Showing posts with label cooking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cooking. Show all posts

Thursday, August 26, 2010

need a chocolate cupcake?

so...i'm not one of those amazing "bake everything from scratch" people.

{i'm not above cake mix in the box.}

not in the least.

so for my chocoholic hubby's birthday this week, i busted out the box and came up with these little cuties...
they turned out great because they were super chocolately without being so rich you think you might go into a coma.

my secret?

devils food cake mix and betty crocker whipped chocolate frosting.
try it. you'll thank me later.

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

ridiculously easy quadruple berry pie...

how is it that i've never known about danish dessert until now? where have i been?!
a friend made a dessert using this stuff...and it was amazing. i figured i should try it out especially since i found blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and strawberries all on sale at a local grocery store.

it was meant to be.

all it took was 4 cups of berries, 1 3/4 cups of water, a pie crust, and this little box of goodness and i had a great looking pie in 5 minutes!

i just followed the directions for pie glaze on the box:
mix danish dessert with cold water in medium saucepan, bring to boil for 1 minute while stirring continuously, remove from heat, fold in berries, and pour into pie crust...voila!
how easy is that?!

i refrigerated it for 4 hours then finished it off with some whipped topping. i'm eating a piece right now and it just tastes like a slice of summer. totally worth the 5 minutes of work.

Thursday, March 25, 2010

cheddar biscuits. mmmm....

We never eat at Red Lobster, but I always think those cheddar biscuits look so good on the commercials...

So i was delighted when I found this recipe by LettucePray via The Girl Who Ate Everything.

you NEED to make these. trust me.
photo by the girl who ate everything
Cheddar Bay Biscuits

Biscuits:
2 1/2 cup Bisquick
4 Tbsp cold butter
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
3/4 cup milk
1/4 tsp garlic powder

Butter Glaze:
3 Tbsp butter
1/2 tsp garlic powder
3/4 tsp dried parsley flakes

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment or lightly spray with cooking spray.

Cut Bisquick with cold butter in a medium bowl using a pastry cutter or 2 forks. Add cheddar cheese, milk, and garlic powder. Combine, but don't over mix.

Use a cookie scoop or spoon to drop portions onto a cookie sheet. (Should make about 12 biscuits.) Bake for 13-15 minutes until tops begin to turn light brown.

Melt remaining butter in a small bowl in the microwave. Stir in garlic powder and dried parsley flakes and use a brush to spread over the tops of the biscuits.  Sprinkle with a pinch of salt if desired.

Thursday, February 18, 2010

good eats (southwestern lasagna & white chicken chili)...

Earlier this week, I gave this southwestern lasagna a try (another Yummy Fun find). We ate it topped with sour cream and spanish rice on the side. It was really good fresh...I liked the crispiness of the baked tortillas on top. But the leftovers are good, too.

Southwestern Lasagna
8 small flour tortillas
3-4 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1/2 onion, chopped
1 can Rotel (diced tomatoes/green chilies)
1 can diced green chilies
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1 cup frozen corn
1 can black beans
juice from 1/2 lime
3 cups Monterrey Jack cheese, grated
chopped cilantro to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Saute shredded chicken, onion, Rotel, chilies, and spices.  Simmer until slightly bubbly.  Add corn and black beans.

Spray 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray.  Cover bottom of dish with 2-3 tortillas.  Layer half of the chicken mixture on top, followed by half of the cheese.  Repeat layers, then top with cilantro and 2 tortillas cut into triangles.

Cover with foil and bake 20 minutes.  Remove foil and bake and additional 20-30 minutes.

Then tonight I made eatbetteramerica's version of white chicken chili.  Doesn't their pic look yummy?

White Chicken Chili
1 lb ground chicken (I used shredded instead.)
1 onion, chopped
2 teaspoons minced garlic
3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper (or less to taste)
2 medium zucchini, chopped
2 cans great northern beans
1 can chopped green chilies
1/2 cup shredded Monterrey Jack cheese

In a large saute pan, cook chicken, onion, and garlic over medium heat until chicken is no longer pink.  (If you substitute cooked shredded chicken, just cook until onions are translucent.)

Stir in all remaining ingredients, except cheese.  Heat to boiling, then reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes, until zucchini is tender.

Remove from heat and stir in cheese until melted.

I used pepper jack rather than plain monterey, added a handful of finely minced spinach, and just threw all the ingredients in the crock pot for a couple of hours. It was definitely more like soup than chili. I thought the flavor was really good, kind of sweet with a little kick. We ate ours topped with sour cream and tortilla chips. It was very filling without being too heavy.

Saturday, February 13, 2010

dinnertime (lemon herb chicken bake & more)...

Thanks to those of you who gave me some good new recipes and sources! I've been scouring blogs, websites, and cookbooks for dinner ideas...and tried a few new ones this week. It's been fun to be excited about cooking dinner again.
Bran's old friend Jessica suggested food blog Yummy Fun, which is where I found the recipe for this lemon herb chicken bake... Lemon Herb Chicken Bake
Main Ingredients:
6-7 chicken breasts
5-6 medium red potatoes, quartered
1 cup frozen peas

Sauce:
Combine the following in saucepan and simmer for 3-5 minutes...
1/4 cup butter
3 Tablespoons lemon juice
3 Tablespoons minced dried onion
1 Tablespoon rosemary
3/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper (or more to taste)
1 teaspoon sugar 2/3 cup half & half

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place chicken in a 9 x 13 baking dish and cover with potatoes and peas.  Pour sauce over the top and sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake uncovered for about 40 minutes until potatoes are browning and sauce is bubbly.
I really liked how it turned out. I halved the recipe (since i'm only cooking for two) with no problems. I even reduced the amount of butter and increased the amount of peas...and I wish I had added even more peas. They tasted so good with the onion and lemon, and the chicken stayed nice and moist. The leftovers were fantastic!
My only suggestion would be to either cut your potatoes even smaller or increase the cooking time a few minutes. Some of the bigger pieces of potato weren't quite as done as  like. Also, I had some grated Parmesan that I needed to use, but next time I'm using shredded...I bet it will be even better.
This past week, I also cracked open my Betty Crocker's Bridal Edition cookbook and got the idea for creamy tomato penne.
All I did was add 1/4 cup of half-and-half to tomato pasta sauce, mixed it with cooked penne, and topped it with a bit of shredded parmesan. The cream really cut the acidity of the tomato...I liked it. We had ours with spinach salads topped with our favorite veggies and Parmesan garlic bread (french bread drizzled with olive oil, sprinkled with garlic powder and italian seasoning, topped with shredded parmesan, broiled until golden and bubbly). It was a simple meal, but so delicious. Bran and I just loved it.
More cooking adventures to come!

Monday, February 8, 2010

in a rut...

anyone have any good main dish recipes/dinner ideas out there???

i'm sick of making the same old things. there are lots of recipes out there, but i HATE it when i make a new recipe and it's just...not good.

what are you're tried and true favorites? or do you have an AMAZING recipe for something traditional? any good recipe blogs or websites that you just love? a cookbook you can't live without? even if you think it's a recipe i might already have...don't be bashful. i'm begging for inspiration, here.

we love french bread pizza, taco soup, enchiladas, spaghetti & meatballs, shrimp scampi, chicken and stuffing casserole, chicken with ALL kinds of sauces and marinades, lentil soup, chicken pot pie, beef stroganoff, stir fry, tacos, quesadillas, etc., etc., etc. and i'm happy to share my recipes with anyone who is interested...but we're just stuck in a dinner rut around here.

we need something new!
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