Turkey Focaccia club

This was a new recipe I tried, out of my latest taste of home magazine. It sounds like any other club sandwich except for the cranberry pecan mayonnaise...it was divine. Honestly, I don't even like cranberries, but I loved this mayo. I made these on homemade focaccia, which actually turned out pretty good...amazing!

Cranberry Pecan Mayonnaise:

1/2 c. mayonnaise

1/2 c. whole-berry cranberry sauce

2 Tbsp dijon

2 Tbsp. chopped pecans, roasted (I left these out, but would love

to try it with)

1 Tbsp honey

Sandwich

1 loaf focaccia

lettuce

1/2 lb sliced turkey

1/4 lb. sliced gouda (used cheddar)

tomatoes

6 bacon strips

In a small bowl, combine mayo, cranberry sauce, mustard, pecans and honey. Then I'm sure you can figure out the rest. Combine it all together into sandwich yumminess.

Emeril's Chicken Marsala

I've been meaning to post this recipe after I made it a few weeks ago and have finally gotten around to it. I'm a huge chicken marsala fan and this is by far the best recipe that i've tried. I think the addition of the spices in the dish make it amazing.

1/2 c. flour

1 tbsp essence, recipe follows:

2 1/2 tbsp paprika

2 tbsp salt

2 tbsp garlic powder

1 tbsp black pepper

1 tbsp onion powder

1 tbsp cayenne

1 tbsp dried oregano

1 tbsp dried thyme

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded thin

1 tbsp olive oil

4 tbsp butter

3 c. sliced mushrooms (cremini, oyster, shiitake)

3/4 c. marsala (found with vinegars/cooking wines)

1 c. chicken stock

salt/pepper

chopped chives for garnish

Directions: In a bowl combine the flour and essence, combine. Dredge chicken in flour mixture, remove excess flour. Heat the oil in a large skillet until very hot, add 1 tbsp butter. Cook chicken on both sides until golden brown. Transfer to a plate and set aside. Add 1 tbsp of remaining butter and add mushrooms. Saute. Add the marsala wine and bring to a boil, scraping bottom of pan to remove any browned bits. When the wine has been reduced by half, add chicken stock and cook until sauce is slightly thickened. Add chicken back to pan. I also added a little cream to my sauce. My only complaint was that I let it simmer a little too long and there wasn't quite enough "sauce" but honestly it was heavenly! My mouth is watering now just thinking about it. Serve over rice or pasta.

Pina Colada Muffins

I'm submitting this recipe for Tavia because she is the one who introduced our family to this yumminess.

Pina Colada Muffins
Makes 12 large muffins or around 36 mini muffins

1 can (19 oz) crushed pineapple (drained)
1 c. sour cream
1/2 c. sugar
1 egg
1/4 c. butter
1 tsp. rum extract (I didn't use this--I put in vanilla extract instead)
1 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. coconut

Drain pineapple. Mix sour cream, sugar, egg, butter, and extract. Stir in dry ingredients into sour cream mixture. fold in coconut and drained pineapple.

(Optional: drizzle light frosting)

Bake at 375 degrees for around 15 minutes.

(Note: I make these in the little tiny muffin tins and then only bake them for about 9 minutes)

Spaghetti alla Carbonara

I had this dish last night at a church function--so super yummy! She served it in a beautiful dish with sliced toasted bread. Such a yummy flavor and very simple!

Spaghetti alla Carbonara
(Gourmet Magazine)



1/2 lb bacon (or more, thick sliced)
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup white wine (or chicken broth)
1 # spaghetti noodles, cooked
3 large eggs
3/4 Cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, finely grated
1/3 Cup Pecorino Romano, finely grated
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cracked black pepper

Brown bacon in pan, then add onions and cook till medium brown (pan will get dark on bottom but don't worry). Add wine (or broth) to deglaze the pan, boil, reducing liquid in 1/2.

Cook spaghetti in salted water till al dente.

In large mixing bowl whisk together eggs, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Pecorino Romano, salt and pepper. Add bacon mixture to this and whisk in.

Drain spaghetti and while hot add to egg/bacon mixture. Toss spagetti to coat (the hot pasta cooks the eggs slightly).

*I added some parsley for color, and shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano on top. Another idea is to add red pepper flakes for some heat.

Triple Layer Peanut Butter Brownies

Alex and I found the following recipe in my kraft foods magazine. He ended up winning a prize at the cub scout bake-off. Thought I would share the recipe:

Total Time: 2 hr 10 min

Makes: Makes 32 servings.

What You Need!

1 pkg. (19 to 21 oz.) brownie mix(13x9-inch pan size)

1 cup cold milk

1 pkg. (3.4 oz.) JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1-1/2 cups COOL WHIP Whipped Topping (Do not thaw.)

3 squares BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate (we just used chocolate chips)

1/2 cup PLANTERS Dry Roasted Peanuts, coarsely chopped

Make It!

PREPARE and bake brownies in 13x9-inch pan as directed on package; cool. Meanwhile, beat milk and pudding mix with whisk 2 min. Add peanut butter and sugar; mix well. Refrigerate until brownies are completely cooled.

SPREAD pudding mixture over brownies.

MICROWAVE COOL WHIP and chocolate on HIGH 1 min., stirring every 30 sec. Spread over pudding; sprinkle with nuts. Refrigerate 1 hour.

Eclair Bar

I was first introduced to this yumminess from my sister Leah who I believe got the recipe from her mother-in-law. You will not be disappointed!!

Pastry:

1 1/2 sticks of butter

1 1/2C water

1 ½ cup flour

6 eggs beat slightly

Topping:

8oz cream cheese, softened

3T milk

2 pkg vanilla instant pudding (the smaller size)

3C milk

8oz cool whip

Directions:

Melt butter in water, bring to a boil. Remove, add flour, stir till it

forms a ball, add beaten eggs a little at a time. Stir until smooth.

Spray cookie sheet and spread dough evenly. Bake 400 for 25 minutes.

Cool.

Whip together cream cheese and milk (3T) till smooth. In a different

bowl, combine milk and pudding. Add to the cream cheese mixture and

blend thoroughly. Fold in cool whip.

Heat hot fudge chocolate topping (Mrs. Richards). Spread one jar of chocolate sauce on top.

Cheddar Chicken Pie

Super tasty. Even three of my kids tried it and thought it was good. I called it scrambled egg pie. Birch could even eat it because it only has 3 eggs in the whole pie.

Cheddar Chicken Pie

Ready in an hour or less

3 cups (12 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese, divided

10 ounces frozen or fresh broccoli

1 1/2 cup cubed cooked chicken (or sausage or bacon or nothing)

2/3 cup chopped onion (or a little green onion or nothing)

1 1/3 cup milk

3 eggs

3/4 cup biscuit/baking mix (see below)

3/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

In a bowl, combine 2 cups cheese, broccoli, chicken, and onion (if using); spread into a greased 10 in. pie pan. In an small mixing bowl, beat the milk, eggs, biscuit mix, salt and pepper until smooth. Pour over broccoli mixture. DO NOT STIR.

Bake at 400 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until knife comes clean in the center of the pie. Sprinkle with remaining cup of cheese. Let stand 5 minutes and then serve.

****Since I did not have any biscuit mix I looked up online and found out how to make it. It was SUPER easy.

3/4 cup flour

2 T. powd. milk

1/8 tsp. baking powder

2 T. shortening

I used pre-cooked bacon bits from Costco instead of the chicken and it was very tasty and easy.

Chicken Tortellini Soup

Time to pull the soup ladle out again. The kids actually saw their breath this morning as they walked to school. I actually am not a big soup eater so this means that the following recipe is really worth trying. The recipe was passed on to me by a friend but can't you claim a recipe after you have made it several times and altered it a bit?

Chicken Tortellini Soup


Saute: 1/4 c. onion and 1/2 c. celery in 2 T. water (I actually totally skipped this step)

Stir in: 2 c. milk
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can chicken broth or 2 c. chicken broth
4 boneless chicken breasts, cooked and cut up
1/4 tsp. basil
1/8 tsp. pepper
garlic salt to taste

Heat above and add one package of frozen tortellini (or ravioli noodles are good too) and cook according to the package.

Optional additions: 1 shredded carrot, or steamed broccoli, spinach, or steamed zucchini, or corn

White Bean Chilli

There are two ways to make this--the quick way and the slower cheaper way. The quick way you would use canned beans and diced up chicken breasts. The cheaper way you would cook the beans yourself and use a whole boiled chicken that would then need to be de-boned. I just did the cheaper lengthier method but it was worth the time.



Here is the quick method recipe:

2 T. Olive Oil
1 med. chopped onion
1 minced garlic clove
3 chicken breasts
9 oz. corn
2 cans Great Northern Beans (Navy beans)
7 oz. can green chilies
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. coriander (I didn't have any of this)
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
3 cups chicken broth
3 T. lime juice

Directions: Saute first four ingredients and then add the rest of the stuff in and heat for about 20 minutes.

Toppings: sliced limes, corn chips, sour cream, cheese, salsa

The lengthier method:
Dump about 16 oz. of dried Navy Beans into cold water. Bring to a boil for 2 minutes. Turn off heat. Then let sit for one hour. Next drain the beans and add the chicken broth and seasonings to your beans and cook for about two hours. Meanwhile, cook your whole chicken and de-bone. Once the beans are done cooking add the cooked diced chicken and corn. Serve w/ toppings.

Oreo Truffles

I'm not much of a dessert woman (eating or making) but I had something similar while in Philly and I just knew it was something that would be a huge hit.They really weren't that hard to make but were a bit time consuming. I altered the recipe and used Mint Oreo Cookies and added the crushed peppermint candy canes to the top.

Here's the recipe:

Some Sweet Love For Your Valentine

I am so excited to say I've found another jackpot winning recipe. I have been eying these on Bakerella's blog and finally got around to making them. She has done some amazing things with these if you haven't checked her site out yet, Yum!

These little gems are a must try! They look like a truffle but taste like a little Oreo Cheesecake. You can't go wrong with cookies, cream cheese and white chocolate! Your Valentine will be thrilled to take a bite out of these treats.

It's hard to believe something so incredibly easy to make tastes so yummy. I know I'll be making these often!

I tried the same recipe, but with Nutter Butter Cookies. Both are great, I can't decide which ones I like better. I'm going to try Chips Ahoy next time and maybe the mint Oreos.

Nutter Butter Cookie Truffles

1 Bag Nutter Butter Cookies
8 oz softened cream cheese
1 package Chocolate Bark (dipping chocolate in blocks)
1 square of the Almond Bark for drizzling (white chocolate blocks for dipping)

1. Mix ground oreos and cream cheese until well combined. Roll into 1 inch balls and place onto baking sheet or tray. Refrigerate overnight or until very firm.
2. Melt white chocolate according to package directions. Using 2 little spoons, dip balls into chocolate and place onto parchment paper to harden. Once dry, melt square of almond bark and spoon into the corner of a ziplock baggie. Snip the corner of the baggie and drizzle chocolate back and forth over the truffles. Let dry.
3. I enjoyed mine chilled in the refrigerator, but may be room temperature as well.

Oreo Cookie Truffles

1 bag Oreo Cookies, ground in blender or food processor (filling and all)
8 oz softened cream cheese
1 package Almond Bark (white chocolate candy coating)
1 square of the Chocolate Bark for drizzling

1. Mix ground oreos and cream cheese until well combined. Roll into 1 inch balls and place onto baking sheet or tray. Refrigerate overnight or until very firm.
2. Melt white chocolate according to package directions. Using 2 little spoons, dip balls into chocolate and place onto parchment paper to harden. Once dry, melt chocolate bark and spoon into the corner of a ziplock baggie. Snip a small corner and drizzle back and forth over the truffles. Let dry.
3. I enjoyed mine chilled in the refrigerator, but may be room temperature as well! Enjoy! Thanks for the great recipe Bakerella!

About 30 truffles each recipe

Banana Crumb Muffins

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  
• 3 bananas, mashed
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/3 cup oil

TOPPING

• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon butter

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease 10 muffin cups, or line with muffin papers.
2. In a large bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cups flour, baking soda, baking powder , cinnamon, and salt. In another bowl, beat together bananas, sugar, egg and oil. Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture just until moistened. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.
3. In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, 2 tablespoons flour and cinnamon. Cut in 1 tablespoon butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle topping over muffins.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.

TACO BURGERS

TACO BURGERS

1 lb. ground beef (I used turkey burger)

1 pkt. (1-1/4 oz.) Taco Seasoning Mix

1 can tomato soup

8 hamburger buns, split

BROWN meat; drain. Add seasoning mix and soup. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 10 min., stirring occasionally.

FILL buns with the meat mixture.

I served them with salsa, lettuce, and cheese; though most of us just had the meat mix and cheese.

Lemon-Pesto Cream Pasta with Chicken

Lemon-Pesto Cream Pasta with Chicken



INGREDIENTS:
2 boneless chicken breast halves sliced thinly
1 whole lemon
Dash of red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons garlic
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
1 (8 ounce) package pasta (I used bow tie noodles)
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup Pesto
1/2 cup fresh Parmesan
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
Steamed broccoli

DIRECTIONS:

1. Squeeze lemon on chicken breasts and add, garlic, red pepper flakes, and black pepper. Let sit for 1/2 hour.
2. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, season the chicken broth with the remaining garlic and lemon juice. Bring to a boil and add pasta. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until all liquid is absorbed, about 25 minutes. Add more water if the noodles are not done and you run out of liquid.
3. In another pan, heat oil and quickly cook chicken. Add cream, pesto, Parmesan, and lemon zest. Cook, stirring, over low heat for 5 minutes. Add cooked noodles and steamed broccoli. Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes. Stir thoroughly before serving.

Bread Bowls

Delina's Bread....Bowl style

So, this was totally an experiment-- Delina said we could be creative with the shape of the bread right? So while making soup on Wednesday, I wondered if the recipe would work if I tried to make a bread bowl...here is the pic of the bread while rising

And here is the DELICIOUS final product!! It was SO yummy! and my kids thought I was the coolest because I served them soup in a bowl made of bread! For two or three minutes I was an awesome mom- and then I asked Addison to clear the table and I lost THAT status!





Broccoli Cheese Soup
3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup flour
4-6 cups milk (depending on how thick you like it)
2-3 cups cheese (depending on how cheesey you like it)
1 head broccoli
2 Chicken Breasts
salt and pepper to taste

Bake Chicken and cube. Stem and steam broccoli, cut into small pieces. Melt butter and whisk in flour, add milk and cheese. Cook on low until cheese is melted. Add broccoli and chicken. Cook on low for at least 10 minutes.

Chevy's corn pudding

Chevy's is my favorite mexican restaurant and I went looking for this corn pudding recipe after a recent trip there. I made it and it tastes just like the real deal.
5 Tbsp margarine (I used butter, but we know Sara will be using margarine. *love ya Sara!*)
1/4 c. masa Harina (like a fine cornmeal, look in mexican aisle)
1/3 c. sugar
1/2 c. water
2 c. corn
1/2 c. cornmeal
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp + 1 tsp milk
Mix margarine, masa and sugar until fluffy. Blend half of the corn and water in blender or food processor until smooth. Combine masa mixture with corn mixture, then add remaining corn, cornmeal, baking powder, salt and milk. Here's the strange part. Place in a 8' sq baking pan and cover with foil. Steam by setting atop a medium sauce pan of water on top of the stove. * see note... Bring water to a boil and steam corn mixture for 50 minutes to one hour. It should not have a cornmean texture, but more of a pudding type consistency..hence the name. :) Keep an eye on the water, you may need to add more. I also found a recipe where you cooked it in the oven. I have tried both methods and the steaming method worked much better. I know it sounds like a lot of work but it's worth it. Yum!

Pasta e Fagioli

This has become one of my favorite soup recipes, in fact it's on the menu for tonight.

2 tsp olive oil

2-3 turkey italian sausages (I use ground italian sausage)

1/2 sweet yellow onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 28oz can of whole tomatoes, blended (I just use diced tomatoes)

4 c. chicken broth

2 15oz cans white beans

1 tsp. basil

1/2 tsp oregano

1 c. tube shaped pasta

1-2 c. fresh baby spinach

2 tbsp. fresh parsley

Saute meat and onion, add garlic. Add everything else except for pasta and spinach. Bring to a boil, add pasta. Simmer. (I add the spinach about 5-10 minutes before serving)

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

This recipe is nothing new and exciting, but it's a great way to use up that zucchini sitting on the counter. I got this recipe from allrecipes and the only change I made, was to add a few tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa to the batter, because you know how I love my chocolate!

2 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate
3 eggs
2 cups white sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups grated zucchini
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease two 9x5 inch loaf pans. In a microwave-safe bowl, microwave chocolate until melted. Stir occasionally until chocolate is smooth.
In a large bowl, combine eggs, sugar, oil, grated zucchini, vanilla and chocolate; beat well. Stir in the flour baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Fold in the chocolate chips. Pour batter into prepared loaf pans.
Bake in preheated oven for 60 to 70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a loaf comes out clean