This Mommy Cooks

Carolina Mustard Barbecue Sauce

2013-05-16T22:02:00.001-04:00

Whenever we pick up barbecue from the local place here, I always make my husband get a ton of the mustard base barbecue sauce. We love it so much. Well tonight, I was making my easy peasy crock pot barbecue (If you haven't made this yet, you really should.) and I decided to try out a new bbq sauce recipe. This stuff was just like the stuff from our favorite barbecue place. I am so happy that I now know how to make it! And the best part was that I had all the ingredients and that it only took 30 minutes to make. Definitely try this out. You can put it on anything!

Carolina Mustard Barbecue Sauce
from Simply Recipes

Ingredients:
4 Tablespoons butter
1/2 onion, grated
1/2 cup yellow mustard
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1 Tbsp dry mustard
1 teaspoon cayenne
1 bay leaf
Salt to taste

Directions:
Heat the butter over medium heat until it's frothy, then add the onion and sauté for 3-4 minutes. Be careful not let the onions brown. Add in remaining ingredients, stir well and simmer slowly for 30 minutes or more.

Buffalo Chicken Tender Salad with Avocado Ranch Dressing

2013-05-14T16:03:00.000-04:00

This chicken was so good! I love to get buffalo style chicken tenders when we go out, especially on top of a salad. The best of both worlds. The best thing about this chicken is that it isn't fried, it's baked! I can't wait to have this again. For the kids, I omitted the buffalo sauce, and it was a hit!

Buffalo Chicken Tender Salad with Avocado Ranch Dressing
from Annie's Eats

Ingredients:
for the chicken:
1 1/2-2 cups panko breadcrumbs
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 large eggs
1 Tablespoon water
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
cooking spray
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
1/2-3/4 cup buffalo wing sauce

for the dressing:
1/2 avacado, roughly chopped
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup sour cream (or greek yogurt)
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 small bunch of chives, coarsely chopped
2 Tablespoons fresh parsley
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup (or more) buttermilk
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 475° F.

Heat oil and panko crumbs in a skillet. Toast over medium heat until golden, stirring often so they don't burn, about 5-10 minutes. Spread breadcrumbs in a shallow dish and allow to cool. In another shallow dish, combine flour, garlic powder, and salt. In a third shallow dish, whisk together eggs, water, mustard, and thyme until blended.

Prepare a rimmed baking sheet with tin foil and place a wire rack (or two) on top. Spray the rack with nonstick spray.

Lightly season the chicken strips with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken piece in the flour to coat completely, and shake off excess. Then dip into the egg mixture, and then into the panko mixture. Gently press the panko crumbs to make sure they stick. Place the chicken pieces on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with all chicken pieces. Spray the tops of the chicken pieces lightly with cooking spray.

Bake chicken about 8-10 minutes, until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink in the middle.

Place the buffalo sauce in a bowl, and using tongs, dip each chicken piece into the buffalo sauce, coating completely. Set aside for a couple of minutes so the sauce will soak in.

To make the dressing:

Combine all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor, starting with 1/4 cup of buttermilk. Blend for about 10 seconds, check the consistency and taste and add in more buttermilk if you desire. Season with salt and pepper. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

To serve prepare plate with salad, top with chicken strips and other toppings such as hard boiled eggs, crumbled cheese, shredded cheese, bacon, tomatoes, cucumbers, etc. Drizzle dressing over and serve.

Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits

2013-05-06T16:16:00.002-04:00

Mel at Mel's Kitchen Cafe has done it again. I just love her site. A few years ago, I tried my hand at making biscuits. They weren't very good at all. Not moist, hard, and tasteless. Definitely not words you want to use to describe your food right? Well, after perusing Mel's site last week, I came across this recipe and I couldn't wait to try it. Well, today, I was craving biscuits and I decided to try my hand at making some. These were so simple to make and pretty foolproof. I couldn't wait to slather it with some butter and some of my favorite raspberry honey jelly. They were perfect. Quite possibly the best biscuit I've ever had!! If you have a food processor, this is even easier. Now I wanted to put a little plug in for this pretty awesome jelly we were gifted a few weeks ago. I honestly can't believe we haven't finished it off yet! It is from a local company, Honeyberry Farm, in Knoxville, TN and it is amazing. You should really try it! Ok, plug over. Now go make these biscuits!

Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits
from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Ingredients:
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
9 tablespoons very cold butter cut into pieces
1 1/2 cups buttermilk, more or less

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Combine the dry ingredients in the bowl of a food processor, or in a bowl if you don't have a food processor. Add the butter to the food processor and pulse a few short times until the butter is small and pea-sized. If you don't have a food processor, cut the butter into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter or two knives until the mixture is like coarse meal and the butter is pea-sized.

Pour in the buttermilk and mix/pulse only until just combined. The dough should start to come together, don't overmix the dough.If there are lots of dry patches throughout the dough, add a bit more buttermilk, just a tablespoon or two at a time until the dough comes together.

Scrape the dough out of the food processor or bowl onto a lightly floured counter. Gently pat the dough to about 1/2-inch thick with your hands. (Do not use a rolling pin.) Gently fold the dough in half or in thirds, repeating for a total of 4-5 times and pressing it gently to 1-inch thick after the last fold. This is what makes the biscuits flaky. Use a round biscuit or cookie cutter to cut into circles. Do not turn the cutter while pressing into the dough, just press firmly enough to cut all the way through the dough.

Prepare a large, rimmed cookie sheet with a silpat liner or parchment paper. Place the biscuits on the pan with the sides barely touching each other. This helps the biscuits rise up instead of out. If you like crustier sides to your biscuits, space them further apart. They won't rise as high but they'll have golden edges.

Bake for about 10-12 minutes until the biscuits are lightly golden on top and bottom, make sure not to overbake. Serve immediately.

Greek Meatballs (gluten free)

2013-05-04T19:59:00.001-04:00

I finally made it back to cooking club this month! I have been so busy, I haven't been able to participate at all lately! Our theme this month was Greek. As usual, the dinner was delicious! I loved these meatballs my friend Stephanie brought. Super easy, and very tasty! Yum, yum!

Greek Meatballs
from everyday paleo

Ingredients:
1 pound ground lamb
1/2 pound ground beef
2 tablespoons minced chives
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 egg, room temp
1 tablespoon dried mint
1 tablespoon oregano
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/2 tespoons cumin
1 tablespoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
8-10 dried apricots, chopped
8 (or a many as you want) kalamata olives, chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Prepare baking sheet by placing cooling racks on top so that the meatballs will cook evenly and the grease will drip off. Spray with nonstick spray.

In a large bowl, mix all ingredients until all ingredients are distributed evenly. Form meat mixture into meatballs about 1 inch in diameter. Place each meatball on the baking sheet you prepared.

Bake at 450 about 10-15 mins, depending on size. Make sure the meatballs are cooked all the way through.

Blackened Tilapia Tacos

2013-04-26T15:37:00.002-04:00

These tacos area easy and delicious! I loved the seasoning on the tilapia. Definitely can't wait to try it again and toss the tilapia in another dish. Maybe over some pasta too. So good!!!

Blackened Tilapia Tacos
slightly adapted from Sarcastic Cooking

Ingredients:
1 Teaspoon Paprika
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Pepper
1/2 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
1/2 Teaspoon Onion Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Cumin
4 Tilapia Filets
1 ½ Tablespoons Olive Oil
black beans, optional
guacamole (could use just an avacado)
soft tortillas

Directions:

Combine the dry seasonings in a small mixing bowl. Whisk to combine. Lightly sprinkle each side of the tilapia filets with the seasonings. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the tilapia to the pan and cook the tilapia for five minutes on each side until fish flakes easily. Warm the tortillas. Spread guacamole on each tortilla and top with some black beans. Place a half or more of a tilapia filet on to each tortilla. Break the filet apart a little bit so it flakes. Serve with pico de gallo or salsa if you desire.

Oven Roasted Broccoli

2013-04-15T09:04:00.002-04:00

I love broccoli! I don't love soggy broccoli. Sometimes you get soggy broccoli when you steam it. well, I have a perfect way to prepare it where it doesn't get soggy! In the oven! I basically took how I make our favorite green beans, and changed it to broccoli. It turned out so perfect!

Oven Roasted Broccoli

Ingredients:
1 bag frozen, broccoli florets
olive oil (2-3 TBSP or more)
Kosher Salt
Fresh Grind Pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Place broccoli in a baking dish fitted with a lid (or use tin foil). Drizzle olive oil over frozen broccoli. Season with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. Give it a stir so that all broccoli is coated with olive oil and seasonings.

Cover and place in preheated oven. Cook for 1 hour, stirring halfway through cooking. Cooks perfect every single time!

Add some lemon pepper seasoning for some added yumminess!

Salmon Rösti {Salmon Cakes} Gluten Free!

2013-04-11T09:30:00.002-04:00

In an attempt to spice up my "canned salmon" dishes, I tried this version of a salmon cake that includes potatoes, specifically frozen hashbrowns. These were absolutely delicious, and the sauce adds so much to the flavor. Make sure when you're making them to pack down the mixture really well so they won't fall apart. I had no problems with them falling apart. I think you'll like them too!

Salmon Rösti {Salmon Cakes}
adapted from Eating Well

Ingredients:
Salmon Cakes:
2- 6- to 7-ounce cans boneless, skinless wild Alaskan salmon, drained
1 teaspoon onion powder
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 Tablespoon whole-grain mustard
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh dill or 2 teaspoons dried, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 cups frozen hash-brown shredded potatoes (about 12 ounces)
2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

Dill Sauce:
1/3 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1 Tablespoon mayonnaise
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh dill, or 1 teaspoon dried
1 teaspoon lemon juice
dash of salt

Directions:

To make salmon cakes:

Combine salmon, onion powder, eggs, mustard, fresh dill or dried, pepper and salt in a large bowl. Add potatoes and stir to combine. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Fill a 1-cup measuring cup about two-thirds full with the salmon mixture and firmly pack it down. I used another, smaller measuring cup to pack it down really firm. Run a knife along the inside of the measuring cup to loosen the mixture and flip out onto a clean surface or directly into the oil. Repeat, making a couple more, depending on how big your pan is. Cook until browned on the bottom, about 5 minutes. Gently turn over and cook until crispy on the other side, 3 to 5 minutes more. Transfer the cakes to a baking dish; keep warm in the oven if you desire. Repeat process with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and the remaining salmon mixture. Serve with dill sauce.

To make dill sauce:

Combine sour cream, mayonnaise, lemon juice, salt and dill in a small bowl.

Stove Top Stuffing Chicken Casserole {Slow cooker option!}

2013-04-01T21:41:00.001-04:00

So this Stove Top chicken casserole recipe is the most popular post on my blog. I totally understand why. It is simple to make and it is pretty darn yummy. I have updated the recipe so that you can now make it int he slow cooker! Score! I was able to pop all of the ingredients in the slow cooker and head off to church and it was ready when we got home! I have the info for making it in the oven below too. If you haven't made this recipe you should, I'm sure your family will like it. I'm going to see if I can find another type of stuffing mix, maybe an organic option and see how it turns out. I'll let you know!

Stove Top Chicken Casserole

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked chicken, shredded or cubed
8 ounces sour cream
1 can cream of chicken soup (Click here for a substitute.)
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded (or more)
1 box Stove Top Stuffing (I usually use chicken flavor.)
salt and pepper to taste
4 TBSP butter, melted

Directions:
To prepare in oven:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray 9x13 baking dish with nonstick spray. Spread chicken on bottom of baking dish, season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle cheese on top of chicken. In separate bowl, mix sour cream and cream of chicken soup. Spread sour cream mixture on top of cheese. Sprinkle entire box of Stove Top on top of sour cream and soup mixture. Finally, drizzle melted butter on top of entire casserole. Cover with tin foil and bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes until bubbly.

To prepare in slow cooker:
Spray inside of slow cooker with nonstick spray. Layer chicken in the bottom, spreading it out evenly. Season with salt and pepper. Top chicken with shredded cheese. In a small bowl, combine sour cream and cream of chicken soup. Spread the soup mixture over the cheese evenly. Top with entire box of Stove Top Stuffing. Drizzle melted butter on top and cover. Cook on high for 2-3 hours until bubbly or low for 4-5 hours.

Mini Crab Cakes {updated}

2013-03-21T07:20:00.000-04:00

These little guys have become a family stable at our house. I make them about every other week. The only thing I didn't like was having to layer the bread crumb mixture with the crab mixture. Well folks, I have made it simpler and it still tastes the same!! You can mix it all together and it still comes out perfect. I've adapted the instructions below and am reposting this now!

These were absolutely delicious. I have found my favorite way to make crab cakes! I don't think I've ever had a crunchier crab cake, and that is a good crunch, not a bad one. I love panko bread crumbs. I really think they make everything so much better. I had seen these on Pinterest, and finally decided to give them a try. I didn't actually follow the actual crab meat recipe, but I loved the fact that they used a mini muffin tin! They were the perfect size. I served these for dinner, but they would be perfect as an appetizer too. I'm pretty sure you'll love these, so go make some!

Mini Crab Cakes
inspired from Noble Pig

*makes 22-24 crab cakes

Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons mayonnaise
2 Tablespoons plain yogurt (sour cream would work too)
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
1 egg
2 green onions, chopped
1/2 Tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or less)
1/2 teaspoon salt
12-18 ounces crab meat *
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup butter, melted

*I have always use 18 ounces of crab meat with the same amount of other ingredients with great results!

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a mini muffin tin with nonstick spray and set aside.

In a small bowl, mix panko crumbs and melted butter. In another bowl, mix together yogurt, mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese, egg, green onions, lemon juice, cayenne pepper, salt, and crab meat and stir gently. Add in panko breadcrumb and butter mixture and stir until combined.

Bake in preheated oven for about 15-20 minutes until golden brown.

Shredded Beef and Cheese Flautas

2013-03-08T15:28:00.000-05:00

I made these last night and they were so delicious and super easy! I loved how the meat smelled while it was cooking in the slow cooker. After the meat is done cooking, all you have to do is shred it, and assemble the flautas, which is super simple. Enjoy!

Shredded Beef and Cheese Flautas
adapted from For the Love of Cooking

Ingredients:
1/2-1 pound of chuck roast
1-4 ounce can of green chiles
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1/2-1 teaspoon Chili powder
1/2-1 teaspoon Paprika
1/2-1 teaspoon Coriander
1/2-1 teaspoon Garlic powder
1/2-1 teaspoon Cumin powder
1/2-1 teaspoon Oregano
1/2-1 teaspoon Sea salt
1/2-1 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper, to taste
2-3 cloves of chopped garlic
1-2 cups of beef broth
Flour tortillas
Cheddar cheese, shredded
guacamole, salsa, and sour cream for dipping

Directions:

Sprinkle each seasoning on both sides of the meat, to taste. I used between 1/2 teaspoon to 1 teaspoon of each seasoning.

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the meat in the olive oil on all sides. Place roast in a slow cooker and dump the green chiles over the roast. Add beef broth and chopped garlic. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours, until the beef shreds easily. Shred the meat and mix into the remaining liquid. Taste and add more seasonings if necessary. Set aside and let cool.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place some cheddar cheese in the center of a tortilla, then add some shredded beef on top of the cheese; roll. Place, seam side down, on a baking sheet that’s been coated with cooking spray. Finish rolling the rest of the flautas, then spray the tops of them with cooking spray.

Place into the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes then turn over and cook for an additional 5-6 minutes or until crispy and golden brown.

Serve with guacamole, sour cream, and salsa for dipping.

Loaded Potato Rounds

2013-03-04T15:41:00.001-05:00

Here's another easy appetizer recipe that I made on Super Bowl Sunday this year. It was easy to prepare and tasted really yummy! You can choose to add the hot sauce or omit it depending on your preferences, either way, I think you'll like these potato bites!

Loaded Potato Rounds
adapted from A Couple Cooks

Ingredients:
2 pounds red potatoes
1 to 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Hot sauce, optional
Cheddar or Mexican blend shredded cheese
3 green onions
Sour cream

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 450°F.

Cut the red potatoes into ¼-inch slices. Place the slices in a large bowl, sprinkle with 1 to 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and stir to thoroughly coat both sides of all slices. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake 10 minutes on one side, then remove from the oven, flip all rounds, and bake another 10 minutes until soft.

While the potatoes bake, thinly slice the green onions (both the white and green parts). When the potatoes are done, remove them from oven and add a dot of hot sauce (if you're using it) on each round. Top each round with shredded cheese and wait a few minutes for the cheese to melt. To serve, place the rounds on a platter. Add a dollop of sour cream on each round, and top with sliced green onions.

Shrimp Taco Bites

2013-02-21T14:38:00.002-05:00

Oh I love shrimp, especially fried shrimp. I know I've confessed my love for shrimp tacos right? Oh there is a local restaurant here that makes them to my perfection. These are similar, but they are bite size and perfect for parties. I served these with some other goodies on Super Bowl night. Let's just say my husband and I gobbled them all up!! I am entering this recipe in a contest hosted by Mission Foods. Enjoy!

Shrimp Taco Bites

Ingredients:
fried shrimp (you can use storebought if you prefer)
1/2 pound shrimp peeled and deveined with tails left off
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup buttermilk (make your own here)
1/4 cup hot sauce
1 cups self-rising flour (substitute here)
1/8 cup self-rising cornmeal
1 tablespoons coarse ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
Oil, for frying

jalapeno lime mayo

1/4 cup mayonaise
1/2 jalapeno pepper, stemmed, seeds removed and finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon lime juice
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/8 teaspoon salt
pinch dried crushed oregano

8 ounces pico de gallo (storebought or make your own)
Burrito Style Soft Tortillas (I used Mission Super Soft Tortillas)

Directions:
To prepare jalapeno lime mayo:
Place all of the ingredients in a small bowl and whisk to blend. Transfer to a clean container and refrigerate until ready to use or serve.

To prepare the shrimp:

Preheat oil to 375 degrees F. I don't have a deep fryer and I don't have a thermometer for this, so I heated about an inch of oil, in a skillet, on medium high heat, then lowered it down to medium after cooking a couple of batches.

Line a baking tray or plate with paper towels and set aside. In a shallow bowl, whisk together milk, buttermilk and hot sauce. In a separate shallow bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, pepper and salt. Make sure your shrimp are dry and dredge in the dry mixture first, then wet mixture and finally the dry mixture again. Shake off excess between each dredging.

Deep-fry in batches, but do not overload the fryer. Fry for 2 minutes or until golden brown. If you're using a skillet instead of a deep fryer like me, you may want to flip the shrimp halfway through to make sure both sides get golden brown. Remove shrimp from oil with a slotted spoon and drain on the paper towel lined baking tray.

To prepare taco bites:
While shrimp is cooking, preheat your oven to 450 degrees F. Prepare your tortillas. First you'll want to spread the jalapeno lime mayo on your tortilla. Next, using a pizza cutter, cut the tortillas into 1 inch wide and about 4 inches long strips. You'll get about 8-10 per burrito style tortilla.

Once the shrimp is ready, place one shrimp on top of a strip of soft tortilla, top it with a little bit of pico de gallo, roll it up, and secure it with a toothpick. Place on an ungreased baking sheet. Continue process until you've used all of your shrimp.

Place in preheated oven for 4-6 minutes until tortillas are golden in color.

To serve, remove toothpicks and place on a serving dish. Try not to eat all of them before your guests arrive!

Perfect Cracker Barrel Buttermilk Pancakes

2013-02-19T15:21:00.000-05:00

I just realized I haven't posted in a week. Sorry about that! My quest for the perfect pancake has finally ended. These are so fluffy and tasty; they are quite perfect! I've been making them for a few weeks now and I never fail to make them perfect every time. If you want a perfect pancake, look no farther! I have had success using half all purpose and half whole wheat flour as well. Mmmm, I wish I had some right now!!

Perfect Cracker Barrel Buttermilk Pancakes
from Food.com

Ingredients:
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour (half whole wheat turns out well too!)
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
2 eggs
2 cups buttermilk (make your own here)
oil or butter (for cooking)
maple syrup, for serving

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients together until incorporated, but do not over mix. Heat a griddle or non-stick pan on med to med-high heat, and grease with butter or oil (more if you like a crispy edge).

Drop batter using a 1/4 cup measuring cup onto hot pan. Once the bottom side is golden and there are bubbles throughout the pancake, flip and brown remaining side.

Serve with butter and real maple syrup.

Traditional King Cake 2 {Sweet Treat Fat Tuesday Edition!}

2013-02-12T16:33:00.001-05:00

Happy Fat Tuesday!! Every year I make a king cake for my family, and every year the kids get so excited! This year I actually remembered to buy a baby to put in! My oldest is pretty excited to maybe get good luck for a whole year. haha I know it's a little late for this year, or maybe not if you get cooking, but this was the best king cake I've made. It was more moist than the ones I've made in the past. Definitely a keeper!

Traditional King Cake
adapted from my recipes

Ingredients:
cake
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 tablespoons or 1 envelope active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (100° to 110°)
1/2 tablespoon sugar
1 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 to 3-1/2 cups all purpose or bread flour

4 tablespoons butter, softened
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Creamy Glaze
1/2 cups powdered sugar
1-1/2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/8 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1-3 tablespoons milk
Purple, green, and gold-tinted sparkling sugar sprinkles

Directions:

Cook sour cream, 1/4 cup sugar, butter, and salt in a medium saucepan over low heat, stirring often, until butter melts. Set aside, and cool mixture to 100° to 110°.

Stir together yeast, 1/4 cup warm water, and 1/2 tablespoon sugar in a 1-cup glass measuring cup; let stand 5 minutes.

Beat sour cream mixture, yeast mixture, egg, and 1 cup flour at medium speed with a stand mixer until smooth. Reduce speed to low, and gradually add enough remaining flour (2 to 2 1/2 cups) until a soft dough forms. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes) or attach dough hook to electric mixer and knead that way. Once dough is smooth and elastic, place it in a greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, 1 hour or until dough is doubled in bulk. (I do this in a slightly warm oven.)

Punch down dough. Roll into a 22- x 12-inch rectangle. Spread 1/3 cup softened butter evenly on rectangle, leaving a 1-inch border. Stir together 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon, and sprinkle evenly over butter. Roll up each dough rectangle, jelly-roll fashion, starting at the top. Place dough roll, seam side down, on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bring ends of roll together to form an oval ring, moistening and pinching edges together to seal. Cover greased plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, 20 to 30 minutes or until doubled in bulk.

Bake at 375° for 14 to 16 minutes or until golden. Slightly cool cakes on pan on wire racks (about 10 minutes).

While the cake is baking, make the icing. In a medium bowl, stir together sugar, butter, vanilla, and lemon juice. Stir in 1 tablespoon of milk and add more until you have the consistency you want. After the cakes have slightly cooled, drizzle creamy glaze evenly over warm cake; sprinkle with colored sugars, alternating colors and forming bands. Let cool completely before serving.

Slow Cooker Meatballs

2013-02-11T21:38:00.001-05:00

Grape jelly and meatballs? Really? That's what I said when I found out that the popular party meatballs consisted of three ingredients: frozen meatballs, grape jelly, and barbecue sauce. And you cook them in the slow cooker. How easy is that? These are great appetizers for a party. They are also tasty for dinner. Serve them over some rice, couscous, or quinoa with a veggie and your set for dinner. The recipe amounts below are large. I halved the recipe for my family (we were also having other treats too) and it worked perfectly.

Slow Cooker Meatballs
from The Country Cook

*This recipe works well halved as well.

Ingredients:
1 (32 oz.) bag frozen meatballs
1 (18 oz.) jar grape jelly
1 (18 oz.) bottle of your favorite BBQ Sauce

Directions:

Pour the meatballs, grape jelly and BBQ sauce into your slow cooker and stir well until combined. Cook the mixture on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 2 – 2 ½ hours until completely cooked through (stirring occasionally).

Herb and Panko Crusted Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken {Guest Post}

2013-02-07T15:00:00.000-05:00

Today my one of my closest friends is guest posting on the blog. Nancy from Casual Cuisine and I have known each other for about six years. We both love photography and good food. This recipe is a favorite at her house and I asked her to share it here on This Mommy Cooks. I actually made this chicken last week and it was really good. I made it without the wine and with all the seasonings. Make sure to visit her blog!

I am all about easy dishes these days. This is just not the season in life for me to be making things that keep me in the kitchen all day and away from my kids. So, you may have noticed I tend to post recipes that are quick and simple, like this one. This dish is so good! It's very simple and easy, yet looks fancier than it really is. This is a super easy, quick dish to make and pop in the oven, and it has a delicious flavor. I try to assemble it while my kids are napping/in rest time so I can just put it in the oven later on. I serve it with rice pilaf and steamed broccoli or salad, and my husband and daughters always love it.

Herb and Panko Crusted Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken

(AKA Chicken Simon & Garfunkel)

from Casual Cuisine originally from Simple Suppers for Busy Moms

Ingredients :

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I like to get the butcher to cut these in half thickness-wise to make cutlets because it makes for easier rolling. For our family of four, I can get away with just 2 chicken breasts cut like this and it is plenty.)

salt and pepper

1 cup shredded mozzarella

1 egg

flour

1/2 cup bread crumbs (I used panko)

1 Tbsp. parsley

1/4 tsp. sage

1/4 tsp. rosemary (I actually omit this)

1/4 tsp. thyme

1 stick butter (I usually use just half a stick and it tastes great with a lot less fat.)

1/2 cup dry white wine or chicken broth (I used both a 1/2 cup white cooking wine and 1/2 cup broth from a boullion cube)

toothpicks

Directions:

Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper and sprinkle mozzarella on top.

Roll and secure with toothpick.

Make three bowls for dipping: 1) flour; 2) whisked egg; 3)bread crumbs and spices stirred together.

Dip rolls in flour, then in egg, then in crumbs (roll to coat).

Place in greased casserole dish and top with melted butter.

Cook at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Add wine/broth, cook 30 minutes more.

Real Strawberry Ice Cream {gluten and dairy free option!}

2013-02-05T08:24:00.001-05:00

I've been wanting to try this recipe out for awhile. It sounded a little too good to be true. So few ingredients to make a sweet treat? Boy was I wrong. This ice cream is so easy to make, it's healthy, and it tastes great!! Another great thing? If you're dairy free, just use coconut milk! Just think of all of the flavor combinations you could make? I always have frozen fruit in the freezer, especially in the winter when it's harder to find cost friendly organic fruits. I made this for dessert for our family on the night of the Super Bowl. Such a nice treat. And one tip, don't freeze bananas in their peels, they don't come off! Slice them and then freeze them. I was thinking those little bags of mixed fruits that people use for smoothies would be perfect for this too! Oh the possibilities! Enjoy!

Real Strawberry Ice Cream
from The Primal Home

Ingredients:
1 banana, sliced and frozen
1 handful of strawberries, frozen
1-2 tablespoons milk (coconut milk for dairy free)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Place the frozen bananas and strawberries into a food processor. Start blending then add in the vanilla and milk.As soon as the mixture is somewhat smooth check it out to see if it's blended. You want it to be thick, but smooth. Once it is smooth but still thick scoop it out and enjoy!

This doesn't keep very well in the freezer, so it needs to be eaten right away.

Makes 2-3 servings.

Slow Cooker White Beans and Ham

2013-01-31T06:00:00.000-05:00

I love beans and cornbread, and so do my kiddos. I've been wanting to try mixing things up by using white beans and this recipe was a good one. I used leftover ham I had frozen from Christmas. Ours was a sweet ham, so it added a little bit of a sweet taste, but it was still good. Next time, I'll use a savory ham. Either way, this one is staying in my keeper folder!

Slow Cooker White Beans and Ham
slightly adapted from Plain Chicken

Ingredients:
1 lb package dried northern beans
1/2-1 pound ham, diced or chopped
2 teaspoons onion powder
6 cups water
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Rinse and sort the beans removing any bad beans or pebbles. Add the the rinsed beans, onion powder, and ham to the crock pot. Add water. Cover and cook on low about 8 hours, until beans are tender. During the last hour, add salt and pepper. Serve with cornbread.

Real Strawberry Cupcakes {Sweet Treat Tuesday}

2013-01-29T06:00:00.000-05:00

If you've been following my blog for awhile, you know two things about my family. We love sweets and we celebrate half birthdays. Well, this past week, we celebrated my middle baby's half birthday. He requested strawberry cupcakes, so that's what I made. This recipe is easy, and you can use frozen or fresh strawberries. I used frozen strawberries since it's winter and fresh ones are so expensive this time of year. They were a hit with all three of my kids and hubby!

Real Strawberry Cupcakes

Ingredients:
cake
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup hot water
1 egg
1/2 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup pureed strawberries
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups cake flour (substitute here)

icing
1/2 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), softened
1-1/2-2 cups powdered sugar, SIFTED
1/8 teaspoon table salt
1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
1-2 tablespoons milk or heavy cream

Directions:
cake
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line cupcake pan with cupcake liners.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Once butter and sugar are mixed well, add in egg. Then add remaining wet ingredients individually, then dry mixing well after each addition until smooth. Scoop batter into lined cupcake pan. Fill each muffin cup almost to the top.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool completely. Since the strawberries make this a more dense cupcake, they will settle and not be as rounded as a typical cupcake. and then frost with buttercream icing below.

icing
In a mixing bowl, beat butter for a few minutes with a mixer with the paddle attachment on medium speed. Add 1-1/2 cups of powdered sugar and turn your mixer on the lowest speed until the sugar has been incorporated with the butter. Increase mixer speed to medium and add vanilla extract, salt, and 2 tablespoons of milk/cream and beat for 3 minutes. If your frosting needs a more stiff consistency, add remaining sugar. If your frosting needs to be thinned out, add remaining milk 1 tablespoons at a time.

Hot Crash Potatoes

2013-01-27T11:32:00.000-05:00

I posted these a long time ago, but I made them again last night and wanted to share them again, with the additions I've added to make them even better. These are probably my favorite way to prepare red potatoes. If you're dairy free, just omit the butter and cheese. I've added them because I love those two things! These will become a staple side dish at your house, I promise!

Hot Crash Potatoes
adapted from Pioneer Woman Cooks

Ingredients:
12 whole New/Red Potatoes (You can really do as many or as little as you need.)
Olive Oil
Kosher Salt To Taste
Black Pepper To Taste
green onions, chopped small
Parmesan cheese
butter

Instructions:
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add in as many potatoes as you wish to make and cook them until they are fork-tender.

Prepare a baking sheet with nonstick spray or with olive oil. Place tender potatoes on the cookie sheet leaving plenty of room between each potato.

With a potato masher or a cup, gently press down each potato until it slightly mashes, rotate the potato masher 90 degrees and mash again. Brush the tops of each crushed potato generously with olive oil.
Sprinkle potatoes with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Top with a dab of butter (optional), freshly grated Parmesan cheese, and chopped green onions.

Bake in a 450 degree oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

Crunchy Onion Chicken

2013-01-25T06:00:00.000-05:00

Earlier this week, I quickly turned to facebook to find an easy, kid pleasing, delicious recipe using chicken breasts. French's crunchy onion chicken was suggested and after looking at the recipes, and comments on the recipe, I decided to try it out. I am so glad I did. I love those french fried onions, they are so tasty! So pair that with some seasonings, horseradish for a slight kick, and chicken strips and we have a serious winner at our house. This recipe will not disappoint. I'm betting your whole family will be happy with it!

Crunchy Onion Chicken
adapted from French's

Ingredients:
3 chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch strips
1 bulb fresh garlic (optional)
2-3 cups french fried onions, lightly crushed in to smaller bits
1/3 cup flour
2 eggs
2 teaspoons prepared horseradish
1 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut chicken breasts into 1 inch strips, set aside on a pan in a single layer. Lightly crush the onions and place in a shallow bowl. Place flour in a separate bowl. Place eggs and prepared horseradish in a bowl and whisk together.

If you desire, cut open the garlic and rub on both sides of the chicken strips. Sprinkle salt and pepper on top of chicken strips. Sprinkle half of the garlic powder on the chicken. Flip the chicken strips over and season with remaining garlic powder and salt and pepper. After you season the chicken, dredge each piece of chicken in the flour, shaking off excess, then dipping in egg mixture, and then into the crushed onions, pressing them on as you coat the chicken.

Place each piece of chicken on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper making sure the chicken strips don't touch.

Put chicken in preheated oven for 10 minutes. Carefully flip each strip and then bake for an additional 10 minutes until the center is no longer pink.

Sweet Cornbread

2013-01-23T06:00:00.000-05:00

I am usually a non sweet cornbread kind of person, but occasionally, I love a good cake-like sweet cornbread. Sometime last year a new restaurant opened up near our house. They gave each table a basket or bread including a sweet cornbread. Every other week my son asks to go there just for the cornbread. So, I finally found a recipe to try out and it was a huge hit with my six year old. As I type this post I'm actually eating it out of the pan with a fork. Please don't tell. Just try this recipe and it won't disappoint.

Sweet Cornbread
from the country cook

Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons honey
1 egg
4 Tablespoons butter (melted)
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup yellow corn meal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 8x8 baking dish with nonstick spray. In a medium bowl, whisk together all your wet ingredients: honey, egg, butter, milk and water. In a another bowl, combine all your dry ingredients: sugar, corn meal, flour, baking powder and salt. While whisking wet ingredients, slowly add your dry ingredients to your wet until all combined. Batter may be a little lumpy. Pour mixture into greased 8x8 baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the middle is set and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the middle.

Crispy Beer Battered Fish

2013-01-21T20:52:00.001-05:00

This is the perfect recipe for beer battered fish. This was my first attempt in making it and it was a definite success. It was perfect and delicious! My husband topped his with vinegar and salt while I dipped it in ketchup (I am a kid at heart you know.). I also chose to use cod, which I think tasted perfect. This is an easy dinner dish that won't disappoint.

Crispy Beer Battered Fish
from Babble

Ingredients:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour, divided
1 lb cod, sole or haddock fillets
1/2 tsp Old Bay Seasoning (optional)
1/4 tsp baking soda pinch salt
1/2 cup light beer or soda water
canola oil, for cooking (you could use whatever oil you prefer.)
sea salt

Directions:

Put 1/4 cup of the flour into a shallow dish. Cut the fish fillets on a slight diagonal into 1-inch wide strips. In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining 1/2 cup flour, Old Bay Seasoning, baking soda, salt and beer or soda water. The mixture will have the consistency of thin pancake batter. In a heavy pot, heat about two inches of oil until it’s hot but not smoking. Pat the fish strips dry with paper towel and dredge in the flour, shaking off any excess. Dip each piece o fish into the batter to coat well and gently place in the oil. Cook, turning as needed, for 4–5 minutes (longer if your pieces are thicker), until deep golden and cooked through. Inside of fish will flake easily when cooked through. Transfer to paper towels to drain and cool, then sprinkle with salt.

Serve with roasted potato wedges sprinkled with salt and pepper.

Beef Stroganoff Soup

2013-01-11T16:23:00.001-05:00

This soup was delicious!! Make sure you have plenty of broth when you make your bowl, it is the best part! It tastes just like beef stroganoff, but in soup form. My whole family enjoyed it. I don't enjoy mushrooms, so I omitted them from my soup, and it still tasted wonderful.

Beef Stroganoff Soup
adapted from Stolen Moments Cooking

Ingredients:
1 to 1-1/2 pounds ground beef
2 Tablespoons butter
1/2 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 lb. sliced mushrooms, optional (I did not add mushrooms.)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 pound carrots, chopped in bite size pieces
8 cups beef stock
3 Tablespoons corn starch
1/4 cup water
1 cup sour cream
1/2 pound cooked noodles

Directions:

In a large pot, brown ground beef with butter, onions and garlic. Cook until beef is browned completely. If using mushrooms, add them now and continue cooking until browned. After the neat is cooked, season with salt, pepper and thyme. Stir in carrots and beef stock. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low and simmer until carrots are tender, at least 20 minutes.

After the carrots are ready, bring the soup back to a slow boil. At this point I began to cook my pasta. Use whatever kind you want, I had penne, so that's what I used. In a small bowl, combine corn starch and water until smooth, then slowly stir into soup. Let soup boil until thickened, about 5 minutes. Once thickened, stir in sour cream and cooked noodles. Season with additional salt and pepper, if needed.

Whole Wheat Pumpkin {with or without Chocolate Chips} Muffins

2013-01-09T15:53:00.001-05:00

Love these muffins! The addition of whole wheat flour helps with making them healthier. Add in chocolate chips to make them even better!

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Muffins

Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (make your own here)
1 cup canned pumpkin
2 eggs
1/2 cup butter, melted

1 cup chocolate chips, optional

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice. If you don't have pumpkin pie spice you can use this link to make your own. I hadn't used it before and now that I know about it, I'm always going to use it! Less measuring!! In another bowl, melt butter. Then combine pumpkin with the butter. Add pumpkin mixture and eggs, one at a time until mixture is incorporated. If you want to use chocolate chips, gently stir them in now.

Spoon mixture into 12 muffin cups lined with paper or sprayed with nonstick spray.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.