Easiest Southwest Dressing Ever

This is a super easy way to add a little Southwest kick to your salad.   I like to toss this with Romaine lettuce, black beans, corn, and Monterrey Jack cheese. 

1/2c spicy ranch dressing

1/4c BBQ sauce

1.  Mix it together.

That's it!

Makes for a nice alternative to the plain old rice and beans sides.

Cheesy Vegetable Chowder

This was a super yummy dinner on a cold and rainy night.  Also, it's one of those soups that tastes like it was more work than it is - seriously, you could have this on the table in 30 minutes:

2 TBSP butter

1/2c onion, chopped

1c carrots, finely chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

1 TBSP garlic, minced

4c vegetable broth

2c cauliflower

1 TBSP all-purpose flour

1/2c water

2/3c milk

2c broccoli florets

2c cheddar cheese

1.  In a large pot over medium heat, melt butter.

2.  Add the onions, carrots, and celery; saute 3-5 minutes, or until tender.

3.  Add garlic and cook just until fragrant, about 1 minute.

4.  Add broth and cauliflower; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer until cauliflower is tender.

5.  Combine flour and water, then add to pot.  Allow to continue simmering another 5-10 minutes.

6.  Add milk and broccoli.  Simmer until heated through and broccoli is tender.

7.  Add cheese and stir until completely melted. 

 Served with buttermilk biscuits for dipping.

Baked Chili with Cornbread Topping

It's unusual for hubby and I to both crave the same thing for dinner three nights in a row but that is exactly what has been going on here. 

This chili dish is my combination of a couple of different recipes and, I have to say, I impressed with myself on this one.  It's so easy!

First, you make the chili:

ground beef, 1 lb.

1/4c onion, chopped

1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

1/4 tsp. garlic salt

1 1/4c tomato sauce

1/2c salsa

2 TBSP chili seasoning mix

1 can kidney beans

1.  In a large skillet, cook ground beef and onion over medium heat until meat is browned and onion is tender.

2.  Add the ground black pepper, garlic salt, tomato sauce, salsa, chili seasoning mix, and kidney beans.

3.  Mix well, reduce heat to low and simmer about 30 minutes.

Then, you make the cornbread topping:

1c chicken broth

1 c milk

salt, to taste

3/4c yellow cornmeal

2 TBSP butter, divided

1 can of corn, 8 oz., drained

1/2c Cheddar cheese

2 TBSP Parmesan cheese

1.  In a medium saucepan, combine the broth, milk, salt, and cornmeal over medium heat.

2.  Bring to a boil, whisking frequently.

3.  Reduce heat tolow and simmer, whisking occasionally, until thick and smooth, about 5-6 minutes.

4.  Remove from the heat and stir in 1 TBSP of the butter.

 

Now, put it all together:

 

1.  Preheat oven to 375*  Add remaining 1 TBSP butter to an 8x8 casserole dish.  place dish in ovem until butter is melted.

2.  Spoon 1/3 of the cornmeal mixture evenly over the bottom of the casserole, then top with the warm chili.

3.  Sprinkle the corn over the top of the chili, then spoon the remaining cornmeal mixture evenly over the top.

4.  Sprinkle with the Cheddar, then top with the Parmesan.

5.  Bake until filling bubbles around edges and top is golden, 20 to 25 minutes. 

 It was halfway gone when I remembered to take a photo.

Orange Cake

I made an orange cake for the first time yesterday and was very pleased with the result.  I was a little afraid the orange-y flavor would be overwhelming but it's really not.  Nor does it taste like a cake from a mix!  

1 package vanilla cake mix

1 (3oz.) package instant vanilla pudding mix

3/4c orange juice

1/2c vegetable oil

4 eggs

1 tsp. orange extract

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 TBSP orange peel

For the Glaze:

1/3c orange juice

2/3c white sugar

1/4c butter

1.  Preheat oven to 325* and grease a Bundt pan.   

2.  In a large bowl, stir together cake mix and pudding mix. 

3.  Add 3/4 cup orange juice, oil, eggs , orange extract, vanilla extract, and orange peel.

4.  Beat on low speed until blended.

Then beat another 3-4 minutes on medium speed until well blended.

5.  Pour batter into prepared pan and bake approximately 40 minutes.

6.  Remove from oven and allow to cool 10 minutes in pan

before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

7.  Make the glaze by combining remaining ingredients

in a small saucepan.  Boil 2-3 minutes and remove from heat.

8.  Pour glaze into Bundt pan and return cooled cake to pan. 

Allow glaze to soak in for about 10-15 minutes

before turning out onto a serving plate.     

We had this for dessert last night and all morning
 I have resisted the urge to have a piece for breakfast!

       

This Week's Dinner Menu

We have a new baby in the house so things have been a little hectic around here.  I'm finally working on a menu/grocery list today though and this is what I have so far regarding dinners for the remainder of this week:

Tomato and Basil Quiche

Sauteed Broccoli or Asparagus

Toasted English Muffins with Parmesan Cheese

Sausage and Sauerkraut (in the slow cooker)

Green Beans

Pumpernickel Rolls

Steak Kabobs

Garlic Rice

Sugar Snap Peas

Also planning to make an Orange Cake at some point.

Probably not today; maybe tomorrow.



We'll most likely go out for dinner over the weekend. 

If not, there are always leftovers in the fridge.

What Happened??

Last night as he was putting the leftovers of our pizza dinner away, my adorable husband asked, "What happened to the refrigerator?"  I admit, it's getting a little bare but my response to him was, "I'm trying this new thing where we eat the food we have before buying more.  It seems to be working."

It's true that lately I have not been grocery shopping as frequently as I was before.  I go about once a week now, which I realize is the norm for alot of people but as someone accustomed to going a minimum of twice a week, it's a big cutback. 

I have an excuse though.  I am very pregnant right now.  As in, baby is due any minute.  So, I don't always feel up to shopping and the dinners have gotten faster and easier around here in order to minimize the discomfort of standing too long. 

Make no mistake about it though, no one is going hungry!  Our freezer and pantry are ridiculously full!  It's just one kid and me for dinner tonight so I think I'll be serving leftover pizza.  Pretty sure there won't be any complaints.  ;)

Easiest Fudge Ever

What makes this so easy is that it's all done in the microwave.  This is not gourmet fudge but it's a simple one that's easy enough for kids to make and yummy enough to serve with the other holiday candies and cookies:

2c semi-sweet chocolate chips

14oz. sweetened condensed milk

2 tsp. vanilla

3/4c chopped nuts (I used walnuts)

4oz. candied cherries, chopped

1c mini marshmallows

1. In a medium-size glass bowl, combine chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk. Microwave 1 min. Stir. If the chips aren't fully melted yet, microwave another 30 seconds and stir again.

2. Add vanilla and stir to combine.

3. Add nuts, cherries, and marshmallows. Stir until well blended.

4. Pour in a parchment-lined 8x8 pan and chill in the refrigerator. (You could just spray the pan but I like the paper because it makes it easy to lift everything out for cutting later.)

 

I have no idea how long this takes to set because I just set it in the fridge and left it there overnight.

Bloody Broken Glass Cupcakes

Yes, I know Halloween is over but I just had to add a post about the cupcakes I served for dessert that evening.  After assembling the cupcakes, I have to admit I was quite impressed with myself.  The glass looked so real which made for a fantastic presentation.  There was even a conversation in my house that went something like this:

"Is that glass?"

"Yes."

"Is it real?"

"Well....."

"Is it edible?"

"Ummm....sure.....go ahead.....eat it."

{Bwahahahaha!!!}

This is what I did:

1.  Baked the cupcakes (Devil's Food from a mix) and topped with vanilla frosting (from a can).

2.  For the glass:  In a large saucepan, mix:

 2c water

1c corn syrup

3 1/2c white sugar

1/4 tsp. cream of tartar

Boil, stir continuously, until mizture reaches 300*
on a candy thermometer.

Pour onto a parchment-lined jelly roll pan;
allow to cool completely.

Remove "glass" from pan by lifting it out with the paper.

Cover with another piece of parchment paper
 and hit it with a hammer.  It will shatter like real glass!!               

3.  For the blood:  In a small bowl, mix together:

1/2 cup corn syrup

1 TBSP cornstarch 

15 drops red food coloring

1 drop blue food coloring

4. Top cupcakes with broken glass and drizzle with blood.

Beef Stroganoff Over Buttered Noodles

You know the beef stroganoff alot of us grew up with?  The noodles with a big gloppy mess of sour cream sauce.  Hard to tell exactly what was in there.  Anyone else have this experience?  Maybe it was just me.

Anyway, this is so not like that!!  This beef stroganoff is seriously awesome!!  And it hardly has any sour cream in it at all (couple of tablespoons, that's it).  The Dijon mustard is the secret ingredient that just takes it over the top for me.  Takes awhile to make but it is so worth it!

This is a Tyler Florence recipe I got here.  He says to let everything simmer partially covered but I ended up keeping the lid on and I'm glad I did as I think the sauce would have cooked away otherwise.  Follow the instructions on keeping it over a very low flame though.  I think this was the trick that resulted in the amazingly fork tender beef. 

My husband devoured this and requested I double the sauce next time, keeping the beef amount the same.  He likes the idea of having extra to sop up with his bread.  Good idea.

Served with a side of sweet peas and French bread.



Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers

I used to think there was only one way to do stuffed peppers - ground beef, tomato sauce, etc.  My husband and I both have memories of eating them like this when we were kids.  He would probably still eat them that way if it weren't for the fact I won't prepare them that way.  Didn't like ground beef in my pepper then and I don't like it now.  Which brings us to these stuffed peppers that my whole family loves (even my son, the veggie hater):

1c. vegetable broth

1 TBSP butter

1/2c. uncooked Arborio rice

4 red or green peppers, seeded and tops removed

2 TBSP olive oil

1/2 lb. veggie sausage

4 green onions, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2c. mushrooms, chopped

2 tsp. dried basil

2 tsp. Italian or Greek seasoning

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper
2 medium tomatoes, diced

8 oz. garlic & herb feta cheese, crumbled

1.  Preheat oven to 350*

2.  In medium saucepan, bring broth and butter to a boil.  Add rice, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer  approximately 20 minutes, or until done.  Set aside.

3.  Meanwhile, in large skillet, heat olive oil and add the sausage.  Cook over medium heat until done.

4.  To the skillet, add green onions, garlic, mushrooms, basil, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Cook and stir about 5 minutes.

5.  Add the tomatoes and cook for another 5 minutes or so.

6. Add the cooked rice and stir until everything is well blended and heated through.

7.  Remove from heat and add feta.

8.  Spoon everything into peppers and bake 30-40 min. and serve immediately. 

Served with garlic angel hair pasta.

Bruschetta Bites

I've noticed some people have really strong opinions on what makes a good, "authentic" bruschetta.  I'm not a big snob about such things.  If it looks good and tastes good, then I'm happy.  I do know a bad bruschetta when I eat it though (had some at a restaurant we like that I will never order again).

However, this recipe is one of our favorites.  It's similar to the other bruschetta I make, here, but one thing hubby liked about this one was the assembly of it all.  The cheese on the bottom helps to grab onto the topping and keep it from falling off so easily.  Yes, you could totally do this with any bruschetta.  I just happened to try it for the first time with this one.

Here's the recipe:

1 French baguette, cut into 1/2 inch slices

1 (14.5 oz.) can Italian-style diced tomatoes, drained

*(you could sub fresh tomatoes, just make sure they're room temperature)*

1 (2.25 oz.) can sliced ripe olives, drained

2 TBSP Italian parsley, chopped

1 TBSP balsamic vinegar

1 TBSP olive oil

1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper

24 small slices provolone cheese

1.  Heat oven to 350*.

2.  In a medium bowl, combine tomatoes, olives, parsley, vinegar, olive oil, and red pepper; set aside.

3.  Place baguette slices on a baking sheet.  Bake for about 5 minutes, or until very lightly toasted.

4.  Top each baguette slice with 1 slice of cheese; return to the oven. Bake for 2 to 3 minutes or until the cheese begins to melt.

5.  Top each slice with a spoonful of the tomato mixture.

 Serve immediately as an appetizer.



Spinach Stuffed Mushrooms

Stuffed mushrooms have become one of my favorite appetizers so I like to play around with different variations.  These are the most recent:

5 slices bacon
1 (10oz.) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
12 large mushrooms
3 TBSP butter

2 TBSP onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

3/8c heavy cream

1/4c Parmesan cheese, grated

salt and pepper to taste

1.  Preheat oven to 400*.  Spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray. 

2.  Place bacon in a large, deep skillet.  Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown.  Drain, crumble and set aside.

3.  Remove stems from mushrooms.  Arrange caps in the baking dish.  Finely chop stems and set aside.

4.  Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, and mix in onion and garlic.  Cook 5 minutes, or until tender, then mix in bacon, spinach, chopped mushroom stems and heavy cream. 

5.  Bring cream to a boil. Remove from heat and mix in Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.

6.  Stuff mushroom caps generously with the mixture.

7.  Bake in the preheated oven 30 minutes until lightly browned.

Not the most kid-friendly, I know, but they're so good!

Honey Mustard Pork Roast

I have a bad habit of writing blog entries and then procrastinating on actually posting them.  This is one I just came across:  

Instead of going with the traditional ham or lamb for Easter dinner, I opted to try a pork roast and was thrilled with the result.  This is a delicious entree that is so moist and ridiculously easy.  It looks and tastes like you spent way more time on it than is actually required.  ;)

1/4c honey

2 TBSP coarse ground Dijon mustard

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp. salt

1 TBSP + 1 tsp. ground black pepper

1/2 tsp. dried rosemary

2-3lb. pork roast

2c water or chicken broth

1.  Preheat oven to 350*

2.  Combine first six ingredients in a small bowl.  Coat roast evenly with the mixture.

3.  Place on rack in a roasting pan and add about 2c water or chicken broth to bottom of pan.

4.  Bake, uncovered for approximately 1 hr - 1 1/2 hrs. or until internal temp. reaches 155*

5.  Remove and allow to stand 10 min. (temp. will continue to rise) before slicing and serving.

This would be fantastic any time of year!

Garlic Parmesan Orzo

We love orzo and this ridiculously easy recipe is one of our favorites:

2c orzo pasta

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2c butter, cubed

1/2c Parmesan cheese

1/4c mil, grated

2TBSP fresh parsley, chopped

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1.  Cook orzo according to package directions; drain.

2.  In a large skillet, saute garlic in butter until tender.

3.  Add the orzo, Parmesan cheese milk, parsley salt and pepper.

Cook and stir until heated through.

This paired really well with our salmon dinner.



Bailey's Creme Brulee

This was last night's dessert and it was fabulous! 

2c heavy cream

1/3c granulated, white sugar

6 egg yolks

1 tsp. vanilla extract

3 TBSP Irish cream liqueur (I used Bailey's)

4 tsp. granulated, white sugar, or to taste

1.  Preheat oven to 300 degrees*.  Place 4 ramekins in an 8"x8" baking dish.

2.  Stir together cream and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat, and cook until very hot, stirring constantly until the sugar dissolves.

3.  In a medium size mixing bowl, whisk together egg yolks, vanilla, and Irish cream until combined.

4.  Slowly add heavy cream mixture, whisking it in 2 TBSP at a time until incorporated. Once you have incorporated about 1/3 of the cream, stir in the remaining hot cream.

5.  Pour custard into the ramekins, then fill baking pan with hot water to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins.

6.  Bake 50 to 60 min., or until set.

7.  Remove from oven and place ramekins on a wire rack to cool to room temperature, approximately 1 hour.

8.  Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

9.  When ready to serve, unwrap and sprinkle with the extra white sugar, shaking off excess.

10.  Using a small hand torch, melt the sugar by making quick passes over top of the custards. Continue melting the sugar until it turns deep brown and forms a crispy crust.  Serve immediately.