Chicken Tortilla Soup

It's definitely soup season!

2 Quarts Chicken Broth

1 Cup frozen corn kernels

2 Cups diced tomatoes (canned or fresh)

2 Cups chopped red onion

2 Cups chopped chicken breast (cooked)

1-2 Tbsp. chopped jalapeno pepper

1 can black beans

2 limes, juiced

2 Tbsp. Cumin

1/2 package of taco seasoning

avocadoss

totilla chips

- Simmer chicken broth. While broth simmers, sear corn, onions, chicken, and peppers. Simmer 15 minutes. Add black beans, juice of the limes, cumin, and taco seasoning. Ladle over chunks of avocado, top with tortilla chips.

Encrusted Pork Tenderloin

1 1/2-pound pork tenderloin

1 1/2 cups bread crumbs

1 1/2 cups shredded (not grated) parmesan cheese

2 eggs

Flour for dredging

Salt and Pepper

6 Tblsp EVOO

Place the pork between two sheets of plastic wrap. Using a meat mallet or heavy rolling pin, pound the pork until flattened to ½ inch thick. Cut the pork into 4 equal pieces.Mix the bread crumbs and parmesan cheese together on a plate. Lightly whisk the eggs on another plate. Place the flour on a third plate. Sprinkle the pork generously with salt and pepper. Dip the pork pieces into the flour to coat lightly, then into the eggs and finally into the bread crumb mixture to coat, patting the crumb mixture to adhere. Heat oil in large nonstick frying pan over medium to high heat. Add pork pieces to each pan and cook for 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown and just cooked through.Transfer the cooked pork to a paper towel-lined plate to absorb any excess oil. Serve.

Cheeseball

16 oz. cream cheese
10 oz. (2 small jars) Kraft Old English Sharp Cheddar
5 oz. (1 small jar) Kraft Old English Bleu Cheese
3 tblsp. red wine vinegar
garlic salt
crushed nuts (of your choice)

Mix all ingredients except nuts together in mixer. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes. Roll cheese into a ball, then coat in nuts. Serve with crackers (Wheat Thins & Ritz are my favorite).

Is anybody out there??

Where are all the recipes?? Have I mentioned I have prizes to give out. I am not telling you how or when, but I have selected certain things that can win a prize. It isn't hard I promise. Come on......don't be shy.

"Refried" Beans

Don't let the name scare you, nothing about this recipe is fried. I love this recipe because it is cheap, easy, delicious, healthy, and they are a GREAT recipe to use with food storage. Plus my kid won't eat anything with protein except beans, so it's a new family favorite. Yummy alone, or in anything where you'd normally crack a can of refried beans. Enjoy!

Pinto beans

garlic salt

chili powder

cheese ( I like to use sharp cheddar)

Soak beans in water overnight. In the morning, drain the water and season with garlic salt and chili powder -- use plenty of seasoning. Then place in crockpot with fresh water (about 2-3 inches above the bean line). Cook in crockpot on low for 10 hours. If there is tons of excess water, drain some after cooking but you will need a bit of water still in there. Add cheese to taste and mash with a fork until desired consistancy.

Soups On

Around this time of year I love to make soup. Here are a few of my favorites.
Enjoy.....

Butternut Squash Soup

I know this sounds like old people food but it really is delicious.

1/2 chopped onion
1/4 c butter or margarine
saute together
Add
6 C. butternut squash cubed
3 C. apple juice
1 C water
1 t chicken bullion
1/2 t salt
1/2 t dried marjoram (this is one of those spices in your rack that you don't know what to do with)
1/4 t pepper
1/12 t. cayenne pepper (that is not a typo, you really just need a tiny bit)
Boil for 20 minutes or until squash is soft.
Puree with a mixer
Add
1/2 of a brick of cream cheese
heat through
Garnish with swiss cheese and croutons

Minestrone

To anyone who knows Italian, I'm sure this is not real minestrone, but that is what I call it. Sorry for the blasphemy.

1 lb italian sausage or hamburger
if hamburger I add a lot of garlic salt and italian seasoning while I cook it.
drain grease
1 lg. can of V8
1 can green beans- drained
1 can corn- drained
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 can kidney beans- drained
1 C. cooked carrots
1 onion chopped
2 cloves of garlic minced
Italian seasoning, pepper and garlic salt to taste
Combine all and simmer for about 1/2 hour to soften the onion
Just before serving add 2 C cooked pasta, so they don't get soggy . I use penne or macaroni.

So yummy with garlic bread.

Chili

1 Lb hamburger
brown and drain grease
Combine with:
2 cans of stewed tomatoes
2 cans kidney beans - drained
1 chopped onion
1t chili powder
1t basil
1/4 t garlic salt
1/2 c ketchup
Simmer until onion is soft, about 1/2 hour
I serve this with corn bread

My Chicken Tortilla Soup

I combined a couple recipes and catered it to our taste. I'm not sure if I should consider it my own but I feel fancy when I do.

1-2 chicken breasts cooked and shredded
1 can stewed tomatoes- do not drain
1 can chicken broth
1- 4 oz can green chilis
1-10 oz. can green enchilada sauce
1 can corn- drained
2 cups water
1 chopped onion
2 cloves garlic minced
3 T. lime juice or garnish with lime slices
1t chili powder
1 t cumin
1/4 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1 can black beans-drained
combine and cook in you your crock pot for 4-6 hours on low
Add beans about 1 hr before serving

Garnish with :
cheese
tortilla chips
sour cream
cilantro
Lime slices if not added already

Instant Pancake Mix

This is a mix that you can store and use when you want. Just add the wet ingredients when you are ready for pancakes, then store the dry stuff for later.

Instant Pancake Mix:

6 Cups All purpose Flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
3 tsp. baking powder
1 Tbsp. kosher salt
2 Tbsp. Sugar

Wet stuff (use 2 cups dry mix):

2 egss, seperated
2 Cups buttermilk
4 tbsp. melted butter

Directions:

-for the mix:
Combine all of the ingredients for the mix and store in an airtight container. Shake well to mix.

-for the pancakes:
whisk together the egg whites and buttermilk in a small bowl. In another bowl whisk the egg yolks and the melter butter together. Combine the buttermilk mixture with the egg yolk mixture until well combined. Pour into 2 cups of the pancake mix. Whisk together until just combined. Cook on a hot griddle. (recipe by Alton Brown)

Oopsy!!

I am probably outing myself on what a bad cook I am but if I can save one person from ruining their dinner, it will be worth it.
Did you know that you can KILL yeast??? Obviously I didn't. My recipe said to soak the yeast in warm water. I guess I made my water too hot, there for "killing the yeast"- as my mom told me. So if you didn't know already, when it says warm, it means warm, not at all on the hotish side.
We live and learn.

Ruth's Chris [Sweet Potatoes]

Thanks to Jeff & Carly, we have been introduced to Ruth's Chris Steakhouse. YUMMY! Since I like to pull copycat recipes from the internet, I thought I would search out the tasty sweet potato recipe for the holiday season. Along with the recipe, I also found a helpful video for those like me that need the extra help.

Ruth's Chris special sweet potato casserole

Makes 12 servings

Crust
1 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup flour

1 cup chopped nuts (pecans preferred)

1/3 stick butter, melted

Combine brown sugar, flour, nuts and butter in mixing bowl. Set aside.

Sweet Potato Mixture
3 cups mashed sweet potatoes

1 cup sugar

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs, well beaten

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a medium-size casserole dish with nonstick spray.
Combine sweet potatoes, sugar, salt, vanilla, eggs and butter in a large mixing bowl in the order listed. Beat thoroughly with a hand mixer to increase the fluffiness of the sweet potato mixture.
Pour mixture into the baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes. (At this point, dish can be covered and refrigerated.)
Sprinkle the surface of the sweet potato mixture evenly with the crust mixture and return to oven for 10 minutes. Allow to set at least 30 minutes before serving.
The brown sugar and pecan crust should be slightly browned and crunchy.

Does anyone have a food dehydrator? If you do and wouldn't mind letting me borrow it, I would really appreciate it.

Italian Mac and Cheese

One more Rachel Ray. (It's not healthy... but it's good)


1 lb. ziti rigate, penne rigate or cavatappi (ribbed, hollow corkscrews)

1 lb. Italian bulk sweet sausage

2 T. extra-virgin olive oil

1 T. butter

3 or 4 cloves garlic, chopped

12 crimini mushrooms, sliced

salt and pepper

2 T. all-purpose flour

1 c. chicken stock

1 c. heavy cream

1 (10 oz.) sack, 2 1/12 c. shredded Italian 4 cheese blend, available on dairy aisle

1 can diced tomatoes, well drained

1 t. hot sauce (recommended; Tabasco), otional

½ c. Parmesan, a couple of handfuls

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt water and cook pasta to a chewy al dente, about 8 minutes.
In a nonstick skillet, brown and crumble the sausage. Drain cooked crumbles on paper towel lined plate. Return pan to heat and add extra-virgin olive oil, butter, garlic and mushrooms. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Saute 3 to 5 minutes, until mushrooms are lightly golden.
Preheat broiler to high.
To mushrooms, add flour and stir, cooking 2 minutes. Whisk in stock, then stir in cream. Bring cream to a bubble, then stir in 2 cups of 4 cheese blend. When cheese has melted into sauce, add tomatoes. When sauce comes to bubble, remove from heat and adjust seasonings, adding hot sauce if desired.

Combine cheese sauce with sausage and pasta, transfer to a baking dish, casserole or oven safe serving platter. Sprinkle remaining ½ c. of 4 cheese blend and the grated Parmesan over the top and brown under hot broiler.

Mean Green Tortilla Soup

I am not a huge fan of Rachel Ray, but I do love this recipe (link)!!

Ingredients
2 cups chicken stock
2 cups water
3 ears of corn, kernels removed (reserve shaved corn cobs) *I just used canned corn*
1 package corn tortillas, cut into strips
4 tablespoons EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil, divided
1 package (3 pieces) chicken thighs or breasts
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, grated
2 teaspoon cumin
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped
10 to 12 tomatillos, husks removed
2 cups cilantro, chopped
Zest and juice of 2 limes
2 cups jack cheese, shredded
3 avocados, chopped (optional)


Preparation
Preheat oven 400°F.

In a large pot, bring the chicken stock and water to a bubble with the reserved corn cobs and let simmer for about 10 minutes.


Place the corn tortilla strips onto a baking sheet and spray them with some cooking spray. Transfer to the oven and bake until crispy, 10 minutes.


Preheat a skillet over medium-high heat with some EVOO about 2 turns around the pan. Add the chicken, browning on all sides, then place into the oven for about 7-8 minutes, until juices run clear and no pink remains in the center. Once the chicken is done cooking, remove from oven and let rest before cutting into strips. ** I prefer shredded chicken**

Preheat a heavy-bottomed pot with remaining 2 tablespoons of EVOO. Add the onion, garlic and cumin, and cook till soft, about 3-4 minutes. Add the corn kernels along with the jalapeño.


While the veggies are cooking, puree the tomatillos in a food processor until somewhat smooth. Add the purée, stock and chicken to the pot along with the veggies.


Simmer for 10-15 minutes. Remove the soup from the heat and add in the cilantro, lime zest and juice, and serve it up garnished with a big handful of jack cheese, tortilla and avocado.

YUM-O!

Peanut Butter Cookies

This recipe is from a friend of mine named Judy Goold. You'll love these because they just melt in your mouth!

1/2 C. Oil

1/2 C. Smooth Peanut Butter

1/2 C. White Sugar

1/2 C. Brown Sugar

1 Egg

1/2 tsp. Vanilla

1 C. + 1 Tbsp. Flour

1/2 tsp. Salt

1/2 tsp. Baking Soda



- Mix all the ingredients together in the order shown. Roll into balls and place on a greased baking sheet. Press the dough with a fork in a criss-cross pattern. Bake @325 degrees for 8-9 minutes or until golden around the edges. Makes 1 dozen

Cheese Soup

Sorry I don't have a picture, I like this recipe because I usually have these ingredients on hand!

6 c. water
6 t. chicken flavor (I use Wyler's Instant Bouillon Granules) or 6 bouillon cubes
4 c. cubed potatoes
veggies (I use frozen broccoli, but you could also do peas, cauliflower, carrots etc)
1/2 cube butter
4 c. milk
1/2 c. flour
4 c. grated cheddar cheese

Boil water & chicken flavor in large pot. Add veggies. While these cook melt butter then add milk in a separate pot. Slowly stir in flour (should look creamy and thick). Add cheese. Take off heat and combine in largest pot. Let thicken ~ 5 minutes before serving.

Yummy Salad!

This has been our favorite dinner lately. Everyone probably has already come up with something like this, but I am going to post it anyway.

LeTtUcE:

I use a mix of romaine, red leaf and fresh spinach

MiX-iN's:

grilled chicken breast

shredded mozzarella cheese

quartered & separated red onion

diced cucumber

cherry tomatoes

The key is to not skimp on any of the mix-in's. Just go crazy and have just as much mix-in's as you have lettuce (or even more)!

This salad is very filling and we usually have it with bread and it definately fills us up!

Also, I love this salad with blue cheese or honey dijon dressing.

Tomatoes, anyone?

Would anybody like some tomatoes? I've already made my year supply of salsa and then some and have no idea what I am going to do with all these tomatoes. There are at least this many again that will be ripe within a day or two. If you want some and will be down my way (Orem), let me know. Otherwise they will probably go into the compost pile when they go bad.

Apple crisp

Adapted from the Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book

Ingredients:
5 cups sliced, peeled apples
2-4 T. white sugar
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 t. cinnamon
1/4 cup butter

1. Thaw fruit, if frozen. Do not drain. Place fuit in a 2 qt. square baking dish. Sprinkle granulated sugar over top.

2. For topping, in a medium bowl, combine the oats, brown sugar, flour and cinnamon. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle topping over filling.

3. Bake crisp in a 375 degree oven for 30-35 minutes (40 minutes for thawed fruit) or till fruit is tender and topping is golden. Makes 6 servings.

Whole Wheat Chicken Quesadilla

Ingredients:
Mission Whole Wheat Tortillas
Grated Cheddar Cheese
Shredded chicken
1/4 c fat free mayo
2 tsp. canned minced jalepenos
2 tsp. juice from canned jalepenos
3/4 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp paprika
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp garlic powder

Directions:
Mix together all ingredients except tortillas, chicken and cheese. Spread a thin layer of sauce on one side of tortilla. Layer cheese and chicken on top of sauce and top with another lightly-sauce-coated tortilla. Cook on stove or skillet on both sides until cheese is melted.

Yum!

Free to a Good Home

I have a little George Forman Grill that I need to get rid of. It still works great, we were just given a little bit bigger one. If you want it let me know stat or it is off to the DI.

Mimi's Cafe Corn Chowder

Unless I am going to Mimi's Cafe for breakfast, I always order their corn chowder and bread basket! SO YUMMY! And one of the best things that come with fall/winter is SOUP!

Enjoy.

(Yields 2 1/2 quarts)

4 tablespoons butter or margarine
3 cups frozen corn, thawed
6 tablespoons onion, chopped
2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 cup celery, large dice
2 teaspoons salt
2 1/2 cups hot water
1 pinch white pepper
2 cups raw potato, peeled and cut in 1/2" cubes
3 tablespoons flour
1 quart Half & Half


Method
On medium heat, melt butter, then simmer onion and celery for 5 minutes until soft, but not brown.Add water, potatoes, corn and seasonings. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until potatoes are barely tender.Whisk the flour into 1 cup of the Half & Half, and stir into the soup. Add the remaining 3 cups of Half & Half. Simmer for about 15 minutes until the soup has thickened to a creamy consistency.Correct the seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed. In order to correct the consistency or the soup you may add a little milk to make it thinner. To make the soup thicker, simmer another 5-10 minutes.

Best Cooking Tip I Ever Received

The best cooking tip I ever got was from my mom (of course). She buys the $5-$6 pre-cooked rotisserie chickens that you see at every grocery store and shreds the meat off of them. Then you can freeze the shredded chicken and quickly defrost it to use in ANYTHING. I always use it in my chicken enchiladas, chicken croissant sandwiches, etc. It cuts out so much of the effort! Tonight I am trying some spicy chicken quesadillas using the chicken, if they turn out I'll post the recipe tomorrow. Bon appetite.

Chicken Fried Rice

Sorry, No picture. We ate it too fast. This is soooo tasty!!

1-2 Chicken Breasts
4 Eggs scrambled
2 Carrots diced
1/2 Onion diced
3/4 C. Peas
1-2 Cloves of Garlic
4 C. Rice prepared
1/2 C. Butter- Thats right, 1 whole cube of butter. I have heard that you can use chicken broth but of course it is not as tasty. I have done half and half and it is still pretty good.

Marinade diced chicken in soy sauce.
In a large skillet scramble eggs and set aside.
In the same skillet cook chicken for about 5 minutes. Add carrots and onion, cook until soft. Add peas, garlic and butter. When the peas are soft, add rice and eggs and stir it all together. Add soy sauce to taste and enjoy!!

Salsa (For Canning)

Anyone out there canning? Here's an easy salsa recipe.
10 c. peeled tomatoes chopped
6 c. chopped mixed chilies
4 c. chopped onion
3 tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
1 c. vinegar
Combine ingredients in large saucepan. Heat to a boil and simmer 10 minutes if using paste tomatoes or 20-25 if using slicing tomatoes. Ladle hot mixture into hot pint jars leaving ½ inch headspace. Adjust lids and process in boiling water 20 minutes. Makes 6-8 pints.

Brownies- from scratch

Shocking, I know. MarKey put down the box for once and made a treat from scratch. Don't let that word, scratch, scare you like it does me. You might be surprised at how easy and cheap they are, and I bet you already have all the ingredients on hand. I think they taste much better tasting too.

1/2+2 T. Butter of Margarine
1 C Sugar
1 t vanilla
2 Eggs
6 T Cocoa
1/2 C Flour

Cream butter, sugar and vanilla; beat in eggs. Blend in Cocoa. Stir in flour. Pour in an 8X8 pan. Bake at 325 for 30-35 minutes.

Bruschetta

This Italian appetizer is a favorite of ours and we could never find the right recipe so we came up with this one. Jason went to Italy on his mission and is very picky about his bruschetta. Hope you like this one too!

6-7 Plum Tomatoes

2 Tbsp. Chopped Fresh Basil

1 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 Clove Garlic (finely chopped)

1 french style baguette sliced

1 tsp. Salt

1 Tsp. Black Pepper

Preparation

Stir together all of the above ingredients except bread. Spoon mixture onto toasted bread slices. Serve immediately. Makes about 16 appetizers. (When I toast the bread in the oven I like to put a little parmesan on top because everything is better with cheese!)

A New Twist on BBQ Pork

Last night I made Nichole's BBQ pork sandwiches. They were delicious! I ended up with more pork than buns, so today for lunch I made BBQ pork quesadillas. Yum, they were good! Then I thought, this would be so good on a pizza! So this isn't a real recipe, just ideas for how you can turn one meal into three.

Spicy Oven Fried Chicken

I made this yesterday for Dan's family Labor Day get together, and everyone loved it! Easton even gobbled it down! His family is big on spicy food, but if you don't want it spicy, you can substitute the chyenne pepper for paprika. Also, I used chicken breasts, but you can use bone-in chicken for a more authentic style.

INGREDIENTS:

4 boneless/skinless chicken breasts

1 cup dried bread crumbs
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon chyenne pepper

1/2 cup light mayonnaise

1/2 cup ranch dressing


DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
In a medium bowl or gallon size resealable plastic bag, mix together the bread crumbs, garlic powder, salt, pepper, thyme and chyenne pepper (or paprika).
Coat the chicken with mayonnaise/ranch mix. Place chicken pieces in bowl/bag with bread crumb mixture and coat/shake until well coated. Place chicken in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish and bake for 45 minutes or until juices run clear.

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

Chocolate Zucchini Cake
2 Cups Sugar
1 Cup Oil
2 Cups Grated And Peeled Zucchini
½ Cup Milk
2 ½ Cups Flour
1 Tsp Baking Powder
3 Eggs
3 Tsp Vanilla
1 Tsp Salt
1 Tsp Soda
½ Cup Cocoa

Mix And Bake At 350 Deg For 1 Hr In A Bunt Pan. Drizzle With Warm Chocolate Fudge Frosting.

Chocolate Fudge Frosting
¼ Cup Margarine
1 Tsp Vanilla
6 Tbsp Cocoa
2 Tbsp Milk
1 Lb Powdered Sugar
¼ Cup Sour Cream
Cook In A Sauce Pan On Low Heat Until Melted.

HOLY COW! I kid you not, best stuff ever! Try it, you won't be disappointed!

-Yummy Zucchini Bread-

3 cups flour

2 cups sugar

1 t. each salt, baking soda, nutmeg

1/2 t. cinnamon

1/4 t. baking powder

3 eggs

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/2 cup oil

1 T. orange zest

2 t. vanilla

2 c. shredded zucchini

1 c. chopped walnuts(optional...I don't use them because I'm not a nut fan)

1 c. chocolate chips(I did half milk and half semi sweet. Also it might be a good idea to use the mini chocolate chips so they don't all fall to the botton of the pan. )

Combine the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet ingredients in another bowl. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, then pour into two greased 8x4 loaf pans. Bake at 350 for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow to cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes then remove from pans and cool the rest of the way.

Peach Cobbler

Batter:
1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup room temperature milk
1 room temperature egg

Filling :
1 (28 ounce) can sliced peaches, drained
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Directions
1. Melt butter in a 9 x 13 inch pan.
2. Mix together flour, sugar, baking powder & salt.
3. Stir in milk & egg.
4. Pour evenly over melted butter.
5. Combine peaches, sugar & spices and spread over batter-DO NOT STIR!
6. Bake 35-45 minutes at 350°F until batter comes to the top and is golden brown.
7. Serve warm with ice cream.

Ribollita

I found this recipe while watching Giada on food network. It is so yummy!

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus some for drizzling on bread

1 onion, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

4 ounces pancetta, chopped (or bacon)

2 cloves garlic, 1 minced and 1 whole

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes

1 pound frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

1 (15-ounce) can cannelloni beans, drained

1 tablespoon oregano

3 cups chicken stock

1 bay leaf 1 (3-inch) piece

1/4 Cup parmesan cheese, grated

1 Loaf ciabata bread, sliced

-Heat the oil in a heavy large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, pancetta, minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook until the onion is golden brown and the pancetta is crisp, about 7 minutes. Add tomato paste and stir until dissolved. Add tomatoes and stir, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to release all the brown bits. Add the spinach, beans, herbs, stock, bay leaf, and Parmesan cheese. Bring the soup to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

-Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

-Drizzle the ciabatta slices with olive oil. Toast until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and rub the top of the toasts with the whole garlic clove. Place the toasts in the serving bowls and ladle the soup over the toasts. Sprinkle with Parmesan and serve immediately.

Steak (hamburger accually) and Everything Sandwiches

When I ask Jon what he wants for dinner, this is a common request. I guess it is like a Philly cheese steak, but my version. I hope your husbands like it as much as mine does.
All the these ingredients can be increased or decreased according to your taste

1 lb. Hamburger
1 Large Onion (cut in spears)
1 Bell Peppers (cut in spears)
Mushrooms (optional)
Tomato (optional)
Garlic Salt
Italian Seasoning
Mozzarella Cheese
8 Buns

Brown hamburger. While cooking, sprinkle with garlic salt and italian seasoning. Drain grease and add veggies and cook till soft, adding more garlic salt and seasoning as needed. After they are soft add cheese to the top and cover, so that it can melt. Serve over buns. My favorite are hamburger buns from the bakery. Hoagie buns and french bread work good too.

*Make it even better: Make your buns Garlic Bread*
While meat and veggies are cooking butter both sides of the bun and sprinkle it with garlic salt and italian seasoning. Put it in the oven at 350, until it is barely golden.

We had this the other night with garden fresh tomatoes and corn. Jon is still telling me how great it was...............3 days later.

- -Layered Peanut Butter Bars- -

These are the only kind of peanut butter bars that I like...In fact, I can't stop eating them!

InGrEdIeNtS:
{Batter}
1 Cup Butter
1 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
1 Cup Granulated Sugar
2 1/2 Cups Peanut Butter
1 Egg
1 1/2 Tsp Vanilla
2 1/2 Cups Quick Oats
2 Cups Flour
1 Tsp Baking Soda
1/2 Tsp Salt

{Frosting}
6 Tbsp. Butter
4 Cups Powdered Sugar
1/2 Cup Cocoa
1 Tsp Vanilla
6-8 Tbsp. Milk

Mix BUTTER, BROWN SUGAR & GRANULATED SUGAR until light and fluffy. Add 1 cup PEANUT BUTTER, EGG & VANILLA, blend well. Mix in FLOUR, OATS, BAKING SODA & SALT, blend until all dry ingredients are moist. Spread batter in a 13x8 baking pan. Bake @ 350* for 13-15 minutes or until it looks like this...


Allow crust to cool slightly. While its still warm, spread 1 1/2 cups PEANUT BUTTER over the top. Cool completely. While that is cooling, make the frosting. Frosting should be thick but still able to spread. Once cooled, spread on Chocolate frosting.



*Enjoy*

Lasagna Buns

I saw something similar to this on Rachel Ray and modified it to fit my family's tastes. It's a variation on lasagna that eliminates working with noodles (my least favorite and most time consuming part).

1 lb ground beef
16 oz ricotta cheese
1 cup mozzarella cheese
1 large can tomato sauce (or marinara sauce)
2 eggs
8 kaiser rolls (or any roll large enough to scoop out the inside and fill)

Brown the ground beef in a pan. Drain the grease and add tomato sauce. I added some salt, pepper, and garlic powder, but you can throw in whatever you want. In a separate mixing bowl beat the eggs. Add ricotta and mozzarella cheeses. Cut tops off rolls and scoop out the inside. You can save the bread for bread crumbs, or eat it as an appetizer while you cook (like I do). Fill the rolls halfway with meat mixture, then the rest of the way with cheese mixture. Replace tops on rolls and wrap each roll in tin foil. Place wrapped rolls on a cookie sheet and bake at 325 for an hour.

I served them with ranch as a dipping sauce, but that's just because we eat EVERYTHING with ranch.

Here's the link to Rachel Ray's recipe if you'd like to try her variation.

Ratatouille

Is anyone else looking for things to do with Zucchini? I made this for dinner the other night and it was sure good!

1 meduim eggplant

1 meduim bell pepper

1 medium onion
1 medium zucchini

1/4 cup sun-dried tomato dressing (Kraft or Ken's Steakhouse)

1 can (or 16 oz fresh) diced or stewed tomatoes

2 T. parmesan cheese

1/2 cup mozzarella cheese

Cut the eggplant in bite size pieces. Chop the bell pepper. Cut the onion and zucchini in 1/2 inch slices. Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix eggplant, onion, red pepper, zucchini and dressing in large skillet; cook and stir on medium-high heat for 6 to 8 min. or until vegetables are tender and lightly browned.
Add tomatoes; cook 15 min., stirring occasionally. Spoon into baking dish. Top with grated topping and mozzarella cheese.
BAKE 15 min. or until cheese is melted and vegetable mixture is heated through.

NOTE: I've made this with and without the eggplant. I've also added 1-2 cut up chicken breasts to make it non-vegeterian.

Indian Chicken

3 tbsp butter or margarine

1/2 onion, minced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 can evaporated milk (I use the fat free skim kind)

2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon garam masala

2 large skinless-boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized chunks
Cooking Spray (I like the olive oil spray)
2 tablespoons curry powder

2 tbsp flour

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Melt half of butter in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in onion and garlic, and cook slowly until the onion caramelizes to a dark brown, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile melt the remaining butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat along with the tomato sauce, evaporated milk, flour, salt, cayenne pepper, and garam masala. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low; cover, and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then stir in caramelized onions.
While the sauce is simmering, spray baking sheet with cooking spray and spread chicken peices out onto a baking sheet, then sprinkle with curry powder.
Bake chicken in preheated oven until no longer pink in the center, about 12 minutes. Once done, add the chicken to the sauce and simmer for 5 minutes before serving.

Serve over Basmati rice.

NOTE: Garam Masala and Curry Powder can sometimes be hard to find - I got mine at World Market. If you want to try this recipe, feel free to just come over and borrow some of the spices for the first time before you make a special trip to buy them.

Scratchy Pancakes & Daddy Syrup

For MarKey, my sweet sis!
First, the story:
I make these for my daughter and apparently it's THE way pancakes are supposed to taste. She stayed the night at my mother's house last summer and in the morning she told Grandma that she wanted pancakes for breakfast. My mom pulled out her best store bought mix and fixed some for her. She took one bite and said that they didn't taste right and refused to eat any more. So, later on the drive home she told me that Grandma didn't make the pancakes right. I told her that Grandma made her's from a mix and I make them from scratch, so they taste different. This answer seemed to satisfy her, but after a little thought a small voice from the back seat said, "But our pancakes are not scratchy." Thus, the name was born.
The "Daddy Syrup" story is shorter. Our daddy makes syrup at home and it's better than store bought...it's a little runny, but the flavor is awesome. Anyway, one day she told me she wanted pancakes for breakfast and wondered if I had Daddy Syrup or the Pantry Syrup. I just thought it was funny that she called them that with no prompting or anything.
Sorry, this was long.....

Scratchy Pancakes
1 1/4 cups flour (can be white or wheat)
1 Tbsp. (or 3 tsp.) Baking Powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 egg
1 to 1 1/2 cups milk
2 Tbsp. oil
Mix dry ingredients together. Add egg and liquid. Mix to a smooth batter and cook on a hot surface. This will make 10-12 pancakes and they are best on the first day, but the batter can be stored in the fridge.

Daddy Syrup
1 cup water
2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp. Mapeline (imitation maple flavoring)
1 tsp. Imitation vanilla
Add sugar, water, Mapeline, and vanilla to saucepan. Bring the water/sugar mixture to a full boil. Watch it so it doesn’t boil over. Make sure the sugar dissolves, but doesn't burn! Makes 2 1/4 cups.

P.F. Chang's Orange Peel Chicken

I just made this last night to celebrate the Olympics being in China this summer! Just a warning: It was kind of a lot of prep work, but it was so worth it!

Yummy!

Sauce
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 tablespoons minced garlic
4 green onions, sliced
1 cup tomato sauce

1/2 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons oriental chili-garlic sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce

chicken
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 chicken breast fillets
1 egg, beaten
1 cup milk
1 cup flour

1 orange (peel from 1/4 orange, julienned into 1/8-inch thick strips)
1 cup sugar snap peas

Directions
1~Prepare sauce by heating 1 tablespoon of oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sliced green onions. Add tomato sauce and water quickly before the garlic burns. Add sugar, chili garlic sauce and soy sauce and bring to a boil. Simmer 5 to 6 minutes or until sauce thickens, then turn off the heat.

2~Prepare the chicken by heating 1/2 cup oil in a wok over medium heat. Slice chicken breast fillets into bite-size pieces. Combine beaten egg with milk in a medium bowl. Pour the flour into another medium bowl.

3~Coat chicken pieces by dropping them into the flour a few at a time, then into the egg/milk mixture and back into the flour. Arrange coated chicken on a plate until all chicken is coated.

4~When oil in the wok is hot, add about half of the chicken to the oil and cook for a couple minutes or until brown on one side, then flip the chicken over. When chicken is golden brown, remove the pieces to a rack or paper towels to drain. Repeat with the remaining chicken. When all of the chicken is cooked rinse the oil out of the wok with water and place it back on the stove to heat up.

5~When wok is hot again add julienned orange peel and chicken. Heat for 20 to 30 seconds or so, stirring gently. Add sugar peas and sauce to the pan and cook for about 2 minutes. Stir dish a couple times but do it gently so you don't knock the coating off the chicken. Cook until the sauce thickens then serve up the dish with white or brown rice on the side.

And the Winner is..............

What's Cookin?

Don't worry delish fans. I am sure it will get it's turn next time I am bored. Thanks for voting.

Now with a fresh new look comes fresh new recipes. RIGHT??

Pick our new background

Just for fun I thought I would have a little vote for a new background. They come from two different sights so the format is different but hopefully you can get a pretty good idea. Until then I thought I would give you all a little eye candy. (Actually, I saw this template and thought that it would really hurt Clay's feeling if it were never used. So I had to.)

Your options:

What's Cooking?


Delish

Marinara Sauce Question

Can anyone recommend a good Marinara sauce that comes in a jar, I have yet to find one I like? Not necessarily a spaghetti sauce but just a good everyday marinara that goes well with lots of dishes?

Spaghetti Sqaush

This may be silly to some but I just have to share my new favorite side dish.

SpAgHeTtI sQuAsH!!!
It can be easily found at any grocery store, alongside all the many other varieties of squash. (or if I am lucky, my sweet sister gives it to me from her garden) I googled it and I was able to find all sorts of fun recipes for it. I have not tried any yet but I love the classic, with butter, salt and pepper. When you cut it open it looks gunky and seedy like a pumpkin, but after it is cooks it falls apart all stringy. It has a crunchy texture to it, which was not what I expected but it's tasty. The very best part is, a four-ounce serving has only 37 calories. It is a great substitute for those darn carbs.

How To Cook Spaghetti Squash

• Bake It -- Pierce the whole shell several times with a large fork or skewer and place in baking dish. Cook squash in preheated 375?F oven approximately 1 hour or until flesh is tender.
  
  
• Boil It -- Heat a pot of water large enough to hold the whole squash. When the water is boiling, drop in the squash and cook for 20 to 30 minutes, depending on its size. When a fork goes easily into the flesh, the squash is done.
  
  
• Microwave It -- Cut squash in half lengthwise; remove seeds. Place squash cut sides up in a microwave dish with 1/4 cup water. Cover with plastic wrap and cook on high for 10 to 12 minutes, depending on size of squash. Add more cooking time if necessary. Let stand covered, for 5 minutes. With fork "comb" out the strands.
  
  
• Slow Cooker or Crock-Pot - Choose a smaller spaghetti squash (unless you have an extra large slow cooker) so that it will fit. Add 2 cups of water to slow cooker. Pierce the whole shell several times with a large fork or skewer, add to Crock Pot, cover and cook on low for 8 to 9 hours.

Chocolate Fondants

serves 6
1 Tbsp. plus 2 sticks (1 Cup) butter
Unsweetened Cocoa powder for dusting
8 oz. dark chocolate, chopped
4 large eggs
4 large yolks
2/3 Cup sugar
1/3 cup flour, sifted

vanilla ice cream to serve

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400*, coat six muffin molds with 1 Tbsp. butter, then dust with cocoa powder making sure it is fully covered in the cocoa to prevent sticking. Tap out excess cocoa.

Stir the chocolate and remaining 2 sticks butter in a heavy medium saucepan over a low heat until smooth. With an electric mixer beat the eggs, egg yolks and sugar in a large bowl until pale and double in volume; 3-5 minutes. Fold in the melted chocolate mixture. Add the flour and whisk until smooth. Pour into the prepared molds.

Bake for 8-10 minutes until slightly puffed and just set around the edges. Let the fondants rest 3-4 minutes.

Asian Slaw Salad

Most days, this is how I am forced to cook - straight of packages. So, my mom found this dressing and it is my new favorite. Seriously, so good.

-Teresa's Asian Slaw Dressing, to taste (I got it at Kohlers)
-1 bag shredded cabbage/coleslaw
-sliced almonds
-crushed Ramen Noodles, withOUT the seasoning
-craisins (optional, i like it better without these)

Toss and enjoy!

Chicken Croissant Sandwich

Chicken Salad

1 package of Lipton chicken flavored rice (Make as directed, then cool)

1 large chicken breast cooked and chopped/shredded (or I use 1-2 cans of chicken)

1/2 c chopped celery

1/4 c grated carrots

1 small can of onions, chopped

1 T chopped onions

1/2 c mayo

3/4 T vinegar

Mix and cool.

Serve on croissants with leaf lettuce.

Smoothie

Instead of eating sugary things at night, this is my after dinner snack

1 whole orange (peeled of course)

1 banana

Canned peaches (roughly 1 to 1 1/2 peaches)

About of 1/4 c juice (any kind, i use the juice from the peaches)

1-2 T cReAm oF CoCOnUt  **my secret ingredient

1 1/2 - 2 cups of crushed ice 

Blend

*I also had used pears (good source of fiber), raspberries, strawberries, or anything else you want to add.

Granola

I love this stuff with yogurt or as cereal with craisins.

8 cups oatmeal (quick, mini, whole... any kind)

6 cups corn flakes

2 cups rice crispy

In a sauce pan: 

1 1/4 c brown sugar

1 c oil

1 c water

1/2 c honey

1 t salt

Cook to dissolve sugar, add 2 t vanilla

Pour over dry ingredients. Spread on 2 cookie sheets. Bake at 200 degree's for 2 hours, stir every 30 mins.

* This can be halved. 

IHOP Griddle Cakes

Beware, these are REALLY good pancakes!

1 1/4c flour

1 1/2c buttermilk (or you can use powdered milk)

1/3c cream of wheat (instant)

1/3c sugar

1 egg 

1t baking powder

1t baking soda

1/4c oil

1/2t salt

Mix until smooth, enjoy!!

Alright Marianne...this is for you!

I got this recipe from Williams-Sonoma and this has become my favorite cookie recipe, I hope that it works for your shower! It calls for a ton of chocolate chips, don't be shy with them....they will turn out sooo yummy!!

~Triple Chocolate Chip Cookies~

1/2 Cup Butter
1 1/4 C Flour
1 Tsp Baking Soda
1/2 Tsp Salt
1/2 C Brown Sugar
6 Tbs Sugar
1 Large Egg
1 Tsp Vanilla
1 C Semisweet Chocolate Chips
3/4 C White Chocolate Chips
3/4 C Milk Chocolate Chips

In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, combine the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Beat on medium until smooth. Add the egg and vanilla and beat on low speed until well blended. Slowly add the dry ingredients and beat on low speed just until incorporated. Mix in the chocolate Chips.

Bake at 350 from 10-13 min.

Help Wanted

Okay girls, I am in search of some killer recipes for cookies of all kinds. I know you have a favorite cookie recipe so please share. I am particularly looking for some oatmeal cookie recipes and double chocolate chip recipes. But please share whatever you've got. I am putting on a shower for one of my high school friends who is having a baby and thought it would be fun to do a homemade cookie buffet. PLEASE HELP ME!!!

Ham and Pineapple Sandwiches?!?

Add pineapple to anything and I will love it. This recipe is no exception. It sounds kind of odd but it's delicious.

On an onion bagel put desired amounts of sliced ham, pineapple ring, sliced mozzarella cheese. In that order. If the pineapple is directly on the bagel it will get soggy. Wrap it in tin foil and put it in the oven on 350 until the cheese is melted.

Don't knock it till you've tried it!!

Chicken with Lime Butter

Sorry, it took me so long to post this recipe. I know Jana posted another one that is a little different from mine so, here is mine. Take your pick.

Ingredients:

4-6 boneless chicken breasts

salt and black pepper
1/3 cup vegetable oil
Juice of 1 lime
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 /2 teaspoon dried chives
1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed


DIRECTIONS
Heat oil in a large heavy skillet over medium high heat. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Cook until lightly browned, about 3 minutes on each side. Cover, and reduce heat to low. Cook until no longer pink, and juices run clear, about 10 minutes. Remove chicken from pan, and keep warm.
Drain excess oil from pan. Pour lime juice in same saucepan, and cook over low heat until it begins to bubble. Add in butter. Continue stirring until butter becomes opaque, and sauce thickens. Remove from heat, and stir in dill weed and chives. Spoon sauce over chicken. Serve over rice or noodles.



**Since this is one of our family favorites it seems like the recipe for the sauce serves one person so, I typically triple the sauce for extras.

Chicken with Lime Butter

Any of you who were at Bunco at Lindsay Shumway's have had a version of this. After she made it I went online and found a copy-cat recipe. I am obsessed and even my very picky husband loved it!

INGREDIENTS
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt and pepper to taste
1 lime, juiced
1/2 cup butter (I used less than this)
1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
(I also added 1/4 tsp. minced garlic and a dash of lemon pepper to the butter)

DIRECTIONS
Heat oil in a large heavy skillet over medium high heat. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Cook until lightly browned, about 3 minutes on each side. Cover, and reduce heat to low. Cook until no longer pink, and juices run clear, about 10 minutes. Remove chicken from pan, and keep warm.
Drain excess oil from pan. Stir in lime juice, and cook over low heat until it begins to bubble. Stir in butter, 1 tablespoon at a time. Continue stirring until butter becomes opaque, and sauce thickens (mine never thickened really). Remove from heat, and stir in dill weed. Spoon sauce over chicken, and serve over rice.

Fish Taco

I know not everyone likes fish, but these taco's are becoming a big favorite at my home.

Corn shells (we like Don Julio)
Fish Sticks (We LOVE the "Trident" from Costco)
Chiptole Sauce
Cabbage
Pico de Gallo (type of salsa)
(Instructions for Pico de gallo)
1/2 small white or red onion finely chopped
2 T lime juice
2 large tomatoes finely diced
1/4-1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 Anaheim pepper chopped (no seeds)
(1/2 garlic clove minced in you want)

Cook your fish sticks. While fish is cooking, shred your Cabbage and make you pico de gallo.
To "cook" corn tortillas, I dip them in water them use a frying pan until they turn a little brown.

Top tortilla with a fish stick, cabbage, chipotle sauce, and pico de gallo sauce.
*Chipotle sauce can be found in the deli section and does have a bit of a kick, but girls if I can handle it, you can!
YUM!!
(Next time I make them, I'll post a pic.)

Kabobs

When it comes to Kabobs what you see is what you get. But here are a few tips that I like to use when making them:
~Soak stick over night to prevent them from burning
~Pam the sticks
~Baste veggies with olive oil to prevent burning. Or my preference is to marinade them in a oil base dressing.

(my favorite, it's a good marinade for everything)
~Add fresh pineapple. Marinade it is brown sugar and pineapple juice or a little water.
~My favorite meat marinades are soy sauce and garlic and Yoshida's.

( you can get it in bulk at Costco, I use it for a lot of things: stir fry, meat balls etc.)
~You can put the meat and veggies on separate sticks because meat takes longer to cook than veggies. The down fall is that they don't look as cool.
"But MarKey, I don't have a grill!"
~I have grilled Kabobs on my George and it works fine.
~You can also put them in the oven on broil.

My Favorite Options:
beef
pork
chicken
shrimp
pineapple
peppers
cherry tomato
corn
onion
squash
zucchini

Kudo's to Elyse

While down in Lake Powell I made your (Eric's) Carne Asada Tacos and they were a hit! The meat was delicious.... we ate it by its self!! 

Thanks!

~Neiman-Marcus Cookies~

My Friend put this on her blog and thought it was funny and too good not to share. This is a recipe for the famous Neiman-Marcus Chocolate Chip Cookies. This Lady has been e-mailing everyone she knows to get her story and this recipe out there for everyone to see. Here is her story:

Neiman-Marcus, if you don't know already, is a very expensive store; I.e., they sell your typical $8.00 T-shirt for $50.00.

My daughter and I had just finished a salad at a Neiman-Marcus Cafe in Dallas, and we decided to have a small dessert. Because both of us are such cookie lovers, we decided to try the 'Neiman-Marcus cookie.' It was so excellent that I asked if they would give me the recipe, and the waitress said with a small frown, 'I'm afraid not, but you can buy The Recipe.' Well, I asked how much, and she responded; 'Only two fifty -it's a great deal!' I agreed to that, and told her to just add it to myTab.

Thirty days later, I received my VISA statement, and the Neiman-Marcus Charge was $285.00! I looked again, and I remembered I had only spent $9.95 for two salads and about $20.00 for a scarf. As I glanced at the bottom of the statement, it said, 'Cookie Recipe-$250.00. ' That was outrageous!

I called Neiman's Accounting Department and told them the waitress said it was 'two fifty', which clearly does not mean 'two hundred and fifty dollars' by any reasonable interpretation of the phrase. Neiman-Marcus refused to budge. They would not refund my money because, according to them, 'What the waitress told you is not our problem. You have already seen the Recipe. We absolutely will not refund your money at this point.' I explained to the Accounting Department lady the criminal statutes which govern fraud in the State of Texas . I threatened to report them to the Better Business Bureau and the Texas Attorney General's office for engaging in fraud. I was basically told,' Do what you want. Don't bother thinking of how you can get even, and don't bother trying to get any of your money back.' I just said, 'Okay, you folks got my $250, and now I' m going to have $250 worth of fun.' I told her that I was going to see to it that every Cookie Lover in the United States with an e-mail account has a $250 cookie recipe from Neiman-Marcus...for free. She replied, 'I wish you wouldn't do this.' I said, 'Well, perhaps you should have thought of that before you ripped me off!' and slammed down the phone. So here it is!

NeImAn~MaRcUs CoOkIeS (Recipe may be halved)
2 cups butter
24 oz. Chocolate chips
4 cups flour
2 cups brown sugar
2 tsp. Soda
1 tsp. Salt
2 cups sugar
1 - 8 oz. Hershey Bar (grated)
5 cups blended oatmeal
4 eggs
2 tsp. Baking powder
2 tsp. Vanilla
3 cups chopped nuts (your choice)

Measure oatmeal, and blend in a blender to a fine powder. Cream the butter and both sugars. Add eggs and vanilla, mix together with flour, oatmeal, salt, baking powder, and soda. Add chocolate chips, Hershey bar, and nuts. Roll into balls, and place two inches apart on a cookie sheet. Bake for 10minutes at 375 degrees. Makes 112 cookies

Turkey Avacado Wraps

Ingredients

1/2 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing
1 or 2 canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, drained and finely chopped
(or you can just use a chipolte sauce)
6 10-inch flour tortillas or flat-bread wraps
12 ounces sliced cooked turkey or chicken
1 recipe Black Bean-Corn Salsa (like the one Markey posted a bit ago)
1 avocado, halved, seeded, peeled, and sliced

Directions

1. In a small bowl stir together mayonnaise and chipotle pepper. To assemble wraps, spread mayonnaise mixture evenly over tortillas. Top with turkey, Black Bean-Corn Salsa, and avocado slices. Fold bottom one-fourth of tortillas over filling. Fold in one of the sides of each tortilla and roll up, starting from the edge with the filling. If necessary, secure wraps with wooden toothpicks. Serve immediately or wrap each in plastic wrap and chill for up to 4 hours. Makes 6 wraps.

Chocolate Mint Brownies

RECIPE INGREDIENTS:

Brownies ( I did the box brownies)
1/2 cup butter
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

Mint Frosting
1/4 cup softened butter
2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
3 to 5 tablespoons milk (add more milk if it's to stiff)
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
Green food coloring

Chocolate Topping
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
3 tablespoons butter

1. Heat the oven to 350° and grease a 9-inch square baking pan. For the brownies, place the butter and chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 1 minute, stir, and microwave for 1 minute more. Stir until smooth. In a separate bowl, whisk together the sugar and eggs. Stir in the chocolate and the vanilla extract. Finally, stir in the flour and salt until thoroughly combined. Pour into the prepared pan, then bake for 25 minutes or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool for at least 1 hour.

2. To make the mint frosting, cream the butter and confectioners' sugar. Add the milk 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until it is smooth and spreadable. Beat in the peppermint extract and tint to the desired shade with green food coloring. Frost the cooled brownies, cover, and chill for 1 hour.

3. To make the chocolate topping, pour the chips into a microwave-safe bowl, add the butter, and microwave on high for 1 1/2 minutes or until the chocolate melts. Stir until smooth. Pour the chocolate over the brownies and smooth it with a knife. Refrigerate for 45 minutes or until the coating hardens.

4. Bring the brownies to room temperature, then cut into 16 to 32 pieces. Layer them on a piece of cellophane (place waxed paper between the layers to prevent sticking), wrap up the brownie package, and tie with a red ribbon. Makes 16 to 32 brownies.

Tilapia Parmesan

For you fish-lovers:

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup butter, softened
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon celery salt
2 pounds tilapia fillets

I use light mayo and about half the butter to make it a little lighter, and it still tastes YUM! (Just don't use margarine, it makes it nasty)

Preheat your broiler. Line a baking dish with aluminum foil. In a small bowl, combine parmesan cheese, butter, mayo and lemon juice. Season with dried basil, pepper, onion powder and celery salt. Mix and set aside. Arrange fish fillets in a single layer on the prepared pan. Broil a few inches from the heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the fillets over and broil for a couple more minutes. Remove the fillets from the oven and cover them with the Parmesan cheese mixture on the top side. Broil for 2 more minutes or until the topping is browned and fish flakes easily with a fork.

Black Bean Salsa

This is a great summer food. I get requested to bring it to almost every family function. It makes a lot so it is great for big groups.

2 cans of black beans
2 cans of black eyed peas
2 cans of corn
(drain them all)
6 roma tomatoes diced
1 bunch of green onion chopped (use as much as you want to)
1 bunch of cilantro chopped (use as much as you want to)
the juice of 3 limes
Good Seasons Italian dressing mix, make as directed on package. It calls for oil and vinegar.
Mix it all together and serve with tortilla chips. I use the Kirkland brand from Costco. The ratio works out almost perfect. It is best if you make it the day before and let all the flavors blend for a day.

PF Changs Mongolian Beef

I got sick of looking for it on my blog, so I'll post it here.

1/2 oil (enough to mostly cover meet in wok or frying pan)
1 pound flank steak (cut into pieces 1/4" thick)
1/4 c corn starch
2 large green onions

Sauce
2 t oil
1/2 t ginger
1 T chopped garlic (garlic pwd works too, but only do 1/2 t)
1/2 cup soy sauce
3/4 c brown sugar

Lightly coat meat with cornstarch. Let sit about 10 mins

Make sauce while meat is soaking up cornstarch. In a sauce pan, heat oil and add ginger and garlic (you don't want to burn the garlic, but toast it). Then add rest of ingredients and bring to a boil for 2-3 mins. Then remove from heat. (you're trying to make the sauce thick. when i did it, it didn't thicken but it still tasted yummy!)

Then heat up oil in wok, sautéed meet until edges are brown, put meat on paper towel. Drain oil and wipe out wok.

Place wok back on stove, add meat, sauce, and green onions. Simmer for 1 min.
Remove meat and onion from sauce.
All done.
(Severes 2)

Chicken Alabam

This recipe I got from the Lion House Cookbook my mom has, it's yummy!

1/3 c. flour
1/2 t. paprika
1/2 t. salt
dash of pepper
dash of thyme
8 chicken breasts(this time I only had chicken tenders)
5 T butter
1/4 c. chopped onion
2 t. chicken bullion or 2 chicken bullion cubes in 2 C water
1/2 c whipping cream (not heavy)
1/4 t. lemon juice
can of mushrooms (optional)
2 T Pimento (optional)..these are what pimentos are, tomatoey type things.


Turn oven to broil and move one rack to the very top
Dredge chicken with mixture: flour, paprika, salt, pepper, thyme in a large plastic baggie.
Brush chicken with 3 T melted butter and broil in oven for about 10 minutes. This is what they should look like after broiling.


Saute onion lightly in 2 T butter for 5 minutes.
Stir in excess flour from dredging chicken, if there's not much left over I add about 1 T. of flour.
Add chicken bullion and stir until thickened.
Add whip cream and cook until smooth and thick.
Add lemon juice, them pimento, mushrooms and blend well.
Pour sauce over chicken in a 2-3 qt casserole dish;
cover and bake 75 minutes at 325 degrees.

Serve over cooked rice (sorry I didn't take pics of the final product!) Makes 8 servings.

Cheesecake Bites

Ingredients:
2-8oz. of Cream Cheese
2 Eggs
1 1/4 Cups Sugar
1 Tbs. Lemon Juice
8 oz. Sour Cream
Nilla Wafers
Cheery pie filling

Beat together Cream Cheese, eggs, 3/4 C. sugar and lemon juice. Place a Nilla Wafer on the bottom of cupcake tin (these need to be the actual "Nilla" brand, the cheap stuff isn't as good). Cook at 300* for 20 min.
While those are cooking, mix together sour cream and 1/2 C. sugar. Place a tsp of this mix on top of above mixture when they come out of the oven. Place back in the oven for 5 min.
When they are done, place some cherry filling on top and refrigerate. These are best when they refrigerate over night!

*makes about 24 cheesecakes*

Carne Asada

Sorry this has taken me so long to post. This meal is really easy to make. We buy the meat at a Mexican market in American Fork, its right behind the blockbuster off of Main Street. We bought 6 pounds of meat that fed about 15 people.

Ingredients:
Prepared Flank Steak (comes marinated with onions and cilantro)
Corn Tortillas (flour is fine too)
Cabbage
Salsa

Just cook the meat on a grill, with all the onions and stuff. Cut the cabbage up in small pieces. Rip or cut the meat into strips and place meat and cabbage and salsa in warmed tortillas. And enjoy!
I asked Eric to tell me how to make the Salsa, but he wouldn't. So if you want to know how to make it you will have to get it out of him...sorry!

Orange Julius

And to go along with your Carmel Popcorn (or just regular popcorn) you can make this--a family fav. of ours!

Blend together:
1/2 can frozen orange juice concentrate (if you buy the Kirkland brand--use 1/3 can)
1 c. water
1 c. milk
1/4-1/3 c. sugar
1 t. vanilla
tray of ice cubes (or about 15 if you don't have a tray)

A great summer treat!

Carmel/Caramel Corn

How do you spell it? I say carmel, but I don't think that is right.
1C. Brown Sugar
1/2 C. Butter You can use margarine, they are just gooier.
1/3 C. Karo Syrup
Boil together for 3 minutes
Add:
1 t. Vanilla
1/2 t. Baking Soda



Mix with Pop Corn. I put 1/2 C in my popper. It is the perfect amount. I think you can also use 1 1/2-2 bags of microwave pop corn.
Cool on a cookie sheet. At this point you can drizzle melted chocolate over it for a little extra yummy-ness.

Chinese Wontons

1 Lb. Ground Pork (uncooked)
3 Cloves of garlic (chopped)
1 tsp. freshly grated ginger
1 Tbsp. Soy sauce
1 tsp. Sesame Oil
3 Carrots (finely diced)
3 Stalks of celery (finely diced)
6 Green Onion (finely Diced)
1 package wonton wrappers
Oil for frying

- In a bowl combine all of the ingredients and mix well. (I like to put all of the veggies in a food processor to save on chopping). Spoon a small amount onto a wonton wrapper and wet the edges. Fold across into a triangle shape and seal the edges. Place in hot oil and cook until golden brown. Enjoy!

* I like to dip these in chinese chicken salad dressing. And the wontons wrappers can be found at WalMart in the produce section. Also, I had to have the butcher make me some ground pork because it is hard to find.