Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Jen's Brownies

1/2 C butter (or 6 TB butter/2 TB applesauce)
1 C white sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 C unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 C flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder

Icing (put on 5 min after you take pan out of oven)
3 TB butter
3 TB cocoa powder
1 TB honey
1 tsp vanilla
1 C powder sugar

Bake at 350 for 25-30 min until fork comes out clean. 

Sunday, December 16, 2012

Navajo tacos

12 Rhodes Texas™ Rolls, thawed & risen (the equivalent of 18 regular Rhodes dinner rolls)
vegetable oil for frying
1/2 pound ground beef
4 green onions, finely chopped
1/2 cup picante sauce or salsa
1 clove garlic, minced
2 cups canned pinto beans
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded lettuce
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
sour cream, if desired
Flatten each roll to a 6-inch circle. Fry in vegetable oil at 375°F until golden brown, turning over once (about 30 seconds). Drain on paper towels.
Fry ground beef, drain off fat. Add onion and fry until onions are clear.
Add salsa, minced garlic and beans; heat through. Do not over cook.
Spoon desired amount over warm fried dough. Top with grated cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and green onion. If desired, add more salsa and sour cream.

Chicken lo Mein

1 – 1 1/2 pounds chicken breast, sliced very thinly

Marinade:

1 Tb soy sauce
1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
Sauce:
2 Tb oyster sauce
2 tsp soy sauce
4 Tb beef broth
1 Tb granulated sugar
8 ounces linguine, prepared to al dente
1 tsp sesame oil
1/4 cup canola oil
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup chopped cabbage, such as Napa
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1-2 cups bean sprouts
3 green onions, sliced in 1 inch segments, white and green parts
*note: I like to chop up the white parts small and leave the green parts in longer pieces

Combine marinade ingredients with the chicken and allow to sit for 20 minutes. While the chicken is marinating, prepare the remaining ingredients.
In a small bowl, combine the oyster sauce, soy sauce, beef broth, and sugar. Set aside.
Boil noodles as per package instructions. Drain the noodles and toss with the sesame oil.
Heat a wok (or large, deep frying pan) over medium-highheat. Add the 1/4 cup of oil. Add the chicken. Stir fry chicken until cooked – about 5 minutes. Remove from wok and set aside.
Add another 1 Tb of oil to the wok if needed. When the oil is hot, add the garlic. Stir-fry until garlic browns, then add the carrots. Stir-fry for about 1 minute, then add the shredded cabbage and mushrooms. Cook for 2 more minutes. Add the noodles, bean sprouts, and green onions and cook for about 2 more minutes.
Add the sauce to the wok. Return the chicken to the pan. Mix everything together and serve hot.

Loaded baked potato soup

INGREDIENTS:
4-5 medium russet baking potatoes
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour, divided
6 cups milk
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/3 cup finely diced green onions
1/3 cup light sour cream
Toppings:
Sour cream
Shredded cheddar cheese
Chopped green onions
Cooked, diced bacon pieces
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Pierce the potatoes all over with the tines of a fork. Place the potatoes directly on the oven rack and bake for about an hour, until tender and baked through. Remove the potatoes from the oven and let them sit for about 20 minutes, until they are cool enough to handle (or use an oven mitt if you don’t want to wait for them to cool slightly). Cut the potatoes in half and scoop out the insides of the potatoes. Place the potato chunks in a medium bowl and mash with a fork or a potato masher until the potatoes are broken into smaller chunks.
In a large 4-quart pot, melt the butter over medium heat. When melted, add 1/4 cup of the flour and whisk to combine. Cook the mixture, whisking constantly, for 2 minutes until lightly browned. In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together the milk and remaining 1/4 cup flour. Gradually whisk the mixture into the pot, and cook until thick and bubbling, about 6-8 minutes. Stir in the potato chunks and salt and pepper. Whisk in the cheddar cheese until it is completely melted. Stir in the green onions and sour cream. Serve immediately with desired toppings.

Breadstick and Pizza Casserole

INGREDIENTS:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, green, red or yellow
2 medium zucchini, cut into rounds
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 cans (14.5 ounces each) diced tomatoes, drained
16 ounces tomato sauce
9-12 ounces fully cooked chicken or turkey sausages, sliced
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 recipe homemade breadstick dough (see note above)
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9X13-inch baking dish and set aside.
In a large non-stick skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and diced pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 4-5 minutes, until the onion is translucent and the pepper is tender. Add the zucchini and garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until just tender. Stir in the drained tomatoes, tomato sauce, chicken sausage, basil, oregano, thyme, salt and pepper. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes until the liquid is somewhat reduced. Add 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese and stir into the mixture. Spoon half of the sauce mixture into the prepared dish. Sprinkle 1 cup mozzarella cheese over the top. Spoon the other half of the sauce over the top of the cheese and sprinkle another 1/2 cup mozzarella over the top. Arrange bread sticks in a lattice pattern (see pictures below) over the sauce, trimming to fit, if necessary. Sprinkle remaining Parmesan and mozzarella on top.
Bake 25-30 minutes, until the breadsticks are golden brown and cooked through and the filling is hot and bubbly. Let stand 5-10 minutes before serving.

Italian calzone wrap

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 large onion chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound hot Italian sausage
1-2 red bell peppers (1 large or 2 small)
2 teaspoons chopped sundried tomatoes
1 pound fresh mozarella, cut into 1/2″ cubes
1 cup chopped basil leaves
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
marinara (optional)
Tortillas (Tortilla Land uncooked tortillas shells are my favorite)
In a medium skillet, heat oil. Add onion, cook on low for 2 minutes. Add garlic and sausage, crumble as you cook, stirring 3-5 minutes. Drain off excess fat at this point. Add red bell peppers and sundried tomatoes. Cook a few more minutes. Add mozarella and basil leaves. Toss, put the lid on pan and let cheese melt. This only takes a minute or two (cheese will go stringy if left on heat too long). Cook tortilla shells as directed and top with filling. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese, wrap it up and serve immediately.

Chicken and Butternut squash quinoa stew

INGREDIENTS:
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs or chicken breasts
1 can (14-oz) petite or regular diced tomatoes
3 cups chopped butternut squash (about 1 medium squash, peeled and seeded)
2/3 cup uncooked quinoa
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1-2 cups chopped fresh spinach
DIRECTIONS:
In a large 4 quart pot heat the olive oil until hot. Add the chopped onions, oregano, and garlic. Saute for 5-7 minutes, stirring often, until the onion is softened. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Add the chicken and boil until the chicken is cooked, 7-9 minutes. Remove the chicken to a plate.
Add the tomatoes, butternut squash, and quinoa. Simmer for 15 minutes until the squash is tender and quinoa is cooked. If desired, scoop out some of the squash, mash it and return it to the pot. Shred the cooked chicken and return to the pot. Add the salt and pepper, adding more salt to taste, if needed. Stir in the spinach. Cook 1-2 minutes until the spinach is wilted. Serve warm.

cheesy broccoli orzo

1 cup orzo
1-1/2 cups chopped broccoli florets
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 Tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
1 Tablespoon butter
1/4-1/2 cup 2% milk
salt
Directions:
Add orzo to a large pot of salted boiling water. Cook for 3 minutes then add chopped broccoli and cook for 2 more minutes, or until orzo is tender. Drain well (broccoli florets are notorious for holding onto water) then return to the pot. Add cheeses, butter, and 1/4 cup milk then stir well and add more milk if needed. Season with salt to taste.