Chicken & Dumplings

This is a Shonda original - meaning, I just wing it, but I did follow it pretty closely to make five meals for the December meal exchange.

3 big chicken breasts (cubed)
1 bag of frozen mix of celery, onions and carrots
1 small can of mushrooms
1 large box of chicken broth plus 1 can (I use low sodium)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of celery soup
Bisquick Mix
Low-fat milk
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil

Boil check breasts and cut into cubes. Saute celery, onions, carrot mix and mushrooms in olive oil until tender. Combine chicken and vegetables in large stock pot. Add the chicken broth, cream of chicken and cream of celery soup. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 20 - 25 minutes. While the soup mixture is simmering, make the dumplings. There is a recipe on the Bisquick box for dumplings. I usually make three batches. Each batch is 2/3 cup of Bisquick milk and 3 tablespoons of milk. After the soup has simmered, return it to a boil. Drop the dumplings into the boiling soup a tablespoon at a time. With a large spoon, dunk the dumplings in the broth. They will be finished in about 5 - 8 minutes. Turn the heat to low and allow the mixture time to thicken, usually another 10 - 15 minutes. Depending on the consistency you like, you may want to thicken it using cornstarch and milk.

Thanksgiving Recipes

I haven't posted in awhile - we have all been busy! These are some recipes from our Thanksgiving meal at Krista's house - all were really good!

Sausage, Apple, and Fennel Corn Bread Dressing

Yield: 10 servings (serving size: about 3/4 cup)

Ingredients

Corn bread:

1 cup all-purpose flour (about 4 1/2 ounces)
3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup fat-free milk
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Cooking spray

Stuffing:
2 teaspoons olive oil
6 ounces lean, low-sodium smoked turkey sausage, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
2 cups finely chopped onion
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 cups diced Granny Smith apple (about 1 large)
1/2 cup diced celery
1/2 cup diced fennel bulb
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 large eggs, lightly beaten

Preparation

Preheat oven to 425°.

To prepare corn bread, lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl; make a well in center of mixture. Combine milk, canola oil, and 1 egg in a small bowl. Add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Spoon batter into an 8-inch square baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 425° for 16 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes in pan on a wire rack. Remove from pan; cool completely.
Reduce oven temperature to 375°.

To prepare stuffing, heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage; cook 5 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally. Add onion and bay leaf; cook 8 minutes or until onion starts to brown, stirring occasionally. Add apple, celery, and fennel; cook 5 minutes. Add garlic and next 5 ingredients (through black pepper); cook 1 minute. Remove from heat; discard bay leaf. Cool to room temperature.
Crumble corn bread into a large bowl. Add sausage mixture to bowl; toss to combine. Add broth and 2 eggs; toss to combine. Spoon into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 50 minutes or until top is crisp and golden brown.

Laura Martin, Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2006

Mixed Apple Salad over Greens

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 cup apple mixture and 1 cup greens)

Ingredients

Dressing:

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon olive oil
Dash of salt
Dash of freshly ground black pepper

Salad:
2 cups chopped Granny Smith apple
2 cups chopped Cameo or Braeburn apple
1/4 cup (1 ounce) crumbled blue cheese
2 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
4 cups mixed salad greens

Preparation

To prepare dressing, combine first 5 ingredients in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk.
To prepare salad, combine apples, cheese, and bacon. Drizzle dressing over apple mixture; toss gently to coat. Serve over greens.

Cooking Light, OCTOBER 2002

Two-Cheese Squash Casserole

Yield: Makes 8 to 10 servings

Ingredients

4 pounds yellow squash, sliced
4 tablespoons butter or margarine, divided
1 large sweet onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 1/2 cups soft breadcrumbs, divided
1 1/4 cups shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup chopped fresh chives
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
1 (8-ounce) container sour cream
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

Preparation

Cook squash in boiling water to cover in a large skillet 8 to 10 minutes or just until tender. Drain well; gently press between paper towels.
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in skillet over medium-high heat; add onion and garlic, and sauté 5 to 6 minutes or until tender. Remove skillet from heat; stir in squash, 1 cup breadcrumbs, 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, and next 7 ingredients. Spoon into a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish.
Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Stir together melted butter, remaining 1 1/2 cups soft breadcrumbs, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, and garlic salt. Sprinkle mixture evenly over top of casserole.
Bake at 350° for 35 to 40 minutes or until set.

Southern Living, MAY 2004

Curried Salmon Cakes

I love Salmon, but it is not Tim's favorite... I have been thinking of creative ways to make it, so during a boring meeting at work the other day, Elizabeth and I found this recipe! It was really good and Tim liked it a lot, Alex even liked it! I did change some things though. I used two pieces of fresh salmon and put that in the food processor. I also put the apple in the food processor. I increased the bread crumbs to 3/4 - 1 cup (I think you have to eyeball this to get the mixture to the right consistency). I also just baked them on 375 degrees for 35 minutes.

Yield: Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

2 large eggs
2 pouches (about 7 oz. each) boned, skinned pink salmon, or 1 can (about 15 oz.) red or pink salmon, drained, skin removed
1/2 cup finely chopped apple
1/4 cup fine dried bread crumbs
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Preparation

1. Beat eggs with a fork. Add salmon and break up. Stir in apple, bread crumbs, onions, mayonnaise, curry powder, paprika, and pepper. Shape into four cakes (3/4 in. thick); place on a piece of plastic wrap.
2. Set a 12-inch nonstick frying pan over medium heat. When hot, add oil, then salmon cakes. Cook until well browned on the bottom, 5 to 7 minutes. Turn cakes over and cook until browned on the other side, 3 to 5 minutes longer.

Erin Winemiller, Portland, Oregon, Sunset, MARCH 2005

Turkey Sausage Breakfast

I was trying to get rid of half of a bag of hash browns and found this recipe. I used 8 eggs and it was really good! My favorite turkey sausage is Honeysuckle Italian - I can only find it in the frozen section, but it has a great texture and taste!

Ingredients

1 pound ground turkey sausage
4 eggs, lightly beaten
4 green onions, finely chopped
1 (16 ounce) package frozen hash brown potatoes
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese


Directions

Place turkey sausage in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a large bowl, stir together eggs, green onions, hash browns, milk, cheddar cheese and cooked sausage. Pour mixture into a 9x13 inch baking pan.
Bake in preheated oven for 60 minutes.

From allrecipes.com

Eggplant Parmesan

I really like Eggplant Parmesan and decided to make some tonight - this is the recipe I used and it was really yummy!

Yield 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

3 large eggs
3 tablespoons water
3/4 cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 large eggplant, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1 (8-ounce) package shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
3 cups Pasta Sauce

Preparation

Whisk together eggs and 3 tablespoons water until blended.
Combine breadcrumbs and 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese.
Dip eggplant slices into egg mixture; dredge in breadcrumb mixture.
Cook eggplant, in 3 batches, in 1 tablespoon hot oil (per batch) in a large skillet over medium heat 4 minutes on each side or until tender.
Arrange one-third of eggplant in a single layer in a lightly greased 11- x 7-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese and 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers twice. Spoon 3 cups Pasta Sauce over top.
Bake, covered, at 375° for 35 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese and 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese. Bake 10 more minutes or until cheese melts.

Southern Living, MARCH 2001

Easy Recipes

Elizabeth found these links on food network for quick and easy meals. The first one is 50 easy soup recipes - just in time for fall! The second one is 50 things to make with a jar of pasta sauce. Thanks Elizabeth!


50 Easy Soup recipes



50 things to make with a jar of pasta sauce

Marinated Pork Kabobs

I usually follow a recipe for the meal exchange, but not this time. However, I do have a list of ingredients that I used and some directions to follow.

1 pork loin, divided into 1 - 2 inch cubes (about a 2lb loin would work for 5 - 6 skewers)
1/2 bottle Andy's Mediterranean Grill All Natural Marinade (I could only find at Biggs)
1 medium bell pepper (i used green)
1 medium red onion
1 package of whole mushrooms (i discarded the stems)
1 pkg of wooden skewers

Marinate the cubes of meat in Andy's marinade over night. Assemble skewers by alternating veggie and meat (I always started and ended with a veggie to anchor the skewer). Spray kabobs with cooking spray prior to grilling. Grill kabobs, covered with grill lid, over medium heat (300° to 350°) 6 to 8 minutes on each side or until done.

Three-Cheese Chicken Penne Florentine

This is Deb's contribution to the September Meal Exchange - looks awesome! She referred to it as "fancy mac n' cheese".


Yield 8 servings (serving size: about 1 cup)



Ingredients
1 teaspoon olive oil
Cooking spray
3 cups thinly sliced mushrooms
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
3 cups chopped fresh spinach
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (16-ounce) carton 2% low-fat cottage cheese
4 cups hot cooked penne (about 8 ounces uncooked tube-shaped pasta)
2 cups shredded roasted skinless, boneless chicken breast
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese, divided
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
1/2 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed reduced-fat, reduced-sodium cream of mushroom soup, undiluted



Preparation
Preheat oven to 425°.
Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, onion, and bell pepper; sauté 4 minutes or until tender. Add spinach, oregano, and black pepper; sauté 3 minutes or just until spinach wilts.
Place cottage cheese in a food processor; process until very smooth. Combine spinach mixture, cottage cheese, pasta, chicken, 3/4 cup cheddar cheese, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, milk, and soup in a large bowl. Spoon mixture into a 2-quart baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cheddar cheese and remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Bake at 425° for 25 minutes or until lightly browned and bubbly.

Cooking Light, March 2006

Creamy Macaroni and Cheese

Yield: 12 servings

Ingredients:
2 cup uncooked elbow macaroni (an 8 ounce box isn't quite 2 cups)
2 1/2 cup (about 10-ounces) grated sharp Cheddar cheese
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup sour cream
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed Cheddar cheese soup
4 tablespoon (1/2 stick) butter, cut into pieces
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup whole milk
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions:
Boil the macaroni in a 2 quart saucepan in plenty of water until tender, about 7 minutes. Drain. In a medium saucepan, mix butter and cheese. Stir until the cheese melts. In a slow cooker, combine cheese/butter mixture and add the eggs, sour cream, soup, salt, milk, mustard and pepper and stir well. Then add drained macaroni and stir again. Set the slow cooker on low setting and cook for 3 hours, stirring occasionally.

Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

Artichoke Dip

1/2 c mayo
1/2 c sour cream
1 c shredded parmesan cheese
1 (14 oz) can of artichoke hearts (drained and chopped)
1/2 c minced red onion
1 T lemon juice
salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400. Mix mayo, sour cream, cheese, and onion in a bowl. Add in artichoke hearts, lemon juice, and salt and pepper. Put mixture in a shallow dish and bake for apx. 20 minutes or until slightly brown on top. Serve with King's Hawaiian bread broken into pieces.

**If you are doubling, DO NOT double the onion or the lemon juice. Also, buy two of the loaves of bread when you double the recipe.

Pink Lemonade Cocktail

Yield Makes 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients
1 (12-oz.) can frozen pink lemonade concentrate, thawed
3 (12-oz.) bottles beer (not dark), chilled
3/4 cup vodka, chilled
Ice

Garnishes: fresh cranberries, citrus slices

Preparation
1. Stir together first 3 ingredients. Serve over ice. Garnish, if desired.

Cami Perry, Birmingham, Alabama, Southern Living, OCTOBER 2007

Creamy Buttermilk-Avocado Sauce

Elizabeth said they made this over the weekend and used it as a sauce for grilled shrimp!

Yield Makes about 1 2/3 cups

Ingredients

1 cup buttermilk
1 ripe avocado, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 finely chopped green onions
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Process buttermilk, avocado, parsley, chopped green onions, and fresh lemon juice in a food processor 30 seconds or until smooth. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Store in refrigerator covered with plastic wrap directly on surface (to prevent discoloration) up to 2 days.

Southern Living, MARCH 2009

Spinach Dip Crisps

Becca brought this to Alex's party last weekend and they were a big hit!

INGREDIENTS

1 box (9 oz) Green Giant® frozen chopped spinach
24 wonton skins (about 3 1/4-inch squares; from 16-oz package)
1 can (7 oz) Old El Paso® chopped green chiles
1/3 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise or salad dressing
3/4 cup finely shredded Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheese blend

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Cook spinach as directed on box. Drain; set aside to cool.
2. Place 1 wonton skin in each of 24 ungreased regular-size muffin cups, gently pressing skin into bottom and up side of each cup (points of wonton skin will show above cup edge). Bake 7 to 10 minutes or until top 1/4 inch of wonton skins are golden brown.
3. Meanwhile, squeeze all excess water from spinach; place in large bowl. Stir in green chiles, mayonnaise and 1/4 cup of the cheese; mix well.
4. Spoon about 1 tablespoon spinach mixture into each wonton cup. Sprinkle each with 1 teaspoon remaining cheese. Bake 5 to 7 minutes longer or until cheese is melted and filling is hot. Remove from muffin cups; serve warm.

From the Pillsbury website: Stephanie Lau-ChenMountain View, CA Bake-Off® Contest 42, 2006

Asparagus, Ham, and Fontina Bread Puddings

Krista made this and said that really you could add any type of veggie, meat & cheese to the egg base! I think she also made it in one big pan since vs. individual ramekins. Can't wait to try it in the new kitchen :)

Yield 6 servings

Ingredients
1 pound asparagus
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
Cooking spray
5 (1.4-ounce) slices firm white sandwich bread (such as Pepperidge Farm Farmhouse), cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 cup chopped reduced-fat ham
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded fontina cheese
1 2/3 cups fat-free milk
3/4 cup egg substitute
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Preparation
Preheat oven to 375°.
Cut a 3-inch tip from each asparagus spear, reserving the stalks for another use. Cut asparagus tips into 1/2-inch pieces.
Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion; saute for 5 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Add asparagus; cover and cook 4 minutes, stirring once. Remove from heat, and set aside.
Coat 6 (10-ounce) custard cups or ramekins with cooking spray; place in a large baking pan. Place bread cubes evenly into custard cups. Top evenly with asparagus mixture, ham, and cheese. Combine milk and remaining ingredients, stirring with a whisk. Pour evenly into custard cups; let stand 20 minutes. Add hot water to pan to a depth of 1 inch. Cover and bake at 375° for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Cooking Light, DECEMBER 2001

Black Bean Salad

Yield 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

Dressing
1 small clove garlic
Pinch salt, plus 2 teaspoons
Juice 1 1/2 limes (about 3 tablespoons)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Salad
1 cup fresh corn kernels (from about 2 ears)
1 orange bell pepper, diced
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 small hass avocado, halved, seeded and diced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, leaves and stems

Directions
Make the dressing: Smash the garlic clove, sprinkle with a pinch of the salt, and, with the flat side of a large knife, mash and smear the mixture to a coarse paste. Whisk the garlic paste, lime juice, salt and chili powder together in a bowl. Gradually whisk in the olive oil, starting with a few drops and then adding the rest in a steady stream.
For the salad: Cook the corn, bell pepper, and onions in the olive oil until beginning to brown over medium-high heat in a skillet. Toss in the black beans and cook until warm. Add the dressing and toss to coat evenly. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and gently fold in the tomatoes, avocado, and cilantro. Serve.

Copyright (c) 2004 Television Food Network, G.P., All Rights Reserved.

Tortilla Casserole

6 medium flour tortillas
3 cooked chicken breasts, cut up (I used frozen tenderloins that come in the 3-lb. bag)
1 8 oz. can chopped green chilies
1 8 oz. can chopped black olives
6 green onions, chopped
1 can cream of mushroom soup (I use cream of chicken)
1 can water
1 package taco seasoning powder
1 tomato chopped
6 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
6 oz. shredded monterey jack cheese
sour cream for topping
taco sauce for topping

In a 9 x 13 casserole place tortillas on bottom. Mix the soup with 2 cans of water and taco seasoning. Heat and blend with wire whisk. Spoon 2 T of soup mixture on top of tortillas. Add 1/3 of chicken pieces, 1/3 of the olives, chilies, and onion. Top with 1/3 of cheese. Place 2 more tortillas on top and repeat process. Add last 2 tortillas and put remaining ingredients on top. Pour remaining soup mixture over top and add all the chopped tomato. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Serves 6 to 8. Top with sour cream and taco sauce if desired.

Black Bean Salsa

Sounds easy enough!

1 can each garbonza beans, black beans and corn (drained).
1 can diced tomatoes
1 4-1/2 oz. can green chilies
1 cup chopped green and chopped purple onion
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (leaves only)
1-1/2 tsp cumin
6 T olive oil
1/4 cup lime juice

salt, pepper, tobasco sauce to taste

What's Cooking Blog

I came across this today and it looks like it has a lot of information on cooking with/for kids - thought some of you might enjoy it! Click below or I also added it to my blog list on the right-hand side.

What's Cooking Blog

Asparagus Salad

1 bunch of asparagus, cleaned and cut
4 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp white sugar
2 tsp olive oil

1. Boil asparagus for 1 minute.
2. Drain asparagus in collander and run under cold water (to hold the green color).
3. Set asparagus aside (run under cold water a periodically).
4. Mix sauce until sugar is dissolved.
5. Toss asparagus with sauce and cool in refridgerator.

Note: If you usually eat a bunch of asparagus between two people, then double, triple, etc... for the amount of people you expect.

Oatmeal Cookie-Peach Cobbler

Susan brought this to a cookout for the 4th of July and it was very delicious!!! I really can't wait to make it again!

Yield 12 servings (serving size: about 1 cup)

Ingredients

Topping:

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 large egg
4.5 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 cup)
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Filling:

11 cups sliced peeled peaches (about 5 pounds)
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Cooking spray

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. To prepare topping, place first 3 ingredients in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and egg; beat well. Weigh or lightly spoon 1 cup flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine 1 cup flour, oats, baking powder, and salt; stir with a whisk. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture; beat at low speed until blended. Cover and chill 30 minutes.
3. To prepare filling, combine sliced peeled peaches, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, and fresh lemon juice in a bowl; toss to coat. Spoon mixture into a 13 x 9–inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Dollop 12 mounds of chilled dough over peach mixture at even intervals. Bake at 350° for 40 minutes or until lightly browned and bubbly.

Cooking Light, JUNE 2009

Mexican Chicken Lasagna

I made this for the March meal exchange and tried ours the night that I made them. This was really tasty and we had it for leftovers the next day, however, next time I make it - I will add corn and beans to the chicken and onion layer to get some vegetables in there. Also - if you notice below - the original recipe has you microwave the casserole. For the meal exchange, since they are in foil pans - microwaving will not work :) Defrost the casserole overnight in the fridge and then cook covered for 35 - 40 minutes at 375 degrees or until bubbly. When I made mine, I baked it and think that it is just better that way vs. microwaving it! For the chicken in this casserole I made it ahead in the crockpot with some broth, the onion and a packet of low sodium taco seasoning. Enjoy!

Ingredients

1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, lightly packed
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
2 cups Monterey jack cheese, shredded, divided
1 medium onion (about 2/3 cup chopped)
1 (28 ounce) can enchilada sauce (I used green enchilada sauce)
12 (6 inch) corn tortillas
3 cups cooked chicken (diced or shredded)
Fresh cilantro leaves, chopped (optional)

Directions

1. Chop cilantro. Place cream cheese in microwaveable bowl and microwave on HIGH 30-45 seconds or until very soft. Add cilantro and 1½ cups of the Monterey Jack cheese; mix well. Chop onion; set aside. Spread 2/3 cup of the enchilada sauce over bottom of baking dish. Pour remaining enchilada sauce into mixing bowl; set aside.
2. To assemble lasagna, dip four tortillas into enchilada sauce in mixing bowl and arrange over sauce in baker overlapping as necessary. Scoop half of the cream cheese mixture over tortillas; spread. Top with 1 cup of the chicken and one-third of the onion. Repeat layers one time. Dip remaining four tortillas into sauce and arrange over second layer. Top with remaining chicken and onion. Pour remaining enchilada sauce over lasagna and sprinkle with remaining ½ cup Monterey Jack cheese.
3. Microwave, covered, on HIGH 12-15 minutes or until center is hot. Let stand 10 minutes. Sprinkle with additional chopped cilantro. Cut into squares.

Tarragon Turkey Burgers

Can't wait to try these - Deb made them for the May meal exchange!

Yield 8 servings

Ingredients

2 pounds ground turkey
1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs
1/2 cup finely shredded zucchini
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon chopped fresh or 1 teaspoon dried tarragon
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Cooking spray
8 (1 1/2-ounce) hamburger buns

Preparation

Preheat broiler.
Combine first 7 ingredients in a large bowl. Divide turkey mixture into 8 equal portions, shaping each into a 1/2-inch-thick patty. Place patties on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray; broil 6 minutes on each side or until thoroughly cooked. Serve on hamburger buns with desired toppings.

Cooking Light, JANUARY 2002

Mexican Pizza

This recipe is from Tara - she prepared it for the May meal exchange and since it wasn't frozen when I picked it up today - we just had it for lunch today! This was awesome and I will definitely make it again!

Need:

Pizza crust
1 tablespoon olive oil
fajita seasoning
2 cooked chicken breasts, diced (I bake chicken with fajita seasonings)
1 can black beans, drained and mashed a little
1 can corn, drained
1 can rotel, drained
1-2 cups shredded cheesesour cream (for garnish)

Cook pizza crust according to package directions. Before throwing in oven, I spread olive oil on it and dust a little fajita seasoning on it. Once crust is golden brown, take out and spread mashy black beans over the entire crust. Then sprinkle desired amounts of corn and rotel. The more rotel you use, the spicier it will be. You can use mild rotel if you want. Spread desired amount of cheese on top and then the chicken. Bake at 350 degrees until melty and heated through. We cut and serve with sour cream on the side. If you're going for presentation, pipe sour cream in diagonal lines over entire pizza before cutting. (that's how they do it at the restaurant we stole this from)

Spiced Pork Chops with Apple Chutney

This was Holly's meal for the May meal exchange and I actually tried it out tonight and it was fantastic! Everyone loved it and Alex especially loved the chutney with the yummy apples and cranberries!

Yield 4 servings (serving size: 1 chop and about 1/3 cup chutney)

Ingredients

Chutney:
1 tablespoon butter
5 cups (1/4-inch) cubed peeled apple (about 3 apples)
1/4 cup dried cranberries
3 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

Pork:
3/4 teaspoon ground chipotle chile pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 (4-ounce) boneless center-cut pork loin chops, trimmed
Cooking spray

Preparation
1. To prepare chutney, melt butter in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add apple; sauté 4 minutes or until lightly browned. Add cranberries and the next 6 ingredients (through allspice); bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 8 minutes or until apples are tender; stir occasionally.
2. To prepare pork, while chutney simmers, heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Combine chipotle and next 4 ingredients (through black pepper); sprinkle over pork. Coat grill pan with cooking spray. Add pork to pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until done. Serve with chutney.
Slender haricots verts are a pretty and quick-cooking complement to the meal. Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 12 ounces haricots verts to pan; cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, and 2 thinly sliced garlic cloves; cook 5 minutes or until garlic is lightly browned.

David Bonom, Cooking Light, MARCH 2009

Chicken, Cheese & Chili Enchiladas

This recipe is from Elizabeth - she added corn to this to get another vegetable in!




Yield: 8 Servings



1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeño chili, seeded and minced
4 cups cooked, shredded skinless chicken (from one 1 1/2-
lb. rotisserie chicken)
2 cups coarsely shredded sharp Cheddar
1 16-oz. jar salsa verde
1 4-oz. can diced mild green chilies, drained
1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
16 5 1/2-inch corn tortillas
1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro






Preheat oven to 375°F. Mist a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Warm oil in a
medium skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until softened but not browned,
5 minutes. Add garlic and jalapeño and cook 2 minutes longer, stirring often. Remove from heat
and let cool slightly.
In a large bowl, combine onion mixture, chicken, 1 cup cheese, 1/2 cup salsa and mild green
chilies. Stir until well combined.
Pour broth into skillet and heat until almost simmering. Working one at a time, dip a corn
tortilla into broth, taking care to work quickly so tortilla doesn't become too soft, then transfer
to a clean workspace. Spoon about 2 Tbsp. of chicken mixture down center of tortilla. Roll
tortilla around filling like a cigar, and transfer, seam side down, to prepared dish. Repeat with
remaining tortillas and filling. Pour remaining salsa over top of enchiladas, spreading to coat.
Sprinkle remaining cheese over top.
Bake enchiladas, uncovered, until cheese is melted and enchiladas are hot throughout, about 20
minutes. Just before serving, sprinkle with cilantro.



CALORIES 346 ; FAT 14g (sat 6g); CHOLESTEROL 90mg; CARBOHYDRATE 22g; SODIUM
678mg; PROTEIN 32g; FIBER 3g



All You, JANUARY 2009

Tortilla-Crusted Pork

My sister Krista told me about this one and I made it tonight - it was very good! I used fresh salsa as a sauce and it complimented it nicely! Will definitely make this one again!

Yield 6 servings

Ingredients

2 pounds pork tenderloin
1/2 cup finely crushed blue-corn tortilla chips
1/2 cup finely crushed tortilla chips
1 tablespoon coarsely ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
Fresh Salsa
Garnish: fresh cilantro sprigs

Preparation

1. Remove silver skin from tenderloin, leaving a thin layer of fat covering tenderloin. Cut tenderloin into 1-inch-thick medallions.
2. Combine blue-corn tortilla chips and next 5 ingredients in a bowl. Brush pork medallions with 1 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil, and dredge in tortilla chip mixture, pressing mixture into medallions on all sides to thoroughly coat.
3. Cook pork medallions in remaining 1 1/2 Tbsp. hot oil in a large skillet over medium heat 6 minutes on each side or until done. Serve with salsas. Garnish, if desired.

Karin Jane Stern, Hutto, Texas, Southern Living, MAY 2008

Coconut-Curry Chicken Soup

Deb made this for the January meal exchange. It is something different as far as soup goes (not your usual chicken soup) and it was so flavorful! Here is a quote from the creator of the recipe, "The aroma, color, texture, and combination of flavors make Thai cuisine delicious. The coconut milk gives the soup a creamy, smooth texture. Cook and shred the chicken before you start the recipe. This soup also reheats well."

Yield 7 servings (serving size: 2 cups soup and 1 lime wedge)

Ingredients

4 cups water
3 cups fresh spinach leaves
1/2 pound snow peas, trimmed and cut in half crosswise
1 (5 3/4-ounce) package pad thai noodles (wide rice stick noodles)
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/4 cup thinly sliced shallots
2 teaspoons red curry paste
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
2 garlic cloves, minced
6 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 (13.5-ounce) can light coconut milk
2 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast (about 1 pound)
1/2 cup chopped green onions
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
4 small hot red chiles, seeded and chopped, or 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
7 lime wedges

Preparation

1. Bring 4 cups water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add spinach and peas to pan; cook for 30 seconds. Remove vegetables from pan with a slotted spoon; place in a large bowl. Add noodles to pan; cook 3 minutes. Drain; add noodles to spinach mixture in bowl.
2. Heat canola oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add shallots and the next 5 ingredients (through garlic) to pan; sauté 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add chicken broth to pan, and bring to a boil. Add coconut milk to pan; reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes. Add chicken, onions, sugar, and fish sauce to pan; cook for 2 minutes. Pour chicken mixture over noodle mixture in bowl. Stir in cilantro and chiles. Serve with lime wedges.

Tina Washburn, San Diego, California, Cooking Light, DECEMBER 2008

Beer-Cheese Spread

Elizabeth just made this for her Keeneland tailgate last weekend and brought some extra to work today - it was delicious! Note the good idea of how to use the leftover cheese spread - Grilled Beer Cheese Sandwiches. We just had it with celery and carrots!

Yield Makes 5 cups
Ingredients



1 (2-lb.) block sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
1 small onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 (12-oz.) bottle amber beer, at room temperature
Salt and pepper to taste
Garnish: thyme sprig



Preparation



1. Beat together first 5 ingredients at low speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer until blended. Gradually add beer, beating until blended after each addition. Beat at medium-high speed 1 minute or until blended and creamy. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and chill 2 hours. Garnish, if desired. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator up to 2 weeks.
Note: For testing purposes only, we used Abita Amber Beer. This spread can be frozen up to 1 month; thaw overnight in refrigerator.



Grilled Beer-Cheese Sandwich: Spread 1 tsp. softened butter evenly on 1 side of 2 bread slices. Place bread slices, buttered sides down, on wax paper. Spread 1/4 cup Beer-Cheese Spread onto 1 side of 1 bread slice. Top with remaining bread slice, buttered side up. Cook sandwich in a nonstick skillet or griddle over medium heat 3 to 5 minutes on each side or until golden brown and cheese is melted.



Therese Halaska, Portage, Wisconsin, Southern Living, OCTOBER 2007

Garden-Style Lasagna

This was Deb's contribution to the March meal exchange - I just made this tonight for dinner and it was excellent!

Vegetable lasagna is a crowd-pleaser and a classic make-ahead dish. You can use precut onions, matchstick-cut carrots, and broccoli, in addition to precooked noodles, to speed up preparation. If you make it ahead, let it cool completely, then cover and chill. The next day, heat single servings in the microwave. Freeze leftovers for dinner.

Maureen Callahan, Cooking Light, MARCH 2006


Yield 12 servings

Ingredients

Cooking spray
2 cups chopped onion
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
2 cups chopped zucchini (about 8 ounces)
2 cups chopped yellow squash (about 8 ounces)
2 cups thinly sliced carrot (about 8 ounces)
2 cups chopped broccoli (about 6 ounces)
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 cup all-purpose flour (about 2 1/4 ounces)
3 1/2 cups 1% low-fat milk
1 cup (4 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Dash of nutmeg
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 1/2 cups 1% low-fat cottage cheese
2 cups (8 ounces) preshredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
12 precooked lasagna noodles, divided

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375°.

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion to pan; sauté 4 minutes or until lightly browned. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Spoon onion mixture into a large bowl.

Heat 1 teaspoon oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add zucchini and yellow squash; sauté 4 minutes or until tender and just beginning to brown. Add to onion mixture.

Heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add sliced carrot; sauté 4 minutes or until tender. Add chopped broccoli; sauté 4 minutes or until crisp-tender. Add to onion mixture. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt; toss well to combine.

Place flour in a medium saucepan. Gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until blended. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook 2 minutes or until thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add 1/2 cup Parmesan, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper, and nutmeg; stir until smooth. Stir in spinach.

Combine cottage cheese and 1 1/2 cups mozzarella; stir well. Spread 1/2 cup spinach mixture in bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 4 noodles over spinach mixture in dish; top with half of cottage cheese mixture (about 1 1/2 cups), half of vegetable mixture (about 2 1/2 cups), and about 1 cup spinach mixture. Repeat layers, ending with noodles. Spread remaining spinach mixture over noodles; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan and remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella.

Cover and bake at 375° for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 20 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and beginning to brown. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Mustard Crusted Pork Tenderloin

This recipe is from Susan. She says that it one of her dad's favorites and Conner says it is "awesome"! She said sometimes she uses two pork tenderloins and doubles the recipe to serve more!

Yield 4 servings (serving size: 3 ounces pork)

Ingredients

1 (1/2-ounce) slice white bread
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
3 tablespoons grated fresh Romano cheese
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
1 garlic clove, minced
Cooking spray

Preparation

Preheat oven to 450°.

Place slice of bread in a food processor, and pulse 10 times or until coarse crumbs measure 1/4 cup. Combine the breadcrumbs, 1/4 cup chopped parsley, cheese, and 2 teaspoons thyme in a shallow dish. Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper. Combine Dijon mustard, fennel seeds, and garlic in a small bowl. Rub pork with mustard mixture, and dredge in breadcrumb mixture.

Place the pork on a jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 450° for 25 minutes or until a thermometer registers 160° (slightly pink). Let stand for 10 minutes. Cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices.

Marge Perry, Cooking Light, JANUARY 2007

Oven-Roasted Leg of Lamb

At the urging of my sister and her boyfriend, who were our Easter dinner guests, I tried to make a leg of lamb. I was pretty impressed with the outcome and will definitely try again. I adjusted this recipe by adding two tablespoons of dijon mustard to the marinade and also 1 teaspoon each of thyme and tarragon. Besides this, I followed the recipe. I made the sauce, but it really isn't necessary because the lamb was very moist and tender.

Cook Time: 3 hours
Servings: 6 to 8

Ingredients
1 (6 to 9-pound) leg of lamb, marinated for 24 hours (recipe below)
Marinade
4 large garlic cloves, cut into slivers
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves, or 2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves crumbled
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, chopped
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup hot water
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 shallots, finely chopped
1 cup red wine
1/2 cup rich chicken stock
2 tablespoons flour mixed with 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Directions
With the tip of a small, sharp knife, cut many slits in the skin of the lamb. Insert the garlic slivers into the slits. In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, salt, rosemary, and pepper. Brush the lamb generously with this mixture. Place the lamb in a shallow roasting pan. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours. Cover the remaining basting mixture and set aside.

Uncover lamb and bring to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Roast the lamb for 1 hour. Drain off any fat that has accumulated in the bottom of the pan. Pour the hot water into the pan. Continue to roast the lamb, basting every 20 minutes, first with the remaining basting sauce, then with the juices that accumulate in the pan. Allow 20 minutes per pound for total roasting time, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the lamb, with out touching fat or bone, registers 140 degrees for rare, 160 degrees for medium, and 170 degrees for well done. Remove lamb from the oven and set aside, lightly covered for about 20 minutes before carving. Skim the fat from the juices in the pan and strain through a fine sieve.

In a skillet heat olive oil over moderate heat and saute shallots until tender. Add wine and simmer until reduced by half. Add the strained pan juices and chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Whisk in the half of the butter and flour mixture and simmer until thickened. If necessary whisk in remaining butter and flour mixture. Taste sauce and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

Recipe courtesy of Gourmet Magazine

Banana-Raspberry Cake with Lemon Frosting

After 40 days of going without desserts, my sister Krista made this for me tonight! It was so yummy - I had two slices!!! The banana makes the cake really moist and the lemon cream cheese frosting is to die for! Thanks so much Krista! Oh and the recipe says optional on the rasberries, but I think that they make the cake!

Yield 14 servings (serving size: 1 slice)

Ingredients

Cake:

Cooking spray
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
3 large eggs
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
1 cup mashed ripe banana (about 2 bananas)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Frosting:

3/4 cup (6 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, chilled
2 tablespoons butter, softened
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dash of salt
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 1/2 cups fresh raspberries (optional)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.
To prepare the cake, coat 2 (8-inch) round cake pans with cooking spray; line bottoms with wax paper. Coat wax paper with cooking spray; dust each pan with 1 1/2 teaspoons flour.
Place granulated sugar and 1/4 cup butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 3 minutes). Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
Lightly spoon 1 3/4 cups flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt, stirring well with a whisk.
Combine buttermilk, banana, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Add the flour mixture and buttermilk mixture alternately to the sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture (mix after each addition just until blended). Pour batter into prepared pans.
Bake cake at 350° for 25 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pans. Peel off wax paper. Cool layers completely on wire rack.
To prepare frosting, combine cream cheese, 2 tablespoons butter, rind, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, and dash of salt in a large bowl. Beat with a mixer at high speed until fluffy. Gradually add powdered sugar; beat at low speed just until blended (do not overbeat).
Place 1 cake layer on a plate, and spread with 1/3 cup frosting. Arrange raspberries in a single layer over frosting, and top with remaining cake layer. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Store cake loosely covered in refrigerator. Garnish with fresh raspberries, if desired.

Cooking Light, JANUARY 2003

Bourbon-Mashed Sweet Potatoes

In the quest to find vegetables Alex will eat, I thought I would try these mashed sweet potatoes. I had to improvise a little because I didn't have all of the ingredients, so I used half and half instead of the heavy cream, honey instead of the molasses and Southern Comfort instead of Bourbon. They still turned out really yummy and I will definitely make them again - they were very easy!

Yield: 4 cups

Ingredients:

1 3/4 to 2 pounds sweet potatoes
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup bourbon whiskey
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 tablespoons molasses
1/8 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Place the potatoes on a foil lined baking sheet. Bake until tender and starting to ooze sugary syrup, about 1 hour and 15 minutes, depending on their size. Remove from the oven and let sit until cool enough to handle.
Cut a slit down each potato and scoop the flesh into a large bowl. Discard the skins. Add the cream, bourbon, brown sugar, molasses, and salt and beat on high speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Cover to keep warm, or gently reheat before serving.

Spicy Paella with Chile, Lime, and Cilantro

My sister made this for her boyfriend this week and they thought it was great!

Yield 8 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups paella and 3 shrimp)

Ingredients

Broth:

1 dried New Mexican or Anaheim chile
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 garlic cloves, peeled
2 (16-ounce) cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

Herb Blend:

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced

Paella:

24 unpeeled large shrimp (about 2 pounds)
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 (3.5-ounce) andouille sausages or chicken sausages with habanero chiles and tequila (such as Gerhard's), cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 1/2 cups finely chopped red bell pepper
2 cups finely chopped onion
2 cups sliced zucchini
1 cup canned diced tomatoes, undrained
1 teaspoon hot paprika
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups uncooked Arborio rice or other short-grain rice
1 cup frozen whole-kernel corn
8 lime wedges

Preparation

To prepare the broth, remove stem and seeds from chile. Combine the chile, cumin, cinnamon, and 2 garlic cloves in a food processor; process until minced. Combine chile mixture and broth in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer (do not boil). Keep warm over low heat.

To prepare herb blend, combine cilantro, lime juice, olive oil, and 2 garlic cloves; set aside.

To prepare paella, peel and devein shrimp, leaving tails intact; set aside. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in large paella pan or large skillet over medium heat. Add sausages; sauté 3 minutes. Remove from pan. Add shrimp; sauté 2 minutes. Remove from pan. Add bell pepper and onion, and sauté 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add zucchini; sauté 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, paprika, salt, and 3 garlic cloves; cook 5 minutes, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Add rice; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in broth, herb blend, sausages, and corn; cook 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Arrange shrimp, heads down, in rice mixture; cook 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Cover with a towel, and let stand 10 minutes. Serve with lime wedges.

Cooking Light, MAY 2000 Cooking Light, MAY 2000

Bucatini with Sausage and Peas

I just realized that I never posted Holly's recipe from the March meal exchange as I am making it tonight! So sorry Holly! This recipe is from Food and Wine Magazine by Joe Sponzo.

Bucatini is a large, tubular pasta (think spaghetti with a hole in the middle). It’s great with thick sauces, such as this tomato-based one that Sponzo enhances with peas from his garden and wild boar sausage from his local butcher. “It’s a real guy dish and a favorite of Sting’s—when he’s eating meat,” Sponzo says. “Right now he’s macrobiotic.”

Active: 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 6

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 pound hot Italian sausage, casings removed
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 small shallot, minced
2 1/2 cups prepared tomato sauce
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup frozen baby peas
Salt
1 pound bucatini or perciatelli
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2 tablespoons shredded basil

Directions

In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil. Add the sausage and cook over moderately high heat, breaking up the meat into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Add the minced garlic and shallot and cook, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the tomato sauce and bring to a simmer.
Partially cover the saucepan and cook the tomato sauce over low heat for 30 minutes. Stir in the cream and peas and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes longer. Season with salt.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta in boiling salted water until al dente. Drain and return the pasta to the pot. Add the tomato sauce and 1/4 cup of the grated Parmigiano- Reggiano cheese and toss over low heat for 2 minutes, until the pasta absorbs some of the sauce. Transfer the pasta to bowls, top with the remaining 1/4 cup of grated cheese and the shredded basil and serve.

Make Ahead

The sauce can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Orzo Pasta Salad with Pesto and Tomatoes

I haven't posted anything in a week because I was so sick last week, with no appetite! However, I was craving a pasta salad last night and decided to try something new. I made this up, so you could try this and add other things that sound good to you!

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups of Orzo (I used whole wheat orzo)
Juice from two lemons
1 tsp lemon zest
2 T prepared pesto
1/4 cup of olive oil
1/2 - 3/4 cup of feta cheese(I used reduced fat feta)
1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
salt and pepper to taste
fresh basil for garnish

Directions

Prepare the orzo according to directions. Whisk lemon juice, lemon zest, pesto, salt, pepper and olive oil together in a small bowl. Combine the pasta and "dressing" in a large bowl. Add in feta and tomatoes and top with fresh basil. Best if chilled for a couple of hours before serving.

Turkey Reuben Sandwiches

I made these for dinner tonight - very quick and very good! I made my own thousand island dressing to make it lower fat (scroll down for the dressing recipe).

Yield 4 servings (serving size: 1 sandwich)

Ingredients

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
8 slices rye bread
4 (1-ounce) slices reduced-fat, reduced-sodium Swiss cheese (such as Alpine Lace)
8 ounces smoked turkey, thinly sliced
2/3 cup sauerkraut, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup fat-free Thousand Island dressing
1 tablespoon canola oil, divided

Preparation

Spread about 3/4 teaspoon mustard over each bread slice. Place 1 cheese slice on each of 4 bread slices. Divide turkey evenly over cheese. Top each serving with 2 1/2 tablespoons sauerkraut and 1 tablespoon dressing. Top each serving with 1 bread slice, mustard sides down.

Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 sandwiches to pan; top with another heavy skillet. Cook 3 minutes on each side or until golden; remove sandwiches from pan, and keep warm. Repeat procedure with remaining oil and sandwiches.

Allison Fishman, Cooking Light, OCTOBER 2006

Homemade Thousand Island Dressing

INGREDIENTS

1/3 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons ketchup
1/3 cup dill pickle relish
pinch salt
pinch ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, ketchup, relish, salt and pepper until thoroughly combined, and serve.

Mushroom Asparagus Quiche

Susan made this for the March meal exchange. She partially baked them because she didn't want the crust to be overcooked, so when reheating, turn oven to 375 degrees and bake for about 10 minutes. You might want to cover the crust with foil so that it doesn't get too done!

Ingredients:

1 tube refigerated crescent rolls
2 tsps prepared mustard
1 1/2 lb fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 med onion, chopped
1/2 c sliced mushrooms
1/4 c butter, cubed
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 c shredded part skim mozzarella cheese
1/4 c minced fresh parsley
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp each dried basil, oregano, and rubbed sage

Directions:

Place crescent dough into 9 in pie pan. Spread with mustard
In a lrg skillet, saute the asparagus, onion and mushrooms in butter until asparagus is crisp tender. In large bowl, combine the remaining ingredients; stir in asparagus mixture . Pour into crust. Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes or until knife inserted in edge comes out clean. Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting.

Classic Meat Loaf

Ingredients:

1 slice white bread
2 Tbs fat free milk
1/2 c ketchup
2/3 lb gr beef, extra lean
1/2 lb lean gr veal
6 oz lean gr pork
1/2 c chopped onion
1/3 c ch fresh parsley
1 Tbs Dijon mustard
1 tsp dried basil
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 lrg egg whites
cooking spray

Directions:

1 Preheat oven to 350
2 Place bread in food processor, pulse 10 times or until coarse bread crumbs measure 1 1/2 cups
3 Combine breadcrumbs and milk in large bow; let stand 5 minutes. Add 2 Tbs ketchup and remaining ingredients except cooking spray
4 Shape meat mixture into 9x5 in loaf on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Spread remaining 6 tablespoons ketchup over top of meat loaf. Bake at 350 for 1 hour or until thermometer registers 160. Let stand for 10 mintues

Very easy to double and freeze unbaked.

Apple Slaw

YIELD: 8 servings

Vinaigrette:

1/3 c packed brown sugar
1/3 c cider vinegar
1 1/2 Tbs veg oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp bl pepper

Slaw:

2 1/2 c chopped Pink lady or other sweet apple
1 (12 oz) pkg broccoli slaw
1 (3 oz) pkg dried tart cherries
2 Tbs sunflower seed kernels

1. To prepare vinaigrette, combine first 5 ingredients in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk
2. To prepare slaw, combing apple, broc slaw, and dried cherries. Drizzle with vinaigrette; toss well to combine. Sprinkle with sunflower sees (I really dont measure theses just sprinkle them on); chill for up to 3 hours

Italian Beef Sandwiches

1 4lb boneless beef sirloin or rolled rump roast
1 0.7 oz pkg Italian salad dressing mix
2 tsps dried Italian seasoning
1/2-1 tsp crushed red pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
10-12 kaiser rolls or French style rolls split
Roasted red peppers, cut into strips (optional)

1. Trim fat from meat. Cut into 2-3 inch pieces. Place meat into slow cooker. In small bowl, combine 1 cup water, dressing mix, Italian seasoning, red pepper, and garlic powder. Pour mixture over meat
2. Cover; cook on low setting for 10-12 hours or on high for 5-6 hours
3. Using slotted spoon, transfer meat to a cutting board. Using 2 forks, shred the meat. Place meat on bottoms of rolls. Lightly drizzle some of the cooking juices over meat. If desired, top with roasted red pepper strips
I have not served this with red peppers but have served it with horseradish.

Turkey Meat Loaf

This meal is from Ariel - she made it for the March meal exchange! Can't wait to try it!

FOUR SERVINGS, PLUS LEFTOVERS
Prep Time: 20 min
Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
1 medium carrot, coarsely chopped
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1 garlic clove
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 pounds ground turkey
1/2 pound ground pork
1/2 cup bread crumbs
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons ketchup
8 strips of bacon

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°. Place the red bell pepper, carrot, onion and garlic in a food processor and pulse until the mixture is finely chopped. In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped vegetables and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the vegetables, turkey, pork, bread crumbs, eggs, salt, Worcestershire sauce and ketchup and mix well. Place the meat mixture in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and, using your hands, form it into a loaf. Cover the loaf with the bacon strips. Bake the meat loaf, uncovered, until cooked through, about 1 hour.
3. Pour off the melted fat, slice the meat loaf and serve.


From Every Day with Rachael Ray
February-March 2006
rachelraymag.com

Baked Ziti III

I made this for the March Meal Exchange, which will be the first meal exchange I have participated in - I am looking forward to it. We have eight participants, so I just made four of these and divided it in half (if you want one for yourself). I did modify the original recipe by using fat free sour cream instead of regular sour cream and dried basil versus fresh basil. This is a recipe that my sister, Krista has made several times and enjoys! For the frozen version - defrost in refridgerator overnight before baking according to the instructions - keep covered. These got a little messy on me in the foil baking dishes - I think that I got them too full - so make sure you put these in a plastic bag or on top of some paper towels in the fridge when defrosting. SO SORRY!

YIELD 8 servings

INGREDIENTS

1 (16 ounce) package dry ziti pasta
1 pound lean ground beef
1 onion, chopped
2 (28 ounce) jars spaghetti sauce
6 ounces sliced provolone cheese
6 ounces sliced mozzarella cheese
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

DIRECTIONS

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
In a large skillet, brown beef over medium heat. Add onions; saute until tender. Drain off fat and add spaghetti sauce; simmer for about 15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a lightly greased 2 quart baking dish, place about half of the pasta; top with a layer of provolone and mozzarella cheese slices. Spread on a layer of half the spaghetti sauce mixture and sour cream.
Cover with remaining pasta, cheese and sauce; sprinkle a layer of Parmesan cheese and fresh basil.
Bake in preheated oven for about 30 minutes or until cheese and sauce are bubbly; serve.

Recipe from Allrecipes.com Submitted by VERDIEIIIS

Pan-Seared Scallops with Tomatoes and Pesto

We made this last night for one of our lenten dinners. It was really quick and easy and very flavorful! For a side we made the Orzo with Spinach and Feta!

Yield 4 servings

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds sea scallops
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Cooking spray
1/4 teaspoon grated lemon rind
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
2 cups grape tomatoes
3 tablespoons commercial pesto
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

Preparation

Heat a large cast-iron skillet over high heat. Pat scallops dry with paper towels; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Lightly coat pan with cooking spray. Add scallops to pan; cook 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Remove scallops from pan; keep warm. Reduce heat to medium. Add rind and next 4 ingredients (through garlic) to pan; bring to a simmer. Add tomatoes; cook 45 seconds, tossing to coat.

Spoon about 2 teaspoons pesto on each of 4 plates. Arrange one-quarter of scallops and about 1/2 cup tomato mixture on each plate. Sprinkle with basil.

Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2004

Orzo with Spinach and Feta

We made this last night to go with the Pan-Seared Scallops with Tomatoes and Pesto. The only thing that I will add next time is something red for a little color - we put the leftover tomatoes from the scallops recipe in with the leftover orzo and ate it cold the next day and I actually liked it better cold.

Yield 8 servings (serving size: 1 cup)

Ingredients

5 cups water
2 cups uncooked orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
5 cups coarsely chopped spinach
1 cup (4 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preparation

Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add orzo. Cook 10 minutes; drain. Rinse with cold water; drain.

Combine pasta, spinach, and feta in a large bowl. Combine oil and remaining ingredients in a small bowl. Drizzle lemon mixture over pasta mixture; toss well to coat.

Cooking Light, DECEMBER 1999

Chicken Tortilla Soup

The following three posts all come from Tara. These are a few of her staple recipes that she makes for her family! She says that she is a different kind of cook and kinda uses what she has to make up meals on her own! She has some recipes that sound great and some good time saving tips for making chicken ahead or using the pre-cooked rotisserie chickens! Tara also made this for the March Meal exchange for us to try!

In a large pot, cook about half a white or yellow onion (chopped) with a little EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil for all of those that may not be Rachel Ray fans) and some fajita seasoning (cumin, pepper, etc). Cook on medium heat just enough to get the juices flowing. Then dump in:
Shredded cooked chicken (half a breast of prepared rotisserie or 2-3 cooked breasts)
1 can corn
2 cans rotel (one regular, one mild- if you like a little spicy, both mild if you don’t)
2 cans chicken broth
1 can refried beans
Simmer on low at least 2 hours (I do 3-4 hours)
Serve with chopped scallions, shredded cheese, sour cream, and tortilla chips


Note: Tara recommends using the already cooked rotisserie chickens for this recipe. Another great tip to save time is to bake a large amount of chicken over the weekend (usually marinated in Italian dressing, baked at 350 for 45-50 min.) and use that through the week for recipes, over salads, etc.

Creamy Bowtie Pasta

Cook box of bowtie pasta according to package in a big pot. While pasta is cooking, throw about half a red onion (chopped) in a skillet with a little EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil for all of those that are not Rachel Ray fans) and garlic. Cook on medium heat, just enough to get the juices flowing.
Cook alfredo dressing (get dry packet) according to package. (You could use a jar of it)
Drain pasta, throw back in pot and add:
Shredded (cooked) chicken, onion mixture, 1 jar sundried tomatoes (drained and chopped), 1 pkg. pine nuts, alfredo sauce, oregano, basil. Stir. If too dry, you can add more alfredo or add some of the sundried tomato oil they came in.

Note: Tara recommends using the already cooked rotisserie chickens for this recipe. Another great tip to save time is to bake a large amount of chicken over the weekend (usually marinated in Italian dressing, baked at 350 for 45-50 min.) and use that through the week for recipes, over salads, etc.

Easy Creamy Chicken

Throw in a crock pot:

4 chicken breasts (whole, can be frozen)
2 “cream of” soups (one cream of celery and one cream of mushroom- low sodium)
Chopped celery (I do a whole stalk- whatever your family prefers)
Diced onion (about half)
Season to family’s taste (I do some combination of pepper, thyme, rosemary, oregano, sage)

Cook on low for about 6 hours. Chicken should just shred apart.

Serve over egg noodles (or rice if you prefer). You can add different things to make it your own…milk and sour cream to make it creamier, more soups, chopped mushrooms, etc.

Scallops Provencal

Krista just recently made these and said that they were very tasty and it was very quick and easy! Can't wait to try them!

Cook Time 10 minutes

Yield 3 servings

Ingredients

1 pound fresh bay or sea scallops
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
All-purpose flour, for dredging
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, divided
1/2 cup chopped shallots (2 large)
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 lemon, cut in 1/2

Directions

If you're using bay scallops, keep them whole. If you're using sea scallops, cut each 1 in half horizontally. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, toss with flour, and shake off the excess.
In a very large saute pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the butter over high heat until sizzling and add the scallops in 1 layer. Lower the heat to medium and allow the scallops to brown lightly on 1 side without moving them, then turn and brown lightly on the other side. This should take 3 to 4 minutes, total. Melt the rest of the butter in the pan with the scallops, then add the shallots, garlic, and parsley and saute for 2 more minutes, tossing the seasonings with the scallops. Add the wine, cook for 1 minute, and taste for seasoning. Serve hot with a squeeze of lemon juice.

2004, Barefoot in Paris, All Rights Reserved - from http://www.foodnetwork.com/

Bacon and Tomato Salad

Holly said she makes this a lot as a side with burgers (she doesn't do the sauce and bread unless I am serving as an appetizer). They use the leftovers by sauteing them and putting them on top of pasta). Holly has brough this over as an appetizer before and it is amazing! It is a great twist on the traditional bruschetta in my opinion!

Ingredients

3 pounds tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
12 basil leaves, torn
1 small red onion, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3/4 pound sliced bacon
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
3/4 teaspoon Cajun spice mix
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 small garlic clove, minced
Dash of hot sauce and crusty bread, for serving

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 450°. In a bowl, toss the tomatoes, basil, onion, olive oil and vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Let stand for 15 minutes.


• Set a wire rack on a baking sheet and arrange the bacon slices in a single layer on the rack. Bake the bacon in the upper third of the oven for 15 minutes, turning once, until golden and crisp-chewy. Let cool, then break into small pieces.


• In a small bowl, whisk the mayonnaise with the mustard, curry powder, Cajun spice mix, lemon juice, garlic and hot sauce.


• Sprinkle the bacon over the tomato salad and serve the mayonnaise and bread on the side.

Recipe by Laurent Tourondel, featured in Food & Wine magazine, June 2005

Bacon-Wrapped Pork Medallions With Tomato-Corn Salsa

Holly made this for Brad's 30th birthday, I am pretty sure I am have sampled this one and it is awesome!

Yield Makes 8 servings

Ingredients

3 (3/4-lb.) pork tenderloins
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons ancho chili powder
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
8 thick-cut bacon slices

Preparation

1. Cut pork into 8 (3-inch-thick) slices. Place meat, cut sides up, between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap, and flatten to 2-inch thickness, using a rolling pin or flat side of a meat mallet.
2. Whisk together olive oil and next 3 ingredients. Rub mixture evenly over pork; cover and chill 2 hours.
3. Microwave bacon at HIGH 2 minutes or until bacon is partially cooked. Wrap sides of each pork slice with 1 bacon slice, and secure with a wooden pick.
4. Light 1 side of grill, heating to medium-high heat (350° to 400°); leave other side unlit. Arrange pork over lit side; grill, covered with grill lid, 5 minutes on each side. Move pork to unlit side; grill, covered with grill lid, 30 to 35 minutes or until a meat thermometer registers 160°. Let stand 10 minutes. Serve with Tomato-Corn Salsa.

Tomato-Corn Salsa

Yield Makes 2 cups

Ingredients

4 ears fresh corn, husks removed
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 pt. grape tomatoes, halved
3 green onions, sliced
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Preparation

1. Brush corn evenly with oil. Grill, covered with grill lid, over medium-high heat (350° to 400°) 8 minutes, turning every 2 minutes or until done. Let stand 10 minutes. Cut kernels from cobs; discard cobs.
2. Combine corn, tomatoes, and next 5 ingredients, tossing to coat.

Southern Living, JULY 2007

Seared Sea Scallops with Satsuma, Parsley, and Shallot Salsa

Another great looking recipe from Holly!

Cook the scallops in two batches if needed to prevent crowding the pan.

Yield 6 servings

Ingredients

1/2 cup minced shallots (about 2 shallots)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon grated satsuma orange rind
3 tablespoons fresh satsuma orange juice
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
2 satsuma oranges, peeled and sectioned
Cooking spray
18 large sea scallops (about 1 3/4 pounds)
2 cups trimmed watercress (about 1 bunch)
Satsuma orange wedges (optional)

Preparation

1. Combine first 6 ingredients in a small bowl. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; stir well with a whisk. Add the satsuma orange sections. Let stand 30 minutes.
2. Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add scallops to pan; cook 2 minutes or until browned. Turn scallops over. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper; cook 2 minutes or until done.
3. Place 1/3 cup watercress on each of 6 plates. Arrange 3 scallops on each serving; top each serving with 2 tablespoons salsa. Garnish with orange wedges, if desired.

Joanne Weir, Cooking Light, DECEMBER 2008

Spiced Pork Chops with Apple Chutney

This recipe is from Holly - she just recently made this and thought it was blog-worthy!

Slender haricots verts are a pretty and quick-cooking complement to the meal. Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 12 ounces haricots verts to pan; cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, and 2 thinly sliced garlic cloves; cook 5 minutes or until garlic is lightly browned.

Yield 4 servings (serving size: 1 chop and about 1/3 cup chutney)

Ingredients

Chutney:

1 tablespoon butter
5 cups (1/4-inch) cubed peeled apple (about 3 apples)
1/4 cup dried cranberries
3 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

Pork:

3/4 teaspoon ground chipotle chile pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 (4-ounce) boneless center-cut pork loin chops, trimmed
Cooking spray

Preparation

1. To prepare chutney, melt butter in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add apple; sauté 4 minutes or until lightly browned. Add cranberries and the next 6 ingredients (through allspice); bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 8 minutes or until apples are tender; stir occasionally.
2. To prepare pork, while chutney simmers, heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Combine chipotle and next 4 ingredients (through black pepper); sprinkle over pork. Coat grill pan with cooking spray. Add pork to pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until done. Serve with chutney.

Recipe from David Bonom, Cooking Light, MARCH 2009

Let's Spice up Lent with some Veggie Pizzas!

The season of lent has inspired me to want to try some veggie dishes for a little Friday night variety. Since Tim grew up making pizza on Friday nights, I thought we would try a couple different pizzas. We made both of these this weekend and they were both great and something a little different than the pizzas we normally make! We made the Mushroom Lovers pizza on Saturday night. Next time I might just skip the french bread loaves and make it on regular crust. Even after scooping out a lot of the bread - we both felt like we were eating a lot more bread than necessary. We made the Garlic and Herb Three Cheese pizza on Sunday for lunch. Tim just had to put pepperoni on "his half". If you are going to add a meat, I think that an Italian sausage would be good. It would be good with some spinach and mushrooms if you wanted to keep it veggie though. Oh and if you are wondering why I didn't make one of these for our Friday night dinner - I was out with friends and got to go to BOCA - don't ask me what I ate :)


Garlic and Herb Three Cheese Pizza (click to see the picture)

Cook Time 20 minutes
Yield 4 servings


Ingredients

1 ball fresh pizza dough, store bought or from your favorite pizzeria
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Handful parsley leaves, finely chopped
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 (5-ounce) round soft cheese with herbs, crumbled (recommended: Boursin)
1 teaspoon lemon zest, eyeball it
2 cups shredded sharp provolone cheese
Few sprigs fresh thyme, leaves chopped or 1/2 teaspoon dried

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Stretch dough out and form a thin round. Use a little flour or cornmeal on your hands if dough sticks. Mix the garlic, parsley, ricotta, herb cheese and lemon zest. Spread the soft cheese mixture across the pizza dough to the edges then top with an even layer of provolone. Scatter thyme over the cheese mixture. Bake until crisp and bubbly-brown on top, 18 to 20 minutes.

Recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray from http://www.foodnetwork.com/.


Mushroom Lovers' French Bread Pizzas (click to see picture)

Cook Time 25 minutes
Yield 4 servings

Ingredients

8 large portobello mushroom caps
1 pound button mushrooms
1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 3 turns of the pan
2 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
1 bay leaf
4 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine, eyeball it
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, eyeball it
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves, 4 sprigs stripped and chopped
1 loaf crusty French bread, 24 inches
3 cups shredded Gruyere or Swiss cheese

Directions

Wipe mushrooms clean with a damp towel. Slice the mushrooms. Heat a deep skillet with extra-virgin olive oil and butter over medium heat. When butter melts into oil, add bay, garlic and mushrooms. Cook until mushrooms are dark and tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Season the mushrooms with salt and pepper and add wine. Deglaze the pan with wine, eyeball the amount. Shake the pan and add the Worcestershire and thyme. Turn off heat.
Preheat broiler and split the loaf lengthwise and across. Hollow out a bit of the soft insides. Toast the bread lightly under broiler. Fill bread with mushrooms evenly then top with cheese liberally. Melt cheese until it browns and bubbles then remove the pizzas from the oven and turn off the broiler.

Recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray from http://www.foodnetwork.com/.

Ricotta Stuffed Zucchini

In my quest to find a way to make vegetables so that Alex will eat them, I stumbled across this recipe on www.allrecipes.com. These were a success, I got the MMMMM approval from him! I added extra mozzerella to the tops since we like cheese so much!

YIELD: 4 SERVINGS

PREP TIME 10 Min
COOK TIME 15 Min
READY IN 25 Min


INGREDIENTS

2 zucchini, halved lengthwise
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1/4 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons dried basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Grease a baking sheet.
Scoop out the seeds of each zucchini half with a spoon. Season the hollowed-out halves with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper.
Mix together the ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, lemon juice, dried basil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper in a bowl. Divide cheese mixture between four zucchini halves. Arrange stuffed zucchini on greased baking sheet.
Bake in preheated oven until zucchini is tender and filling is beginning to brown, 15 to 20 minutes.

Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken Lasagna

There was a lady on Good Morning America the other day and they highlighted her Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken Lasagna recipe. She has an interesting blog, "A Year of Crockpotting", see link to the right, where she made it her New Year's resolution for 2008 to use her crockpot everyday for a year - WOW! There are a lot of interesting recipes on her blog, very creative! I really liked the recipe, but Tim thought it was a little too spicy for him - after all, it does call for a whole cup of hot sauce! I will make it again, but will probably cut back on the hot sauce so Tim can eat it without complaining.

Click here for the recipe!