This is one of Steve's favorite recipes, and we've made it a few times in the past month so I thought I'd share. I found the original recipe here.
What You'll Need
12 oz Medium shrimp (peeled, de-veined)
1 lemon (zest and then juice)
8 oz dried pasta
2 Tbsp Olive Oil (I use extra-light flavor)
3-4 cloves garlic, minced or thin sliced (I use bottled)
6 C baby spinach
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning and/or dill
Salt and Pepper to taste
Large skillet
zester or fine grater
Cook pasta according to directions. I usually use a whole wheat fettuccine. I REALLY love the flavor of whole wheat pasta. If you haven't tried it... DO IT!
Zest and juice your lemon. Reserve 2 Tbsp of juice. I've used bottled juice and it works fine, but fresh will always taste better. If
In a large skillet (I'm serious, use a large one!), heat your olive oil over medium heat and cook the garlic for a minute or so. Be careful not to burn it! Add your shrimp and cook until the shrimp are opaque (about 4-5 minutes). Turn the shrimp frequently to cook evenly and avoid burning. I cheat here and just thaw some pre-cooked shrimp from Costco and warm it up in the skillet. Makes a quick meal even quicker and is very economical.
Add the cooked pasta and spinach. I know it seems like a LOT of spinach, but it really does need the whole 6 cups. Stir in the skillet until the spinach begins to wilt. You'll want to keep an eye on it so you don't turn your spinach to mush. Add the 2 Tbsp of lemon juice and zest, season with salt and pepper and Italian seasonings, and dill. Stir to coat and serve hot. I've left off the dill, and it is still delicious... so if you don't like dill you can leave it out.
This is such a yummy light but filling meal. This recipe makes about 4 servings at 359 calories per serving (and that's using regular pasta).
ENJOY!
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
Oven Baked Fish with Dill & Lemon
Here is another of my favorite ways to do fish... and really if you're going to buy a Costco sized bag of anything, you better have a way to switch it up or that bag will sit in the freezer for a long time. This recipe works with all the fish I've tried (Salmon, Tilapia, Mahi Mahi), but my favorite is always a white fish... Salmon isn't my favorite.
What You'll Need
Fish fillets - Frozen or Fresh
Garlic - I prefer the fresh or minced bottled over powdered
Salt
Pepper
Butter
Dill - Fresh or dried
Lemon or lime slices
Foil
Baking dish
Non stick spray
This one is SUPER easy and yummy! Preheat your oven to 350* and spray your baking dish. You really need a dish vs. a pan because you'll need to cover it with foil WITHOUT the foil touching the fish.
If you're using frozen fillets, thaw and pat dry. Fresh fillets could probably use a little pat as well. Place the fillets in your dish. If you're cooking a fish with the skin on (like a fresh Salmon), place the fish skin side down. Put a tab of butter on top of each fish fillet, don't be shy... butter makes everything yummier! Place 1-2 crushed cloves of garlic on top of the butter, and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and dill. Don't be shy on the dill either. It has a great flavor that goes so well with fish. As always, I use kosher or course sea salt, but table salt works just as well.
A couple of slices go on top of each fillet last. Cover your dish with foil and bake for 20-25 minutes. The fish is done when it is completely opaque and flakes easily with a fork.
This pairs GREAT with the lemon rice (recipe here)
The great thing about this recipe is that it is totally flexible to how you like the flavor. Add more garlic, salt, pepper, dill or lemon/lime slices. Try adding different herbs or seasonings per your preference. Plus, it's quick and easy to adjust portions. This idea came from my mom and I ate it A LOT when I was single and cooking for myself.
ENJOY
What You'll Need
Fish fillets - Frozen or Fresh
Garlic - I prefer the fresh or minced bottled over powdered
Salt
Pepper
Butter
Dill - Fresh or dried
Lemon or lime slices
Foil
Baking dish
Non stick spray
This one is SUPER easy and yummy! Preheat your oven to 350* and spray your baking dish. You really need a dish vs. a pan because you'll need to cover it with foil WITHOUT the foil touching the fish.
If you're using frozen fillets, thaw and pat dry. Fresh fillets could probably use a little pat as well. Place the fillets in your dish. If you're cooking a fish with the skin on (like a fresh Salmon), place the fish skin side down. Put a tab of butter on top of each fish fillet, don't be shy... butter makes everything yummier! Place 1-2 crushed cloves of garlic on top of the butter, and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and dill. Don't be shy on the dill either. It has a great flavor that goes so well with fish. As always, I use kosher or course sea salt, but table salt works just as well.
A couple of slices go on top of each fillet last. Cover your dish with foil and bake for 20-25 minutes. The fish is done when it is completely opaque and flakes easily with a fork.
This pairs GREAT with the lemon rice (recipe here)
The great thing about this recipe is that it is totally flexible to how you like the flavor. Add more garlic, salt, pepper, dill or lemon/lime slices. Try adding different herbs or seasonings per your preference. Plus, it's quick and easy to adjust portions. This idea came from my mom and I ate it A LOT when I was single and cooking for myself.
ENJOY
Monday, October 28, 2013
Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
Now that I've tried this recipe a few times... it's time to share! This is SO extremely easy, and I got a ton of compliments when I took some to a neighborhood pot luck this weekend.
What you'll need:
Dough
Kitchen Aid w/ beater and dough hook
2 c warm water
2/3 c nonfat dry milk powder
2 Tbsp dry yeast
1/4 c sugar
2 tsp salt
1/2 c butter (melted)
1 egg
4 1/2- 5 c all purpose flour
What you'll need:
Dough
Kitchen Aid w/ beater and dough hook
2 c warm water
2/3 c nonfat dry milk powder
2 Tbsp dry yeast
1/4 c sugar
2 tsp salt
1/2 c butter (melted)
1 egg
4 1/2- 5 c all purpose flour
9x13 pan
cooking spray
plastic wrap
cooking spray
plastic wrap
jumbo muffin liners
While your dough is rising you can mix together your 1/3 C melted butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon.
Roll the dough from the long side carefully into a log, and press the end into the log to keep it from unrolling. Cut into 1 1/2-2 inch thick rolls. I usually stick to 1 1/2 inches and it makes almost 2 full pans of deliciousness.
Here's a cinnamon roll trick I learned from my mom. Use a piece of string or floss to cut your rolls by sliding it under the log, pulling the ends up, and crossing. Makes a great cut without squishing things. Here's a little clip to show you how.
Cutting Rolls with String
Bake the rolls in a greased pan at 375* for 15-20 minutes. They do NOT get very brown so don't use that as a gauge of how done they are. You can also bake these in a jumbo muffin tin or MY favorite way is to just slip them into jumbo muffin liners and use a 9x13 pan. guaranteed no sticking! (My cousin Morgan gets credit for that amazing idea.)
Top these with your favorite glaze or frosting and ENJOY.
Filling
3 Tbsp Butter
1 C Brown Sugar
3 tsp cinnamon
raisins (optional)
nuts (optional)
1 C Brown Sugar
3 tsp cinnamon
raisins (optional)
nuts (optional)
Frosting Frosting Directions
1 stick unsalted butter
3 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
milk
In the kitchen aid with a beater attachment (beater, not whisk), mix the water and milk powder til combined. Add the sugar, salt, yeast, egg and butter. Make sure the water and butter aren't too hot or you'll kill your yeast... trust me, I learned the hard way. If you melt the butter in your microwave, just let it sit for a minute before pouring it into the mix. I use instant "Bread Maker" yeast, just because that is always what I have on hand. Keep in mind that this recipe calls for a large amount of yeast. A packet contains about 2 TEASPOONS, and this recipe calls for 2 TABLESPOONS. If you're using the packets, you'll need all three that come in the strip together. Stir the ingredients together til they are mixed pretty good, just a few seconds on low.
Add 2 cups of flour and mix on low or "stir" setting until the ingredients are wet and then mix on medium speed for 2 minutes.
Switch to your dough hook attachment.
Add 2 more cups of four and mix on low until wet, and then 2 minutes at medium speed.
1 stick unsalted butter
3 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
milk
In the kitchen aid with a beater attachment (beater, not whisk), mix the water and milk powder til combined. Add the sugar, salt, yeast, egg and butter. Make sure the water and butter aren't too hot or you'll kill your yeast... trust me, I learned the hard way. If you melt the butter in your microwave, just let it sit for a minute before pouring it into the mix. I use instant "Bread Maker" yeast, just because that is always what I have on hand. Keep in mind that this recipe calls for a large amount of yeast. A packet contains about 2 TEASPOONS, and this recipe calls for 2 TABLESPOONS. If you're using the packets, you'll need all three that come in the strip together. Stir the ingredients together til they are mixed pretty good, just a few seconds on low.
Add 2 cups of flour and mix on low or "stir" setting until the ingredients are wet and then mix on medium speed for 2 minutes.
Switch to your dough hook attachment.
Add 2 more cups of four and mix on low until wet, and then 2 minutes at medium speed.
Add 1/2 cup flour again, mixing on low speed until wet, then 2 minutes at medium speed.
Dough should be soft, not overly sticky, and not stiff.
If your dough is still too wet, add the additional 1/2 c of flour, mixing on low until wet and medium for 2 minutes.
Scrape the sides of the bowl so the dough is in a lump at the bottom. Pour 1 Tbsp of vegtable or canola oil around the sides of the bowl to keep it from sticking while it rises. Spray a sheet of plastic wrap with cooking spray and cover the bowl.
Let the dough rise ONCE until it fills the bowl. It usually takes about 1 hour to rise completely.
Turn the dough out onto an oiled or floured surface. You can flour your surface instead, but I prefer to use oil.
Dough should be soft, not overly sticky, and not stiff.
If your dough is still too wet, add the additional 1/2 c of flour, mixing on low until wet and medium for 2 minutes.
Scrape the sides of the bowl so the dough is in a lump at the bottom. Pour 1 Tbsp of vegtable or canola oil around the sides of the bowl to keep it from sticking while it rises. Spray a sheet of plastic wrap with cooking spray and cover the bowl.
Let the dough rise ONCE until it fills the bowl. It usually takes about 1 hour to rise completely.
Turn the dough out onto an oiled or floured surface. You can flour your surface instead, but I prefer to use oil.
At this point the dough is PERFECT for dinner rolls. It is VERY easy to work with, and not too sticky or elastic.
While your dough is rising you can mix together your 1/3 C melted butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon.
Roll the dough out into an even rectangle that is about 12 in x 18 in. and sprinkle your cinnamon mixture in an even layer on top of the dough, leaving about 1/2 in on each of the long sides (this helps keep the rolls together in a swirl later.) At this point you can sprinkle some raisins or some nuts into your rolls as well, but I'm a purist, so I just add the cinnamon and sugar. You can use whatever mixture you like to fill your rolls, but I prefer brown sugar to white. Don't be bashful, if you don't think there's enough sugar, make more!
Roll the dough from the long side carefully into a log, and press the end into the log to keep it from unrolling. Cut into 1 1/2-2 inch thick rolls. I usually stick to 1 1/2 inches and it makes almost 2 full pans of deliciousness.
Here's a cinnamon roll trick I learned from my mom. Use a piece of string or floss to cut your rolls by sliding it under the log, pulling the ends up, and crossing. Makes a great cut without squishing things. Here's a little clip to show you how.
Cutting Rolls with String
Bake the rolls in a greased pan at 375* for 15-20 minutes. They do NOT get very brown so don't use that as a gauge of how done they are. You can also bake these in a jumbo muffin tin or MY favorite way is to just slip them into jumbo muffin liners and use a 9x13 pan. guaranteed no sticking! (My cousin Morgan gets credit for that amazing idea.)
Top these with your favorite glaze or frosting and ENJOY.
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
Dutch Oven Bread
So it's been awhile... my healthy eating has been hit and miss and I will warn you right now... the recipe I'm about to share is NOT healthy. I found this recipe on Pinterest (here) and, as per the usual, have tweaked it to make it work for me, and I've had a lot of fun playing around with it. This is a VERY simple and versitile recipe so don't get scared off because its bread.
What You'll Need:
A dutch oven (more on this later)
pizza stone (optional)
Large mixing bowl
Saran wrap
3 C Unbleached flour (I've tried bleached, just trust me)
1 3/4 tsp salt (I use kosher)
1/2 tsp instant/rapid rise yeast
1 1/2 C warm water
mix-ins (more on this later)
I made a "loaf" of cinnamon swirl bread over the weekend so I'll be using those instructions and giving hints about other mix-ins along the way. I will say that the "plain" loafs are pretty good on their own and very good for Panini or soup dipping bread.
First, put the flour, salt, and yeast in your large bowl and mix up the dry ingredients.
Also add your mix-ins. For the cinnamon swirl bread I mixed in 2 cups of cinnamon chips
For you Utah folks. I got these at Baker's Cash'n Carry over by IMC. I've heard that you can get them at Orson Gygy, and occasionally around the holidays I see a Hershey's version.
Next, add your warm water. It does need to be warm, but you do not want it too hot or you'll just kill your yeast. It happens, I've had loaves that don't rise much, and I've had some that surprise me with how much they rise. Anyways, mix in your water until you get a shaggy dough. Yep, it's supposed to look like that.
Cover your bowl with saran wrap and let the dough rise for 12-18 hours. I leave mine on the counter, but I've heard it does well in the fridge too. Make sure you cover the bowl well or your dough will kind of dry out.
This is how mine looked after about 12 hours. It rises quite a bit, and stays very sticky.
So here's the dutch oven info. I have an nice enameled dutch oven that I bake my bread in. It's amazing and I love it. BUT, before I owned this lovely grown up looking thing, I used Steve's camping dutch oven. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that! Advice, if you are not using an enameled dutch oven, make sure it is WELL seasoned. If it isn't your bread will stick and you will be sad. I usually throw a circle of parchment paper down anyways, especially with the cinnamon bread because I add sugar (keep reading) and I've had the baked sugar stick to even a well seasoned dutch oven. The enameled ovens can be quite expensive, but I've seen them at Walmart for a reasonable price.
Moving on. Preheat your conventional oven to 375. The original recipe says 450, but trust me on this one. This is something you can play around with. If your bread is a little darker or lighter than you like it... just experiment. Once your conventional oven is preheated, preheat your dutch oven AND LID for 1/2 an hour. Just stick it in the oven empty and let it heat up.
While your dutch oven is preheating, time to get your dough ready. The best part, NO KNEADING! Prep your surface with flour... lots of flour. I use this type of mat
Dump out your dough and form it into a round loaf. (Sorry I didn't get pictures of this part... it can be messy). Don't be afraid of the flour... it is your friend! For the cinnamon swirl loaf I flatten out my lump of dough, sprinkle (generously) with cinnamon and sugar, roll up the rough and kind of tuck the ends so it forms a round loaf. Once you have your loaf formed, lightly cover it with either your saran wrap or a flour sack towel to rise while the dutch oven pre-heats.
Once your oven(s) are ready. Drop your dough into your dutch oven, place the lid, and set the time for 1/2 hour. REMEMBER THE DUTCH OVEN WILL BE VERY HOT. I only remind you because I needed it before I learned my lesson. I usually open up my oven, pull out the rack as far as it will go, carefully place my parchment paper and literally drop my dough in. I also put a pizza stone on the lowest rack. This helps keep the bottom of the loaf from burning. I highly recommend this trick. If you don't have a pizza stone, put the dutch oven on the highest rack you can .
After 1/2 hour, remove the dutch oven lid, and continue baking for another 1/2 hour. It will look amazingly crusty and delicious at this point, but it isn't done just yet. So to be clear, total cook time is 1 hour. 1/2 hour with the lid, 1/2 without.
I usually pull my loaf out right away to put on a cooling rack.
TADA! You just made bread. Without a Kitchen Aid, bread maker, or kneading!
Here's the fun part. This bread is PERFECT for experimenting. You can use all types of mix-ins to go with whatever you want!. Here are some combos I've tried.
Cheese Bread:
Add 2 C of sharp cheddar to your dry ingredients
Breakfast Bread:
3/4 C dried cranberries
zest of 1 orange
1/2 C sliced almonds
add to dry ingredients
Zesty Lemon Bread: (I've never tried this one)
1 1/2C of Gruyere cheese (I did find this at Harmons)
Zest of 1 Lemon
Chopped fresh rosemary
Nut & Seed Bread:
Any combination of your favorite seeds/nuts, use about 2 c total
added to dry ingreditents
White Chocolate Walnut (or Macadamia, or Almond)
1 1/2 C white chocolate chips
1 c nuts
added to dry ingredients
Herb bread:
Any combination of fresh or dried herbs. Remember that dried herbs are about 3x as potent as fresh.
ENJOY! Please let me know of your successful experiments! Also, let me know if you have questions. I've tried to include all of my "learned it the hard way" tips, but I'll answer your questions as best I can.
Friday, July 19, 2013
Ups and Downs
I know it has been awhile since I've posted anything... here's my excuse. I decided to really buckle down on this eating better thing, and I've done terribly until this week. I am not great at creative meals that lack carbs and sugar... and if I can't have it, YOU CAN'T HAVE IT! Rather, if I think about it too much, I'll crack and that'd just be sad.
On the up side, I have been experimenting with some healthy home made snacks. Down side, major fails so far. I have yet to successfully dehydrate ANYTHING in my oven. The strawberries were a complete and very sad fail. They were so beautiful... the big ones from Costco... and then they were gross. I'm going to keep trying, though I might have to cave and get a real dehydrator. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE fresh fruit, but I REALLY am feeling the need to switch it up or I might go crazy.
Since I do NOT have a recipe for you today, I do have a tip. Check out Mountain Town Olive Oil. It will change your life. Steve and I found this place at the Gateway in Downtown SLC while we wandered on his birthday. If you live anywhere near there... just go in. You won't regret it and they will give you samples with out pressuring you to buy. You'll probably buy anyways... we did. This place has ALL KINDS of amazing infused oils and balsamic vinegars and we had a tough time choosing. We ended up getting some Persian Lime Olive Oil and Coconut White Balsamic. I marinated some tilapia in the two, coated it in bread cumbs and coconut flakes and AH-MA-ZING! So light and fresh tasting. Very worth your time, trust me. If you don't happen to live close, check out the website, and if you need an opinion on an interesting flavor... I will happily go down and check it out for you!
On the up side, I have been experimenting with some healthy home made snacks. Down side, major fails so far. I have yet to successfully dehydrate ANYTHING in my oven. The strawberries were a complete and very sad fail. They were so beautiful... the big ones from Costco... and then they were gross. I'm going to keep trying, though I might have to cave and get a real dehydrator. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE fresh fruit, but I REALLY am feeling the need to switch it up or I might go crazy.
Since I do NOT have a recipe for you today, I do have a tip. Check out Mountain Town Olive Oil. It will change your life. Steve and I found this place at the Gateway in Downtown SLC while we wandered on his birthday. If you live anywhere near there... just go in. You won't regret it and they will give you samples with out pressuring you to buy. You'll probably buy anyways... we did. This place has ALL KINDS of amazing infused oils and balsamic vinegars and we had a tough time choosing. We ended up getting some Persian Lime Olive Oil and Coconut White Balsamic. I marinated some tilapia in the two, coated it in bread cumbs and coconut flakes and AH-MA-ZING! So light and fresh tasting. Very worth your time, trust me. If you don't happen to live close, check out the website, and if you need an opinion on an interesting flavor... I will happily go down and check it out for you!
Monday, June 24, 2013
Oven Roasted Corn on the Cob
I pinned this on Pinterest awhile back and last weekend got some really amazing roasted corn at an fair event. it was so good I decided to try this out. Excellent decision!
What you'll need
Corn on the cob - with husks!
Butter
Toppings (seasoned salt, garlic, lemon pepper... Whatever sounds good)
Preheat your oven to 350. Quickly rinse your corn on the cob but leave the husks on! Dry them well and put them into the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes (longer if you are doing lots of corn). That's it! The corn is done when the kernels burst under fork. 35 minutes was perfect for our two ears.
Pull the ears out with a hot pad or glove. Peel back the husk, silk and all! I loved this part! It has always been my (unfortunate) job to shuck the corn at my house and now it's not a job at all!
Top your corn with whatever floats your boat and ENJOY!
Don't be afraid of branching out here. I had lemon pepper corn at the fair last weekend and it was so yummy!
Friday, June 14, 2013
Indian Butter Chicken
If you know me and Steve, you know we love Indian food. Before I met Steve I THOUGHT that I loved "ethnic" foods, but he has shown me a whole new world. He showed me how to branch out and try new things... REALLY new things. And now I'm trying new things and home, and its fun. My sister lead me to this recipe on Pinterest and I decided to try it out the other night.
What you'll need
A large skillet - I used the pan on the bottom left. I'd recommend something like that with a little depth to it
What you'll need
A large skillet - I used the pan on the bottom left. I'd recommend something like that with a little depth to it
Blender
1 1/2 lbs chicken breast, (cut into about 1" cubes)- I tried to go cheap and get thighs. It was okay, but after I trimmed the "hand trimmed" package, I probably only had 1 lb of chicken. Do yourself a favor and spend the extra $1.50 on the breast.
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and diced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, finely chopped - I used my zester/fine grater and it worked great
2 cloves garlic, finely minced - I keep bottled minced garlic on hand
1 jalapeño, seeded, and finely chopped - I would probably reduce this to 1/2 a jalepeno, it was too strong for me and Steve
1 tablespoon olive or canola oil
2 teaspoons garam masala - I found garam masala in the spices section at Wal-Mart, you can also find a recipe for this spice mix here, or order this online for fairly cheap.
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cardamom
1/2 teaspoon coriander - I left this out
1 can (6 oz.) tomato paste
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup fat free half-and-half - Steve and I debated substituting coconut milk for this next time for a little more flavor
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter
Hot cooked rice for serving.- I recommend Batsmati or Jasmine as they tend to be less sticky. If you have a Winco nearby, BULK BINS!
Chopped fresh cilantro for extra garnish - I really liked the cilantro in mine, Steve didn't even try it.
Ok, I know I usually leave tips for the instruction section, but I figured it would be easier in the list. So to get started, chop (I didn't take the time to dice) the onion, grate the ginger, prep your jalapeno, and garlic. Heat the oil in your skillet and add the onion, ginger and jalepeno. Cook about 4 minutes until the onion is translucent. (PS Your kitchen will start to smell amazing right about now). Add the garlic and spices; garam masala, chili powder, cardamom, and coriander (I left this out). Stir well and cook in the skillet for another minute or so. (The smell is getting better!)
I let this cool for a minute before I threw this in my blendtec with the chicken broth and tomato paste. Blend until smooth. Pour the sauce back into the skillet and bring to a low simmer, slowly stir in the 1/2 and 1/2. You don't have to use the fat free, and can even use heavy cream, but I was looking to save calories. Add the chicken pieces, salt and pepper, cover, and let sit to cook for about 10-15 minutes. Make sure your chicken is cooked through!
Meanwhile... start your rice. I also bought a package of naan from Wal-mart. I think I'd rather make my own, but I didn't have the time and the store bought was decent.
Before taking off of the heat, cut your butter into chunks and add to the sauce. Stir until the butter is completely melted.
TA DA! Serve over warm rice and with a piece (or two) of warm naan.
Really I was surprised with how easy this was. It wasn't the BEST Indian food I've ever had, and obviously we though about some tweaks to this recipe, but definitely will be making this again. I would definitely recommend this, and label this experiment a SUCCESS!
ENJOY!
PS: I talked with my Indian friend the other day after making this and she said that if you're looking for a REALLY good, even faster recipe... find an Indian market. They sell packaged curry mixes with directions. If anyone knows of one in Salt Lake please share!
Sunday, June 9, 2013
Baked Parmesan Zucchini and Yellow Squash
Here is one of mine and Steve's favorite "sides"...and in the continued efforts to keep this blog, and my mind, on healthy foods, its VEGGIES. But really, these are so yummy. I kind of cheat on this one and load up on the cheese, but I'm pretty sure it doesn't ruin the healthiness too much.
What you'll need
Zucchini
Yellow Crookneck Squash
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper
Garlic powder (optional)
Parmesan cheese (fresh or powdered)
baking sheet
Preheat your oven to 400*, and while it preheats, cut up your squash into disks. I like mine a little bit on the thicker side, but it doesn't really matter how thin you cut them. Drizzle the pan with olive oil and sprinkle some salt and pepper over. (Yes, you just seasoned a pan). Put your squash disks on the baking sheet and drizzle with a little more olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and garlic powder. Make sure you don't use too much olive oil, you really just need a little bit. I've also started using "extra light" tasting olive oil, and I think my recipes have turned out better. Also, I really prefer the garlic, but it still turns out delicious if you leave it out. NOTE: You are more than welcome to stop at this point and keep this SUPER healthy. The squash will be delicious whether or not you add the cheese, and this really is my favorite way to cook squash. I haven't steamed them since I first tried this. If you decide to add THE BEST PART, sprinkle a little parmesan cheese over the entire pan of squash. I've liked how fresh parmesan melts and bubbles, but the powdered/canned stuff works just fine, and still gets kind of melty and adds the yummy flavor.
Put the baking sheet in the oven for 15 minutes or so. The first time you do this you'll want to keep an eye on it because it really will depend on how thin you cut your squash. You really won't overdo these, but you don't want to burn them (especially if you've added cheese). I usually will open the oven and stick a fork into one piece to make sure they are tender. Steve and I usually fight over who gets the crispy burned cheese from the pan, and we both keep an eye on the other so that we get our fair share because they are so yummy.
ENJOY!
This recipe was found on pinterest and read over once. Yet again I forgot to pin it, so I just kind of made it up from what I remembered, and have tweaked it until its just how I like it.
What you'll need
Zucchini
Yellow Crookneck Squash
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper
Garlic powder (optional)
Parmesan cheese (fresh or powdered)
baking sheet
Preheat your oven to 400*, and while it preheats, cut up your squash into disks. I like mine a little bit on the thicker side, but it doesn't really matter how thin you cut them. Drizzle the pan with olive oil and sprinkle some salt and pepper over. (Yes, you just seasoned a pan). Put your squash disks on the baking sheet and drizzle with a little more olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and garlic powder. Make sure you don't use too much olive oil, you really just need a little bit. I've also started using "extra light" tasting olive oil, and I think my recipes have turned out better. Also, I really prefer the garlic, but it still turns out delicious if you leave it out. NOTE: You are more than welcome to stop at this point and keep this SUPER healthy. The squash will be delicious whether or not you add the cheese, and this really is my favorite way to cook squash. I haven't steamed them since I first tried this. If you decide to add THE BEST PART, sprinkle a little parmesan cheese over the entire pan of squash. I've liked how fresh parmesan melts and bubbles, but the powdered/canned stuff works just fine, and still gets kind of melty and adds the yummy flavor.
Put the baking sheet in the oven for 15 minutes or so. The first time you do this you'll want to keep an eye on it because it really will depend on how thin you cut your squash. You really won't overdo these, but you don't want to burn them (especially if you've added cheese). I usually will open the oven and stick a fork into one piece to make sure they are tender. Steve and I usually fight over who gets the crispy burned cheese from the pan, and we both keep an eye on the other so that we get our fair share because they are so yummy.
ENJOY!
This recipe was found on pinterest and read over once. Yet again I forgot to pin it, so I just kind of made it up from what I remembered, and have tweaked it until its just how I like it.
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
"Skinny" Summer Popsicles
Ok so the sweet tooth thing has been harder to kick than I thought! I've done REALLY well at avoiding candy, or making yet another pan of rice krispy treats (which I always convince myself aren't that bad for you anyways). Sadly, I still have cravings for something sweet and yummy. It's summer! You can't really blame me. I searched around pinterest for awhile to try and find a compromise and I found TONS of Popsicle recipes. I don't know why it is just now dawning on me that I can my my own Popsicle, but I think it is genius! My mother-in-law gave me her old school tupperware Popsicle molds and they are my new favorite thing. (No really they are listed as "vintage" on ebay and etsy). I've tried two "skinny" recipes and they have turned out great!
Pina Colda Popsicles
What you'll need
1 can pineapple chunks, w/ juice
1 can coconut milk
1 banana
blender
popsicle molds or maker
Dump everything in the blender and blend until nice and smooth. Pour into your molds and freeze for at least two hours.
I really enjoyed these AND they have no added sugar. With the size of my molds each popsicle came out to be about 100 calories.
Strawberry Cheesecake Popsciles
What you'll need
1 box sugar free cheesecake pudding
2 c milk
frozen (or fresh) strawberries
blender
popsicle molds or maker
Make the pudding as directed. Use the blender to chop up a cup or so of frozen strawberries (or puree fresh). I mixed my fruit into the pudding, but I've seen them layered as well. Pour in and freeze.
Do I even need to say how yummy these ones were. Again, no added sugar and super low calorie cool treat for the summer.
ENJOY!
The Pina Cola came from Pinterest (here), and the Cheescake pops were kind of a mix of ideas on pinterest an my own ideas. Pudding pops traditionally have cool whip mixed in but I decided to leave that out and they still turned out creamy and delicious!
Pina Colda Popsicles
What you'll need
1 can pineapple chunks, w/ juice
1 can coconut milk
1 banana
blender
popsicle molds or maker
Dump everything in the blender and blend until nice and smooth. Pour into your molds and freeze for at least two hours.
I really enjoyed these AND they have no added sugar. With the size of my molds each popsicle came out to be about 100 calories.
Strawberry Cheesecake Popsciles
What you'll need
1 box sugar free cheesecake pudding
2 c milk
frozen (or fresh) strawberries
blender
popsicle molds or maker
Make the pudding as directed. Use the blender to chop up a cup or so of frozen strawberries (or puree fresh). I mixed my fruit into the pudding, but I've seen them layered as well. Pour in and freeze.
Do I even need to say how yummy these ones were. Again, no added sugar and super low calorie cool treat for the summer.
ENJOY!
The Pina Cola came from Pinterest (here), and the Cheescake pops were kind of a mix of ideas on pinterest an my own ideas. Pudding pops traditionally have cool whip mixed in but I decided to leave that out and they still turned out creamy and delicious!
Saturday, June 1, 2013
Perfect Mint Frosting
I've had a bit of a sweet tooth lately, and I've made the goal to get back to eating right. In "celebration" I'm sharing a yummy not so healthy recipe... For the road.
What You'll Need
Hand mixer or kitchen aid w/ whisk attachment
1/2 c (1 stick) butter - softened
3 c powdered sugar
3 tbsp milk
1/2 tsp of peppermint extract
2-3 drops green food coloring
Cream the butter and powdered sugar together until smooth. Add milk, 1 tbsp at a time until "spreadable". Add extract and food coloring.
This is just the perfect minty-ness for me. I put this on top of my basic brownies and it is so yummy!
This also makes a yummy basic cake frosting when you substitute vanilla for the peppermint extract. You could also add a couple of tbsp of coco powder for a chocolate frosting.
ENJOY the sweets! I'll probably be throwing a lot more "healthy" this way in the near future.
My mom taught me this "basic buttercream", but I found my perfect mint ratio at bettycrocker.com
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Pork Carnitas
This past week Steve and I decided to invest in a 5 cubic ft chest freezer so that we actually had room to freeze things. To celebrate we stocked up on some Costco packages of meat and frozen things and it has been nice to have room for it all. One of the great deals we found at Costco were packaged pork loin roasts. They were sealed in a four pack of nice small sized roasts that are perfect for just the two of us. My week has rolled around again and I decided to try a new Carnitas recipe in the crock pot.
What you'll need:
2 lbs pork roast
1 jar of salsa verde (15-18 oz)
1 can Rotel Tomatoes (10 oz)
1 can diced green chilies (4 oz)
1 white onion - chopped in large pieces
1/2 tsp cumin
crock pot
crock pot liner (optional)
Throw everything in a crockpot and cook on low for 8-10 hours. Easy right?!
I personally LOVE the La Victoria brand salsa verde, and usually keep some in stock in my house.
Also, for those of you with access, I usually buy my spices from Winco in the bulk bins. I don't use cumin much and really didn't want to buy a whole jar for 4 dollars. At winco I "stocked up" on about 2 tbsp for a whopping $0.07! I seriously love Winco (except for their produce, it does not amaze).
This is in the crock pot at home at the moment, so I'll be sure to share mine and Steve's verdict tonight. I picked up all of our favorite taco toppings, and we plan to keep everything pretty simple tonight.
ENJOY!
Sadly I have no idea where this recipe went. I happened to take a screen shot of the recipe from pinterest while browsing on my iPhone, and I forgot to pin the original recipe. Credit does not go to me.
UPDATE: We just finished dinner and this recipe gets a double thumbs up. Both Steve and I loved this! Great flavor, and perfectly done (sometimes my 6-8 hour crockpot receipes get over done while I'm at work). This may be my new "go to" taco meat recipe. SO YUMMY!
UPDATE: We just finished dinner and this recipe gets a double thumbs up. Both Steve and I loved this! Great flavor, and perfectly done (sometimes my 6-8 hour crockpot receipes get over done while I'm at work). This may be my new "go to" taco meat recipe. SO YUMMY!
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Lemon Bars
Yesterday was a very interesting day, and when all was said and done... I just wanted a treat. I ended up with Triple Caramel Swirl Ben & Jerry's, but for those days that you just need comfort food, I decided to share one of my favorite sweet recipes. These are not too rich or heavy, and absolutely perfect for pot lucks or BBQs.
What you'll need:
Supplies:
9x13 baking dish
zester or fine grater
parchment paper (optional)
hand mixer
sifter or fine collander
Crust
1 C butter (softened)
1/2 c powdered sugar
2 c flour
cream together butter and powdered sugar. add flour. Makes crumbley mixture. I use my hands to smash it together and pat it into a greased and floured 9x13. I've also lined my pan with parchment paper, which works great.
Bake at 350* for 15-20 minutes until the edges are slightly browned.
While the crust is baking, make your filling
filling
4 eggs (slightly beaten)
2 c sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 c flour
1/4 c lemon juice
zest of one lemon
Mix all ingredients well.
NOTE: I only ever use real lemon juice and usually need 2-3 lemon depending on how large and juicy they are. However, these will turn out fine if you use bottled juice and leave out the zest. Wash and zest one lemon using short strokes over a fine grater. Make sure not to get too deep. You just want the yellow part, not the white. Also remember to zest the lemon before you juice it, I've forgotten that before and it make things SO much harder.
Pour the filling over the hot crust and bake for 20-25 min at 350* until top just starts to get golden.
COOL COMPLETELY. Sift powdered sugar on top.
Usually I will make these the night before I need them and put them in the fridge over night. Then cut and powder them. Of course if you are make them just for you, just make sure they are cooled or they are a MESS to try and get out of the pan. Also make sure to cover lightly with plastic wrap. These will do fine on the counter or in a tin covered at room temperature, but I like to keep mine in the fridge.
ENJOY!
What you'll need:
Supplies:
9x13 baking dish
zester or fine grater
parchment paper (optional)
hand mixer
sifter or fine collander
Crust
1 C butter (softened)
1/2 c powdered sugar
2 c flour
cream together butter and powdered sugar. add flour. Makes crumbley mixture. I use my hands to smash it together and pat it into a greased and floured 9x13. I've also lined my pan with parchment paper, which works great.
Bake at 350* for 15-20 minutes until the edges are slightly browned.
While the crust is baking, make your filling
filling
4 eggs (slightly beaten)
2 c sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 c flour
1/4 c lemon juice
zest of one lemon
Mix all ingredients well.
NOTE: I only ever use real lemon juice and usually need 2-3 lemon depending on how large and juicy they are. However, these will turn out fine if you use bottled juice and leave out the zest. Wash and zest one lemon using short strokes over a fine grater. Make sure not to get too deep. You just want the yellow part, not the white. Also remember to zest the lemon before you juice it, I've forgotten that before and it make things SO much harder.
Pour the filling over the hot crust and bake for 20-25 min at 350* until top just starts to get golden.
COOL COMPLETELY. Sift powdered sugar on top.
Usually I will make these the night before I need them and put them in the fridge over night. Then cut and powder them. Of course if you are make them just for you, just make sure they are cooled or they are a MESS to try and get out of the pan. Also make sure to cover lightly with plastic wrap. These will do fine on the counter or in a tin covered at room temperature, but I like to keep mine in the fridge.
ENJOY!
Monday, May 6, 2013
Au Gratin Potatoes
It has been awhile! The past few weeks have been busy and stressful and I really haven't had much time to cook, let alone blog about cooking. I finally got some time this weekend to make something new. It was my AMAZING dad's 50th Birthday this past week and we all got together as a family yesterday to celebrate. I always offer to bring something to dinner and usually my mom gives me something easy... this time she asked me to bring Au Gratin Potatoes... WHAT? Never have I made any kind of potato that wasn't baked or mashed... and honestly the mashed potatoes are usually instant.... and the baked are usually sweet potatoes in the form of fries.
So I did a little digging and here is the recipe I found/tweaked.
What you'll need:
4 medium russet potatoes (or about 8 red potatoes)
1 small onion (I used a white onion and only about 1/2 of a medium)
3 tbs butter
3 tbs flour
2 c milk
1 1/2 c cheese (1/2 and 1/2 sharp cheddar and Parmesan)
1/2 tsp salt
1 quart baking dish
wire wisk
medium sauce pan
foil
Slice your potatoes in about 1/4 inch slices OR (and I recommend this option) use a mandolin. My mandolin did NOT cooperate with slicing the onions, but you can either slice or dice your onions, depending on how large you want the onion pieces.
Butter your casserole dish and either layer your potato and onion slices, or make sure you mix in the diced onion pretty well. Salt and pepper to taste.
The sauce is a basic white roux with cheese... if you've tried out my enchilada sauce, its the same concept. Put a medium sauce pan over medium heat and melt your butter JUST until it starts to bubble, you DO NOT want to burn in. Add the flour and wisk well. At this point I added a little diced garlic, but that's completely optional. Add the salt and keep stirring. This makes a tanish paste in your pan. Slowly pour in the milk WHILE WISKING, and continue to stir and watch until the mixture starts to thicken. You don't want to boil your sauce, but you may see it start to bubble around the edges once it starts to thicken. That's the point you'll add your cheese. You can use whatever type you want... I bet a little munster would be amazing, but I used about 3/4 C SHARP cheddar and 3/4 C Parmesan. I like to add the cheese a little at a time so that it doesn't clump up too much. You'll continue adding cheese and whisking until the cheese is completely melted. Pull your sauce off the heat and pour over your potatoes and onions.
I topped mine with a little extra cheese and then covered with foil to bake for 1 1/2 hours at 400*.
If you don't have a casserole dish, you can use whatever you feel fits. I actually doubled this recipe and ended up with a 9x13 AND a 9x9 pan (obviously I underestimated how much this recipe makes). Just a fair warning: my 9x13 was pretty full, and I was VERY glad I put a sheet of foil under it in the oven because once that cheese sauce begins to boil it WILL overflow.
That's it. Pretty simple and I was very pleased with how these turned out. There are A LOT of different versions out there but this tweak came from All Recipes.
ENJOY
So I did a little digging and here is the recipe I found/tweaked.
What you'll need:
4 medium russet potatoes (or about 8 red potatoes)
1 small onion (I used a white onion and only about 1/2 of a medium)
3 tbs butter
3 tbs flour
2 c milk
1 1/2 c cheese (1/2 and 1/2 sharp cheddar and Parmesan)
1/2 tsp salt
1 quart baking dish
wire wisk
medium sauce pan
foil
Slice your potatoes in about 1/4 inch slices OR (and I recommend this option) use a mandolin. My mandolin did NOT cooperate with slicing the onions, but you can either slice or dice your onions, depending on how large you want the onion pieces.
Butter your casserole dish and either layer your potato and onion slices, or make sure you mix in the diced onion pretty well. Salt and pepper to taste.
The sauce is a basic white roux with cheese... if you've tried out my enchilada sauce, its the same concept. Put a medium sauce pan over medium heat and melt your butter JUST until it starts to bubble, you DO NOT want to burn in. Add the flour and wisk well. At this point I added a little diced garlic, but that's completely optional. Add the salt and keep stirring. This makes a tanish paste in your pan. Slowly pour in the milk WHILE WISKING, and continue to stir and watch until the mixture starts to thicken. You don't want to boil your sauce, but you may see it start to bubble around the edges once it starts to thicken. That's the point you'll add your cheese. You can use whatever type you want... I bet a little munster would be amazing, but I used about 3/4 C SHARP cheddar and 3/4 C Parmesan. I like to add the cheese a little at a time so that it doesn't clump up too much. You'll continue adding cheese and whisking until the cheese is completely melted. Pull your sauce off the heat and pour over your potatoes and onions.
I topped mine with a little extra cheese and then covered with foil to bake for 1 1/2 hours at 400*.
If you don't have a casserole dish, you can use whatever you feel fits. I actually doubled this recipe and ended up with a 9x13 AND a 9x9 pan (obviously I underestimated how much this recipe makes). Just a fair warning: my 9x13 was pretty full, and I was VERY glad I put a sheet of foil under it in the oven because once that cheese sauce begins to boil it WILL overflow.
That's it. Pretty simple and I was very pleased with how these turned out. There are A LOT of different versions out there but this tweak came from All Recipes.
ENJOY
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Crockpot Cordon Bleu
When I was attending BYU, Cordon Blue day in the cafeteria was beyond exciting. I'm sure they used frozen stuff but it was AMAZING. When I came across this recipe awhile back, I WAS THRILLED and had to try it. It was delicious, plus its a crockpot meal so you really can't get any easier.
What you'll need:
Large crockpot
1 can of cream of chicken soup
1 C milk
1/2 ranch packet
3-4 large chicken breasts (or the equivalent in breat halves or tenderloin)
8-10 slices of ham
6-8 slices of swiss cheese
1 box of herbed stuffing
Again, I always use a liner in my crockpot and I highly recommend it.
Mix the cream of chicken soup, milk, and 1/2 the ranch packet together in a small bowl. It doesn't need to be mixed well or smooth. Pour enough of the mixture onto the bottom of the crockpot to cover it will a thin layer.
Add your chicken breasts. I used about 2 1/2 HUGE chicken breasts in my 5 qt. crockpot this morning. They covered the bottom of the crockpot really well.
Pour another thin layer of the soup mixture in.
Lay down a layer of ham, and then a layer of swiss cheese. I just used lunch meat and packaged pre-sliced swiss, but you can get as fancy as you want. The first time I made this I went to the deli and asked for thicker slice nice ham and fancy swiss. You also can't really put too much ham and swiss in your crockpot... they are kind of the best part. If you want it a little cheesier, go for it. If you like more ham, throw it in!
Pour the rest of the soup mixture on top of your layers and then top everything with the dry stuffing mix. For some reason my store doesn't carry "herbed" stuffing so I just used chicken flavor.
The nice thing about this recipe is that if you set your crock pot to high it can be done in just about 3 hours. You should ALWAYS check your chicken to make sure it is done through.
I like this recipe because I threw it together and set it on low and it will be fine sitting there while I'm at work, and be ready to go when Steve and I get home.
Make sure you serve ALL of the layers together. I just cut down with a knife and take a serving, kind of like a casserole. A veggie side and some rolls make a quick and delicious meal. Just think, you could have spend all that time flattening chicken and rolling it up with ham and cheese.... instead, this classic was a CINCH!
ENJOY
I believe this recipe came from allrecipes.com, but in the past I would just write down the recipes I found on a note card (since I didn't have a printer). All I can guarantee is this is NOT one of my own concoctions... because really, how often does that happen?
What you'll need:
Large crockpot
1 can of cream of chicken soup
1 C milk
1/2 ranch packet
3-4 large chicken breasts (or the equivalent in breat halves or tenderloin)
8-10 slices of ham
6-8 slices of swiss cheese
1 box of herbed stuffing
Again, I always use a liner in my crockpot and I highly recommend it.
Mix the cream of chicken soup, milk, and 1/2 the ranch packet together in a small bowl. It doesn't need to be mixed well or smooth. Pour enough of the mixture onto the bottom of the crockpot to cover it will a thin layer.
Add your chicken breasts. I used about 2 1/2 HUGE chicken breasts in my 5 qt. crockpot this morning. They covered the bottom of the crockpot really well.
Pour another thin layer of the soup mixture in.
Lay down a layer of ham, and then a layer of swiss cheese. I just used lunch meat and packaged pre-sliced swiss, but you can get as fancy as you want. The first time I made this I went to the deli and asked for thicker slice nice ham and fancy swiss. You also can't really put too much ham and swiss in your crockpot... they are kind of the best part. If you want it a little cheesier, go for it. If you like more ham, throw it in!
Pour the rest of the soup mixture on top of your layers and then top everything with the dry stuffing mix. For some reason my store doesn't carry "herbed" stuffing so I just used chicken flavor.
The nice thing about this recipe is that if you set your crock pot to high it can be done in just about 3 hours. You should ALWAYS check your chicken to make sure it is done through.
I like this recipe because I threw it together and set it on low and it will be fine sitting there while I'm at work, and be ready to go when Steve and I get home.
Make sure you serve ALL of the layers together. I just cut down with a knife and take a serving, kind of like a casserole. A veggie side and some rolls make a quick and delicious meal. Just think, you could have spend all that time flattening chicken and rolling it up with ham and cheese.... instead, this classic was a CINCH!
ENJOY
I believe this recipe came from allrecipes.com, but in the past I would just write down the recipes I found on a note card (since I didn't have a printer). All I can guarantee is this is NOT one of my own concoctions... because really, how often does that happen?
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Homemade Meatballs
Its my week again and I decided to be brave and try something new. I searched around Pinterest for awhile until I found something new and different. I really liked this one, and so did Steve, which makes a recipe so much better. Tonight we put these on hoagie rolls and had meatball sandwiches but they would be great on pasta, or delicious as appetizers.
What you'll need
1 lb lean ground beef
2 eggs beaten w/ 1/2 C of milk
1/2 C grated Parmesan
1 C bread crumbs (I used Italian, but you can use any flavor or Panko)
1 small onion minced
2 cloves of garlic - grated
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp salt
1/4 c mined FRESH basil OR 1 1/2 Tbsp of DRIED basil
ground pepper - to taste
baking sheet
foil or parchment paper
large mixing bowl
Mix all ingredients by hand in a large bowl. Form into golf ball sized meatballs and place on lined baking sheet. I got about 20 meatballs out of this recipe. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
Tips: make sure you mince up your ingredients really well. I "chopped" my onion and the larger pieces got in the way when rolling the meatballs. In the future I also may back off the onion and only use 1/2 of a small onion.
The original recipe calls for FRESH minced basil, but that can get expensive unless you have your own plant. As a general rule you use about 1/3 the amount of dried if you're substituting in a recipe. I put the conversion in the ingredients list. I used fresh basil so I'm not sure how using dried will affect the bulk of your recipe. If you go this route, let me know how it goes.
This recipe was so easy, just mix it up and throw it in the oven. Since we made sandwiches all I had to do was pull the meatballs out of the oven, and throw them onto some rolls. I topped mine with some marinara sauce and provolone cheese. Steve isn't a fan of red sauce, but loved his with some provolone, cream cheese, and olives.
ENJOY!
I found this recipe on Pinterest here. There is no link to an original source but whoever came up with this is AMAZING.
What you'll need
1 lb lean ground beef
2 eggs beaten w/ 1/2 C of milk
1/2 C grated Parmesan
1 C bread crumbs (I used Italian, but you can use any flavor or Panko)
1 small onion minced
2 cloves of garlic - grated
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp salt
1/4 c mined FRESH basil OR 1 1/2 Tbsp of DRIED basil
ground pepper - to taste
baking sheet
foil or parchment paper
large mixing bowl
Mix all ingredients by hand in a large bowl. Form into golf ball sized meatballs and place on lined baking sheet. I got about 20 meatballs out of this recipe. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
Tips: make sure you mince up your ingredients really well. I "chopped" my onion and the larger pieces got in the way when rolling the meatballs. In the future I also may back off the onion and only use 1/2 of a small onion.
The original recipe calls for FRESH minced basil, but that can get expensive unless you have your own plant. As a general rule you use about 1/3 the amount of dried if you're substituting in a recipe. I put the conversion in the ingredients list. I used fresh basil so I'm not sure how using dried will affect the bulk of your recipe. If you go this route, let me know how it goes.
This recipe was so easy, just mix it up and throw it in the oven. Since we made sandwiches all I had to do was pull the meatballs out of the oven, and throw them onto some rolls. I topped mine with some marinara sauce and provolone cheese. Steve isn't a fan of red sauce, but loved his with some provolone, cream cheese, and olives.
ENJOY!
I found this recipe on Pinterest here. There is no link to an original source but whoever came up with this is AMAZING.
Friday, April 12, 2013
Easy Fish and Lemon Rice
Just a little random fact about me... I LOVE seafood. Maybe it's because I grew up in a port city and when we had seafood there it was always delicious and fresh. Maybe it is because that port city was Houston, TX and seafood included delicious Cajun flavors. For sure one of the reasons is that fish is healthy, and the "recipe" I'm going to share makes is EASY.
I would recommend picking up some kosher or sea salt if you don't have any. The grains are much more course and pack more flavor.
Your skillet should be nice and hot now. Don't worry about oiling your pan, you've got nicely covered fillets to work with. Put your fillets on the hot skillet. Don't cover them and DO NOT MOVE THEM for 4 minutes.
One of my favorite types of fish is Talapia. I get a big bag of frozen fillets at Costco and it usually keeps me satisfied. Whenever I feel like splurging I'll grab a bag of Mahi Mahi. I've always been VERY happy with Costco seafood, so if you don't buy seafood and are looking to try it, you're safe with Costco. Today is a two for one because one of my cheap quick staple meals is fish, rice and a steamed veggie. When Steve and I first starting dating I made this for him and he was impressed. He didn't eat seafood much before, but this has become a favorite for him.
Quick Flaky Talapia
What you'll need
Talapia fillets (fresh or COMPLETELY thawed)
Extra virgin olive oil
Kosher or Sea salt
Pepper
NON STICK skillet
To make the fish, preheat your non-stick skillet DRY over medium high heat. I have yet to try this method on my nice stainless steel skillets... I keep to my non-stick. If I brave the stainless steel, I'll let you know.
Rinse your fish fillets and pat completely dry.
Brush or rub on some extra virgin olive oil on both sides and sprinkle with kosher salt and black pepper. I know this seems simple but trust me... this is my absolutely favorite way of preparing Talapia.
Your skillet should be nice and hot now. Don't worry about oiling your pan, you've got nicely covered fillets to work with. Put your fillets on the hot skillet. Don't cover them and DO NOT MOVE THEM for 4 minutes.
This is what they'll look like at 4 minutes before you flip them. Its hard to see in the picture but the edges are starting to become an opaque white instead of the raw pink.
Flip them over and DON'T MOVE THEM for another 4-5 minutes.
The fish is done when it is completely opaque and flakes easily all the way through. There have been times when my fish takes a little longer to cook, but you want to make sure it is done through. Every stove top and skillet is different so if you need to adjust the heat settings or time, it doesn't mean you are doing it wrong. This method creates a yummy browned fish that is a little crispy on the outside and deliciously flaky on the inside. Serve immediately with rice and veggies.
Lemon Rice
What you'll need
(makes 2 LARGE or 4 small servings)
(makes 2 LARGE or 4 small servings)
1 C Rice - I prefer Jasmine or Batsmati rice but white rice will work
1 C Water
1 C Chicken broth (I just use bullion)
2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
2 tsp butter (or margarine)
1/4 tsp dried basil (if you're using fresh herbs you'll need about 1/4 Tbsp)
1/4-1/3 tsp lemon zest (optional)
Lemon pepper seasoning
Add all ingredients EXCEPT lemonpepper seasoning to a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cover. The rice should simmer for about 20 minutes or until all the moisture has been absorbed. Fluff with a fork and sprinkle with lemonpepper. This goes PERFECTLY with fish!
Let me know how these turned out for you or if you have any questions.
ENJOY!
The fish technique came from my mom's genius mind, and the lemon rice is from food.com
Monday, April 8, 2013
Cafe Rio Tomatillo Ranch
Have I mentioned that I love the way that Steve and I have worked out our dinner prep schedule. It is once again Steve's week for dinner and the only thing he asked me to do is make some "Cafe Rio" Tomatillo Ranch dressing for our shrimp tacos tonight. This is one of my favorite dip recipes... so I must share
What you'll need:
1 ranch dressing packet
Mayo/Milk/Sour cream as called for on the ranch packet
1 jalapeno
1/2 bunch cilantro
1 clove garlic
2-3 Tomatillos
Juice of 1 lime (optional)
Put all of the ingredients into the blender and blend until mixed well.
TIPS:
If you want less of a kick to your dressing, seed your jalapeno. I ALWAYS do this! Cut your jalapeno in half length wise and use a spoon to scrape out all of the seeds AND the vein that runs down the middle. This is where are the heat comes from in the pepper.
Cut the stems off of the cilantro. It blends and tastes better
For a healthy twist, substitute greek yogurt for the mayo/milk/sour cream. Trust me, I've tried it and you can't even tell a difference!
(UPDATE: My greek yogurt version did not last as long as the original usually does. It began to separate after about 2-3 days. This isn't unusual for greek yogurt, but if you are planning on storing the "healthy" version, just keep this in mind.")
And many of you are probably wondering what the heck a tomatillo is. That's okay because I was too the first time I made this recipe.
This is a tomatillo.
You find them in the produce section of the grocery store. I have always bought mine at Smith's and they are usually right by the jalapenos on the top shelf of the cooler. I look for a healthy looking husk and a green tomatillo, not yellow. Look for an even color and no scars or bruises. If you find larger tomatillos you will only need 2, I usually end up using 3. To prep, peel off the husk and wash off the sticky coating on the tomatillo, and cut off the stem. I chop them into fourths and throw them in the blender. If they are larger, cut out the core and the seeds. I usually don't bother because I rarely find large ones that look healthy. I also have a nice blender that chops up the core and seeds rather nicely so that I don't end up with chunks or seeds. It is all down to what works for you.
I almost ALWAYS forget to add lime juice to my blender and while it does add a nice flavor, I can live without the lime.
The longer this sets in the fridge before you serve it, the better the flavors mix and marinate together. Do NOT expect this dressing to thicken up. It will stay pretty runny, just like at Cafe Rio.
This goes great on salad, and tacos and is great with tortilla chips.
ENJOY.
I've had this recipe for a few years now and have no idea where I originally found it. It is NOT my creation so credit goes entirely somewhere else.
Thursday, April 4, 2013
Buffalo Chicken Braid
This one is for all (three) of you that were waiting for the Crockpot Buffalo Chicken follow up...
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Lay down a layer of cheese and onions right down the middle of the dough sheet. I found one dough sheet and one can of crescents. That's why they look different but it works just fine. I like the dough sheets much better for this because I feel like it is a little stretchier and a little puffier when baked... either way it will turn out delicious.
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Lay your shredded chicken on top of your cheese. Make sure you keep everything pretty well in the middle.
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Cut one inch strips down the side of your dough. I use clean scissors. I've found that it is much easier than trying to cut the dough with a knife. They don't have to be perfect, just make sure you cut right up to your center pile.
I didn't take a great picture of finishing the end put when you get about 3/4 of the way through, tuck the other then and then continue the braid from where you left off. If you don't tuck the other end first you'll get a big messy blob of dough on one end.
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The Buffalo Chicken Braid
Looks fancy huh? Best thing about this recipe is that it looks like you're a hardcore fancy cook but it couldn't be easier.
What you'll need:
2 cans of crescent rolls (I use the "dough sheets" whenever I can find them)
1 C mozzerella cheese
Blue cheese crumbles
1 purple onion (I didn't have a purple on hand this time and used white... get purple if you can)
Buffalo chicken leftovers
One egg yolk
Baking sheet
parchment paper
Lay out your dough sheets next to each other and pinch seams closed. If you're using cans crescent roll instead of the sheet make sure you pinch the seams together really well.
(see, I used white onions and I didn't have as much as I'd like... live and learn)
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Steve likes blue cheese, I don't. You can add whatever else you like before you wrap things up. You can add ranch, extra buffalo sauce, or whatever your heart desires.
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Cut one inch strips down the side of your dough. I use clean scissors. I've found that it is much easier than trying to cut the dough with a knife. They don't have to be perfect, just make sure you cut right up to your center pile.
To start your braid, fold the end up over your filling and tuck each fringe to the opposite side. Alternate sides as you pull the strips across at a slight angle and tuck/pinch them to the dough on the other side of the filling.
I didn't take a great picture of finishing the end put when you get about 3/4 of the way through, tuck the other then and then continue the braid from where you left off. If you don't tuck the other end first you'll get a big messy blob of dough on one end.
You'll end with something like this.
If you don't, don't worry, it took some practice before I figured out how to get everything tucked in nicely.
Scramble your egg yolk with a fork to make and egg wash. Use a pastry brush to lightly brush the egg wash over the top of your braid. This helps the braid get a pretty golden brown, and helps it get a nice crisp top. After the wash I sprinkled the braid with a little bit of garlic powder. You can leave it plain or sprinkle more cheese or seasoning.
Bake your braid at 375 for 20-25 minutes until it is nice and browned and the dough feels firm. Don't be scared when you see the egg wash start to brown early, it isn't burning. The first time I made this I also worried that the dough wasn't done. Even tonight it looks a tinsy bit doughy on the inside, but I think it is just the moisture from the chicken. The crust was nice and flaky and didn't feel doughy to eat. When in doubt, keep it in the oven a few extra minutes, just be careful not to burn your bottom crust!
Steve really likes when I make dough braids. The buffalo chicken isn't my favorite but this is another VERY versatile recipe. You can try all kinds of different fillings! My favorite has been a cheddar, broccoli, chicken. For that filling I used two chicken breasts cooked and cubed (You can even use rotisserie chicken meat to save some time), about 1 cup of broccoli, about 2 cups of cheddar cheese (I used sharp Tillamook cheddar), diced onion, and 1/2 C mayo (you can use sour cream as well... just enough to get everything covered and provide a little moisture). You really can play with the fillings and find what works for you. I think next I'm going to try a Pot Pie Braid!
Let me know how things turn out for you, leave any questions in comments, and don't forget to share your experiments with fillings!
ENJOY!
I found this idea on Pinterest and twisted it to my liking. The link in my pin in now broken so now I just work off of memory and creativity.
Monday, April 1, 2013
Crockpot Buffalo Chicken
Steve and I planned on going to the Color Festival again in Spanish Fork this weekend so I decided to do a crock pot meal that would be ready for us when we got home. Buffalo chicken is NOT my favorite thing, but Steve loves it. I decided to be a good sport and make this recipe again for him, and even though it isn't my favorite... this recipe was pretty good. I'm not a fan of spicy so I used the original wing sauce but feel free to use whatever your favorite sauce is. Steve is determined to get some WingCoop sauce for me to use next time.
What you'll need
3-4 large chicken breasts
1/2 package (1oz) Ranch Dressing mix
12 oz bottle of buffalo wing sauce (I used Frank's Original)
2 tbsp butter
Large crockpot
Toppings: ranch dressing, blue cheese crumbles, mozzarella, cream cheese
I always use a liner when I use my crock pot, it just makes things so much easier when it comes to clean up. It also helps keep things from sticking. If you don't use a liner you may want to spray the inside of your crockpot. This recipe is super easy. Pour a little sauce into the bottom of the crock pot, throw in your chicken breasts (mine were mostly frozen even), sprinkle your dressing mix over the chicken and pour the rest of the sauce over top. Cover and set your crock pot to low for 6-8 hours. At about 6 hours I used tongs to pull the chicken apart, and let the shredded meat sit in the crock pot for another hour or so. Add the butter just before you serve and stir it around so it will melt. I'm not sure what this step does for the chicken but it was delicious.
I served the chicken on hard rolls. Steve put cream cheese and blue cheese crumbles on his. I put ranch on mine. We just had chips and veggies as a side, but coleslaw would be a great summer side as well.
We had plenty of left overs so stay tuned for how I plan to use them later in the week!
ENJOY!
I found this recipe on All recipies
What you'll need
3-4 large chicken breasts
1/2 package (1oz) Ranch Dressing mix
12 oz bottle of buffalo wing sauce (I used Frank's Original)
2 tbsp butter
Large crockpot
Toppings: ranch dressing, blue cheese crumbles, mozzarella, cream cheese
I always use a liner when I use my crock pot, it just makes things so much easier when it comes to clean up. It also helps keep things from sticking. If you don't use a liner you may want to spray the inside of your crockpot. This recipe is super easy. Pour a little sauce into the bottom of the crock pot, throw in your chicken breasts (mine were mostly frozen even), sprinkle your dressing mix over the chicken and pour the rest of the sauce over top. Cover and set your crock pot to low for 6-8 hours. At about 6 hours I used tongs to pull the chicken apart, and let the shredded meat sit in the crock pot for another hour or so. Add the butter just before you serve and stir it around so it will melt. I'm not sure what this step does for the chicken but it was delicious.
I served the chicken on hard rolls. Steve put cream cheese and blue cheese crumbles on his. I put ranch on mine. We just had chips and veggies as a side, but coleslaw would be a great summer side as well.
We had plenty of left overs so stay tuned for how I plan to use them later in the week!
ENJOY!
I found this recipe on All recipies
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Healthy Peanut Butter Dip
A quick yummy treat that I've been obsessed with: Healthy Peanut Butter Dip! This is a Pinterest WIN!
What you will need:
5.3 oz Vanilla Greek Yogurt (This is the personal size container at the store, but if you buy large containers like me, its just about 2/3 C. I buy Oikos or Yoplait brands and with Greek Yogurt, IT DOES make a difference)
2 tbsp Peanut Butter (I like creamy)
1 tbsp Honey
1/8 tsp cinnamon
Mix everything together and get dipping! It is especially yummy with apples and celery but is pretty amazing with just about anything.
This makes 5 - 60 calorie protein filled servings!
Enjoy!
Credit goes here. But I also found this a ton of other places
Monday, March 25, 2013
Quick and Easy From Scratch Brownies
It's Steve's week for dinner so in the interest of not letting the blog lag in the mean time I'm going to share one of my all time favorite and most versatile dessert recipes. They are more of a cake-y dense brownie, which I prefer, so don't go into this expecting fudgey and gooey... unless you undercook them :)
What you'll need:
9x13 baking dish
Large microwavable bowl
1/2 c butter (I use unsalted when baking)
5 tbsp unsweetened coco powder
2 c white granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla
4 eggs
1 1/2 c flour
Preheat your oven to 350*
In large bowl, microwave butter until completely melted.
Stir in coco powder until mixed well
Stir in sugar and vanilla and mix well
Stir in eggs ONE AT A TIME (I've forgotten the one at a time part before, and it won't ruin the recipe, but it does make it easier to get a smooth batter)
Stir in flour.
TIP: I NEVER use a mixer with this recipe. This makes a THICK batter and you may burn out your motor. You're probably safe in a kitchen aid, but really this is so simple you might as well just use a spoon.
THOROUGHLY grease and flour your baking pan OR line REALLY well with parchment paper. These will stick and it is very sad when that happens.
Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick/knife inserted to the center comes out clean.
That's it. You now have the perfect, most versatile brownie EVER. Here are some suggestions...
Bake plain batter. Cool, and sprinkle with powdered sugar.
Sprinkle batter w/ mini m&ms before baking.
Sprinkle batter w/ any kind of chocolate or flavored chips before baking.
Sprinkle batter w/ nuts (or nuts and chocolate chips!)
Bake plain batter, frost with mint frosting and top with ganache.
Sprinkle batter with almonds, bake as usual. Pull out your brownies, turn oven to broil, top warm brownies with marshmallow, pop them back under the broiler til puffed and golden brown. Let cool. Top with a light chocolate frosting. (This is a favorite!)
See you can pretty much do anything you want with these! They are perfect with ice cream. They work great in different size pans (try a mini muffin tin for brownie bites but watch so they don't burn!), and I almost always have everything on hand for these when I'm craving a treat.
ENJOY!
This has been a standard family recipe for as long as I can remember so credit goes to my mom.
What you'll need:
9x13 baking dish
Large microwavable bowl
1/2 c butter (I use unsalted when baking)
5 tbsp unsweetened coco powder
2 c white granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla
4 eggs
1 1/2 c flour
Preheat your oven to 350*
In large bowl, microwave butter until completely melted.
Stir in coco powder until mixed well
Stir in sugar and vanilla and mix well
Stir in eggs ONE AT A TIME (I've forgotten the one at a time part before, and it won't ruin the recipe, but it does make it easier to get a smooth batter)
Stir in flour.
TIP: I NEVER use a mixer with this recipe. This makes a THICK batter and you may burn out your motor. You're probably safe in a kitchen aid, but really this is so simple you might as well just use a spoon.
THOROUGHLY grease and flour your baking pan OR line REALLY well with parchment paper. These will stick and it is very sad when that happens.
Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick/knife inserted to the center comes out clean.
That's it. You now have the perfect, most versatile brownie EVER. Here are some suggestions...
Bake plain batter. Cool, and sprinkle with powdered sugar.
Sprinkle batter w/ mini m&ms before baking.
Sprinkle batter w/ any kind of chocolate or flavored chips before baking.
Sprinkle batter w/ nuts (or nuts and chocolate chips!)
Bake plain batter, frost with mint frosting and top with ganache.
Sprinkle batter with almonds, bake as usual. Pull out your brownies, turn oven to broil, top warm brownies with marshmallow, pop them back under the broiler til puffed and golden brown. Let cool. Top with a light chocolate frosting. (This is a favorite!)
See you can pretty much do anything you want with these! They are perfect with ice cream. They work great in different size pans (try a mini muffin tin for brownie bites but watch so they don't burn!), and I almost always have everything on hand for these when I'm craving a treat.
ENJOY!
This has been a standard family recipe for as long as I can remember so credit goes to my mom.
Friday, March 22, 2013
Homemade Tomato Soup
I've really be disappointed this week that Utah forgot about Spring after just one week of sunny skies. I've been tempted to slip back into winter mode, and I've been craving yummy soup. Steve and I just treated ourselves to a new Blendtec so I decided to try out a fresh soup. One of my favorite meals is a good grilled cheese sandwich with tomato soup so I asked my mom for some tips and this is what I figured out...
What you'll need:
A good blender - my soup turned out amazingly smooth and yummy in the Blendtec, but you can do this in any good blender.
2 cans of diced tomatoes OR 6-8 fresh tomatoes
1 onion (yellow or white)
1 - 2 cloves garlic
fresh or dried basil
extra virgin olive oil
heavy whipping cream (optional)
foil
baking sheet
salt and pepper
Preheat your oven to 450*
If you're using fresh tomatoes you'll want to cut and seed your tomatoes. I wouldn't worry about peeling them unless your blender can't handle the skins. If you are using canned tomatoes, strain the juices into a bowl and SAVE the juice.
Peel and dice your garlic. I used a heaping 1/2 tsp of the bottled diced garlic. Use as much or as little garlic as you'd like.
Slice or roughly chop your onion. I used about 1/2 of a medium onion, but you can use as much or as little as you like.
Line a baking sheet with foil and spread out your tomatoes and onions. Sprinkle with diced garlic, and drizzle with olive oil. Salt and pepper everything generously. I like to use Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper.
Put your baking sheet in the oven for about 20 minutes (until your onions start to soften and brown)
If you used canned tomatoes, pour your juice into your blender cup. If you used fresh, you can either use extra chicken broth or tomato juice, but I had about 2 cups of liquid between my canned tomato juice and my chicken broth. Add your roasted veggies and a few leaves of fresh basil, or a tsp of dried basil. My blender has a "soups" button, but you'll want to run your blender on high for about a minute and 1/2. Check your consistency. I like mine nice and thick so I didn't add any more broth. I did run my soup cycle one more time with about 1/8 c of heavy cream, but that is purely optional. My soup turned our very creamy and smooth.
Taste your soup and adjust spices to your liking. I added about a tsp of Lowry's Seasoned Salt and a few more basil leaves and blended things up again and it was JUST how I liked it.
Unless you're running a Vitamix or Blendtec you may need to warm your soup a bit. I ran 2 soup cycles on my blendtec and my soup was plenty warm. The microwave is always an option but I would recommend pouring it into a pan on the stove and letting it warm up that way.
This recipe is another easy very flexible one. I've made this before with celery and carrots, but just didn't like the way the flavors got in the way of my tomatoes. If you're inclined to add more veggies, add about a cup of each (chopped and cooked til soft) to your blender cup. You may need a little more liquid to compensate.
This will keep well in the fridge for 2-3 days and reheats VERY well.
ENJOY!
What you'll need:
A good blender - my soup turned out amazingly smooth and yummy in the Blendtec, but you can do this in any good blender.
2 cans of diced tomatoes OR 6-8 fresh tomatoes
1 onion (yellow or white)
1 - 2 cloves garlic
fresh or dried basil
extra virgin olive oil
heavy whipping cream (optional)
foil
baking sheet
salt and pepper
Preheat your oven to 450*
If you're using fresh tomatoes you'll want to cut and seed your tomatoes. I wouldn't worry about peeling them unless your blender can't handle the skins. If you are using canned tomatoes, strain the juices into a bowl and SAVE the juice.
Peel and dice your garlic. I used a heaping 1/2 tsp of the bottled diced garlic. Use as much or as little garlic as you'd like.
Slice or roughly chop your onion. I used about 1/2 of a medium onion, but you can use as much or as little as you like.
Line a baking sheet with foil and spread out your tomatoes and onions. Sprinkle with diced garlic, and drizzle with olive oil. Salt and pepper everything generously. I like to use Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper.
Put your baking sheet in the oven for about 20 minutes (until your onions start to soften and brown)
If you used canned tomatoes, pour your juice into your blender cup. If you used fresh, you can either use extra chicken broth or tomato juice, but I had about 2 cups of liquid between my canned tomato juice and my chicken broth. Add your roasted veggies and a few leaves of fresh basil, or a tsp of dried basil. My blender has a "soups" button, but you'll want to run your blender on high for about a minute and 1/2. Check your consistency. I like mine nice and thick so I didn't add any more broth. I did run my soup cycle one more time with about 1/8 c of heavy cream, but that is purely optional. My soup turned our very creamy and smooth.
Taste your soup and adjust spices to your liking. I added about a tsp of Lowry's Seasoned Salt and a few more basil leaves and blended things up again and it was JUST how I liked it.
Unless you're running a Vitamix or Blendtec you may need to warm your soup a bit. I ran 2 soup cycles on my blendtec and my soup was plenty warm. The microwave is always an option but I would recommend pouring it into a pan on the stove and letting it warm up that way.
This recipe is another easy very flexible one. I've made this before with celery and carrots, but just didn't like the way the flavors got in the way of my tomatoes. If you're inclined to add more veggies, add about a cup of each (chopped and cooked til soft) to your blender cup. You may need a little more liquid to compensate.
This will keep well in the fridge for 2-3 days and reheats VERY well.
ENJOY!
Friday, March 15, 2013
Green Enchiladas
I've decided that my blog needs to turn into something more interesting and useful than my everyday ramblings. I'm going to start sharing some of my favorite things... recipes projects, tips & tricks... whatever. A LOT of these are pinterest successes, but I figure someone has to try them and find out if they work. So I'm going to try and tell.
First, a little everyday rambling. Steve and I have been adjusting to married life rather fantastically. Mostly we are really great at compromising. One of our very early compromises was that we would take turns with dinner. I've LOVED this for two reasons. One, Steve is an excellent cook and it is great to sit back and let him worry about grocery shopping and planning for a whole week and not have to eat mac n' cheese. Two, it has made be work up the courage to try some new recipes on my week. I've tried to be a little bit better at planning out a week to use up leftovers and make shopping efficient. Last week on Monday I threw some chicken in the crock pot for quick and easy tacos, and knew I would have leftovers to try a recipe for enchiladas. I thought that we might not love the enchiladas after having had tacos earlier in the week, but these we AMAZING. Wish I could claim it was because of my amazing skills, but really this is just a very easy, simple recipe that is just straight up yummy.
WHAT YOU WILL NEED:
2 Tbs Butter
2 Tbs Flour
1/3- 1/2 C Milk
1 C Verde (Green Chili) Salsa
Chicken or beef for filling
2-3 C shredded Mexican blend cheese
8-10 burrito size flour tortillas
foil
9x13 pan
small sauce pan
whisk
GREEN ENCHILADA SAUCE
Heat a small sauce pan over medium heat
Add Butter and let melt (I watch it and whisk it as it melts so it doesn't burn)
Add Flour whisk until completely mixed with butter and it begins to bubble
Slowly add milk - the more milk you add, the runnier your sauce will be. I usually stick to around 1/3 to 1/2 of a cup, but this recipe is very forgiving so don't be afraid to play around with it. You can also change the ratio of milk to verde depending on how strong of a flavor you like.
Keep whisking until the mixture begins to bubble and thicken.
Add the Verde. Again, I usually add about one cup, but the more you add, the runnier your sauce will be so don't be afraid to adjust this measurement.
OPTIONAL: I have added some cream cheese to this recipe in the past and it makes for a nice creamy sauce. I put a few tablespoons in after the verde and let it melt and mix in before I turned the heat down.
Your sauce is all set! I usually turn the burner down to LOW and let it sit on the stove while I prepare the rest of my dinner, but it won't hurt to pull it off and let it cool down.
Grease your 9x13 pan, and add a thin layer of your sauce to the bottom to make sure your enchiladas don't stick.
Put some meat down the center of a tortilla, add a little cheese and roll your enchilada. Line the enchiladas in your pan. I usually get about 8 in a pan, but it all depends on how full you make them.
For this recipe I used my left over crockpot taco chicken. (That recipe will come later) You can use whatever you'd like but I'd recommend something with some bulk to it instead of ground beef. You can also add whatever you like inside your tortillas. I like to add toppings to my enchiladas instead of filling.
Once your pan is full, pour your sauce over the tortillas, top with cheese, and cover with foil. Bake in a 375* oven for 25-30 minutes or until all your cheese is melted and the enchiladas a warm through. Everything in this recipe is cooked, so you're really just warming everything up.
TADA! Super easy recipe with little clean up. I serve my enchiladas with lettuce, sour cream, sliced olives, avocado, diced tomato, and cheese. You can add whatever other toppings you like! These make GREAT leftovers, and keep in the fridge well for 2-3 days.
I love this recipe because it is pretty much fool proof and is very flexible.
Hope you like it!
(The credit for this recipe goes to trial and error. It is a basic white sauce that I twisted to my own uses.)
First, a little everyday rambling. Steve and I have been adjusting to married life rather fantastically. Mostly we are really great at compromising. One of our very early compromises was that we would take turns with dinner. I've LOVED this for two reasons. One, Steve is an excellent cook and it is great to sit back and let him worry about grocery shopping and planning for a whole week and not have to eat mac n' cheese. Two, it has made be work up the courage to try some new recipes on my week. I've tried to be a little bit better at planning out a week to use up leftovers and make shopping efficient. Last week on Monday I threw some chicken in the crock pot for quick and easy tacos, and knew I would have leftovers to try a recipe for enchiladas. I thought that we might not love the enchiladas after having had tacos earlier in the week, but these we AMAZING. Wish I could claim it was because of my amazing skills, but really this is just a very easy, simple recipe that is just straight up yummy.
WHAT YOU WILL NEED:
2 Tbs Butter
2 Tbs Flour
1/3- 1/2 C Milk
1 C Verde (Green Chili) Salsa
Chicken or beef for filling
2-3 C shredded Mexican blend cheese
8-10 burrito size flour tortillas
foil
9x13 pan
small sauce pan
whisk
GREEN ENCHILADA SAUCE
Heat a small sauce pan over medium heat
Add Butter and let melt (I watch it and whisk it as it melts so it doesn't burn)
Add Flour whisk until completely mixed with butter and it begins to bubble
Slowly add milk - the more milk you add, the runnier your sauce will be. I usually stick to around 1/3 to 1/2 of a cup, but this recipe is very forgiving so don't be afraid to play around with it. You can also change the ratio of milk to verde depending on how strong of a flavor you like.
Keep whisking until the mixture begins to bubble and thicken.
Add the Verde. Again, I usually add about one cup, but the more you add, the runnier your sauce will be so don't be afraid to adjust this measurement.
OPTIONAL: I have added some cream cheese to this recipe in the past and it makes for a nice creamy sauce. I put a few tablespoons in after the verde and let it melt and mix in before I turned the heat down.
Your sauce is all set! I usually turn the burner down to LOW and let it sit on the stove while I prepare the rest of my dinner, but it won't hurt to pull it off and let it cool down.
Grease your 9x13 pan, and add a thin layer of your sauce to the bottom to make sure your enchiladas don't stick.
Put some meat down the center of a tortilla, add a little cheese and roll your enchilada. Line the enchiladas in your pan. I usually get about 8 in a pan, but it all depends on how full you make them.
For this recipe I used my left over crockpot taco chicken. (That recipe will come later) You can use whatever you'd like but I'd recommend something with some bulk to it instead of ground beef. You can also add whatever you like inside your tortillas. I like to add toppings to my enchiladas instead of filling.
Once your pan is full, pour your sauce over the tortillas, top with cheese, and cover with foil. Bake in a 375* oven for 25-30 minutes or until all your cheese is melted and the enchiladas a warm through. Everything in this recipe is cooked, so you're really just warming everything up.
TADA! Super easy recipe with little clean up. I serve my enchiladas with lettuce, sour cream, sliced olives, avocado, diced tomato, and cheese. You can add whatever other toppings you like! These make GREAT leftovers, and keep in the fridge well for 2-3 days.
I love this recipe because it is pretty much fool proof and is very flexible.
Hope you like it!
(The credit for this recipe goes to trial and error. It is a basic white sauce that I twisted to my own uses.)
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