Whole Wheat Zucchini Oat Muffins

While these muffins are a tiny bit sweet they are not your typical zucchini muffin. These muffins are more on the savory side of the world. The lack of sugar really helps the flavors of the featured ingredinets shine through. The addition of nuts would really add a nice crunch and texture to these muffins.


Quick and easy to prepare and a delight for the whole family. Try these delicious muffins today!

Whole Wheat Zucchini and Oat Muffins with Cinnamon Streusel
Adapted from Tasty Kitchen

~yields a bakers dozen (13) muffins~

Ingredients
Streusel topping
4 tablespoons brown sugar
4 tablespoons rolled oats
2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons butter, cold
Muffins
⅓ cups rolled oats
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
⅓ cups brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoons salt
1-½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups packed grated zucchini
⅔ cups buttermilk
2 whole eggs
¼ cups butter, melted

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray.
For the streusel: Add all dry ingredients into a small bowl. Cut the butter into the dry ingredients; set aside.
For the muffins: Stir together all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Fold in the grated zucchini and mix until it is well coated with the dry ingredients. In a small bowl whisk together the eggs, buttermilk and melted butter. Fold into dry ingredients stirring just until combined.
Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups and top with struesel topping.
Bake for 18-20 minutes.

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

I came across this recipe a few weeks ago when my most recent Food Network magazine came in the mail. Since I have yet to find the absolute perfect broccoli cheese soup recipe I figured that I might as well give this one a try. After spilling (and cleaning up) almost 2 cups of milk on the kitchen floor I should have just left the kitchen and tried again another night but I was determined to have this soup for dinner.


I did not have enough time to make bread bowls to go along with this soup so instead I served it with a few slices of garlic toast. The Food Network magazine compared this soup to Panera's broccoli-cheese soup. Although I am not sure how this compares to theirs I do know that this soup was warm, creamy, and delicious. I will definitely make this soup again.

Almost-Famous Broccoli-Cheddar Soup

adapted from Food Network

Ingredients
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups half-and-half
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 bay leaves
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
4 7-inch sourdough bread boules (round loaves)
4 cups broccoli florets (about 1 head)
1 large carrot, diced
2 1/2 cups (about 8 ounces) grated sharp white and yellow cheddar cheese, plus more for garnish

Directions
Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the flour and cook until golden, 3 to 4 minutes, then gradually whisk in the half-and-half until smooth. Add the chicken broth, bay leaves and nutmeg, then season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, uncovered, until thickened, about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the bread bowls: Using a sharp knife, cut a circle into the top of each loaf, leaving a 1-inch border all around. Remove the bread top, then hollow out the middle with a fork or your fingers, leaving a thick bread shell.
Add the broccoli and carrot to the broth mixture and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Discard the bay leaves. Puree the soup in batches in a blender until smooth; you'll still have flecks of carrot and broccoli. Return to the pot. (Or puree the soup in the pot with an immersion blender.)
Add the cheese to the soup and whisk over medium heat until melted. Add up to 3/4 cup water if the soup is too thick. Ladle into the bread bowls and garnish with cheese.

Zucchini Bread

It is once again the time of year that gardens are overflowing and the nice people of the world start offering up their extras to those of us without gardens. Last weekend I got some zucchini from my aunt's garden in hopes to make some zucchini bread. I already have a recipe in my archives for this bread but I decided I wanted to change it up and try something different. Boy am I glad that I did. This recipe did not disappoint!


This bread was quite amazing, moist and delicious just like a quick bread should be. I typically only like almonds in my cookies and breads but I decided to add toasted walnuts anyway. I think they really worked well and gave the bread a great texture. The addition of apple and coconut really brought this bread to the next level. I think this is my new favorite zucchini bread recipe.


Zucchini Bread
Adapted from Joy of Baking

~makes one - 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf~

Ingredients
1/2 cup pecans or walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
1 cup shredded raw zucchini (1-2 zucchini)
1/2 cup peeled and grated raw apple, (about 1 large apple)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup safflower or canola oil
1 cup granulated white sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Grease (or spray with a nonstick vegetable spray) a 9 x 5 x 3 inch (23 x 13 x 8 cm) loaf pan. Set aside.
Toast the pecans or walnuts for about 8 minutes or until lightly browned and fragrant. Let cool and then chop coarsely.
Grate the zucchini, using a medium grater, and then peel and grate the apple. Set aside.
In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, ground cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.
In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the oil, sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract until well blended (about 2 minutes). Beat in the grated zucchini and apple. Add the flour mixture, beating just until combined. Then fold in the nuts and coconut. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake until the bread has risen and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 50 to 60 minutes.
Place on a wire rack to cool and then remove the bread from the pan. Frost with cream cheese icing, if desired. Well wrapped, this bread will keep for several days at room temperature.

Chinese: Take Out Fake Out

I was originally going to make stir-fry this evening but then decided I wanted to make something new. I was browsing through the starred items in my google reader and came across this recipe for sweet and sour chicken. I had the recipe starred twice from two different blogs and decided it was a sign that I needed to make this for dinner.


The process of making this was pretty easy. Coat and pan fry the chicken then put it into a baking dish, cover it with sauce and let the oven do the rest of the work. Since I am feeding only my husband and myself I used one large chicken breast and made one batch of the sauce, pouring half into the baking dish and thickening the other half on the stove with some red pepper flakes for a bit of added heat. I will definitely be making this dish again, it was so easy and virtually foolproof with an awesome taste.


I served this chicken over rice with stir-fried vegetables (carrots, broccoli, water chestnuts, and garlic chips) on the side.

Sweet and Sour Chicken
As seen on Mrs. Sac's Purple Kitchen and Cooking This and That originally from Taste and Tell

-Makes 4 servings -

Chicken Ingredients
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup cornstarch
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup canola oil

Directions
Cut boneless chicken breasts into chunks. Season with salt and pepper.
Dip chicken in cornstarch and then in egg. Fry in a little oil until brown but not cooked through. Place in a single layer in a baking dish. Mix sauce ingredients (below) together and pour over chicken.

Sauce Ingredients
¾ cup sugar
4 tablespoons ketchup
½ cup vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon garlic salt

Directions
Bake for one hour at 325 degrees. Turn chicken every 15 minutes. If you like extra sauce, make another batch of sauce and bring it to a boil on the stove top. Stir constantly and let cook over medium heat until thickened and reduced - about 6-8 minutes.

Cold Veggie Pizza

Vegetable pizza is a quick and easy appetizer that everyone always seems to enjoy. I took this dish with me to Christmas with my family and they gobbled it up. The great thing about this recipe is that it can be changed up with whatever vegetables you are in the mood for or happen to have in your fridge. I typically just use broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots though.


Everything can be prepped in advance with this recipe, bake the crust the day before, make the cream cheese topping and chop all the vegetables, but it is best assembled the day you are planning to eat it.


Cold Vegetable Pizza
Source: Amber's Delectable Delights

Ingredients
2 (8 oz) packages crescent recipe creations
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon dill weed
1 tablespoon dry ranch seasoning
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 cups vegetables, cut into bite size pieces
1 cup shredded cheese

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Unroll crescent dough sheets onto a large non-sick baking pan to completely cover the pan. Press the your fingers over the dough to seal the seems. Bake 12-15 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned. Set aside to cool.
2. Mix together the cream cheese, mayonnaise, garlic, dill, ranch and black pepper. Set aside.
3. Once the crust is completely cooled, evenly spread the cream cheese mixture over it. Cut the crust into squares and then top with the vegetables and cheese of your choice. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Zuppa Toscana

I was searching around the Internet for recipes this past weekend when I came upon this soup recipe. I have never had Zuppa Toscana at Olive Garden, or in general, but all of the ingredients in this recipe sounded like they would be delicious together. Not the least bit healthy but definitely delicious. :)

This made a nice and hearty soup that was comforting on a cold and snowy evening. My husband and I both give it two thumbs up. I look forward to making this again sometime soon.


I made a few changes to the recipe but nothing that would change it to dramatically. I really dislike fennel seed so I used country style sausage and added some black pepper and red pepper flakes to it. I omitted the onion and subbed in some onion powder. I used baby spinach instead of Kale and half and half instead of heavy cream. Since I used half and half instead of heavy cream I smashed up some of the potatoes to give the soup a thicker consistency.

Zuppa Toscana (Olive Garden Copycat Recipe)

Source: Robbie's Recipes

Ingredients
1 pound spicy Italian sausage - crumbled
1/2 pound smoked bacon - chopped
4 cups water
2, 14.5 ounce cans (about 3 2/3 cups) chicken broth
2 large russet potatoes - scrubbed clean, cubed
2 garlic cloves - peeled, crushed
1 medium onion - peeled, chopped
2 cups chopped kale OR Swiss chard
1 cup heavy whipping cream
salt and pepper - to taste

Directions
1. In a skillet over medium-high heat, brown sausage, breaking into small pieces as you fry it; drain, set aside.

2. In a skillet over medium-high heat, brown bacon; drain, set aside.

3. Place water, broth, potatoes, garlic, and onion in a pot; simmer over medium heat until potatoes are tender.

4. Add sausage and bacon to pot; simmer for 10 minutes.

5. Add kale and cream to pot; season with salt and pepper; heat through.

Chicken Club Squares

A couple weeks ago I was sent some promotional products from Pillsbury. Along with some other products inside my box was 2 rolls of their new crescent roll product called crescent recipe creations. I decided to throw together some things that were in my kitchen and came up with these Chicken Club Squares. Instead of having a club sandwich for your lunch or dinner you can now switch it up a bit and have the sandwich for an appetizer with these bars.


Although I did not make mine with tomatoes I added them into the ingredients of the recipe because I feel it would compliment the rest of the ingredients and it would also add some nice color. See my beautifully seasoned Pampered Chef stone? Isn't she beautiful. Her and her brothers and sisters are my bestest friends. ;) I <3>

My recipe testers all gave these 2 thumbs up. In fact, they liked them so much that they finished off the entire tray. But that was ok with me because they would have gone bad in the fridge overnight. They really are best if they are eaten within a few hours of being assembled. Wait, lets rewind a moment, I fibbed a teeny bit, my sister left the last one for my husband but he so graciously let me have it. What a man, what a man. :)


I came back because I forgot to mention the best thing about these new crescent recipe creations. They are trans fat free!! The same thing can not be said for the regular crescent rolls.

Chicken Club Squares
Source: Amber's Delectable Delights

Makes 15 squares

Ingredients
1 can Pillsbury Recipe Creations, crescent rolls
1 block (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
2 small or 1 large clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried dill
black pepper, to taste
1 cup chicken, cooked shredded and cooled
4 slices bacon, cooked crumbled and cooled
1 cup shredded cheese
1 roma tomato, seeded and chopped (optional)
1 cup lettuce, chopped

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Roll crescent sheet onto baking pan and roll out slightly with a rolling pin to flatten. Bake 12-15 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned. Set aside to cool.
2. Mix together the cream cheese, mayonnaise, garlic, dill and black pepper. Set aside.
3. Once the crust has completely cooled top with cream cheese mixture. Cut into squares and then top with the chicken, bacon, cheese, tomato(if desired) and lettuce.

Dill-icious

I love dill pickles, especially the cold packed ones like Claussen. They are so crisp and refreshing! I have seen this recipe floating around and had been dying to make it but finding fresh herbs in my neck of the woods is quite a task, let alone trying to find the pickling cucumbers. Last Wednesday my friend and I went to Flea Market and one of the booths was selling pickling cucumbers 5 for $1! I couldn't pass up the deal so I bought 10 cute little cucumbers. I got home and remembered that I would probably need some dill in order to make dill pickles, DUH! Since no stores within a 10 mile radius of me carry dill I had to drive to the nearest Meijer to find it but it was well worth it. :)

I don't have any fancy canning jars so I simply used my pampered chef classic batter bowl. Today is the second day these little gems have been in my refrigerator so I decided to give on e a try. They tasted great but I think they will be even better in a couple more days; they still had a slight cucumber taste. I think I will add some more garlic to the brine while I have them out, more garlic is never a bad thing. :)


I have a bunch of extra dill in my fridge so I am thinking about making some cheddar dill bread, mmm sounds good huh? Stay tuned...

Refrigerator Dill Pickles
Source: Annie's Eats, originally from: Delicious Meliscious

Ingredients
For the brine:
3 cups water
6 tbsp. white vinegar
3 tbsp. kosher salt

minced garlic
fresh dill
cucumbers, cut into spears

Directions
Combine all brine ingredients in a pitcher. Stir well to dissolve salt.

Put several sprigs of fresh dill in the bottom of each jar. Pack half full with cucumber spears. Layer with more sprigs of fresh dill. Finish filling the jar with cucumbers. Sprinkle some minced garlic on top. Pour brine into the jar until it is full and pickles are completely submerged. Put the lid on and allow to refrigerate at least 2 days before eating.
Source: adapted from

Zucchini Cookies

Last weekend while at my aunt's house she was telling me how she made some zucchini cookies and she really wanted me to try one. She pulled the bag of them out of the freezer and gave me one to try. It was pretty good cold so I figured that it would be just as great room temperature. Before leaving her house she gave me some zucchini from her garden and the recipe for the cookies (thanks Aunt Teresa!!).


The only ingredient modification that I made to this recipe is that I only used 1.5 teaspoons of cinnamon instead of 2. I also decided that I wanted larger cookies than teaspoon size, so I used my medium sized cookie scoop that holds 2 tablespoons of dough and ended up with about 60 cookies.


As you can see from the picture above, these are definitely cake like cookies. But just because they are cake like does not mean they are not good. I really enjoy them. The subtle hint of cinnamon mixed with the faint taste of zucchini and then the layer of chocolate make a great combination. Add in the texture and crunch from the nuts and you have yourself one heck of a good cookie.


Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cookies
Source: RecipeZaar

Ingredients
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs, beaten
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
2 small zucchini, grated (you want it to measure approximately 2 cups of grated zucchini)
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 1/2-2 cups walnuts, chopped (optional)

Directions
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Spray cookie sheets with cooking spray or line with Parchment paper.
3. Cream your butter and sugar together in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy.
4. Add the egg, flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt into the butter mixture, gradually; mix well.
5. Stir in the zucchini.
6. Fold in the walnuts (optional), and chocolate chips.
7. Drop by teaspoonfuls with two (2) inches between each cookie-- onto the cookie sheets.
8. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden.
9. Do not over-bake, or you will not enjoy your cookies.
10. Let stand to cool for 2 to 3 minutes, then remove and place on wire racks to allow to cook completely.

Chicken Fried Rice

I had planned on making stir-fry for dinner tonight but while searching for recipes I came across a recipe for chicken fried rice. It sounded pretty good and I had never made it before so I figured that I would just go ahead and make it for dinner. Maybe you think it wasn't a well balanced meal but hey it had protein (2 kinds in fact), a starch and veggies so my husband and I were ok with that. I am not sure how authentic the recipe is but oh well, it was great!

My husband and I both enjoyed this dish (AKA we went back for seconds) and I think I will be making fried rice more often. It took minimal prep time and cooked rather quickly. It would be the perfect solution to leftover rice they may be sitting in the fridge, actually I might make extra rice more often just so I can make this. :)


I did make a few slight modifications to this recipe but nothing to drastic or serious. I seasoned my chicken with salt, pepper and garlic powder before cooking it. I also left out the onion and subbed low sodium soy sauce for the teriyaki sauce.

Chicken Fried Rice
Source: Bakespace, motherof2boys

Ingredients
6 ounces cooked diced chicken
2 tablespoons water
1/4 c. low sodium chicken broth or bouillon
1 1/2 tablespoons low sodium teriyaki sauce
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root
Pinch white pepper
2 teaspoon vegetable oil
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup shredded carrot
1 1/2 cup cooked white rice
1/2 c. frozen peas

Directions
In small bowl, combine chicken, 2 tablespoon water, chicken broth, teriyaki sauce, ginger and pepper. Set aside. In large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil. Add eggs; cook, stirring until set but moist. Remove egg to warm plate. Add remaining oil and heat. Add onion and carrot. Stir fry 3 to 4 minutes, until tender. Stir in rice and peas. Cook until rice begins to brown. Add chicken mixture and egg. Cook 5 minutes longer until heated through.

K.I.S.S. Pasta Salad

I have never really been a fan of pasta salad but for some odd reason I had the bells of summer ringing in my head and they kept telling me that I needed to make pasta salad. I am glad I did because this was something pretty easy to throw together that will keep for days in the fridge and be great for snacking over the 4th of July holiday.


Summer is definitely in the air today. It was so beautiful outside and this light tasting veggie packed pasta salad really hit the spot for my friend and I when we stopped to eat lunch on our walk through the park with her 6 month old and my dog.


K.I.S.S. Pasta Salad
(AKA - Keep It Simple Stupid, Pasta Salad)
Source: Amber's Delectable Delights

Ingredients
1 box bow-tie pasta
1 bottle zesty Italian dressing

1 zucchini

1 cucumber

1/2 head cauliflower

1 cup carrots

1 block (8oz) pepper jack cheese
For good measure - salt and freshly ground pepper to taste and 1 teaspoon dried parsley.

Directions
1) Cook pasta in boiling salted water, per package directions.
2) Meanwhile, pour the entire bottle of dressing into large bowl. Dice up all of the veggies and cheese and place them in the bowl with the dressing, stir to coat.
3) When the pasta is done place it into an ice bath to stop the cooking process and cool the pasta.
4) Place the cooled pasta into the bowl with the cheese and veggies. Add parsley, and salt and pepper to taste, and mix well to coat. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Easy Peasy Pasta

I was watching the Food Network one evening last week and saw Giada making this recipe. It sounded like a great meal and nice change from my typical chicken or ground beef meals.

I thought this dish turned out ok, I really loved the sausage in it but I just was not sold on the entire dish itself. I think I would like it better with a different, or perhaps more flavorful, sauce. My husband on the other hand seemed to really like it, he polished off 3 bowls.


I did make a few changes to the recipe so I will write it as I prepared it and if you are interested in the original recipe click the link under the recipe name.

Penne with Smashed Peas, Sausage, and Ricotta
Adapted from: Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients
8 oz pound penne pasta
1 tablespoon olive oil

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 pound pork sausage
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

8 oz frozen peas, thawed

1/2 cup whole milk ricotta cheese

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

1/4 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon salt

Directions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes if dry or according to package directions if fresh. Drain pasta reserving 1 cup of the pasta cooking water.

Meanwhile, in a large, heavy skillet heat the olive oil, garlic and red pepper flakes over medium-high heat and add the sausage. Use a wooden spoon to break up the sausage into bite-sized bits. When the sausage has browned, about 5 minutes. Remove and set aside. Add the peas to the pan and, using the back of the wooden spoon, smash the peas. Turn off the heat. Add the ricotta cheese along with the cooked pasta and toss to coat, adding the pasta cooking water in 1/4 cup additions, if needed, to make the pasta moist. Return the sausage to the pan. Add the parsley, Parmesan cheese, and salt. Toss gently to coat and serve immediately.

Pasta with Chicken Meatballs

Yesterday morning I was browsing through my google reader and came across this recipe on a fellow Daring Bakers's blog and it instantly grabbed my attention. You see, I used to think I did not like spinach but I was a fool I tell you, a fool. I started chopping it up and mixing it in with romaine for salads and also putting it into baked pasta dishes. I soon realized that it was silly of me to not like spinach, after all it has pretty much no flavor and it is very nutritious. So anyway, since I was in the middle of making my grocery list when I came across this recipe I made sure to add all of the ingredients for this meal to it.


Although Rachel Ray claims this is a "30 minute meal" it took me more than 30 minutes to prepare it (no one preps all my ingredients for me like they do for her on the show) and I sure did dirty a lot of dishes in the process. But hey it's ok my husband and I gave the meal a thumbs up and I was happy to make something new for my blog. This was a pretty good dinner that would be easy enough to whip up on a weeknight.


I did make a few slight modifications to the recipe. For the meatballs I omitted the fennel seeds and used a rosemary herb seasoning that I have instead of the fresh rosemary and of course reduced fat ricotta. As for the rest of the meal, I used whole wheat pasta and reduced the amount of spinach to only one box. Two boxes of spinach seemed like way to much. Also, for whatever strange reason my sauce never thickened, maybe because I did not use whole milk maybe it was rebelling against me who knows. :)

Florentine Mac and Cheese and Roast Chicken Sausage Meatballs
(Source: FoodNetwork.com as seen on Culinography)

Ingredients
Salt

1 pound cavatappi corkscrew shaped hallow pasta

1 1/2 pounds ground chicken

Black pepper

2 to 3 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves stripped and finely chopped

2 teaspoons fennel seeds

3 cloves garlic, grated

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 cup ricotta cheese

1 1/2 cups grated Parmigiano Reggiano, divided

1 egg

3/4 cup bread crumbs, plus more, if needed*

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

2 boxes, 10 ounces, chopped frozen spinach

3 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup chicken stock

1 cup whole milk

1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg, eyeball it

Directions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Place a large pot of water on to boil for pasta. When it comes to a boil, salt it and add the pasta to cook to al dente. Strain pasta reserving 1 cup cooking liquid.

While the water is coming to a boil, in a large mixing bowl combine the chicken, salt and pepper, rosemary, fennel seeds, garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano - a rounded handful, egg and bread crumbs. *If the mixture seems too wet, add a handful of bread crumbs and mix together.

Form 8 large round balls, about 3 to 4-inches. Coat balls in a couple of tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil and lightly grease a baking sheet with 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil. Arrange balls on the baking sheet and roast 17 to 18 minutes until juices run clear.

Defrost spinach in microwave 8 to 10 minutes on "defrost" setting depending on the microwave.
Place the boxes in a shallow dish to catch any run off.

While the meatballs roast, in a medium sauce pot over medium heat, melt butter, whisk in flour, cook 1 minute then whisk in stock and milk, season with salt, pepper and nutmeg and thicken 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in the remaining 1 cup grated Parmigiano and reduce heat on lowest setting.

Wring spinach completely dry in clean kitchen towel then separate as you add it to the sauce. Also add the reserved 1 cup pasta cooking liquid.

Toss pasta with the spinach-white sauce and adjust seasonings.

Serve Florentine Mac-n-Cheese with 2 meatballs per person along side.

Before you leave, one more comment. Is Rachel Ray on crack? Can someone explain to me why these are "roast chicken sausage meatballs". Wouldn't they just be "roast chicken meatballs?" :)

Seven Layers of Goodness

It is kind of a tradition that every get together my family has my aunt makes a seven-layer salad. Ok let me rephrase that a little, she makes a big one for the family and a small one minus a few ingredients for my picky self. :) I get random cravings for this salad so I decided I better learn how to make the dressing myself. I searched around and found several variations of the recipe but ended up combining bits and pieces from each, throwing the ingredients together and tasting to see how it came out.

This salad is really versatile, you can add whatever ingredients you like and leave out those ones that make you cringe. :) Some other ingredients that I have seen in this salad are; onions, tomatoes, and hard boiled eggs. In my opinion the salad is all about the sweet creamy dressing and not that it has exactly seven layers.

On this particular salad I left the dressing off because I thought that I had made way to much and that my in-laws would never eat it all. Boy was I wrong, I guess I should have just put the dressing on to begin with. But I did all of the ingredients in half which was a wise decision, otherwise it would not have all fit into my pretty trifle bowl.


Seven Layer Salad

(Source: Amber's Delectable Delights)

Salad Ingredients

1 head lettuce or 3 bunches of romaine (chopped into bite size pieces)

3/4 cup carrots, cut into bite size pieces

3/4 cup broccoli, cut into bite size pieces

3/4 cup cauliflower, cut into bite size pieces

1/3 cup bacon, cooked and crumbled

1 cup of your favorite shredded cheese

1/2 cup peas

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

Dressing Ingredients

1 1/2 cups miracle whip (or mayo)

1 tsp white vinegar

1/4 cup milk

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp garlic powder

dash onion powder

dash pepper

Directions

1) Combine all dressing ingredients and set aside.

2) In a 9x13 dish layer the ingredients, 90% of the lettuce, carrots, broccoli and cauliflower, light layer of dressing, remaining 10% of lettuce, remaining dressing, shredded cheese, peas, bacon and parmesan cheese.

3) Cover salad and put into refrigerator a few hours before serving.

I Don't Like Soup

I am sure I have mentioned this before but just in case I have not... Every time I suggest making soup for dinner my husband says "I don't like soup". Well to bad for him because I do. Not to mention that he is stretching the truth anyway. He likes soup but he just wants to eat all the chunks out of it and little to no broth. This time I decided to pack the soup with so many veggies that he would not have anything to complain about. I searched the refrigerator, threw in a little bit of this and a little bit of that, and called it soup. :)

I am always trying to think of quick and easy meals to have on Tuesday and Thursday evenings since I do not get home from class until 7:30 and this was the perfect meal. I chopped all my veggies and cooked the chicken on Monday night so all I had to do was throw everything into the pot and cook it. This turned out wonderful and I will definitely have to make it again.

Cleaning Out the Fridge Chicken Tortellini Soup
(Source: Amber's Delectable Delights)

Ingredients
Splash of olive oil
1 cup carrots, sliced into bite size pieces
1/2 cup celery, sliced into bite size pieces
5 cans chicken broth (~70 ounces)
2 cups cooked shredded chicken
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp Penzey's pasta sprinkle
1/2 tsp parsley
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
Salt and pepper, to taste
Dash of red pepper flakes
2 cups frozen tortellini
1 cup broccoli, cut into bite sized pieces
1/4 cup spinach, roughly chopped

Directions
- Add a splash of olive oil to a large pot. Toss in the carrots, celery and garlic. Saute the vegetables for about 3 minutes. Add the cooked chicken, chicken broth and seasonings into the pot and bring to a boil.
- Once the broth is boiling add in the tortellini, broccoli and spinach. Continue boiling until tortellini is done. Enjoy.

Chicken Noodle Soup, Chicken Noodle Soup

Chicken noodle soup with a soda on the side. That was probably the weirdest song that I have ever heard but anytime I think of chicken noodle soup I start to sing it.

I love soup but my husband always claimed that he did not. Come to find out, he hates all the broth. So he eats all the meat, veggies and noodles and leaves the broth behind. Me on the other hand, I love the broth. Soup broth is a perfectly good reason to eat crackers (like I really need another reason to eat more crackers. :) Tonight I used whole wheat Ritz, seriously though, have you ever tried them? I think they are better than the good old fashion white flour ones. Anyway, back to the soup. I did make a few small changes to the recipe but that was only to use up some ingredients I had on hand and I also used whole wheat noodles so if you are wondering why my noodles look off-white that is why. The soup is awesome (husband approved) and I can not wait to eat the leftovers. :) Thanks for sharing the wonderful recipe Elly.


Chicken Noodle Soup
(Source: Elly Says Opa!)

2 Tbsp. butter
1 large onion, diced
1.5 cups carrots, sliced
1.5 cups celery, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
12 cups homemade or good quality chicken broth or stock
1 bay leaf
1/2 (heaping) tsp. ground marjoram
1 tsp. thyme
1 Tbsp. dried parsley
4 cups cooked chicken, chopped or shredded (always prefer it roasted, myself)
5 oz. (about 1.5 cups) uncooked egg noodles
fresh ground pepper, to taste

In a large stockpot or dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat. Add onions and cook for about 3 minutes before adding the celery and carrots. Continue cooking a few more minutes before adding the garlic. Stir until fragrant.

Add the chicken, broth, bay leaf, marjoram, thyme, parsley and ground pepper to taste. Bring to a boil and then reduce. Simmer lightly for 30 minutes.

Add the noodles* and simmer until cooked, about 8 minutes.

*Note: The noodles will continue to absorb the liquid as leftover sit in the pot/fridge. If you want to prevent your soup from thickening and becoming too chunky, you can reduce the amount of broth slightly and cook the noodles in a separate pot, combining with the soup in your bowl as you are about to eat.

Heaven on a Plate

I have had this recipe starred in my google reader for some time now and last night I finally had a reason to make it. My husband's parents joined us for dinner and since they were craving Italian I figured this pasta dish would be a great one to try out. It was very easy to make and besides roasting the garlic it took minimal time to make. This was a hit with everyone my husband and I both had two servings and my father in law had at least 3 and we still have lots of leftovers.


When looking at the recipe I was wondering how many heads of garlic I would have to roast to end up with 1/2 cup of garlic paste. I ended up roasting 6 small heads and that was just enough for this dish and the garlic herb swirl bread that I made to go along with it. When I told my husband that there was about 6 heads of garlic in the dish he was shocked, but I explained to him that it is roasted garlic and roasted garlic does not have as vibrant of a flavor as regular.


Ziti with Chicken and Broccoli in a White Wine Cheddar Sauce
(Source: Good Things Catered)

Ingredients:
1 lb. ziti
3 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup roasted garlic paste (made by roasting garlic in oven and squeezing garlic out of skin)
3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 c. dry vermouth or dry white wine
2 c. low-sodium chicken stock
1 large head of broccoli, cut into florets(about 2 c.)
10 oz. cooked chicken, cubed or shredded (about 2 c.)
3 oz. aged reserve cheddar (preferably white), grated (about 1 1/2 c.)
4 - 6 thin strips of Parmesan cheese (optional)
salt and ground pepper

Directions:
-Bring 4 qt. of water to a boil in large pot and cook ziti according to box directions to only al dente and set aside.
-At the same time, lightly steam broccoli florets on to of pan in steamer and set aside.
-Meanwhile, melt butter in large nonstick skillet over medium heat.
-When just coming to foaming, add garlic paste and cook until fragrant (about 1 min)
-Add flour and cook until beginning to turn golden (about 2 min.)
-Add vermouth and cook until evaporated (about 1 min).
-Stir broth into pan and simmer sauce until slightly thickened (about 2 min).
-Add cheddar and stir constantly while returning to a boil.
-Fold in ziti cook for one minute additional and remove from heat.
-Add broccoli and chicken and fold until sauce covers uniformly.
-Plate and top with one or two strips of Parmesan (optional) and serve.

The Light Side of Things

For Christmas I received The Best Light Recipe cookbook by Cook's Illustrated. I was browsing through it today and came across this recipe and it sounded pretty good so I headed out to the store and bought all the ingredients to make it.

I used chicken as my protein and broccoli, carrots and water chestnuts as my vegetables. My husband and I both enjoyed the dish but we also both agreed that it needed a little something else. I was thinking more of a kick, so if I make it again I would add a pinch more red pepper flakes.


Basic Stir-Fry
(Source: The Best Light Recipe by Cook's Illustrated)

3/4 pound protein (such as flank steak, pork tenderloin, chicken breasts, shrimp or extra-firm tofu), cut into small, even pieces
2 tsp low-sodium soy sauce
2 tsp dry sherry
3 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 tbls grated fresh ginger
3 scallions, white parts only, minced
5 tsp peanut or vegetable oil
1 1/2 pounds prepared vegetables, cut into small pieces and divided into batches based on cooking times
1 recipe for stir-fry sauce (below)

1) Toss the protein with the soy sauce and sherry in a medium bowl. In a small bowl, combine the garlic ginger, scallion whites and 2 tsp of the oil.
2) Heat 1 more tsp of oil in a 12" non-stick skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add the protein and cook, stirring occasionally and braking up the clumps, until lightly browned, 1 to 4 minutes. Transfer the protein to a clean bowl.
3) Add 1 more tsp oil to the pan and return to a high heat until shimmering. Add the first batch of longer-cooking vegetables and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp tender, 1 -5 minutes. (for very tough vegetables like broccoli and green beans, add 1/2 cup water to the pan with the vegetables , cover, and steam for about 2 minutes. Remove the lid and cook off the water, about 3 minutes, before continuing)
4) Add the remaining tsp oil and the faster-cooking vegetables, and cook until the vegetables are crisp tender, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
5) Clear the center of the pan and add the garlic mixture. Cook, mashing the garlic mixture into the pan with the back of a spatula, until fragrant, about 45 seconds. Stir the mixture into vegetables. Add the protein back into the pan and toss to combine. Whisk the sauce to recombine, then add it to the pan and bring to a simmer. Off the heat, toss until the protein and vegetables are well coated with the sauce and sizzling hot. Serve immediately.


Garlic Sauce
(Source: The Best Light Recipe by Cook's Illustrated)

1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup dry sherry
3 tbls hoisin sauce
1 tbls low-sodium soy sauce
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
3 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes

1. Combine all ingredients except garlic and red pepper flakes in a small bowl and set aside.
2. Add the garlic and pepper flakes to the garlic mixture in step 1 of the stir fry recipe.

Alfredo bake

My inspiration for this meal was the shredded chicken I had sitting in my fridge leftover from the chicken and noodles I made the other night. No wait, I changed my mind, an even bigger inspiration for this dinner were the cute small oval baker stoneware pieces that I got from the Pampered Chef show that I hosted a couple weekends ago. They were so cute and I just could not resist them because they are perfect for individual sized portions of baked dishes and they give me the option to personalize my portion the way I want ::cough mushrooms cough::. :)

This was a quick meal that only takes a few minutes to throw together. Yeah I know it is nothing new and outrageous but I was happy to have the night off from school and anxious to update my blog.

Alfredo Pasta Bake
(Source: Amber's Delectable Delights)

Ingredients:
8 oz pasta, cooked and drained
2 cups broccoli florets
1 cup mushrooms
1.5 cups chicken, cooked and shredded or diced
1 jar alfredo sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
2 Tbls butter

Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Coat the bottom of the two small or one medium baking dish with a thin layer of alfredo sauce. In a medium bowl, mix the pasta, broccoli, mushrooms, chicken, garlic and alfredo sauce until combined. Place mixture into baking dish and top with mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Cut the butter into small pieces and scatter on top of the cheese. Bake for 20 minutes or until cheese is hot and bubbly.

First soup of the year

I first saw this recipe on Annie's Eats a few months ago and thought that it looked wonderful. Then Sugar & Spice made it and I knew I would have to make it soon because it just looked that good. Tonight was my monthly scrapbooking night and when we were deciding on what to eat something warm and comforting sounded good. I remembered that my mother-in-law loves potato soup so I e-mailed her the recipe and she pretty much said we had to have it. :)

Everyone really enjoyed this soup, it is slightly creamy and perfectly cheesy. I did add a dash of; salt, pepper, garlic powder and cayenne pepper just to make sure there was no lack of flavoring. I will defiantly be making this again.


Baked Potato-and-Broccoli Soup
(Source: MyRecipes.com via Southern Living Magazine; Jan 2006)

Ingredients
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 (14 1/4-ounce) cans low-sodium fat-free chicken broth, divided
3 cups peeled, cubed potato (about 1 1/4 pounds)
2 cups broccoli florets, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 1/4 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
1 (8-ounce) block 2% reduced-fat sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
7 teaspoons shredded 2% reduced-fat sharp Cheddar cheese
7 teaspoons fully cooked bacon pieces
7 teaspoons chopped green onions

Preparation
Whisk together flour and 1/3 cup chicken broth until smooth.
Combine remaining chicken broth and next 3 ingredients in a Dutch oven. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 8 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Gradually stir in flour mixture. Cook, stirring often, 5 minutes.

Stir in milk and 8 ounces shredded cheese. Cook mixture over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until cheese melts. Top each serving of soup with 1 teaspoon cheese, 1 teaspoon bacon pieces, and 1 teaspoon chopped green onions.

Note - We recommend freshly shredded cheese (versus the preshredded variety) for additional creaminess and even melting.

Yield - Makes 7 servings (serving size: 1 cup) (serving size: 1 cup)