Bacon, Tomato & Caramelized Onion Quiche

I made this quiche for Zak's birthday and it was a hit.  Super yummy and just what he had envisioned.  I grew up having quiche for brunch on Christmas day, but never for dinner, like Zad had.  I had also never made quiche before, so I was a bit nervous but then I realized, I've made pie (even those cute mini chicken pot pies!) and other complicated dishes, I should be able to make this!  Anyways, huge success, going to make it again this week because: yum!!  

I basically looked at a few recipes and combined them, made it taste good and wrote down my notes.  So here is my recipe for bacon, tomato & caramelized onion quiche:

8 oz. (about 7 pieces) bacon, cut into small pieces

1 large white/yellow onion, sliced 

1 large tomato, diced

1 single recipe of pie crust (used frozen deep dish pie crust)

3 Tbl. light sour cream

4 eggs

3/4 c. half & half

dash tabasco sauce

1/4 tsp. dry mustard

1 c. cheese (I used a cheddar blend, we aren't big on Swiss)

salt & pepper

butter

1.  In a large pan on medium heat, heat up a few tablespoons of butter.  Add onions, season with salt & pepper and cook for about 10 minutes.  Turn heat down to low and continue to cook until translucent and soft.

2.  Bake crust for 10 minutes at 375 degrees, cool.

3.  Fry bacon pieces while baking crust and caramelizing onions.

4.  In a small bowl, mix sour cream with a pinch of salt & pepper.  Spread on the bottom of cooled crust.

5.  In a large bowl, lightly beat the egg.  Add half & half, tabasco, dry mustard and salt & pepper to taste.

6.  Add caramelized onions to pie crust, followed by bacon pieces, diced tomatoes and cheese.  Pour in egg mixture.

7.  Baking on cooking sheet for 40 - 45 minutes at 375 degrees

beautiful!

taken the next day, we scarfed down our pieces

Reuben Sandwich

We had delicious Reuben sandwiches for lunch today.  I had never had one before, but oh man, it was SO good!  We are going to have them again for dinner this week and I can't wait!  Zak wanted coleslaw in his, but I went tradition and used sauerkraut, yum!  It wasn't too difficult to make, once we got the swing of things.

2 slices dark rye bread
1 or 1 1/2 pieces Swiss cheese
4 oz. (?) corned beef (use your judgement)
1-2 Tbl. sauerkraut/coleslaw
1-2 Tbl. thousand island dressing

1.  Heat slices of corned beef on medium-high heat, until slightly browned.
2.  Butter bread (like making a grilled cheese) and set both buttered-sides down on griddle with cheese slices on one half (on medium heat).
3.  Once cheese has started to melt, pile corned beef on.  If you want sauerkraut, warm up and place on top.  Or just put coleslaw on top of the meat.
4.  Add dressing and place bread on top of it.  Carefully brown and flip.

Zak's deli-style lunch

:)

so delicious

Taco Salad

We have taco salad often because it's easy, really yummy and lasts us for a few days, which is always great. My family has a great thousand island dressing that I posted on the blog and it goes great with this taco salad!  This last time I made it, I used a homemade taco seasoning mix, which turned out really well, definitely a keeper.  Here is what we have for taco salad:

1 lb. lean ground beef, browned with salt & pepper (also with 1 chopped onion, if desired)
3 tsp. taco seasoning mix or 1 package mix
1 can kidney beans
1 can sliced olives
1-2 heads iceberg lettuce, washed & torn
4-5 tomatoes, chopped
1 avocado, chopped
1 can corn
1-2 bags tortilla chips
grated cheese
sour cream
salsa
thousand island dressing

ingredients lined up & ready to go!

building

completed and before mixing up

Tater Tot Casserole

I didn't know tater tot casserole was a thing, but after this experiment, it might become a meal that we have every once in awhile, when we get that craving for a very yummy comfort food dish.  I used a bunch of different recipes and combined them to create this one.  I was only a little bit nervous about mostly winging it, but I took confidence in knowing what Zak and I both like and what would taste good and I'm proud to say that this was a big hit!  It was very easy to make and tasted great the next day, too!

1 lb. ground beef
1/4 c. onions, minced
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. seasoned salt
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 lb. tater tots (around 50)
2/3 c. frozen peas
2/3 c. frozen corn
1 1/2 c. cheese

1.  Brown meat with onions.  Add spices.
2.  Add in soups and veggies, cook until warmed through.
3.  Defrost tots in a shallow bowl in the microwave for 1 - 2 minutes.
4.  Layer a 9"x13" casserole dish with half of the soup mixture, half of the tater tots, 1/2 c. cheese; repeat.  Sprinkle remaining cheese on top.
5.  Cook for about 25 minutes at 350 degrees.

before cooking

after baking

sure it may not look super pretty, but it hit the spot!

Skillet Cheesy Chicken Rice

We really liked this recipe and it was so easy and satisfying, definitely a comfort food type of meal.  It was so quick to throw together after a long day at work, which is always a good thing.

1/2 Tbl. oil
1 1/4 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 can (10.75 oz.) Campbell's Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup
1 1/2 c. water
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 c. uncooked regular long-grain white rice
12 oz. frozen bag mixed veggies (ours had corn, green beans, carrots & peas)
3/4 c. shredded cheese

1.  Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the chicken and cook for 10 minutes, or until well browned on both sides.  Season with salt & pepper to taste, remove from skillet once completely cooked.
2.  Stir in soup, water, spices, rice into skillet and heat to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and cover and cook for 15 minutes, stirring once.
3.  Stir in vegetables and return chicken to skillet.  Sprinkle with cheese; cover and cook for 5 minutes or until cooked through and rice is tender.

Fail-Proof Pizza Dough

We love making homemade pizza; we used to make it almost every week when we were engaged/dating/in Rexburg.  We don't make it as often now, but it's always fun.  We have almost always used Zak's mom's recipe (they have a Pizza Friday tradition since forever), which is awesome and we love.  But I saw this recipe online and thought I'd like to give it a try.  The gal talked about how the crust was chewier, thinner and like restaurant pizza, and the only major difference was using bread flour vs. regular flour.  Zak was in charge of the dough and when I came home for work, we made two pizzas: one just cheese, and one with pineapple, tomatoes and basil.  It was delicious.  I really liked this recipe, the crust was awesome!  Zak liked it too, but he naturally loves his mom's recipe.  So I think we'll use this one from time to time, depending on our stock of bread or regular flour.  

Crust
1 c. warm water
2 1/4 tsp. active dry yeast
1 Tbl. honey (or sugar)
2 tsp. salt
2 Tbl. olive or canola oil
3 c. bread flour

Sauce
6 oz. tomato sauce
6 oz. tomato paste
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic
1/2 tsp. minced onion


~4 c. cheese
toppings

1.  In a large mixing bowl, stir together yeast and honey (or sugar) into warm water.  Let sit for 5 - 10 minutes or until bubbles form and mixture starts to foam.
2.  Pour in salt, oil and half the flour and mix on low.
3.  Once that flour is incorporated, start adding rest of flour slowly until dough is slightly tacky, but doesn't stick to hands when you touch it.
4.  Turn the mixer to medium - high to high speed, set a timer for 6 minutes and walk away.
5.  Lightly grease bowl and dough, cover with plastic wrap and let rise 1 - 2 hours.
6.  Once dough has doubled in size, punch down, separate into two pieces and roll into circle.  Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
7.  Mix sauce ingredients, adding other spices to taste.
8.  Add sauce, cheese and toppings to pizza.
9.  Cook pizza about 8 - 10 minutes, until crust has turned a beautiful golden brown color.

at first, I was skeptic of pineapple w/basil & tomatoes, but it was so yummy!

beautiful and delicious

Homemade Bagels

I love bagels, holy cow.  We have an amazing bagel sandwich shop in downtown and it's so hard not to go there all the time.  I've seen a few bagel recipes online and was always discouraged, because they look so complicated.  So when I found this recipe, I was a bit skeptical, because it seemed too easy and that maybe it wouldn't taste like real bagels.  But I was wrong!  This recipe was simple, fun and so freaking tasty!  I think I will make these often, and probably not buy bagels that much anymore.  These are so good.  I got to work on forming them a little bit better, but for my first try, I was impressed with how well they turned out!  We ended up with 4 plain, 2 sesame & 2 cheese.  Delicious!

4 c. bread flour
1 Tbl. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbl. oil
2 tsp. instant yeast
1 1/4 - 1 1/2 c. warm water

1.  Mix all ingredients in a large bowl.  Don't worry about proofing the yeast, just stir all ingredients until it's well incorporated.
2.  Plop the dough on the table, add some flour and kneed for about ten minutes.  Dough should be firm and smooth.
3.  Cut into 8 equal pieces and form in balls, let rest for 20 minutes.
4.  Roll out a dough ball with your hands until it is a little bit longer than the width of your two hands.  Form into a circle--the website had some technique that I couldn't quite grasp.  I just eyeballed it and formed circles that looked uniform enough.
5.  Let rolled bagels rest for 20 minutes; bring big pot of water to a boil, spray cooking sheet with Pam or something & preheat oven to 425 degrees.
6.  Boil as 3 - 4 bagels at a time, one minute per side.  Once they've been boiled on each side, place on oiled sheet.  If you want to add poppy or sesame seeds, or even cheese, simply have a clean plate ready with the toppings and carefully (bagel will be hot) place on top of the toppings.
7.  Once all bagels are done and toppings have been added, bake for 10 minutes.  Flip bagels and cook another 10 minutes.
8.  Let cool 15  - 20 minutes (however long you can stand it) and then enjoy!

waiting to be boiled

boiling!

into the oven

after first 10 minutes

finally done!

oh the sesame ones were amazing

well, they were all amazing!

Slow-Baked Mac & Cheese

I love macaroni and cheese, it's a total guilty pleasure and comfort food.  I try not to make it too often since I've been watching my calorie intake and trying to eat better/less.  But I've been doing well lately, and wanted to try a new recipe/version of mac & cheese, and I found this one.  I was skeptical, because it's a slow-cooker recipe, but decided to give it a shot.  To be honest, it wasn't everything I hoped it'd be, but it was still really good, and an interesting take on the ol' mac & cheese.  To our disappointment, along the bottom edges it got crusty and brown.  But the middle turned out fine.  Next time I might add breadcrumbs and experiment with different spices, I just went with normal salt, pepper & added onion powder.  Overall, not bad, it was definitely fun to try!

1 1/2 c. milk
12 oz. can evaporated milk (I used skim; evaporated milk apparently keeps the egg & milk from curdling)
1/4 c. unsalted butter, melted & cooled to room temperature
3 eggs
1/2 tsp. salt
3 c. shredded cheese (I used 2 cups colby jack blend, 1 cup mozzarella)
8 oz. (1/2 lb.) elbow macaroni, par cooked & drained (only cook for about 5 mins until tender but not completely cooked)
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese
pepper & other spices to taste

1.  Spray the inside of slow-cooker with cooking spray.  Cook the pasta for about 5 minutes--don't cook all the way.
2.  Combine butter and eggs in slow-cooker.  Slowly add in milk, salt, evaporated milk and whisk until smooth.
3.  Add shredded cheese (not the Parmesan) and pasta.  Sprinkle with pepper and other spices.  Gently stir with a spatula to coat evenly.
4.  Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top.  Cover and cook on HIGH for 30 minutes.
5.  Change temperature to LOW and cook for 2 - 2 1/2 hours, until middle is set and pasta is tender.  It can sit in the slow-cooker for 30 minutes on the warm setting before serving.

I didn't get amazing pictures, but here is what I got.

right before serving

so cheesy! 

Nutritional Facts
servings per recipe: 6
amount per serving

Calories: 493.1
Total Fat: 27 g
Saturated Fat: 14.9 g
Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.9 g
Monounsaturated Fat: 4.1 g
Cholesterol: 166.5 mg
Sodium: 767 mg
Potassium: 137.9 mg
Total Carbohydrate: 36.3 g
Dietary Fiber: 1.3 g
Sugar: 7.8 g
Protein: 27.2 g
Vitamin A: 23.1 %
Vitamin C: --
Calcium: 61.5 %
Iron: 2.6 % 

Crockpot Ravioli Casserole

I've been trying to find new and different recipes for the crockpot.  I found this one and thought it looked pretty good.  Zak actually did this whole recipe himself, since I had a busy day and couldn't make it home.  But it turned out really well, and smelled great when I got home.  I think next time we'll use less meat, 1 1/2 lbs. seemed like way too much.  And add a little bit more salt & pepper, but overall it was pretty good!

1 1/2 lbs. lean ground beef (I'm planning on using 1 lb. next time)
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
salt & pepper
10 oz. frozen spinach, thawed
16 oz. bowtie pasta, cooked
1/2 c. shredded Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 c. mozzarella cheese

1.  Brown ground beef with onion, garlic and salt & pepper.
2.  Put in crockpot and add sauce, tomatoes & seasonings.  Cook for 6 - 7 hours on low OR 4 - 5 hours on high.
3.  Add spinach, pasta and cheese during the last 30 minutes of cooking and turn temperature to high.  Make 6 - 8 servings, depending on your serving size.

I forgot to get a picture that night, so here it is in our tupperware...but still good!

Individual Chicken Pot Pies

I got this individual pie pan for my birthday and was super excited about it; Zak loves chicken pot pie and I could just imagine making cute little pot pies for him!  So this afternoon I went for it.  Overall, it went really well, except for my first set of pies.  I didn't realize that I needed to put the little metal plates on the bottom, because the box wasn't specific enough and....it went everywhere.  But I at least had the forethought to put the pan onto a baking sheet in case it leaked.  But the second pan of pies turned out just perfect!  So I'm jazzed about this pan and it's going to be awesome for summer fruit pies!  

The recipe I have for chicken pot pie is from my mother-in-law; I made it for Zak for the first time the night we got engaged.  I've made it a few times since then, but haven't really measured the amounts in the recipe.  Since I've been trying to be good about what I eat, I went hard core today and measured everything and wrote it all down, but now I have a recipe with actual amounts for the ingredients.  The only note is, when using the pie pan, I used 4 pie crusts; when I make just a pie in a pie plate, I only use 2 crusts.  Anyways, enough with the background and onto the recipe!

4 pie crusts (for individual pan, 2 for normal pie pan)

3 medium potatoes, peeled & cubed

2 medium carrots, peeled & cut in half-circles (about 3/4 c.)

1/2 onion (about 3/4 c.)

2/3 c. frozen peas

1 stalk celery, diced (1/3 c.)

1/4 tsp. thyme

1 tsp. garlic powder

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized cubes (came out to about 9 oz. cooked)

3 Tbl. flour

1/2 c. milk

1 c. shredded cheese

3 - 4 chicken bouillon cubes

3 - 4 c. water

salt & pepper

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2.  Prepare all vegetables and place in a large stock pot.  Measure water--enough to cover the vegetables.  I usually end up with 3 cups.  Drop in corresponding number of bouillon cubes.

3.  Add thyme, garlic powder, and shakes of salt & pepper; cook on medium to medium-high until vegetables are tender.

4.  In another pot, boil water and add chicken; cook.

5.  Mix together milk and flour in small bowl, add to potato mix.  Cook until thick, more flour may be needed.

6.  Add cooked chicken and cheese, stir until cheese has melted.  

7.  Pour mix into pie crusts and place top layer on top, make sure to cut vents.

8.  Bake 20 minutes if using individual pie pans, or about 30 - 40 minutes if using normal pie plate -- until crust has started to turn golden brown.

Usually when I make it with a normal pie plate, there is leftover mixture.  It's good to eat plain, but I imagine it's great with biscuits or thick bread.  With the individual pan, I had plenty to make 10 little pies, hooray!

stock picture of the pan with the plates and cutter

my second batch of pies, perfect!

perfection

my very first pot pie, from the night we got engaged

Nutritional Facts
servings per recipe: 10
amount per serving

Calories: 424.7
Total Fat: 21.5 g
Saturated Fat: 9.2 g
Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.7 g
Monounsaturated Fat: 7.7 g
Cholesterol: 25.1 mg
Sodium: 716.1 mg
Potassium: 335.3 mg
Total Carbohydrate: 48.7 g
Dietary Fiber: 1.9 g
Sugar: 2 g
Protein: 10.6 g
Vitamin A: 35.5 %
Vitamin C: 18.8 %
Calcium: 9.5 %
Iron: 4.6 %

Crockpot White Chicken Chili

I know, I've been on a crockpot kick lately.  But I'm determined to use it and find recipes that we like and aren't all cream-based soups.  Zak really likes white chicken chili and we've had it once or twice in the past, and I decided to give this recipe from the Better Homes & Gardens cookbook a try.  I changed some of the amounts of the ingredients, and omitted the chili peppers and subbed in some red pepper flakes.  I guess I'll just write down what the book has and in parentheses write what I used today.  Today is going to be rough, smelling it all day, waiting for Zak to come home from work to enjoy it!  I'm planning on serving it with some cheese, broken tortilla chips and a dollop of sour cream on top.

3  15.oz cans white kidney beans (I used 2)
2 1/2 c. chopped cooked chicken (20 oz. before cooking, about 14 oz. after)
1 c. chopped onion -- 1 large
1 1/2 c. chopped red, green and/or yellow sweet pepper (1 yellow & 1 red)
2 jalapeno chili peppers, seeded & chopped (didn't use, subbed in about 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes)
2 gloves garlic, minced (4 cloves/5g)
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. oregano
3 1/2 c. chicken broth (used Pacific Organic Low Sodium broth)

1.  Cook chicken, prep vegetables.
2.  In a 3 1/2 - 4 qt. crock broth, stir together all ingredients, except broth.
3.  Stir in chicken broth.
4.  Cook on LOW for 8 - 10 hours or HIGH for 4 - 5 hours.  Serve w/cheese, tortilla strips, etc. if desired.

Makes about 6 1/2 cups, 1 c. per serving.

fresh from the crockpot

with chips, cheese & sour cream mixed in

Nutritional Facts
servings per recipe: 6
amount per serving

Calories: 319.3
Total Fat: 2.9 g
Saturated Fat: 0.2 g
Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2 g
Monounsaturated Fat: 0.2 g
Cholesterol: 37.6 mg
Sodium: 1,104.1 mg
Potassium: 269.6 mg
Total Carbohydrate: 41 g
Dietary Fiber: 12.9 g
Sugar: 2 g
Protein: 30.8 g
Vitamin A: 15.2 %
Vitamin C: 98.1 %
Calcium: 13.9 %
Iron: 25.2 %

Garlic Cheese Bread

The other day I saw this recipe and not only did I immediately salivate, but decided I had to try it.  Yesterday we had our friends over and I made it with spaghetti; it was a hit!  I was surprised at how simple the recipe was, and how good.  I used half of the amount of cheese (about 2.5 oz.) and made my own garlic butter, but only used about 3/4 of the stick, not the whole thing.  But anyways, it was delicious and I'm sure I'll make it again.  Yum!

Bread
1 c. warm water
1 Tbl. honey
1 envelope active dry yeast (2 1/4 tsp.)
1 tsp. salt
3 c. bread flour
1/3 lbs. any cheese (I used 2.5 oz. of just regular block cheese)
1/2 c. garlic butter (I used 3/4 of a stick of butter)

Garlic Butter (I made this up, so add garlic and salt to taste)
1/2 c. (1 stick) butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. garlic salt

1.  In a large bowl, stir water, honey & yeast together.  Let yeast proof 5 - 10 minutes, until bubbly and active.
2.  If using a stand mixer, do not set speed higher than a 2 or 'stir'; stir in salt and flour in 1/4 c. increments.
3.  Once dough starts pulling away from the sides of the bowl, set a timer for 5 minutes and let machine knead the dough.  Dough should be smooth and tacky, but when touched, shouldn't leave any dough on fingers.
4.  Grease the bowl and dough.  Cover with plastic wrap or a towel and let rise 1 hour in a warm area or until doubled in size.
5.  Punch down dough and cut into two equal portions.  Form into two long baguettes the length of the cookie sheet.  I twisted them so they looked neat, but I guess it also helps it keep the length and not shrink.  Cover with plastic wrap and rise 30 minutes.
6.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Once bread has risen and oven is heated, bake
for 15 - 20 minutes, until lightly golden.
7.  While bread is baking, slice the cheese into thin slices and melt the garlic butter.  Pull loaves out of the oven and brush with melted garlic butter (I put some foil under the bread so it wouldn't get all over the pan.
8.  Bake another 5 - 7 minutes, or until bread is a nice golden brown.  Remove from oven and cool 15 minutes.)
9.  Cut 1-inch slices three-quarters of the way through the loaves.  Brush garlic butter in between each slice and fill each with a slice of cheese.  Bake another 3 - 5 minutes or until cheese is completely melted.  Serve immediately!

with garlic butter and cheese

look how yummy

so delicious!

Nutritional Facts
servings per recipe: 24
amount per serving

Calories: 96.9
Total Fat: 4 g
Saturated Fat: 2.5 g
Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2 g
Monounsaturated Fat: 1 g
Cholesterol: 10.7 mg
Sodium: 136.2 mg
Potassium: 20.9 mg
Total Carbohydrate: 12.7 g
Dietary Fiber: 0.4 g
Sugar: 0.8 g
Protein: 2.4 g
Vitamin A: 2.4 %
Vitamin C: --
Calcium: 2.5 %
Iron: 4.2 %

Crockpot Potato Soup

Zak found this recipe on Reddit.com.  I looked it over, and decided to give it a try.  The past few days we've been getting snow, so it seemed like a good winter soup, especially paired with some sour dough bread.  The original recipe was for a 6 qt. crockpot, and I ended up modifying the amounts for ours (which I think is a 4.5 or 5 qt.).  Well, my adjustments worked out perfectly, and the soup was delicious.  I opted to add light sour cream in lieu of the cream cheese and added a sensible amount of cheese.  The result was 13 cups of soup, and with 1 cup per serving with only 175 calories.  So, not bad at all.  Easy, tasty & not too bad for you?  Triple whammy!

3 lbs. potatoes, peeled & diced
6 c. chicken broth
1 1/2 c. cheese
1 c. light sour cream
1 c. corn
6 pieces bacon, crumbled
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion (or 1/2 regular sized), minced
1/4 - 1/2 c. green onions
1 tsp. seasoned salt
1 tsp. pepper
salt to taste

1.  Peel & dice potatoes, layer on bottom of crockpot.
2.  Add in onion, garlic & sprinkle seasonings evenly.
3.  Pour in broth, cook on high for 4 hours (I ended up cutting that short by half an hour, didn't hurt it) or low for 8 hours; the potatoes should be 'fork tender'.
4.  Use an immersion blender to mash up potatoes until it reaches a thick, even consistency.
5.  Add in sour cream, bacon, corn, cheese and stir until melted.
6.  Add in green onions, stir and serve!

Makes 13 cups.

Nutritional Facts
servings per recipe: 13
amount per serving

Calories: 175.1
Total Fat: 5.9 g
Saturated Fat: 3.2 g
Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2 g
Monounsaturated Fat: 0.7 g
Cholesterol: 19.1 mg
Sodium: 586.4 mg
Potassium: 502.8 mg
Total Carbohydrate: 24.6 g
Dietary Fiber: 1.9 g
Sugar: 4.3 g
Protein: 8.4 g
Vitamin A: 5.2 %
Vitamin C: 34.4 %
Calcium: 12.5 %
Iron: 5.4 %

Chicken in Lemon-Cream Sauce

My mom sent me this recipe and I made this last night and it is so yummy!  It was hard to leave leftovers!  It's a very simple, easy recipe and went great with some mashed potatoes and corn.  Wonderful!

a few Tbl. butter
8 chicken breast halves, or tenders
2 Tbl. dry white wine or water
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. (white) pepper
1 tsp. grated lemon peel
2 Tbl. lemon juice
1 c. heavy whipping cream
1/3 c. grated parmesan cheese
1 c. sliced mushrooms (we don't love mushrooms, so I excluded them)

1.  Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat, add chicken.  Cook, about 10 minutes, or until browned and tender.  Remove and place in overproof serving dish; discard butter from skillet.
2.  Add wine (or water), lemon peel and lemon juice to skillet; cook and stir over medium heat about 1 min.  Stir in salt and pepper.
3.  Gradually pour in cream, stirring constantly.  Stir until hot, do not boil!  Pour cream sauce over chicken, sprinkle with cheese and mushrooms.  Broil about 6 inches from heat source until lightly browned, about 8 minutes. 

No pictures, sorry!

Ravioli Soup

I love this recipe.  I used to ask my mom for it all the time for my birthday.  It's perfect with grated parmesan cheese and a few slices of french bread, yum!  I made the entire recipe when we had friends over, and everyone loved it.

2 (10 oz.) cans Campbell's beef broth bouillon
2 c. canned tomato juice
6 c. water
1 1/2 c. chopped carrots (in half circles)
1/2 c. chopped green onion
1 1/2 c. peeled, diced potato (can use a little extra, I love the potato in this)
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 c. chopped fresh parsley
1 (10 oz.) box frozen chopped spinach
about 48 - 60 frozen meat ravioli, cooked (for those in the Bay Area, my mom uses the local Genova brand)
2 (8 oz. each) containers of ravioli sauce (tomato, garlic, herbs)

1.  Combine bouillon, tomato juice and water in a large pot.
2.  Bring to a boil and add: carrot, potato, onion, parsley, salt, sugar and pepper. Cover and simmer until veggies are tender.
3.  Add the spinach and gently stir in the ravioli (which has already  been cooked) and the sauce.  Heat about 10 minutes.
4.  Serve with parmesan cheese sprinkled over top, if desired.

not a great picture, but it is delicious!

Zucchini Monterey

This is a family favorite, and one of my personal favorites.  I made it for Zak's birthday with the pork recipe I just posted.  Zak isn't a huge fan of zucchini, so I figured this would be a decent way to maybe get him to like it.  He didn't love or hate it, but he is a little bit more open to the idea now!  This is a great side dish and pretty simple to make, once you get it through your head that it's not too difficult.  


I made 4 zucchini and kind of eye-balled the ingredients.  The most important things are: cooking the zucchini long enough so that it's not crunchy or too soft, and, while you're cooking the vegetables, add in salt and pepper until it tastes good.  But here is the recipe, enjoy!  


6 zucchini
3 Tbl. butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 c. chopped green onion
(1/4 c. white onion, optional)
salt & pepper
3/4 - 1 c. monterey jack cheese


1.  Cut a V down each zucchini, roughly a quarter of it.  Chop up.
2.  Boil rest of zucchini about 5 minutes, until they're not crunchy, but not falling apart.  They'll turn a little opaque in color.
3.  Meanwhile, sauté in butter: zucchini, green onion, garlic and, if wanted, white onion.  Season to taste.
4.  Drain zucchini, and scoop out a channel in each; add the pulp to the sautéed mixture.  
5.  Stir in 1/2 c. - 3/4 c. cheese -- however much you want.
6.  Spoon into zucchini shells, place in baking dish and sprinkle with remaining cheese.
7.  Bake covered (or uncovered, until cheese is slightly browned) at 375 degrees about 20 minutes.

all done!

Macaroni & Cheese (Kraft Knockoff)

I will admit that I kind of love Kraft mac & cheese (the best is the 3 cheese shells, ohh). Sometimes you just need some comfort food and it hits the spot. The other day while Zak was at work, I had a craving for it, but seeing as how I was stranded at home and it was cold and rainy outside, I opted not to walk to the store to get a box of it. So I looked online and found a good 'taste-a-like' of it. It was super easy, and pretty tasty!

2 quarts water

1 Tbl. salt

2 c. uncooked elbow (or shell, whatever) macaroni

2 Tbl. butter

1/2 lb. cheese, grated (about 2 cups)

1 tsp. cornstarch

2 tsp. flour

1 c. milk

1/2 tsp. lemon juice

1/4 c. ham, chopped into 1/4 inc. cubes (I didn't have ham when I made this, so I opted it out, but I'm sure it's good in it)

black pepper

onion salt

1. In a medium bowl, mix corn starch in with cheese, so that it's coated (this helps cheese from getting too stringy).

2. Bring water and salt to a boil, add pasta and cook 7 or so minutes, drain when finished.

3. While pasta is cooking, prepare the sauce by melting butter in a large saucepan on medium heat.

4. Whisk in the flour; slowly dribble in the milk and continue to whisk until the sauce is smooth.

5. Slowly add in the cheese and whisk until smooth. Stir in the lemon juice.

6. Add in the cooked, drained macaroni and ham. Sprinkle in pepper and onion salt.

Chinese Sundaes / Hawaiian Haystacks

This is a family tradition. We often have it a few times a year, but the most memorable time is at the beach. My family has been going to the same motel, on the same beach, since my dad was a baby. It is one of my favorite places to be! My mom almost always makes this meal for the family, which has now grown to at least 30 of us. It's an ordeal, but it's tradition, too. Zak was wary of this, when I first talked about making it a few years ago. He was hesitant, but being the trusting guy in his woman's cooking that he is, ventured forth and came out a fan. Now every time I mention I'm making Chinese Sundaes, he gets all excited. They are that good. And we don't call them Hawaiian Haystacks, but I guess some people do, so whatever floats your boat. It's a simple meal to throw together, the only thing that takes time and a recipe is the chicken gravy, oh man. It's hard to not dump it all on your sundae because it's so good. Mmm. Well, I'll post the 'order' of the sundaes, as well as the chicken gravy recipe. Enjoy!

1. Rice

2. Chow Mein Noodles (crunchy)

3. Chicken (diced, cooked)

4. Chicken Gravy

5. Tomato (diced)

6. Celery (diced)

7. Cheese (grated)

8. Gravy again (optional, but if you're feeling indulgent, go for it)

9. Crushed Pineapple

10. Green Onion

11. Sliced Almonds

12. Coconut

13. Cherry

the perfect sundae (without celery)

Chicken Gravy

6 Tbl. butter

6 Tbl. flour

1 1/2 c. chicken broth

1 c. milk

salt & pepper to taste

*our microwave is crazy powerful, so I usually cook the recipe starting around 50 or 60% power, working my way up and checking often, so it doesn't overflow*

1. Melt butter for about 1 1/2 minutes.

2. Once butter is melted, whisk in flour; cook for about 1 1/2 minutes, or until bubbly and thicker.

3. Add in liquids, slowly and whisking as you go. Once all the liquids have been added, microwave for 3 minutes.

4. Whisk, cook 2 minutes.

5. Whisk, cook 1 1/2 minutes.

6. Repeat until sauce is fairly thick, or until however thick you want it to be. Salt & pepper to taste.

(this recipe makes about 3 cups)

everything all laid out

close-up

Cheesy Potato Bread [Bread Machine]

I made this on a whim, and it turned out pretty well! It's great with eggs or for a sandwich. I made the 1 1/2 pound loaf, but I suppose I'll include both...

for 1 1/2 pound loaf:

3/4 c. water

1/2 c. chopped, peeled potato

1/3 c. milk

1/3 c. shredded cheese

2 tsp. butter

3 c. bread flour

1 Tbl. sugar

3/4 tsp. onion salt

1/4 tsp. caraway seeds, crushed (optional, I didn't use them this time)

1 tsp. active dry yeast or bread machine yeast

for 2 pound loaf:

1 c. water

2/3 c. chopped, peeled potato

1/2 c. milk

1/2 c. shredded cheese

1 Tbl. butter

4 c. bread flour

4 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. onion salt

1/2 tsp. caraway seeds, crushed (optional)

1 1/4 tsp. active dry yeast, or bread machine yeast

1. Select desired loaf. In a small saucepan, combine the water and potato. Bring to boiling; reduce heat and simmer covered, about 10 minutes (or until tender) and do not drain.

2. Mash potato in the water, measure the mixture. If necessary, add water to equal 3/4 c. mixture for 1 1/2-pound loaf or 1 c. mixture for the 2-pound loaf; discard any excess mixture. Cool slightly.

3. Add the potato mixture and remaining ingredients to a bread machine according to the manufacturer's directions. Select the basic white bread cycle.

4. Remove hot bread from machine as soon as it's done and cool on a wire rack.

'Sour Cream Noodle Bake' / 'Easy Lasagna'

I found this recipe through stumbleupon, and couldn't pass it up. It's from the website thepioneerwoman.com. I haven't made up my mind about the site yet, but the post about this recipe was kind of cute. Right as I started making this last night, I realized I didn't have enough for the full recipe. Luckily, I did have enough for half, and it turned out just fine. I added in some extra seasonings and used lowfat/light sour scream & cottage cheese. And it fit an 8"x8" pan, making 6 pieces in all.

Here is the original recipe, which I cut in half, more or less.

1 lb. ground chuck (ground beef worked fine)
1 15-oz. can tomato sauce
1/2 tsp. salt
8 oz. egg noodles
1/2 c. sour cream
1 1/4 c. cottage cheese
1/4 c. - 1/2 c. green onions
1 c. cheese
black pepper
optional seasonings: onion powder, red pepper flakes, garlic salt

1. Brown meat in large skillet, drain and add in tomato sauce, salt & pepper. Simmer while preparing other ingredients.
2. Cook noodles; drain and set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, combine sour cream and cottage cheese; mix to combine. Add in pepper, noodles and green onions (to taste). Add in other optional seasonings until it tastes good.
4. To assemble, place half of the noodles in the pan. Add half of the meat mixture on top, followed by half of the cheese. Repeat the layers.
5. Bake for 20 minutes (or until cheese melts) at 350-degrees.





Nutritional Facts
servings per recipe: 12
amount per serving

Calories: 234.2
Total Fat: 10.8 g
Saturated Fat: 4.8 g
Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5 g
Monounsaturated Fat: 3.1 g
Cholesterol: 58.2 mg
Sodium: 400.5 mg
Potassium: 322.4 mg
Total Carbohydrate: 18.7 g
Dietary Fiber: 1.1 g
Sugar: 3.4 g
Protein: 15.6 g
Vitamin A: 6.81 %
Vitamin C: 5.2 %
Calcium: 10.5 %
Iron: 11.2 %