Chunky Applesauce

I've never really made this -- my sister, Jamie, and my mom were more of the ones who wanted and made it all the time when I was growing up. But, Adrie wanted me to post the instructions -- so, simple as they may be -- here they are:

First you peel and core apples (I used Granny Smith)
Then you chunk them up in large chunks
Microwave for 5 min, smash with potato masher and microwave up to 5 or 6 min more -- until it's the chunk consistency that you want.
Add cinnamon and sugar to taste. (I used less than 1/8 c. sugar for 4 apples and it was plenty sweet)
Serve warm. (I like it cold too.)

Spinach Salad

This a recipe that my neighbor got from Rachel Ray (I don't know if it was on a TV show or the web site) and brought to Bunco. I replaced the candied pecan recipe with one that I found (I think on AllRecipes.com) because Rachel's were too sweet. I still haven't mastered the technique on the pecans; the candy hardens really quickly once you add the pecans, so it's hard to coat them evenly. You'll have to play with it and try to figure it out!

Baby spinach
Prosciutto*, cooked until crisp and cut into 1" pieces
Craisins
Feta cheese, crumbled
Candied pecans
Honey Dijon salad dressing (I like Newman's Own)

*I can't ever find Prosciutto in the stores, so I get that already-cooked bacon and cut up a few pieces (without heating it up again). I actually like it better than the Prosciutto, anyway.

Candied Pecans
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 t. salt
1 c. pecan halves

Have a piece of tin foil ready next to the stove top. Stir salt and sugar together in a small skillet over medium heat until smooth and golden; add pecans and stir to coat. Transfer to foil and cool completely; break apart.

Adrie's Yummy Spinach Salad

This has been my favorite salad ever since I tried this dressing. I've had it before with raspberry vinegarettes and though still good -- it's even BETTER with this dressing. I didn't put amounts for the ingredients, so obviously -- you would only use as much dressing as you need.

Ingredients

Spinach leaves
Bacon crumbles (in a hurry I like to use the REAL bacon bits)
grated mozerella cheese
fresh sliced mushrooms ( I leave these out if I don't have them 'cause it's quite rich anyway)
mandarine oranges

Dressing

1/3 c vinegar
3/4 c oil
1/3 c sugar
1/4 c onion
3/4 t salt
2 T prepared mustard
Blend then add:
3/4 T poppyseeds

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

I haven't posted in a long time because I can never, ever remember to take pictures. So I'm just going to post a couple of recipes without pictures because they're really, really good! This one my friend brought over when I had my twins, and I love it so much. There's a lot of similar recipes out there, but this one is really good.

1 small package white corn tortillas (I usually use 20 tortillas)
1 lb. chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
2 cans Cream of Chicken soup
1 c. sour cream
14 oz. salsa
1 c. cheddar, grated
Toppings (see below)

Combine soup, sour cream, and salsa; spread a little on bottom of 9x13 pan and set remainder aside. Cut tortillas into 1" strips; line bottom of pan. Layer with chicken, sauce, and cheese; repeat. Bake at 350* for 45 minutes or until hot and bubbly. To serve, top with shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, sliced olives, etc.

Easy Cheese Fritata

We had this for breakfast on Father's Day with some cinnamon rolls for "dessert" - it was really good and sooo easy! (Whoever came up with that title wasn't lyin'!)

4 eggs
4 egg whites
2 T. water
1/2 c. chopped seeded tomatoes
1/2 c. mozzarella cheese
2 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
1/4 c. chopped fresh basil
1/2 c. cheddar cheese

Beat eggs, egg whites, and water with a whisk until well blended. Stir in tomatoes, mozzarella, bacon, and basil. Pour into greased 9" pie plate and bake at 350* for 25 minutes or until golden; top with cheddar and bake 5 minutes more or until cheese melts.

Bruschetta

I got this from my friend Tiffany; it's a really good, light summer dinner when you don't really feel like cooking or eating something heavy. It's also a great appetizer.

2 tomatoes, diced
2 T. olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
Salt to taste
2 t. Parmesan cheese
1 t. sweet basil
8 slices French bread
8 slices Genoa salami
8 slices mozzarella cheese

Combine tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, salt, Parmesan, and basil; marinate about 30 minutes in refrigerator. Toast bread if desired; top with tomato mixture, salami, and mozzarella. Broil until cheese melts.

Breakfast Pockets

this recipe was something I tasted because my mom made them as a "to-go" breakfast when they traveled to my house one early morning. So they ate them cold but everyone voted they were better when they were fresh out of the oven or reheated. She got the recipe from Emeril who actually made it with pie crust dough -- but i thought my mom's alteration was really good and easier! (not to mention less fattening?)


Breakfast Pockets

1 c minced green onion, sauteed in 1 T oil 'til soft.

add:
1 c diced fresh mushrooms
2 t minced garlic - sautee til golden, about 4 min.

add:
1 t. fresh thyme (or a little less if you use dried)
1 t. seasoning salt

cool and add:
1 c diced, cooked chicken (or ham)
2 c blanched, chopped broccoli
1 1/2 T breadcrumbs
1 beaten egg
salt and pepper

Tube of refrigerater biscuits (or croissants if you want, or pie crush like Emeril) Roll thin and make into turnovers, or place in muffin cups and stuff with filling. You can put a little grated cheese inside or on top if you want and bake for 10 min. at whatever temperature the biscuit package says. Also -- you can choose to brush the turnovers with egg-wash before baking if you want them shinier-golden brown.

Macaroni and Cheese

Sorry about the picture; I didn't know if this was going to turn out so I didn't take a picture before it was served. I kind of created this recipe based on a couple of different ones: one recipe that I found on AllRecipes.com and one that I found on MarthaStewart.com (although I don't know if it's THE Martha Stewart recipe). This is pretty tasty!

4 T. butter, divided
3 slices white bread, torn into 1/4" pieces
2 c. uncooked elbow macaroni
1/4 c. diced onion
2 T. flour
2 c. milk
1 t. salt
1/8 t. coarsely ground pepper
1/8 t. ground nutmeg
1/8 t. cayenne pepper
2 c. cheddar cheese, grated
1/4 c. shredded Parmesan

Melt 2 T. butter; toss with torn bread and set aside. Boil macaroni according to package directions, minus about 2 minutes. Drain and pour into a coated 1 1/2 qt. casserole dish; set aside.

Melt remaining 2 T. butter in a medium saucepan; add onions and saute until soft and translucent. Add the flour and stir to coat onions. Add the milk, salt, pepper, nutmeg and cayenne pepper. Stirring constantly, simmer until milk thickens, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add cheddar, stirring until cheese melts.

Pour cheese mixture over macaroni and stir to combine. Sprinkle with Parmesan and top with torn bread. Bake at 350* until bread is golden brown, about 30 minutes.

Happy Mother's Day!

So this really doesn't have a recipe -- it's just strawberries dipped in chocolate and, well, "arranged". It was fun to do but a tad bit tedious. Let's just say -- I wouldn't do it for just anyone -- only those I love very much. :) Thanks Moms -- for all you do.

Beef Noodle Bowl

This recipe was recommended to me by Kallie.
Very tasty and easy.
It has become a favorite at our house.

Garlic Lime Chicken

I love the flavor of this -- though it took me a few times to get the amount of spice just right. I usually mix all the proportions of spices together and then just sprinkle my own desired amount and save the rest until next time. This works well, especially since most of the time I'm just cooking for two. This is the first time I've tried it sandwich-style -- it was way yummy -- but I usually just serve it with garlic mashed potatoes and a veggie.

1 t. salt

3/4 t. pepper

1/4 t cayenne pepper

1/4 t. paprika

1 t garlic powder

1/2 t onion powder

1/2 t thyme

6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

2 T butter

2 T olive oil

4 T lime juice

1/2 c chicken broth

Mix spices together and sprinkle mixture on both sides of chicken breasts.

In a skillet, heat butter and oil together over medium-high heat. Saute chicken until golden brown - about 5 min on each side. Remove chicken and add lime juice and chicken broth to pan, whisking up the browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Keep cooking until sauce has reduced slightly. Add chicken back to pan, to coat and serve. Serves 6.

Tortellini Soup

This is a new recipe I got from my mom. I made it last night and had a large amount so I took half to my friend that is preggo and doesn't cook much because of morning sickness. My husband said "why haven't you made this before?" It was very flavorful and yummy especially with the blizzard outside.

Surprise Sugar Stars

I can't claim these -- my friend Julie made them just before we left BG and they were the best thing I'd ever had. I know Christmas (cookie) season is all over and everyone's into their healthy new year's eating but I still had to post them -- maybe they would be a pretty Valentine's treat -- YUM YUM! (I didn't have a star cookie-cutter on hand so mine aren't as pretty as Julie's were...)

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
4 cups flour (I made the first batch with 4 cups and the dough was too sticky to roll out with a rolling pin. Second batch I used about 4 1/2 cups and the dough was much easier to work with. I didn't notice a difference in quality at all.)
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. baking soda
2/3 cup buttermilk

ICING:
2 c. confectioner's sugar
2-3 Tbsp. milk
1/2 tsp. almond extract

DIRECTIONS:
Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla. Combine the dry ingredients; add to the creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours or until easy to handle. On a floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut with 2-in. star cookie cutter. Place half the stars on ungreased cookie sheets (I used parchment paper). Spoon 1 tsp. cherry pie filling into center of stars. Top with another star. Pinch edges to seal; cut a small slit in top of each cookie.Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on wire racks.

For icing, combine confectioner's sugar, milk, and extract. Whisk until smooth and spread over cookies.

Yield--4 dozen.

Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies

½ C shortening
1 C sugar
1 egg
½ C milk
1 tsp vanilla

1 ¾ C flour
½ tsp soda
½ tsp salt
½ C (or a little less) cocoa
½ C nuts (optional)

Mix together shortening, sugar, egg, milk and vanilla. Add the remaining dry ingredients. Drop on cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes. Cut large marshmallows in half. During last 2 minutes place marshmallow halves on top of each cookie and finish baking. Frost.

Frosting:
2-3 TBS butter
2 C powdered sugar mixed with ¼ C cocoa
Mix together with 1 tsp vanilla and dash of salt .
Add milk until desired consistency is reached.

Butterscotch Pumpkin Cake

My neighbor brought this to us after my twins were born, and I'm pretty sure I ate half of the cake myself. I don't have a picture, but trust me, this cake is yummy!

1 bag butterscotch morsels, divided
2 c. flour
1 3/4 c. sugar
1 T. baking powder
1 1/2 t. cinnamon
1 t. salt
1/2 t. ground nutmeg
1 c. canned pumpkin
1/2 c. vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 t. vanilla

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg in a medium bowl; set aside. Stir together pumpkin, oil, eggs and vanilla in a large bowl with a wire whisk; set aside. Microwave 1 c. butterscotch morsels on high for one minute; stir until melted. (Continue to microwave in 15-second intervals if necessary.) Add melted morsels to pumpkin mixture and stir until smooth. Stir in flour mixture. Spoon into greased bundt pan; bake at 350* for 40 - 45 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes; remove cake from pan and cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar and serve with butterscotch sauce.

Butterscotch Sauce:

1/3 c. evaporated milk

Remaining butterscotch morsels

Heat evaporated milk over medium-high heat just to boiling; remove from heat. Add morsels; stir until smooth. Return to heat and bring mixture just to boiling, stirring constantly. Cool to room temperature; stir before serving.

Cookie Cake

I don't know what this is really called; "Cookie Cake" is what my daughter calls it. All I know is that these cookie bars are SO. GOOD. My husband and I almost came to blows over who got the last one! (Sorry I don't have a picture.)

1 pkg. (18 oz.) refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough*
8 oz. cream cheese
1/2 c. sugar
1 egg

Spread 1/2 of the cookie dough on the bottom of a greased 9" pan. Beat cream cheese, sugar, and egg until smooth; pour over cookie dough. Top with remaining cookie dough and bake at 350* for 35 - 40 minutes or until middle layer is set. Slice into bars; store leftovers in refrigerator.

*I actually used my own chocolate chip cookie recipe instead of the prepared cookie dough

Teriyaki Chicken

Got this off of my friend Kelsey's blog. Both Doug and my mom (she was out here visiting) LOVED it.

Teriyaki Chicken

2-3 lbs cut up chicken
1 can evaporated milk
Wash and dry chicken. Place in shallow container. Cover with evaporated milk for 1 hour. (I didn't have it in the whole hour). Drain and then coat with flour. Brown in oil and drain. Place in large shallow baking pan, marinate in teriyaki sauce for 45 minutes turning once. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Serve with rice and veggies.

Teriyaki Sauce
1/2 c soy sauce
1/2 c water
1 c sugar
1 T pineapple juice
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 ts. ground ginger

DELISH DELISH DELISH!!

Malibu Melt Wraps

This is a recipe I tried from the thisweekfordinner blog.

It was so easy and yummy we had it two night in a row

Grilled or Breaded Chicken

(I'll either buy some Tyson chicken strips or just grill some chicken breasts)
Swiss
Avocado
Romaine
Tomato
Honey Mustard

This is a wrap that they have at Tacone restaurants... I'm planning on using hot/warm chicken, heating the tortilla/warp on the stove and melting the swiss cheese on the wrap. Toss the romaine lettuce in the honey mustard, put it all together like a burrito.

(Adrienne Note)
I like to make this honey mustard recipe:
(from allrecipes.com)

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon prepared mustard
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
  In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard, honey, and lemon juice. Store covered in the refrigerator.
  

Three-Cheese Stuffed Manicotti

This is a Healthy Choice recipe that I've had for a while, and it's not half bad. I think the only reason I don't make it more is because of the (small amount of) effort it takes to stuff the noodles. (sorry about the bad lighting -- I really need lessons from Steph or someone.)





8 Manicotti shells (cook, rinse and let stand in warm water)
1 3/4 c. pasta sauce
1 (10 oz) pkg chopped spinach -- defrosted and well-drained
1 c low-fat ricotta
2 egg whites, slightly beaten
1 T shredded parmesan
1/4 t garlic powder
1/2 c shredded mozarella

Put 3/4 c. sauce in 12x8 baking dish. Combine spinach, first 2 cheeses, egg, garlic and stuff 1/4 c mixture into each shell. Pour rest of sauce over the top and bake, covered on 400 for 15-20 min. Sprinkle with mozarella and bake uncovered 'til melted.

Chewy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are my new favorite cookies -- I know they are nothing special, but I've been on a subconcious search for a good recipe for probably years now. Whenever I need a good oatmeal cookie I try random recipes from my books and they always turn out not the way I'd hoped. Well these fulfilled my every hope -- and even though I AM a firm believer in raisins in my oatmeal cookies -- I'm loving the chocolate lately. Can't claim it though -- I got it off of Allrecipes. There were suggesteions for modifications and I followed them and they turned out great!

INGREDIENTS
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (i used almost 1/2 c. more)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda (i used a whole teaspoon)
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups quick-cooking oats
1 cup chopped walnuts (not for me!)
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; stir into the creamed mixture until just blended. Mix in the quick oats, walnuts, and chocolate chips. Drop by heaping spoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets.
Bake for 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.