Chicken Stuffed Shells

Stolen from - Now that's What's Cooking

Chicken Stuffed Shells

15 uncooked jumbo pasta shells
2 teaspoons oil
2-4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
8 ounces cooked chicken
1(15 ounce) container fat free ricotta cheese
1/3 cup dry breadcrumbs
1 (28 ounce) can low fat marinara sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp parsley
Parmesan cheese for topping

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Spray large baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

3. Cook pasta shells according to directions and drain.

4. Boil chicken and shred.

5. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.

6. Combine chicken and garlic, cook for 3-5 minutes

7. Remove from heat and stir in ricotta, breadcrumbs, parsley and salt and pepper to taste.

8. Spread 1/2 cup sauce in the bottom of the baking dish.

9. Fill cooked shells with chicken mixture and place filled sides up in baking dish.

10. Pour remaining sauce over shells.

11. Bake covered with foil for 15-20 minutes, remove foil and continue baking until filling is lightly browned.

12. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve.

Cream Cheese Chicken

Cream Cheese Chicken
(Source: MaryEllen - found on Now that's What's Cooking Blog)

3 chicken breasts, trimmed and kept whole or cut into strips or chunks
1 can chicken broth, separated
4-8 cloves garlic
red pepper flakes
4 oz cream cheese
1.5 tbs flour
2 tsp white wine

Optional: chopped red and green peppers or 1 chopped jalapeno

1. Put chicken in large pan with a little bit of olive oil

2. Add red pepper flakes and pressed garlic

3. After 1-2 min, add ¾ can chicken broth and white wine; add the chopped peppers at this time if you are using them

4. Bring to a boil then simmer 20-25 min until chicken is cooked- Remove chicken and place in a covered dish; keep warm

5. Mix flour with remaining broth and add to pan; mix

6. Add cream cheese, mix until thick and bubbly

Jack Daniels Sauce

Stolen From - CD Kitchen

Jack Daniels Sauce (just like TGI Friday's)

• 1/3 cup diced red onions
• 1/2 teaspoon finely diced garlic
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup teriyaki sauce
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/3 cup white grape juice
• 1/2 cup Jack Daniel's Black Label Bourbon
• 1/2 teaspoon Tobasco Sauce

Blend all ingredients in medium sauce pan and bring to a boil. Simmer for 35 - 45 minutes. Remove from heat.

Potato Candy

Stolen From: Nestie Ashleighl

Potato Candy

½ of a medium potato, peeled and mashed ( then cooled)

1 tablespoon butter

1 teaspoon milk

2- 2 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

1 cup peanut butter

DIRECTIONS

Mix together potato, butter or margarine, and milk. Add enough confectioners' sugar to make a stiff dough.

Roll out on a flat surface sprinkled with powdered sugar. Spread on a layer of peanut butter and roll up. Chill and slice.

French Baguettes

These are really easy and really yummy. The last time I made them I also threw some rosemary into one of the batches which was a nice addition.

The only downside to these is that if you're puppy happens to get a hold of one of the rising loaves your screwed and can expect a $750 vet bill. Yes our wonderful little Puddles ate one, got drunk and shit her brains out at the emergency vets office at 2 am. It was going to be expensive anyway, but in the interest of not getting shit on while we slept Greg and I decided to have them watch her overnight. Of course the poop isn't really why we left her, she was drunk and we wanted to make sure she was going to be ok.

Stolen from Allrecipes.com

French Baguettes

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup water
• 2 1/2 cups bread flour
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons bread machine yeast
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon water

DIRECTIONS

1. Place 1 cup water, bread flour, sugar, salt and yeast into bread machine pan in the order recommended by manufacturer. Select Dough cycle, and press Start.
2. When the cycle has completed, place dough in a greased bowl, turning to coat all sides. Cover, and let rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes, or until doubled in bulk. Dough is ready if indentation remains when touched.
3. Punch down dough. On a lightly floured surface, roll into a 16x12 inch rectangle. Cut dough in half, creating two 8x12 inch rectangles. Roll up each half of dough tightly, beginning at 12 inch side, pounding out any air bubbles as you go. Roll gently back and forth to taper end. Place 3 inches apart on a greased cookie sheet. Make deep diagonal slashes across loaves every 2 inches, or make one lengthwise slash on each loaf. Cover, and let rise in a warm place for 30 to 40 minutes, or until doubled in bulk.
4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Mix egg yolk with 1 tablespoon water; brush over tops of loaves.
5. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown.

Spicy Garlic Lime Pasta

Stolen from Amber's Delectable Delights

This was really yummy! I marinated the chicken overnight and it tasted great. My one complaint along with Greg and Ry's was that it was a little too peppery, but that was my fault, I accidentally put way too much cayenne pepper into the mix because I forgot how big the holes are ... oopsies. I also didn't have any garlic power so I used a garlic and herb spice that I had and it worked out just fine.

Spicy Garlic Lime Pasta

Ingredients:
1 cup chicken broth
1.5 tbls lime juice
1 tsp corn starch
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp dried parsley
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 tbls butter
Few drizzles of olive oil
8 oz pasta (I used whole wheat rotini)
1-2 cups broccoli florets
Optional - Parmesan cheese for topping

Directions:
1) Mix all marinade ingredients (chicken broth through parsley) together in bowl or ziplock bag. Cut chicken into bite size pieces and toss into the marinade. Let chicken marinate in fridge a minimum of one hour.
2) Bring pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions. During the last 5 minutes of pasta cook time add the broccoli into the boiling water. Drain.
3) Meanwhile, heat butter and olive oil in saucepan over medium heat. Remove chicken pieces from marinade (setting marinade to the side) and place in heated pan. Cook chicken until no longer pink. Pour the marinade into the pan with the chicken and bring to a simmer. Let simmer until thickened.
4) Toss cooked broccoli and pasta with the chicken and sauce. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese if desired and serve.

BBQ Baked Biscuits

Stolen from nestie Bakingblonde

BBQ Baked Biscuits
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 TBS low sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
2 TBS BBQ sauce (a slightly sweet one works best)
1 TBS water
2-3 garlic clove, minced
3-4 pork chops or chicken breasts (I used pork)

1 TBS water
1 TBS cornstarch
1 TBS EVOO
1 half onion, chopped
1 TBS BBQ sauce (a slightly sweet one works best)
1 TBS low sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup low sodium beef or chicken broth
1 large can Plain (not buttered) Pillsbury Grands refrigerated biscuits

Preheat the oven to 375º.
Line a baking or broiler pan with foil
In a large mixing bowl wisk together brown sugar, soy sauce, ketchup, BBQ sauce, water and garlic until combined.
Rub on both sides of meat very liberally. Reserve remaining sauce. Place the meat in the prepared pan and bake for 20-25 minutes. Baste the meat with the remaining sauce (and flip meat over and baste the other side) Bake for another 10-15 minutes or until no longer pink. Shred the meat and allow to sit in the juice in the pan.

While meat is resting, In small bowl, combine cornstarch and water wisk well and set aside.
In a medium pan over high heat, heat the EVOO. Cook onion for 2-3 minutes just until beginning to brown. Turn down heat to medium. Add soy sauce, BBQ sauce and brown sugar. Stir to combine. Slowly add the broth and cornstarch mixture. Cook until the sauce thickens a bit. Stir in the shredded meat. Turn off heat.

Separate dough into 8 biscuits. On lightly floured surface, press or roll each biscuit into about 5-inch diameter circles. Divide the BBQ meat mixture among the biscuits and place in the center of each biscuit.

Gathering up edges, twist and pinch to seal. Place, seam side down, on ungreased baking sheet.

In a small bowl wisk together
1 tsp sugar
1tsp water
1 egg white

Brush tops of biscuits with the mixture

Bake at 375º for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Rice Krispy Treats

Peanut Butter Rice Krispy Treats
Stolen from: BakeSpace.com

Ingredients:
4 Cups miniature marshmallows
1/2 Cup creamy peanut butter
4 Tablespoons butter
1/8 Teaspoon salt
4 Cups crisp rice cereal
1 Cup candy coated chocolate candies with peanut butter

Directions:
1. Combine marshmallows, peanut butter, butter, and salt in a large nonstick saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring continually, until mixture is smooth, about 5 minutes.

2. Combine rice cereal and candies in a large bowl and mix well. Pour marshmallows mixture over cereal mixture and stir to coat evenly.

3. Shape mixture with greased fingers into 1 ½ inch balls. Arrange on waxed paper. Let stand to cool for 5 minutes.

Variation:
For a rich flavor, add ½ cup butterscotch flavored chips after the marshmallows and butter have melted.

Money-saving tip:
Using margarine or a butter blend rather than butter gives good results with less expense.

Chocolate Rhapsody

Ingredients:
Cake layer:
2/3 cup of all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
6 tablespoons butter or margarine (softened)
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup milk

Chocolate layer:
2 cups (12 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate morsels
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

Raspberry Mousse Layer:
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 cups (8 ounces) slightly sweetened frozen raspberries
3 (6 ounce package) White Baking Bars (broken into pieces)
1 3/4 cups heavy whipping cream, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Sweetened whipped cream (optional)
Fresh raspberries (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350*F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan.

For Cake Layer:
Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in small bowl. Beat sugar and butter in small mixer bowl until creamy. Beat in egg and vanilla extract. Alternately beat in flour mixture and milk. Spread into prepared springform pan.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely in pan on wire rack.

For Chocolate Layer:
Microwave morsels and cream in medium, uncovered, microwave safe bowl on HIGH (100%) power for 1 minute; STIR. The morsels may retain some of their original shape. If necessary, microwave at additional 10 to 15 second intervals, stirring just until morsels are melted. Cool completely.

For Raspberry Mousse Layer:
Combine sugar, water, and cornstarch in medium saucepan; stir in respberries. Bring mixture to a boil. Boil, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Cool completely.

Microwave baking bars and 1/2 cup of cream in meduim, uncovered, microwave safe bowl on MEDIUM-HIGH (70%) power for 1 minute; STIR. The bars may retain some of their original shape. If necessary, microwave at additional 10 to 15 minute intervals, stirring just until bars are melted. Cool completely. Stir into raspberry mixture.

Beat remaining cream and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until stiff peaks form. Fold in raspberry mixture.

To Assemble:
Remove side of springform pan; dust off crumbs. Grease inside of pan; reattach side. Spread 1/2 cup chocolate mixture over cake layer; freeze for 5 minutes. Sppon raspberry mousse over chocolate; freeze for 10 minutes. Carefully spread remaining chocolate mixture over raspberry mousse. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or until firm. Carefully remove side of springform pan. Garnish with whipped cream and raspberries.

Angel Hair Pasta and Chicken with Asian Dressing

Ingredients:
9 ounces refrigerator angel hair pasta
1/3 cup of creamy peanut butter
1/3 cup of dark sesame oil
1/3 cup of vegetable oil
1/4 cup of orange juice
3 tablespoons of rice vinegar
2 tablespoons of soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey mustard
2 teaspoons hot chilil oil
1 1/2 cups of diced cooked chicken
1/3 cup of sliced green onions

Directions:
Prepare pasta according to package directions.

Compine peanut butter, sesame oil, vegetable oil, orange juice, vinegar, soy sauce, mustard, and chili oil in small bowl. Mix until smooth. Season with salt and ground black pepper.

Toss pasta, chicken, green onions, and dressing in medium bowl.

Ravioli Lasagna

Ingredients:
1 package (20 ounces) cheese raviolis
1 container (15 ounces) ricotta cheese
1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/3 cup of milk
1 container (23.5 ounces) marinara sauce
1/4 cup (1 ounce) parmesan cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350*F. Grease two 8 x 4-inch loaf dishes.

Prepare pasta according to package directions.

Combine ricotta cheese, spinach, eggs, and milk in medium bowl. Place one-fourth pasta in each prepared baking dish. Add one-fourth sauce and half ricotta mixture to each baking dish. Top each with half of the remaining pasta and half of the remaining sauce. Sprinkle both baking dishes with Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil.

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until heated through. Let stand for 10 Minutes before serving.

Chili-Lime Chicken Kabobs

Stolen From AllRecipes.com

I absolutely love this recipe! I've made it for Greg a few times and we are in love with it. There are only a few minor changes that I've made. The first is that I used regular old vinegar because I didn't have red wine vinegar. And the second is that I stack the skewers with lots of other yummy stuff. I always have pineapples, and lime slices (the pieces of chicken near the limes taste extra yummy) and last time we added oranges to the mix. The grilled oranges were AMAZING!! I wish I had my own pics of this, because honestly, mine looked way better than the ones in this pic, but you're just going to have to take my word for it

INGREDIENTS

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• cayenne pepper to taste
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
• skewers

DIRECTIONS

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, and lime juice. Season with chili powder, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper. Place the chicken in a shallow baking dish with the sauce, and stir to coat. Cover, and marinate in the refrigerator at least 1 hour.
2. Preheat the grill for medium-high heat. Thread chicken onto skewers, and discard marinade.
3. Lightly oil the grill grate. Grill skewers for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the chicken juices run clear.

Southwestern Eggrolls

I'm pretty sure this recipe is the one that I used to mimic the amazing Southwest Eggrolls at Chili's. For some reason I'm not amazing at getting the eggrolls to turn out great, but then again I only tried once and put them in the deep fryer. Can anyone say too much grease? Honestly, I love the filling just wrapped up in a tortilla or in a taco shell. It's even great to eat with chips (preferably the Tostitos Scoops ones). It looks like I bake them with this recipe so that may just do the trick and leave them yummy instead of way to greasy. I guess Greg will be getting these again soon.

When I make it I use sliced jalpeno's not the juice. I also add it a little bit of Chili power and pepper. I also don't add salsa and use a whole can of black beans (I love my black beans...yummy) oh and as usual I use EVOO instead of vegetable oil.

Southwest Eggrolls (Skinny Version)

2 chicken breasts, shredded
1/3 c. corn kernels (frozen or canned)
¼ c. canned black beans, rinsed and drained
2 tbsp. frozen spinach, thawed and drained
2 tbsp. jarred jalapeno juice
2 tbsp. salsa
½ tbsp. minced fresh cilantro
½ tsp. cumin
1/3 tsp. salt
pinch cayenne pepper
1 c. shredded reduced-fat Monterey Jack cheese
6 flour tortillas
vegetable oil

GREEN SALSA

this is not exactly like the Chili’s cilantro dipping sauce, but is still a great compliment to the SW Eggrolls!Combine all but the last three ingredients in a saucepan. Stir over medium-high heat until well blended. Remove from heat and stir in Monterey Jack cheese until melted. Spoon even amounts of filling into tortillas. Fold ends and roll, securing with a toothpick. Place eggrolls on oil-coated cookie sheet, and brush rolls with oil. Bake at 425* for 15-20 minutes, flipping eggrolls half way through to brown on both sides. Serve with green salsa.

Ingredients

Peel avocados and place them in food processor. In a medium saucepan, boil chopped tomatoes, tomatillos, and jalapenos for 15 minutes; drain. Place in blender with cilantro, avocados, sour cream, and garlic powder. Blend until smooth and salt to taste.

3 avocados
3 green tomatoes
4 tomatillos
½ tsp. garlic powder
3 sprigs cilantro, chopped
2 jalapenos
1 ½ c. reduced-fat sour cream
Salt to taste (needs pretty much)

Grilled steak, caramelized onion and blue cheese Ravioli with A Rosemary Balsamic Cream Sauce.

Stolen From Joelen's Culinary Adventures

Grilled steak, caramelized onion and blue cheese Ravioli with A Rosemary Balsamic Cream Sauce.

Here is the recipe for the rosemary balsamic cream sauce. You can use this over chicken, pork, steak or even your favorite pasta for something different and flavorful.

1 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup worchestershire sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1-2 springs rosemary
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
pinch of kosher salt
few grinds of freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon butter

- Combine all ingredients except cream & butter in a medium saucepan.
- Bring mixture to a low boil and reduce heat to low.
- Allow mixture to reduce by letting it boil on low for 25-30 minutes.
- Mixture should thicken enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon.
- Allow the mixture to cool, as it will thicken even more.
- In a saucepan, pour reduced sauce through a sieve to remove big spices.
- Allow sauce to boil and add cream.
- Stir & take off heat.
- Slowly stir in butter.
- Pour sauce over meat as a finishing sauce or over pasta.

*The sauce is best made in advance for the flavors of garlic and rosemary to infuse the sauce.

Jello Shots!!!

Who doesn't love Jello shots? I know I adore them. I need to get the pic of the penis jello shots from my bach party from Carol so this will have a cool pic to go with it hehe

1 cup hot water
1 cup liquor of your choice
mix water and jello mix then add the liquor
Pour into any mold, cup or tray (dixie cups or penis molds are my personal favorites)
Put them in the fridge and eat them when they have become Jello.

I usually use vodka for my alcohol of choice and usually the Jello is blue, green or red, but there are some other fun flavor combos that I think I need to try.

Blue Jello - Raspberry Vodka
Lime Jello - Tequila
Pineapple Jello (I didn't even know this existed) - Malibu
Watermelon Jello - Madroi

Orzo with Parmesan and Basil

Stolen from Sweet-Savory-Southern




Orzo with Parmesan and Basil

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup uncooked orzo pasta
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

DIRECTIONS

1. Melt butter in heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in orzo and saute until lightly browned.
2. Stir in chicken stock and bring to boil. Cover. Reduce heat and simmer until orzo is tender and liquid is absorbed, about 15 - 20 minutes.
3. Mix in Parmesan cheese and basil. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to shallow bowl. Garnish with basil sprigs

Margarita Cupcakes

Stolen from Confections of a Foodie Bride

I've actually made these and I love them!! I did go a tiny bit overboard with the amount of lime I put in the frosting and the frosting ended up being a little more than I could handle, but it was all my fault for not following the recipe, which for some reason I can never seem to do. In my defense I love lime and I always use more than the amount listed and usually it works of wonderfully, this just happens to be one of those recipes where no matter how much you love limes you shouldn't add extra.

Margarita Cupcakes

9 oz Margarita mix (such as Mrs. T’s or Bacardi)
3 oz tequila (Sauza Conmemorativo is a house-fave)
3/4 oz Grand Marnier
White cake mix (yes, the boxed stuff)
3 egg whites
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 Tbsp lime zest
1 recipe Lime Buttercream Icing (recipe follows)

Mix together the margarita mix, tequila, and Grand Marnier in a large glass or spouted bowl. You will use 1 1/4 cup of this in the cupcake mix. Pour the remainder over ice and enjoy the mini-rita while you’re baking.

In a stand mixer, add the cake mix, egg whites, vegetable oil, lime zest, and 1 1/4 cup of the margarita mixture. Mix on low for about 30 seconds and then increase to medium speed for two minutes (the batter will still be a bit lumpy).

Spoon the batter into a prepared muffin pan (fill the cups somewhere between 2/3 and 3/4 full) and bake at 350 for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick registers “done” in the center cupcake. Remove the pan from the oven and cool 5 minutes. Remove the cupcakes and cool completely on a baking rack.

Once the cupcakes have cooled, make the icing and ice the cupcakes.

Lime Buttercream Icing
3 cups + 3 Tbsp confectioner’s sugar
1 stick unsalted butter at room temperature
1/8 tsp salt
1 Tbsp lime juice
1/4 cup granulated sugar
green food color (a small amount of the gel will not throw off the consistency of the icing)

Add the butter, confectioner’s sugar, salt, and lime juice to the stand mixer and mix on low using the paddle attachment until combined. Turn the speed to med-high until the icing is fluffy. Add the icing to a pastry bag fitted with a 2D tip and ice the cupcakes.

Add the sugar and a couple drops of the food coloring to a food processor. Process until the sugar turns green. Spread the sugar onto a plate and let dry for 15 minutes. Sprinkle onto freshly-iced cupcakes and enjoy!

Another Pasta Salad

Stolen from Confections from a Foodie Bride

Made-Over Pasta Salad
1/4 cup light mayo
1 cup reduced-fat sour cream
3 Tbsp cider vinegar
2 Tbsp creole mustard
3/4 tsp fresh dill, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp sugar (optional)*
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
2 cups farfalle, cooked, rinsed in cold water, and drained
2 chicken breasts, cooked, cooled and cubed
2 1/2 cups red grapes, halved
1/2 cup red bell pepper, finely diced
1/2 cup orange bell pepper, finely diced
1/2 cup green onions, chopped

* I prefer my dressings more tart, less creamy and sweet and didn’t use any sugar.

Whisk together mayo, sour cream, vinegar, mustard, dill weed, garlic and sugar (if using) in a small bowl. Taste for seasoning and sweetness and adjust sugar, salt, and pepper if necessary.

In a large bowl, assemble the remaining ingredients. Pour the dressing over the pasta mixture and toss well. Refrigerate for2-3 hours and serve cold.

Horseradish Baked Chicken with Roasted Potatoes and Sugar Snap Peas

Stolen from http://mecookingcreations.blogspot.com/


Chicken

- 1 pound boneless chicken breasts (I used boneless tenders)

- 2 tbsp butter

- 1.5 tbsp flour

- 1 cup milk

- 3 tbsp sour cream

- 3 tbsp horseradish

- 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard

- a few dashes each of cayenne pepper (optional), salt, and pepper

Melt butter in a pan over medium heat. Add flour and stir. Whisk in milk, bring to a boil, then simmer about 3 minutes. Stir in the horseradish, sour cream, Dijon, and spices. Stir/simmer for a few minutes. Pour about 1/2 of the sauce over chicken in a baking dish (the rest is good heated up and served over your side - rice, plain potatoes, noodles, etc). Bake on 350 for approx 20-25 min til chicken is done. Turn the broiler on for 4-5 minutes to get the sauce nice and bubbly.

Potatoes

- 1 pound red potatoes, washed and quartered

- olive oil (about 1/4 cup)

- spices; I used salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, parsley

- option: a few tsp Parmesan cheese

Toss potatoes with olive oil and spices (and cheese) and put into a flat baking dish. Bake on 350 for approx 30 minutes, or until tender. Be sure to flip your potatoes every few minutes so they get crispy all around.

Veggie

- sugar snap peas - I used about 1 cup

- 2 cloves garlic

- 1 tbsp olive oil

Bring a small pot of water to a boil, add sugar snap peas. In the meantime, heat oil in a pan, add garlic and saute. After 3 minutes, removed sugar snap peas from the water and add to the pan with the oil and garlic. Saute for 2 minutes.

PARMESAN HONEY MUSTARD CHICKEN

Stolen From Deborah's Culinary Confections

PARMESAN HONEY MUSTARD CHICKEN

INGREDIENTS:

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded 1/2" thick
1 tablespoon mustard
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
1 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper


DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. In a small bowl combine mustard, honey and lemon juice and stir until well combined. Brush both sides of each chicken breasts liberally with mustard sauce.

3. In a medium bowl combine bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, salt, garlic powder and pepper. Dip chicken breasts in bread crumb mixture, thoroughly coating both sides. Place in a shallow baking pan and spray surface of chicken lightly with nonstick cooking spray.

4. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes. Turn chicken breasts over and lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray. Bake an additional 10 minutes or until chicken breast is done.

Potato and Veggie Bake

Stolen from http://mecookingcreations.blogspot.com/



First I took a potato (baking potato) and threw it in the mic for 8 minutes, flipping it over halfway through. Once it was done I chopped it into bite-sized pieces and threw them into a small baking dish.

In the meantime I chopped a tomato, steamed some frozen broccoli and cauliflower, chopped just a little bit of onion, and got out some roasted garlic that I never used yesterday. I melted butter in a small pan, added the onions for a few min, then added flour. Once it became thick, I added some cream (about 1/3 of a cup) and let it come to a simmer. Once it did, I threw in some grated asiago, pecorino romano, and Parmesan cheeses as well as some red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. I put the veggies and roasted garlic into the cheese sauce, and then poured the entire thing over the potatoes.

To get some protein, I mixed in some MorningStar Farms Recipe Crumbles (fake ground meat). I think this would also work with browned ground beef, ground turkey, or even chunks of chicken. Otherwise it's just a nice side.

Once it was all assembled I baked it on 400 for about 15 minutes. The result - a tasty, easy, comfort-food dinner in one dish!

Tropical Sweet Potato Salad

Another tasty looking treat from Clara's Cravings



Tropical Sweet Potato Salad.

3 lb sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
chili powder, salt, pepper, and evoo
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 can pineapple chunks, drained, 1/2 cup juice reserved
1/2 cup shredded coconut, toasted
1/2 cup sliced green onions
juice of 2 limes
cumin, crushed red pepper, salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 450F. Arrange sweet potato chunks on a foil-lined baking sheet. Spray with evoo, season with salt, pepper, and chili powder, and toss to coat. Roast for 25-30 minutes, until tender when pierced with a fork, stirring occasionally. Remove from oven and cool completely.

Combine roasted sweet potatoes with red pepper, pineapple, coconut, and green onions. Whisk together pineapple juice, lime juice, and season to taste with cumin, crushed red pepper, salt and pepper. Pour over potato mixture and stir gently to combine. Chill before serving.

Beautiful Red Velvet Cake

This is probably the prettiest red velvet cake I have ever seen. I definitely want to give this recipe a try.

Stolen from the Domestic Goddess

	For the Cake:
	2 ¼ cups - sifted, then measured - cake flour
	2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
	1 teaspoon baking powder
	1 teaspoon baking soda
	½ teaspoon salt
	1 cup buttermilk
	½ teaspoon red paste food coloring
	1 teaspoon white vinegar
	1 teaspoon vanilla extract
	1 ½ cups granulated sugar
	½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
	2 large eggs
	For the Frosting:
	2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
	½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
	1 tablespoon vanilla extract
	2 ½ cups confectioner's sugar
	about 1 cup fresh blackberries
	about 1 cup fresh strawberries, sliced in half
	about 3 cups fresh blueberries

directions:

The Cake:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter, line with parchment, butter and flour again one deep 10-inch-diameter cake pan.

2. Sift already sifted flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl.

3. Whisk the buttermilk, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla in small bowl to blend.

4. Beat sugar and butter together in the bowl of an electric mixer using the paddle attachment, until well blended. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each. Beat in dry ingredients in 4 additions alternately with buttermilk mixture in 3 additions.

5. Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 35 - 40 minutes. Cool in pan on rack for about 10 minutes. Turn cake out onto rack and cool completely.

Frosting:
1. Place cooled cake in freezer for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl until smooth. Beat in vanilla. Add powdered sugar and beat until smooth.

2. Slice cake into 2 even layers. Place 1 layer, flat side up, on a platter. Spread 1 cup frosting over top. Arrange ½ of the blueberries, ½ of the blackberries and ½ of the strawberries on top of the frosting, pressing lightly to adhere. Top with second cake layer, flat side up again. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake - smoothing to a nice finish. Arrange remaining berries decoratively over top of cake. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Let stand at room temperature about 1 hour before serving.)

after-thoughts:

I would spend the money on clear vanilla for the icing for this cake - it will look much less bland with white icing as compared to the look of the slightly yellowed icing that vanilla contributes to.

recipe origin: Based on a Bon Appétit, June 2003 recipe and a Martha Stewart Recipe

Parmesan Chicken and Rice

Parmesan Chicken and Rice
(Source: Cooking Light)

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 (8-ounce) package presliced mushrooms
3/4 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup uncooked instant rice
1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.

2. Add the onion, garlic, thyme, and mushrooms; sauté 5 minutes or until onion is tender. Add chicken; sauté 4 minutes or until the chicken is lightly browned. Add wine, salt, and pepper; cook 3 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates.

3. Stir in rice and broth. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.

4. Stir in cheese and parsley.

Southwestern Wagon Wheel Pasta Salad

The first of which I'm sure there will be many of Cara's recipes from Cara's Cravings.



Southwestern Wagon Wheel Pasta Salad - with corn, black beans, cheese, tomatoes, avocado, cilantro and a smokey chili-lime vinaigrette.

Note (from Cara), I never put the chips in as I really don't think it needs it, but I believe lots of fresh cilantro is a must!

8 ounces wagon wheel macaroni, uncooked
1 (15 ounce) can black beans
1 (9 ounce) package frozen corn, thawed
1 cup salsa
2 tomatoes, chopped
1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
2 cups tortilla chips, crushed 1 avocado, peeled, chopped

Dressing
1/2 cup olive oil or vegetable oil
2 tablespoons lime juice
3 teaspoons cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
2 large garlic cloves, minced

In medium bowl, combine all dressing ingredients; mix well. Set aside. Cook pasta as directed on package. Drain cooked pasta; rinse with cold water until cool. In large bowl, combine beans, corn, salsa, tomatoes and cilantro. Add cooked pasta and dressing to bean mixture; toss until well coated. Stir in half each of the cheese and tortilla chips. Place salad on large serving platter or in large serving bowl. Top with remaining half of cheese; garnish with remaining chips and avocado.

Homemade Oreos

So, Oreos are just about my favorite food on the planet. I could eat them all day and I still would not be sick of them. Stolen from here, but it appears she stole the recipe from someone else first

Homemade Oreos
Retro Desserts, Wayne Brachman

Makes 25 to 30 sandwich cookies

For the chocolate wafers:
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup unsweetened Dutch process cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 to 1½ cups sugar*
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons (1¼ sticks) room-temperature, unsalted butter
1 large egg

For the filling:
¼ cup (½ stick) room-temperature, unsalted butter
¼ cup vegetable shortening
2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1. Set two racks in the middle of the oven. Preheat to 375 degrees.
2. In a food processor, or bowl of an electric mixer, thoroughly mix the flour, cocoa, baking soda and powder, salt, and sugar. While pulsing, or on low speed, add the butter, and then the egg. Continue processing or mixing until dough comes together in a mass.
3. Take rounded teaspoons of batter and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet approximately 2 inches apart. With moistened hands, slightly flatten the dough. Bake for 9 minutes, rotating once for even baking. Set baking sheets on a rack to cool.
4. To make the cream, place butter and shortening in a mixing bowl, and at low speed, gradually beat in the sugar and vanilla. Turn the mixer on high and beat for 2-3 minutes until filling is light and fluffy.
5. To assemble the cookies, in a pastry bag with a 1/2 inch, round tip, pipe teaspoon-size blobs of cream into the center of one cookie. Place another cookie, equal in size to the first, on top of the cream. Lightly press, to work the filling evenly to the outsides of the cookie. Continue this process until all the cookies have been sandwiched with cream. Dunk generously in a large glass of milk.

* Let’s talk about the sugar for a minute, shall we? This is a sweet cookie. A good, sweet cookie. Yet, if you think of an actual Oreos, the wafers are fairly un-sweet and actually on the slightly salty side, which contrasts with the super-sweetness of the filling bringing harmony, happiness, yada yada. If you want your cookie closer to that original, you can take out a full half-cup of the sugar. I usually do. If you want to make the cookie by itself (as I did a while back for ice cream sandwiches), go ahead and use the full amount.

Yet another blog I probably won't post on

I'm terrible with these blogs. I start them and then they just don't go anywhere. Oh well, we'll see how this one goes. This blog will be a collection of recipes I find randomly or not so randomly on the interweb. I can almost guarantee I won't make them before I post them, BUT they are all on my list of things I want/need to try. So, without further adu...