Halloween 2010

Last year my baby girl was only 11 days old on Halloween and she was not excited about her Halloween outfit or the hundreds of pictures we were taking of her!

Baby "B"

This year is a whole lot different and we have a cute little ducky waddling around the house! She will help Mommy and Daddy pass out candy to all the trick-or-treaters that stop by the house this evening....maybe next year she'll actually make her trick-or-treating debut.

Happy Halloween!

Chicken....two ways!

Since I seem to only update the blog about once a month, I figured I had better get on it since I am running out of time for October! It's been a hectic month, but more about that in another post (maybe!).

On Sunday I roasted a whole chicken which provided for a wonderful meal not only on Sunday evening, but also gave me enough leftover chicken to use later in the week in home-made chicken and noodle soup. Although the recipes came from two different sources, I am "pairing" them together in a cookbook so I can always use them around the same time (until we get to the point that a whole chicken is consumed by our family for one meal...but that is still a LONG way off!). Both meals were perfect for the cold weather we are now having in Wyoming...we just saw our first snowfall early this week!

Herbed Roast Chicken (ToH Magazine)
One 2-gallon resealable plastic bag
1/2 cup orange juice
1/3 cup olive oil
2 Tbls butter, melted
1 Tbls balsamic vinegar
1 Tbls Worcestershire sauce
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbls minced chives
1 Tbls dried parsley
1 Tbls dried basil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp dried marjoram
1/2 tsp dried rosemary, crushed
1/4 tsp dried tarragon
1 roasting chicken (6 to 7lbs)

In the 2-gallon resealable plastic bag, combine the orange juice, oil, butter, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, chives and seasonings. Add the chicken; seal bag and turn to coat. Refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight; turning occasionally. Drain and discard marinade. Place chicken on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 2 1/4 to 2 3/4 hours or until a meal thermometer reads 180 degrees. Cover loosely with foil if chicken browns too quickly. Cover and let stand for 15 minutes before carving.

Home-made Chicken and Noodle Soup (adapted from Mother's Best cookbook)

3 large containers of chicken stock

2 cups finely diced carrots (about 3 large, peeled)

2 cups diced celery (about 4 stalks, ends removed)

2 cups cooked chicken

1 pound egg noodles, cooked

1 bunch fresh dill, chopped, for garnish

Heat chicken stock in large pot over medium heat until stock comes to a simmer. Add carrots and celery, simmer for 8 minutes or until fork-tender (or cooked to your liking, we prefer ours a little softer). Add cooked chicken to stock with vegetables and heat until chicken is warm. Place cooked noodles in soup bowl, ladle the chicken soup over the noodles. Garnish with dill. Makes 6-8 servings. **Feel free to add additional seasonings of your choice to the soup if you are not starting with well seasoned chicken.

This is for Wanda.....Shortcut Pumpkin Bread

My friend, Wanda, is "famous" for her pumpkin muffins....it's the easiest muffin recipe you will ever find! The recipe uses a boxed cake mix and canned pumpkin...that's IT...and they are perfectly moist and good!

When I came across the recipe for Shortcut Pumpkin Bread, I knew I needed to share it with Wanda. This recipe uses more than two ingredients, but it's still super easy.

Shortcut Pumpkin Bread (Parents Magazine - October 2010)
Prepare a yellow-cake mix according to package directions OMITTING water.
Stir in 1 cup pumpkin puree, 1 cup mashed bananas, and 1 tsp cinnamon. (For Wanda-skip the bananas and add more pumpkin :)!)
Pour into a greased 9" loaf pan; bake at 375 degrees for 50 minutes.
In a mixer bowl, beat 4 oz. softened cream cheese and 1/4 cup softened butter until creamy.
Stir in 1/2 tsp vanilla extract and slowly add 1 cup powdered sugar.
Frost cooled bread; chill. Makes 16 slices.

Monkey Bars

This is a great recipe for those over-ripe bananas, and a change from your traditional banana bread. The recipe calls for white whole-wheat flour which I did not have so I used regular whole-wheat flour. My monkey bars turned out a little darker due to the flour substitution, but they had a great flavor.

Monkey Bars (Woman's Day Sept. 2010)

1 2/3 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 5 bananas)

3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar

1/4 cup oil

1/4 cup milk

2 large eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp each baking soda and cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

1 3/4 cups white whole-wheat flour

1 cup mini chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 15x10x1/2 inch baking pan with nonstick foil (let the foil extend about 2 inches above pan at both ends). Whisk mashed bananas, sugar, oil, milk, eggs, vanilla, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl until mixed thoroughly. Whisk in flour just until blended; gently stir in 1/2 cup of the mini chocolate chips. Spread batter in prepared pan. Sprinkle remaining chocolate chips on top. Bake 15 to 20 minutes until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Holding foil by ends, lift from pan onto a cutting board. Carefully cut lengthwise in 4 strips and then cute each strip in 10; remove foil. Makes 40 bars. (2ww pts)

Mascarpone-Pesto Chicken Rolls

What's not to like about pesto, cheese (very creamy cheese at that!!), and chicken?!?

Mascarpone-Pesto Chicken Rolls
4 boneless skinless chicken halves
3/4 tsp garlic salt
1/4 Mascarpone cheese
1/4 cup prepared pesto
1 egg
2 tsp water
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
8 tsp butter, melted, divided
8 oz uncooked fettuccine
fresh basil leaves, optional

Flatten chicken to 1/4-in thickness; sprinkle with garlic salt. Combine cheese and pesto; spread over chicken. Roll up each from a short side and secure with toothpicks. In a shallow bowl, whisk egg and water. Place bread crumbs in a separate shallow bowl. Dip chicken in egg mixture, then coat with crumbs. Place seam side down in a greased 11x7-in baking dish. Drizzle with 4 tsp butter. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 170 degrees. Discard toothpicks.

Meanwhile, cook fettuccine according to package directions. Drain fettuccine; toss with remaining butter. Serve with chicken. Garnish with basil if desired. Serves 4.

Perfect for the last hot days of summer....

This is one of the creamiest home-made ice creams I have ever tasted....probably due to the addition of vanilla instant pudding. This is probably my favorite home-made vanilla ice cream to date!

Country-Style Vanilla Ice Cream (ToH Aug/Sept 2008)
6 cups milk, divided
2 cups sugar
4 eggs, beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 pkgs (3.4 oz each) instant vanilla pudding mix
1 carton (8 oz) frozen whipped topping, thawed

In a large saucepan, heat 2 1/2 cups milk to 175 degrees; stir in the sugar until dissolved. Whisk a small amount of hot mixture into the eggs. Return all to the pan, whisking constantly. Cook and stir over low heat until mixture reaches at least 160 degrees and coats the back of a metal spoon. Remove from the heat. Cool quickly by placing pan in a bowl of ice water; stir for 2 minutes. Stir in vanilla. Place remaining milk in a bowl; whisk in pudding mixes for 2 minutes. Let stand for 2 minutes or until soft-set. Stir into egg mixture. Stir in whipped topping. Press waxed paper onto surface of custard. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Fill cylinder of ice cream freezer two-thirds full; freeze according to the manufacturer's directions. Refrigerate remaining mixture until ready to freeze. Transfer to a freezer container; freeze for 2-4 hours before serving. Makes 2 1/2 quarts.

I was looking for a recipe that would taste similar to Hershey's Hot Fudge sauce....Allrecipes claimed that this was a similar version...but I would have to disagree :(. Until I find another recipe to try, I will continue purchasing the real Hershey's Hot Fudge sauce in the glass jar :).

Hot Fudge Sauce (allrecipes.com)
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup Hershey's cocoa
1/3 cup butter
5 oz evaporated milk
1 tsp vanilla

Combine sugar and cocoa in small saucepan. Stir in corn syrup and evaporated milk; continuously stir over medium heat on stove until mixture comes to a boil; boil for one minute. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and butter until butter is melted. Makes 2 1/2 cups.

fabulous fruit salad

Summer is here, fruit is in abundance at the grocery stores, and my family LOVES it! We had friends over for dinner this past week and when choosing what to make as a side I wanted something that was going to be fresh and in season, along with a dish that could be made ahead of time so I could actually enjoy the company versus being in the kitchen the whole time. This fruit salad does require a little last minute preparation, but it took all of 5 minutes at the most (and with the help of friends pitching in to finish the salad, it worked out perfectly!).

Fabulous Fruit Salad (ToH June/July '09)
1 medium honeydew, peeled, seeded and cubed
1 medium cantaloupe, peeled, seeded and cubed
2 cups cubed seedless watermelon
2 medium peaches, peeled and sliced
2 medium nectarines, sliced
1 cup seedless red grapes
1 cup halved fresh strawberries
1 can (11 oz) mandarin oranges, drained
2 medium kiwifruit, peeled, halved and sliced
2 medium firm bananas, sliced
1 large Granny Smith apple, cubed
1 can (12 oz) frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
1 pkg (3.4 oz) instant vanilla pudding mix

In a large bowl, combine the first nine ingredients. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Just before serving, stir in the bananas and apple. Combine lemonade and pudding mix; pour over fruit and toss to coat. Serves 20 (3/4 cup each).

Teriyaki Hens

I enjoy using cornish game hens as they are already perfectly portioned for you. The one drawback for me is that you really need to cook them with the skin on which means any seasoning I put on the skin usually gets discarded as I choose not to eat the skin. So, my biggest disappointment with this recipe is that I didn't get the full flavor of the sauce since it is brushed on the skin...I should have put some on the side in small bowls to use a dipping sauce...maybe next time....

Teriyaki Hens

2 Cornish game hens (about 1 1/2 lbs each), halved

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

3/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce

1/4 cup hoisin sauce

1/4 cup rice vinegar

1 2-inch piece ginger, peeled and sliced

1 small red chile peppers, halved (remove seeds for less heat)

1 bunch scallions

1 grapefruit, halved

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Season the hens with salt and pepper and place skin-side up in a roasting pan. Roast until the skin is slightly crisp, about 25 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, vinegar, ginger, 1 chile pepper and 1/4 cup water in a pot. Cut half of the scallions into large pieces, and zest and juice half of the grapefruit; add to the pot. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until thick and syrupy, about 20 minutes. Brush the hens with a few tablespoons of the sauce and continue roasting until golden, about 8 more minutes. Serves 4.

Broiled Halibut with Ricotta-Pea Puree

The halibut in this recipe turned out well after making it for the first time, that I would make it again...not so much for the pea puree! I like peas and I like ricotta, but I don't like peas mixed with ricotta.

Broiled Halibut with Ricotta-Pea Puree

3 small carrots, quartered lengthwise

1 medium red onion, thinly sliced

3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

4 6-oz center-cut skinless halibut fillets (1 3/4 inches thick)

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1 10 oz pkg frozen peas

1/3 cup ricotta cheese

1 tbsp unsalted butter

Preheat the broiler. Line a broiler pan with foil and preheat 5 minutes. Meanwhile, brush the carrots and onion with 1 tbsp olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Brush the fish with the remaining 2 tbsp olive oil, season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with the paprika; brush to coat the fish evenly with paprika. Carefully remove the pan from the oven, place the fish in the center and scatter the onion and carrots around. Broil until the fish is golden and just cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Meanwhile, microwave the peas in a bowl with 1/4 cup water until just tender, about 4 minutes. Transfer the peas and liquid to a food processor and pulse with the ricotta, butter and a pinch of salt to make a slightly chunky puree. Divide the puree among plates and top with the fish, carrots, onion and pan juices.

Tilapia with Green Beans

I've been purging cooking magazines over the past two weeks as I had a year and a half's worth of Taste of Home, Bon Appetit, and Food and Wine that needed to be gone through! I tore out the recipes I thought I would try within the next six months or so and recycled the rest (after letting Ally have a little fun with them first). As I was going through the magazines, I've come across several recipes which I have made over the last few months but had yet to blogged, so here are some "new" recipes.

Tilapia with Green Beans
2 Tbls all-purpose flour
2 tsp chopped fresh oregano, plus more for garnish
2 Tbls chopped fresh parsley
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
4 6-oz tilapia fillets
4 Tbls unsalted butter
1/2 lb thin green beans or haricots verts
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
Juice of 1 lemon

Combine the flour, oregano and parsley in shallow dish. Season with salt and pepper. Place a large skillet over medium-high heat. Dredge the fish in the flour mixture, shaking off the excess. Melt 3 tbsp butter in the skillet, then add 2 fillets and cook until golden brown on the bottom about 4 minutes. Flip and cook through, 1 or 2 more minutes. Transfer to a plate and keep warm. Repeat with remaining 2 fillets. Add the green beans and garlic to the skillet and cook about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, then add the tomatoes and cook until just softened, about 1 more minute. Stir in the lemon juice and 1/4 cup water, then cover and cook until the beans are tender, about 3 more minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining 1 tbsp butter until just melted. Divide the fish and vegetables among plates. Garnish with oregano. Serves 4.

White Chili

It doesn't seem appropriate to be posting, much less making a chili during the summer. In the 2 1/2 years I've lived in Wyoming, I've learned that summer is filled with 50 degree rainy days...which we just had a week of recently. So, although I typically reserve soups and chili recipes for the fall and winter months, I did make this White Chili last night. Warning - this soup is SPICY...and gets SPICIER the longer it sits (as in we couldn't even eat the leftovers!).

White Chili (ToH)
3 cans great northern beans, rinsed and drained
3 cups cubed cooked chicken breast
1 jar (15oz) Alfredo sauce
2 cups chicken broth
1 to 2 cans (4oz each) chopped green chilies
1 1/2 cups frozen gold and white corn
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 cup shredded pepper Jack cheese
1 cup sour cream
1 small sweet yellow pepper, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbls ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp white pepper
1 to 1 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
Salsa verde and chopped fresh cilantro, optional

In a 5 or 6-qt slow cooker, combine the first 15 ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours or until heated through, stirring once. Serve with salsa verde and cilantro if desired. Serves 12 (1 cup each).

Cold Tortellini Chicken Salad

I'm always on the look out for recipes that I can make at the beginning of the week and enjoy for lunch throughout the week. I find that lunch is the hardest meal for me to plan. It's always that meal that I feel I eat the same thing all the time, but I don't want to go to the trouble of making someone "elaborate" for just me at lunch time. So, I've started collecting recipes that I am labeling "lunch"...although they very well could be used for dinner as well....but in my household the recipes will serve me for lunch, as many of them contain ingredients (or a combination of) that my husband won't eat.

This "lunch" recipe was found in a Woman's Day magazine:
Cold Tortellini Chicken Salad
9-10 oz cheese tortellini
1 1/2 cups diced, cooked chicken
1/2 cup diced red onion
3 Tbls Italian seasoning (I thought this was WAY too much...I would decrease to 1 Tbls)
1 cup light buttermilk ranch dressing
1/3 cup shredded parmesan
(The recipe doesn't call for any additional vegetables, but I added broccoli florets and diced red pepper)

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain; rinse and cool. Prepare other ingredients and toss together. Add pasta to mixture; chill before serving. Serves 6.

Grilled Pork Chops and Green Beans

It's finally feeling like summer here in Wyoming, which means you can smell the grills going around the neighborhood! There were a lot of walkers out last night as my husband was grilling our dinner....I wonder if they were thinking that the meat he was preparing smelled good...as I often do when walking past others' houses (then wishing we were grilling out that night)?

Grilled Pork Chops (ToH)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp pepper
4 bone-in pork loin chops

In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, soy sauce, garlic and pepper. Pour marinade into a large resealable plastic bag (or do your mixing in the bag and save yourself a dish to wash!). Add pork chops; seal bag and turn to coat. Refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight. If grilling the chops, coat grill rack with cooking spray before starting the grill. Drain and discard marinade. Grill chops, covered, over medium-heat or broil 4-in. from the heat for 4-5 minutes on each side or until meat thermometer reads 160 degrees. Serves 4 - 5WWpts.

Green Beans with Butter Sauce (ToH)
1 lb fresh green beans, trimmed
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1 Tbls olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning (I could have used a little less, so adjust this to your taste)
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp grated lemon peel

Place the beans in a steamer basket; place in a large saucepan over 1-in. of water. Bring to a boil; cover and steam for 8-10 minutes or until crisp-tender. Meanwhile in a small saucepan, heat remaining ingredients until butter is melted. Transfer beans to a serving bowl; drizzle with butter mixture and toss to coat. Serves 4- 4WWpts.

Happy 7th Anniversary

June 7, 2003

My husband and I are celebrating our 7th wedding anniversary! This anniversary is quite different than any other we've celebrated in the past, as it's our first with our precious baby girl. Here's a glimpse of previous years' anniversaries.....

5th Wedding Anniversary, Boulder, Colorado

6th Wedding Anniversary, Oahu, Hawaii (pregnant with Ally)

Although we didn't get to go away for our anniversary this year, we made the most of it at home by going out to dinner (and lunch!) and enjoying a decadent dessert (that I worked on for three days!!).
I am posting the link to the dessert recipe here....it's quite lengthy, so I'm not going to re-type the recipe. If you are looking for a show-stopping dessert, this is one to consider. It's good enough to make again (although not sure that I will ever get around to it) and my only tweak for next time would be to double the amount of caramel for the caramel layer.

Creamy Pasta Primavera

This is a fairly quick dish, full of vegetables, and seemed great for warmer weather. My husband and I agreed that this might be better cold....guess we'll test that when the leftovers get eaten! I'm not a huge salt person, however I felt this dish needed some salt (besides what I used in the pasta water).

Creamy Pasta Primavera (ToH April/May 2010)
2 cups uncooked spiral pasta
1 lb fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-in pieces
3 medium carrots, cut into strips
2 tsp canola oil
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 tsp pepper

Cook pasta according to package directions. In a large skillet, saute asparagus and carrots in oil until crisp-tender. Add tomatoes and garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in cheese, cream and pepper. Drain pasta; toss with asparagus mixture. Serves 6 - 5WWpts

PS. Happy Birthday, Dad!!

Spinach-Pesto Ravioli

My husband and I enjoyed these easy ravioli's quite some time ago, but since I've been behind on my blog the past few months, I'm posting the recipe now. The recipe was found in a Food Network magazine and was intended to be an appetizer; we ate them as our dinner with a side salad.

Spinach-Pesto Ravioli
16 spinach ravioli
1/2 cup olive oil
2 Tbls pesto sauce
1/2 cup bottled vinaigrette

Boil the ravioli as label directs. Drain and pat dry. Fry the ravioli in the olive oil until golden on both sides, 1 to 2 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Mix the pesto sauce with vinaigrette. Place the ravioli on skewers (if using as an appetizer, otherwise skip this and just use a fork) and dip in the sauce.

My favorite Captain and our Memorial Day menu

We had a great Memorial Day! The weather was warm which was great for all the yard work my husband was able to get done and it allowed us to grill out and enjoy our dinner on the deck (with Ally playing in her exersaucer just inside the screen door). We were able to pull out the fire pit after Ally was in bed and enjoy some smores and a glass of wine....great way to wrap up what for us was a 4 day weekend!

My favorite USAF Captain and our baby girl

Our menu for Memorial Day consisted of Marinated Veggie and Beef Kabobs and New England Baked Beans. I've never made baked beans from scratch....Bush's baked beans have served us well for quite some time, and I now know why baked beans are so convenient out of a can...it's time consuming to make them from scratch! The taste was worth the effort, just may not be something I do again in the near future.

Marinated Veggie and Beef Kabobs (ToH)

1 cup dry red wine

1/2 cup olive oil

4 tsp Worcestershire sauce

4 tsp Italian seasoning

1 Tbls garlic powder

2 tsp seasoned salt

2 tsp pepper

1 tsp dried parsley flakes

1 beef top sirloin steak (1 1/2 lbs), cut into 1-inch cubes

8 cherry tomatoes

1 large red onion

1 medium green pepper

1 yellow summer squash

1 medium zucchini

In a small bowl, combine first eight ingredients. Pour half the marinade into a large resealable bag. Add the beef; seal bag and turn to coat. Pour remaining marinade into another large resealable plastic bag; add tomatoes. Cut remaining vegetables into 1-in pieces; add to bag. Seal bag and turn to coat. Refrigerate beef and vegetables for at least 2 hours. Coat grill rack with cooking spray before starting the grill. Drain and discard marinade from beef. Drain vegetables, reserving marinade for basting. On eight metal or soaked wooden skewers, alternately thread beef and vegetables. Grill, covered over medium heat for 10-15 minutes or until meat reaches desired doneness, basting frequently with reserved marinade and turning occasionally.

New England Baked Beans (ToH April/May 2010)

1 lb dried great northern beans

1/2 lb thick-sliced bacon, chopped

2 large onions, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 cups ketchup

1 1/2 cups packed dark brown sugar

1/3 cup molasses

1/3 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp coarsely ground pepper

Sort beans and rinse with cold water. Place beans in a Dutch oven; add enough water to cover by 2 in. Bring to a boil; boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat; cover and let stand for 1 hour or until beans are softened. Drain and rinse beans, discarding liquid. return beans to Dutch oven; add 6 cups water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1 hour or until beans are almost tender. In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove to paper towels with a slotted spoon; drain, reserving 2 Tbls drippings. Saute onions in drippings until tender. Add garlic, cook for 1 minute longer. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Drain beans, reserving cooking liquid; place in an ungreased 3-qt baking dish. Stir in onion mixture and bacon. Cover and bake at 300 degrees for 2 1/2 hours or until beans are tender and reach desired consistency, stirring every 30 minutes. Add reserved cooking liquid as needed. Serves 12 (2/3 cup each).

Homemade Tortillas and Pork Tacos

I've been going through all my foodie magazines recently (which have stacked up ridiculously high!) to pick out recipes that I see myself trying within the next two months. If it doesn't look like something that's going to be tried within the next couple of months the recipe gets looked over and eventually tossed in the recycling bin. Pre-Ally, I would save recipes for the "right" occasion; I've since learned a new recipe will pop up between now and then and I will have forgotten all about the once saved recipe. I've also decided that I am going to be a lot more choosy in the recipes I save in my personal recipe collection...it needs to be REALLY good and something that I will look forward to making again. Well, this evening I found one of those recipes....Homemade Tortillas! I'm not sure what took me so long to make tortilla shells, other than it's easy just to pick them up at the store and pop them in the microwave for a few seconds before filling with taco fixings. Now that I've made HOMEMADE tortilla shells, I don't know that I can go back to the store bought version (unless I'm really in a rush to get dinner done quickly!). These homemade shells are thicker than the store-bought variety, but they taste SO much better....they are light and fluffy and not chewy....and they are also great with a little melted butter brushed on top with some cinnamon and sugar sprinkled over the butter...mmmm....do the work once and end up with dinner and dessert! Okay, enough "talk" on to the recipe.....

Homemade Tortillas (ToH June/July 2010)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup water
3 Tbls olive oil

Combine flour and salt in large bowl. Stir in water and olive oil. (You will end up with an extremely sticky batter.) Turn onto a floured surface; knead 5-6 times. Divide dough into 8 portions. On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion into a 7-in circle. In a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, cook tortillas over medium heat for 1 minute on each side or until lightly browned. Keep warm. Makes 8 tortillas - 3WWpts.

We used a version of the following recipe as the meat filling for the tortillas...and it was good as well!

Pork Tacos (Women's Day)
2 tsp oil
1 lb pork tenderloin, cut into 1-in cubes
1 tsp ground cumin
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup salsa verde (green salsa)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro (which we omitted....not cilantro fans)
8 tortilla shells
1 cup shredded lettuce
Garnish: diced tomatoes and avocado (optional)

Heat oil in 12-in nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork and cumin; cook until golden brown on all sides about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir salsa into skillet; cook 1 minute or until heated through. Stir in cilantro. Using two forks, pierce and shred cubes of pork. Fill warm tortillas with pork mixture, then add lettuce. Serves 4 - 4WWpts (w/out tortilla shell).

Gnocchi Chicken Minestrone

I had some home-made gnocchi in the freezer that needed to be used up. When I came across this soup recipe in a recent Taste of Home magazine, I thought it would be the perfect dish in which to use the gnocchi...besides the fact that it's still been on the cool side here in Wyoming.

Gnocchi Chicken Minestrone

1 1/4lbs chicken tenderloins, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

3/4 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

2 Tbls olive oil, divided

1 each small green, sweet red and yellow peppers, finely chopped

1 medium zucchini, finely chopped

1/3 cup chopped red onion

1/3 cup chopped proscuitto or deli ham

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 cans (14 1/2oz each) chicken broth

1 can (14 1/2oz) Italian diced tomatoes, undrained

3/4 cup canned white kidney or cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup frozen peas

3 Tbls tomato paste

16 oz potato gnocchi

1/2 cup shredded Asiago cheese

8 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced

Sprinkle chicken with oregano, salt and pepper. In a Dutch oven, saute chicken in 1 Tbls olive oil until no longer pink. Remove from pan and set aside. In the same pan, cook the peppers, zucchini, and onion in remaining oil until tender. Add proscuitto and garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Add the broth, tomatoes, beans, peas, tomato paste and chicken. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, cook gnocchi according to package directions. Drain, stir into soup. Garnish with cheese and basil. Makes 8 servings.

**Now I just need to find Olive Garden's Chicken and Gnocchi soup recipe!

Lemon Pepper Fettuccine

I like to make quick and easy meals during the week since preparing dinner also coincides with feeding my daughter and getting her ready for bed. This is a very easy dish to throw together...add a bag salad and some garlic bread and you have a full meal...done in less than 25 minutes! The only thing I would do differently next time with this recipe is to make the sauce a bit thicker.

Lemon Pepper Fettuccine (Food Network Magazine March 2010)
Kosher salt
12 ounces fettuccine
1 Tbls unsalted butter
1 large shallot, minced
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
1 large egg yolk
1 to 2 tsps finely grated lemon zest
1/3 cup grated pecorino cheese, plus more for garnish
Freshly ground black pepper

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the fettuccine and cook as the label directs. Drain, reserving about 1/2 cup cooking water. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly golden, about 3 minutes. Whisk the cream, egg yolk and lemon zest in a bowl. Reduce the heat to low and add the cream mixture and cheese to the skillet. Cook, whisking, until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and 2 to 3 tsps pepper. Add the pasta to the skillet and toss, adding enough of the reserved cooking water to loosen the sauce. Divide among bowls and garnish with more pecorino. Serve with salad and crusty bread, if desired. Serves 4. WW 13pts.

7 Months - an Ally update

The last picture that was posted on the blog of Ally was in February and she wasn't quite four months old at that time. It's hard to believe that she is 7 months old today! The past three months have flown by (it probably helped that we spent two months of it in Indiana with family). Here's an update on Ally.....

Facts and Figures:

At her 6 month doctor's appt (which actually happened just last week...so she was technically 6 mo and 3 wks old) she weighed 18lbs 4oz and was 27 inches long (87th/84th percentile).

She is rolling over both ways, sitting on her own, LOVING solids, and has even started feeding herself biter biscuits and sweet potato puffs. She seems to ALWAYS be smiling and giggles frequently at Mommy. She enjoys her exersaucer and had a great time in a jumper at Nana and Papa's house in Indiana...so much so, that Mommy and Daddy had to purchase one here so we didn't deprive her of the enjoyment!

I never thought I was going to sleep again, but over the past two months Ally has had HUGE improvement in the sleep department, going from four 45 minute naps during the day to an hour nap in the morning, an hour and 45 minute nap in the afternoon, and sometimes another 45 minute evening nap if we know we are going to be out and she won't get to bed at her normal bed time. She does seem to be an early riser; the ONE thing she has gotten from Mommy! But even I don't prefer to get up at her chosen time...between 5:30 and 6:00am!!

Ally is a true joy at this age and I hope it doesn't go by too quickly!

Chicken and Vegetable Stir-Fry

A new post is LONG overdue! Seeing as how the last post was in February, and it had nothing to do with cooking (which is what this blog was intended for....to share recipes) I need to get back to blogging on a routine basis. If I publish that I will (try) to have a new post twice a week, maybe it will actually happen!

So, on with a new recipe....my daughter and I had the opportunity to stay with family back in Indiana for the month's of March and April while my husband was TDY (temporary duty assignment - for those that don't speak military lingo). Ally and I enjoyed seeing a beautiful Midwest spring (only to come back to cold and snow in WY) and lots of time to visit with her grandparents. While staying with my parents, I picked out a few new recipes to try, one of which is the Chicken and Vegetable Stir-Fry. I was suppose to leave the recipe with my mom before returning to WY, and that didn't happen...so here you go mom!

Chicken and Vegetable Stir-Fry (ToH April/May 2010)
4 tsp cornstarch
1 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/4 in. strips
2 Tbls olive oil, divided
1 1/2 cups fresh cauliflowerets
1 1/2 cups fresh broccoli florets
2 medium carrots, sliced
1 small sweet red pepper, julienned
1 small onion, halved and sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 to 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 1/2 cups hot cooked rice
minced fresh cilantro (optional)

Combine the cornstarch, broth and soy sauce until smooth; set aside. In a large nonstick skillet or wok, stir-fry chicken in 1 Tbls oil until no longer pink. Remove and keep warm. Stir-fry the cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, red pepper and onion in remaining oil until crisp-tender. Add the garlic, salt, pepper and pepper flakes; cook 1 minute longer. Stir cornstarch mixture and add to the pan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Add chicken, heat through. Serve with rice. Sprinkle each serving with cilantro. (FYI - 6 WW pts/serving)

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day from my sweetest little valentine!

Horseradish-Crusted Steak Roulade

This recipe is not a typical dish that I would try for my family, but it looked interesting, good, and I was wanting something a little more "special" to help celebrate my husband's birthday last month. After all the preparation involved, I decided I probably wouldn't make it again for quite some time. I was dissapointed that the filling really didn't stay put and it basically fell apart after I cut the twine.

Horseradish-Crusted Steak Roulade (Food Network Magazine Dec '09)
For the Steak:
2 red bell peppers, stemmed, halved lengthwise and seeded
3 Tbls extra-virgin olive oil
1 leek, white and light-green parts only, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chopped fresh parsley
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1- 2 1/4 to 2 1/2 pound flank steak, trimmed
1/2 pound sliced provolone cheese (about 8 slices)

For the Crust:
3/4 cup breadcrumbs
3 tsps chopped fresh rosemary
3 Tbls drained horseradish
3 Tbls extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Prepare the stuffing for the steak: Preheat the broiler and place the peppers cut-side down on a foil-lined broiler pan. Broil until skin is charred, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, cover with a plate and set aside until cool enough to handle. Peel the peppers with your fingers or a paring knife. If necessary, lightly rinse to remove any remaining skin and pat dry. (You can also use store-bought roasted red peppers...much easier!).

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the leek and garlic and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the parsley and season with salt and pepper. Let cool.

Gently pound the steak with the flat side of a mallet or heavy skillet until 1/4 inch thick. (I wasn't able to get mine that thin, which meant my filling spilled out of the steak upon assembly.) Lay out on a cutting board with the long side facing you and season with salt and pepper. Place the roasted peppers evenly over the meat, leaving a 1-inch border all around. top with the cheese slices, then the leek mixture. Roll the meat away from you into a tight cylinder, tucking in the filling as you roll.

Make the crust: Mix the breadcrumbs, rosemary, parsley, horseradish, olive oil, 1/2 tsp salt, and pepper to taste in a medium bowl until moistened. Brush the steak roll with a bit of olive oil and press the breadcrumb mixture over the top and sides. Tie the roll with twine in three or four places making sure it's not too tight (you want the crust to stay intact).

Place the steak roll on a rack in a roasting pan and roast until the crust is golden and a thermometer inserted into the center registers 130 degrees for medium-rare, about 45 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest 15 minutes. Carefully cut off the twine, then slice the roll crosswise into 1-inch pieces.

Awesome (Make-Ahead!!) Breakfast Dish

My friend, Michelle, brought this fabulous dish over for my family when Ally was born. I love that you make it the day (or two) ahead of time and put it in the refrigerator, then in the oven the next morning. I love breakfast foods, but find there is nothing worse than wanting to make something only to realize it won't be done until 9 or 10am (way past breakfast time for me) by the time you get it put together and baked. I recently made this for some friends who were visiting us from FL and it was a hit the second time around as well!

Overnight French Toast
2 tablespoons and 1-1/4 teaspoons corn syrup
1/2 cup and 1 tablespoon and 2 teaspoons butter
1 cup and 3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1-1/4 (1 pound) loaves French bread, sliced
6 eggs
1-3/4 cups and 1 tablespoon milk
1-1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt

Combine the corn syrup , butter, and brown sugar in a small saucepan and simmer until the sugar has melted. Pour this mixture over the bottom of a greased 9x13 inch casserole dish.
Place the bread slices over the sugar-butter mixture in the dish. In a bowl, beat together the eggs, milk, vanilla, and salt; pour this mixture over the bread. Cover the dish and let it stand in the refrigerator overnight. The next morning, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Uncover the pan and bake for 45 minutes. Serve while hot or warm or the French toast will harden in the pan. It can be reheated. Serves 6.

Pumpkin Cream Cupcakes

I made these cupcakes (or muffins as I called them) for my parents when they were visiting after Ally was born. They were a great breakfast treat!

Pumpkin Cream Cupcakes
1 pkg spice cake mix
1 pkg vanilla instant pudding
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 pkg cream cheese, softened
1/4 sugar
1 egg

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare cake batter as directed on package. Add dry pudding mix and pumpkin; mix well. Spoon into 24 paper-lined muffin cups. Beat cream cheese with mixer until creamy. Blend in sugar and egg; spoon over batter. Swirl gently with small spoon. Bake 18 to 21 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes; remove to cooling rack. Cool completely. Makes 24.

Double Thick Baked Potato-Cheese Soup

This recipe could definitely use some tweaks...but I don't have the time and am not that interested in fiddling with it. We'll just say the recipe won't be made in this house again.

Double Thick Baked Potato-Cheese Soup
2 lbs baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 cubes
2 cans condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 1/2 cups finely chopped green onions, divided
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp ground red pepper
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1 cup sour cream
1 cup milk
black pepper

Combine potatoes, soup, 1 cup green onions, garlic powder and red pepper in slow cooker. Cover; cook on LOW 8 hours or on HIGH 4 hours. Add cheese, sour cream and milk; stir until cheese has completely melted. Cover; cook on HIGH 10 minutes. Season to taste with black pepper. Garnish with remaining green onions.