Very Veggie Pasta

• 2 T. olive oil
• 1/2 lb. sliced mushrooms
• 1 red pepper, sliced
• 1 12 oz. bag frozen French-style green beans, thawed
• 1 t. salt
• 1 t. oregano
• 1 t. dried basil
• 1/2 t. garlic powder
• 1/2 t. pepper
• 1/8 t. crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 15 oz. can tomato sauce
• 1/2 lb. cooked pasta

1. Heat olive oil and add mushrooms. Cook for 5 minutes, until the start to brown. Add sliced pepper, green beans and seasonings and cook for another 5 minutes. Stir in tomato sauce and simmer over low heat for 5 minutes.

2. Add cooked pasta and stir to combine well. Enjoy!

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PB&J Breakfast Sandwich Cookies

• 3 c. oats
• 1 c. brown sugar
• 2 t. baking powder
• 1 t. salt
• 1 1/2 c. peanut butter
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 c. milk
• 1 t. vanilla
• Preserves, jam or jelly of your choice

1. In a large bowl, combine oats, brown sugar, baking powder and salt. Add peanut butter, eggs, milk and vanilla. Stir until well combined.

2. Roll a rounded tablespoon of dough into a ball, place on a cookie sheet and repeat until done. With the palm of your hand or the greased bottom of a glass, press cookies into a circle.

3. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes, until just firm and lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack. Spread jelly on the bottom of one cookie, top with another and repeat. Enjoy!

This recipe came together easily for me but the proper baking temperature had me stumped. I was really torn between cooking at a lower temperature for a longer time and cooking at a higher temperature for less time. Fortunately, I was able to try out 4 different options (everything from 325 degrees to 400 degrees) thanks to my Frigidaire Gallery^® Range with Symmetry™ Double Oven. I divided the cookies into 4 batches and then cooked two batches at a time, each at a different temperature. This was the first time I thought to do this and I’m so excited by how much easier it’s going to be when developing new recipes. I am just loving this oven!!

Full disclosure: I was provided with a brand new Frigidaire Gallery Freestanding Electric Range with Symmetry Double Ovens at no cost to me for participating in the Frigidaire Test Drive campaign. As always, all thoughts and opinions will be entirely my own.

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One of my favorite things to get when we go to a Coney restaurant is Chicken Lemon Rice Soup. It’s a rich, flavorful, creamy soup that is so comforting. It’s one of those recipes I’ve thought about recreating countless times, but I always opt not to because I love it as a rare treat, and that’s how I want it to remain.

However, the flavor is definitely worth duplicating on a regular basis. So, when I’m craving the soup, I love to throw this quick replacement together instead. The flavor is very similar, although this dish is definitely much healthier and lighter without all the additional cream and the addition of broccoli. And best of all, it’s a one-dish meal, so it takes very little prep work or clean up. Sure, it’s not as easy as sitting down at a restaurant and being served a big, steamy bowl of soup, but this definitely fulfills my cravings without any of the guilt.

Lemon Chicken & Broccoli with Rice

• 2 T. olive oil
• 1 1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips or cubes
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 lb. fresh broccoli, cut into florets*
• 1 1/2 c. white rice
• 1 1/2 t. salt
• 1 t. thyme
• 1/2 t. black pepper
• 1 large lemon, juiced and zested
• 2 c. chicken stock
• 1 c. water
• 1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley (or 1 T. dried parsley)
• Freshly grated or shredded Parmesan cheese
• Additional salt and pepper, to taste

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook about 5 minutes, just until browned. Add garlic and cook an additional minute. Stir in broccoli, rice, salt, thyme, pepper and lemon zest.

2. Pour in the lemon juice, chicken stock and water. Stir just to incorporate. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender. Stir in parsley and season to taste with additional salt and pepper, if needed. Serve with Parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top.

*Note: You can use frozen broccoli if you’d prefer. Just add it during the last 5 minutes of the simmering process instead of before boiling.

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Chimichurri Steak & Vegetable Quesadillas

FEBRUARY

Homemade Chicken Rice-A-Roni

Chocolate Cherry Cobbler

MARCH

Italian Sausage Risotto

Lemon Coffee Cake

APRIL

Coconut Chicken with Pineapple-Curry Dipping Sauce

Minted Melon Salad

MAY

Roasted Asparagus with Red Onions & Feta

Hot Chocolate Fluff

JUNE

Creamy Stuffed Pork Cutlets

Pasta Salad Skewers

JULY

Stuffed Jalapeno Pepper Dip

Brown Sugar Chicken

AUGUST

Glazed Blueberry Biscuit Bites

Crockpot Country Chicken

SEPTEMBER

Veggie Loaded Twice Baked Potatoes

OCTOBER

Baked Eggs with Bacon & Cheese

NOVEMBER

Chicken Enchilada Chili

Nutella Cream Pie with Hazelnut Crust

DECEMBER

Mac & Cheese Soup with Veggies

What were some of your favorite recipes in 2011?

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I know I was a little remiss in my usual posting of Christmas cookie recipes this year. You know what counts as a major fail when you are a food blogger? Packaging up cookies and candies to give away without first making sure you got pictures of each item. I was definitely frustrated when I realized that the 4 other recipes I was so excited to share were never photographed.

Aside from not being able to share those, my Christmas baking experience this year was incredible! My Frigidaire Gallery^® Range with Symmetry™ Double Oven made such a huge difference.

I loved being able to have different types of cookies baking at the same time and at different temperatures. Plus, having 4 cookie sheets going at one time really cut down on the overall time needed to get everything done. I don’t know if I could ever bake cookies again without the double ovens. I love them!

So, now 2011 is coming to a close, which personally, I can hardly believe. It’s been a fantastic year and I have a feeling 2012 will be even better! We’ve had quite a few changes, including some major changes in the kitchen and my cooking methods and habits. I’ve held off on going into details, but I plan to change all that soon.

In the meantime, I’m getting ready to put together a round-up of our favorite recipes from 2011. If there are any that you’ve tried and really loved, please let me know!

I hope you all have a wonderful New Year!

Full disclosure: I was provided with a brand new Frigidaire Gallery Freestanding Electric Range with Symmetry Double Ovens at no cost to me for participating in the Frigidaire Test Drive campaign. As always, all thoughts and opinions will be entirely my own.

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Coffee Bean Cookies

• 1 single-serving package Starbucks Via or 1 t. finely ground coffee
• 2 T. hot milk
• 3/4 c. butter, softened
• 3 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 c. brown sugar
• 1/4 c. sugar
• 1 t. vanilla
• 2 c. flour

1. Combine coffee and hot milk in a small bowl or cup and stir until dissolved. Set aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl, beat together butter, cream cheese and sugars until fluffy and well-combined, about 3-5 minutes. Add coffee/milk mixture and vanilla; beat an additional minute. Add flour and stir just until combined.

3. Roll a teaspoon of dough into an oval shape, similar to a pecan. (If dough is difficult to handle, refrigerate for about an hour until easier to work with.) Place on a cookie sheet and repeat until done. Using a bamboo skewer, chopstick or other similarly shaped utensil, press into the middle of each oval to form a coffee bean shape.

4. Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes, until lightly golden brown on the bottom. Cool on a wire rack.

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Pecan & Maple Logs

For cookies:

• 1 1/2 c. butter, softened
• 1 1/2 c. brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 c. maple syrup
• 4 c. flour
• 1 c. ground pecans

1. Beat the butter and brown sugar together in a large mixing bowl; beat until creamy. Add eggs and syrup and beat until combined. Slowly add the flour and beat just until it is fully incorporated, being careful not to overmix. Add the pecans and again beat just until combined. If the dough is to messy to work with, you can refrigerate it for a few hours or longer.

2. Using about 1 – 1 1/2 teaspoons of dough at a time, roll into a log shape and place on a cookie sheet. Repeat until done.

3. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes, until lightly golden-brown on the bottom. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

For Frosting:

• 2 T. butter
• 3 T. maple syrup
• 1 1/4 – 1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
• Food coloring, if desired

1. Beat the butter and maple syrup together. Slowly add the powdered sugar while continuing to beat until the desired consistency is reached. (Less sugar for spreadable frosting, more sugar for pipe-able frosting.) Add and combine desired food coloring, if using. Decorate cookies.

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Coconut & Cherry Kisses

• 1 7 oz. package shredded coconut
• 2 T. cornstarch
• 1/2 c. sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 t. vanilla
• 1/2 t. almond extract
• 1/2 c. red candied cherries (and/or green candied cherries), chopped

1. Pour coconut into a mixing bowl and stir in the cornstarch. Add the sweetened condensed milk and the extracts, stirring until combined. Fold in the chopped cherries.

2. Drop about a teaspoon of batter at a time onto a greased or foil-lined cookie sheet. If the batter spreads when you drop it, mound it a little with your fingers.

3. Bake for 10 – 12 minutes at 325 degrees, just until the bottoms get lightly browned and the tops are set. Transfer to a wire rack to cool after 1 minute.

These are not what you’d call “subtle” cookies. They are definitely sweet, but so good!

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