Tuesday, February 24, 2015
Chicken and Tortelinni
I tried a recipe that I found in the March 2015 edition of Family Magazine and it was yummy. We'll definitely be making this one again:
1 pkg (9 oz) refrigerated spinach tortellini
1 pkg (9 oz) refrigerated cheese tortellini
1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 Tbs olive oil
1/8 plus 1/2 tsp salt
1 bag (5 oz) baby spinach
1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved (2 cups)
1/3 cup heavy cream
2 Tbs grated Parmesan cheese
Freshly ground black pepper
1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add tortellini and cook 7 minutes (or as per package directions).
2. Meanwhile, dice chicken into 1-inch pieces. Drain tortellini, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking water.
3. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with 1/8 tsp of the salt. Add to skillet and brown on all sides, 5 minutes. Stir in spinach, tomatoes, heavy cream, and remaining 1/2 tsp salt. Simmer 1 minute. Add tortellini and reserved pasta water, if needed; cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat and toss with Parmesan. Grind black pepper over top.
Per serving:
calories: 492
fat: 17 grams; 7 grams saturated fat
protein: 40 grams
carbs: 45 grams
fiber: 4 grams
sodium: 784 mg
cholesterol: 123 mg
Saturday, November 22, 2014
Quaker Easy Apple-berry Crumble Pie
1 1/2 cups Quaker Oats (quick or old-fashioned) uncooked
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
10 Tbs butter or margarine, melted
1 21-ounce can apple pie filling
3/4 cup sweetened dried cranberries
1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 ground cinnamon
Makes 8 servings. Delicious with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream.
1. Preheat oven to 375. Lightly coat 8-9 inch glass pie pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In medium bowl, combine oats, flour, brown sugar and baking soda. Add melted butter, mix well. Set aside 3/4 sub of the oat mixture for topping. Press the remaining oat mixture firmly onto the bottom and sides of the pie pan. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until lightly golden brown. Cool slightly on a wire rack.
3. Ising the same bowl, stir together pie filling, cranberries, lemon juice and cinnamon. Spoon the filling over the hot crust, spreading evenly. Sprinkle the reserved oat topping.
4. Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown. Serve warm or at room temp.
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Taco Soup
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
PorkyPine Meatballs
Ingredients:
1 pound lean ground beef
1/3 cup uncooked long-grain WHITE rice or Brown Minute Rice
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
dash ground black pepper
1 can condensed tomato soup
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 cup water
Preparation:Combine the ground beef, rice, onion, 1/4 cup of the water, salt, and pepper. Shape meat mixture into 12 to 15 meat balls. Combine the soup, chili powder, and water in a large saucepan; bring to a boil. Add meatballs; reduce heat, cover, and simmer over very low heat for 1 hour. Stir occasionally. Serves 4.
Monday, December 19, 2011
Frosted Pumpkin Spice Cookies
INGREDIENTS:
Cookie:
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups white sugar
- 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups confectioners' sugar
- 3 tablespoons milk
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- In a mixing bowl, cream together the 1/2 cup of butter and white sugar. Add pumpkin, egg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla to butter mixture, and beat until creamy. Mix in flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, and salt.
- Drop on cookie sheet by tablespoonfuls and bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven.
- Cool cookies completely and dip tops in the glaze. Let them sit for a few hours and dry completely. Store in an open container. They get too soft and moist in stored in a sealed contained.
- To Make Glaze: Combine confectioners' sugar, milk, 1 tablespoon melted butter, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Add milk as needed, to achieve desired consistency.
**Recipe from Allrecipes.com***
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Blueberry Pie
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings
This recipe is flavorful and super easy. Even my picky 3 year old loved it. The chicken is so tender it falls apart and is very moist. Definitely a staple in my house.
Prep time: 10 minutes; Cook time: 6 hours; Serves: 6
Ingredients:
2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 tablespoons butter
1 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of chicken soup
1/4 tsp Cumin
1/2 tsp Parsley
Salt & pepper
1/2 onion, finely diced
2 cups mixed vegetables
Chicken stock
1 (5 ounce) packages refrigerated biscuit dough (the smallest kind), torn into pieces
Directions:
1. Place all ingredients except biscuit dough in the crock pot, and fill with enough chicken stock to cover.
2. Cover, and cook for 5 to 6 hours on High. About 3 hours before serving, place the torn biscuit dough in the slow cooker (okay to submerge in the liquid. It will give it more dumpling like texture). Serve in bowls and enjoy!
Friday, July 8, 2011
Easy Blackberry Cobbler
- 3/4 cup butter or margarine, divided
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 2 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup milk, room temperature
- 4 cups fresh or frozen blackberries
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons sugar
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine water & sugar in a sauce pan and heat until sugar is completely dissolved. Set aside.
2. Melt 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) of butter in your baking dish.
3. Combine flour, baking powder, salt and butter in your mixer. Mix until butter is cut in evenly. Add milk and mix until dough comes together.
4. Place dough on a piece of wax paper, place a second sheet of wax paper on top and roll until dough is flat.
5. Place a part of the dough in the bottom of your baking dish, add berries, place 2nd piece of dough on top (of pieces of dough if that is easier), sprinkle with cinnamon and pour sugar solution over the top.
6. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour. Let cool slightly and serve either by itself or with ice cream.
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Bacon Baby Bok Choy
Serves: 3-4 Cooking time: 10 minutes; prep time: 5 minutes
Ingredients:
4 strips of turkey bacon, chopped
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 red or sweet onion, chopped
1 tsp minced garlic
sprinkle of crushed red pepper flakes
2 lbs baby bok choy, cut into halves
salt to taste
Directions:
1) Cook the bacon until crispy. Remove from pan and add olive oil, onion, garlic and red pepper. Cook until onion is tender
2) Add bok choy, cover and cook for 3-5 minutes. Remove cover, add bacon and salt and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Serve immediately!
*Original recipe from http://allrecipes.com/recipe/bacon-y-bok-choy/detail.aspx
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Recycled Crayons
http://www.etsy.com/listing/43616549/construction-trucks-crayon-set
I LOVED the idea but HATED the price. I decided to make my own. I found some chocolate molds shaped like cement trucks at ebay for $5 (including shipping). You can get almost ANY shape you like.
Materials:
Plastic chocolate mold
Large pot with water
Metal bowl that will fit on top of the pot
Wax paper
Tooth pick or other utensil you don't mind getting wax on
Instructions:
-Sort crayons by similar shade, strip off the paper, and break into smaller pieces
-Bring pot of water to a boil, then turn heat to medium low and place the metal pot over it.
-Fold the wax paper so it creates a centered crease. Place a shade of crayons in the center and place in the metal bowl. Allow the crayon to melt completely. If crayon starts to separate into a clear and colored portion, stir with a tooth pick. By folding the paper before you melt the crayons, it creates a clean line for the crayon to flow down.
- Once the crayon is completely melted, quickly pour into the mold. This must be done as quickly as possible because the wax cools rapidly. If a significant amount of crayon cools onto the paper you can set it in the freezer for a few seconds. After it hardens, break the wax and place it back into the center of the paper. Melt again and pour into a mold.
-Let the crayons sit until they cool completely. You can put the mold in the fridge/freezer to speed up the process if you want. Once cool, the crayons should pop right out. Enjoy your awesome recycled crayons!
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Summer Strawberry Pie
Serves 6-8 (in theory; in reality I could eat the whole thing all by myself)
Ingredients:
-1 9-inch graham cracker crust (store bought or home made)
-2 pints fresh strawberries (2 lbs)
-3/4 cup sugar
-4 1/2 tbsp ultra-gel or cornstarch (recipe varies depending on which you use)
-1/3 cup water
-1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions:
1. Wash the strawberries and remove the green leafy tops. Cut berries into halves or fourths depending on your preference. Put in a bowl and set aside.
2. Take 1 cups of the berries and puree them in a food processor.
-If using ultra gel: Combine puree with sugar, ultra-gel, water and vanilla. Stir and set aside.
-If using corn starch: Combine puree with sugar, cornstarch and water in a medium saucepan and whisk to combine. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture comes to a boil. Boil for about 1 minute, then remove from heat, add in the vanilla extract and whisk the mixture steadily (doesn’t need to be fast, just to prevent the sauce from sticking to the pan) while it cools down for about 5 minutes.
3. Pour the sauce over the sliced berries and stir until the berries are coated evenly. Pour berries into the crust and smooth over using a spatula. Refrigerate for at least two hours. Serve plain or with whipped cream.
-1 1/4 cup crushed gram cracker
-1/3 cup white sugar
-6 tbsp butter, melted
Directions:
1. Mix graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter until well blended . Press mixture into an 9 inch pie plate.
2. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 7-9 minutes, or until crust starts to brown just slightly. Cool.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Italian Sausage Pasta
Takes about 30 minutes to make depending on how quickly you can wash and prep the ingredients. Serves 6-8.
INGREDIENTS:
-1 lb dry fettuccine
-3 tbsp olive oil
-1 medium red onion, sliced
-1 clove of garlic, smashed
-4 mild Italian sausages, casing removed
-1 pint red or yellow cherry tomatoes
-2 tbsp red wine vinegar
-Sea salt
-Black pepper
-1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
-1-2 cups collard greens or kale, torn into bite size pieces
-Freshly grated Parmesan
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Cook the fettuccine according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.
2. While the pasta cooks, heat oil in a large sausage pan with tall sides, and add garlic and sausage, chopping into bite size pieces. Brown for about 5 minutes.
3. Add onion, tomatoes, greens, vinegar, salt and pepper (as desired). Cook about 8 minutes or until tomatoes pop. If the tomatoes haven't popped after 8 minutes use a spoon to help break them. (It is important to the flavor of the dish that the juices inside the tomatoes get out).
4. Add basil, then toss mixture with the fettuccine. Plate the pasta and sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Chicken and Rice Casserole II --Allyson's version
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Broccoli, Chicken, Cheese Casserole
This is one of my favorite childhood comfort foods. I've added some steps that make it a tad more time consuming but largely improve flavor and texture. Perfect for taking dinner to a neighbor, to a pot luck or just feeding the family.
Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked rice
2 cups water (to cook rice in)
1 Tbsp olive oil
3 boneless chicken breasts
Salt
Pepper
Chipotle pepper
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup milk
1/2 (16 ounce) package broccoli
1/2 small white onion, chopped
1/2 pound shredded cheddar cheese
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Cut broccoli into bite size pieces and steam until al dente. Cook the rice. (If you cook the rice in a rice cooker, you may be able to steam the broccoli with it at the same time if yours has a steamer basket on the top, which many do.)
3. Heat a saute pan and add the olive oil. Season both sides of the chicken breast with a sprinkle of salt, pepper and chipotle pepper. Sear the chicken, then cook on low-medium heat until the center temperature is 165*. Let the chicken rest at least 5 minutes then cut into cubes. By searing and pan frying the chicken before adding it to the casserole you avoid the dried out, flavorless that is often found in casseroles.
4. Mix all ingredients together and pour into 9x13 inch baking dish. If desired, sprinkle a little additional cheese over the top. Bake in preheated oven for 30-35 minutes.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Spicy Peanut Butter Sauce
Ingredients:
-1/2 cup of smooth peanut butter
-1/2 cup warm water
-1 tsp salt
-1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
-1/2-3/4 tsp ground chipotle (start with less and add more to taste)
-3 medium garlic cloves
-1/4 cup minced cilantro
Directions:
Put all ingredients except the cilantro into a food processor and mix until well blended. Stir in the cilantro by hand. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours for the dip to become thick (I usually don't like to wait so I just dig in while the dip is thinner).
This sauce is great to dip vegetables in. If you add 2-4 additional tablespoons of water during the blending process, this sauce goes great over salads made with pork, shrimp or chicken breast.
This is my son trying and loving broccoli for the first time. It wasn't the sauce that made him like it, but just seeing me enjoying the broccoli made him want to try it. Studies have shown that kids who see their parents eating and enjoying vegetables are more likely to eat and enjoy veggies themselves. Food for thought.
I got this recipe during a holistic cooking class I took at Southwestern Institute of Healing Arts. The original recipe comes from "the Garden of Eating" by Rachel Albert-Matesz.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Hearty Beef Stew
Serves: 6
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 1.5-2 hours
Ingredients:
-1 lb of cubed beef stew meat
-1 tbsp of vegetable oil
-1 cup cabernet sauvignon
-4 cups beef stock
-1/2 tsp dried rosemary
-1/2 tsp dried parsley
-1/4 tsp ground black pepper
-1/2 large golden potatoes, cubed
-2 carrots, cut into cubes
-3 celery stalks, chopped
-1/2 large onion, chopped
-1/2 pint of cherry tomatoes, halved*
-1/2 a bunch of kale, torn into bite size pieces*
-1 tsp corn starch or 2 tablespoons of ultragel
-cold water
*- optional; adds additional color
Directions:
1. Heat the oil in a pot and sear the meat until it turns brown. Pour in wine and stock (if you want to forgo the wine, just add another cup of stock. The wine adds a lot of flavor to the stew and all the alcohol cooks out so I highly recommend using it). Stir in the rosemary, parsley and pepper. Heat to a boil, then reduce and let simmer for 1 hour.
2. Stir in all vegetables. Dissolve cornstarch in 2 teaspoons cold water and stir into stew. If you are using ultra gel (which is much easier to use than corn starch and is color and flavorless) sprinkle directly into the stew and stir. Add additional thickener if needed to reach desired thickness. Cover and simmer 1 more hour or until meat is tender. Serve with fresh bread.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Pork Tenderloin with Apple Cider Reduction
This recipe is incredible easy, fast, and flavorful. I will NEVER do pork tenderloin in a slow cooker again. The glaze is sweet and tangy and the pork is moist and delicious. This recipe is perfect for busy moms.
Cook time: 25 min; Level: Easy; Yield: 4-6 servings
Ingredients
· 2 (1 pound) pork tenderloins, cut in 1/2
· Vegetable oil
· Salt and freshly ground black pepper
· 1 1/2 cups apple cider
· 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
· 1/4 cup maple syrup
11/2 Granny Smith Apple, diced
Corn starch or thickener
Directions
1. Heat oven to 500 degrees F and arrange rack in the upper third.
2. Brush pork tenderloin with oil, and season well with salt and black pepper. Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Sear pork on all sides until browned.
3. Place pork in oven and cook about 15 minutes, until center temperature is 145-155*. Meanwhile, place the same pan over high heat, add cider, vinegar and apple. Stir while scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Cook until mixture is reduced by 2/3, about 8 minutes. Remove the apples and add the thickener until it reaches desired thickness (note: Once the glaze cools completely it will be thicker than it is hot so keep that in mind while adding thickener) Reduce heat to medium, stir in maple syrup and remove from heat until pork is cooked.
4. When pork is ready, remove to a cutting board to rest about 5 minutes. This is important to keep the moisture and juiciness of the meat. Warm the glaze over medium -high heat. Cut pork into slices and place in the glaze, turning to coat completely. Serve with rice or other starch and enjoy!
The Briggs' Orzo Salad
4 cups chicken broth
1 ½ cups orzo
1/2 can garbanzo or cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 ½ cups red and yellow teardrop tomatoes or grape tomatoes, halved
¾ cup finely chopped red onion (or green onion)
½ cup fresh basil leaves
¼ cup fresh mint leaves
¾ cup Red Wine Vinaigrette (recipe below)
Salt and pepper
Directions:
Pour the broth into a heavy large saucepan. Cover the pan and bring the broth to a boil over high heat. Stir in the orzo. Cover partially and cook until the orzo is tender but still firm to the bite, stirring frequently, about 7 minutes. Drain the orzo through a strainer. Transfer the orzo to a large wide bowl and toss until the orzo cools slightly. Set aside to cool completely.
Toss the orzo with the beans, tomatoes, onion, basil, mint, and enough vinaigrette to coat. Season the salad, to taste, with salt and pepper, and serve at room temperature.
RED WINE VINAIGRETTE (makes 1 ¾ cups)
½ cup red wine vinegar
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
2 tsp honey
2 tsp salt
¾ tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
Mix the vinegar, lemon juice, honey, salt and pepper in a blender. With the machine running, gradually blend in the oil. Season the vinaigrette to taste with more salt and pepper if desired.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Fruit Pizza
2 rolls of store bought sugar cookie dough (or use your own sugar cookie recipe)
Variety of fruits (strawberries, bananas**, kiwi, grapes, blueberries, mandarin oranges, etc.)
8 oz of cream cheese
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 small tub of whipped cream
Directions:
1. Roll out cold dough to form a "pizza" shape
2. Bake according to the package's directions, but add a few more minutes. You want to overcook it slightly (golden brown all over) so that it's baked well in the center. Plus, the toppings will soften it up.
3. Let the dough cool completely before adding on the toppings!
4. Whip the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and whipped cream in a mixer on high speed. Make sure all the chunks of cream cheese are all smoothed out. Spread evenly onto the dough.
5. Decorate the pizza with your choice of fruit.
**If you use bananas, dunk them in a little bit of lemon or lime juice to keep them from browning.
Note: You really don't need that much fruit to cover the pizza. For TWO pizzas I used one small box of strawberries, 2 kiwis, 2 bananas, and a handful of blueberries.