PF Chang's Chicken Lettuce Wraps Knock-Off Recipe (from the Food Network)

We made these twice a few weeks ago and they turned out pretty well. I don't know if they were AS good as PF Chang's, but they were still pretty delicious. We didn't take the time to make the noodles when we made it, but they are delicious in the real deal.


Ingredients
For the Chicken:
1 large egg white
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, diced

For the Stir-Fry Sauce:
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
2 teaspoons cornstarch

For the Noodles:
2 bundles cellophane noodles
Peanut oil, for frying

For the Stir-Fry:
4 tablespoons peanut oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon minced peeled ginger
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
4 scallions; 2 minced, 2 cut into 1-inch pieces
Kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms,stemmed and diced
3/4 cup diced water chestnuts
Small lettuce leaves, for serving
Soy sauce, chili paste and/or hot mustard, for serving

Directions
Prepare the chicken: Whisk the egg white, cornstarch and rice wine in a bowl. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

Make the stir-fry sauce: Whisk 1/3 cup water, the oyster, hoisin and soy sauces, the rice wine and sesame oil in a bowl, then whisk in the cornstarch until dissolved.

Fry the noodles: Pull the noodles apart into sections. Heat 3/4 inch peanut oil in a medium saucepan until a deep-fry thermometer registers 380 degrees F. Working in batches, press the noodles into the oil with a spatula until they puff, 5 to 10 seconds. Drain on paper towels.

Make the stir-fry: Heat 2 tablespoons peanut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook, stirring, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to a plate. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons peanut oil to the skillet; when almost smoking, stir in the garlic, ginger, jalapeno and minced scallions, then add 1/2 teaspoon salt and the sugar and stir-fry 30 seconds. Add the mushrooms, water chestnuts and scallion pieces and stir-fry 2 minutes. Add the stir-fry sauce and chicken and cook 1 minute.

Make a bed of noodles on a platter and top with the chicken mixture. Serve the noodles and stir-fry with lettuce leaves and soy sauce for dipping.

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/almost-famous-chicken-lettuce-wraps-recipe/index.html?oc=linkback

10 minute Thai Shrimp Curry Recipe

The wonderful thing about this recipe is that it literally takes 10 MINUTES--except for chopping up the veggies you want to put in it, of course (nobody ever seems to count that when they're saying how fast a recipe will take). It's seriously the easiest thing ever, and it tastes amazing, like you slaved for hours over it. The secret is finding the curry paste--it took me forever at the store the first time but now that I know what I'm looking for, it's easy. We are big fans of this, and we've used all different sorts of veggies and toppings when we've made it different times--chicken, sweet peas, baby corns, bamboo shoots, green beans, broccoli--anything works. Seriously, you need to try it.

ingredients:

1 teaspoon cooking oil2 tablespoons red curry paste12 ounces coconut milk1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into strips6 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced (I used Japanese King Trumpet Mushrooms)1/2 pound uncooked, peeled shrimp8 fresh basil leaves (optional)cooked rice, to serve

directions:

Heat a skillet over medium high heat, once hot add in the cooking oil and red curry paste. Whisk for about 30 seconds. Pour in the coconut milk and continue whisking. Add in the mushrooms and the red peppers and continue cooking for 3 minutes. Add the shrimp to the curry and cook for another 2 minutes. Stir in the basil and serve over cooked rice.

Quick and Easy Pizza Crust Recipe

Again, we didn't want to wait for the bread maker to make the pizza dough, so we found this recipe too. It's good!

Original recipe makes 1 - 12 inch pizza crust

• 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 1 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)

• 2 1/2 cups bread flour
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt

Check All Add to Shopping List

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). In a medium bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
2. Stir in flour, salt and oil. Beat until smooth. Let rest for 5 minutes.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and pat or roll into a round. Transfer crust to a lightly greased pizza pan or baker's peel dusted with cornmeal. Spread with desired toppings and bake in preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Let baked pizza cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Here's the link as well: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/quick-and-easy-pizza-crust/

5 Minute Pizza Sauce

Yes, I am contributing!
We wanted to make pizza tonight, and didn't have any pizza sauce in the apartment. Luckily, we found a recipe online for everything we needed.

5-Minute Pizza Sauce

Yield: Makes 2 3/4 cups (enough for 4 large pizzas)

Ingredients:

1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried basil
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar

Directions:

In a food processor or blender, combine all ingredients and pulse until smooth.
Store in a resealable container until ready to use. Or, you could also freeze sauce in ice cube trays, pop out cubes, and place in a plastic bag to continue freezing. Use about 5 cubes per large pizza and microwave before spreading.


Here is the link: http://www.thecomfortofcooking.com/2013/02/5-minute-pizza-sauce.html

SO MANY RECIPES

Sorry for the overwhelming number of posts. I'm trying to save some of my favorite starred recipes from my Google Reader that I'll lose once they get rid of Google Reader! So I thought this good old copy-and-paste method would work pretty well. I gave up trying to get the source info, so just enjoy them as they are. I haven't tried all of these, but I am excited to. Yes!

Better than You Know What Cake

1 pkg. devil's food, chocolate, or German chocolate cake mix
1 can sweetened condensed milk
caramel ice cream topping
1 (8 oz.) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
4-5 Health or Skor bars, chopped up

Bake cake according to package directions for a 9x13 inch pan; cool for about 5 minutes. Using the handle of a wooden spoon, poke holes into the cake. Let the cake cool for a little while. Slowly pour sweetened condensed milk over the cake, letting it sink into the holes; then drizzle some of the caramel over the top of the cake. Let cake cool completely (I usually cover it and put it in the fridge for a while). Top cake with whipped topping.Decorate the top of the cake with candy bar chunks and swirls of caramel topping. Refrigerate a little longer, then serve!

Chicken Tikka Masala

Marinade:

1 cup yogurt

1 Tbsp lemon juice

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp freshly ground pepper

1 Tbsp minced fresh ginger

1 tsp salt

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces

4 long skewers

Sauce:

1 Tbsp butter

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp paprika

1 tsp salt

1 8oz. can tomato sauce

1 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

In a large bowl, combine yogurt, lemon juice, 2 tsp cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, pepper, ginger, and 1 tsp salt. Stir in chicken, cover, refrigerate 1 hour. Preheat a grill for high heat. Lightly oil the grill grate. Thread chicken onto skewers and discard marinade. Grill 5 min. on each side.

For the sauce: Melt butter in a large skillet. Saute garlic for 1 minute. Season with 2 tsp cumin, paprika and 1 tsp salt. Stir in tomato sauce and cream. Simmer on low heat until sauce thickens, about 20 minutes. Add grilled chicken, and simmer for 10 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter and sprinkle with fresh chopped cilantro. Serve over rice.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Sheet Cake

Ingredients

Wet Ingredients:
• 15 oz. can pumpkin
• 2 c. sugar
• 1/2 c. vegetable oil
• 1/2 c. sour cream
• 4 eggs, beaten
Dry Ingredients:
• 2 c. flour
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. ginger
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp. salt
Other Ingredients:
• mini chocolate chips
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
• 1/4 c. butter, softened
• 8 oz. package of cream cheese, softened
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 c. powdered sugar

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat together the wet ingredients in a large bowl and stir together the dry ingredients in a medium size bowl. Add the dry mix to the wet mix and thoroughly mix together. Stir in chocolate chips.
• Spray a cookie sheet, the kind with sides, with cooking spray. Pour the batter in and bake for 25 to 30 min, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
• Beat together the cream cheese frosting ingredients. Pour the frosting into a large plastic bag and cut a small hole in the corner. When the cake is completely cooled, decorate it with the cream cheese frosting. (You can see how I decorated it in the picture below)
• Keep cake refrigerated.

Gorgonzola and Bacon-Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Ingredients

• 6 chicken breasts
Cheese Filling:
• 6 slices thick-cut bacon, partially cooked (slightly browned but still soft) and chopped
• 6 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1/4 c. sour cream
• 1 c. gorgonzola cheese (if you can't find gorgonzola, you can substitute with blue cheese)
• 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
Topping:
• 6 slices bacon
• Montreal steak seasoning
Optional Cheese Sauce:
• 1/4 c. gorgonzola cheese
• 2 Tbsp. sour cream

Instructions

• **Optional Cooking Tip: When I wrap chicken breasts with bacon, I like the bacon a little crisper. If you don't like it crisp, feel free to wrap raw bacon around chicken breasts. Either way works, it just looks better and I think tastes better when you partially cook the bacon first! You can partially fry the bacon or cook in the oven.
• Oven Method: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place bacon slices on cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil. Bake for 12 minutes. Remove partially cooked bacon and pat off excess fat.
• Cheese Filling:
• Chop up 6 pieces of bacon to use in the cheese filling and reserve remaining 6 slices to wrap around chicken.
• In bowl, combine bacon, green onion, sour cream, gorgonzola cheese and garlic.
• Cut a 1 1/2 inch slit (about 2 inches deep) into the thickest side of each chicken breast. Using a spoon make a larger pocket inside of chicken breast.
• Spoon in equal portions of the cheese mixture into each chicken breast. Lay a slice of bacon on top or wrap around. Sprinkle with Montreal steak seasoning.
• Bake at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until juices run clear (or thermometer reads 165 degrees)
• Optional Cheese Sauce:
• Combine gorgonzola cheese and sour cream. Microwave about 30 seconds and stir until smooth. Drizzle over cooked chicken.

White Chocolate Cranberry Pistachio Cookies

White Chocolate Cranberry Pistachio Cookies

Ingredients

1 cup butter, room temp

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup sugar

1 (4oz) package instant Pistachio Pudding mix

2 1/4 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 to 1 1/2 cups dried cranberries

2 1/4 cups white chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Combine flour and soda in a small bowl and set aside.  Cream together butter and sugar.  Beat in pudding mix until blended, then eggs and vanilla.  Add flour and soda mixture. Stir in cranberries and white chocolate chips.  Using a cookie dough scooper, place dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes.  Let cookies cool for 5 minutes on baking sheet before moving to a cooking rack.  Store in air-tight container.  Makes two dozen.

Apple Crisp

Apple Crisp:

6-7 Granny Smith apples (or any other kind of tart apple. Avoid red delicious or other sweet apples), peeled, cored, and sliced
3/4 c. sugar
1 Tbsp. flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg 
1 tsp. almond extract
2 Tbsp. water

Topping:
1 c. oats (instant works great)
1 c. brown sugar (packed)
1 c. flour
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 cube (1/2 c.) butter, softened

Combine sliced apples, sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and almond extract in a large bowl. Toss until apples are evenly covered. Place apples in a 9x13 pan and sprinkle evenly with 2 Tbsp. water. In a separate bowl (you can actually use the same bowl you did the apples in to avoid extra dishes), combine topping ingredients, minus the butter. When topping ingredients are well mixed, add the butter using a pastry blender or wooden spoon. Mix until it becomes nice and crumbly then sprinkle over the apples. Place in the oven at 350-degrees for 40-45 minutes. Serve with vanilla ice cream. 

Italian Sausage Lasagna

2 pounds ground sausage (I like to use italian sausage)
1 pkg lasagna noodles (uncooked)
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 small cans tomato paste
4 cups of water
1 Tbsp Basil
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. salt
1 pkg of spinach (optional)
1 to 2 lbs grated mozzarella (to taste, I like a lot of cheese!)
1 large container of cottage cheese

In a large fry pan, cook the sausage until browned. While the sausage is cooking put the olive oil and garlic in a saucepan and cook til garlic starts to brown. Then add tomato paste, water, basil, oregano, and salt to the pot. When smooth and heated through add sausage (drain grease) to the tomato mixture. In a 9x13 pan layer the following order. First a layer of noodles (uncooked), then half of the tomato mixture, half of the cottage cheese, and half of the mozzarella cheese (and spinach). Repeat the noodles, tomato mixture, cottage cheese, spinach, and mozzarella cheese. The MOST important part is baking it uncovered. I know from experience that i will be super runny if you cover it. Bake at 325 for 1 hour then remove from oven and let sit for 15 minutes before cutting into it. This will help it thicken a tiny bit.

Funeral Potatoes from OBB

We made these for Easter and they were definitely the easiest part of the meal. I feel guilty buying frozen, already chopped potatoes but it made it SO EASY that I loved it even more. 

Funeral Potatoes
Recipe by Our Best Bites (and church kitchens around America)

1 small-medium onion, diced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 Tbsp. butter
1 28-oz. bag shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed
2 c. sour cream
1 10-oz. can cream of chicken (or cream of mushroom) soup
2 1/4 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
3/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
OPTIONAL: Crushed cornflakes, seasoned bread crumbs, crushed potato chips, or crushed Ritz or saltine crackers

Preheat oven to 350.  In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat.  Add the onion and garlic and saute until the onion is translucent and the garlic is fragrant.  Remove from heat.  Add the thawed hash browns, sour cream, cream of chicken soup, cheese, salt, and pepper and combine well.  Add additional salt and pepper if necessary.

Spread the mixture into a 9×13″ (or similar) dish and bake for 50-60 minutes or until the casserole is hot in the center and the cheese is bubbly throughout.  Serve as a main dish with a salad and fruit or alongside roasted ham, turkey, chicken, or beef.  Makes 6-8 main dish or 10-12 side dish servings.

Pizza dough recipes

These recipes are basically the same, but one doesn't have to rise as long (I guess they both probably don't have to rise that long, since they are basically the same...). We love the first one because it's really quick, in case I've forgotten to make the dough beforehand and we're hungry.

Ingredients

• 1½ cups warm water
• 2 Tbsp. sugar
• 1 Tbsp. yeast
• Let that sit for 5 minutes. Then add:
• 3½ cups flour
• 1 tsp Salt

Instructions

• Mix until smooth then let raise for 10 minutes. Roll out dough into a large square on a floured surface. Brush with melted (real) butter mixed with minced garlic and then sprinkle with kosher salt. Fold in half and cut into 1 inch strips. Twist and place on a cooking sheet. Let sit for 15 to 20 minutes to raise. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately after baking, brush with more garlic butter and sprinkle with kosher salt and grated parmesan cheese.
• Serve with marinara(see below), alfredo sauce, or ranch for dipping.
• Dough also makes a great pizza dough, just roll out into a large circle, add your favorite toppings, and bake at 400 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes.

The longer-rising dough:

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 c. warm water
• 2 T. sugar
• 2 1/4 t. active dry yeast (one 1/4 oz. packet)
• 3 3/4 c. flour
• 1 T. Kosher salt
• 3 T. extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

• Combine water, sugar and yeast in small bowl. Let sit 5 minutes. Mix flour and salt together in the bowl of a heavy duty mixer fitted with dough hook. Add oil to yeast mixture. Pour yeast mixture into flour mixture and knead on low speed for 10 minutes. (If mixing by hand, knead dough for same amount of time.) Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl, turning to coat. cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour.
• Punch dough down and divide in half. Shape into 2 balls. lightly brush dough balls with olive oil and cover completely with plastic wrap. Let rise another 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Lightly grease pizza pan or dust with cornmeal. Take each dough ball and using your fingers, pat it out from the center to the edge, leaving the outer edge a bit thick. Top with favorite toppings. Bake 10-15 minutes until edges are golden brown.

We've also recently used dough recipes from the Our Best Bites cookbook and my Pizza cookbook, and those are both good as well. 

Cream Cheese and Chicken Enchiladas

There are so many great enchiladas recipes out there. I think I'm going to need to have an enchilada contest and try out all the good recipes we have and rate them to find out which is best. It'd be good to have one go-to enchiladas recipe!

Filling:
3 cups cooked, chopped chicken* (about 3 breast halves)
1 (4 oz.) can of green chilies, lightly drained
1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese**, cubed
1 can white or black beans, rinsed and drained or small white beans

Sauce:
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chopped onion (about 1/2 medium onion)
2 tablespoons flour
3/4 cup chicken broth
¼ cup milk
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 can (7 ounce) green chili enchilada sauce
½ cup sour cream**

8-10 ounces (about 2-3 cups) Monterey jack cheese, shredded
8 medium (soft taco size) flour tortillas
chopped fresh cilantro, tomatoes, olives for garnish

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium bowl, combine the softened cream cheese and green chiles. Mix well. Add the chicken and black beans. Mix to combine. Set aside.

In a large nonstick skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens and starts to turn translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the onions and stir well. Cook for 1 minute, stirring. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and milk. As you whisk and the mixture cooks, the flour will get less lumpy around the onions and the mixture will become smooth. Cook over medium heat until the mixture is bubbling and has thickened, about 4-5 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the enchilada sauce and sour cream.

Lightly grease a 9X13-inch baking dish. Spread about 1/4 cup of the sauce on the bottom of the dish. Fill each tortilla with about ½ cup of the chicken/cream cheese filling. Top with a small handful of shredded cheese, a couple tablespoonfuls for each enchilada. Save at least 1/2 cup cheese for the top of the enchiladas. Roll the tortillas up and place seam side down in the prepared baking dish. Continue filling enchiladas until the dish is full (I can easily fit 8 enchiladas in one pan).

Pour the sauce over the top of the enchiladas. Top with remaining cheese. Bake for 20-30 minutes until the enchiladas are bubbling, hot and lightly browned. Just before serving, top with fresh chopped cilantro, tomatoes, olives, etc.

Chicken Poached in Coconut Curry with Sweet Potatoes

VERY easy and delicious (or so I've heard!)

Curry paste spices up chicken poached in coconut milk with sweet potatoes and cilantro. Make sure you usecoconut milk and not coconut water or coconut cream. Serve with greens or a salad for a full meal.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 3 Tablespoons red curry paste (available on Asian foods aisle)
• 6 chicken thighs, boned and halved
• 2 cups diced sweet potato
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1-1/2 cups unsweetened coconut milk
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Preparation:

Place a frying pan over medium-high heat and add curry paste. Cook 1 to 2 minutes or until paste is fragrant. Add chicken and sweet potatoes. Cook 2 minutes. Add stock and coconut milk. Reduce heat to low. Do not boil or the coconut milk will separate. The flavor will be the same, but the appearance and texture will be different. Allow to simmer 12 minutes or until chicken and sweet potato are cooked. Sprinkle cilantro over chicken.

Serve with steamed greens or a salad.

Zuppa Toscana

Zuppa Toscana

Yield: 8-10 servings

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground Italian sausage
• 1 1/4 teaspoons crushed red pepper
• 4-6 slices bacon, cooked and cut into pieces
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 5 (13.75 ounce) cans chicken broth
• 3-4 medium potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced (see Note)
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 bunch kale, coarsley chopped (swiss chard can be substituted)

Instructions

1. Cook the Italian sausage and red pepper flakes in a Dutch oven (or large pot with a lid) over medium-high heat until crumbly, browned, and no longer pink, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2. Add the onions and garlic the the same Dutch oven; cook until onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
3. Pour the chicken broth into the Dutch oven with the onion mixture and bacon; bring to a boil over high heat. Add the potatoes, and boil until fork tender, about 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the heavy cream and the cooked sausage; heat through. Mix the kale into the soup just before serving.

Apple, Ham, and Cheddar Melts

Ingredients

• 2 slices artisan bread
• Brie cheese (to taste)
• 1/4 Lb. maple or honey ham, sliced VERY thin (pretty much shaved)
• 2-3 Tbsp. apple butter
• 4-5 Gala apple slices, sliced thin (you can use Fuji or Pink Lady apples too)
• 2 slices sharp cheddar cheese
• butter (for grilling)

Instructions

• Spread Brie cheese evenly over one slice of bread. On that same slice, layer ham, apple butter, apples, and cheddar cheese. Top with remaining slice or bread.
• Spread butter over the outside of the sandwich and grill in a skillet over medium-low heat as if making a grilled cheese sandwich. Serve hot.

Great Chicken Salad

We've been eating a lot of chicken salad lately, and this recipe's really good. I wanted to save it here.

Kneaders Chicken Salad Sandwiches Recipe:

(makes approx. 6-8 sandwiches)

Ingredients:

1/4 cup white vinegar 
salt (to taste)
pepper (to taste)
1-1/4 cup mayonnaise 
1-1/4 cup sour cream
4 stocks celery, chopped
1 bunch green onion, chopped
4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts; cooked and shredded 

Directions:
Mix vinegar, salt, pepper, mayonnaise and sour cream together.  Mix celery, green onion and chicken in separate bowl. Mix all ingredients together. Let set overnight or for a few hours for the best flavor.  Serve on buns or rolls.

Creamy Spinach and Artichoke Dip

Creamy Spinach and Artichoke Dip

Ingredients

• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach (thawed and drained well) OR 10 ounces fresh spinach, chopped
• 1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 2 Tablespoons sour cream
• 2 Tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup shredded parmesan
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt, or more to taste
• dash of cayenne pepper, or more to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degress. In a medium bowl, warm cream cheese in microwave for about a minute to soften. Add spinach, artichokes, sour cream, mayonnaise, and parmesan. Mix all together and add garlic salt and cayenne to taste. Don't worry, if using fresh spinach it will reduce down while cooking.
2. Place in an oven safe dish and bake in the oven at for about 20 minutes or until the top is toasty. If you're using fresh spinach bake for 20 minutes, stir, and bake for an additional 10 minutes if needed.
3. Serve with bread, chips or veggies.
4. Kendee likes to thinly slice crusty bread, spritz it with olive oil and lightly sprinkle cayenne pepper on top. Place in the oven at 400 degrees for a couple of minutes until the tops are barely toasted.

Slow Cooker Chicken Verde

Ingredients:

2 lbs tomatillos husked, washed and dried, and cut in half
10 medium Anaheim peppers, cut in half, seeds removed
1 jalapeño pepper
1 cup diced onion
4 garlic cloves
2 cups roughly chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
Zest of 1 lime
Juice of 1 lime
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups chicken broth
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast
Tortilla, beans, and rice for serving, optional

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Place tomatillos and Anaheim peppers on two large greased baking sheets. Roast until tomatillos are golden brown about 5-7 minutes, and until peppers are charred.

2. Place peppers in a brown paper bag to sweat for about ten minutes. Remove the peppers from the bag and peel.

3. In a blender or food processor, combine 6 peppers (12 pepper halves), tomatillos, jalapeños, onion, garlic, cilantro, cumin, paprika, lime zest and juice, sugar, and salt and pepper to taste. Blend until smooth.

4. Dice the remaining Anaheim peppers. Pour salsa verde, chicken broth, diced Anaheim peppers, and chicken into the slow cooker. Add salt and pepper.

5. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours or untill chicken is at least 165 degrees in center of meat.

6. Once chicken is cooked using a slotted spoon remove chunks of chicken to a cutting board and shred and return to crock pot with chile verde sauce. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve warm with tortillas, beans, and rice.

Vegetable Enchiladas

ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
3 teaspoons ground cumin, divided
1/4 cup All Purpose Gold Medal® Flour
1/4 cup tomato paste
One (14.5-ounce) can vegetable broth
3/4 cup water
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese (or Jack-Cheddar blend), divided
One (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
One (10-ounce) box frozen, chopped spinach- thawed and squeezed dry
1 cup corn kernels (canned, frozen or fresh)
4 green onions, thinly sliced (white and green parts separated)
16 6-inch corn tortillas (Guerrero- brand is much-preferred since they do not fall apart!)
optional toppings: sour cream, avocado/guacamole, sliced olives, chopped tomato

directions:

1. Prepare the sauce: In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat Add 2 teaspoons cumin, flour and tomato paste. Cook, whisking constantly, for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the broth and water; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until slightly thickened (5 to 7 minutes). Season with salt and pepper to taste, and then set aside.

2.

2. Make the filling: In a large bowl, combine 2 cups of the cheese, beans, spinach, corn, green onions (white parts) and remaining 1 teaspoon cumin. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

3. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spray one 10x14-inch pyrex pan with nonstick spray (or two 8x8-inch pans). Wrap 4 tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave for 20 seconds. Lay a tortillas on a flat work surface and pile about 1/3 cup of the filling down the middle. Roll the tortilla tightly around the filling and place it seam-side-down in the prepared pan. Repeat with remaining tortillas (microwaving 4 at a time) and filling until you've used it all up.

4. Drizzle the sauce on top, and sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup of cheese. Bake, uncovered, until hot and bubbly, 20 to 25 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped green scallions and serve with desired toppings.

Baked Dijon Salmon

I'd like to cook more fish, and this looks like a good and easy recipe to try out!

Baked Dijon Salmon

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 1/2 tablespoons honey
• 1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup very finely chopped pecans
• 4 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
• 4 (4 ounce) fillets salmon
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 lemon, for garnish

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
2. In a small bowl, stir together butter, mustard, and honey. Set aside. In another bowl, mix together bread crumbs, pecans, and parsley.
3. Brush each salmon fillet lightly with honey mustard mixture. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Next, sprinkle the tops of the fillets with the bread crumb mixture.
4. Bake salmon 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until it flakes easily with a fork. If your fillet is thick you may need to cook a few minutes longer. Garnish with a wedge of lemon.

Notes

You could easily half the topping. It makes plenty.

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

I love pumpkin oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, so I figure the peanut butter has got to be delicious too.

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe:

(Makes 3 dozen cookies)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup peanut butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 egg

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup oats (quick or old fashioned)

2 cups milk chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large mixing bowl, combine butter and sugars.  Stir in peanut butter, vanilla and egg until well combined.  Add flour, baking soda and salt.  Fold in oats and chocolate chips and mix until combined.  Roll into 1" balls and place on a lightly greased baking sheet.  Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown.

Slow Cooker Tomato Basil Soup

Slow Cooker Tomato Basil Soup

Yield: Serves 6-8

Note: You can use regular diced tomatoes if you don't have or can't find petite diced, but if you have the option, go for the petite diced. The smaller size of the tomatoes meshes better with the finely diced vegetables.

Ingredients

• 2 (14-ounce each) cans petite diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 cup finely diced celery
• 1 cup finely diced carrots
• 1 cup finely diced onions
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried basil
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 (4 tablespoons) butter
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 cups fat free half-and-half, warm
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• Croutons for serving (homemade version here)

Directions

1. In a 5-quart slow cooker, combine the tomatoes, celery, carrots, onions, oregano, basil, broth, and bay leaf. Cover and cook on low for 5-7 hours until the vegetables are tender.
2. About 45 minutes before serving, melt the butter over low heat in a medium saucepan. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is golden, about 3 minutes. The mixture will be crumbly, but that's ok.
3. Whisking constantly, slowly ladle in 1 cup (or a ladleful) of the hot soup from the slow cooker. Whisk until smooth and bubbly. Add another cup or ladleful and stir again until smooth. Add another cup or two and stir until smooth.
4. Stir the creamy, hot mixture back into the slow cooker. Add the Parmesan cheese, half-and-half, salt and pepper, adding more salt and pepper if needed.
5. Cover and cook on low for 30 minutes until ready to serve. Serve with homemade croutons, if desired (and trust me, you'll want to desire it).

Baked Chicken Taquitos

Baked Chicken Taquitos

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes

Yield: 20

Serving Size: 1-3 Taquitos per person

Crunchy, cheesy chicken taquitos that have a delicious ranch kick!

Ingredients

• 4 Cups Chicken, Cooked and shredded
• 8 oz Cream Cheese, softened
• 2 Cups Monterey Jack Cheese, shredded
• 1 Packet Ranch Seasoning
• 12 Slices of Bacon, cooked and chopped
• 20 Flour Tortillas

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 425
2. In a large bowl, combine the chicken, cream cheese, cheese, bacon and 1/2 packet of ranch seasoning. Stir everything to combine, and add more ranch if desired.
3. Place 3 tablespoons in a row on each tortilla. Roll the tortilla closed, and place on a greased cookie sheet, seam side down. Spray with a little cooking oil or brush with oil and sprinkle a little salt to taste.
4. Bake the taquitos for 10-15 minutes and serve.

Crock Pot Picante Chicken Black Bean Soup

I love easy Crock Pot recipes like this so I'm trying to save a bunch of good recipes I've found.

Ingredients:

• 2 (15 oz) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 3 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 2 (10 oz) cans Rotel tomatoes with green chilies
• 1 red bell pepper, minced
• 4 oz can diced green chiles
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ancho chile powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp oregano
• 16 oz (2) skinless chicken breast
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro, divided
• 2 medium scallions, diced
• cut limes, for serving 
• 1 medium haas avocado, sliced
• sour cream, for serving (optional)

Instructions:

Take one can of beans and place in the blender along with 2 cups of the chicken broth; puree then add to your slow cooker. Add the remainder of the beans and chicken broth into the slow cooker along with tomatoes, bell pepper, diced green chiles, cumin, chile powder, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, chicken breast, and 1/4 cup of the cilantro. Set slow cooker to HIGH 4 hours or LOW 6 to 8 hours.

Slow Cooker lemon garlic chicken

Ingredients

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (thawed)

2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 tbsp + 1 tsp butter

2 tbs + 2 tsp chicken broth (or water)

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 1/4 cloves garlic, minced

Instructions

Mix oregano and salt and pepper together in a small bowl. Rub seasoning on both sides of chicken breasts.

Melt butter in a skillet over medium high heat. Brown both sides of the chicken breasts then place in the crock pot.

In a small bowl whisk chicken broth (or water), lemon juice and minced garlic together and pour mixture over chicken.

Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low 4-6 hours until chicken is cooked through.

Kneader's French Toast (and carmel syrup!)

AMAZING. The syrup is to die for. So unhealthy, but so good.

Ingredients

For the French Toast
• 1 un-sliced loaf of cinnamon bread
• 6 eggs
• 1/2 c. milk
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 Tbsp brown sugar
• strawberries
• whip cream or cool whip
For the Caramel Syrup
• 1 c. brown sugar
• 1 c. heavy cream
• 1 c. light Karo syrup
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Instructions

• Slice the cinnamon bread into 6 to 8 slices, depending on a how thick you like it. Preheat a large griddle to 325 degrees, or a large pan over the stove on medium heat.
• In a large bowl, combine eggs, milk, cinnamon, vanilla, and brown sugar. Dip each slice into the mixture, be sure to completely coat, then cook on the preheated and buttered griddle until both sides of the bread are a golden brown.
• For the syrup, combine all the ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir and heat until the sugar is completely dissolved.
• Serve french toast with warm caramel syrup, sliced strawberries, and whip cream or cool whip.

Pancakes from Scratch

We've made these and they're really good. I prefer them to Bisquick, Tommy doesn't. Good to have options though!

Light and Fluffy Pancakes

• 1 tablespoon juice from 1 lemon
• 2 cups whole milk
• 2 cups (10 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
• 1-2 teaspoons vegetable oil

Whisk the lemon juice and milk together in a medium bowl or large measuring cup; set aside to thicken while preparing the other ingredients. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl to combine.

Whisk the egg and melted butter into the milk until combined. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients in the bowl; pour in the milk mixture and whisk very gently until just combined (a few lumps should remain). Do not overmix.

Heat a 12 in. nonstick skillet over medium heat (I always use my trusty griddle) for 3-5 minutes; add 1 tsp oil (more for a griddle. Just eyeball it). and brush to coat the skillet bottom evenly. Pour 1/4 cup batter onto 3 spots on the skillet. Cook pancakes until large bubbled being to appear, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Using a thin, wide spatula, flip the pancakes until golden brown on the second side, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes longer. Serve immediately. Repeat with remaining batter, using the remaining vegetable oil only if necessary. 

For a delicious blueberry version:

Have ready 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries, preferably wild, rinsed and dried. Follow the recipe for Light and Fluffy Pancakes. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon blueberries over each pancake just after pouring batter into the pan.

links to easy freezer meals!

http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2012/09/slow-cooker-freezer-meals-make-8-meals.html

http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2011/12/fresh-food-friday-20-tried-and-true.html

http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2013/02/10-slow-cooker-freezer-meals-in-less.html

These are really quick and easy--a good way to stock up the freezer with ready-made food.

Potato Rolls

Ingredients

• 3/4 Cup Sugar
• 1 1/2 Sticks (3/4 Cup) Land O'Lakes Unsalted Butter
• 3 Cups Scalded Milk* instructions below
• 1 Cup Potato Flakes
• 1 Tb Salt
• 4 Eggs
• 1 Tb SAF Instant Yeast or 2 Tb Fleishmans yeast (we use fleishman)
• 7 Cups Flour
• *1/3 cup additional butter, softened

Instructions

1. Heat a medium sauce pan over medium heat and add the milk. Cook until the edges begin to foam and froth, but do not allow it to boil. There will be a little layer of the milk "skin" on top. Remove from heat and add the sugar, butter, potato flakes and salt. Stir thoroughly and allow to cool to luke warm.
2. Add the yeast, stir and then add the eggs, stirring until they are mixed in.
3. Place the flour in a large bowl. Pour the milk mixture in and stir until the dough has come together, but is still soft. Sometimes we only use like 6- 6 1/2 cups of flour. This is not like a bread dough. It is a slightly sticky dough.
4. Cover the bowl with a towel or saran wrap. Let dough rise for one hour. Push down and divide dough into 3 parts.
5. Roll out one portion at a time to 1/2" thick and butter 1/2 of dough with a few pats of butter. Fold the unbuttered dough over the buttered dough and press to seal. Cut into 1" wide strips. Pick up one strip at a time and tie into knots. Place on lightly greased cookie sheet and cover with a towel. Let rise for 1-2 hours more or until doubled in size.
6. Bake at 350 until golden brown, (14-20 min)