Tuna Patties (Tuna Burgers)

To watch this Video-Recipe please click HERE!

Hi everyone, today's recipe is another easy and very budget friend recipe for Lent! Tuna Patties, they make great Burger, but they are also great with a simple salad or some rice! I hope you like them!

Serves 4
Ingredients:

• 15 oz of tuna (I'm using 3 cans of tuna in water, drain them and place them in a bowl)
• 3 tablespoons of chopped green onions
• ¼ cup chopped bell peppers (I used red and Green bell peppers)
• 3/4 cups of Panko breadcrumbs (or any other dry Breadcrumbs
• 1 tablespoons of Dijon mustard
• 3 tablespoons of mayonnaise
• a dash of Tabasco
• salt and black pepper to taste

Combine tuna,with bell peppers, green onions and bread crumbs; (don't forget to drain the tuna!), Season with the Tabasco sauce, 1 tablespoon of Dijon Mustard, 3 tablespoons of mayonnaise, salt and black pepper to taste, mix together until everything is well combined. Taste the flavor and add any more, salt, pepper or Tabasco sauce if needed.

Divide the tuna mixture into equal section and make the Patties any way you want.
 
You can bake this at 400ºF for about 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.
Or you can Pan-fry them for about 4 minutes on each side.

Serve with your favorite salad, or rice or simply turn into a burger with fries and everything else. Enjoy!

Shrimp Yakisoba

To watch this Video-Recipe please click HERE!!

Hi everyone! Today's recipe is a super easy and delicious Japanese inspired dish, Yakisoba or Fried Noodles with Shrimp! I hope you enjoy this one as much as I did. Enjoy!

Serves 4
Ingredients:

• 10oz Chinese Noodles or Ramen Noodles
• 1½ lbs Shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 7 oz fresh Bean Sprouts
• 1 red bell pepper cut into thin strips
• 1 green bell pepper cut into this strip
• 1 onion cut into thin slices
• 2 chopped green onions for garnish
• 2 tablespoons of Asian seasoning, (½ tspn each: garlic powder, ground ginger, sesame seeds, + salt, black pepper and crushed red pepper to taste)
• 1 tablespoon Sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon Chili oil
• 2 tablespoons Soy Sauce
• 1 tablespoon Mirin (Sweet rice Wine)
• 1 tablespoon Oyster Sauce

Season the shrimp with 1 tablespoon of Asian seasoning, mix well and set aside until ready to use.

Cook the noodles according to the instructions on the package. Drain them and rinse them under cold water. Set them aside until ready to use them.

On high heat, preheat a wok or a large skillet, add in  1 tablespoon of sesame oil, plus 1 tablespoon of chili oil,  stir fry the onions for 1 minute.  Add in the bell peppers and stir fry for 1 more minute.  (If you want your peppers to be super soft, cook them for longer)

Add in the shrimp and stir fry for 2 more minutes. (Do not cook the shrimp all the way through.) Add in the Bean Sprouts and the noodles, season with 2 tablespoons of Soy Sauce, 1 tablespoon of Mirin, 1 tablespoon of Oyster sauce, and 1 tablespoon of Asian seasoning, mix well, taste the flavor and add more soy sauce or more Asian seasoning if needed, (you can also add 1 more teaspoon of sesame oil or chili oil.)

Continue to stir-fry the noodles for 4 more minutes or until the shrimp is well cooked and the noodles are well heated through.  Garnish with the chopped green onions and serve.
Enjoy!

Banana Bars with Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting

I made this cake because I needed to use overripe bananas and this was something new to try.  It was amazing!  It makes a ton so I delivered some to neighbors and friends, and every single one of those people came to me later and demanded the recipe.  Its such a light, fluffy, delicious "cake".  It was easy to make and the flavors are perfect together.

courtesy

• Banana Bars with Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting
• Mel's Kitchen Cafe
• 
  
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 ½ cups white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 cup mashed ripe bananas (I used three ripe bananas)
Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting:
• 1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened to room temperature
• 1 cup white sugar (you can use either granulated sugar or confectioners’ sugar – the confectioners’ sugar tends to dissolve better and not be as grainy but either one works fine)
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream

Directions

1. For the banana bars, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 10 x 15 inch jellyroll pan or one 9X13 pan and an additional 8X8 pan. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the sour cream and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl; stir into the batter. Finally, mix in the mashed banana. Spread evenly into the prepared pan(s). Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow bars to cool completely before frosting.
2. For the frosting, in a large bowl combine cream cheese, sugar, salt and vanilla. Beat until light and fluffy. Set aside. In another medium bowl, beat whipped cream until stiff peaks form (it helps to use a chilled bowl and chilled beaters). Fold whipped cream into cream cheese mixture. Frost to your heart’s delight!

Portobello Zucchini Tacos

I'm on a roll here. Another vegan recipe that may be a little to wild for some of your families but if you don't tell them there are mushrooms in it they will never know. I made these last night for dinner and they were so good I had like 5...In fact I ate almost everything by myself because I was once again husbandless at dinner time. But I'm trying not to use that as an excuse not to cook! We'll see how long it lasts.

I had mine with salsa, avocado and some cilantro with a little salt and pepper and it was divine!

Portobello and Zucchini Tacos

Four servings • 45 minutes to prepare

I like to serve these tacos alongside a green salad with tomatoes and avocado.

Ingredients

• 5 medium portobello mushrooms, stems and gills removed, sliced 1/2 inch thick
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 4 medium zucchini, cut into 2-by-1/2-inch sticks
• 1 medium red onion, halved and sliced 1/4-inch thick
• 12 (4 1/2-inch) corn tortillas
• 1/2 cup fresh salsa
• 1 ripe avocado, halved and sliced

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425° F. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss mushrooms with 1 teaspoon oregano, 1 tablespoon oil, and 1/4 cup water; season with salt and pepper. On another rimmed baking sheet, toss zucchini and onion with remaining teaspoon oregano and tablespoon oil; season with salt and pepper.
2. Place both sheets in oven. Roast, tossing occasionally, until vegetables are browned and fork-tender, 25 to 30 minutes (zucchini may cook faster than mushrooms).
3. Meanwhile, in a small skillet over medium-high heat, warm tortillas according to package instructions (they should be lightly browned but still soft). Wrap loosely in a clean kitchen towel to keep warm.
4. To serve, fill each tortilla with mushrooms, vegetable mixture, avocado and salsa.

Mediterranean Chickpea Wrap

This is really easy to make, vegan, healthy and filling and really yummy. It's easy to thrown in a tortilla, add a handful of spinach or mixed greens, sprinkle on some vinaigrette and you're good to go. Also, I didn't add the banana pepper just cause I didn't want to buy one, but added a little siracha sauce to make it spicy. Also, don't be afraid to drain the extra water once the potatoes are done cooking.

Mediterranian Chickpea Wrap

Four servings • 30 minutes to prepare

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 banana pepper, seeded and finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 can (15 ounces) garbanzo beans, with liquid
• 1 white potato, peeled and diced
• 4 whole wheat tortillas, warmed

Instructions

1. In a large sauté pan, over medium heat warm the oil for about a minute. Add the carrot, onion, banana pepper, and garlic. Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently. When the vegetable have started to soften, add the cumin, red pepper, cayenne and sauté for 1 minute.
2. Add the garbanzo beans with their liquid and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil. Add the potato and simmer for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are soft.
3. Wrap in warm tortillas with fresh spinach and serve.

Chickpea and Rice soup with Kale

Another Vegan recipe. This soup is awesome! We had it for sunday dinner because it's still pretty cold out here in Boston and this was the perfect remedy. I made it with the artisan bread Jess posted a little while ago and it made for a great meal. The only thing you have to prep before hand is soaking the cashews for a few hours and it's better the next day as leftovers as the flavors blend.

Chickpea & Rice Soup with Kale

Six servings • 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup cashews, soaked in water for 2 hours or overnight
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. dried rosemary
• 3/4 tsp. dried thyme
• 1 tsp. salt
• Fresh black pepper
• 3/4 cup brown rice, rinsed
• 3 ribs celery, thinly sliced
• 1 cup carrots, diced chunky
• 5 cups vegetable broth
• 2 cans (15 oz. each) Garbanzo Beans, drained and rinsed- I only used 1 can and it was fine
• 4 cups chopped kale
• (green onions as garnish optional)

Instructions

1. After soaking, drain the cashews and place them in a blender with one cup of fresh water. Blend until completely smooth. You don't want any gritty bits if you can help it. And if you're not firing up a Vitamix, this could take some time. Like maybe 5 whole minutes.
2. Preheat a stock pot over medium heat. Sauté onion in olive oil with a pinch of salt for about 5 minutes, until translucent. Add garlic, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper and sauté a minute more.
3. Add rice, celery and carrots and then pour in the broth. Cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to a simmer, add the chickpeas, and let cook for about 30 minutes, until rice is cooked and carrots are tender.
4. Add the cashew cream and kale, and simmer until kale is wilted, 3 to 5 more minutes. You may need to add water to thin the soup if it seems too thick. Taste for salt and seasonings and let sit for 10 minutes so the flavors will mingle.

Tofu Broccoli Stir Fry

After watching the "Hungry for Change" documentary on Netflix, I decided I would take their advice and not view foods with an attitude of "I can't have that" or cutting things out but adding more and more healthy things into my diet. This leaves me guilt free when I do eat sweets and has inspired me to add maybe one or two vegan meals to my day. This was a great one to start out with- easy and simple and I don't mind the taste of tofu. It is just as filling as meat for me.

This is from the website wellvegan.com they have a great list of recipes for breakfast lunch and dinner and also snacks if you're not sure where to start.

p.s. I highly recommend the documentary. Some things are kind of cooky about it but it is a good reminder to think about what you're putting in your body.

Tofu and Broccoli Stir Fry

Serves four • 40 minutes

Serve this stir-fry over brown rice or Asian noodles. To toast the cashews, spread them on a baking sheet and cook in a 350°F oven for 10 minutes. If you’re serving this with rice, get it started before you do anything else. And if you’re gluten-free make sure you’re soy sauce is of the gluten-free variety.

Ingredients

• 1 package (14 1/2 ounces) firm tofu, drained, cut crosswise into 6 slabs (about 3/4 inch wide), each slab halved horizontally and cut into triangles
• 1 1/2 lbs. broccoli, stalks trimmed, peeled, and cut into 1/4-inch rounds, florets separated into bite-size pieces
• Coarse salt
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/2 cup cashews, toasted (optional)

Instructions

1. Arrange tofu in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with several layers of paper towels. Top with more paper towels and let tofu drain, about 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, cook broccoli (stalks and florets) in a large pot of boiling salted water until bright green, 1 minutes. Drain and set aside.
3. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add tofu; cook until golden brown, turning gently halfway through, about 5-7 minutes on each side. Transfer to paper towels.
4. Meanwhile, make sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, vinegar, red-pepper flakes, garlic, cornstarch, and 3/4 cup water; set aside.
5. Add broccoli to skillet; cook over high heat, stirring often, until crisp-tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk reserved sauce to combine; pour into pan. Return tofu to pan; stir to coat, about 1 minute more. Serve over rice or noodles and topped with cashews, if desired.

Cinnamon Rolls - Mastered!

My in-laws showed up yesterday to come meet their newest grandson. I feel fortunate to have such a great relationship with my in-laws such that I am excited for their visit. It helps that my mother-in-law is great with babies and this has allowed me to get a few things done around here. To celebrate the first morning of their visit, I decided to make a pan of cinnamon rolls.

Now, I posted my recipe for cinnamon rolls a long time ago. You can see that post here. However, while the basic recipe has remained the same, there have been a number of changes that have turned these rolls from good to super-freaking fantastic. I used to have a hard time passing by a Cinnabon when out and about, but now it's not a problem. I like these rolls better! It's amazing what a difference a few subtle changes can make. You may want to read through my last post first if you are not familiar with the general gist of how cinnamon rolls are made. In this posting, I will focus on the changes to the recipe and then will re-post the recipe in full at the end in case you want to print it out.

The first major change was in the filling. I'm not sure why it makes such a big difference, but changing from regular sugar to brown sugar completely changes the way the filling melts. If you mix the butter and sugar together first into a paste, along with the cinnamon, it melts even better and makes a nice gooey filling. Here you can see the dough rolled out with the filling spread out on it.

The nest major change was the way that I rolled the dough. If you look at my pictures in my original post, you'll notice just how thick the dough was when I rolled it up. That resulted in rolls that were very bread-y without a lot of that delicious filling. I now roll the dough almost as thin as I can manage. I shoot for no thicker than one quarter of an inch now. In my experience, it is imperative to have the dough cold to manage this. That's why I put the dough in the refrigerator for a second proofing. Roll the dough up and then use a serrated blade to cut perfect rolls.

Compare this photo with the similar one in the previous cinnamon roll post and you can see just how many more rolls you get in the dough when it is rolled thinly. It leads to a much better balance of dough and cinnamon/sugar filling.

You can see here how that filling melts so much better than in my previous recipe. The last change that I made to the recipe was in the icing. Adding a little cream cheese to the icing, with that little bit of tang it imparts, is absolutely divine and really puts these rolls over the top. My goodness, these things are delicious! Be sure to have a plan for all twelve rolls or you may find them all in your own tummy!

Cinnamon Rolls - Mastered!
Yield: 12 rolls

2 1/4 tsp instant yeast
1 1/4 cup warm milk
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup shortening
1 tsp table salt
3 whole eggs
4 to 4 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup butter (one stick)
3/4 cup brown sugar
3 TBS cinnamon

4 ounces softened cream cheese
2 cups powdered sugar
1-2 TBS milk

Mix the first 6 ingredients together in the bowl of a stand mixer (through the eggs). Add two cups of the flour. Mix on medium with a paddle for 3 minutes. Add the remaining 2 to 2 1/2 cups flour. The amount of flour can vary depending on the humidity of your kitchen. You are looking for a dough that is still somewhat soft and sticky. It will become more workable after it rises and is chilled.

Place the dough in a grease bowl, covered with plastic wrap, until it is doubled. Knock down the dough and refrigerate for 2 hours (and up to 24 hours). Turn the cold dough out onto a floured counter. Roll out into a rectangle as thin as the dough will reasonably allow; shoot for less than 1/4 of an inch. The rectangle will be approximately 20 inches by 12 inches. Beat together the softened butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Heat gently in the microwave if it is not soft enough to spread on the dough. Spread the mixture evenly on the dough. Roll up tightly and slice, using a serrated blade, into twelve rolls. I trim off the ends before slicing so each roll has a nice look to it.

Place the rolls in a greased 9x13 inch pan. They also fit nicely four to a pan in 8" disposable aluminum pans if you want tot gift them. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and allow the rolls to rise for 30 minutes or until slightly puffy. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Remove the plastic wrap and bake rolls for 25 minutes or until baked through and gently golden. Remove rolls from the oven and cool for 15 minutes before icing.

Beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and milk together until it forms a smooth icing. It will be too thick to pour. Spread the icing over the rolls. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container and reheat in the microwave before serving.

Fettuccine and Shrimp in Garlic-Lemon Sauce

 

To watch this Video-Recipe please click HERE!!

Hi Everyone! Today's recipe is another great recipe for Lent, Fettuccine with Shrimp in a Garlic-Lemon Sauce!  This is another simple, yet delicious recipe you could use for any day or any kind of special occasion! I hope you like it! Enjoy!

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs Shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1lb Fettuccine
• ½ cup finely chopped onion
• 4-5 minced Garlic cloves + 1 garlic clove to cook the pasta
• 1½ tablespoons Lemon Zest
• 1 cup of white wine (use a good quality wine, because it will affect the flavor)
• Juice of 1 lemon
• ½ cup Fresh Parsley
• 1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 tablespoon Butter
• salt and black pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
• 2 teaspoons Dry Oregano
• pinch of crushed red pepper (optional)

Cook the pasta following the directions on the package. Cook until Al-Dente, drain and set aside until ready to use it. (I cook my pasta in boiling water with a dash of oil, 1 garlic clove and plenty of salt).

Season the shrimp with 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, 1 teaspoon of dry oregano, a pinch of crushed red pepper, salt and black pepper to taste. Mix well to season every single shrimp and set aside until ready to use.

In a large skillet, on medium-low heat, add in the olive oil, and the butter, also add in the garlic and the lemon zest, cook  for about 2 or 3 minutes on medium-low or just until the garlic becomes translucent. (Remember we are cooking this on low heat because we don't want to burn the garlic or the lemons zest! if you burn either of them, your sauce will be really bitter!)

After 3 minutes or so, add in the onion and cook for 2 more minutes or just until the onion becomes soft.  Then add in the wine, and cook on medium-high for 1 minute, just to get rid of some of the alcohol in the wine. 

After a minute add in the shrimp and cook for 3-4 more minutes or just until the shrimp is  well cooked. You will know the shrimp is cooked when it turns a pinkish kind of color.

Once the shrimp is done, add in the pasta, also add in the fresh parsley, season with a 1 teaspoon of dry Oregano, the juice of 1 lemon, more salt and pepper if needed, stir everything together and continue to cook the pasta for 1  more minute to make sure the pasta absorbs all the flavors, then serve.  Enjoy

1234 Spicy Beans

Pic courtesy google images

I got this recipe from the Nutrition Digest magazine that my mother-in-law gives me for Christmas every year. I saw this recipe and knew that I wanted to try it. It was so easy and so yummy. It's the perfect lunch. I threw it on a whole wheat tortilla with a little cheese and salsa. It would be good plain, with rice, with some avocado, or on a salad. Go beans!:)

1234 Spicy Beans
adapted from Nutrition Digest

1 Tbs olive oil
3 minced cloves of garlic
1 tsp chili powder
15 oz. can of no-salt-added black beans, drained
1/4 tsp salt (or to taste)

Saute garlic in olive oil for 1 minute. Stir in chili powder and cook for 15 seconds. Add beans with just enough water to cover the beans. Simmer until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Season with salt.

Chipotle Chicken Tacos

Pic courtesy Mels Kitchen Cafe

These were SOOOOO good. Christian could not stop "mmmmmm"-ing the whole dinner. Like, I am craving these again right now. They were easy and kid-friendly, but still totally impressive.

Chipotle Chicken Tacos
from Mels Kitchen Cafe 

Note: Reduce the chipotle chiles to one teaspoon if you want to eliminate some of the spiciness. In a pinch, you could sub 1-2 teaspoons chili powder for the chipotle chiles but the flavor won’t be quite the same.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons minced canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce (you can find these in the Mexican Foods aisle at most grocery stores)
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 pounds)
• 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
• Salt and pepper
• 12 (6-inch) flour tortillas

Directions

1. Melt the butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and chipotle and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the orange juice, Worcestershire sauce and 1/2 cup chopped cilantro and bring the mixture to a boil. Add the chicken and simmer, covered, over medium-low heat for 12-13 minutes, flipping the chicken halfway through cooking. When the chicken is done cooking, transfer to a plate and tent with foil.
2. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook the mixture left in the skillet until the liquid is reduced to about 1/4 cup, about 5 minutes. Off the heat, whisk in the yellow mustard. Using 2 forks, shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces and return to the skillet. Add the remaining cilantro to the skillet and toss until well combined. Season with salt and pepper. Serve warm with tortillas topped with lettuce, cheese, tomato, sour cream and avocado.

Notes

To warm the tortillas, wrap them in foil and heat in a 350-degree oven for 15 minutes.

 

Tuna Casserole

To watch this Video-Recipe please click HERE!!

Hi everyone, today's recipe is a delicious Tuna Casserole, it's perfect for Lent Season, really easy to make, budget friendly and super delicious! I hope you like it.

Serves 6
Ingredients:

• 12oz Pasta (I used Tri-color Penne but any small pasta will work great for this)
• 2 cans tuna in water.
• 1 cup chopped bell peppers (I used green and red, any color is great for this)
• 1 cup corn kernels
• 1/3 cup chopped onions
• 1 cup chopped mushrooms (I used baby Portobello)
• 1 cup Fresh Bread Crumbs
• 1 cup Heavy Cream or half and half
• 1 cup Milk
• 3 tablespoons all purpose Flour
• 2 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• a dash of Tabasco Sauce
• a pinch of Nutmeg
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• Cooking spray

Preheat the oven to 400ºF (200º C)

Under-cook the pasta for 3 minutes. If the package says to cook the pasta for 10 minutes, just cook it for 7 minutes instead. Drain and set aside until you are ready to use it.

Drain the tuna, set aside until ready to use.

In a large pan, on medium heat, heat up 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and cook the onion for about 2 minutes, or until soft and transparent. Then add in the bell peppers and continue to cook for 1 more minute. Add in the mushrooms and cook for 2-3 minutes or until they soften a little bit.

Once the mushrooms are done, add 1 more tablespoon of Extra virgin Olive Oil to the  pan and also add in 3 tablespoons of all purpose flour, stir everything together, and cook the flour for about 30 seconds, then add in the cream and the milk. Season with a pinch of nutmeg, salt, black pepper and Tabasco Sauce to taste. Stir together and continue to cook on medium heat for 5 more minutes or until it starts to boil and the sauce has thicken.

After 5 minutes or so, the sauce would begin to boil and it should be thicker. Turn off the heat,  add the corn kernels and the tuna to this creamy mixture, stir together, taste the flavor again and add any more salt, pepper and Tabasco sauce if needed.

Transfer to a baking dish,  smooth it out on an even layer, sprinkle the bread crumbs all over the pasta and bake at 400ºF for about 10-15 minutes or until the bread crumbs are nice and golden brown.

That's it. Enjoy!

Red and White Pasta

My ward has been bringing me amazing meals for the past 2 months.  I am not talking Little Caesar's, I am talking full course homemade delicious meals.  This one was our favorite!  It is super rich and definitely not healthy but a crowd pleaser and quite easy.

Red and White Pasta

From: Laurie Pecotte

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Cook the pasta & prepare Alfredo sauce

Alfredo Sauce

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

1 (3 oz) package cream cheese

1 pint heavy cream

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

salt and pepper

Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat. Mix in the cream cheese. Stir in the cream and garlic powder. Increase the heat and bring to a boil. Decrease the heat and simmer, stirring often, while you cook the pasta. If the sauce needs additional thickening (for example if you're serving it as a dipping sauce without pasta), you may sprinkle in flour, 1 tsp at a time. Cook and stir for desired consistency. Stir the Parmesan cheese into the sauce and season with salt and pepper.

ONCE YOU HAVE THE ALFREDO SAUCE DONE AND PASTA COOKED

Spread a think layer of spaghetti sauce (I just use Prego) in a 9x13 baking dish. Layer half the pasta, half the Alfredo sauce, half the spaghetti sauce, and 1 1/2 cups of mozzarella cheese. Repeat the layering with the remaining pasta, Alfredo sauce, spaghetti sauce, and cheese.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake about 30 minutes or until it is hot and bubbly.

Oatmeal Quick Mix

This comes from the Boyle family favorites. My father-in-law insisted that I shared these! When you have a little extra time make this. Store it and when you want some good muffins, cookies, etc grab this! We had this mix in muffins this morning and they were delicious! Enjoy!

Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour or whole wheat flour  (Garry grinds flour and does half and half)
3 1/2  tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups shortening or butter
3 cups rolled oats

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and granulated sugar. Stir in brown sugar. Mix well. With a pastry blender, cut in shortening until evenly distributed. Stir in oats and mix well. Put in an airtight container. Store in a cool, dry place. Use within 12 weeks. Makes about 9 cups of mix.

Oatmeal Muffins

1 egg

2/3 c milk 

3 c of OATMEAL MIX (above)
Add whatever mix ins you prefer (ex. nuts, blueberries, choc chips, etc)

Bake @ 400 for 15-20 min (makes 12)

Krunk Cookies

I tasted these cookies at a Christmas party and proceeded to stalk the person for weeks in order to get the recipe. THAT'S how good these cookies are. The nice lady (Sister Krunk) called them Grandma's Oatmeal cookies. "Oh no", I said. They are way better than that. So in her honor and in true Griffin language, I am calling these Krunk Cookies. Its so appropriate. They are a mix between a gingersnap, snickerdoodle and oatmeal raisin cookie. Don't be deterred by the raisins!!!! Be sure to follow these precise steps using precise ingredients to achieve the fluffy texture that lured me in!

Krunk Cookies
3 eggs
2 t vanilla
1 cup raisins

In a small bowl lightly beat eggs and vanilla. Add raisins to egg mixture making sure raisins are immersed.

1 c shortening (crisco vegetable shortening here NOT butter flavor)
1 c brown sugar
1 c white sugar

Cream these together. DO NOT OVERBEAT or it will not be a fluffy cookie.

2.5 c flour (using gold medal or pillsbury brand for best results!)
1 t salt
2 t baking soda
2 t cinnamon
2 generous c quick oats

Mix dry ingredients together then add to creamed sugars a little at a time. Add egg/raisin mixture, incorporate well, then add oats. Dough will be very stiff. You might have to knead a little with your hands. Shape into 1.5 tablespoon sized balls and roll into white sugar. Bake at 350 for 11-13 minutes. DO NOT OVERCOOK!!!

Getting Our Feet Under Us

Well, our boy finally decided to grace us with his presence one month ago today, and we've been getting our feet under us ever since. People aren't kidding when they say this whole having kids thing is a life adjustment! Especially when you're as old as we are! ;-)

We are blessed though. Very blessed. Not only did we welcome a healthy baby into the world, but we also apparently welcomed a happy one too! While it's not all peaches and cream all the time, overall, we've got it made. He not a big crier and I'm getting decent amounts of sleep. I'm beginning to get back into some of my regular routine. I've even started cooking again... well, I mean like cooking stuff other than the super easy standbys that I can cook with my eyes closed (and already posted three years ago). I'm looking forward to new recipes and new posts! Thanks for your patience while I took some time to figure out this whole motherhood thing. So far, I'm a big fan.

Pesto Ranch Crock Pot Chicken

Pic courtesy Picky Palate

Crock pot meals are a lot more common in our house these days as we are busy, busy with house stuff. We love pesto so I thought I'd give this one a try. The flavor was good, but it was a tad bit dry, so next time, I'd cook it for a little less time. Also, I made it with brown rice, not mashed potatoes and I used chicken breasts- not thighs. I changed the recipe up quite a bit from the recipe on Picky Palate since I didn't want to add a package of preservative-filled Ranch dressing mix. Found a substitute ranch packet recipe on allrecipes that I used. This is a great weeknight meal to throw in the rotation and mix things up a bit.

Pesto Ranch Crock Pot Chicken
adapted from Picky Palate 

3 chicken breasts (frozen is fine)
3 oz jar of pesto
1/2 tsp dried parsley
1/3 tsp black pepper (or to taste)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
pinch of onion powder
pinch of dried thmye
1/2 cup chicken broth

Place chicken breasts in crockpot. Combine all remaining ingredients except broth. Spread pesto mixture over chicken breasts. Pour broth over and cook for 4 hours on low.