.

Do something else for a while, and let them sit there. 20 minutes should be enough time.

Place one pepper on your work surface and begin to simply slip the skins off…

The skins will literally slide right off, there may be a few tiny areas where you’ll have to tug a wee bit.

Next, remove the stem and seed. The stem will pull right out, then just use your fingers to scrape out the seeds.

I’m saving the red bell peppers to make soup later in the week, so I placed them in a freezer bag and tossed them in the freezer…

The three large tomatoes cooked down to a scan 1/2 cup of “meat”. I’ll use this to make a small bit of marinara for a fish dish in a day or so. Into the fridge it goes.

The Poblanos are the ones I am after tonight…I’ll chop them up and add to my Fire Roasted White Chicken Chili!

Kathy's Kickin' Chicken Soup

2011-12-19T12:26:00.001-05:00

Printer Friendly Recipe

I created this recipe about 4 years ago after trying to figure out what to do with all the Mexican Tarragon growing in my herb garden, it was featured as "recipe of the week" on a local Christian Radio station. :) This recipe will make about 6 servings, so double or cut as needed.

Kathy's Kickin' Chicken Soup

3 Chicken Breast halves, cut into bit size pieces
3 peeled Medium red potatoes, cut into bite size cubes
3 carrots - sliced
One small onion, finely chopped
5 minced garlic cloves
1-32oz box chicken broth
2 cups water
1-15.8oz can roasted garlic diced tomatoes - pureed
1-15.8 oz can Great Northern Beans - drained and rinsed
1-3 Tbsp. (depending on your heat preference) Texas Pete or Tabasco Hot Sauce
2 tsp. Worchestershire Sauce
1 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Fresh minced Rosemary (1Tbsp), Mexican Tarragon (2 Tbsp), and Parsley (1 Tbsp)
(If using dried herbs, reduce to teaspoons instead of Tablespoons)
Fresh ground Pepper
Kosher or Sea Salt

In a large pot over med-high heat, heat 2 Tbsp Olive Oil. Add onions and garlic, saute until soft, reducing heat as needed to keep from browning. Add chicken, sprinkle with ground pepper; saute on med-high heat until browned all over. Add potatoes, carrots, and herbs; satue a few minutes to allow flavors to meld. Add broth, tomatoes, and beans. Add Worchestrshire, Balsamic Vinegar and Hot Sauce, and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer, covered, 30-35 minutes or until Potatoes and carrots are just tender.

Serve with a Rustic Bread.

Whip out that Wooden Spoon and get Cookin'!

Best Pizza Sauce

2011-10-02T13:40:00.002-04:00

I like to make my own pizza sauce. I’ve tried all sorts of different avenues, and in a pinch, I’ll still grab leftover spaghetti sauce if I have to. However, time and time again, I’ve found the best taste comes from a perfectly EASY homemade pizza sauce.

There are no measurements, so here it is…your moment to be uber creative!

What I use (feel free to substitute as needed)

Tomato sauce

Tomato Paste

Red Wine

Olive Oil

Garlic Powder

Dried Oregano

Dried Basil

Kosher Salt

Fresh Ground Pepper

Your main ingredient, of course, is tomato sauce…I bet you thought I was going to say red wine…not so.

I use about an 8 oz tupperware container for this. Fill it about half full with tomato sauce. Add a large dollop of tomato paste, maybe 2 tbsp. (we want thick, spreadable sauce). Now add a nice drizzle or two or three of red wine… this really is the flavor kicker, so I wouldn’t leave this out!

Drizzle in about 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil. Add a dash or two of garlic powder, basil, oregano and just a pinch of Kosher salt, and a good grinding of fresh black pepper. Now stir it up. Taste it. Add more of stuff you like if needed.

Now spread that (not too thickly) on a lovely homemade pizza crust and make a fantastic pizza creation!

This one is waiting to be topped with grilled chicken, sliced bell pepper, sliced sweet yellow onion, mozzerella, Asiago and a good swirling of homemade sweet BBQ sauce…I am not sure what is better than BBQ Chicken Pizza! Yum!

Enjoy!

Better than Restaurant Chicken Phillies!

2011-09-07T12:42:00.001-04:00

My hubby and I like a good Chicken Philly. We've tried a few around town, and our favorite was at a small chain that recently closed in our area. Determined to have our Sunday Philly, I created this recipe. It was WAY better than any I had ordered anywhere.

Although I marinated and grilled my own chicken, you could make this a super quick meal by purchasing pre-cooked chicken breast chunks, or even shredding rotisserie chicken.

Here is the easy "copy and paste" recipe for printing. A photo tutorial is below.

What you're gonna need:

Hoagie Buns
Chopped cooked Chicken Breast (my marinade recipe is below) (about 1/2 to 3/4 C. per person)
Coursely chopped bell pepper (any color)
Coursely chopped sweet yellow onion
Bottled slice banana peppers (I used Mild)
Mrs. Dash (original)
Fresh ground pepper
Kosher Salt
Shredded Cheese (I used colby jack)
Mayo
Butter
Olive Oil

Preheat a saute pan with a little bit of butter and olive oil, over med-high heat. Add onions and peppers, and season with little salt, pepper and just at TINY touch of Mrs. Dash (you don't want to hide the flavor of the veggies). Saute until just lightly browned and beginning to soften. Toss in your chicken and Banana peppers to warm them up. Reduce to low and keep warm while you prepare you bun.

Turn oven Broiler on, keep rack in the middle of your oven.

Create this handy little "dish" to keep the sides of your bun slightly tilted/lifted.

Melt a little butter, then drizzle in a little olive oil. Brush butter mixture over inside of bun and spread with just a tiny bit of mayo. Dump your chicken mixture into the bun and distribute evenly. Sprinkle with cheese.

Place in oven and allow to broil just until the cheese melts and the bread edges begin to brown slightly. This should only take a minute or so.

There you have it...now enjoy this delicious sandwich. Really, you should share it and put a small salad on the side of your plate. :)

Blessings...and Happy Cooking!

Kathy C.

Grilled Chicken Marinade (for 3-4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves):
1/4 C. chicken broth
1/2 red-wine vinegar
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. dried basil
plenty of dashes of Hot Sauce (I use Texas Pete...well, cuz I'm a Texan!) :)
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper

Put chicken in gallon freezer bag, add all ingredients and swish around. Allow to marinate for at least 1 hour, but the more the merrier! :)

Photo Tutorial:

Chopped Grilled Chicken

Peppers and Onions

Shredded Colby Jack

Condiments

Buns! :) I am a wheat bread gal, but when it comes to a perfect Philly....go for the white!

Seasonings! ~ NOTE: Only use a tiny bit of Mrs. Dash, to bring out the flavor, but not to hide the flavor of the sauteed veggies.

Butter and Olive Oil for brushing on bread

Heat butter and olive oil over med-high...

Saute onions and peppers until just about to turn golden...

Toss in your chicken...

Toss in your Nanner Peps...

Stir it up and turn to low to keep warm...

Grab a double layer of foil...

Roll up the edges so your bun sits all purty like this...

Brush with the nice melted butter/olive oil combo...

Dab on a just a tad of mayo...

Dump all your goodies on there and spread evenly...

Load on the cheese....well, maybe not ALL of it...

Sprinkle some on your precious princess' food... :)... afterall, she has been waiting patiently...

Pop under broiler, but not too high...middle of the oven...

Keep your eye on it...this is perfect! Oh Yum! :)

Tropical Temptations ...

2011-08-23T13:43:00.000-04:00

AKA: Key Lime cupcakes filled with Sweet/Tart Key Lime Custard, topped with Vanilla Buttercream and a sprinkle of Toasted Coconut!

That's a mouthful...and so are these! They practically melt in your mouth, and are guaranteed to make you feel as if you were laying on a hammock, swaying in the sweet tropical breeze as you listen to the crystal blue waves crash on the sandy shore....

Hello? You still there...okee dokee...back to reality...and recipes. :)

Sweet/Tart Key Lime Custard

6oz cream cheese (softened to room temp)
7 oz sweetened condensed milk
5 oz Key Lime juice

In a mixer, beat 6 oz cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add 7 oz sweetened condensed milk and 5 oz Key Lime juice (I like Nellie and Joes). Mix on low to incorporate, then mix on medium for a minute or two until thick and mixed well. Cover with plastic and refrigerate at least 2 hours.

For 36 Cupcakes:

2 1/2 C. unbleached, all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 stick (1 C.) sweet cream, unsalted butter (softened to room temp)
2 1/4 C. Sugar
3 eggs (at room temp)
1 tsp. vanilla
Zest of 2 limes (totally optional)
1/4 C. Key Lime juice (I prefer Nellie and Joes)
1 C. sour cream

Preheat oven to 325. Line cupcake tins with paper liners.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.

In a large mixer bowl, using paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each; scrape down sides and bottom of bowl often.

Stir in the vanilla, zest and Key Lime juice. With the mixer on low, alternately add the sour cream and dry ingredients; mixing just until incorporated.

Fill cupcake liners just a TOUCH over half full (trust me on this one). Bake at 325 for 20-25 minutes. Testing for done with a toothpick.

Allow to cool on rack for 10 minutes before removing from pan. Allow to cool COMPLETELY before filling and frosting.

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting:

4 C. sifted powdered sugar
3 tsp. meringue powder
1 C. (2 sticks), sweet cream, unsalted butter at room temperature
1 tsp. clear vanilla extract
2 Tbsp. whipping cream

Toasted Coconut

Using the paddle attachment of your mixer, beat sugar, meringue powder and butter on low speed until incorporated. Increase to medium speed and beat for 3 minutes.

Add vanilla and cream. Continue to beat on medium speed for 1 more minute. If needed, add more cream to reach desired spreading consistency.

This will be enough to thinly frost 30 cupcakes...or to thickly frost 15.

Two ways to fill:

A) Fit a piping bag with a #5 or larger tip, fill with Key Lime custard. Push tip halfwa into top center of cupcake and squeeze about 1/2 Tbsp filling into center. Stop squeezing and remove. Continue with remaining cupcakes.

or

B) Using a teaspoon, cut a small "core" out of the center of cupcake. Fill with 1/2 Tbsp. filling and replace "core". Don't worry it'll be covered with frosting and no one will notice.

Frost cupcakes as desired and sprinkle with toasted coconut. Keep at room temperature for up to 3 days... if they last that long!

Black Bottom Key Lime Pie

2011-06-20T11:08:00.000-04:00

Want a super easy dessert that is bound to WOW. Key Lime pie is a favorite dessert in "these parts", and it's amazingly easy to throw together.

You will need:

1/2 C. Key Lime Juice ***

1-8oz package light cream cheese, softened to room temp (the 1/3 less fat Neufatchel)

1-14oz can sweetened condensed milk (use the full fat type)

3 egg yolks (no whites)

1 box Annies Chocolate Bunnie Grahams

2-3 Tbsp unsalted, sweet cream butter, melted

*** Use fresh squeezed IF you can find Key Limes, or use Nellie and Joes Key West Lime Juice, - do NOT use regular limes. Nellie and Joes is available at Wally World or the grocer.

Preheat oven to 350.

Using a food processor, pulverize the bunnies until they are a fine crumb. OR, you can put them in a tough gallon freezer bag and beat them with a rolling pin.... it really depends on your mood, LOLOL.

In a medium bowl, mix the cookie crumbs with the melted butter. Press mixture into the bottom and sides of a 9 inch pie pan. I like my shallow pampered chef stone one best for this pie. (It doesn't look like they make that one anymore, but it's got a low side, and that is best for this pie).

Bake for 10 minutes at 350. Prepare filling while it bakes.

In your mixer, begin beating the cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add the condensed milk and egg yolks, mix on low to blend, then mix on medium until thick. Add lime juice and mix until smoothe. Pour into prepared pie shell.

Bake for 10 minutes at 350. Remove from oven and let stand on cooling rack at least 10 minutes before refrigerating. Chill for at least 4 hours before serving.

Top with freshly whipped cream, I like to add a splash of vanilla and a little powdered sugar to my cream before I whip it.

Shepherds Pie Meat Roll

2011-06-09T10:04:00.002-04:00

My Dad use to make something we called "Meat Roll"...he would mix up bisquick dough, and roll it out flat, then cook up beef with Knorr brand Oxtail Soup mix and pour it in there, roll it up and bake it. It was yummy.

I am a different style cook than my Dad and I don't use Bisquick or soup mixes (for health and nutritional reasons). I still make meat roll every now and again, but last night I got the crazy cookin' hair going and added a bunch of other goodies.

The result? Something I'd like to name "Shepherds Pie Meat Roll"...it was SO yummy, and definitely fit's the description of "Comfort Food"... Mmmmm. :)

You can change it up and season it to whatever you mood is..give it a mexican flair, or go italian!

So, here's what I used:

1 ball pizza dough

1 lb. lean ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
2-3 minced cloves of garlic
salt n' peppa
A nice dollop of white wine
a dash of worchestershire sauce
about 1 tsp dried thyme
broth (beef, chicken, veggie...whichever)

shredded cheese
a couple of potatoes, peeled, chopped small
about 3 handfuls of frozen peas (or veggie of your choice)

Preheat your oven (and stone if you are using one) to 450.

Here's what I did:

Make a batch of pizza dough (or you can purchase the dough at your grocery store bakery counter, use pre-packaged pizza dough, italian bread dough, etc...). Roll it out so it looks sort of like a rectangle about yay big...

Brown your beef in a drizzle of olive oil, along with the onions and garlic. Throw in some seasonings until it tastes good (you can see above what I added)...I think the thyme and white wine really gave this some great flavor. Add a bit of broth and allow this to simmer and get all flavory.

In a skillet, using a little olive oil, pan fry your potatoes until brown on the outside. Then turn to low and cover pan, allow them to become a bit more tender inside. When the potatos are just about done, toss in the frozen peas, stir once and cover. They'll warm up just fine in there.

Get yourself some of your favorite shredded cheese...get creative...how about Jalapeno Jack?? :) yum. I went with what I had...

Using a colander of a bowl, spoon out your beef...SAVE the juice! We're gonna make a little gravy sauce.

Spread the meat all over the dough...

Leave some space at the edges, about an inch or so...

Next, add the potatoes and peas and evenly spread them over the meat...

See? :) Purty, huh?

Now take CHEESE...I love cheese..it's so yummy, and melty and creamy and delicious!...so, yeah. Take some cheese and sprinkle it over the top of all your goods...

Now we are ready to roll!

Fold both short ends in just to cover the edge of your filling...we don't want anything to run off!

Beginning at the top of a long edge, start rolling up your dough and goodies...

Keep that bad boy rolling along until you get to the end...

You are now done rolling. Time to seal. Dab your finger in a little water and run it along the flat edge of the dough.

Thenfold it up over the roll and smoosh gently to seal.

Now ... and this is the tricky part. Transfer this to your baking stone. IF you preheated your stone, you are most likely going to get burned here...um, how do I know this??? yup, but it's worth the cause? Ok, just be careful, git 'er on there and make her look all cute like this...

Using a serrated knife or kitchen shears, cut slits along the edge...Put her in the oven.

Meanwhile, back on the farm... :) Ok, meanwhile, plop a little flour and some cornstarch in a small bowl. About 1/4 C. flour, and say 1 Tbsp. cornstarch. Mix with a whisk to combine. Add about 2/3 C. broth and whish till smooth.

To your pan drippings (add the stuff from the bowl too!), add more broth so you have enough sauce to go around. Bring this to a light simmer.

Whisk in the cornstarch mixture and keep on low heat while whisking. You should get a nice thick gravy in about 30 seconds. Turn heat to LOW and cover with lid.

After 25 minutes takea peek at this little doll, if she is getting too brown, throw a piece of foil gently over her top. Bake about 35 minutes total. Remove from oven and admire your work. :)

Cut a slice and notice how neat it is to see all the stuff in there and that yummy oozy cheese too!

Put it on a dish and drizzle with sauce. Oh yum! You really should have a salad with this too! :)

Roasted Garlic Potato Broccoli Cheese Soup

2011-04-07T09:13:00.000-04:00

Yup...it's a mouthful alright... but I wasn't sure what else to call it. I combined the flavors from two different recipes, switched a few things up, added a dash of something uncalled for and Voila! Soup was made. It is satisfying, filling, and feels so rich and creamy you would think it was bad for you...but don't be fooled, this soup is low in fat and high in nutrition. A cup of it and a side salad make a perfect meal.

You're gonna need:

2 Whole garlic heads

3 bacon slices, diced

1 C. chopped onion (organic)

1 C. chopped red bell pepper

2 minced garlic cloves

1 head of Broccoli (florets and tender stems only)

6 cups of diced baking potato (organic), peeled - about 2 pounds

1/4 C. White Wine (preferrably a Reisling)

32 oz chicken broth (organic)

Kosher Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper to Taste

1 Bay leaf

1 C. 1% low fat milk

Splash of 1/2 n 1/2

6 oz shredded 50% less fat Sharp Cheddar (I used Cabot)

1/4 C. chopped fresh parsley for garnish - optional

First thing you do is roast your garlic. I like to do this in my toaster oven so I don't have to heat up my whole oven. Turn it up to 425.

Take your 2 heads of garlic and remove the papery outer skins, keep the heads intact, but slice off just the tips of each clove. Set them in the center of large piece of aluminum foil and drizzle with some extra virgin olive oil...

Wrap up the foil around the garlic, allowing some space in side for air to circulate. Seal up the foil really well, and place in center of oven (or toaster oven). Bake for 40 minutes and test by carefully opening (avoid the steam), and see if a knife will slide easily into a clove. If so, then it is done. If not, then re-seal and bake little longer.

When it's done, remove from oven, open up foil and allow to cool while you prep all your other veggies.

When the garlic is cool enough, simply pinch near the bottom of each clove and pop the pulp out into a bowl...

Here are all the veggies prepped and ready to be made into soup...

I used 50% reduced fat Cabot Sharp Cheddar...

I grated about 3/4 of this block (which would be about 6 oz)

Measure out 1 cup of milk, and have that 1/2 n 1/2 ready for a good splash or dollop...

Heat up your Dutch Oven, or heavy Pot over med-high. Toss in the bacon pieces and stir around...

Cook 'em till they are nice and crispy, keep stirring so they don't burn...

Remove the bacon from the pan with a slotted spoon, leaving behind a bit of that lovely bacon grease. :)

Now, toss your onions, minced garlic and red bell pepper into the hot pan.

Stir that around a bit to saute for about 5 minutes or until onions are slightly golden and soft...

Perfect!

Now, toss in the broccoli and potatoes...

Stir them around a bit, to kinda get their juices flowing...about 3 minutes.

Now, pour in 1/4 C. sweet white wine (such as a Reisling), stir that up and let it meld for about 1 minute. Then pour in the entire 32 oz box of chicken (or veggie) broth. Sprinkle with some Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper and toss in one beautiful Bay leaf!

Bring this whole sha-bang to a boil, then cover, and reduce heat to just a simmer.

Let this simmer for about 20 minute or until the potato is tender.

Now, remove that lovely Bay Leaf and toss it...no one eats Bay Leaves...

Put about this much into your blender jar, it's slightly less than half of the soup.

Pop in the pulp from that roasted garlic...

Make sure you don't put the lid on too tightly, allow the steam to escape! Blend until smooth, like this...

Pour this back into the rest of your soup...

...and stir it up!

Make sure your pot is on low heat at this time, no bubbling, no boiling. Now,slowly stir in your 1 cup of milk and your nice splash of 1/2 n 1/2.

Now remember that bacon you cooked...you didn't eat it right? Well, it's time to toss that back into the soup.

Sprinkle in your shredded cheese and stir until melted...Oh doesn't that look yummy?

Scoop some of that delicious soup into a small bowl...yes SMALL. It is filling and rich and dreamy...you won't need much...make a little salad or some biscuits to go with it.

This is the part where you can sprinkle on chopped parsley if you want, I didn't do it. :)

Olive Oil n' Rosemary Bread

2011-02-25T08:42:00.001-05:00

Printer Friendly Recipe

If you are new to baking bread by hand,...this is the recipe for you!!

Pop down to the bottom of the page for a few "questions answered".

While I was on vacation, I picked up a loaf of "Rudi's Organics - Olive Oil and Rosemary Bread" at an Ingles supermarket in North Carolina. It smelled fantastic right through the plastic, so I knew I had to have it.

That night I made Chicken n' Dumplin's and I broiled a few slices of this bread brushed with Olive Oil - Hubby was lookin' for more! The next day I made turkey sandwiches for our picnik lunch using this bread - they were fantastic!!!

So, needless to say when I got home, I popped on the internet and began searching for a recipe, hoping to get as close as I could. After making a few adjustments to the recipe I found, I got so close I almost thought my name was Rudi!! :)

This bread takes some sponging time (The best results I've achieved are when I let it sponge overnight on the top of the fridge, but you can sponge for less time if you want). I like to mix mine up in the evening, then bake it in the morning. However, you can mix it up first thing in the morning, and bake in the afternoon as well.

What you're gonna need:

4 TBSP. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

3 TBSP. minced fresh Rosemary (don't use dried in this recipe)

1 C. 2% Milk - Warm, but not hot - like a nice bath - about 110 degrees

2 C. Whole Wheat Flour (I HIGHLY recommend you use King Arthur WHITE WHOLE WHEAT)

1/2 C. Unbleached Bread Flour (I used King Arthur)

1 1/2 tsp. Instant Rise Yeast (Fleishmans for bread machines)

1 1/2 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. large grain salt (Kosher or Sea)

1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper

First, Create a "sponge"...

In a medium sized bowl mix 2 C. Wheat Flour, and all the Yeast; stir in the warm milk until well mixed.

It'll be kinda thick, like this...

Cover bowl snugly with plastic wrap and set in on top of your fridge, or another warm place to sponge for several hours. I'm gonna repeat myself here...I have the best results when I let it sponge a long time, overnight.

When you're ready to start making bread, take down the bowl and remove plastic.

You'll notice it's a little bit puffy now because it rose during those hours, then settled.

Stir in the oil, chopped rosemary, salt, pepper, and sugar.

It'll be gloppy, like this.

At this point, turn your oven on to WARM, when it's ready, turn it off. You are trying to get it to about 85 degrees.

Using the 1/2 cup of Bread Flour, sprinkle your counter well, and dump the dough on there...

Knead the dough until you get a nice soft bundle, adding more of that 1/2 cup as needed (you'll most likely use it all). Keep kneading for 7-10 minutes or until you have a nice pliable, elastic feeling dough ball. If you need to add a little more flour, it's ok to do that, but don't let it get stiff.

The key is for your dough to be soft and elastic, where it almost wants to stick to your hands but not quite sticky. The less flour you add (without having a sticky mess) the more tender and moist your bread will turn out.

Make a round loaf by turning the ball in your hands and tucking under toward the bottom, giving it a smooth top. Rub it all over with a light coating of olive oil, and set it on a baking sheet covered in parchment paper. Cover with a lightweight kitchen towel and slip it into the warm oven (about 85 degrees) to rise for about 25 minutes. Remove from oven and treat gently so it doesn't collapse. If you have a baking stone, put it on the LOWEST rack in the oven, crank it up to 375. It's always a good idea to preheat your stone.

Here is the risen loaf...

Now, take a VERY sharp knife or blade (I use a razor blade) and slit it three times, or you can get fancy and carve your initials in there...kidding! Don't deflate your lovely loaf! The gashes should be about 1/4 inch deep.

Once the oven is ready, slide your bread (and parchment paper) onto the stone. Bake for 15-25 minutes or until internal temp. reaches 190 degrees. I always insert my digital temp probe after baking for 15 minutes, then I let the probe tell me when the bread is done.

(It's ready when golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped on bottom)

NOTE: The loaf in the photo was brushed with egg whites for a shiny finish, yours won't look exactly like this, and that's just peachy...it'll still taste vundabah!

Remove bread to cooling rack immediately and cool completely before slicing - this is HARD to wait for, but it's the best thing to do for a nice texture!

Now for some answers to your questions...what no questions? Ok, here's some info anyway...

1. What's the big deal about King Arthur White Whole Wheat? This is the best whole wheat flour I've ever worked with because it is milled from a soft grain, and milled nice and fine. So, it performs almost just like white flour (ALMOST, but nothing beats while flour for pancakes!). If you use regular whole wheat, your loaf may come out heavy and dense.

2. Why should I use extra virgin olive oil? Actually there's a lot more to it than that. I only buy Extra Virgin Olive Oil that says it is from the FIRST COLD PRESSING, this ensure that the oil has not heated up from the processings and lost is valuable flavor and nutrients. I ALSO only purchase oil that SAYS it has been packed in Italy. If your label says (select oils from Italy, Spain and Tunisia,...) BUT doesn't say it's packed in Italy, then after it's shipped to the USA in big vats, it is most likely "dulled" down by a percentage of vegetable oils before being bottled.

3. How do I knead bread? Kneading is easy, AND relaxing. Simply fold the top part of your dough down in the center and press it into itself with the heel of your hand, then turn it a quarter of a turn and do it again, and again, and again, until you achieve the soft elastic feel.

4. What's the Sponge for? This gives the bread a light airy texture and a slighly "sourdough" flavor, but not a TRUE tart sourdough flavor.

Any more questions? Just ask! :)

Have a beautiful day!

Broccoli n' Bacon Stuffed Shells w/ Roasted Tomato Marinara

2011-01-31T10:13:00.000-05:00

What you'll need...

Sauce:

1/2 medium sweet onion

2-3 cloves garlic

dried or fresh basil

dried or fresh oregano

1 14 oz can diced roasted tomatoes (such a Muir Glen)

Red Wine (fruity, rich flavor)

Stuffing:

16 oz low fat cottage cheese

15 oz part-skim ricotta

dried basil (about 3/4 tsp)

Cooked, crisp and crumble bacon (about 5 slices with most of the fat cut off before cooking)

10 oz frozen broccoli florets, thawed and chopped.

1 egg

3/4 C. shredded Asiago (or parmesan)

Other:

1 box pasta Shells

extra shredded Asiago for topping

NOTE: I tell you to make this in a 9x13 dish, but I am cooking for two, so I actually split this between two dishes and freeze one for another time. To freeze: Cover in 2 layers of plastic wrap and 2 layers of heavy foil. To cook from frozen: Remove plastic (VERY important! lol), replace foil and bake 1 hr, remove foil and base as directed below.

This may look like a complicated "lots of work" dish, but it really isn't at all. If you want it to be super easy, you can use a favorite jarred sauce, but it will not have the same taste. However, IF it's your favorite sauce, then I guess you'll like it! LOL

Set a med-large pot of water to boil, add a drizzle of olive oil so the shells don't stick. When it begins to boil, drop the shells in 2 at a time, keeping the water at a boiling level. Stir gently a few times during cooking process. Allow shells to boil for about 15 minutes. Once they are done, drain, rinse in cold water and return to pan. Drizzle with olive oil and stir around to keep them from sticking to one another, cover with lid and set aside until needed.

While the pasta is cooking, prepare sauce. Finely chop the onion and mince the garlic. Heat a little olive oil over med heat in a med-large pot, add onion and garlic and stir to coat. Allow this cook until soft and opaque, stirring occassionally.

While the onions are cooking, lightly drain the can of tomatoes. Open a bottle of fruity red wine (Merlot is nice). When the onions are ready, pour in 1/4 to 1/3 C. wine, dump in the tomatoes, sprinkle with dried basil and oregano (use fresh if you have it). Give a good stir and allow it to simmer while you prepare the stuffing. You want to simmer out some of the liquid.

Preheat oven to 400.

Process the Ricotta, Cottage Cheese and egg until smooth. Dump into a bowl and add shredded Asiago, dried basil, chopped broccoli and crumbled bacon; stir.

#4 - you will get goopy hands here...

Lightly coat a 9x13 baking dish with oil. Place a shell in your left palm, using your thumb, pull it open a bit, using a soup spoon, plop in about 2 Tbspl. of filling. Set in dish at a slight angle. Continue until all shells are stuffed...yes, many of them will have tears in them, just do your best. Once they are all stuffed, spoon marinara sauce over the top and then sprinkle on a little bit of shredded Asiago.

Cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes. Remove foil and bake 5-10 more minutes. Remove from oven, and let sit about 5 minutes before serving.

Happy Cooking!

Kathy C.

Scrumptious Carrot Cake

2011-01-03T23:53:00.000-05:00

This cake is divine. I don't really know what else to say,..except that it also is very healthy...so eat more!

Cake:
1 C. King Arthur White Whole Wheat Flour (or Whole Wheat Pastry Flour)
1/2 C. Oat flour (simply whir rolled oats in a processor until semi-fine)
1/2 C. Honey
2/3 C. shredded sweetened coconut
1/2 C. chopped walnuts
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
3 Tbsp Extra Virgin Coconut Oil (or canola if you must) :)
2 large eggs
1 C. canned crushed pineapple, drained
1/2 C. Unsweetened applesauce
1/2 C. raisins
2 1/4 C. shredded carrot

Frosting:
4 oz cream cheese (1/3 less fat style) - softened to room temp
1/4 C. real, unsalted butter - softened to room temp
2 tsp. vanilla
1/8 tsp. salt
2 3/4 C. organic powdered sugar (or Unorganic if you must)

Preheat ovento 350.

In a large bowl, combine flour, oat flour, coconut, walnuts, baking soda, salt and cinnamon; stir well with a whisk. In a separate medium bowl, combine oil, eggs and honey; stir well. Stir egg mixture, carrot, pineapple, and applesauce into flour mixture; fold in raisins. Spoon batter into a buttered 9x13 baking dish (or coat it with oil). Bake at 350 for 35 minutes or until it test done with toothpick. Cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.

To make frosting: Combine butter and soft cream cheese in a bowl. Beat by hand or with a mixer until smooth. Beat in 2 C. powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth. Stir in remaining sugar. Smooth over cake.

This makes plenty of icing, and it is SWEET. So you may want to just drizzle it, but if you really like it sweet, then glop it on there!

I prefer this cake at room temp, and it will be fine covered with plastic wrap for a day or two. After that (IF you have any left) refrigerate it.

Buttermilk Oatmeal Muffins

2010-12-30T13:44:00.001-05:00

I share this recipe because I love you! :) lol

I have searched for years for the "perfect" Oatmeal Muffin recipe and I'm happy to say I have found it!!! I found this "original" recipe on allrecipes.com, and the reviews were great, but several people noted the changes they made. Here is the recipe I ended up with taking their advice and adding an ingredient of my own.

I do recommend using "real" buttermilk for this recipe, instead of the homemade version. If you don't have buttermilk and WANT to make these really bad, use 1 Tbsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice, 1/2 C plain yogurt, and enough milk to bring the mixture to 1 Cup. This should at least give you the thickness needed.

Buttermilk Oatmeal Muffins

Makes 8 or 9 (NOT 12)...

Ingredients:
1 cup quick-cooking oats
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg, beaten
1/2 C. brown sugar (or slightly less)
1/4 C. Extra Virgin Organic Coconut Oil (or use melted butter and canola oil)
3/4 tsp. Vanilla
1/2 C. King Arthur White Whole Wheat
1/2 C. Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
(or you can use 1 C. all purpose and NO wheat, your choice)
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 C. Cherry Berries (or other dried berries: raisins, blueberries, etc...)

In a bowl, soak oats in buttermilk for 15 minutes. At the same time, bring 1/4 C. water to a boil, add dried berries and let soak for same amount of time.

Stir egg, sugar, oil and vanilla into oat mixture.

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices; stir into oat mixutre just until moistened. Gently stir in berries (drain the water). Place muffin cups into 8 or 9 coves of your 12 cup muffin pan. Fill them with the thick batter. Bake at 400 for 16-18 minutes (mine were done in 16), or until test done with toothpick. Cool in pan 5 minutes and remove them to a wire rack.

Notes:
* You can use fresh berries if you choose, do not soak them.
* You can replace the coconut oil with regular canola oil and/or butter...OR applesauce.
* You can leave out the fruit if desired.
* You can use any flour you like, but I would limit it to 1/2 wheat (and it should be the White Wheat for fluffiness)..otherwise they may be dense.

Quick N Easy Chicken Noodle Soup

2010-11-09T23:21:00.002-05:00

I like to use organic when I can, but you can use whatever you have on hand. This recipe is quick and easy, I went from staring blankly into the pantry to dipping my fresh homemade biscuits in this soup in under 45 minutes.

Ingredients:

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 small onion, chopped

2 cloves garlice minced (or use a garlic press)

2-4 carrots sliced (depends on their size)

2 stalks celery sliced

1 can diced Fire Roasted Tomatoes

1 box Organic Chicken Broth

1 can cooked chicken breast meat

Basil

Marjoram

Kosher Salt

Fresh Ground Pepper

1/2 Pkg. Rice Pasta (I went with fun animal shapes, 'cause that's just the way I am)

Fill a medium saucepan with water and set to boil (for pasta). When it boils, add pasta and cook for about 8 minutes, or until Al Dente. Rinse with cold water in a colander and set aside, covered.

In a large saucepan, heat some extra virgin olive oil over med-high heat (about 1-2 Tbsp). Add chopped onion and garlic, if it seems too hot, turn it down so it sautes nicely. After about 2 minutes, add chopped celery and carrot. Sprinkle with a little bit of Basil, Marjoram, Salt and Pepper. Saute 3 minutes. Dump in the can of Fire roasted tomatoes. Fill the can once with water and add to the pot. Stir in the entire box of chicken broth and add a little more salt if you want to (I did). Break up the canned chicken and add to the pot.

Let this simmer for about 10-15 minutes, or however long it takes for you to make up a quick batch of biscuit dough for dippin' in that soup. Add noodles to pot and simmer another 5-10 minutes, or however long it takes for your biscuits to cook.

If you want, you can sprinkle this with grated parmesan. I did not do this, but I kept dreaming about it during dinner, so I think it needs to happen. :)

Serve with a nice salad on the side and warm yourself from the inside out!

Crispy Crusted Tilapia

2010-11-05T00:36:00.000-04:00

I don't like fish....usually.

I found this recipe several years in a mailer and it is one of 2 recipes that get me eating fish...it's really delicious, and guaranteed to please even the non-fish-eater.

It's supposed to serve 4 people, but I make it with 2 pieces of fish because I like to eat a lot of the veggies and crumbs. :)

For easy cleanup, I like to lay parchment paper on the baking sheet. Spread the veggie mixture in a nice layer big enough that the fish will fit on top.

Lay the fish on top of the veggies.

Sprinkle with freshly ground Pepper and Salt.

Mix up the cheesy, crackery, tasty bread crumb mixture, and stir in the melted butter ~ yum...butter!

Pat the crumbs all over the top of the fish.

If you are like me, you'll use every last crumb.

I'm gonna make some cheesy biscuits to go with this meal, so mix up some drop biscuits in a bowl. Be sure to add plenty of shredded cheese!

I made half a batch, so I could share a cookie sheet with my fishy friends. No rolling and cutting needed, just plop the dough right on the parchment.

Note, since they bake at the same temperature, but for different times, I used 2 separate pieces of parchment. This allows me to slide the biscuits out when they are done.
Now, pop the pan in the 450 degree oven....

...and do the dishes while it's cookin'...ugh!

When the biscuits are done, use a small flat cookies sheet to slide that parchment out of the oven. Keep them warm, 'cause you still have 13 minutes to go!

Slide the fish parchment to center it for even cooking.

The fish is done when it flakes easily with a fork. For these thickish Tilapia and the veggie and crumb layers, it took 25 minutes.

Serve this with a nice spinach salad and a lemon wedge.

Look at the lovely layering....oh so delicious!

Crispy Crusted Tilapia

Serves: 2-4

1 cup chopped seeded tomato
1 cup chopped sweet yellow onion (or thin sliced leeks...I prefer onion)
1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
2-4 Tilapia Fillets (boned and skinned) - or other firm white fish
1/2 coarse bread crumbs
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/2 crushed plain ruffles potato chips
1/2 tsp. Paprika
1/8 tsp. Cayenne
2 Tbsp. melted butter
Lemon Wedges (optional)

Preheat oven to 450.
Combine first 4 ingredients and spread on baking sheet. Arrange fillets on top of veggies and season with salt and pepper. Combine crumbs and next 4 ingredients; toss with melted butter. Press crumb mixture on top of fish.

Bake 20-25 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Serve with lemon wedges.

Pumpkin Bread

2010-10-01T11:54:00.000-04:00

It's Fall, and that means Pumpkin...all things pumpkin. Rolls, biscuits, pancakes, muffins, cakes, pies, cookies, and of course...Pumpkin Bread.

This is one of my favorite pumpkin bread recipes. It's not overly sweet, and it's not overly spiced - it's just right. It's really versatile, feel free to use whatever flour, sugars, or nuts you have on hand...it'll still be fantastic!

This recipe makes TWO loaves

Here's what you're gonna need:

DRY:
1 1/2 C. White Whole Wheat Flour (King Arthur)

2 C. Unbleached White Flour

2 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. baking powder

3/4 tsp. salt

1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. cloves

3/4 tsp. nutmeg

WET:

1/2 C. Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil

1/2 C. unsweetned applesauce
3/4 C. brown sugar
scant 1/2 C. granulated sugar
4 eggs
1 (15oz) can Pumpkin puree

Big fat handful of chopped Walnuts

Preheat oven to 350, and lightly coat two ceramic bread pans with butter.

In a large bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients, set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together sugars, oil and applesauce until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Whisk in Pumpkin and mix well.

Using a rubber spatula, mix wet ingredients into dry ingredients and gently turn over itself until it is just combined. Gently stir in nuts.

Spread evenly into pans (batter will be thick) and bake 40-50 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes, then remove to rack.

Cool completely, or just dive in, slice off a steaming piece and slather on some real butter!!!!

Oh YUM!!!!

Mammo's Gingerbread

2010-07-30T00:16:00.000-04:00

The smell of this baking, or fresh out of the oven reminds me of my Grandmother's house. She always had a pan of fresh baked Gingerbread cooling on a rack when I came over. She learned how to make it from her Mother, and I have since gathered together bits of info and scraps of scribbled instructions and put this recipe together. It tastes just like the original, I hope you enjoy it as much as I do...

Mammo's Gingerbread

1/4 C. unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1/3 C. sugar
1 egg
1/3 C. molasses
1 1/2 C. flour
1 1/4 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/8 tsp. cloves
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/8 tsp. salt
2/3 C. buttermilk (OR 3/4 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice, plus milk to make 2/3 C)

Preheat oven to 350. Butter an 8x8 or 9x9 square pan.

In a medium bowl, whisk together Flour, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, baking soda and salt; set aside. In a mixer bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and molasses and beat well.

Alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk to butter mixture. Mix just until blended.

Pour into pan and bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out almost clean (a few tiny moist crumbs are ok).

Delicious as it is, warm or room temperature. But I REALLY like it with freshly whipped cream!

Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Vinagrette

2010-06-24T20:18:00.000-04:00

I recently read that "They" say that fresh spinach is more readily absorbed by your body when it's paired with a healthy fat, such as Avocado...that made me happy, because I LOVE avocado on a salad!

I was craving just that combination tonight, but needed something more...BACON! Oh yum....who doesn't LOVE the smell of bacon cooking? Besides vegetarians and,...well, pigs I suppose....hmmm.

Of course, with it being summer, I needed to add in a splash of summer color and taste...Stawberries!

Ingredients (amounts vary according to your taste)...

Fresh spinach leaves, washed and gently dried

Sliced avocado

Sliced purple onion

Cherry or grape tomatoes quartered (I used orange cherry tomatoes from my garden)

1-2 Strawberries thinly sliced

Plain crumbled Feta

Dressing:

1 slice Bacon, cured naturally with no nitrates or nitrites (just my 2 cents there)

Newmans Own brand Light Balsamic Vinagrette

Toss all your Veggies together and arrange beautifully on a plate. Chop uncooked bacon into pieces, then fry in a small saute pan until good and browned. Remove bacon from grease and place in a tiny dish, drizzle dressing over bacon and swirl to warm slightly. Pour dressing over salad...ENJOY!!!

Oatmeal Molasses Berry Muffins

2010-06-14T11:12:00.000-04:00

I adapted this from a basic Oatmeal raisin muffin recipe that I found online...I tweaked this so far that it's more like a major transformation than an adaptation, LOL...here ya' go...

These are super healthy and VERY tasty!

Oatmeal Molasses Berry Muffins

1 cup Rolled Oats
1/2 C. 2% Milk
1/2 C. Greek Plain Yogurt
1 egg
1/4 C. Blackstrap Molasses
2 Tbsp. packed Brown Sugar
1/4 C. Applesauce
1/4 C. Extra Virgin Coconut Oil (or melted butter if you don't have this)
1 C. White Whole Wheat Flour (King Arthur) - I do not suggest using regular hard wheat flour, if you can't find the white wheat, use wheat pastry flour.
1 Tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
1/2 tsp. Salt
3/4 C. Dried Berries (I use Cherry Berries, which is a mix of Cherries, Blueberries and Cranberries)

Preheat oven to 400.

In a medium bowl, combine oats, milk, and yogurt. Let sit while you mix the dry ingredients.

In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder, soda, and salt.

To the oat mixture, add egg, brown sugar, molasses, applesauce and coconut oil (or butter), stir until well combined. Add this mixture to the dry ingredients and stir just until moist and gently combined. Fold in berries.

Place paper muffin cups in a 12 cup pan. Fill cups evenly and bake for 12-15 minutes or until toothpick tests clean. Cool 2 minutes in pan, then remove to cooling rack.

They are yummy with or without butter!

Off the Cuff Mexican Lasagne

2010-06-01T18:14:00.001-04:00

Last night I drew a blank near dinner time. Not sure what I wanted to make, not sure what I was in the mood, for,...but hungry. I had 1/2 lb of ground turkey breast in the fridge that I had intended to make some breakfast sausage out of to freeze, but the day got busy and I didn't get around to it. So I pulled it out and threw a pan on the stove. Hmmmm...what to do?

I began chopping stuff and pulling things out of the fridge and pantry until a light went on in my head and I decided to make something "like Mexican Lasagne"...I thought it might come out tasty, so I took photos just in case...good thing it did...it was DELICIOUS! :)

NOTE: This serves 4-6 people, so you may want to double it and bake in a 9x13 dish instead.

Meat Sauce:

Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 of a medium sized sweet yellow onion, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and pithed, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 lb ground turkey breast
Cumin
Turmeric
Chili Powder
Basil
Oregano
1/2 - 1 tsp. minced Chipotle Chilis in Adobo Sauce (I always keep these chopped in my freezer, no need to defrost)
Dash Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
2 heaping Tbsp. Tomato Paste
1 can diced tomatoes with green chilies (mild)
2 C. Chicken or Veggie Broth

Bean Layer:

1 can beans of choice (I actually used 1/2 can leftover great northern plus 1/2 can red kidney)
Drizzle Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Couple of big dollops jarred salsa

Cheese layers:

Use whatever you like. I used 3 cheeses; 1layer of shredded fiesta blend cheese, 1 layer part-skim mozzerella pieces, and 1 layer of Cabot 50% less fat Pepper Jack, shredded.

You will also need a box of NO BOIL lasagne pieces. Hey,...if you want to sit there and boil them and drain them and keep them from tearing and sticking together go ahead...but I'm here to tell you, those no cook pieces are the BEST!

Toppings (Optional):

Chopped fresh Cilantro
Black Olive slices
Light Sour Cream
Additional topping ideas: chopped avocado, chopped onion, parmesan cheese (because cheese is a good thing), green chilies, chopped tomatoes, shredded lettuce...whatever really...

Preheat oven to 400 and prepare meat sauce:

In a medium pot, heat a little olive oil on med-high heat. Add onion, jalapeno and garlic, saute a few minutes, turn it down if it browns to quickly. Add turkey and, stir to crumble. As turkey browns, sprinkle with seasonings; a couple good dashes of Cumin, about 1/2 tsp of oregano and basil or thereabouts, a slight dash of turmeric, and Chili Powder to your taste, add a little dash of salt and pepper. Add the Chipotle and stir until meat is cooked through and crumbled well. Add canned tomatoes with chiles, chicken broth and tomato paste. Stir well, reduce heat to a simmer and cook about 5-10 minutes uncovered.

Prepare beans: Place beans and salsa in a food processor and drizzle with olive oil. Process until smooth.

Layer all items as you would Lasagne: Rub baking dish with Olive Oil. Spread just 1/4 C. meat sauce on bottom of dish. Top with 2 pieces of pasta, spread to cover with 1/2 the beans, sprinkle with 1st layer of cheese (fiesta blend), add 1/3 of remaining sauce. Add 2 more pieces of pasta, spread with remaining beans, add 2nd layer of cheese (mozzerella), top with 1/2 of remaining sauce. Add last 2 pieces of pasta, cover with remaining sauce and top with 3rd layer of cheese (Pepper Jack).

Cover dish with foil and bake at 400 for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake 5 minutes longer. Remove from oven and let sit 5-10 minutes to firm up. At this time, chop some cilantro and whatever else you choose to top it with.

Sprinkle it on and serve it up! YUM! Great with a simple salad on the side.

Thin layer of sauce, 2 pasta pieces and spread 1/2 of beans...

Add first layer of cheese...Fiesta Blend Shredded...

Add a layer of meat sauce...look at that steam! Woo-Hoo!

Layer with 2 more pieces of pasta...

Spread with remaining beans...

Top with second layer of cheese...slices of part skim Mozzerella...

Top with Meat Sauce...add last 2 pieces of pasta and top with rest of sauce...

And, of course, add MORE cheese...this time Jalapeno Jack!

When it's all said and done, you'll end up with this...

Now clean up that mess!

Mammo's Authentic Mexican Indian Rice

2010-05-14T16:14:00.000-04:00

My Great Great Grandmother was a Mexican Indian. She married my Great Great Grandfather who was from Seville, Spain and came to Mexico in the 1700's. Mammo was my Great Grandmother, their daughter, my Dad's Grandmother (shown being held by her Father in this photo).

My sister, by far, makes Mammo's rice perfectly. However, when she shared with me the "secret recipe", I was shocked to find how incredibly simple and easy it was to make. I love the flavor and the simplicity of this rice!

NOTE: I almost always eat brown rice, but when it comes to making perfect mexican rice, you really do need to use white. :) Also, I don't measure with this recipe, so everything (except the rice) is 'guessed'.

Mammo's Authentic Mexican Indian Rice

Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 a sweet yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno (pithed and seeded), chopped finely
1 C. White Rice (I use Jasmine)
1/3 C. Fidello (short spagetti like noodles)...if you can't find them in your grocery store, just use thin spagetti broken into 1 inch pieces ~ that's what I have to do :(
1 1/2 C. Chicken, Beef, or Vegetable Broth
3/4 C. tomato sauce
pinch Kosher salt
pinch fresh ground pepper
dash turmeric

Heat a little olive oil (not too much!) over med-high heat; add onion and jalapenos to saute...

After 1-2 minutes, add Fidello (or spagetti...*sigh*)...

Add rice...

Contine to stir until you see the past and rice begin to lightly brown...

Add broth, tomato sauce and seasonings, stir and reduce heat to a simmer. Cover rice and let cook at a gentle simmer for 20 minutes. It is done when all the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender. If the rice is NOT tender and the liquid is gone, add a little bit more broth and cook longer.

I like to serve this rice with Taco Rolls and spinach salad.

Taco Rolls

2010-05-14T15:33:00.001-04:00

I created these so that I could enjoy tacos without

~ adding more meat than I REALLY need to be eating

~ eating more carbohydrates than necessary

~ Eating white flour (flour tortillas)...or greasy baked shells (corn tortillas)

~ Ease of storing and reheating leftovers

Besides, they're cute. :)

I always season my own taco meat, wanna know why?
Maltodextrin, salt, sugar, spice and natural flavorings (common names for MSG), hydrogenated oils, silcon dioxide, ethoxyquin????? WHAT IS THAT???

Easy and delicious taco meat:

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 lb. very lean ground beef (96/4)

1 small onion (chopped small)

2-3 cloves garlic (minced fine)

Beef or Vegetable broth (low sodium/low fat)

Chili Powder

Kosher salt (just a pinch)

Fresh ground pepper

dried Basil

dreid Oregano

Turmeric

Cumin
Handful of fresh chopped cilantro (if desired)

1/2 to 1 tsp. FINELY minced Chipotle chilies in Adobo sauce (this is optional for smoky flavor and heat)

In a medium/large saucepan, heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil over med-high heat. Add onions and garlic. Saute quickly until slightly soft, add beef to pan, stirring to crumble.

Sprinkle seasonings over beef/onion mixture: pinch of kosher salt, a little ground pepper, 1 tsp basil, 1 tsp oregano, 1/2 to 1 tsp chili powder (depending on your heat tolerance), 1/2 tsp Cumin and just a dash of turmeric. Stir to brown meat and drizzle a tiny bit of olive oil if it seems dry. Add minced chipotle if desired and mix in well.

When meat is browned, pour in enough broth to cover meat only 3/4 of the way. Simmer UNCOVERED for about 10-15 minutes, just to reduce the liquid almost all the way. Turn off meat and stir in Cilantro.

To Make Taco Rolls, you will need:

Taco meat (of course!)

Egg Roll Wraps

1 Egg White (lightly beaten with a 1 tsp. water)

Shredded low fat cheddar cheese

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Preheat oven to 425.

Large Egg Roll Wraps

Shredded Cheese

Taco Meat ~ doesn't look too pretty, eh?

Cut one corner off the wraps...

Plop about 2 heaping Tbps. meat and a little sprinkle of cheese in the center...(you can see I forgot to cut off the corner on this one!)

Fold up the bottom like this...

Fold in both sides, like an envelope...

Brush top corner with a little of your egg white mixture...

Fold top down and press to seal...

Lay them on a baking sheet covered with parchement paper, and brush or rub with a little olive oil to brown...

This is how they "should" look when folded...

Not sure what happened to this little guy...hmmm...he's "special"...

Bake at 425 for 18 minutes and Voila!

I serve these with a dollop of Light Sour Cream, a fresh spinach salad and some of Mammo's Authentic Mexican Indian Rice. Enjoy!

Dark Chocolate Cheesecake Brownies

2010-05-08T15:07:00.000-04:00

This is adapted from a recipe from Cooking Light.

You'll need 3 mixing bowls, 2 medium and 1 small.

Cheesecake Batter:

1 (8oz) block 1/3 less fat cream cheese (softened)
1/3 C. sugar
1/4 tsp. vanilla
1 egg
1 egg white
1 Tbsp. flour

Brownie Batter:

1 C. flour
1/2 C. DARK cocoa (Hershey's is what I use)
1/2 tsp. salt
1 C. packed brown sugar
1/4 C. canola oil
1/4 C. buttermilk
2 tsp. vanilla
2 large eggs

Preheat oven to 350.

To make cheesecake batter: In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese with mixer or by hand until smooth. Add sugar and vanilla, beat. Add egg and egg white, beat. Add flour, blend. Set aside.

To make brownie batter: In a small bowl, combine 1 C. flour, cocoa, and salt, whisk together. In a medium bowl, mix brown sugar, oil, buttermilk, vanilla and eggs, beat really well. Add the flour mixture to the brown sugar mixture and stir until combined. Take 1/2 Cup of brownie batter out and set aside.

Pour the big bunch of brownie batter into a butterd (or oiled) 9x9 pan, spread. Carefully pour cheesecake batter over the top of the brownie batter, spreading to edges. Dot the cheesecake batter with the 1/2 C. reserved brownie batter...swirl with knife tip.

Bake at 350 for 26-30 minutes or until top is set. Cool completely on wire rack (oh sure, who waits for it to be cool???).

Brownies ~ Achieving the Crinkle Top...

2010-04-11T23:13:00.000-04:00

After dinner this evening at my BFF's house, we decided to make brownies. We scoured some recipes to decide which one to make and worked together in the kitchen to create something yummy! As the brownies baked, I asked her if she had ever been able to achieve "The Crinkle Top"...you know, that nice think crusty layer on the top of a brownie that is slightly different in color and texture than the rest of the brownie. She and I both agreed that we've never been able to achieve without with a homemade recipe. The buzzer rang and we ~~devoured~~ enjoyed a nice little bit of deeply delicious fudgy brownie! The recipe was fantastic, but no crinkly top...

When I got home, I hopped on the computer and did a search on what it is that must be done in order to achieve that lovely crispy "Crinkle Top"...and I found the answer.

Wanting to ~~eat more brownies~~ have some brownies for my precious husband when he got home, (since he wasn't able to stay for dessert), I decided to make the same recipe that we had made earlier in the evening, following some slightly different directions. The "Key", I found out, was to melt the butter over med-low heat, then add the sugar and bring it to heat again, just until the sugar melts, remove from heat and beat vigorously. Also beating vigorously after adding the egg. The results were lovely...

The recipe is from The Complete Cooking Light Cookbook, with only 2 slight changes in the ingredient list. I simply did a few things differently...

Kahlua-Cinnamon Brownies

1/3 C. semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 C. unsalted butter
1/4 C. Kahlua (or strong brewed coffee)
2 tsp. vanilla
3/4 C. flour
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 C. DARK cocoa powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 C,plus 2 Tbsp. packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 C. chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cocoa, cinnamon and salt; set aside. In a med-large saucepan, melt butter of med-low heat.
Add sugar and chocolate chips to pan and heat, stirring constantly, just until sugar dissolves and chocolate melts. Remove from heat and beat vigorously by hand until smooth and shiny.
Add kahlua (or coffee) and vanilla. Beat vigorously until very smooth.
Add egg and, once again, beat vigorously until smooth (you will want to change hands or your gonna have one popeye arm!).
Add dry ingredients and stir until combined well. Stir in nuts, if desired.
Spread into a buttered 8x8 dish and bake for 25 minutes. Cool slightly before cutting into squares.

Chicken-Broccoli-Brown Rice Casserole

2010-04-05T16:22:00.000-04:00

This was truly the best photo I could get of this dish. It's one of those dishes that tastes fantastic, but just doesn't look like much more than a glob of goo, LOL.

I created this when I had a "bumper crop" of broccoli in my garden (I've always wanted to use that term...woo-hoo!). Other than all that yummy cheese, it's a pretty healthy dish using brown rice and NO canned soup gunk.

This is a one pan meal, but you must use a pan that can go from stovetop to oven. If you don't have one, plan to transfer everthing to a very large baking dish after the stovetop portion.

Here's what you'll need (make substitutions as needed):

Casserole

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Kosher Salt

Fresh Ground Pepper

3 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut in 2-3 pieces

1 small onion, chopped

3 minced garlic cloves

1/2 of a red bell pepper, chopped

3 C. low fat/low salt chicken broth

1/2 C. milk

1/2 block 1/3 less fat cream cheese, cut in chunks

1/2 C. shredded sharp cheddar

1 C. brown Basmati or Jasmine Rice

A whole lot of broccoli florets

Topping

1 1/2 C. crushed Kashi brand Roasted Garlic crackers (they look like triscuits)

1/3 C. shredded parmesan cheese

2 Tbsp. melted butter

Preheat oven to 375.

In a large dutch oven or lidded skillet that can withstand an oven temp of 375, heat some olive oil on Med-High. Trim chicken, rinse and pat dry with paper towels; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Brown chicken 2 minutes on each side, then remove from pan and keep warm.

Add a drizzle more olive oil to pan; add onion and garlic, saute until soft. Add bell pepper, saute 2 minutes.

Add broth, milk and cheeses, stirring until cheeses melt. Add rice and broccoli, stir. Add chicken to pan and bring to a boil. Cover pan and place in oven. Bake 1 hr at 375, stir. Replace lid, and bake 30 more minutes.

In a small bowl, mix crushed crackers, parmesan cheese and melted butter. Remove lid and sprinkle topping over casserole...bake UNcovered for 5-7 minutes.

Enjoy!

Broiled Tilapia with Thai Coconut-Curry Sauce

2010-03-12T12:46:00.003-05:00

I got this recipe straight out of Cooking Light, which is one of my favorite recipe resources...as a matter of fact, I just got my new magazine yesterday and I've got several recipes circled to make this month, including coconut cake! Oh, I can't wait...

Anyhooo...I made this recipe...I did 2 things different:

**I served this with Brown Jasmine rice (because white rice is useless health-wise) :).

**I left out the Red Curry Paste. I didn't have any, and I know it's spicy, and hubby doesn't like much spice, so it was fine for me to leave it out. The recipe was REALLY yummy anyhow, as I had no idea what I was missin'....

Enjoy!

Jalapeno Chicken

2010-03-05T08:42:00.000-05:00

This recipe was originally introduced to me by my dear friend Jo Ellen. I have "tweaked" it to make it lighter (as it first called for a whole stick of butter!). The dish is not spicy unless you want it to be.

4 Boneless/Skinless Chicken Breast halves
4 medium fresh jalapeno peppers (remove tops, slice lengthwise, remove seeds and pith)
10 Tbps shredded cheese of your choice (for more heat, use Jalapeno Jack Cheese)
9 tsp. REAL butter
Italian seasoned bread crumbs (see note for how I make my own)
Toothpicks (colored are easier to find after cooking)

Heat oven to 375. Rub a baking dish (glass or stoneware preferred) with butter to coat bottom and sides; set aside.

Using a sharp paring knife, cut a horizontal slit into the side of the chicken breast half to make a "pocket". Make the pocket as large as possible, being careful not to cut through to the other side (but it's not the end of the world if you do). Stuff 1 Tbsp. cheese into one side of a jalapeno, top with other side, stuff this into the "pocket". Stuff in the pocket 1 tsp. butter and 1 Tbsp. more of cheese, push it inside there and secure the opening with a toothpick or two. Repeat with remaining chicken pieces.

In a shallow dish (big enough to place chicken in), melt 3 tsp butter. Dip stuffed chicken pieces in butter to coat, then dredge in bread crumbs, pressing the crumbs onto the chicken; place in baking dish. Repeat with remaining chicken pieces.

Top each chicken pieces with 1/2 Tbsp. cheese and 1/2 tsp. butter. Cover with foil and bake 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake 5 more minutes. When you serve this dish, be sure to scoop up the crispy buttery bits of cheese to serve with it - YUM!

NOTE: To make my own Italian Seasoned breadcrumbs, I pop fat-free croutons or whole wheat toast into the food processor with dried basil, oregano, garlic and a little salt and pepper.

This dish is nice with a side of rice and a fresh salad.

The goal is to get 365 recipes posted on the "Over Used Recipe Page", so if you have one to link up, please pop over here, and link up, or just go over there to find out what to make for dinner tonight!

Go pick some jalapenos and get stuffin'!

Cristofre's Peanut Butter Cookies

2010-03-02T16:47:00.000-05:00

I named these cookies after my son because they are his all time favorite cookie! :) They taste sooooo good and have the benefit of whole wheat flour and oatmeal...enjoy!

Ingredients:
1/3 cup honey
1/2 cup packed brown sugar OR Sucanet
1/2 cup organic unsalted sweet cream butter (softened to room temp.)
1/2 cup organic/natural peanut butter (brought to room temp.)
1 egg
1 1/4 cup King Arthur White Whole Wheat*
3/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 C. Oats

In a mixer, beat first 5 ingredients (honey thru egg), on med speed until light and fluffy. In a separate bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients (flour thru oats). Add dry ingredients to butter mixture, beating on low speed only until incorporated. Scrape down bowl, cover with plastic and chill for about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375. Cover a baking sheet in parchment paper.

Make 1 inch balls of dough and place on baking sheet 2 inches apart. Dip fork in flour and tap away excess. Press into balls criss-cross fashion. Bake for 9-10 minutes, or until just lightly brown around the edges. Cool on pan 2 minutes, then remove to rack and cool completely.

These are sooooo yummy! :)

Colorful Gluten Free Pasta Salad

2010-02-24T13:35:00.001-05:00

I headed out to my garden today and founds some lovely Broccoli side shoots just begging to be eaten...

so I put this together for lunch...YUM!

This is such a basic recipe idea...mix it up, change it around to suit your tastes, what you have on hand. Add diced chicken or shrimp, maybe garbanzo beans or pine nuts...

Ingredients:

Mrs. Leepers Organic Brown Rice Pasta Twists

Lightly steamed fresh broccoli florets (you can leave this raw too)

Chopped fresh assorted veggies: Yellow Bell pepper, Tomato, Purple Cabbage, Red Onion, Shredded Carrot, Black Olives - get creative here, use up what's in that veggie drawer!

Sliced Bottled Roasted Red Bell Pepper

Kens Light Italian Dressing

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Red Wine (optional)

Basil and Oregano (dried or minced fresh)

Garlic Powder

Freshly grated parmesan or asiago cheese

Cook the pasta to just Al Dente, drain, rinse in cold water too cool. Lightly steam the broccoli and rinse with cold water to cool. You can leave it raw if you prefer, but I like mine just lightly steamed.

In a large bowl, squeeze some dressing, add a drizzle of olive oil, about 1 Tbsp of red wine and some herbs (dried or fresh), add a sprinkle of garlic powder and stir in the pasta. Dump all your veggies in there and stir it gently.

Serve into bowls and grate just a little cheese on top. Enjoy! Go back and get a second bowl...enjoy again! :)

Cinnamon Coffee Cake - Better for you!

2010-02-16T09:15:00.000-05:00

Who doesn't love a sweet bread in the morning every now and again? Yum! However, I don't want all that pasty white flour and sugar sitting in my tummy, so I worked up an alternative to the traditional coffee cake. It's moist, lightly sweet and has a nice nutty flavor, in addition it's made with 100% Whole Wheat, and a bit of honey (except for the topping!).

Ingredients:

1/2 C. skim milk
1/4 C. extra virgin coconut oil
1 egg
1 1/2 cups White Whole Wheat Flour
1/4 C. honey
2 tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 tsp. salt

Topping:
1/2 C. packed brown sugar (or Sucanet)
1/2 chopped walnuts or pecans
1 Tbsp. flour
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 Tbsp. Butter, melted

Preheat oven to 375, lightly butter a square baking dish.
In a bowl, whisk together the milk, oil, egg and honey. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
Stir the dry mix into the milk mixture just until combined. Spread into buttered baking dish.
In a small bowl, mix topping ingredients until moist. Spread over top of batter.
Bake for about 20 minutes or until it tests done with a toothpick. Cool slightly on a rack and enjoy!

Tips and Info:

What's all the hype about Coconut Oil?

What type of Whole Wheat flour is best? From my experience with flours, King Arthur White Whole Wheat is the BEST by a long shot.

Why should I use honey instead of sugar? There are MANY reasons! :)

Best French Toast

2010-02-12T14:06:00.002-05:00

French toast is a real treat. It's not exactly what I would call a healthy, well-balanced breakfast, but it sure is yummy. So, every now and again it's worth having a Yummy for breakfast, instead of a whole grain...because I'm sorry, whole grain french toast just doesn't cut it!

Ingredients:

French Bread (baguette)

1-2 eggs

Milk

Cinnamon

Vanilla

Real Butter

Maple Syrup

Don't use sandwich bread if you want REALLY good French Toast. Because I am a glutton for punishment, LOL, I make a loaf of French Bread the day before so that it will be the perfect texture by the next morning. You can skip this step and purchase a French Baguette from your grocery's bakery section, but you MUST use French Bread or even Brioche if you want it to be fantastic!

Slice the bread in about 3/4 inch thick slices on the diagonal. In a shallow dish or bowl, lightly scramble 1-2 eggs (depending on how much toast you're making). Add some milk, not too much, just enough to give it a good liquid dipping amount. You don't want it overly eggy tasting, and you don't want to loose the thickness of the egg, so go easy here. Add a dash of Vanilla flavoring and a good sprinkle of Cinnamon, whisk it up...

Lay two pieces of bread in there gently tap it down to let it soak up a bit of juice...immediately add 1/2 tsp butter to a small non-stick skillet and turn it up to med-high....

After about 20 seconds, flip it over, gently pushing it under a bit to soak up more milky egg juice. No more than 20 seconds here as well. Turn the pan down just a smidge, you don't want the butter to burn, just be nicely melted and sizzly. Pop the bread in the pan...

Let it cook for a couple of minutes, turning only when the underside is nicley golden brown. The trick here is "Temperature". If the pan is too hot, the outside will burn and the inside wont' be cooked at all. If the heat is too low, it will take forever to brown the outside while the inside get's gummy.

Flip it when it's gorgeous!

I keep plates in the oven on "warm" and lay the slices on each plate as they cook. They stay warm and they stay crispy.

Warm some Maple syrup and drizzle over these slices. If you choose, add a dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream and some fruit. If you want protein, scramle an egg on the side.

Voila! Breakfast!

Crispy Tilapia with Lemon Caper Sauce

2010-02-03T09:48:00.000-05:00

I made this last night for dinner, it was REALLY good, however, the capers added a lot of "zing" to the sauce, so you may want to just sprinkle them on top of your dish after serving.

Ingredients:
2 Tilapia Fillets
Flour for dredging
1 egg + 2 tsp. water
Fresh seasoned bread crumbs (I just use my favorite herb bread)
Salt and Pepper
Olive Oil
3/4 cup chicken or veggie broth
1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 Tbsp. Butter
1-2 Tbsp bottled Capers, drained

Get everything ready to coat the fish. Sprinkle both sides of fish with salt and pepper. Have a dish ready with flour, one ready with beaten egg and water, one dish with bread crumbs.

Drizzle just a enough olive oil in a large skillet to coat the bottom, turn it on med to get it warming up.

Dredge fish in flour, coating both sides, shake off excess.

Dip fish into egg wash (both sides), allow excess to drip off.

Coat fish in bread crumbs and pat into place. Turn up heat just a tad bit, so fish will fry nicely, but not so it browns too quickly...it has to be able to cook through and not burn.

Place fish in skillet and cook on both sides until fish flakes easily (about 3 minutes each side).

A nice golden brown...

Remove from pan and keep warm (I had a plate warming in the oven and kept them in there, don't cover or the crust will become moist.

Add broth and lemon juice to pan, scrap up bits of crusty stuff and bring to a slow boil. Cook until reduced to about 1/2 cup (3 minutes).

Turn heat to low and whisk in butter until slightly thickened.

Remove from heat and stir in capers (or just sprinkle them on the served dish).

Plate your fish, drizzle with sauce, sprinkle capers and Voila! Dinner is served!

I served this with a simple spinach salad.

Now, whip out that wooden spoon and get cookin!

King Ranch Chicken

2010-01-19T08:44:00.011-05:00

Last night my sister and I made King Ranch Chicken for dinner. You may think that's a difficult task, considering we live hundreds of miles away from eachother!...she's in TX, I'm in FL. The story goes like this...she's been talking about this dish for quite some time, and you'd think that being born and raised in TX I would know about it, after all, it's a "Texan" dish! Somehow it had never crossed my tongue, but the more she talked about it, the more I wanted to try it. Yesterday she said she was making it for dinner, and she e-mailed me her recipe from Southern Living.

As usual, I just can't leave well enough alone, and after a couple of small changes, here is my version of King Ranch Chicken. NOTE: I only made a half recipe, so when you see my photos, just remember you'll have twice as much as what you see!

TIME SAVER TIPS:

* Use a 1 or 2 pre-cooked chickens from the Deli, or purchase pre-packaged cooked chicken breast meat.

* If using store bought cooked chicken, replace the "cooking liquid" with canned chicken broth.

Serves: 8-10

For the cooked chicken:

4-5 large chicken breast halves
2 celery stalks (leaves and all),cut into large chunks
2 carrots, cut into large chunks
2 tsp. salt and fresh ground pepper

Remaining ingredients:

2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1 Medium Onion, chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
2-3 minced garlic cloves
2 recipes Cream of Whatever Soup (make one with mushrooms if you desire)
2 (10 oz) cans diced tomatoes in green chiles, drained
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. Mexican style chili powder (or 1 tsp. regular chili powder + 1/8 tsp. ground cayenne)
3 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
12 (6-inch) corn tortillas, cut into 1/2-inch wide strips.

To Cook the Chicken:

Place breasts in pot with carrots and celery, sprinkle with salt and pepper. (I used bagged frozen chicken and put it in there straight from the freezer).

Cover with water by an inch or two and bring to a boil, cover and reduce to just a simmer.

Cook 20- 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken from pan, RESERVE 3/4 cup cooking liquid.

Let chicken cool for about 15-20 minutes, then shred with two forks (fingers work easier).

While the chicken is cooking:

prepare the Cream of Whatever Soup. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350. Heat 2 Tbsp. Olive Oil in a large skillet over med-high. Add onion and saute until soft. Add bell pepper and garlic, saute a few minutes. Add reserved 3/4 cup cooking liquid, Cream of Whatever Soup, canned tomatoes n' chilis, and spices. Cook about 8 minutes, stirring every now and again.

While that's going on, cut your tortilla into strips like this...

Now you're ready to layer it all together...First oil a 9x13 dish a little bit, then spread 1/2 the chicken in the dish...

Top with 1/2 the soup mixture...

Sprinkle with 1 cup cheese, then top with a layer of tortilla strips. Repeat that whole thing again and finally top the whole thing with that last cup of cheese (yeah, LOTS of cheese!)...

Cover with foil and pop in the oven. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes...remove foil and bake 5-10 more minutes or until bubbly and lightly browned,...like this...

Let it sit for about 10 minutes before serving! YUM!

Happy Cooking!

Homemade Cream of Whatever Soup

2010-01-18T17:47:00.009-05:00

There are soooo many recipes out there that call for "Cream of Chemical Soup"...ok, did you catch that? I just don't eat canned soups, don't like puttin' strange stuff in my food if I can help it, and in this intance,... I can. :)

Here is an easy-smeasy recipe for making your own "Cream of Whatever Soup". "Why?", you ask, "am I using the term whatever?". Because this is a base for cream of mushroom, chicken, onion, or whatever you want it to be.

If you want it to be mushroom or onion, chop up and saute some mush or onion, set them aside and stir them in at the end.

Here is what you need:

1 Tbsp. Butter

3 Tbsp. Flour

1/2 C. Broth (chicken, veggie or beef)

1/2 C. Milk (2% is a good choice)

Salt and Pepper

In a small saucepan, melt butter of medium heat. Remove from heat and whisk in the flour to form a roux...this is a roux...

Whisk in a very small amount of milk and broth, whisking all the time to keep it smooth. Slowly add the rest of the liquid and whisk to keep it smooth. Return to heat and bring just to a gentle boil, whisking all the time until desired degree of thickness.

Remove from heat and stir in salt and pepper and any other add-ins (mushrooms, onions, etc...)

Use immediately, or pour into a dish, cover and chill until you need it (up to 2 days).

There you have it...easy-smeasy Cream of Whatever Soup! No Chemicals, No MSG, No gunk.

I used this to make King Ranch Chicken! YUM!

Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

2010-01-15T21:29:00.003-05:00

This is a Cooking Light recipe, and it is my "go-to" chocolate icing...it tastes WONDERFUL, and doesn't use a lot of butter, which is super duper!

Makes 1 3/4 cups icing

Ingredients:
1/2 of an 8oz block of 1/3 less fat cream cheese
2 Tbsp. butter, softenend
3 Tbsp. skim milk
3 1/3 cups sifted powdered sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/8 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla

Beat the first 3 ingredients in a large bowl until smooth. Combine sugar, cocoa, and salt with a whisk and gradually add to the cream cheese mixture; beating at low speed until well blended. Add vanilla and beat well. If you need to thin it, add a tiny bit of milk. An iced cake can sit at room temp for 2 days (the sugar stabilizes the dairy). After that time, pop it in the fridge.

For a mocha icing, dissolve a little instant coffee to the milk before mixing it in... YUM!

Best Chocolate Cake EVER

2010-01-15T21:00:00.013-05:00

Seriously, this is the best chocolate cake I've ever had. :) I didn't create this recipe but have tweaked it to death until it was just the way I wanted it...so here is my "re-creation" of it.

Ingredients:

1/2 C. unsalted, sweet cream butter
1/4 cup plain yogurt
2 eggs
2 egg whites
2 C. unbleached flour
3/4 C. unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 C. sugar (yeah, I know...but come on! It's CAKE!)
2 tsp. Vanilla
1 1/2 C. 2% milk (OR 1 1/4 C. milk + 1/4 C. Kahlua)

1. Separate eggs, keeping whites in a bowl that is free from oils. Allow eggs, butter and yogurt to come to room temp (about 30 minutes). Lightly butter the bottom of 3-8inch round pans, OR 2-9inch roundpans, OR 1-9x13 pan. Then line the buttered bottom with wax paper; butter and flour the wax paper and sides of pan, set aside.

2. Preheat the oven to 350. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt; set aside.

3. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and yogurt until light and fluffy. Add sugar 1/4 cup at a time, beating on medium speed until well mixed (about 5 minutes), scraping bowl as needed. Add egg yolks and vanilla, beat well.

4. Alternately add flour mixture and milk to the beaten mixture, beating on low speed, just until combined. Beat entire mixture on high speed for 20 seconds more.

5. Using clean, grease free, beaters, whip egg whites until just stiff (DO NOT overbeat). Using a rubber spatula, carefully fold into the cake batter, incorporating slowly until mixed in completely. Spread batter into prepared pans.

6. Bake 30-35 minutes or until wooden toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pans and peel away wax paper, cool completely on wire racks.

Top with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting!

Kathy's Chipotle Chili Chili

2010-01-10T10:55:00.008-05:00

With this chilly willy weather we are having, I wanted to make some good ole' chili for dinner last night. Yes, I AM from Texas, where it is absolutely FORBIDDEN to put beans in your chili...however, that is how I like my chili...so here ya' have it.

NOTE: When adding your Chili powder and minced Chipotle Chilis, add only a little then taste afer a few minutes to be sure you don't make it too hot for your family.

Kathy's Chipotle Chili Chili

In order of appearance:

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 cup chopped onion

3 minced garlic cloves

1 lb. lean ground beef

1 cup chopped bell peppers

Kosher Salt

Fresh ground pepper

1/2 tsp. Chipotle Chili Powder

1 tsp. minced Chipotle Chilis in Adobo Sauce

(remove seeds and pith before mincing)

Basil

Cumin

Oregano

Splash of Red Wine (such as Merlot)

1 can seasoned diced tomatoes - UNdrained

2 cans of beans (your choice, mix 'em up) - drained and rinsed

Beef or Veggie Broth

1/2 - 1 cup pureed tomato or tomato sauce

Shredded Cheese (optional)

Sour Cream (optional)
Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread (optional, but you should make it!)

Heat a little oil in a pot or large skillet. Add onion and garlic, and saute until soft and golden. Add bell peppers and beef, stir to crumble. Add all the seasonings (adjust the amounts to suit your tastes). Once meat is browned, add red wine and simmer a few minutes. Add tomatoes and beans, stir well. Add just enough broth and tomato sauce to make this juicy, but remember it's not soup, it's Chili, so keep it kinda thick but not dry. Simmer 10 minutes, taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Cover and simmer 5 more minutes.

Optional: Serve with a dollop of sour cream and a little shredded cheese. But it's really fantastic plain!

I MUST serve this with Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread...basically I just follow the directions for cornbread on the back of the cornmeal container. I substitute the flour for King Arthur Whole White Wheat, and I stir shredded Cabot Jalapeno Cheddar Cheese into the dry ingredients. This is YUMMY!