Twins in the Kitchen

Ravioli Caprese

2011-05-09T16:05:00.004-06:00

I have been wanting to make homemade ravioli for a long time but since I don't have a pasta maker, I didn't think I would be able to. Then I saw Giada make this ravioli on Everyday Italian. It looked so easy and simple. I had to try it. The flavors were great. So fresh and light. And I was suprised at how well it went for my first try at homemade pasta. I squeezed fresh lemon on it just before serving to brighten it up and intensify the lemon flavor. I will definitely be making this again soon, especially after I plant my basil in my herb garden. A great, light, and simple summer dinner. (Serves about 4 people)

Ingredients:

Dough:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

1 cup very hot water

Filling:

3/4 cup whole milk ricotta cheese

1 egg

1/2 cup finely shredded rotisserie chicken

1/4 cup grated parmesean

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil leaves

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Sauce:

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves

2 teaspoons grated lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

juice of 1 lemon (optional)

Directions:

For the dough:

In a large bowl combine the flour and water. Using a wooden spoon, stir to combine into a large ball. Cover wil plastic wrap and let sit for 10 minutes.

For the filling:

Combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl and stir to combine

To form the ravioli, cut the dough into 4 evenly sized pieces. The dough should be slightly sticky. Add extra flour as necessary for rolling, but use only a little as necessary. Form each piece into a 2 by 6 inch rectangle. Recover the dough with the plastic wrap.

Lightly dust the work surface and a rolling pin. Working with 1 piece of dough at a time, roll the dough into a 4 by 9-inch rectangle. Place rounded teaspoons of filling about 1 inch apart down the center of the dough. Fold the dough over the filling. Press down around the edges of each of the ravioli with your fingertips. Cut the ravioli into small squares (or use a circle cutter) and press down around each of the edges again with your fingertips to seal. Place the finished ravioli on a baking tray and continue forming the remaining ravioli.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add half the ravioli and cook until the ravioli float, stirring occasionally, about 3 to 4 minutes. Drain into a large bowl and cook the remaining ravioli.

Pour olive oil over the cooked ravioli. Add the basil, lemon zest, lemon juice (if desired), salt, and pepper. Gently toss to coat and serve immediately.

Saffron and Lemon Risotto with Scallops

2010-08-28T20:26:00.010-06:00

A couple of weeks ago my dad treated us all to this fancy meal found in this cookbook my mom had given me. It was seriously so good! It had so much flavor and the risotto had a really good creamy texture and such a pretty color from the saffron. Risotto can be a little time consuming, but the key is to add the liquid just a little at a time and let it slowly absorb it. He served it with a Fresh Arugula Salad topped with a little parmesan cheese and fresh lemon juice. Oh and the table setting he and my mom came up with wasn't too bad either;) Great job, Dad!

(serves 4)

Ingredients:

5 cups simmering vegetable stock

16 scallops

juice of 1 lemon, plus extra for seasoning

1 Tbsp. olive oil, plus extra for brushing

3 Tbsp. butter

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 1/2 cups risotto rice

1 tsp. crumbled saffron threads

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper

1 lemon, cut into wedges

2 tsp. grated lemon zest, to garnish

Directions:
Place the scallops in a nonmetallic bowl and mix with the lemon juice. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let chill in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.

Heat the oil with 2 Tbsp. of the butter in a deep pan over medium heat until the butter has melted. Add the onion and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes, or until soft and starting to turn golden. Add the rice and mix to coat in oil and butter. Cook, stirring constantly, for 2-3 minutes, or until the grains are translucent. Dissolve the saffron in 4 Tbsp. of the hot stock and add to the rice.

Gradually add the remaining stock, a ladleful at a time. Stir constantly and add more liquid as the rice absorbs each addition. Increase the heat to medium so that the liquid bubbles. Cook for 20 minutes, or until all the liquid is absorbed and the rice is creamy. Season to taste.

When the risotto is nearly cooked, preheat a pan over high heat. Brush the scallops with oil and for 3-4 minutes on each side, depending on their thickness. Be careful not to overcook them or they will be rubbery.

Remove the risotto from the heat and add the remaining butter. Mix well, then stir in the parmesan cheese until it melts. Season with lemon juice, adding just 1 tsp. at a time and tasting as you go.

Place risotto in serving dish and arrange scallops on top. Top with parmesan curls and lemon zest.

Seared Tuna with Mango Salsa and Chiptole Aioli

2010-08-28T19:57:00.008-06:00

Once again, I cannot take credit for this recipe, except for the mango salsa part (that was a Martha Stewart recipe we have had around for awhile). Tyler created this awesome meal one night for our family. Everything about this meal was entirely his idea, even the way it was plated. The tuna steaks came with the sesame seeds already on them. All he and my mom did was sear them for about 30 seconds on each side, in a preheated pan with olive oil. Then they sliced them up and served them with a scoop of the salsa and a drizzle of the chipotle aioli. It didn't make it in the picture, but Tyler also served it with sourdough bread and an Avocado Spinach salad with a citrus vinaigrette. I am just posting the recipes for the mango salsa and the chipotle aioli because those were the only real "recipes" he used. Also, he and my mom set the table with sort of a beachy theme in mind... Such a delicious and fresh summer meal! Great job Tyler!

Mango Salsa
(makes about 2 1/2 cups)

Ingredients:
2 ripe mangoes (peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/4 inch dice) ** Here is a little guide from one of my favorite cooking blogs about how to cut a mango... much harder than it sounds!
1 1/2 Tbsp. fresh Jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced (about 1 medium)
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. minced shallot

Directions:
In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients. Toss gently, and serve.

Chipotle Aioli

Ingredients:
3/4 cup mayonnaise
3 cloves minced garlic
2 1/2 T lemon juice
3/4 t salt
1/2 t pepper
1 1/2 t finely chopped chipotle in adobo sauce (you can adjust this amount depending on how spicy you want it)

Directions:
Stir together the mayo, garlic, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and chipotle pepper and chill until ready to serve.

Brunch Braid

2010-08-28T19:17:00.007-06:00

I am posting this recipe because it is SO good (even though I cannot take credit for finding it!) I first tasted this recipe at the Graduation Brunch my cousin Jodee threw for Ashley and I. Since then we have made it a few times, both the original way and also with a variation my mom thought of. My mom made one of each for dinner one night and served them with fruit kabobs. I am also posting a picture of the sort of French table setting she did because I thought it was so cute!

Ham and Cheddar Brunch Braid

Ingredients:

1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper

2 green onions, sliced
4 oz. cream cheese

1/2 cup milk

8 eggs

1/4 tsp. salt

dash ground black pepper

1 tsp. butter or margarine

2 packages refrigerated crescent rolls (we found that the largest size work best)

1/4 lb. thinly sliced deli ham

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 F. Chop bell pepper and green onions. Place cream cheese and milk in bowl. Microwave on high 1 minute; whisk until smooth. Separate 1 egg and reserve egg white for later use. Whisk egg yolk and the remaining 7 eggs, salt, and pepper into cream cheese mixture until well blended. Add bell pepper and onions to egg mixture and mix well.

Melt butter in large skillet over medium-low heat. Add egg mixture. Cook, stirring occasionally, until eggs are set but still moist. Remove pan from heat.

Unroll crescent dough; do not separate. Arrange dough on rectangular baking stone (or metal baking sheet will work fine) with longest sides of rectangles across width of baking stone. Using a rolling pin or just your hands, roll dough to seal seams. Starting on the longest sides of the baking stone, cut sides of dough into strips, about 1 inch wide and 3 inches long. Arrange ham evenly over center of dough. Scoop egg mixture over ham. Sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese over egg mixture.

Starting at one end, lift one strip of dough. Twist one turn and lay across top of filling. Repeat, alternating strips of dough to form a braid. Fold bottom edges up at ends of braid. Lightly beat reserved egg white. Brush over dough using a pastry brush. Bake for 25-28 minutes or until deep golden brown. Slice into pieces.

Turkey and Provolone Brunch Braid

Ingredients:

1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper

1 small shallot, chopped finely

4 oz. cream cheese

1/2 cup milk

8 eggs

1/4 tsp. salt

dash ground black pepper

1 tsp. butter or margarine

2 packages refrigerated crescent rolls (the biggest size work best)

1/4 lb. thinly sliced deli turkey (we used herb-roasted deli turkey)

1/2 cup provolone cheese (we just took the pre-sliced sandwich provolone and cut it up)

2 cups fresh spinach, sliced

Directions:

Follow the same directions as I described above. Just sprinkle the fresh spinach on at the same time you add the meat and cheese.

Creamy Walnut Shrimp

2010-08-28T17:24:00.006-06:00

This recipe was by far the favorite dish from the Chinese take-out meal I created. I tried to find a recipe that was similar to the Walnut Shrimp I always order when I go to Asian Star. It had a really unique flavor (I think it was something in the 5-spice powder), and we all loved it! Definitely a new family favorite! Oh and I threw in a picture of the table setting I did for the meal. Usually I don't do a table setting, but I though it would kinda be fun to do sort of an Asian theme! I also set some fortune cookies on the table for dessert!

(serves 4)

Ingredients:
3/4 lb. uncooked medium shrimp, shelled and cleaned
oil for deep frying
1/4 cup glazed walnuts

Marinade:
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. minced shallot
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. sesame seeds
1/4 tsp. 5-spice powder (available in the Asian food aisle)

Sauce:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tsp. honey
2 tsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. lime juice
1 tsp. sesame oil
1/4 tsp. mustard powder

Directions:
Mix together ingredients for marinade. Add shrimp and toss in marinade. While shrimp is marinating, mix together ingredients for sauce. Stir until smooth.

Pour oil into wok and heat. Slip the shrimp into hot oil and fry until opaque, about 3 minutes. Remove and drain on paper towels.

Place shrimp in large bowl and drizzle with sauce. Toss to coat well and then place onto serving platter. Top with glazed walnuts and garnish with sesame seeds.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

2010-08-28T17:02:00.005-06:00

When making my Chinese take-out dinner, I knew I had to make some Sweet and Sour Chicken. For this recipe I turned to a cooking blog I had come across recently called Rasa Malaysia. Between the countless easy but authentic Asian recipes and awesome pictures of her food, I would highly recommend it! The original recipe called for pork, but I used chicken since there aren't many pork fans in our family. It turned out great and I will definitely be making this again!

Ingredients:

1/2 lb chicken, cut into bite size pieces
1/2 green bell pepper, cut into pieces
1/2 red bell pepper, cut into pieces
2 stalks scallions, cut into 2 inch pieces
1 small can pineapple chunks
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
oil for frying

Marinade:
1 tsp. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. cornstarch
1/2 tsp. rice wine

Frying Batter:
1/2 cup water
2 oz. all-purpose flour (I had to look this up, and found out it's a little less than 1/2 c)
1 oz. corn starch (a little less than 1/4 c)
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 egg (just whisk it in a little bowl and dump half of it out)
1 tsp. cooking oil
1 small pinch of salt

Sweet and Sour Sauce:
1 1/2 Tbsp. ketchup
1 tsp. plum sauce
1/8 tsp. rice vinegar
1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. oyster sauce
1 tsp. corn starch
1 tsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. water

Directions:
Cut chicken into pieces and marinate with the ingredients for 15-20 minutes.

Mix the sweet and sour sauce ingredients well and set aside.

Mix together the dry ingredients for the frying batter and then add in the 1/2 egg, water, and cooking oil to form a thick batter.

When the chicken is well marinated, transfer the pieces into the batter and make sure they are well coated. In a deep skillet, pour enough cooking oil to fry the chicken pieces. Once the oil is hot, deep fry the chicken pieces until they turn golden brown. Dish out and drain on paper towels.

Heat up a wok and add in some cooking oil. Add in the chopped garlic and stir fry until light brown, then add the bell peppers and pineapple. Stir fry until you can smell the peppers. Add in the sweet and sour sauce. As soon as the sauce thickens, transfer the chicken into the wok and stir well to coat chicken with sauce. Add in the chopped scallions, do a few quick stirs. Serve with hot steamed white rice.

Hot Sesame Beef

2010-08-28T16:44:00.007-06:00

For my homecooked Chinese take-out meal, I also made a spicy beef dish from this cookbook my mom had given me. It was really good, but I should probably warn you, VERY spicy. I'm sure you could adjust the amount of red chile, chile flakes, or chili oil to acheive just the right amount of heat for your taste. Also, you end up cooking the beef twice, so be careful not to overcook it the first time or it will end up overdone.

(serves 4)

Ingredients:

1 lb 2 oz beef fillet, cut into thin strips (I just bought the meat that comes already sliced and says "stir fry meat" on it and cut each piece in half. Not the stew meat, which can be really tough)
1 1/2 Tbsp. sesame seeds
1/2 cup beef stock
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. grated fresh gingerroot (I just used ground ginger)
2 garlic cloves, chopped finely (I always just use the jarred stuff)
1 tsp. cornstarch
1/2 tsp. chile flakes
3 Tbsp. sesame oil
1 large head of broccoli, cut into florets (I just used frozen broccoli florets)
1 red bell pepper, sliced thinly
1 red chile, seeded and sliced finely
1 Tbsp. chile oil, to taste
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro, to garnish

Directions:
Mix the beef strips with 1 Tbsp. of the sesame seeds in a small bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the beef stock, soy sauce, gingerroot, garlic, cornstarch, and chile flakes.

Heat 1 Tbsp. of the sesame oil in a large skillet or wok. Stir-fry the beef strips for 2-3 minutes. Remove and set aside.

Discard any oil left in the pan, then wipe with paper towels to remove any stray sesame seeds. Heat the reamaining oil, add the broccoli, red bell pepper, chile, and chili oil, and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the beef stock mixture, cover, and let simmer for 2 minutes.

Return the beef to the skillet and let simmer until the juices thicken, stirring occasionally. Cook for another 1-2 minutes.

Sprinkle with the remaining sesame seeds and garnish with chopped cilantro.

Baked Egg Rolls

2010-08-28T16:31:00.006-06:00

A couple of weeks ago I was craving some Chinese food and decided I would make an entire Chinese take-out meal from scratch. It ended up being a LOT of work, but was totally worth it in my opinion! For the egg rolls I decided on this recipe because it seemed a like a healthier option and I didn't want to mess around with having to deep fry the egg rolls.

(Recipe yields 14 egg rolls)

Ingredients:

Egg rolls:
2/3 cup coarsely chopped celery
2/3 cup coarsely chopped carrot
2 cups shredded cabbage
1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil
2/3 cup chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 pound ground turkey breast
1 1/2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
14 egg roll wrappers
1 large egg white
Cooking spray

Sauce:
3/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
6 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425°.

Combine celery and carrot in food processor, and pulse 10 times or until finely chopped.

Combine celery mixture and cabbage in a medium bowl. Cover with plastic wrap; vent. Microwave at high 5 minutes; drain.

Heat vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, 1/2 teaspoon ginger, and garlic; sauté 2 minutes. Add turkey; cook 5 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in cabbage mixture, 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce, and pepper. Cover and chill 15 minutes.

Place 1 egg roll wrapper at a time onto work surface with 1 corner pointing toward you (wrapper should look like a diamond). Trim 1 inch off right and left corners of wrapper. Spoon 3 tablespoons turkey filling into center of wrapper. Fold lower corner of egg roll wrapper over filling. Fold in trimmed corners. Moisten top corner of wrapper with egg white; roll up jelly-roll fashion. Repeat procedure with remaining wrappers, turkey filling, and egg white.

Lightly coat egg rolls with cooking spray, and place, seam side down, on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 425° for 18 minutes or until golden brown.

To prepare sauce, combine 3/4 cup soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, and 1 tablespoon ginger; serve with egg rolls. Garnish with green onions.

Vegetable Bulgur Salad

2010-08-20T16:35:00.004-06:00

I was in the mood for a light, healthy lunch and ended up making this salad. I started out with this recipe and just tweaked a few things. I adjusted the dressing (upped the lime and used less oil), nixed the shrimp, and added a bunch of colorful vegetables instead. It tasted so good and is packed full of good stuff!

Dressing:
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
3 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
salt to taste
pinch of cayenne pepper
3 teaspoons Asian sesame oil
1/8 cup canola oil

Salad:
1 cup uncooked bulgur
1/2 large red bell pepper, diced
1 English cucumber, diced
1 cup matchstick carrots
2 scallions, chopped
1 avocado, diced

Directions:
In a small bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients. Set aside.

Cook bulgur according to package instructions. In a large bowl, toss together cooked bulgur, red pepper, cucumber, carrots, and scallions. Add dressing and toss. Top with diced avocado.

Crab Cake Salad

2010-08-07T15:57:00.008-06:00

I have been craving the crab cake salad at Desert's Edge Brewery for the last little while. But instead of going to the restaurant, I decided to make my own version of what might be my favorite salad. I have tried crab cake salads at other restaurants but none of them have beat the one from Desert's Edge. It has a lot of different flavors that work really well together and I think I might have come up with the perfect imitation :) The recipe makes about 16 small crab cakes (enough for 7 or 8 dinner sized salads). I mixed up the meat, dressing, salsa, and aioli, and chopped all the vegetables and then cooked the crab cakes last so that I could serve them warm.

Crab Cakes with Chiptole Aioli

Ingredients:
8 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup olive oil
3 6-ounce cans crabmeat, drained (**make sure you drain it as much as you can, the drier the better)
3 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 T mayonaise
1 1/2 t dry mustard
9 ounces Ritz crackers (about 30 crackers), crushed
3/4 t cayenne pepper
1 1/2 t garlic powder
3/4 t Old Bay Seasoning
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste
3/4 cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs) or regular dry bread crumbs
3/4 cup mayonnaise
3 cloves minced garlic
2 1/2 T lemon juice
3/4 t salt
1/2 t pepper
1 1/2 t finely chopped chipotle in adobo sauce (you can adjust this amount depending on how spicy you want it)

Directions:
Combine crabmeat, green onions, eggs, mayo, dry mustard, crushed crackers, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, Old Bay seasoning, salt and pepper. Form into 1/2 inch thick patties (**I found that they stayed together better if I made them smaller and thicker, rather than flatter and bigger). Coat the patties with breadcrumbs.

Heat 1/2 cup oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Cook cakes until golden brown on each side. Drain briefly on paper towels and serve hot.

For the aioli, stir together the mayo, garlic, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and chipotle pepper and chill until ready to serve.

Corn and Jicama Salsa

Ingredients:
2 cups corn kernels (about 4 ears)
1 cup finely chopped tomato
1/2 cup finely chopped peeled jicama
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 T minced fresh cilantro
1/4 t salt
1/4 t paprika
1/4 t black pepper
1 4-ounce can chopped green chiles, drained

Directions:
Stir ingredients together and chill until ready to serve

Citrus Vinaigrette

Ingredients:
4 T fresh lemon juice
1/2 c fresh lime juice
4 T frozen orange juice concentrate
4 t red wine vinegar
2 cloves garlice minced or pressed
1/2 t sugar
1 t salt
black pepper to taste
3/4 c olive oil

Directions:
Whisk together all ingredients and set aside

Crab Cake Salad

Ingredients:
mixed greens
citrus vinaigrette
chopped tomato
chopped red pepper
chopped avocado
corn and jicama salsa
crab cakes
chiptole aioli

Directions:
Toss mixed greens with citrus vinaigrette. Divide equally among plates. Top each salad with chopped tomato, red pepper, avocado, corn and jicama salsa, and 2-3 crab cakes. Put chipotle aioli in a plastic baggie and cut the tip off. Pipe aioli across crab cakes and serve.

Oreo Ice Cream

2010-07-25T17:24:00.003-06:00

One of my favorite treats in the summer is homemade ice cream. We've made almost every summer for as long as I can remember. My dad is the designated ice cream maker in the family :) He usually makes raspberry or strawberry, but this year we decided to mix it up a little and made oreo ice cream. It was so good. Sometimes homemade ice cream can end up a little too creamy but this is a really good recipe to use as your base, and then add whatever you want to it. This recipe makes 5 quarts, but you could scale it down to make less.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups milk

2 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 t salt

2 1/2 cups half and half

1 1/2 T vanilla extract

5 cups whipping cream

25-30 oreo cookies, crumbled

additonal oreo cookies to serve, if desired

Directions:

Scald milk until bubbles form around edge. Remove from heat. Add sugar and salt. Stir until dissolved. Stir in half and half, vanilla, and whipping cream. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes. Freeze according to ice cream maker instructions. After frozen, stir in oreo cookies. To serve, spoon into bowl and top with additional crumbled cookies or a whole cookie.

Fajita Burgers

2010-07-25T16:57:00.005-06:00

We found this recipe on delish.com. One of my favorite places to get recipes. We first made them for father's day and they were so good that we made them again for the 24th. The first time, we used ground beef and the second time, we used ground turkey. I didn't notice any difference in the flavor, but the ground turkey is a lot better for you. We love spicy, mexican flavors so this was the perfect summer recipe for us. I especially love the chipotle mayonnaise. We have used it as a spread for grilled chicken sandwiches also. A little more time consuming than your regular cheeseburger, but so worth it in my opinion :)

Ingredients:

1 pound lean ground beef (or ground turkey)

3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (divided)

1/2 cup finely chopped red onion

1/4 cup chopped scallions

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise

1 tablespoon lime juice

1 tablespoon chopped chipotle chile in adobo

1/2 cup shredded monterey jack cheese (we used slices of pepper jack)

4 French rolls (preferably whole wheat, split and toasted)

2 roasted anaheim or poblano peppers

1 cup shredded green cabbage (we just used bagged cole slaw mix)

4 slices tomato

4 slices red onion (we omitted this because there's already plenty of onion in the meat)

sliced avocado

Directions:

Place beef, 1/4 cup cilantro, onion, scallions, garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano, pepper, and salt in a large bowl. Gently combine, without overmixing, until evenly incorporated. (We then usally let the meat sit for an hour or so for the flavors to mix.) Form meat into 4 equal patties, about 1/2 inch thick and oval-shaped to match the rolls.

To roast the peppers, preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place whole peppers on a baking sheet lined with foil and cook for about 30 minutes, turning halfway through. Immediately, place peppers in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let sit for 30 minutes until cool. Carefully remove the skins and remove stem, seeds, and membranes. Cut in half and set aside.

Combine the remaining 1/2 cup cilantro, mayonnaise, lime juice, and chipotle in a small bowl.

Grill the burgers for about 6 minutes per side on medium-high heat. Top with cheese and cook until it is melted, about 1 minute more.

Assemble burgers on toasted rools with the chipotle mayonnaise, half a roasted pepper, cabbage, tomato, onion, and avocado. (We served them with watermelon wedges, chips, and a pickle wedge)

Stuffed French Toast

2010-07-25T16:32:00.004-06:00

This is a recipe that Tyler saw on a TV show and was dying to make. He made it for brunch for all of us last sunday. It was SO good! I usually am not a big fan of breakfast food but I loved this. Tyler did a really good job making it and all the different flavors worked so well together. He doubled the recipe to make 8 servings but it ended up making a lot of the egg mixture. Also, we didn't use thick bread like the recipe calls for, so we ended up needing less of the egg mixture. So if you double the recipe, you probably don't need to double the egg mixture unless you use really thick bread slices.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups milk

2 eggs, beaten

1/8 t ground nutmeg

1/4 t ground cinnamon

1/2 t vanilla extract

3 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

8 (2-inch thick) slices of bread (**we just used regular, thin white bread)

2 bananas, very thinly sliced

1 cup strawberries, very thinly sliced

4 T butter

1/4 cups powdered sugar

maple syrup

Directions:

Combine milk, eggs, nutmeg, cinnamon, and vanilla in a shallow bowl. Set aside.

For assembly, spread a thin layer of the cream cheese onto 1 side ofthe bread slices. Top half the slices with the fruit. Place another piece of bread on top, cream cheese side down, creating a sandwich.

Preheat a griddle to 350 degrees. Lightly brush with the butter.

Give the milk mixture a quick stir, and dip the sandwiches into the batter, coating all sides.

Place on the griddle. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side, then turn on the edges and cook to brown evenly.

To serve, slice sandwiches in half on the diagonal and transfer to a serving platter. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve with maple syrup.

Honey Glazed Salmon

2010-07-25T16:21:00.002-06:00

Ever since we made this recipe from this book, it has been our favorite way to make salmon. The original recipe called for pure maple syrup but since pure maple syrup is so expensive, we substituted honey and it was delicious. We love eating fish so its always to nice to find a new way to cook it. Its a really quick and easy recipe. We usually serve it with some steamed broccoli and some wild rice.

Ingredients:
4 salmon fillets
1 cup soy sauce
1 clove garlic
1 tablespoon fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1 cup pure maple syrup (we used honey)

Directions:
Marinate salmon for 1-24 hours
Preheat oven to 450 degrees
Bake for 18 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Quinoa Salad With Lime Ginger Dressing and Shrimp

2010-05-19T11:17:00.000-06:00

I've been making an effort to look for healthier recipes lately and I came across this one from NYTimes.com(their healthy recipes section is awesome by the way!) I made a full recipe, enjoyed some that day, and put the rest into 3 containers so now I have healthy lunches for the next few days! This salad tasted so fresh and had so much flavor and wasn't too hard to make! Oh and apparently quinoa is pretty expensive so I swapped it out for some bulgur, but I'm sure you could use any sort of healthy whole grain. I also left out the buttermilk in the dressing because I didn't have any, and it tasted fine to me. You could also make this vegetarian by leaving out the shrimp and substituting avocado instead. SO good and SO good for you:)

For the dressing:
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tablespoon seasoned rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger (more to taste)
1 small garlic clove, minced
Salt to taste
Pinch of cayenne
2 teaspoons Asian sesame oil or walnut oil
1/4 cup canola oil
2 tablespoons buttermilk (** I left this out)

For the salad:
3 cups cooked quinoa (3/4 cup uncooked) (** I used bulgur instead)
4 scallions, white and light green parts, sliced thin
1 small cucumber, halved, seeded and thinly sliced on the diagonal
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
12 to 16 cooked medium shrimp, peeled (**I tossed the raw shrimp with a drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper and then roasted them for 5 min. in the oven at 400 degrees)

Directions:
In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the lime juice, rice wine vinegar, ginger, garlic, salt, cayenne, sesame oil, canola oil, and buttermilk.

In a salad bowl, combine the quinoa, scallions, cucumber, and cilantro. Toss with the dressing and divide among salad plates. Top each portion with 3 or 4 shrimp, and serve.

Yield: Serves 4

Advance preparation: The cooked quinoa will keep for 3 or 4 days in the refrigerator. You can make the dressing and prep the ingredients for the salad a few hours ahead.

Baked Orzo With Tomatoes, Roasted Peppers and Zucchini

2010-05-19T11:16:00.001-06:00

I came across this recipe in the healthy recipe section of NYTimes.com. It was super easy and it was so nice that I could make it all ahead of time and then just stick it in the oven before dinner. It was so flavorful and packed with vegetables. It tasted healthy but was still warm and comforting at the same time. I served it with a green salad dressed with a homemade balsamic vinaigrette.

Ingredients:

1/2 pound orzo (about 1 1/8 cups)
Salt to taste
1 large red pepper, roasted and diced (I followed these instructions for roasting peppers)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 medium zucchini, sliced about 1/4 inch thick
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1 pound tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced; or 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes, with juice
1 or 2 plump garlic cloves (to taste), minced
2 ounces freshly grated Parmesan or 2 ounces crumbled goat cheese (1/2 cup, tightly packed)

Directions:
Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil, and add the orzo. Cook eight minutes, or until it is cooked through but still firm to the bite. Drain and transfer to a large bowl. Toss with the diced roasted pepper and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Oil a 2-quart baking dish. Heat another tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat in a large, wide skillet. Add the zucchini and cook — stirring and turning over the slices, or tossing them in the pan — until just cooked through and lightly colored, about five minutes. Scrape into the bowl with the orzo.

Return the pan to the heat, add the final tablespoon of oil and the garlic. Cook just until fragrant, 20 to 30 seconds, and add the tomatoes and salt to taste. Cook, stirring from time to time, until the tomatoes have cooked down slightly and smell fragrant. Taste and adjust seasoning. Scrape into the bowl with the orzo, add the Parmesan or goat cheese, and mix everything together. Add freshly ground pepper to taste, and adjust salt. Transfer to the baking dish.

Bake 30 to 40 minutes, until the top is just beginning to color. Serve hot or warm.

Yield: Serves six

Advance preparation: You can assemble this several hours, even a day, before baking.

Mint Oreo Truffles

2010-03-18T13:34:00.003-06:00

I came across this recipe a few weeks ago on one of my favorite sites, Bakerella. If you haven't been to her blog before, you should because her creations are seriously amazing. One of my favorite flavor combinations is mint and chocolate and with St Patricks day coming up, it was the perfect time to make them. They were pretty easy to make and turned out so good. It was my first attempt at truffle making though so they didn't turn out as smooth and pretty as I hoped they would. Don't look too closely! ;)

Ingredients:

1 package (1lb 1oz) Double Stuff Oreos- Cool Mint Flavor (**I could only find regular mint oreos, not double stuff so I used these proportions instead so the consistency was right**)

1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, room temperature

chocolate bark or candy coating

Directions:

If using double stuff oreos, used 22 cookies with cream centers and 10 cookies with the cream centers removed. Finely crush the cookies in a food processor or a ziploc bag with a rolling pin. Stir in cream cheese. Use the back of a large spoon to help mash the two together completely.

Roll the mixture into 1' balls and place on wax paper covered cookie sheet. Place covered in freezer or refrigerator for a few minutes to help retain shape when dipping in melted chocolate.

Melt chocolate as directed on the package and then dip balls into chocolate, tap off extra and set aside on wax paper covered cookie sheet to dry.

For decorations, melt chocolate and put it in a ziploc bag. Cut off the tip and either drizzle over the truffles or to make shamrocks, on a sheet of wax paper, draw three dots and a line down the middle. Using a toothpick, drag until it looks like a shamrock.

Chicken Parmesean Burgers

2010-03-18T13:18:00.004-06:00

A few months ago I subscribed to Bon Apetit magazine. Since then, I have made a huge list of recipes to make but I haven't really gotten around to trying any of them until a few nights ago. This recipe caught my eye because it was a unique take on a classic dish and it looked so good. I'm not usually a huge fan of Italian food but I loved the flavors in this recipe and it wasn't too heavy.

Ingredients:

10 1/2-inch-thick slices French bread (4 inches in diameter); 8 slices toasted, 2 slices (crust removed) diced
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
4 tablespoons minced fresh basil, divided, plus 12 large basil leaves
3/4 cup purchased refrigerated marinara sauce
12 ounces ground chicken (white meat) (**I couldn't find ground chicken so I just put some chicken breasts in the food processor until they were finely ground**)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon grated onion (** I didn't want to grate it so I just finely chopped it**)
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 ounces whole-milk mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced (**make sure its the fresh kind, not the rubbery kind :)
4 large radicchio leaves (**I used red leaf lettuce because that's what I had**)

Directions:

Blend diced bread and Parmesan in processor to fine crumbs. Transfer to pie dish; mix in 2 tablespoons minced basil.

Mix marinara and 2 tablespoons basil in small saucepan. Transfer 1 1/2 tablespoons sauce to large bowl. Add chicken, 1/2 tablespoon oil, onion, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Sprinkle with pepper; blend. Shape into four 1/2-inch-thick patties; coat with crumbs. Heat sauce over low heat.

Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook patties until bottoms are crusty, 4 minutes. Turn patties over; top with cheese. Cook 3 minutes. Cover; cook until cooked through and cheese is melted, about 1 minute. (** Since I was making this for our whole family, I just decided to bake them in the oven for about 25 minutes at 375. Then added the cheese and broiled them until the cheese was melted.**)

Assemble burgers with bread, radicchio, basil leaves, and warm marinara.

Makes 4 servings

Tandoori-Style Chicken Burgers

2010-03-02T13:54:00.000-07:00

I actually made this recipe a few months ago but didn't realized that I hadn't posted it until I found the pictures on my computer. I got it from this cookbook that I bought in the fall. This was a really fun and unique meal to make. The flavors were great and everyone enjoyed it. It was a little time consuming but it was worth it. I also made some sweet potato fries to go with them. I just sliced up a sweet potato, tossed the slices with olive oil, garlic salt, salt, and dried parsley. Then I spread them out onto a foil lined baking sheet and baked them at 400 degrees until they were soft and lightly browned.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds (4 to 5) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into rough chunks (**I used chicken breasts because that's what I had)
4 scallions, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger (from a peeled 2-inch piece)
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom (** I omitted this because it was fairly expensive)
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Coarse salt and ground pepper
Vegetable oil, for grates or pan
4 (6-inch) whole-wheat pitas
1 cucumber (8 ounces), halved lengthwise and thinly sliced on the diagonal
1/2 cup fresh cilantro sprigs
Cumin yogurt sauce (see recipe below)

Watermelon slices (optional)

Directions:

Heat grill or frying pan to medium-high. In a medium bowl, place chicken, scallions, ginger, lemon juice, paprika, cumin, cardamom, cayenne, 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper; toss to combine. Set aside to marinate, at least 10 and up to 30 minutes.

Transfer chicken mixture to a food processor; pulse until roughly chopped, but not pasty, 10 to 12 times. Gently form mixture into sixteen 3/4-inch-thick patties (about 3 tablespoons each).
Moisten a folded paper towel with oil; grasp with tongs and rub over grates, or if using a frying pan, add oil. Season patties with salt and pepper; grill or cook until opaque throughout, 2 to 3 minutes per side.

For the Cumin Yogurt Sauce: In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt with 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin; season with coarse salt and ground pepper.

Halve pitas crosswise (toast on grill, if you like). Into each pocket, place 2 chicken patties, cucumber slices, and cilantro sprigs. Serve with Cumin Yogurt Sauce and, if desired, watermelon slices.

Molten Chocolate Cakes

2010-03-01T17:10:00.006-07:00

This recipe is also from this cookbook. This is seriously one of my favorite desserts I have made. The cakes were so gooey and dense and chocolately. Like a really rich brownie. Next time I make them though, I will make sure to butter and sugar the tins more and cook them a little longer. (Some of mine came out a little too gooey. More of a little pile than a mini cake :) One batch makes 6 cakes.

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for muffin tins
1/3 cup granulated sugar, plus more for muffin tins
3 large eggs
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Whipped Cream, for serving

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Generously butter 6 cups of a standard muffin tin. Dust with granulated sugar, and tap out excess. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and granulated sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. With the mixer on low speed, beat in flour and salt until just combined. Beat in chocolate until just combined. Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups.

Place muffin tin on a baking sheet; bake just until tops of the cakes no longer jiggle when the pan is lightly shaken, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven; let stand 10 minutes.

To serve, turn out cakes, and place on serving plates, bottom sides up. Dust with confectioners' sugar, and serve with whipped cream, if desired.

Football Chocolate Sandwich Cookies

2010-02-21T19:35:00.004-07:00

For the Superbowl, Callie and I wanted to make a fun dessert. After looking all over for a good recipe, we decided to make a dessert we've already made before, but with a festive spin. We used Martha's recipe for the chocolate sandwich cookies. Then we cut a notecard in the shape of a football and cut around it to cut the rolled out dough. After the cookies were baked, cooled, and filled, we made a little royal icing and piped some stitches on each of the footballs using a plastic baggie with the corner cut off. We served them with mint chip ice cream. We doubled the dough recipe and it made about 15 sandwiches.

Greek Nachos

2010-02-21T12:39:00.013-07:00

I found this recipe a few months ago and thought it sounded so interesting and unique. Since making it for the first time, Callie and I have made it on a regular basis and it has quickly become one of our family's favorite meals. These nachos are actually really filling so they can be eaten as a meal. They could also be made as a heartier appetizer (We made them as one of the appetizers at our Superbowl party). For our family, we doubled the recipe and it made enough for dinner for everyone plus a little left over. Here you go English family, enjoy!! :)

Ingredients:

1 package pita chips (approximately 10 oz)

1/4 cup olive oil + 2 tablespoons

salt

4 ounces feta cheese

1/2 cup plain yogurt

1/2 cup chopped fresh mint (**we didn't use the mint in ours and the flavor was great)

1 lemon

freshly ground black pepper

1 medium onion, chopped

1/2 pound ground lamb (**we used ground turkey instead)

1 tablespoon ground cumin

2 or 3 medium tomatoes, chopped

1 medium cucumber, chopped

1/2 cup calamata olives, pitted and halved (optional) (** we didn't use these either and it was still plenty flavorful)

Directions:

In a blender or food processor, combine feta, yogurt, 1/4 cup olive oil, mint, and zest and juice of lemon; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Blend or process until smooth. (You can also mash mixture by hand, with a fork, which is what we did. That way the feta stays a little bit chunky)

Put two tablespoons of olive in a skillet over medium-high heat and cook onions until soft, about 5 minutes. Add lamb and cumin and sprinkle with salt and pepper; continue cooking until meat is cooked through, about 5 to 10 minutes more. Put chips on a serving plate and top with lamb, sauce, tomatoes, cucumbers, and olives it you're using them.

Greek Dressing

2010-02-21T11:00:00.003-07:00

The night I was making the greek nachos, I wanted to find a recipe for something to serve with them that would not be too overpowering. I decided to make a greek salad. I just chopped up some lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, and black olives. Added some thinly sliced red onion, a sprinkle of feta, and used this recipe for the dressing. I loved the flavor of the dressing. It might be one of my favorites. Unfortunately I didn't get a picture of the dressing but I did get one of the salad.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup olive oil

1 1/4 teaspoons garlic powder

1 1/4 teaspoons dried oregano

1 1/4 teaspoons dried basil

1 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard

2/3 cup red wine vinegar

Directions:

Mix together the olive oil, garlic powder, oregano, basil, pepper, salt, onion powder, and Dijon-style mustard. Pour in the vinegar and mix vigorously until well blended. Store tightly covered at room temperature.

Tomato Lemon Feta Pizza

2010-02-21T10:59:00.001-07:00

For some reason Callie and I have totally been into pizzas lately. One night we were craving pizza and came up with this recipe. Honestly, it is one of my favorite dinners now. It is light and healthy but still warm and filling.

We just used this recipe for the dough. (One batch makes enough for 2 thin crust pizzas) We only let the dough rise for about 15 minutes instead of the full hour. Then we pressed the dough onto a baking stone and prebaked the crust for about 10 minutes at 425 degrees.

We brushed it with some garlic infused olive oil, sprinkled it with the zest of 1 lemon, then topped it with some thinly sliced roma tomatoes, chopped red onion, a little mozzarella and feta cheese, and some dried cilantro. Then we baked it until it was crispy and slightly browned. After we took it out of the oven, we topped it with the juice of 1/2 of a lemon.

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

2010-02-20T14:34:00.002-07:00

I have been wanting to make red velvet cupcakes for a while and I decided that Valentines day was the perfect time to make them! I used this recipe by Paula Deen. The recipe makes 24 cupcakes. That was kind of a lot for just our family so I halved it. They turned out great and I think they are a cute and festive dessert for Valentines day!

Ingredients for the Cupcakes:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cocoa powder

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
2 large eggs, room temperature

2 tablespoons red food coloring

1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Ingredients for the Frosting:

1 pound cream cheese, softened

2 sticks butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 cups confectioner's sugar

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 (12-cup) muffin pans with cupcake papers.

In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. In a large bowl gently beat together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla with a handheld electric mixer. Add the sifted ingredients to the wet and mix until smooth and thoroughly combined.

Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake tins, about 2/3 filled. Bake in oven for about 20 to 22 minutes, turning the pans once, half way through. Test the cupcakes with a toothpick for doneness. Remove from oven and cool completely before frosting.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla together until smooth. Add the sugar on low speed, beat until incorporated. Increase the speed to high and mix until very light and fluffy.

(Optional: Garnish with chopped pecans and a fresh raspberry or strawberry)

Tomato Focaccia

2010-02-20T13:07:00.000-07:00

I love focaccia and have always wanted to learn how to make it. I had no idea it was so easy! I found this recipe for a tomato focaccia, but I'm sure you can change it and add whatever toppings you like (I used dried basil instead of fresh and added a sprinkle of parmesan cheese). Perfect with a soup or salad!

Ingredients:

1 package Active Dry Yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
6 Tbsp. olive oil
3 roma tomatoes, sliced
dried basil
shredded parmesan cheese

Directions:

Dissolve the yeast in 1/2 C. of the warm water, and let sit 10 minutes until bubbly.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, yeast mixture, and remaining water. Mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon and then your hands. Transfer to a floured work surface and knead by hand for a few minutes or until smooth. Place in a well oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Punch down dough and place on an oiled baking sheet, forming into an oval or circle. Space the tomato slices across the surface of the focaccia, then sprinkle with dried basil and parmesan cheese. Bake about 20 minutes or until golden. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Broccoli-Cheese Soup

2010-02-20T11:00:00.003-07:00

We got this recipe from The Simple Soups Deck my mom got for Christmas. It's a deck of 50 cards each with a different recipe for soup. This one was so good and had so much flavor! Homemade soup is always so warm and comforting! My mom made it and she said she didn't follow the recipe exactly (I think she added a little extra potato, onion, and broccoli and I don't think she pureed as much of the soup as it says to). We served ours with the homemade Tomato Focaccia.

(serves 4)
Ingredients:

4 cups chopped broccoli florets
1 cup chopped yellow onion
2 celery stalks, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 large russet potato (about 3/4 lb.), peeled and sliced
1 cup vegetable or chicken broth
1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cups milk
1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground pepper
1 Tbsp. minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions:

Combine the broccoli, onion, celery, garlic, potato, and stock in a saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, until the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.

Transfer 3/4 of the mixture to a food processor or blender and puree. Return to the pan and add the milk, cheese, seasonings, and parsley. Heat gently, stirring, until the cheese melts and the soup is hot.

Green Lemonade

2010-02-14T21:04:00.002-07:00

This recipe comes from a book I ordered a few months ago called The Raw Food Detox Diet. It was a really interesting book and I took alot of really good information and tips from it. Although I don't think I'll be eating completely raw from now on, I have incorporated some of the recipes into my diet, one of them being this Green Lemonade. Ashley and I have been trying to drink it most mornings (it's an acquired taste I think haha) and now I actually crave it and feel so energized and good after drinking it! The boys (including Spencer) actually like it too and drink it when they can:) When we make it, we get all the ingredients from Sam's Club (so much cheaper to buy the heads of lettuce, lemons, and apples in bulk!) We just substitute the kale with more lettuce or spinach and we also don't add the ginger.

Ingredients:

1 head romaine lettuce
5-6 stalks kale (we just use another head of romaine or spinach)
1-2 apples (we used Fuji apples because they are really sweet)
1 lemon (we cut the peel off)
1-2 inches fresh ginger (optional)

Directions:

Process the vegetables in a juicer. Pour into a large glass and drink!

Hot and Sour Soup

2010-01-13T18:14:00.005-07:00

Callie and I found this recipe a few years ago and it has become a staple in our house. The original recipe (I don't remember where we got it from) called for chicken but we liked it better as a vegetarian soup. Not the prettiest soup but it does taste good! I love how the ground red pepper gives it a little extra heat. So good for lunch on a cold day!

Ingredients:

3 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup water
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1 cup cole slaw mix
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 cloves fresh garlic, chopped
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 egg, beaten
chopped green onion (optional)

Directions:
In a saucepan, combine broth, water, mushrooms, colesaw, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, and red pepper. Boil, then reduce to low and cover.

In a separate bowl stir together cornstarch and vinegar. Return to a boil, then drizzle in egg while stirring. Stir in vinegar and cornstarch. Simmer until thickened. Garnish with green onion.

Serves: 4

Easy Granola

2010-01-12T18:28:00.004-07:00

We got this recipe as part of a christmas gift from a neighbor. They gave us a bag of it and attached the recipe. It is a really good granola recipe. I like that it's more of a chewy consistency rather than super crunchy. It's so good with yogurt, milk, or just by itself as a snack.

Ingredients:

6 cups oats
3/4 cup honey
1/2 cup oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons vanilla
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup raisins (optional)
1 cup almonds, chopped (optional)

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. Spread onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes or until golden in color. Let cool. Break up into chunks.

Crunchy Noodle Salad

2010-01-07T12:59:00.002-07:00

I actually made this recipe a while ago after seeing it on an episode of Barefoot Contessa, and I just realized I had never posted it. It was so good! The sauce has a really good flavor and I love the crunchy vegetables. I had forgotten about it, but I think I'll be making it again soon:)

(serves 6)
Ingredients:

Kosher salt
1/2 pound thin spaghetti
1 pound sugar snap peas
1 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1/3 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons dark sesame oil
1 tablespoon honey
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
3 tablespoons toasted white sesame seeds, divided
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
2 red bell peppers, cored and seeded, and thinly sliced
4 scallions (with and green parts), sliced diagonally
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, bring another large pot of salted water to a boil, add the sugar snap peas, return to a boil, and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until crisp tender. Lift the sugar snap peas from the water with a slotted spoon and immerse them in a bowl of ice water. Drain.

For the dressing, whisk together the vegetable oil, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, honey, garlic, ginger, 2 tablespoons sesame seeds and peanut butter in a medium bowl.

Combine the spaghetti, sugar snap peas, peppers and scallions in a large bowl. Pour the dressing over the spaghetti mixture. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of sesame seeds and the parsley and toss together.

Cilantro Pesto Shrimp Pasta

2010-01-07T12:25:00.003-07:00

After we made the Shrimp Tostada Bites, we had quite a bit of leftover pesto and shrimp. We were trying to figure out what to do with it and decided to make a pasta.

Ingredients:

1 12oz. bag pasta (we used rigatoni)
3 Tbsp. Chipotle Cilantro Pesto
1/2 cup shrimp, chopped and cooked (you could also use chicken)
fresh tomato, chopped
red onion, chopped
avocado, chopped
shredded parmesan cheese
toasted pumpkin seeds (optional)

Directions:

Cook pasta according to directions. Drain and stir pesto into hot pasta. Add shrimp. Portion pasta onto plates, and top with tomato, onion, avocado, cheese, and pumpkin seeds.

Chipotle Cilantro Pesto

2010-01-07T11:49:00.000-07:00

We made a batch of this pesto to use as a marinade for the Shrimp Tostada appetizer we made. This recipe makes about 2 cups of pesto, which is alot! A little bit of this stuff goes a long way! You can use it in so many ways though... as a spread on sandwiches, tossed with some pasta and veggies, as a marinade for meat, etc. I changed it a little bit (I left out the fresh parsley and used extra adobo to make it spicier). You can click on the link if you want the original recipe.

Ingredients:

2 c sliced fresh cilantro
1 chipotle chile in adobo, roughly sliced
3 garlic cloves
1/4 c shelled pumpkin seeds
2 c fresh spinach (leaves only)
1 tbsp sliced fresh oregano (I used a couple pinches of dried)
2 tbsps grated parmesan cheese
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
4 tsps olive oil

Directions:

Place cilantro, chile, garlic, pumpkin seeds, spinach, oregano, and parmesan cheese in a food processor or blender and pulse until mixed.

With the motor running, add oil and lime juice and process until smooth. You can adjust the heat by adding some of the adobo.

Scrape into a container, cover, & put in the fridge until ready to use. The pesto keeps for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator.

Shrimp Tostada Bites

2010-01-02T23:25:00.001-07:00

We got the idea for this recipe from an appetizer we really like at Z Tejas. This recipe is one we sort of made up as we went, so the measurements aren't really exact.

Ingredients:

1 two-pound bag frozen shrimp, thawed and tails removed
5-6 Tbsp. Chipotle Cilantro Pesto
4-5 large flour tortillas (burrito size)
cooking spray
4 avocados
1 roma tomato, chopped
3 Tbsp. red onion, chopped
fresh lime juice
salt
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions:

Chop thawed shrimp into small pieces (about the size of your thumbnail). Place in mixing bowl and stir in 3-4 Tbsp. Chipotle Cilantro pesto. Cover and marinate in fridge for at least 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. With a 2-inch biscuit or round cookie cutter, cut tortillas into mini circles. Place on a foil lined baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Lightly spray the tortilla rounds. Bake in oven for about 6 minutes. Watch closely and if any begin to puff up, flatten them with a fork. Broil them until they are lightly browned. When they're done they will be hard and flaky, almost like a cracker.

For guacamole, mash avocados in a bowl. Add chopped tomato and onion. Stir together and add fresh lime juice and salt, to taste.

Heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil in a large frying pan over medium to medium-low heat and add marinated shrimp. As shrimp cooks, stir in another 1-2 Tbsp. pesto. Cook until shrimp is light pink.

To assemble, top tortilla round with a small scoop of guacamole and 2-3 shrimp pieces. Arrange on serving platter and sprinkle with chopped cilantro.

Ginger Peanut Chicken Lettuce Wraps

2010-01-02T00:37:00.002-07:00

For this appetizer, I took this recipe I found for some wraps and decided to just take the recipe for the filling and turn it into lettuce wraps instead. They were SO good! They had so much flavor and tasted really fresh. I will definitely be making these again. They are also nice because you can make the filling way ahead of time and just let it chill in the fridge. So easy!

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon olive oil
6 (4-ounce) skinned, boned chicken breast halves, cooked (we just baked them with a little salt and pepper on them)
1 cup chopped seeded peeled cucumber
3/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger (I just used 3/4 tsp. ground ginger instead)
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Lettuce leaves (I used iceburg because I like the crunch:)

Directions:

Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces. Place chicken, cucumber, and bell pepper in a large bowl; set aside.

Whisk together sugar and the next 6 ingredients (sugar through garlic) until smooth. Add peanut butter and water; whisk until smooth, scraping sides. Add peanut butter mixture to chicken mixture; stir well. Add cilantro, and toss well. Serve with lettuce leaves.

Pecorino Romano with Apples and Fig Jam

2010-01-02T00:33:00.001-07:00

We also made these for New Year's Eve. We actually made them for the first time about 3 years ago, when we really started getting into cooking. They are so good. I love the combination of the salty cheese, sour apple, and sweet fig jam on the crunchy bread. Definitely one of my favorites! Oh and we ommitted the brandy and it didn't really seem to mess up the consistency or anything.

Ingredients:

6 dried figs, halved
1/2 cup simple syrup, (recipe follows)
2 tablespoons brandy
1/4 cup chopped toasted hazelnuts
24 baguette slices
Olive oil, for drizzling
1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano
1 large apple (Granny Smith or Braeburn), thinly sliced into 24 slices
1/4 pound chunk Pecorino Romano, for shaving 24 pieces

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Place a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the figs, simple syrup, and brandy. Bring the mixture up to a simmer. Turn off the heat and let sit for 10 minutes. Place the fig mixture and the hazelnuts in a food processor and blend, pulsing a few times, until pureed. Set aside.

Place the baguette slices on a heavy baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil. Top each slice with 1 teaspoon grated Pecorino Romano. Bake until the bread is toasted and the cheese is melted and golden, about 7 minutes.

Top each slice of toast with 2 teaspoons of fig jam, a slice of apple and a piece of shaved Pecorino Romano. Transfer the toasts to a serving platter and serve.

Simple syrup:

1/2 cup water
1 cup sugar

In a saucepan combine water and sugar over medium heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes, until the sugar has dissolved. Take pan off heat and cool the syrup. Any extra cooled syrup can be saved in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Triple Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms

2010-01-02T00:32:00.001-07:00

We also made these for one of our New Year's Eve appetizers. So good and super easy!

Ingredients:

48 medium (2-pounds) white mushrooms
1 package (10-ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed
4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
2 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup finely chopped green onions
Salt
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350° F. Using damp paper towels, wipe mushroom caps clean; remove and discard stems, or save for another use. In colander, squeeze liquid out of spinach until dry.

In large bowl, mix spinach, feta, cream cheese, green onions, and 1/4 teaspoon salt until well combined. Fill each mushroom with heaping teaspoon spinach mixture; top with Parmesan.

Line baking sheet with foil and spray lightly with cooking spray. Transfer mushrooms to baking sheet; bake 20 minutes or until mushrooms are tender and filling is golden brown.

Baked Lemon Pasta

2010-01-01T00:48:00.002-07:00

I found this recipe one night when I felt like making dinner but didn't feel like going to the grocery store:) There are just a handful of ingredients and most of the stuff you probably already have in your fridge.

Ingredients:

1 pound thin spaghetti
4 Tbsp. salted butter
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 whole lemon, juiced and zested
2 cups sour cream
½ teaspoons kosher salt, or more to taste
plenty of grated parmesan cheese
flat-leaf parsley, chopped
extra lemon juice

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook spaghetti until al dente.

In a skillet, melt butter with olive oil over LOW HEAT. When butter is melted, add minced garlic. Squeeze lemon juice into the pan. Turn off heat.

Add sour cream and stir mixture together. Add lemon zest and salt. Taste, then add more salt if necessary. Pour mixture over drained spaghetti and stir together, then pour spaghetti into an oven safe dish.

Bake, covered, for 15 minutes. Then remove foil and bake for an additional 7 to 10 minutes. (Don’t bake too long or the pasta will dry out.)

When you remove it from the oven, squeeze a little more lemon juice over the top. Top generously with Parmesan cheese, then chopped parsley. Give it a final squeeze of lemon juice at the end.

Serve with crusty French bread and a simple green salad.

Chocolate Chip Mexican Wedding Cakes

2009-12-30T17:04:00.004-07:00

I made these cookies a few weeks ago for my mom to take to a charity lunch. This is one of my favorite cookie recipes. They are like miniature chocolate chip cookies with a twist. They have only a few ingredients and I love the warm flavor the cinnamon gives them. They have a smooth, almost flaky texture. They are super easy to make but are also pretty enough to be served at a party. You can use any kind of nuts you want. I have made them with pecans and hazelnuts. Also, they don't brown as they bake so just bake them for the given time and they should be done.

Ingredients:

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup finely chopped nuts
2 to 2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 cups (12-ounce package) semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Beat butter and sugar in large mixer bowl until creamy. Beat in vanilla extract. Gradually beat in flour, nuts, and cinnamon. Stir in 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips. Roll dough into 1-inch balls; place on ungreased baking sheets.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until set and light golden brown on bottom. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Microwave remaining chocolate chips in heavy-duty plastic bag for 30 seconds; knead. Microwave at 10 to 15 second intervals, kneading until smooth. (*Note: I usually just melt the chocolate in a small bowl and then transfer it to a plastic bag. It's easier to tell if it is all melted that way) Cut a tiny corner from bag; squeeze to drizzle over cookies. Refrigerate cookies for about 5 minutes or until chocolate is set. Store at room temperature in an airtight container.

Baked Broccoli & Tortellini Casserole with Roasted Bell Pepper Creame

2009-11-05T11:44:00.004-07:00

I made this pasta a few weeks ago for my cousin's baby shower. I found the recipe a few years ago but had forgotten about it until I was looking through all my old recipes to find one to make for the shower. It is a bit labor intensive but the results are so worth it :) It has become a Payne family favorite!

Ingredients:

6 ounce Chicken Breast

Salt and Pepper to taste

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

9 ounce package of refrigerated cheese or meat-filled Tortellini

2 Cups of frozen Broccoli florets

1 large Red Bell Pepper

1 1/4 Cup of Cream

2 Tablespoons of Butter

5 ounces of whole Parmesan Cheese, chopped

1/2 teaspoon of Salt

1 teaspoon of Pepper

4 cloves of Garlic

2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil

2 Tablespoons of Butter, melted

1/4 teaspoon Oregano

1/4 teaspoon Basil

1/4 teaspoon Thyme

1/4 teaspoon Salt

Directions:

Salt and pepper the chicken (to taste). Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet and sauté the chicken on high heat until cooked through. Remove to a cutting board and let cool. Once cool, cut into strips and set aside. (*I just cooked my chicken in the oven while I prepared the rest of the ingredients. Its less work that way :)

Cook the tortellini according to package directions, drain and set aside.

Defrost the broccoli by placing it in a large bowl and pouring hot water over it. Drain water and pour more hot water over it. Repeat this until broccoli has defrosted. Then drain and set aside.

Preheat oven to broil/grill (the highest top-heat setting available).
Place the red bell pepper on a rack the closest to the top that is physically possible. Broil each side of the bell pepper for about 5-8 minutes or until it has completely blackened and burned. Turn and repeat for each side and the bottom. Then, remove to a cutting board and let cool. Once cool, scrape off all blackened skin, the core and seeds, and cut into strips. Save about 2 strips (enough that when diced you get 2 tablespoons worth); set aside. Place the rest in a food processor and puré; set aside.

In a large skillet, over medium heat, combine butter and garlic. Sauté for 1 minute, and then add cream, salt, pepper, olive oil, and Parmesan cheese chunks. Stir constantly until the Parmesan has melted and combined into the cream sauce. Lower the heat it it starts to stick to the pan.
Add puréed and diced roasted bell pepper and mix in. Dump the tortellini, broccoli, and chicken into the skillet with the sauce and mix well. Pour into a medium-small casserole dish.

In a small bowl combine the bread crumbs with oregano, basil, thyme, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt and then mix in melted butter. Sprinkle this over the top of the tortellini mixture. Broil/grill 4-6 inches from top heat for 1-2 minutes of until the topping has turned golden brown.

Makes 4 servings.

(Recipe and picture from here)

Chicken Piccata with Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes and Herb-Roasted Onions

2009-10-15T17:20:00.009-06:00

I actually made this dinner over the summer, but never got around to posting it. The recipes are all from the Barefoot Contessa at Home cookbook that Ashley got me for my birthday. This dinner was a huge hit, fun to make, and Ashley said it was really pretty too:)Chicken Piccata

(serves 4)

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 extra-large eggs

1 1/2 cups seasoned dried bread crumbs

olive oil

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons), lemon halves reserved

1/2 cup dry white wine

sliced lemon, for serving

chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for serving

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Place each chicken breast between 2 sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap and pound it out to 1/4-inch thick. Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.

Mix the flour, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper on a shallow plate. In a second plate, beat the eggs and 1 Tablespoon water together. Place the bread crumbs on a third plate. Dip each chicken breast first in the flour, shake off the excess, and then dip in the egg and bread-crumb mixtures.

Heat 2 Tablespoons olive oil in a large saute pan over medium to medium-low heat. Add 2 chicken breasts and cook for 2 minutes on each side, until browned. Place them on the sheet pan while you cook the rest of the chicken. Heat more olive oil in the saute pan and cook the second 2 chicken breasts. Place them on the same sheet pan and allow them to bake for 5 to 10 minutes while you make the sauce.

For the sauce, wipe out the saute pan with a dry paper towel. On medium heat, melt 1 Tablespoon of the butter and then add the lemon juice, white wine, the reserved lemon halves, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Boil over high heat until reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Off the heat, add the remaining 2 Tablespoons of butter and swirl to combine. Discard the lemon halves. Serve one chicken breast on each plate, spoon on the sauce, and serve with sliced lemon and a sprinkling of fresh parsley.

Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes

(serves 5 to 6)

kosher salt

3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes

1/2 cup whole milk

1 stick unsalted butter

3/4 to 1 cup buttermilk, shaken

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

In a large pot, bring 4 quarts water and 2 Tablespoons salt to a boil. Meanwhile, peel the potatoes and cut them into 1 1/2-inch cubes. Add them to the boiling water and bring the water back to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes, until the potatoes fall apart easily when pierced with a fork.

Meanwhile, heat the whole milk and butter in a small saucepan, making sure it doesn't boil. Set aside until the potatoes are done.

As soon as the potatoes are tender, drain them in a colander. Mash the potatoes with a food mill or potato masher. As soon as the potatoes are mashed, stir in the hot milk-and-butter mixture with a rubber spatula. Add enough buttermilk to make the potatoes creamy. Add 2 teaspoons of salt and the pepper, or more to taste, and serve hot. To keep the potatoes warm, place the bowl over a pan of simmering water for up to 30 minutes. You can add a little extra hot milk to keep them creamy.

Herb-Roasted Onions

(serves 6)

4 red onions

3 yellow onions

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 cloves)

1 Tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup olive oil

1 Tablespoon minced, fresh flat-leaf parsley

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Remove the stem end of each onion and carefully slice off the brown part of the root end, leaving the root intact. Peel the onions. Stand each onion root end up on a cutting board and cut the onions in wedges through the root. Place the wedges in a large bowl

Combine the lemon juice, mustard, garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Slowly whisk in the olive oil. Pour the dressing over the onions and toss well.

With a slotted spoon, transfer the onions to a sheet pan, reserving the vinaigrette that remains in the bowl. Bake the onions for 30 to 45 minutes, until tender and browned. Toss the onions once during cooking. Remove from the oven and drizzle with the reserved dressing. Sprinkle with parsley, season to taste, and serve warm or at room temperature.

Sauteed Zucchini and Yellow Squash

2009-10-15T17:04:00.003-06:00

We were trying to think of a side dish to go with the Pesto Chicken Sandwiches that was light and not too overpowering... and we came up with this.Ingredients:

1 zucchini

1 yellow squash

1 clove garlic, minced

olive oil

pinch of dried oregano

pinch of dried basil

salt and pepper, to taste

Slice zucchini and yellow squash. Heat olive oil and garlic in pan for 30 seconds, careful not to burn the garlic. Add zucchini, yellow squash, and herbs. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until tender.

Pesto Chicken Sandwich

2009-10-15T16:41:00.006-06:00

So after we made all that pesto, we had to come up with a way to use it! Ashley and I came up with these sandwiches and they were SO good! If you make these, make sure you use the fresh mozzarella that comes packed in the liquid... it's so much better!

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts

4 large slices tomato

4 slices fresh mozzarella

pesto

4 Kaiser rolls

Season chicken breasts with salt, pepper, and garlic salt. Grill on medium high heat, 8 minutes on each side. Slice rolls in half and broil on high until slightly toasted. Spread a thin layer of pesto on each roll. Layer chicken breast, tomato slice, and mozzarella.

Pesto

2009-10-15T13:11:00.001-06:00

In an attempt to use the rest of our basil from our herb garden (which was growing out of control!) we decided to make pesto. I have always wanted to make it because it can be used in so many ways for a quick meal. I've heard you can also make a large batch and freeze it in ice cube trays so you can just use a small portion at a time. We used Ina Garten's recipe, which called for both pine nuts and walnuts. I'm not a big fan of pine nuts, so we ommitted these and just doubled the walnuts instead.

Ina's Pesto

Ingredients:

1/4 cup walnuts
1/4 cup pine nuts
3 Tbsp. chopped garlic (9 cloves)
5 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups olive oil
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Place the walnuts, pine nuts, and garlic in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process for 15 seconds. Add the basil leaves, salt, and pepper. With the processor running, slowly pour the olive oil into the bowl through the feed tube and process until the pesto is thoroughly pureed. Add the Parmesan and puree for a minute. Use right away or store the pesto in the refrigerator or freezer with a thin film of olive oil on top.

Yield: 4 cups

White Chocolate Macademia Nut Cookies

2009-10-14T11:29:00.004-06:00

Macadamia nut cookies are one of my favorites. But when I saw this recipe on a blog, I realized that even though they are one of my favorites, I had never made them. So I decided to make them. They turned out really well. They were soft and chewy and the flavor was perfect. I would definitely recommend making them.

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup butter, melted

1 cup brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup white sugar

1 egg

1 egg yolk

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 1/4 cup chopped macadamia nuts

2 cups white chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine the four, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl, then set aside. Beat together the melted butter, brown sugar, white sugar, egg, egg yolk, and vanilla with a mixer until creamy.

Gradually add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture until just mixed. Stir in the macadamia nuts and white chocolate chips by hand. Drop by the spoonful onto a greased or lined baking sheet.

Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the edges look golden brown. Cool on the baking sheet for at least 4-5 minutes (so cookies can set) before moving to rack.

Last Day of Summer Brunch

2009-08-23T17:35:00.002-06:00

Since today is the last day of summer and we all start school tomorrow, Callie and I decided to do a brunch for everyone to celebrate. We made scrambled eggs with vegetables, brown sugar glazed bacon, and Tyler made some apple cinnamon muffins. (Good job Tyler. They were so good. He loves cooking too and is turning into quite the chef :) For the scrambled eggs we just cooked some eggs and added chopped onions, mushrooms, spinach, tomatoes, and a little cream cheese. For the bacon, we got the recipe off of the Martha Stewart website:

Ingredients:
1 1/4 pounds thickly sliced bacon
1/2 cup dark-brown sugar

Directions:
Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking pan with parchment paper. Lay bacon on the paper, and sprinkle the brown sugar liberally over bacon. Transfer bacon to the oven, and bake for about 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer bacon immediately to a wire rack, and let sit until cool enough to eat.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Suprise Cookies

2009-08-23T17:26:00.005-06:00

When I saw this recipe, I knew it would be a hit with the Payne family. We all like peanut butter and chocolate desserts so I thought I'd try them out. They turned out to be a little time consuming with having to divide both the dough and filling into 32 equal balls, but they were definitely worth it. They were so good and soft and the peanut butter middle was super soft and delicious.

Chocolate Cookies:

Ingredients:

1 & 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 egg
1 Tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

Stir together flour, cocoa, and baking soda. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, mix butter, sugar, brown sugar, and peanut butter. Add egg, milk, and vanilla, beating well. Beat in as much flour mixture as possible using a mixer. Stir in the remaining flour mixture. Form into 32 balls, about 1 & 1/4 inches in diameter. Set aside.

Peanut Butter Filling:

Ingredients:

3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 Tablespoons granulated sugar

Directions:

Beat together powdered sugar and peanut butter until smooth. Knead by hand if necessary. Shape into 32 balls.

Preheat oven to 350°. Slightly flatten a chocolate dough ball and top with a peanut butter filling ball. Shape the chocolate dough completely around the peanut butter dough. Roll into a ball.

Repeat with remaining dough.

Place cookies 2 inches apart on an ungreased baking pan. Lightly flatten cookies with a glass dipped in the sugar.

Bake for about 8 minutes or just until set. The cookie surfaces should be slightly cracked. Cool on pan for about a minute. Then, transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Vanilla Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream Frosting

2009-08-23T17:06:00.005-06:00

The other day I was in the mood to make some cupcakes, but didn't want to make anything too tricky. I decided to just make some vanilla cupcakes using a recipe from joyofbaking.com, with a simple buttercream frosting. I used a basic vanilla frosting recipe from the food network website, but substituted the vanilla extract for strawberry extract. They were super simple and easy but they tasted good and turned out pretty cute.

Ingredients:
Vanilla Cupcakes:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2/3 cup granulated white sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Zest of 1 large lemon (optional)
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup milk

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and lightly butter or line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.

Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract and lemon zest.

In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and milk, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Evenly fill the muffin cups with the batter and bake for about 18-20 minutes or until nicely browned and a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Once the cupcakes have completely cooled, frost with icing.

Strawberry Buttercream Frosting:
Ingredients:
3 cups confectioners' sugar
1 cup butter
strawberry extract (**I didn't measure how much I used, I just added it until it tasted right. It probably ended up being about 1 teaspoon)
1 to 2 tablespoons whipping cream
pink or red food coloring

Directions:
In a standing mixer fitted with a whisk, mix together sugar and butter. Mix on low speed until well blended and then increase speed to medium and beat for another 3 minutes.
Add extract, food coloring, and cream and continue to beat on medium speed for 1 minute more, adding more cream if needed for spreading consistency.

Pink Lemonade Cupcakes

2009-08-22T16:24:00.007-06:00

When I saw this cupcake recipe on a baking blog I thought they were so cute and was curious to see how they tasted. They sounded so unique. They turned out to be really good. The cake is super moist and really does taste like pink lemonade. It sounds kind of weird, but its not too different than a lemon cake. But the frosting is pretty sweet so next time I'll probably use less so they aren't so sugary.

Cupcakes

Ingredients:
1 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
Pinch salt
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1/4 c. vegetable oil
2 egg whites
1/3 c. thawed frozen Pink Lemonade Concentrate
1/4 c. buttermilk
2 or more drops red food coloring

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line muffin pan with liners.

In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, oil, egg whites and lemonade concentrate. Alternately whisk in flour mixture and buttermilk, making three additions of flour mixture and two of buttermilk, beating until just smooth. Add just enough food coloring to turn the batter a light shade of pink.

Scoop batter into liners (fill about three-fourths full). Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until tops of cupcakes spring back when lightly touched. Let cool in pan on rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and let cool completely on rack. Top cooled cupcakes with frosting (see below).

Lemonade Buttercream:
3 c. + 3 Tbsp. confectioner’s sugar
1 stick unsalted butter at room temperature
1/8 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. pink lemonade concentrate
Red food coloring

Add the butter, confectioner’s sugar, salt, lemon juice, and a few drops of food coloring to the stand mixer and mix on low using the paddle attachment until combined. Turn the speed to med-high until the buttercream is fluffy and uniformly pink. Pipe or spread onto cooled cupcakes.

Lemon Scented Mini Cheesecakes

2009-08-18T20:12:00.003-06:00

I have been wanting to learn to make cheesecake for a while now but it always seemed so difficult. When I saw this recipe on a blog I decided to try it since it didn't seem too hard. They turned out really moist and the hint of lemon was a perfect addition to the cheesecake flavor.

Ingredients:

1 sleeve honey graham crackers, crushed to fine crumbs

3 to 4 tablespoons of butter, melted

2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

small splash of vanilla

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two 24 tin mini muffin tins with paper liners (*I used a regular muffin tin and it made about 12 cheesecakes) . In a small bowl, mix the graham cracker crumbs with melted butter, stir with a fork until just moistened. Spoon about 1/2 teaspoon of crumbs (*I ended up using more because I used a bigger muffin tin) into each liner and pack down. Bake the crusts for about 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, cream together the cream cheese, sugar, eggs, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla extract until well combined. Top each crust with the mixture, filling the cups almost to the top. Bake for 15 minutes. Transfer to wire rack to cool completely. Top each cheesecake with topping of choice. Chill in the fridge for an hour before serving.

Southwest Mac and Cheese

2009-08-18T19:14:00.003-06:00

I saw this recipe on one of my favorite recipe blogs, The Pioneer Woman. I love that blog. She always posts such great recipes and photos. When I saw this recipe, I was dying to try it. Since its pretty heavy and rich, when I made it, I served it as a side dish with a grilled chicken breast and some cut up fruit to the side to lighten it up a bit.

Ingredients:
4 cups macaroni noodles
1/4 to 1/2 of a red onion, diced
equal amount of red bell pepper, diced
1 4oz. can chopped green chiles
1 cup frozed corn
1 finely diced jalepeno pepper
1 heaping cup grated pepper jack cheese
2-3 cloves garlic
1 cup heavy cream
olive oil
2 tablespoons butter (*I only added half the butter)
salt and pepper

Directions:
Boil pasta until al dente.

In a large skillet, add olive oil and saute onions, bell pepper, jalepeno (de-seeded), garlic, and corn over medium heat for a couple of minutes. Add in canned chiles and stir in, then turn off heat.

Drain pasta and add it to the skillet. Pour on cream, add cheese, then add salt and pepper to taste and stir gently. At the end, add 2 tablespoons of butter and stir again. Salt and pepper to taste.

Root Beer Float Cupcakes

2009-08-18T18:55:00.004-06:00

I saw these cupcakes on a blog a while ago and I thought they sounded interesting. Since root beer is one of my favorite treats, (weird. I know :)I was curious to see how well the flavor translated into a cupcake. I was really happy with the way they turned out. (*note: they didn't rise very much when they cooked, so make sure you fill the liners pretty full with the batter)

Ingredients:

Cupcakes:
1 cup rootbeer soda
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons root beer extract
1 1/3 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line a dozen cupcake tins with papers liners.

Combine the soda and vinegar and let stand for a few minutes. Add in the sugar and oil, whisking vigorously until slightly frothy. Integrate the extracts, and gently add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, being careful not to overmix. Distribute the batter evenly between the prepared tins, fill the cupcake liners approximately 3/4 of the way to the top. Bake for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow them to cool completely before proceeding to the ganache.

Ingredients:

Ganache:
5 oz. dark chocolate (*I used semisweet chocolate chips)
1/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon maple syrup

Directions:
Combine the above in a microwave-safe container and heat for about a minute. Stir thoroughly. If it isn't completely melted, return to the microwave for 15 seconds at a time, watching carefully to ensure that it doesn't burn. Drizzle ganache in squiggles over the cupcakes. (*I piped it on with a plastic bag) Allow ganache squiggles to fully cool before preparing the frosting.

Ingredients:

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting:
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon milk

Directions:
In a standing mixer fitted with a whisk, mix together sugar and butter. Mix on low speed until well blended and then increase speed to medium and beat for another 3 minutes. Add vanilla and milk and continue to beat on medium speed for 1 minute more, adding more milk if needed for correct consistency. Pipe onto cupcakes.

Turkey, Tomatillo, and Bean Burritos

2009-08-18T18:22:00.006-06:00

These burritos are a favorite at the Payne household. We make them all the time. This recipe is from a Rachel Ray cookbook Callie got a few years ago. They are pretty easy to make and are seriously so good. This recipe makes 4 servings but we usually double it so we have leftovers. :)

Ingredients:

4 12-inch flour tortillas

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 package (1 1/3 pounds) ground turkey breast

1 large onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped

salt and pepper

1 cup chicken stock or broth (*we usually don't add this since there is already plenty of liquid)

1 15-ounce can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 16-ounce jar tomatillo salsa

2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

1 10-ounce package (2 1/2 cups) shredded monterey jack cheese

Directions:

Preheat a large nonstick skillet with the vegetable oil. Add the ground turkey and break it up with the back of a spoon as it cooks and browns, about 4 minutes. Add the onions, garlic, bell peppers, salt, and pepper. Continue to cook for 3 minutes. Add the chicken stock, pinto beans, and 1 1/2 cups of the tomatillo salsa (about 3/4 of the jar). Turn the heat up to high and continue to cook for 5-6 minutes, or until the moisture is thickened. Remove from the heat and add the cilantro, stirring to distribute.

Warm the tortillas for a few seconds in the microwave and turn the broiler on. Pile the turkey mixture into the warm tortillas, sprinkle with 1/4 cup of cheese, and then roll them up. Spray a casserole or baking dish with cooking spray. Then line the dish with the burritos, seam side down. Top each burrito with a little bit of the remaining 1/2 cup of tomatillo salsa, spreading it over the burritos with the back of a spoon. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and place the dish under the hot broiler for about 5 minutes or until cheese is melted and starting to brown. Serve immediately.

Steak Marinade

2009-08-18T18:08:00.003-06:00

I used this marinade on steaks for a barbeque on the 24th of July. I used our fresh herbs from our garden. It turned out to be a really good marinade. Really flavorful but not too overpowering. This recipe makes enough for about 5-6 steaks.

Steak Marinade

Ingredients:
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup & 2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons worchestershire sauce
1 tablespoon & 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
3 tablespoons basil
1 1/2 tablespoons parsley
3/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1/8 teaspoon hot sauce
3/4 teaspoon dried minced garlic

Directions:

Whisk all ingredients together and pour over steaks. Marinate for several hours, or overnight.

Cookie Dough Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

2009-08-18T15:02:00.002-06:00

I was browsing recipes on the internet the other day and came across this recipe for Cookie Dough Cupcakes. They sounded interesting so I decided to make them and I was SO glad I did! (I think Tyler and Colton were too!) I know they sound kind of weird but they are seriously so good! (not exactly healthy, but still really good!) I wasn't sure how the cookie dough in the middle didn't cook in the oven, but the trick is to freeze the cookie dough first so it stays soft.

Ingredients:

Cupcakes

24 paper liners for cupcake pans (2 1/2-inch size)

1 package (18.25 ounces) plain yellow cake mix

1 package (3.4 ounces) vanilla instant pudding mix

1 cup whole milk

1 cup vegetable oil

4 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 package (1 pound) frozen cookie dough

Chocolate Buttercream

8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

3 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

3 to 5 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions
Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 24 cupcake cups with paper liners. Set the pans aside.Place the cake mix, pudding mix, milk, oil, eggs, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping down the sides again if needed. The batter should look well blended. Spoon or scoop a heaping 1/4 cup batter into each lined cupcake cup, filling it two thirds of the way full. (You will get between 22 and 24 cupcakes; remove the empty liners, if any.)

Cut the frozen dough pieces in half to make 24 pieces. Place a frozen cookie dough piece on top of each cupcake. Place the pans in the oven.

Bake the cupcakes until they are golden and spring back when lightly pressed with your finger, 23 to 27 minutes. Remove the pans from the oven and place them on wire racks to cool for five minutes. Run a dinner knife around the edges of the cupcake liners, lift the cupcakes up from the bottoms of the cups using the end of the knife, and pick them out of the cups carefully with your fingertips. Place them on a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes before frosting. They may sink a bit in the center.

While the cupcakes cook, prepare the Chocolate Buttercream.

Place the butter and cocoa powder in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed until the mixture is soft and well combined, 30 seconds.Stop the machine and add the confectioners' sugar, three tablespoons of the milk, and the vanilla. Blend with the mixer on low speed until the sugar is incorporated, one minute. Increase the speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy, one minute more. Add one to two tablespoons more milk if the frosting is too stiff.Place a heaping tablespoon of frosting on each cupcake and swirl to spread it out with a short metal spatula or a spoon, taking care to cover the tops completely. The cupcakes are ready to serve.

Sesame Noodles with Chicken

2009-08-18T14:58:00.003-06:00

I was looking through some old recipes today and I found this recipe from a few years ago. I had forgotten about it and I was so excited when I found it. It used to be one of my favorites so I thought I'd share. (Note: it's pretty spicy so if you don't like spicy food I would adjust the amount of hot sauce)

Ingredients:

8 ounces uncooked linguine

1 cup matchstick-cut carrots

2/3 cup vegetable broth (I used chicken broth)

1/2 cup peanut butter

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon bottled ground fresh ginger (I used 1/2 tablespoon dried ground ginger)

2 teaspoons Sriracha hot chile sauce (Rooster sauce)

2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast

1 cup thinly sliced green onions

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

Cook pasta according to package directions. Add carrots to pasta during the last 3 minutes of cooking. Drain well.

Combine broth and next 5 ingredients (through Sriracha) in a food processor; process until smooth (Note: I just whisked the ingredients and they mixed just fine). Combine pasta and carrots, chicken, and onions in a large bowl. Drizzle broth mixture over pasta mixture; toss well. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Yields: 5 Servings (1 cup each)

Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Icing

2009-08-18T14:50:00.004-06:00

The other day I was in the mood to bake and I decided to make these cupcakes from the Barefoot Contessa at Home recipe book. I'm so glad I did :) They turned out really good and were so moist. I halfed the recipe for the cupcakes so it only made about 10 but made the original amount of the icing so that I could pipe it on instead of just spreading it with a knife. They are pretty rich but so worth it :)

Ingredients

For the cupcakes:

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

2/3 cup granulated sugar

2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 cup buttermilk (*I just used regular milk)

1/2 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons strongly brewed coffee

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup good cocoa powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Peanut Butter Icing, recipe follows

Chopped salted peanuts or mini chocolate chips for decoration (optional)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a standard muffin pan with paper liners. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and 2 sugars on high speed until light and fluffy, approximately 5 minutes. Lower the speed to medium and add the eggs, one at a time. Now add the vanilla, and mix well.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, sour cream, and coffee. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt.

Now, with the mixer on low speed, alternate adding the buttermilk mixture with the flour mixture (add the buttermilk mixture in 2 additions and the flour mixture in 3.) Mix only until blended. Give the batter a few gentle stirs with a rubber spatula just to make sure all the dry ingredients are incorporated.

Use a standard ice cream scoop (or two spoons) to fill the muffin tins; they should be about 3/4 full.Bake for about 20 minutes, until the tops spring back when gently pressed or a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Don’t overbake — better to err on the side of caution and check them a little early.

Cool for 10 minutes, remove from the pans, and allow to cool completely before frosting. Frost each cupcake with Peanut Butter Icing and sprinkle with chopped peanuts or mini chocolate chips, if desired.

Peanut Butter Icing:

Ingredients:

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

1 cup creamy peanut butter

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/3 cup heavy cream

Directions

In the bowl of a mixer, mix together the confectioner’s sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and salt on medium-low speed with the paddle attachment. When well blended, add the heavy cream and continue mixing on high speed until the mixture is light and smooth.

Pad Thai

2009-08-18T14:42:00.000-06:00

I made this Pad Thai recipe for dinner a couple of months ago and it has become a family favorite! So I thought I would share! If you don't like tofu I'm sure you could substitute chicken or shrimp.

Ingredients
2/3 cup chili sauce (such as Heinz)
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons grated peeled fresh ginger
1 teaspoon chopped seeded serrano chile
1/2 pound wide rice stick noodles (bánh pho)
4 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided
1 (12.3-ounce) package extrafirm tofu, drained and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 large egg whites
1 large egg
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups fresh bean sprouts
3/4 cup diagonally cut green onions
1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro, divided
1/3 cup coarsely chopped dry-roasted peanuts
6 lime wedges
Preparation
Combine first 6 ingredients; set aside.

Cook noodles in boiling water 5 minutes or until done. Drain and rinse with cold water; drain well.

Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add tofu; cook 7 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally. Remove from pan.

Combine egg whites and egg, stirring well with a whisk.

Heat 2 teaspoons vegetable oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic, and sauté for 10 seconds. Add egg mixture, and cook for 30 seconds or until soft-scrambled, stirring constantly. Stir in chili sauce mixture and noodles; cook for 2 minutes. Stir in tofu, bean sprouts, onions, and 1/4 cup cilantro, and cook 3 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Sprinkle 1/4 cup cilantro and peanuts evenly over each serving of noodle mixture. Serve with lime wedges.

Yield
6 servings (serving size: 1 1/3 cups noodle mixture, 2 teaspoons cilantro, about 1 teaspoon peanuts, and 1 lime wedge)

Penne with Asparagus and Cherry Tomatoes

2009-08-18T14:37:00.000-06:00

Last night Ashley and I made this pasta for dinner. It was SO good! It was so fresh and light and super easy to make! Best of all there were leftovers for lunch today(the rest of the family is out of town for the weekend in Moab:)

Penne with Asparagus and Cherry Tomatoes (Spring)
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis, 2008

Serves: 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients:
8 ounces penne pasta
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 pounds thin asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups (about 9 ounces) cherry tomatoes
1 cup shelled fresh peas
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken stock
1 cup grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves

Directions:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the pasta, reserving about 1/2 cup of the pasta water.

In a large saute pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the asparagus, season with the salt and pepper, and cook for 3 minutes until slightly soft. Add the cherry tomatoes and peas. Cook for 2 minutes. Pour the chicken stock into the pan and bring the mixture to a simmer. Cook until the tomatoes start to burst and the stock is reduced by half, about 3 minutes.

Transfer the asparagus mixture to a large serving bowl. Add the cooked pasta and 1/2 of the Parmesan. Toss well, adding reserved pasta water, if needed, to loosen the pasta. Garnish with the remaining Parmesan and chopped basil.

Turkey Burgers

2009-08-18T14:29:00.000-06:00

I have been looking for new recipes to use my fresh herbs from my garden. My rosemary was getting a little big so I was happy when I came across this recipe for turkey burgers on one of my favorite recipe sites, MyRecipes.com. They were seriously so good and so moist. I think it was the basting that made the difference. They were definitely a hit, even with the boys:) I altered the recipe a little, but you can find the original here.

Tasty Turkey Burgers

Prep: 15 min., Grill: 14 min.
Yield: Makes 4 servings

Ingredients
1 pound ground turkey
1/2 cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
1 large egg, beaten
1 tablespoon minced dried onion
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons Fresh Herb Marinade
4 hamburger buns
Herb-Grilled Onion Rings (these I just sauteed in a pan with a little bit of the marinade instead of grilling them)
Toppings: spicy mustard, mayo, shaved Parmesan cheese, mixed greens

Preparation
1. Combine first 7 ingredients. Shape mixture into 4 equal-size patties.

2. Grill, covered with grill lid, over medium-high heat (350° to 400°) 5 to 6 minutes on each side or until no longer pink in center, basting each side occasionally with Fresh Herb Marinade.

3. Grill buns, cut sides down, 2 minutes or until toasted. Serve burgers on buns with Herb-Grilled Onion Rings and desired toppings.

Fresh Herb Marinade

Yield: Makes about 1/3 cup

Ingredients
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Preparation
1. Stir together first 5 ingredients in a small bowl. Season with pepper to taste.

Asian Rotisserie Chicken Salad

2009-08-18T14:24:00.000-06:00

I found this recipe on Martha's website and thought it sounded light and refreshing but still substantial enough to have for dinner. The dressing is basically just lime and cilantro, so if that's not your thing then beware haha! Next time I might switch it up and instead of the cashews, add black beans and corn instead. We all loved it and I will definitely be making it again this summer!

Asian Rotisserie Chicken Salad (I thought it tasted more mexican than asian, but whatever!)

Serves 4.

Ingredients:
2 cups fresh cilantro leaves and soft stems
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (from 2 limes)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 rotisserie chicken (about 2 1/2 pounds), skin and bones removed, meat shredded (about 4 cups)
1/4 medium red cabbage (8 ounces), cored and thinly sliced crosswise
1 red bell pepper (ribs and seeds removed), thinly sliced
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 large head romaine lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
1/2 cup cashews

Directions:
1. Make dressing: In a blender, combine cilantro, lime juice, and oil; season with salt and pepper. Blend until smooth.
2. In a large bowl, combine chicken, cabbage, bell pepper, and scallions; season with salt and pepper. In another large bowl, toss lettuce with 1/2 cup dressing. Divide among four bowls, and top with chicken mixture. Drizzle all with remaining dressing, and sprinkle with cashews.

Dark-Chocolate Cookies

2009-08-18T14:16:00.000-06:00

I made these the other night. They were actually really fun to make. I got this recipe off of Martha's website. I love dark chocolate and these did not disappoint! Really chocolatey, but a little bit bitter and not too sweet. I put them in the fridge to store them and they were even better cold! One of the best cookies I've had in a while! (and I'm not really a cookie person) I want to get some round cookie cutters with a scalloped edge and make them again! One note though: next time I'll either double the recipe for the cookies or else half the recipe for the filling, because I had about twice as much filling as I needed! I don't think anybody minded though;) Also, I think the main key to these is keeping the dough really cold. I had to stick mine back in the freezer a few times!

Dark-Chocolate Cookies

Ingredients:

FOR THE COOKIES
3/4 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for surface
1/3 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 ounces (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

FOR THE FILLING
4 ounces dark chocolate (at least 70 percent cacao), finely chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Make the cookies: Whisk together flour, cocoa, and salt in a bowl. In another bowl, cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Gradually add flour mixture, beating to combine. Shape dough into 2 disks, wrap each in plastic, and freeze until firm, about 15 minutes.

2. Working with 1 disk at a time, roll out dough to 1/8-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Using a 1 1/2-inch biscuit cutter, cut out rounds. (Return dough to freezer if it softens.) Space rounds 1 inch apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Freeze until firm, about 15 minutes. Brush off excess flour.

3. Bake cookies, rotating sheets once, until edges are firm, 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer cookies, on parchment, to a wire rack, and let cool completely.

4. Meanwhile, make the filling: Place chocolate in a medium bowl. Heat cream, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until sugar and salt dissolve. Pour over chocolate. Let stand for 10 minutes. Gently stir until smooth. Let stand until firm enough to spread, about 15 minutes.

5. Spread 1 1/2 teaspoons filling on half the cookies. Top with remaining cookies. (Assembled cookies can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.)