Mashed Sweet Potatoes

I didn't like sweet potatoes until I was served them in "mashed" form at one of our favorite restuarants, Redstone.  I have since attempted to recreate this yummy dish with the recipe below.  I added a yummy sugary topping, because streusel.  I think this will become a regular dish at our Thanksgiving table.

 

Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Recipe adapted from Top Secret Recipes 

Ingredients:

• 3-4 large sweet potatoes
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

For the Topping:

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/3 cup pecans
• 1/4 cup rolled oats
• 2 tablespoons cornflakes or rice krispie cereal
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:

1. Fill large stockpot with water, and bring to a boil.  Meanwhile, peel and cube raw sweet potatoes. 
2. Boil sweet potato cubes for 20-30 minutes, until tender.  Drain, and beat with a hand-mixer until desired consistency.  Immediately mix in remaining ingredients.  
3. In a food processor, grind pecans, rolled oats, and krispie cereal until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Melt one tablespoon butter in small saucepan, and add crumbly mixture.  Cook over medium heat for 3-5 minutes to bring out the flavor.  Remove from heat, and mix in brown sugar and cinnamon. 
4. Serve sweet potatoes, and top with crumbly streusel topping. 

Fajita Pitas

This is a simple week-night meal that I learned in my Home Economic class in high school. 

 

Fajita Pitas 

Recipe from my home economics class in high school

Ingredients:

• Pita Sandwich Bread
• Shredded Chicken 
• Taco Seasoning
• Shredded Cheddar Cheese
• Lettuce
• Sliced Tomato
• Sour Cream
• Diced Avocado

Directions:

In a saucepan over medium heat, heat shredded chicken, a few tablespoons of water, and taco seasoning to taste.  Stuff pita bread with seasoned chicken, cheese, and whatever other ingredients you prefer.   

The BEST Chocolate Chip Cookies Ever

I have tried many, many, many chocolate chip cookie recipes over the years, hoping to find the best one.  I grew up on the traditional Nestle Toll House cookies, and while good, they left me longing for more. 

Thus began the cookie-making exploration.  In the past, I have found success with Alex's cookie recipe, and also cookies where you add a vanilla pudding mix into the dough.  Both are fantastic, but they honestly don't compare to these cookies. 

 

 

These cookies were a result of a fantastic girl's weekend with my good friend, Lauren.  She came to Chicago for a food blogging convention, and invited me to hang-out with her downtown.  We stayed in The Wit Hotel, a Double Tree Hotel.  Upon checking in, they offered us a warm chocolate chip cookie.  It was the best cookie either of us had ever had.  I came to find out that all Double Tree hotels offer warm cookies upon arrival, and that you can ask for more than one whenever the mood strikes you during your stay.  Needless to say, many warm chocolate chip cookies were consumed during that weekend.  

 

I came home and scoured the inter-webs for a copy cat recipe, and found this one.  I was skeptical, because no cookie could be as good as the real thing, but boy were we wrong.  This cookie is fabulous!  I crave them approximately 1,896 times a day. 

I usually don't like nuts in my cookies, but these are ground up, so you can hardly taste them - and they add a nice texture and flavor to the cookie.  Don't omit the nuts, trust me on this one. 

The BEST Chocolate Chip Cookies

Recipe adapted from Food Geeks

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1-1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 1-1/2 tsp. lemon juice
• 2 eggs
• 3 cups semi-sweet, chocolate chips
• 1-1/2 cups chopped walnuts

Directions:

1. Grind oats in a food processor or blender until fine. Combine the ground oats with the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a medium bowl.
2. Cream together the butter, sugars, vanilla, and lemon juice in another medium bowl with an electric mixer. Add the eggs and mix until smooth. Stir the dry mixture into the wet mixture and blend well. Add the chocolate chips and nuts to the dough and mix by hand until ingredients are well blended.
3. For the best results, chill the dough overnight in the refrigerator before baking the cookies (I usually form the dough into rounded 1-inch balls using a cookie scoop, and then freeze.  You can pull them out of the freezer anytime, and cook as many as you'd like).
4. Place rounded dough balls onto ungreased cookie sheet (I use parchment paper). Place the scoops about 2 inches apart. Bake in a 350°F oven for 14-17 minutes or until cookies are light brown and soft in the middle. Store in a sealed container when cool to keep soft.

Crescent Dinner Rolls

Not much is better than the smell of homemade bread. I've experimented with so many roll recipes, and this one has got to be my favorite.  I make these for Thanksgiving, funeral luncheons, and just about any other occasion that calls for buttery, fresh rolls.



Apparently, our dog Watson loves them too.  I made these the other day, and our whole house was filled with the most heavenly aroma.  Watson went into the kitchen, and started barking.  I followed him in to see what was the matter, and he pointed (with his snout) at the rolls cooling on the counter, and then to me, over and over again.  I finally gave in and let him sample a small bite.  He was one happy dog (I couldn't blame him!). 

Crescent Dinner Roles

Recipe slightly adapted from How Does She? *

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups of milk
• 3/4 cup + 1 Tablespoon Sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 Tablespoon salt
• 2 packets of rapid-rise yeast
• 2 cups of warm water
• about 9-10 cups of all purpose flour
• at least 1 cup of butter

Instructions:

1. Scald 1 1/2 cups of milk, 3/4 cup sugar and 1/2 cup of butter, in a microwave safe bowl, for about 2 minutes. Cutting the butter into pieces helps it melt faster. There will probably be some little cubes of butter still floating in the hot mixture, they will melt.   Remove from microwave, and stir in 2 cups of flour, then add 1 egg and 1 Tablespoon of salt; allow to cool for a couple of minutes.
2. Meanwhile, In a glass measuring cup, dissolve 2 packets of rapid-rise yeast in 2 cups of warm water and 1 Tablespoon of sugar. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes until it is bubbly.
3. Make sure your milk mixture is just warm, not boiling and add the yeast mixture.
4. Using a fork or wooden spoon, gradually stir in 9-10 cups of flour (counting the flour you have already added to cool it earlier). I would recommend only adding 2 cups at time and stirring in between. These rolls turn out so much better when they are mixed by hand.
5. At the end the dough will be dense and sticky, and may be hard to stir, you can use your hands to incorporate the rest of the flour if needed. Be sure not to add too much flour, as you want the dough to be just a bit sticky. Then smooth the dough out and place in greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap. Leave it in a warm place and let it rise until double in size.
6. When your dough is close to raising completely, butter 2 cookie sheets and set them aside.
7. Cover your working space with flour to prevent the dough from sticking. Dump your dough out and divide it into 4 balls. Eyeball the sizes, then lift them up and feel the weight of each ball. Try to make them even, but they don’t have to be perfect.
8. Using one ball of dough at a time: roll the dough into a circle on a floured counter. Once it is rolled out spread the top with butter from edge to edge. You will use about 2 Tablespoons per circle of dough.
9. Cut the dough circle into quarters using a pizza cutter. Then cut each quarter into 3 pieces. You should end up with 12 triangles from each circle of dough.
10. Roll the dough starting with the wide end of the triangle
11. Tuck the tail of the triangle under the roll and place it on the buttered cookie sheet. You will make 4 rows, with 6 rolls per row. This will give you 24 rolls per pan (making 48 rolls total).
12. Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees. Place the pans of rolls in a warm place (on top of the oven if possible) to let them rise. Once they are touching and full in size, cook (one pan at a time) in the oven ’till they are golden brown. About 10 – 15 minutes (mine took about 17 minutes). Keep a close eye on your first pan to get the right time for the second.
13. While they are still hot and fresh out of the oven run a stick of butter over the tops of the rolls for a delicious buttery glaze.

*This link has great step-by-step pictures on how to make these rolls. 

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

My sister introduced me to this fabulous enchilada recipe, and they are one of our favorite week-night meals.  Super easy to throw-together with shredded rotisserie chicken, and left-overs re-heat fantastically in the microwave the next day for lunch. 

 

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

Recipe adapted from All Recipes

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/3 cup chopped green onions
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 (4 ounce) can diced green chiles
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 cups cubed cooked chicken breast meat
• 1 1/2 cups shredded Monterrey Jack cheese, divided
• 6 (12 inch) flour tortillas*
• 1/4 cup milk

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a large baking dish.
2. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and saute the green onion until tender (about 3 to 4 minutes). Add the garlic powder, then stir in the green chiles, cream of chicken soup and sour cream. Mix well. Reserve 2/3 of this sauce and set aside. To the remaining 1/3 of the sauce in the saucepan, add the chicken and half of the shredded cheese. Stir together.
3. Fill each flour tortilla with the chicken mixture and roll up. Place seam side down in the prepared baking dish.
4. In a small bowl combine the reserved 2/3 of the sauce with the milk. Spoon this mixture over the rolled tortillas and top with the remaining half of the shredded cheese. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly.

*You want to use a thicker tortilla so that these hold up, like Guerro brand.  These don't turn out as well if you use the pre-cooked Tortilla Land brand, because they are thinner. 

Aunt Jerilee's Waffles

Let me tell you a little something about my Aunt Jerilee - she makes Martha Stewart look like an amateur.  Aunt Jerilee can do anything - she crafts like no one's business, raises chickens, sews, sings, plays several musical instruments, and so much more.  One of her greatest gifts is her ability to cook.  Enter, these life-changing waffles.

For the past ten years or so, we've spent the morning of either New Year's or Memorial Day at my Aunt Jerilee and Uncle Scott's house. We've been welcomed to an incredible spread of homemade jams, jellies, homemade hashbrowns, freshly squeezed juice, farm fresh eggs, home-cured deer bacon, sausage, fresh fruit, whipped cream, and these most fabulous waffles.  Its one of the highlights of our year, and we always look forward to it.

When we asked her for the recipe and she started explaining the process of aging buttermilk, we knew we were in over heads.  Luckily, she kindly adapted the recipe for me and Alex, and these bad boys have fit in nicely with our weekly Sunday brunches. 

 

Aunt Jerilee's Waffles

Recipe from the Kitchen of Jerilee Hutchins

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 2 cups Buttermilk (Organic Buttermilk seems to be the closest you can get to aging your own)
• 2 cups All-Purpose Flour
• 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
• 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons Shortening

Directions:

Heat waffle iron. Beat eggs; beat in remaining ingredients with rotary beater (or wire whisk) until smooth. Cook according to your waffle iron directions.

Lunch Lady Peanut Butter Bars

Alex and I are trying to eliminate sugar from our diets during the week, and save the sweets for the weekends.  Believe me when I say this is excruciating for us.  I'm used to making a dessert every evening to compliment dinner, and then we'd both eat any left-overs the next day.  I know that isn't healthy, and I was shocked when the World Health Organization recently recommended only eating 25 grams of sugar a day.  Since I was probably eating 3-4 times that many before, I knew I needed to make some changes. 

So last week was our first go-around on our new no-sugar-during-the-week-days plan, and many discussions were held about what treat we would make for the weekend.  We both decided it was time for some Lunch Lady Cookie Bars!

I was served these occasionally for a treat with lunch in elementary school.  They make a huge pan, so they are good for potlucks or family reunions.  By Sunday night, we had about half the pan left, so we figured we take the left-overs for friends.  They loved them too!

Lunch Lady Peanut Butter Bars
Recipe slightly adapted from Our Best Bites

Cookie Base:

• 1 cup real butter (2 sticks) at room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 1  1/2 cups peanut butter, chunky or smooth
• 3 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoons table salt
• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 3 cups quick oats
• optional: an extra 3/4 cup peanut butter, see notes in recipe below

Fudge Frosting:

• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon table salt
• 1/3 cup butter, softened
• 1/3 cup boiling water
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a rimmed cookie sheet (standard half-sheet pan) lightly with non-stick spray and set aside.
2. Cream butter and sugars for 2-3 minutes, until light and fluffy.  Add  peanut butter and vanilla and beat until combined.  Add eggs, one at a time and beat between each addition. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt and add mixture to dough.  Beat to combine.  Add oats and mix until incorporated.  Press dough into prepared pan into a flat layer.  Bake for about 15-20 minutes (mine took the whole 20 minutes).  The center should be puffed and set, but still soft. 
3. While crust is baking, prepare frosting.  Whisk together powdered sugar, cocoa powder and salt.  Add butter (make sure it’s soft!), boiling water, and vanilla.  Beat until smooth and glossy.
4. When cookie crust is done baking, if desired drizzle about 3/4 cups melted (just nuke it in the microwave) peanut butter on top and then spread on frosting.  Let cool (or leave slightly warm) and cut into squares to serve. 

Irish Beef Stew

I wanted to do something festive for St. Patrick's Day this year.  Janet had given us some some Irish Soda Bread and Green River to celebrate, and when Lauren posted this Irish Stew recipe on her blog - I knew we had a winner.

This beef stew is so good, I think it will become a regular in our dinner rotation. I was skeptical of the creamy mashed potatoes on the bottom, because they're made with cream cheese, but they are fabulous and your can't taste the cream cheese at all.

Traditional Irish Stew uses half beef broth, and half Guinness, but Guinness only sold in 12 packs and we don't drink.  I didn't want to find a place for 11 cans of beer in my house, so I followed Lauren's recipe and only used beef broth.  However, if/when I ever get my hands on a can of Guinness, you better believe it will be going into this stew. 

 

Irish Beef Stew

Recipe slightly adapted from Lauren's Latest

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 lb. stew meat
• 4 large carrots, peeled & chopped
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• salt & pepper, to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon rosemary
• 1 large bay leaf or 2 small
• 3 cups beef broth
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons flour
• heaping 1/3 cup frozen peas
• mashed potatoes (recipe found here)

Directions:

In large pot or deep skillet, brown stew meat in olive oil until browned on all sides, about 4 minutes. Pour in onions, carrots, garlic and spices. Cook another 5 minutes. Deglaze pan with beef broth. Cover and simmer 2-4 hours or until meat is very tender (mine only took 2 hours).  When you are ready to serve, remove bay leaf. In a small bowl stir softened butter and flour together until smooth and incorporated. Stir butter mixture into the stew with the frozen peas. Once the gravy thickens slightly, it's done. Serve hot over mashed potatoes.

Cheesy Biscuits

A friend from work, Brandi, got me addicted to Red Lobster.  When I worked at CEC, we'd go there frequently for lunch.  I don't even like any kind of seafood, but I do love their cheddar bay biscuits.  This recipe is not a 100% match, but is delicious nonetheless!  One of our favorite sides with a dinner salad. 

Cheddar Biscuits
Recipe adapted from GMA and Lauren's Latest

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/3 cup cold butter, cubed
• 1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup milk

Topping:

• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• ¼ teaspoon dried parsley flakes
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• pinch salt 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 
2. Whisk dry ingredients together in a medium-sized mixing bowl. 
3. Cut cold butter into small cubes, and then use a pastry knife to combine with dry mixture until coarse. 
4. Add milk and shredded cheese, and mix just until blended (don't over mix).
5. Using a cookie scoop, drop clumps of batter onto cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes, or until golden brown around the edges and on top of the biscuits. 
6. While baking, melt 2 tablespoons of butter, and add parsley, garlic powder, and salt.  Brush on top of cooked biscuits and serve immediately.

Mesquite Chicken Dinner Salad

This is a simple dinner salad, that was served to us at our good friend's house (the LaMonica's) a few years ago.  The combination of flavors work really well together. 



The trick is finding the Sweet Mesquite Seasoning.  We got this bottle from Costco a few years ago:

 

Mesquite Chicken Dinner Salad

Recipe from the kitchen of Laura LaMonica

Ingredients:

• 2-3 Chicken Breasts (or 8-10 chicken tenders)
• 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 tablespoon Sweet Mesquite Seasoning
• 1/2 cup Chopped Onion

Directions:

1. Heat oil in non-stick skillet or grill pan over medium.  
2. Add chicken breasts, chopped onion, and mesquite seasoning, and cook until chicken is done (about 5-7 minutes).
3. Serve atop a garden salad (lettuce, tomatoes, cheddar cheese, croutons, salad dressing, etc.). 

Chicken Tostadas

My good friend and former co-worker, GeorgeAnne, made these for dinner one night, and brought the left-overs into work for her lunch the next day.  Oh my goodness, they smelled soooooooo good!  I kept commenting on how delicious they looked and smelled, in hopes of getting offered one.  Fortunately, my plan worked (or maybe Gigi just got tired of me hinting), and she shared a much-coveted tostada with me.  

The combination of flavors were just fantastic.  She married into a family that has Mexican ancestry, and I think that is where she learned how to make them.  I asked her for the recipe, and she gave me the "a couple shakes of this" and "a few spoonfuls of that" proportions, as well as the ingredients she used.  I came home, and pieced her directions together into in this recipe.  You can easily double or triple this if you're cooking for a crowd, and they make great left-overs.

The trick is finding the right ingredients.  These two may be hard to find:  Adobo All-Purpose Seasoning (the lemon pepper variety, the one with a yellow lid), and Chipotle Sauce.  Meijer is the only grocery store chain that carries the chipotle sauce around here, but you can usually get it at any Mexican specialty grocery store.  

Chicken Tostadas

Recipe from GeorgeAnne Ramirez

Ingredients:

• 2-3 boneless chicken breasts
• 1 onion, cut in half
• 2 teaspoons of Adobo All-Purpose Seasoning (about 20 shakes)
• 3 tablespoons chilpotle sauce (or more if you like it spicy) 

Toppings:

• corn tostada rounds
• lettuce
• tomatoes
• sour cream (this helps off-set the spiciness)
• cheddar cheese, shredded
• avocado

Directions:

1. Fill stock pot with water (about 6 cups), and bring to a boil.
2. Drop chicken breasts, Adobo seasoning, and onion halves into boiling water, and cook until chicken is done (about 5-7 minutes). 
3. Remove chicken from boiling water, and shred (you can discard the onions and water). 
4. Place shredded chicken into a non-stick skillet, and add 2-3 tablespoons of chipotle sauce (more or less, depending on your preference for spiciness). 
5. Spread sour cream on tostada round, top with chicken, cheese, lettuce, tomato, and avocado (or whatever toppings you wish to use). 

Stuffed Peppers

Alex introduced me to these stuffed peppers, and I love them!  I've generally stayed away from stuffed peppers in the past, because I don't like foods that are tomato-sauce based; luckily, these don't contain any tomato products like most stuffed peppers do.  I also like this hearty meal, because it includes all major food groups. 

 

Stuffed Peppers

Recipe from Alex Diestler

Ingredients:

• 3-4 bell peppers
• 1 tube of sage sausage (I prefer Bob Evan's)
• 1 1/2 cups barley (or rice)
• 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1. Cook barley or rice. 
2. Slice bell peppers in half length-wise, and remove pit and seeds. 
3. In a large non-stick pan, cook sage sausage and drain oil. 
4. Mix the cooked sausage, cooked barley, and half the shredded cheese in a large mixing bowl.  Place mixture into each bell pepper half (facing up). 
5. Add remaining cheese on top of each stuffed pepper. 
6. Bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes, or until cheese starts to crisp. 

Response to the Meatloaf Incident

You may recall my recent post about the Meatloaf Incident of 1988, and my story of survival.  My sister (the villain) happened upon my account of this tragedy, and wanted to share her side of the story.  Where the truth lies?  We may never know . . .

Such drama, such intrigue, such ..... lies! In truth, it was not a slice of dogloaf, but a delicious homemade cookie from the kitchen of Jane Doe*  that I so selflessly shared with my one sister.  

Mrs. Doe had just whipped up a fresh batch when we were entered her home. Imagine our disappointment when we learned that her hubby, John Doe*, was taking nearly all of the precious morsels to a scouting activity later that evening. Only 7 cookies remained after he plundered the treasure trove of taste. 

Jane had promised Amy and I, as well as each of her 4 children, a cookie, with one remaining for herself. We would be rewarded the sweet treat after we finished the aforetomentioned dogloaf. Being the extremely picky eater that Amy was, she remained at the table, refusing to eat the strange invention that is meat in bread form. As an act of solidarity, I remained with her, having finished my serving of Alpo ages ago, a cookie resting quietly on the napkin before me. 

Suddenly, in a fit of what can only be described as rabid rage, the Doe's albino bunny rounded the corner of the kitchen entrance, jumped up on the table, and in one second had devoured Amy's remaining foodstuffs. As soon as it happened, it was over (as things often are after they happen). We were left stunned, shocked and fearing for our very lives. Within moments Jane came in the kitchen, took one look at Amy and her empty plate, and one look at the villianous rabbit and frowned. "I see you've fed your portion of my delicious delicacy to the rabbit. There will be no cookie for you after all." And with that, she picked up the last remaining cookie and shoved it in her mouth, emitting a loud cackle and giving Amy a glare that only Mr. Barrow could rival. 

I watched as Amy, heartbroken and cookieless, began to emit large, wailing sobs. Robbed of dinner, dessert and her very dignity (it seemed), she was inconsolable. It was then that I made a selfless decision that would come to haunt me the rest of my precious life. I lifted my prized possession and handed it to my grieving sister. "Here Amy" I said. "You take it. I know how much Jane's cookies mean to you. They mean so very much to me." Amy stopped wailing, looked at me with eyes brim with tears and said "You mean, you'd do that for me?" We embraced and the cookie was soon eaten. "I'll never forget what you did for me, MoEsha*. You truly are the best big sister that a girl could have." 

The rest of the evening was a blur. I remember that Amy followed me around like a puppy dog, refusing to leave my side. She thanked me again and again. Years (4) of tension and teasing and jealousy had been healed. We were starting anew. We were kindred spirits. Nothing could get in our way.

Within a few hours, our parents arrived, graciously thanked a still fuming Jane, and buckled us in our car seats. Amy and I held hands in the back seat. "How was dinner?" they asked, warily. "Did you eat ALL your food?" Amy turned to me, smiled and replied "MoEsha made me eat all her meatloaf and then stole my cookie!"

*Names have been changed to protect the not-so-innocent

Chicken a la King

This is my all-time favorite, home cooked meal.  Anytime you can incorporate a pastry into dinner, I consider it a win.  This recipe was created by my good friend and former college roommate, Lauren.  I post many recipes from her blog, as she is a genius in the kitchen. 

I made these for my father-in-law a few months back, and he raved about them also.  This was no small feat as my FIL isn't one to hand out compliments willy-nilly.  It was then that I knew I had been accepted into the Diestler tribe.  :-)

 

Chicken a la King

Recipe from Lauren's Latest 

Ingredients:

• 6 whole Puff Pastry Shells (In the freezer aisle, next to the Cool Whip and frozen fruit)
• 2 Tablespoons Butter
• ½ cups Minced Onion Or Shallot
• 2 Tablespoons All-purpose Flour
• 1 cup Chicken Broth
• ¾ cups Heavy Cream
• ⅛ teaspoons Poultry Seasoning
• 1 pinch Ground Thyme
• Salt And Pepper, to taste
• 1-½ cup Shredded Chicken
• 1-½ cups Frozen Vegetables Of Your Choice

Directions:

1. Bake puff pastry shells according to package directions.
2. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and saute onions until tender, 3-5 minutes. Stir in flour and cook 1 minute. Increase heat to medium high. Slowly whisk in chicken broth. Let the sauce come to a boil to thicken. Reduce heat to medium low and stir in cream, poultry seasoning, thyme, salt, pepper, chicken, and vegetables. Keep warm on the stove top until ready to serve.
3. To serve, remove the center of a puff pastry shell and pour in the mixture.

No-Bake Cookies

This is one of my favorite treats!  If ever Alex and I have a late night craving for something sweet, this is what we make. They are fast, easy, and we usually have all the ingredients on hand. 

These are hardly healthy, so last time we made them, we reduced the sugar to 3/4 cup.  They still turned out great, though I do prefer the full-sugar version, obviously.  :-)

 

No-Bake Cookies

Recipe from my Home Economics class in high school

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup baking cocoa
• 1 1/2 cups quick cook oats
• 1/4 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Directions:

In a medium saucepan, combine butter, milk, sugar, and cocoa.  Over medium heat, bring to a boil and boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat, and add oats, peanut butter, and vanilla.  Stir together, and drop by spoonfuls on to a lightly greased cookie sheet.  Refrigerate until firm. 

Chicken Pockets - Reinvented

I posted this recipe for Chicken Pockets a few years ago.  While good, I've come to learn that there are many variations of Chicken Pockets.   A woman at our church made us these ones to thank Alex for doing some electrical work in her home.  We had my father-in-law visiting at the time for the holidays, and it was so nice to have a meal already prepared for company.  We loved them, and try as I might, I have yet to make them taste just like hers.  However, this version is fairly close and delicious nonetheless. 

 

Chicken Pockets

Adapted from this recipe at Seeded at the Table

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup minced onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 5 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt
• 2 tablespoons milk 
• 2 cups shredded chicken breast 
• Bread dough (I use this recipe, only changing the flour proportions to 1/2 wheat flour); or use   refrigerated crescent rolls
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted
• 1/4 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs, optional

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Heat the olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Cook the onions and garlic until translucent.
3. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese and 2 tablespoons softened butter until smooth. Stir in the cooked chicken, onions and garlic. Add the salts, pepper and milk. Mix well.
4. Roll out your dough, and cut into 8 equal squares. Dollop a spoonful of filling into the center of each square and fold the corners over to seal. Press and seal firmly with a fork. Place on ungreased baking sheet or stone and repeat with the remaining dough and filling. Brush the tops with the melted butter and sprinkle with the bread crumbs (optional).  Make slits to vent.
5. Bake for 12-15 minutes minutes, or until golden brown.

Taco Salad

This is a simple week-night meal you can throw together in a few minutes.  Growing up, we always had this meal when we served the missionaries dinner.  

 

Taco Salad

Recipe from Mom (Carol Hutchins)

Ingredients:

• Lettuce
• Tomato
• Cheddar Cheese, shredded
• Avocado, diced
• Lime wedges
• Sour Cream
• 1 pound Ground Beef
• 1/2 Taco Seasoning Packet
• 1/2 cup Pace Picante Sauce
• Tortilla Chips

Directions:

1. Cook up ground beef in a non-stick skillet over medium heat.  Add salsa and taco seasoning. 
2. Serve meat mixture over crushed tortilla chips, and top with remaining ingredients. 

Nutella Cookies

We recently gave into some impulse buys at Costco.  Upon unloading the groceries at home, we had a moment of panic in determining what we were going to do with so much Nutella.  Enter - the Nutella Cookie!

Alex always gets refreshments in Elder's Quorum at church on Sunday.  Why the Relief Society doesn't get refreshments, I'll never know (for the record, when I teach Relief Society, I always bring a treat to share!).  These cookies were served one Sunday, and Alex has been raving about them ever since. He made them last week, and I had never been more attracted to him than in that moment.  These bad boys are sinfully good!  Be warned though, they are quite time-consuming.

Just a hint, they taste best right out of the oven. 

Nutella Cookies

Recipe from Cooking Classy

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup butter, softened (I used salted)
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 cups milk chocolate chips (or an additional 1 cup semi-sweet)
• 1 jar of Nutella
• sea salt for sprinkling tops, if desired

Directions:

1. In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt for 30 seconds, set aside. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 - 4 minutes. Add in eggs one at a time, mixing until combined after each addition and adding vanilla in with second egg. With mixer set on low speed, slowly add in dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate 2 hours.
2. Meanwhile, line a baking sheet with wax paper and dollop 1 1/2 tsp of Nutella at a time onto lined baking sheet into individual little mounds, repeat until you have made 30. Transfer to freezer and freeze 1 hour.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. To assemble and bake cookies, remove dough from refrigerator and scoop dough out about 2 Tbsp at a time and shape into balls. Remove about 4 nutella dollops from the freezer at a time (so the Nutella doesn't soften at room temperature, you want it to stay firm as it's much easier to work with this way) and using your thumbs make an indentation in the center of the dough ball, large enough to fit a Nutella dollop (so it should look similar to a bowl). Take frozen Nutella and place it in the center of the indentation, then wrap and press cookie dough around Nutella to cover entirely (so the Nutella doesn't seep out while baking). Transfer prepared cookie dough balls to a Silpat lined (or buttered) baking sheet and bake in preheated oven 9 - 12 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle tops lightly with sea salt if desired. Allow to cool several minutes on baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool. Store in an airtight container. 

Fettuccini Alfredo

This is the recipe that converted me to pasta.  Prior to having this dish, I didn't like anything cream-based or containing pasta (which was probably a good thing for my waist line).  Our good friends, Alan & Liz Ricker, made this for dinner one night, and we were hooked!  The Ricker's are our "foodie friends," and we have enjoyed many wonderful meals together. 

The measurements are a bit imprecise - but isn't that how all fantastic recipes are?

Fettuccine Alfredo

Recipe from Liz Ricker

Ingredients:

• 2/3-1 carton (pint) of heavy whipping cream
• 1/2-3/4 container of fresh parmesan cheese
• 3/4 stick of butter
• 2 cups cubed chicken
• 1/2 box fetuccini noodles
• 1 cup frozen broccoli florets
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Get your noodles cooking.
2. In a sauce pan on med heat, melt the butter; add the whipping cream. Let the sauce come to a boil, lower the heat and add the cheese. Stir it as it melts (I added the broccoli here and covered the pan to let the heat cook the broccoli). 
3. I usually add some salt and pepper, just a little bit, though.
4. Eat up...told you it was easy! Enjoy 

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Whoopie Pies

Here is another famous recipe from our good friend, Bonnie.  We make these around Fall time, and they go great with mulled apple cider.  

 

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Whoopie Pies

Recipe from Bonnie Brown  

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 cup pure pumpkin canned
• 1 large egg
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
• Butter cream icing (recipe follows)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine flour, cinnamon, cloves, salt & baking soda into a small bowl. Beat butter, sugar and brown sugar in large mixer bowl until creamy. Beat in pumpkin, egg and vanilla extract until blended. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto Parchment lined sheets; flatten slightly.
3. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until centers are set. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool completely. Be sure to make cookies uniform in size so they sandwich together evenly.
4. While cookies are cooling prepare the Butter Cream icing as follows:
   
   • 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
   • 2 tsp vanilla
   • 4 cups confectioners' sugar
   • 4 tbsp milk (whole milk or evaporated is preferred)
   In a large bowl, cream together the butter and vanilla. Blend in the sugar, one cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the milk, and continue mixing until light and fluffy.
5. Once cookies have completely cooled, spread icing between two cookies. Enjoy!!

Chicken Fried Rice

We love Chinese Food, and this recipe is one of our favorites!  We make it with barley instead of rice, as its a bit more healthy. 

 

Chicken Fried Rice

Adapted from this recipe at AllRecipes.com

Ingredients:

• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cups cooked white rice, brown rice, or barley
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 cup cooked, chopped chicken meat
• 1 cup frozen peas and carrots

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, beat egg with water. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium low heat. Add egg and leave flat for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from skillet and cut into shreds.
2. Heat oil in same skillet; add onion and saute until soft. Then add rice, soy sauce, pepper, chicken, and frozen peas and carrots. Stir fry together for about 5 minutes, then stir in egg. Serve hot.

Peanut Butter Blossoms

One of the Christmas traditions Alex and I started as a married couple was to make Peanut Butter Blossoms and watch National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.  It is one of my favorite times during the season.  

 

Peanut Butter Blossoms

Recipe from Hershey's Kitchens

Ingredients:

• 48 HERSHEY'S KISSES Brand Milk Chocolates
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 3/4 cup REESE'S Creamy Peanut Butter
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Additional granulated sugar

Directions:

• Heat oven to 375°F. Remove wrappers from chocolates.
• Beat shortening and peanut butter in large bowl until well blended. Add 1/3 cup granulated sugar and brown sugar; beat until fluffy. Add egg, milk and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into peanut butter mixture.
• Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar; place on ungreased cookie sheet.
• Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Immediately press a chocolate into center of each cookie; cookie will crack around edges. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely.

Makes about 48 cookies.

Sugar Cookies

I love a good sugar cookie, but usually only make them once a year around Valentine's Day.  Alex isn't a huge fan of them, and I get tired of them quickly. 

These sugar cookies were served to me while working at BYU Broadcasting as a student.  I was an Accounting Assistant, and the interim boss had made these for Valentine's Day.  In my opinion, these are the best sugar cookies I've ever had.

This recipe calls for shortening, but I've tried to cut out artificial fat from my diet, so I made it with butter.  Turned out great!
 

 

Cut-Out Sugar Cookies

Recipe given to me by Angela Hubbard, I have no idea where it originated from

Ingredients*:

• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup shortening or butter
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla
• 1 teaspoon lemon extract
• 6 1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• Butter Cream Icing (see recipe below)

Directions:

1. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper, set aside. 
2. In large mixing bowl, cream sugar, butter, and eggs.  Add milk, vanilla, and lemon extract; mix with a wooden spoon until well blended.  
3. Add salt, baking soda, and baking powder - mix well.  Slowly add flour.  
4. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. 
5. Roll out 1/8 inch thick; cut into desired shapes. 
6. Bake at 400 degrees for 6-8 minutes, until edges are a light brown. 
7. Frost with butter cream frosting. Makes 6-8 dozen.

 * This recipe makes A TON of cookies. If you don't want to be rolling and cutting out shapes forever, I recommend halving it.  


Butter Cream Icing
Recipe given to me by Angela Hubbard, I have no idea where it originated from

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup butter, softened
• 1/4 cup cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• Low-fat milk, if needed

Directions:

1. Beat butter until fluffy.  Add cream, milk, vanilla, salt, and 1 cup powdered sugar.  
2. Slowly add remaining powdered sugar, and beat until smooth.  
3. Add low-fat milk by the teaspoon, if needed, until frosting is the consistency you want. 

Meatloaf and a Story of Surival

So, funny story about meatloaf:

As a child, I was a very picky eater and wouldn't eat anything except for cornbread and chicken nuggets.  One night, my parents sent my older sister and me to a baby-sitter.  Before dropping us off, they told us that we better eat everything the sitter served us for dinner, or else.  They even took it one step further and told us that we must compliment her on the food she prepared.  Imagine my horror when the sitter served us the most grotesque, disgusting meal I had every seen in my short little life - meatloaf!  In hindsight, the meatloaf was probably perfectly good - but to a 4 year-old, there could be nothing worse.  

As an obedient child, I did just what my parents told me to do and slowly choked down this atrocity before me.  I still remember vividly the little white chunks inside of it (probably onions). Once I finally gagged my last bite, I turned to the baby-sitter and lied, "Thank you, that was delicious.  I really loved it!"

My older sister, also hating meatloaf and being a bit more conniving than me, saw an opportunity here.  She slowly looked at me, the baby-sitter, and then back to me again.  I could see the wheels turning in her mind as she feverishly thought about how she could get out of eating this disaster of a meal. A smile slowly spread across her face (think: the Grinch), as she sneered at me and exclaimed, "Oh Amy, I know how much you love meatloaf.  Unfortunately, I am so full from lunch earlier - why don't you have the rest of mine?"  She then proceeded to scrape the chunk of dog food, I mean meatloaf, on to my plate, and then ran off to play.  

I was trapped and saw no other way to get out of it, so I ended up heaving down another serving of the dreadful meatloaf. 

To this day, I still get after my sister about this.  When ever she would complain about how unfair it is to be a middle child, I would gently remind her about the meatloaf incident of 1988.  

As a result of this experience, I didn't eat meatloaf again for well over 20 years.  

Recently, my husband and I had been invited to dinner at the Browns.  When I saw that Bonnie was making meatloaf, I nearly had a panic attack from the post traumatic stress I had experienced as a child.  Being in a similar predicament of not wanting to offend the hostess, I knew I had to eat what she served me.  I took one bite, and . . . and . . . it was delicious!  Truly a magnificent meal!  I really, really loved it and requested the recipe immediately.  Now, I am proud to say that meatloaf makes it into our regular meal rotation.  

If nothing else, I am a survivor.  :-)

 

Meatloaf

Slightly adapted from a recipe provided by Lipton's Onion Soup Mix

Ingredients:

• 1 envelope Lipton® Recipe Secrets® Onion Soup Mix 
• 2 lbs. ground beef
• 3/4 cup plain dry bread crumbs
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup water
• 2/3 cup barbecue sauce

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Combine all ingredients in large bowl.
2. Shape into loaf in 13 x 9-inch baking or roasting pan.
3. If desired, top with additional barbecue sauce and cook uncovered for 1 hour or until done.    Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Hawaiian Haystacks - Homemade Sauce

I was introduced to Hawaiian Haystacks at a Youth Conference, and have loved them ever since.  Traditionally, they are a layered meal starting with rice, and then pouring on some sort of cream of chicken soup.  From there, you can basically use any toppings, but my favorite combination of flavors is:

• Celery
• Fresh Pineapple
• Craisens
• Coconut
• Slivered Almonds
• Chow Mien Noodles

In trying to be healthy, I decided to search for a homemade cream of chicken soup recipe, rather than using it from the can, and found this one.  It turned out great!  I also used brown rice instead of white rice.

 

Homemade Cream of Chicken Sauce for Hawaiian Haystacks

Slightly adapted from this Recipe at Mel's Kitchen Cafe 

Ingredients*

• 2 boneless, cooked chicken breasts, cut into bite-size chunks (or shredded rotisserie chicken)
• 3 tablespoons butter
• ½ onion (about ½ cup), finely chopped
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• ¼ cup flour
• 2 cups milk
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/8 teaspoon poultry seasoning

Directions

1. In a large skillet melt the butter over medium heat and add the onion. Saute until the onions are soft and translucent, about 2 to 3 minutes.
2. Sprinkle the flour over the onions and stir to combine, making a roux. Put a lid on the pan, and cook over medium heat for one minute – this helps get rid of the starchy, flour taste. Slowly whisk in the milk and chicken broth. Cook, stirring constantly with a whisk, and bring the sauce to a simmer over medium to medium-high heat. Add the salt and pepper. Add cubed chicken. Continue simmering, stirring the sauce frequently, until the sauce has thickened, about 5-8 minutes.
3. Serve the chicken sauce over rice with your toppings of choice. 

*Alex thought the sauce was good, but could use a bit more flavor.  Next time, I will try adding a chicken bullion cube to the mix.