Love Your Leftovers

Lemon Chicken Sandwiches

2011-06-18T12:58:00.004-06:00

Hi, this is what I ate last night. My mom made this for us all growing up. I'm not sure where she got it but these chicken sandwiches are so light and should I say, refreshing? They cleanse your palate and are perfect for warm weather. No need to be weighed down when you need to fit into that swimsuit right? I often make these on the stove when it's not grilling season. I don't really have much to say... we all know I am a FABULOUS writer ;). So, just eat one of these and you will be happy.

Lemon Chicken Sandwiches

serves 4

Ingredients

4 Chicken Breast, pounded flat

1 Cucumber, sliced

1 Lemon, sliced into 4 wedges

4 Leaves of Lettuce and/or Sprouts

1 Tomato, sliced

Miricle Whip or Mayo

Lemon Pepper

4 Hamburger Buns

Directions

Preheat your grill to about 450- 500 degrees.

Season the chicken with a few shakes of lemon pepper.

Turn the grill to medium and grill the chicken for about 7 minutes per side keeping the BBQ closed, open only to flip the meat.

Removed from grill and create your sandwiches.

Squeeze the lemon on the cooked chicken.

I prefer Miricle Whip for these sandwiches.

You can also sprinkle on a little more Lemon Pepper if you want more.

Easy peasy.

Oh, and to make them on the stove just add about 1 Tbs oil to a pan and cook over medium heat.

BBQ Chicken Pizza on the Grill

2011-06-10T20:15:00.003-06:00

Last summer my favorite was THIS, but this year it's gotta be grilled pizza. When I first heard about it somewhere around a year ago I thought, "What? No, that just wouldn't work". But, since then I have seen a few different ways of doing it and the one I tried I loved. It gives the pizza a smokey flavor that takes it to another level. So far we have tried BBQ chicken and Pepperoni and I think the BBQ chicken takes the cake.

BBQ Chicken Pizza on the Grill

makes 2 pizzas, so depending on how hungry you are it serves around 4-6 people

Ingredients

One recipe of THIS dough (I haven't tried any other on the grill)
1/4 Cup Olive Oil (for the grill)
1/2 Cup of your favorite BBQ Sauce
3 Cups Mozzarella, grated
2 Cups Chicken, chopped or shredded (previously cooked)
1/2 Cup Olives, sliced
1 Cup Pineapple Tidbits, patted dry
1/4 Cup Banana Peppers, patted dry and chopped small
3 Green Onions, chopped small

Directions

Preheat the grill to about 400 degrees.
Divide the risen dough in half, and roll out one of the halves. No toppings just yet.
Pour the olive oil into a glass or bowl and crumple up a paper towel and dip it into the oil with some tongs.
Open the grill up, turn the heat to medium (I set mine to just below medium) and rub the oiled paper towel onto the grill with the tongs.
Immediately and carefully transfer the rolled out (naked) dough to the grill. Close and cook for about 2 minutes. It cooks quickly so be careful, take a peak at the bottom now and again if you need to.
Carefully remove from the grill. flip the cooked side up and lay on the toppings. Don't make it too heavy.
Oil grill once more and carefully place the pizza with it's toppings back onto the grill. Close and cook for 3 more minutes. Checking the bottom if needed.
Carefully remove from the grill and enjoy!
Repeat with second half of dough.

Basic Chili

2011-06-09T20:39:00.007-06:00

I got this recipe a few years back from a college roommate of mine (Thanks Emily!). It's her mom's recipe, but I don't think I have it exactly how she makes it because I didn't write it down. It is delicious and versatile. I frequently make taco salad with this or just eat it as is with a side of corn bread and honey. I may have once made a little something called "travelin' tacos" also. My elementary school would serve them using a bag of Fritos with a scoop of chili inside. From grade school on, whenever I eat Fritos I always think of that haha.

Chili

serves about 4

Ingredients

1 lb Ground Beef

1/2 Yellow Onion, finely chopped

1/2 Green Pepper, chopped

1/2 Red Pepper, chopped

1, 28 oz Can of Diced Tomatoes

2 Cans of Beans, rinsed and drained (kidney and/or black)

1 to 1 1/2 Tbs Chili Powder

1/2 tsp Cumin

Couple dashes of Worcestershire

Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions

Brown the beef over medium-high heat, adding the onions and peppers when it is about half way cooked through.

When the meat is browned and the onions soft, pour in the tomatoes and beans.

Season with spices and worcestershire.

Simmer, covered, on low for at least 20 minutes.

Sloppy Joes

2011-05-29T19:40:00.001-06:00

It is summer. Even if the weather doesn't cooperate, and Memorial Day is tomorrow then it is unofficially summer. Quick and easy meals are what I need to have more time to play outside and to keep the house from heating up to one million degrees. I didn't feel like firing up the barbecue today so this is second to it. I grew up with these Joes and I love them. My husband doesn't really like Sloppy Joes in general but I haven't ever really met one I didn't like. He actually thinks I am weird for putting a nice slice of cheddar cheese on top. Yum. Well, I actually just realized that I haven't ever tried the canned versions of this dish and I can imagine I might not like those. These are so simple there shouldn't be any reason to have to buy that canned stuff.

Mom's Sloppy Joes

serves about 6

Ingredients

1 lb Lean Ground Beef
1 Can Stewed Tomatoes, mash or slice the bigger pieces if you'd like
2 tsp Chili Powder
1/4 Cup Ketchup
2 tsp Mustard
1 tsp Brown Sugar
Few drops Liquid Smoke (optional)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions

Brown the hamburger.
Add the tomatoes and remaining ingredients and let it simmer on low for at least 15 min. If you don't allow it to simmer the flavors don't really get absorbed into the meat.
That's it, you are done. :)

Pasta With Tomato Basil Sauce

2011-05-28T10:58:00.001-06:00

I'm back. Well, I think, at least for now. As you can see I am very committed to getting recipes saved. It has been almost a year since I have posted something. It's been 6 months since I had a baby so I think I am finally adjusted to mom-hood so I can fit this luxury back into my schedule. I have so many recipes I would like to put on here and save for myself. Pretty much that is what has brought me back. I've made something, loved it, and forgot where I got it or the exact ingredients so I have a hard time making it again. I'm back here to save me some grief. This little number is one of those recipes. I don't remember where I got it but I love it and it's so easy to make. Most likely it's from Epicurious. It is also very versitale. I've made it with spinach, chicken, shrimp, leeks, and I think, even artichoke hearts. Not all at the same time, but I'm sure that would be good too haha. Oh and I'm just going to say I found something that makes my life easier when using basil.

Pasta with Tomato Basil Sauce

serves about 4

Ingredients

1 lb Pasta
2 Tbs Olive Oil
1/2 Onion, chopped small
2-3 Cloves Garlic
1/4 Cup White Wine (optional, adds some depth but you can use water or broth)
28 ounce Can Diced Tomatoes (or Fresh if you'd like)
1 tsp Brown Sugar (Optional)
1 Tbs Freshly Basil, sliced up
1/2 -1 cup Freshly Grated Parmesan
Salt and Pepper to taste

Also good with spinach, other veggies, chicken or shrimp.

Directions

Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large pan.
Add onions and garlic, cook until soft.
De-glaze the pan with the wine.
Add tomatoes and sugar and simmer.
Meanwhile, start the pasta water. When you add the pasta to the boiling water add the basil, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper to the tomatoes.
Simmer the sauce while the pasta cooks.
When the pasta is done add to the tomato sauce, add any additional basil and parmesan cheese after serving.

Plum Crumble

2010-06-24T23:12:00.001-06:00

I have been wanting to try this for months and months now. I finally got to it, and I am so mad I didn't try it out long ago. This is my new summer favorite. It came from Orangette, my absolute favorite blog. It's like you know her after reading one post. Someday, when I make it to Seattle, I want to go to her restaurant, Delancey, and taste everything. Well, she is so kind to have posted this recipe because it was on the menu there for a little while. I love it. I know that crumbles may seem like a warm comfort food for winter, but this my friend is perfect now while plums are in season.

The picture shown is only half of the recipe in a very shallow pie plate; I had too many treats in the house in the first place. Also I didn't put any crystallized ginger in it because I didn't have any.

Orangette / Delancey's Plum Crumble

serves about 6

Ingredients

Filling
12-14 Italian Prune Plums (I cheated and used the huge ones you can get at Costco, 10 or so should do the trick.)
2 Tbs Brown Sugar
1 1/2 Tbs Flour
1/4 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Ground Ginger

Topping
3/4 cup Sugar
1 cup Flour
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp Salt
1 Beaten Egg
7 Tbs Butter, melted

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Remove pit from plums and slice in half into a bowl and set aside.
Whisk together the dry ingredients for the filling.
Carefully fold the dry mixture into the plums just until coated.
Pour plum mixture into a deep 9" pie dish. Face the skin sides up. I also have baked it in a 9x13 inch baking dish.

Whisk together the dry ingredients for the topping.
Add the beaten egg with your hands until you get small moist crumbles.
Sprinkle evenly over the plums.
Spoon the melted butter over the topping... it will be pretty drenched.
Place in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes, until the topping is golden brown and the filling is bubbly.

Cool a few minutes and eat warm or cold. You can warm up a cooled crumble by putting it in a 300 degree oven for about 20 min or so.
Serve with whipped cream, ice cream or by itself.

Spinach and Havarti Chicken

2010-06-01T20:14:00.001-06:00

This recipe came out in the Sunset March 2010 magazine. The recipe was for Stuffed Chicken with Rosemary Polenta. Clearly this is not what my pictures look like. First, I am not a huge fan of polenta (I'll eat it but probably won't ever buy it), second I don't like mushrooms much, and third, I usually cook with chicken tenders because it's easier to control the portions as well as other things. I am pretty sure the recipe cooked as originally described is delicious, the picture they have makes me want to eat it. I just tweeked it a bit. I used frozen spinach, paired it with wild rice, left the mushrooms out, and didn't stuff the chicken. After making it a few times, I think I found the best way to do it. Your neighbors may stop by unexpectedly when they catch a smell of this coming from your house.

Spinach and Havarti Chicken

serves 4

Ingredients

2 Tbs Olive Oil
1/2 chopped Yellow Onion
1 tsp Minced Garlic
4 oz Mushrooms (yuck, not for me)
5 oz Spinach (I use chopped frozen, but fresh would work)
1 Tbs Lemon Juice
1 1/ 2- 2 lb Chicken (I would use about 8 tenders or 4 chicken breasts)
4 slices Havarti Cheese (originally calls for Italian Fontina Cheese, but I always have Havarti on hand, yay Costco)
Salt and Pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Heat 1 Tbs of oil in large pan.
Add chopped onion, garlic, and mushrooms (if you want them). Cook until softened and onions start to brown a bit.
Add spinach, lemon juice and a little salt and pepper. If you use fresh spinach cook until it a little wilted, if you use frozen, just heat till warm-- not long.
Remove from pan to a small bowl and set aside.
Add another Tbs or two of olive oil to the hot pan and allow to heat up over medium high heat.
Add chicken (salt and pepper each side) and cook just until brown.
Transfer to a baking dish, layer the spinach and onions over the chicken, then top with cheese.
Bake in the oven for about 6-8ish minutes until the cheese is melted.

German Apple Pancakes

2010-05-29T16:44:00.000-06:00

I have to say it has been for ever since I have posted something on here. About 3 months. It makes sense to me because we recently found out we are expecting a little bundle of joy, and the past 3 months I have not really had the desire to cook, bake, or eat certain foods. We are very excited, our lives are changing faster than I think we recognize.

A breakfast item, as I see it, is very appropriate to post because it was the only kind of food I wanted to eat for a few months. These pancakes are different than any other German pancake I have ever made before, but I love them. I am used to the sort that you bake in the oven and watch rise 4 inches over the top of the pan; very fun. The apple is what intrigued me and really got me to try them. I hope you enjoy them as much as we did.

German Apple Pancakes

Gourmet Magazine 2006

Ingredients

1/4 cup Sugar plus 2 Tbs
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1 cup Flour
1/2 tsp Salt
1 1/2 cups Milk
4 lg Eggs
1 1/2 lb Gala Apples (3-4 apples) - I used Fuji
2 Tbs Lemon Juice
Butter for the skillet

Directions

You may want to half the recipe, we were pretty full after 2 pancakes... unless you are really hungry!
Mix together 1/4 cup sugar and the cinnamon in a small bowl, set aside.
Mix the flour, salt and remaining 2 Tbs sugar in a large bowl.
Stream in the milk and add each egg individually.
Peel the apples and cut slices from top to bottom 1/8 inch thick, you can use a mandolin or just a knife. Avoid the core. Continue to cut the apple slices into 1/8 inch thick matchsticks. I found the long matchsticks to be hard to work with when you cook the pancake, so just chopping the apple in tiny pieces might work better.
Coat apples with the lemon juice.
Add the apples and lemon juice to the batter, fold.
These are kind of like crepes, so the batter should be thin.
Heat over medium a small amount of butter (about 1/2 Tbs) in a non-stick skillet.

Pour 1/3 cup batter into the pan and cook until the edges begin to brown, then flip. About a couple minutes a side.
Continue to butter the pan in between each pancake as needed.
You may want to keep them warm in a 200 degree oven until you are done cooking.
Sprinkle them with cinnamon and sugar and eat warm.

Cream of Asparagus Soup

2010-02-19T15:52:00.001-07:00

If you don't have a lot of time but want to make something that tastes like you put hours into it, this is the soup to make. I found a pretty large bag of asparagus at Costco and I got excited. This recipe calls for 2 lbs of asparagus and their bag was 2.25 lbs so I saved some of the stalks for another recipe. Also, it started to snow today (I sure am getting sick of the cold) and I wanted something warm to sip on while I watched the Olympics. This soup was perfect for the occasion.

Adapted from Gourmet Magazine 2001

Cream of Asparagus Soup

Ingredients

2 lbs Asparagus
1 Chopped Medium Onion
5 Cups Chicken Broth
2 Tbs Butter
Salt and Pepper
1/2 Cup Heavy Cream or Milk
1 tsp Lemon Juice

Directions

Chop asparagus stalks into 1 inch segments.
In a large heavy pot, saute onion over medium heat until soft.
Stir in asparagus chunks and salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes.
Add chicken broth, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes or until the asparagus becomes soft.
Transfer in batches to blender to blend smooth. (careful it's hot)
Return to the pot and add the cream and lemon juice.
I finish blending the soup together with an immersion blender because my blender doesn't seem to get it completely smooth. If you don't blend it completely smooth is has the texture of slimy boogers (gross I know, but that's what I think of).
Serve with crusty bread. Yum.

Broccoli and Orecchiette

2010-02-18T14:37:00.000-07:00

This is such a delightful Italian dish. This picture does not show orecchiette pasta because I couldn't find it. Either way, these shells worked out fine. Orecchiette is an ear-shaped pasta. Doesn't that sound appetizing? I have wanted to try it for the longest time, but have never actually attempted to buy the small pasta. Finally, when I want to buy it, I can't find it. Granted, I only went to one store. But, I am positive I will be making this again, allowing me to look in more than one pasta isle.

This pasta doesn't really have a thick sauce, and that's why I love it. It has such simple flavors, which I think is refreshing. The whole time I was eating this I was craving some kind of pear, apple, or grapes to go with it. I'll have to keep that in mind next time I make it. I hope you love it as much as I did. Oh, and this makes quite a bit, I made it for just two and we have plenty of leftovers (which I am pretty happy about).

Broccoli and Orecchiette

Ingredients

You can easily add more or less of each ingredient.

1 Large Chopped Bunch of Broccoli ~ 3-4 cups
1 lb Orechiette Pasta
~ 1 1/2 Cups Chopped Ham - or cooked Bacon or Pancetta if you want to get fancy
2 Cloves Minced Garlic (I buy it smashed up in a jar... much easier to use)
~ 1/3 Chopped Yellow Onion (Scallions or other types can be used)
1/3 Cup Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
Pinch Red Pepper Flakes
Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese

Directions

In a large pot, bring water to a boil. Add pasta and a Tbs or 2 of salt. Cook the pasta until it is just about done. Maybe, 6 minutes or so. You just don't want it to get mushy when you bring it all together in the end.
Drain the pasta and save about 2 cups of the starchy water.
In a large pan, heat oil. Add the garlic and onions and saute until they become soft.
Add the ham and let it brown just a bit, this should not take long. If you are using bacon or pancetta, you would want to cook them before hand.
Add the broccoli and about 1 cup of the saved starchy water. Stir well, gradually adding more water if needed.
Add the red pepper flakes and salt and pepper. You probably won't need much salt because the ham is salty.
Add the cooked pasta and stir well, coating all pasta and broccoli. Add more starchy water if needed.
By this time the broccoli should be cooked through. If not, you can cover the pan for a few minutes to steam the broccoli.
Serve and top with Parmesan cheese.

Italian Sausage and Tortellini Soup

2010-01-29T15:46:00.000-07:00

So, this is the name of the soup I found on Epicurious (originally published in Bon Appetit in 1993) but I think the soup I actually made should be called something else. How about, Chorizo Vegetable Soup? I was very wary when starting the soup, but both the husband and I were pleasantly surprised.

One morning, about a week ago, my husband went to the store and made me breakfast. Isn't that sweet? There was leftover chorizo that needed to be used, and since I have never used the stuff, I went searching for a recipe. I found one that intrigued me. Although, I had to alter it quite a bit because I did not have a lot of things it needed. The result? Great! The original recipe can be found at the site listed.

I plan on trying it with cheese tortellini (instead of the potatoes) because I'm pretty sure the combo would be fantastic! But, for now, this is what we made and liked.

Chorizo Vegetable Soup (Italian Sausage and Tortellini Soup)

Ingredients

1/2 lb Chorizo or Italian Sausage, or heck- even turkey sausage
1/2 small chopped Yellow Onion
1 clove smashed and chopped Garlic
3 cups Chicken Broth
1/4 cup White Wine
2 cans diced Tomatoes
2 diced Potatoes (normal size, not the giant ones)
~1 cup chopped Celery
~1/2 chopped Red or Green Pepper
~1 medium Chopped Carrot
1 tsp Dried Oregano
1 tsp Dried Basil
Parmesan for topping (I think this is the best part!)

Directions

Over medium high heat, brown the chorizo or sausage in a large pot. Drain, set meat aside in a bowl. Remove all but 1 Tbs fat from the pan.
Over medium heat, saute the onions and garlic in the pot with the remaining fat. Allow them to become translucent.
Add the meat back to the pot, along with the broth, wine, tomatoes, potatoes, celery, pepper, carrot, oregano, and basil.
Let simmer for about 40 minutes or until the vegetables are soft.
To serve, ladle into a bowl and sprinkle freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Serve with warm crusty bread or crackers.

Enjoy!

Chicken with Applejack Sauce

2010-01-28T19:51:00.000-07:00

This dish is all about the sauce. Cook the chicken pretty much any way you'd like, add this sauce to it and it will liven up any meal.

The first time I made this, it was with pork chops and with this apple stuffing tucked inside. It was so good but quite a bit of work. I made this on the first Valentines Day my husband and I spent together (boyfriend at the time); along with a homemade Tiramisu that didn't turn out so well. Since then, I have yet to make another Tiramisu, but have made this sauce pretty often. I turned this dish into a meal that doesn't have to be for a special occasion (hence chicken) but at the same time -definitely could. This comes altered from Williams-Sonoma American.

I think I have always paired this recipe with the stuffing listed in the paragraph above.

This is a picture of the brandy in flames... if you can see them (its the blue color).

Applejack Sauce

Ingredients

Grilled, baked or pan-fried chicken, or pork chops
1/3 cup Applejack (apple Brandy) - I have made this with Apricot Brandy also, probably any would do
1 1/2 tsp Cornstarch
3/4 cup Chicken Stock or Broth
1/4 cup Cream
Chopped Sage for garnish

Directions

In a small sauce pan on low heat, add the brandy. Once it's warm, ignite with a match or lighter... Careful!
Let it flame for about 30 seconds. If it doesn't go out on it's own you can cover the pan with a lid. Set aside.
Dissolved the cornstarch in a Tbs of water and add this, preferably, to the pan you cooked the meat in.
Add the brandy, broth, and cream. Stir well. If you use the pan you have cooked the meat in, this will de-glaze the pan getting all of the bits of flavor from the meat up and off the pan into your sauce. Yum!
Bring to a boil over medium heat for about 1 minute. You should be able to see it has thickened just a bit.
Spoon over your meat and voila! Boring to fantastic. :)

Apple Stuffing

2010-01-28T19:09:00.000-07:00

This is a pretty basic stuffing, but with apples. The original recipe comes from Williams-Sonoma cook book American. It calls for dried apples and to be stuffed in a pork chop which is delicious. But, this is for those who only want the stuffing.

I cubed some bread I had and let it dry out in a bowl for a day, stirring it occasionally to let all parts of the bread be exposed to the air.

Apple Stuffing

Ingredients

~4 cups cubbed and dried Bread
2 Tbs Olive Oil
1/3 cup Chopped Shallot, Green Onion, or Yellow Onion
1 chopped Apple
1 tsp Dried Sage or 2 tsp Chopped Fresh Sage
~3/4 cup Chicken Broth
Salt and Pepper

Directions

Heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and bread to the pan to saute the onions and toast the bread. Stir every few seconds. If it is sticking, add more oil by the teaspoon.
Turn off the heat and add the apples when the onions and bread are close to done, about 4 minutes.
Add the sage, salt and pepper. Drizzle the chicken broth trying to coat as much bread as possible. Coat until the bread is just wet, not soaked but damp. You may have to add more broth if it looks a little dry.
Transfer to an oven baking dish.
Bake at 375 degrees for about 25 minutes. Stir halfway through to check the stuffing.

Enjoy!

Beef Stroganoff

2010-01-27T17:47:00.000-07:00

I was surprised at how flavorful this dish was; but, if you look at the ingredients, it should be. This recipe is part of 3 or 4 other recipes combined. It is more ideal for ground chuck but I didn't have any of that on hand (if you haven't noticed yet, I'd rather use ingredients I already have) and it's cheaper! You can use any cut of beef you have on hand. I also decided to put the stroganoff on a baked potato since we had a giant bag I just bought. I've only had it on egg noodles before but this worked out great! I actually never eat the skin of my potato (I know, it's where most of the nutrients are) but I always taste a hint of dirt- yuck. Well, everyone, I have an announcement: I ate my potato skin! AND my husband did too! He never eats his either. Can you believe it? I actually liked it, all because of this delicious stroganoff.

Oh and my husband and I don't like mushrooms, so the picture shown has none. (I know, stroganoff is basically pure mushrooms but whatever) And, how do you make stroganoff look appetizing in bad lighting? Take my word for it, it's good.

Stroganoff

Ingredients

1 lb Ground Hambuger or Chuck
1 small chopped Yellow Onion
1-2 cups fresh Mushrooms-- this is a guess because I didn't use any
1 can Beef Broth (low sodium would be great)
1/3 cup White Wine
~1 cup Sour Cream
1 tsp Prepared Mustard
1/2 tsp Paprika

Directions

Brown, salt and pepper the beef on medium high heat, set aside. If you have a large amount of fat in the pan, you can discard it.
Over medium heat, add the chopped onion to the pan and cook until they become soft. If you do not have enough fat from the beef in the pan, you can add 1 Tbs butter to help keep it from sticking.
If you are using mushrooms, this would be the time to add them to the pan to saute until soft.
Pour the beef broth and wine into the pan. If you would like a thicker sauce, you can add 1 or 2 Tbs flour at this point and stir constantly. Let it boil until the liquid has decreased by half.
Turn the heat down to low and add the sour cream, paprika, and mustard.
If it is not as thick as you like it, you can simmer, uncovered for a few minutes to try to thicken it up.
Serve over cooked egg noodles, baked potato, or rice.

Enjoy!

Guacamole

2010-01-20T14:35:00.000-07:00

I had two avocados that desperately needed to be used, as well as a giant bag of chips. The choice was easy to make, guacamole it is! Perfect for your upcoming Super Bowl party. Although, I would probably double the recipe if you plan to have a lot of people over.

Guacamole is so simple and so good. I hope you find this recipe very do-able. I swear every store bought guacamole is some sort of mutant green color or just does not taste right. You will be much happier making your own. Promise.

Guacamole

Ingredients

2 Ripe avocados
Juice of 1/2 a Lime or about 2 Tbs (depends on how juicy it is)
1/4 c. Chopped Red Onion
~ 1 Tbs Chopped Cilantro (I like a little less than a Tbs)
1/2 Squashed and minced Clove Garlic (add more if you'd like, I am not a garlic lover)
1 Chopped Tomato
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions

Slice avocados and remove the pit. Scoop avocado away from the skin and into a bowl. Smash with a fork.
Add the lime juice, red onion, cilantro, and garlic. Stir in Tomato.
Salt and Pepper to taste.

*The picture shown does not have a tomato in it. It is good with or without, enjoy.

Cinnamon Rolls

2009-12-13T15:14:00.001-07:00

These are the best cinnamon rolls you will ever have the pleasure of putting into your mouth. Nothing beats my mom's recipe. I know everyone loves Cinnabon in the airport and malls but, after you eat one of these, you will never want to waste your money on them again. No offense to Cinnabon of course. They just don't compare! These are soft and fluffy with the perfect amount of cinnamon and sugar. The rolls do take a little bit of time, but it's worth it! Cinnamon rolls have been a part of our family ever since I can remember. This recipe makes about 4 dozen, but they will be gone fast! Freezing the freshly baked rolls helps keep them from going stale and you can warm them up in the microwave for about 10 seconds, yum.

Mom's Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients

Dough
1 Cube Butter
2 C Milk
2 Tbs Yeast
1/2 Cup Sugar
1 tsp Salt
4 Eggs
~6.5 Cups Flour (no more than 7 cups)

Filling
~ 1 Cube Softened Butter
~ 2 cups Cinnamon Sugar
~ 6 cups Brown Sugar

Frosting
2 lbs Powdered Sugar
1 Cube Butter
A few Tbs milk or add until spreadable
1 tsp Vanilla
1/4 tsp salt if needed
Beat for about 5-10 minutes.

Directions

In your KitchenAid mixer:
Pour hot milk (~2 min in microwave) over 1 cube butter, sugar, and salt. Wait 10-15 minutes or until butter has softened and milk has cooled down. If the milk is too hot it will kill the yeast. Stir in the yeast and wait about 5-10 minutes for the yeast to get foamy.
Using the mixer, add the eggs. Add the flour a little at a time and mix until the dough is smooth. This should take about 1-2 minutes.
Cover with a clean dish towel and let the dough rise until it's double in size. The amount of time this takes can vary depending on the temperature of the room. Check it after 30 minutes, it probably shouldn't take more than an hour.

This is the part of the recipe that is really not exact...
Divide the dough into 4 pieces. Roll out on a floured surface into a rectangle about 10x5 1/2 inches. You just don't want to roll the dough too thin. It should be about 1/2 - 3/4 inch thick. Spread softened butter with a spatula onto the rolled out dough. You can be pretty generous. Make sure it is even. Sprinkle about 1/4 inch thick of brown sugar on top of the butter, keeping it even; again you can be pretty generous. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar on top of the brown sugar, covering all areas.

To roll, take the longer side and fold about and inch in, and push down with your fingers to pinch the dough down. Then roll it up- be sure to pinch the edge on the last roll to seal the roll up and keep it from unrolling. Cut into 12 slices and transfer to a 12x17 inch pan with parchment paper. Roll out, fill, roll up, cut and transfer the next 3 portions of dough. You should end up with 2 dozen on each cookie sheet (12x17 in.) when finished. One dozen can fit on a 9x13 inch pan if needed. Cover the pans with a clean dish towel and let the rolls rise until they double in size. Check after about 30 minutes.
Bake at 400 degrees for about 9 minutes. Let the rolls cool for a few minutes before frosting.
Cover and freeze immediately if saving for more than about 5 hours later; they defrost in the pan on their own in about 1 hour.

Sorry, parts of this recipe are an approximation, but that is what's great about it-you can add as much or as little filling as you like.

Macaroni and Cheese

2009-11-18T16:22:00.000-07:00

Again, I apologize for the terrible lighting. What to do when it gets dark at 5 pm? This is such a good recipe, and it's probably because it's made of cheese! Well, if you are on the DASH diet this will definitely meet some of your needs for calcium but it's definitely over-ruled by the fat and sodium content. I try to make this as often as I can with out gaining an increased chance of a heart attack. This is quick and easy and such a good way to enjoy mac and cheese as a grown up! Hooray for comfort food, on these cold winter nights. This recipe comes modified from the Williams-Sonoma cook book American. Be sure to eat lots of veggies with your Macaroni and Cheese!

Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients

1 lb Elbow Macaroni (In this picture I used Fusilli- like Fusilli Jerry off of Seinfeld)
4 Tbs Butter
1/4 Cup Flour
3 Cups Warm Milk
1/2 lb Montery Jack Cheese Grated
1/2 lb Sharp Cheddar Cheese Grated
3/4 Cup Bread Crumbs
1 1/2 Tbs Melted Butter
Salt and Pepper to Taste
Hot Sauce to taste (this is a MUST)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Add the pasta and some salt and cook for about 6 minutes.
Drain pasta; while this is draining, return the pot to the stove over medium heat, melt 4 Tbs butter.
Whisk in the flour, and over low heat let bubble for about 2 min. and stir occasionally.
Pour in the warm milk and whisk well. Bring the burner up to medium heat again and bring to a boil (careful because it can be hard to tell when milk is boiling). Whisk and make sure nothing is stuck to the bottom.
Add the cheese stirring well.
Add the pasta.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Gradually add 5 drops of hot sauce at a time. We like a lot of hot sauce!
Transfer pasta and cheese to a 2 quart baking dish.
Sprinkle the bread crumbs on top and drizzle with the melted butter.
Bake for about 30 minutes until it's bubbly and golden brown on top.

This is the kind of hot sauce we like for this recipe

Poppy Seed Bundt Cake

2009-11-15T20:05:00.000-07:00

This cake reminds me of my early college days. For a while it was the go to birthday cake, snack cake, or whenever I want cake, cake.
A while back I was reading a blog that said they would never write a post that included things from a box, or jar. I was a little offended. I understand they only want to bring the best recipes with the best ingredients to the public, but what do you do when you needed food 10 minutes ago? You have to have some cheater recipes on hand or you could go crazy. I am not below a little help now and again. Especially when you have limited time to cook or bake when you are either working full time and/or going to school. An old roommate of mine asked for this recipe and I would say she has limited time, as she is now in dental school. So this one is for you Ana!

You can find other variations of this type of cake at THIS blog.

Poppy Seed Bundt Cake

Ingredients

1 Box Yellow Cake Mix
1 Box Instant Butterscotch Pudding
1/4 Cup Flour
3 Eggs
2/3 Cup Oil
1 Cup Water
2 Tbs Poppyseeds
Sprinkle with powdered sugar to finish

Directions

Preheat oven 350 degrees.
Combine all wet ingredients and mix well.
Add all dry ingredients and mix well.
Pour into a greased and floured bundt pan.
Bake for ~45 min. although mine was done early at about 40 min so keep and eye on it.
Let cool for 15 min or more before transferring out of the pan. Also, cool completely before sprinkling with powdered sugar, otherwise it will melt!

Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

2009-10-28T18:31:00.000-06:00

I grew up not really liking anything pumpkin. Not sure why, but I have had a hankering for it ever since, about a year ago, classmates of mine made a tofu pumpkin pie. I may post that recipe in the future, but for now, pumpkin bars. These are quite probably the most moist cake-like bars I have ever had (hmm did that make sense?). Especially now, during the fall season and Halloween, I think these are more than appropriate.

Ingredients

2 cups Flour

1 1/2 cups Sugar

2 tsp Baking Powder

2 tsp Cinnamon

1 tsp Baking Soda

1/4 tsp Salt

4 beaten Eggs

1 15 ounce can of Pumpkin

3/4 cup Oil

For the Frosting:

4 ounces Cream Cheese at room temperature

1/4 cup Butter at room temperature

1 tsp Vanilla

~ 2 1/2 cups Powdered Sugar - add more to thicken, up to 3 cups of powdered sugar

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Mix all the dry ingredients well.

Add the wet and stir in well.

Pour into an un-greased 9x13 pan. If you want them thinner, feel free to put them in a bigger pan, but keep in mind they rise up when they are baking. Although, you should keep an eye on it in the oven so it doesn't over cook.

Bake for 25 min or until a toothpick can be inserted in the center and come out dry.

Let cool completely.

As for the frosting, just blend the butter, cream cheese, and vanilla. Add the powdered sugar.

Spread on the bars. You can add either about 1 1/2 cups of chocolate chips, walnuts or even cocoa powder sprinkled on the top. Or, eat it without the chocolate and nuts. Keep in mind, if you choose to sprinkle cocoa powder on the top, you should wait to do it just before serving because the powder eventually soaks into the frosting.

Enjoy

Banana Bread

2009-10-17T18:44:00.000-06:00

I don't have anything against banana bread, but I always feel like there is something missing. Don't get me wrong, this was a good recipe; it was a very yummy, moist (I can't stand that word but I could not think of any other word to take it's place), but typical banana bread. I debated whether or not to add spices, chocolate and other exciting ingredients but only went as far as walnuts. I only put nuts in half to accommodate my family's liking. If any of you have suggestions of your favorite banana bread I would love to hear them. I am positive I will be posting more banana bread recipes, each with their own variation, but for now, I think basic is best in order to build up.

*This makes two loaves and was adapted from Simply Recipes

Ingredients
5-6 Very Ripe Bananas Smashed in a bowl
2/3 cups Melted Butter
1 cup Sugar
1 cup Brown Sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp Vanilla
2 tsp Baking Soda
Pinch of Salt
3 cups Flour
1 cup Walnuts (optional, very optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
To the smashed bananas add the butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla- mix well.
Stir in the baking soda, salt, and flour.
Pour into two greased 4x8 loaf pans and bake for 1 hour. Let it cool, and eat (I like it kind of warm still with a tall glass of milk, yum!)

Perfect Pizza Crust

2009-10-03T11:51:00.000-06:00

For some time now I have been craving homemade pizza. Although, I had a problem; I didn't have a recipe for crust. Well, I think I may have found it. :) I have kind of been obsessed with this blog called The Amateur Gourmet. Adam Roberts, the writer, takes a different angle to the whole "blogging world" and I love it. He has some great ideas, like this (haha). Anywho, he posted a friends recipe for some pizza crust that was exactly what I was looking for, sweet, and fluffy. Some leave the crust behind when they eat pizza but I practically save the crust for last, I think it's the best part. In the recipe you can use wheat flour, half wheat half white, or all white. I just used all white flour and it was great.

We topped our pizza with fresh basil, fresh tomatoes, mozzarella, and kalamata olives. We just used whatever pizza sauce that was in the fridge but you could easily make your own (that may have to be a different post).

Perfect Pizza Crust

For best results, make 2 pizza's from this recipe... otherwise one pizza is too thick and the dough doesn't cook all the way through.

Ingredients

1 Tbs Yeast
1 cup luke-warm tap water
~ 3/4 cup brown sugar
3 1/2 cups Flour
1 tsp Salt
2 Tbs Olive oil
~ 2 tsp Finely Chopped Rosemary (optional but SO good)

Directions

Dissolve the yeast in the cup of warm water with a couple Tbs of Brown sugar, set aside.
In your Kitchen-Aide (with dough hook) mix the flour, sugar, salt and rosemary well.
Add the foamy yeast sugar water to the flour mixture along with the olive oil and mix until it forms one smooth lump on the dough hook. *You can knead it by hand if you don't have a mixer, it just gets kind of messy.
Add a few Tbs of water if needed to make it more sticky (most likely you will need to).
Cover the dough with a cloth or wet paper towel and let it sit and rise for about 2 hours or until it is about double in size.

I cheated because it was late and we were hungry so I put the dough in a warm spot in the house and it was done rising in about 40 min. Keep in mind that if it's too warm it will dry out the dough and won't rise too much so it is always easier to play it safe!

When it's done rising, roll out and top your pizzas and bake at 425 degrees for about 15 min. (If you have a pizza stone, use it)

Caramel

2009-10-01T11:20:00.000-06:00

Oh my, I don't know how I didn't know about this. This is heaven. I think I will be making this caramel all the time. It is so easy and I probably will make more than one at a time so I have some on hand whenever I need it (aka: whenever I want it, so I can stick my finger in it and lick it off). This picture is the result of my mom's first try. I never had it growing up so I assume it was her first. We put it on apples and it was perfect. My mom is making a cookie that has this as the filling along with coconut that I may be posting later. I am in love.

All you do is take a can of this

(**just a note, I have tried other brands and Eagle Brand is by far the best**) and peel the paper off and simmer it, unopened, in a pot, for 2.5 hours. Easy peasy. Just make sure it is covered by at least an inch or more of water and let it go. Take a look at it every now and again to make sure the water level is still above the can. After the 2.5 hours let it cool completely before opening. If I were you I would do a few cans at a time, no joke, you will regret it if you don't!
I think that the word simmer is pretty vague so my mom said hers was slightly boiling; just in case you weren't exactly sure on how much of a boil it should be. How easy is that!? I think most of last night I was thinking of what I could do with this delicious stuff. Perfect for the lovely fall, almost winter weather, we have been having. Yum.

Lemon Drop Cupcakes with Meringue Buttercream Frosting

2009-09-28T17:50:00.000-06:00

The world is currently in a craze for cupcakes. I thought I would join in. Last Christmas break my husband and I escaped to San Jose, California to visit my brothers family and just to get away from the cold for a while. We stopped by Santana Row to window shop and found this little cupcake shop called Kara's Cupcakes and had a Meyer Lemony Lemon cupcake for breakfast (breakfast of champions). Well, the cupcake was to die for! The frosting that they topped the delicate cake with was one of the best frostings I have ever tasted. I'm not even sure how they got it so light and fluffy but it was so good. Here is a picture of it... yes it was so good it was picture worthy.

Well, I attempted a lemon cupcake a few days ago and it turned out pretty good. I would definitely say worth making again and maybe again. I changed a Martha Stewart recipe and combined a different frosting to get the texture I wanted. Here she goes.

Lemon Drop Cupcakes with Meringue Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose Flour
1 Tbs Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
1 cup (2 sticks) Unsalted Butter, room temperature
2 cups Sugar
4 large Eggs, room temperature
2 tsp Lemon juice
1 tsp Vanilla
1 cup Buttermilk ( I just put a Tbs of lemon in a cup of milk and let sit until curdled to create the buttermilk)
~2 cup Lemon Curd

Directions

Sift together the dry ingredients. Cream butter and sugar until pale yellow adding eggs one at a time until just mixed. Add vanilla and lemon juice. Alternate adding the dry ingredients (three times) with the milk (two times) until just mixed.
Spoon batter 3/4 the way full into lined cupcake tins. Add one Tbs of the lemon curd to the top center of each cupcake. It will drop to the center of the cupcake while baking.
Bake at 325 degrees for about 25 minutes.
Cool completely before frosting.

Meringue Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups Sugar
5 large Egg Whites
2 cups Unsalted Butter, cut into pieces (next time I make this I am going to decrease the butter to one cup just to see and taste the difference)
1 tsp Vanilla extract

In a double boiler whisk egg whites and sugar with an electric mixer until they are very warm (about 3 minutes).
Remove from heat and continue whisking until it has completely cooled (about 10 min).
Begin adding the butter (continue using the whisk attachment) a little at a time and it may look curdled but just keep mixing, it will smooth out.
Beat with the paddle attachment on low for a few minutes to release any air pockets Add vanilla and you are done!

Decorate as you wish :)

Peach Cobbler

2009-08-16T22:29:00.001-06:00

I have been away from the blogging world for a while, but I have been reunited and thought I would post a terrible picture with the delicious matching recipe that completely hit the spot one night. I now have a fear that this blog will turn into just a sweets, cookies and dessert blog but don't you worry, I will try to keep a variety of recipes on here!

My husband and I love to make cobbler in the dutch oven when we go camping. Who am I kidding- He cooks with the dutch oven, not me! We had an interesting experience while camping in the Nevada desert with some Spaniards, who bicycled from Argentina all the way up to Nevada and were making their way to Canada! Extreme. Well, we had plenty of leftover food and cobbler and thought we would offer our neighboring campers a warm meal (since they had very little room to pack any sort of comfort food on their road worn bikes). They curiously wanted to try this dish we called cobbler and a peach dessert sounded great to them so the came to our campsite and we served them their first taste of dutch oven cobbler. They loved it and dug in for seconds while asking how to make it. After we explained the process, which included a giant can of peaches, a cake mix, can of Sprite and butter one man asked in a thick Spanish accent, "What is, can of Sprite?" We loved this simple question and now quote the man whenever we drink the fizzy, citrus drink. One of my favorite memories since being with my lovely husband, camping in the barren Nevada desert while feeding some bikers from Spain.

This recipe definitely doesn't require a can of Sprite! This comes a little tweaked from one of my favorite line of cook books from Williams-Sonoma American.

Peach Cobbler

Ingredients

1 c. Heavy Cream
2/3 c. Sugar
1 tsp Cornstarch
5 lbs Ripe Peaches- sliced into wedges

Dough:
2 c. Flour
2 Tbs Sugar
1 Tbs Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
Pinch of Salt
6 Tbs Cold Unsalted Butter, sliced
2/3 c. milk
1 egg
1 tsp Vanilla

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and grease a 9x13 in. pan.
Whisk cream, sugar and cornstarch in the baking dish. Stir in peaches carefully.
Stir together the dry ingredients and cut in the butter with a pastry blender or fork until it creates small pea size crumbs.
Combine the remaining wet ingredients in a small bowl then add to the flour and butter mixture but only enough to make a soft moist dough. You may not need to add all of the wet mixture.
Don't over mix the dough.
Divide into 8 sections and place on top of the peaches and cream.
Bake until topping is golden brown and the inside bubbling- About 50 min. Let cool for 10 min and enjoy with vanilla ice cream!

Berries and Cream Shortbread

2009-07-26T22:51:00.000-06:00

I didn't have any eggs but was craving some kind of sweet baked good. I read through one of my cookie books (Better Homes and Gardens The Ultimate Cookie Book) and found the perfect recipe, although it was a Pineapple Macadamia Nut Shortbread, (There is no way I had candied pineapple and macadamia nuts on hand if I didn't even have eggs!) so I just left out the extra ingredients. I did, however, have some frozen blueberries and some whipping cream. The combination of berries and shortbread satisfied my craving, and then some (and they look quite patriotic).

I made these at like 9 pm so there was no way I was going to get a good picture. I will see if I have time to take another one today to replace this sorry photograph with a slightly less shadowed one.

Berries and Cream Shortbread

Ingredients

2 1/2 c. Flour
1/3 c. Packed Brown Sugar
1 c. Cold Butter
1 or 2 Drops Orange Extract (optional)
Berries and Whipped Cream

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Stir together the flour and brown sugar.
Cut in the butter with a pastry blender until the mixture forms tiny balls that start to stick together.
Add orange extract and stir in well.
Form into a ball and knead a couple times.
Roll out about 1/4 in. thick on a lightly floured surface and cut out dough with cookie cutter. Only re-roll the scraps once.
Place on a baking sheet and cook about 15 minutes or until golden brown on the edges.
Let cool and top with berries and whipped cream. yum.