Sweet Potato Cauliflower Fritter

The last recipe that I saved from the Better Homes and Garden November 2014 issue.  Now I can recyle that magazine and pull out another one to look through.  Hope you have enjoyed these recipes.

Pumpkin Bars with Marcona Almonds

From Better Homes and Garden - November 2014

Pork and Squash Enchilladas

From Better Homes and Garden November 2014

Hidden Valley Original Ranch Spinach Dip

From Better Homes and Garden - November 2014

Many people might take for granted that this will appear on the packaging of the ranch dip every year but I learned a long time ago that at some point they will stop that practice so it is best to have it in your recipe box.  This blog is like my recipe box so here it is.

New Ways with Mixed Greens

From Better Homes and Garden November 2014

Black Bean Chicken Quinoa Chili

From Better Homes and Garden November 2014

Savory Collard Greens

From Better Homes and Garden - November 2014

Queso Blanco Dip

From Better Homes and Garden - November 2014

Garlic Rosemary Dressing

From Better Homes and Garden November 2014

Frittata Idea and Toasted Seasoning Salt

From Better Home and Garden November 2014

Cream Cheese Mashers with Kale Pesto

From Better Homes and Garden - November 2014

Caramelized Veggie Lentil Salad

From Better Homes and Garden - November 2014

Recipes from BUSH's

I was going through a magazine the other day and noticed that BUSH's , as in Bush's baked beans people, had a recipe site with what they call recipe math.

recipemath.com

These recipes came from there and sounded good to me.

Baked Eggs with Buffalo Chicken Hash by MyFitnessPal

Baked Eggs with Buffalo Chicken Hash

Ingredients

• 1 cup cubed Potatoes
• 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1/2 small Onion, chopped (approx. 1/4 cup)
• 2/3 cup Red Pepper, thinly sliced
• 2 teaspoons Garlic, minced
• 2 links (approx. 70 grams each) Chicken Sausage, sliced (certified gluten-free if necessary)
• 1/8 teaspoon Black Pepper
• 1/2 cup reduced-fat shredded Cheddar Cheese
• 4 large Eggs

For Garnish:

• 1 tablespoon Buffalo Wing Sauce (certified gluten-free if necessary)
• 1 stalk Green Onion, sliced

Directions

Heat your oven to 400°F.

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil and cook the cubed potatoes until they are just fork tender, about 3-4 minutes. Drain and set aside.

In a large pan, heat the olive oil up on medium heat. Cook the potatoes, onion and red pepper until lightly golden and soft, about 4-5 minutes.

Add in the garlic, chicken sausage and salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until the sausage is lightly browned. Let sit for 5 minutes to caramelize the bottom.

Sprinkle the grated cheese on and stir to mix it into the potato mixture.

Make four wells in the hash and gently crack the eggs into them. Bake until the eggs are cooked as much as you like them-–runny eggs will take about 4-5 minutes.

Drizzle with buffalo sauce, sprinkle with diced green onion and serve.

Nutrition Information

Serves:  4 |  Serving Size: 1/4 of dish

Per serving: Calories: 245; 

Total Fat: 14g; 

Saturated Fat: 5g; 

Monounsaturated Fat: 5g ; 

Cholesterol: 256mg; 

Sodium: 500mg; 

Total Carbohydrates: 13g; 

Dietary Fiber: 4g; 

Sugars: 1g; 

Protein: 18g

Nutrition Bonus: Potassium: 347mg; Vitamin A: 24%; Vitamin C: 92%; Calcium: 14%; Iron: 11%

Cooking and grocery shopping

First of all I want to say thank you to my niece in law Jessica.  She took me shopping on Friday which turned out to be her 16th Wedding Anniversary.  They still had time to go out and celebrate which is a feat in itself since they have 5 children.

When I went grocery shopping I managed to get a good deal on green peppers, onions, carrots, zucchini and mushrooms.  I couldn't help but buy those and it was a good feeling.  So now I had all of those veggies and they would all go bad around the same time if I didn't do something about it.  This is the reason why I love my vacuum sealer.  I pulled it out and cut up my veggies and now I have a bag of green peppers, zucchini, and onions in the freezer.  I didn't put them all there because I also decided to make some soup.

I had a can of chicken stock so in the crock pot it went and soon a bag of carrots joined it plus some zucchini and mushrooms.  I cooked that until the carrots were almost cooked and then added in some pre cooked smoked chicken strips that I had also bought.  Then I thought it needed something else so in went a cup of wild rice.  It turned out pretty good and now I have soup for later in the week.

I also have veggies in the freezer so it's a win win.

Later this week I will be posting a lot of recipes because they are sure popping up lately.  It's that time of the year.  :)

Everybody have fun and keep checking back.

Tortillas - LOVE THEM!

I made some tortillas today and continue to love them.  This is my second time that I've made tortillas from scratch and this time they turned out a lot better.  Here is a picture of how it turned out.

I think next time I make them I will try to do wheat or corn tortillas.    In case anybody wants to try these, here is the recipe:

2 cups flour

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking POWDER

3 TBS shortening (I used crisco)

3/4 cup water

1.  Mix flour, salt and baking powder with a fork

2.  Add shortening and continue to mix until you get coarse crumbs

3.  Make well in center of mixture and add water.

4.  slowly incorporate dry and wet until dough starts to form.

5.  place dough on floured surface and kneed for several minutes until dough is nice and smooth .

6.  cover and let sit for 30 minutes

7.  Divide dough into quarters

    than divide each quarter into 3rds (total of 12 pieces)

8.  roll out each portion into a 6-7" circle

9.  cook in skillet over med hi heat for about 2 minutes each side

10. remove to plate and cover with towel

California Tortilla Pizzas

California Tortilla Pizzas

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
2 (6 inch) flour tortillas (or whole wheat tortillas)
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tomato, sliced
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C).
Heat oil in a small skillet over medium heat; cook and stir onion and green pepper until tender, about 5 minutes.

Place tortillas on an ungreased baking sheet. Top with onion mixture, oregano, garlic powder, tomato, and mozzarella cheese.
Bake in preheated oven until cheese is melted, 8 to 10 minutes. Cut each pizza into four wedges.

Cucumber Salad

Cucumber Salad

3 Med. Cucumbers Peeled and Sliced 1/4"
1 Med. Onion sliced and separate into rings
3 Med. tomatoes cut into wedges
1/2 C. Vinegar
1/4 C. Sugar
1 C. water
1/4 C. olive oil
2 tsp.salt
1 tsp. ground pepper
a couple sprigs of dill (optional)

Combine all in a large bowl, toss making sure everything is coated well. Refrigerate for at least 2 hrs before serving.

14 Crockpot Freezer Meals by Kirstin

getting organized- a whole month’s worth of meals via crockpot freezer cooking

APRIL 30, 2012 BY: KIRSTIN

I have to admit, I am a little bit overwhelmed right now.

May is normally a busy month for us (mother’s day plus Burke’s birthday, Keadryn’s birthday, Drew’s birthday, my brother’s birthday, & Adam’s mom’s birthday). Add in graduation (and the grad party of the century), Burke’s birthday party (an Angry Birds brunch this weekend), the graduation trip of a lifetime (Dubai, Greece and Turkey here we come!) and planning for a month’s worth of COLORFUL (wink, wink) goodness for the blog while we’re away, and life feels, well, overwhelming.

My sweet friend Alicia posted about getting organized last month and I was inspired to follow suit.

First stop in my “Get Organized” agenda- figure out meals. And, y’all, this little Freezer-Cooking-and-then-Crock-Pot-Dinners plan has beenrevolutionary. So far. I mean, we’re three meals in. But it feels revolutionary (and organized- SO organized!). Plus, we have a freezer full of eleven dinners still to eat.

The best part is that, in crossing ‘figure out dinner’ off my daily task list, I free up an hour and a half or so each afternoon. That time is going directly towards whittling the “Burke’s Party,” “Grad Party,” “To Make/Sew Before June,” and “Graduation Trip” lists. Lovely.

Enough chatter- want to see exactly what I did?

First I found five crock pot recipes (most of them have overlapping ingredients which made for easy shopping and chopping). Then I doubled/tripled/quadrupled the recipes (to make three coconut curries, four barbeque chickens, two orange chickens, two hot and spicy peanut chickens, and three man-pleasing chickens), made myself a massive shopping list, and then chopped… and chopped… and chopped. Lastly, I separated everything into fourteen freezer bags, wrote the directions on the bag and froze everything. Easy enough, right?

Want the recipes? They’re all modified from recipes I found around the internet- for more details, just click each link.

Hot and Spicy Braised Peanut Chicken

IN THE BAG- 2 cups onions, 2 cups carrots, 2 cups zucchini, 1 red pepper, 1/2 t grated lime peel, 2 T lime juice, 2 T soy sauce, 2 T flour, 4 garlic cloves, 2 lbs. cubed boneless, skinless chicken breast.

TO COOK- Dump contents of bag in slow cooker. Cover with 3/4 cup chicken broth and 3 T peanut butter (whisked together). Cook on low for 5-6 hours. For the last five minutes, add in 1 can of coconut milk and 1 bag of frozen peas.

TO SERVE- To make it spicy, add 1/2 teaspoon of red curry paste before serving (I kept our unspicy for the kiddos). Garnish with chopped peanuts and cilantro. Serve over rice.

Coconut Chicken Curry by Martha Stewart

IN THE BAG- 3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, 2 lbs. of chopped butternut squash, 2 medium onions,chopped, 8 minced garlic cloves, 1 oz fresh ginger, 2 T curry powder,1 t ground coriander, 1 t ground cumin, coarse salt

TO COOK- Add the contents of the bag and a can of coconut milk to a slow cooker and cook on low all day. 25 minutes before serving, add another can of coconut milk and a bag of frozen peas.

TO SERVE- Garnish with chopped cashews and cilantro.

BBQ Chicken adapted from this recipe by Mama and Baby Love

IN THE BAG- 2 cups sweet potatoes, 2 cups red and green bell pepper, 1 cup carrots, 2 cups onion, 3 cups zucchini, 2 T flour, 1.5 lbs chicken, 2 cloves garlic, 1 t salt

TO COOK- Dump bag plus one bottle BBQ sauce into crock pot, cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Orange Chicken

IN THE BAG- 2 cups carrots, 2 cups bell peppers, 1 lb cubed boneless skinless chicken breasts, 3 cloves garlic, 1 t salt, 1/2 t pepper, 8 oz. orange juice concentrate (orange pineapple will work as well)

TO COOK- Cook on low in crock pot, 4 to 6 hours

TO SERVE- Garnish with clementine slices (use 4 clementines) or mandarin oranges (two cans) and green onions (two, chopped). Serve on rice. Stir fried veggies make a great side.

Man-Pleasing Chicken modified from Witty in the City

IN THE BAG- 2 cups red and green bell pepper, 1 cup carrots, 2 cups onion, 3 cups zucchini, 2 T flour, 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, 2 cloves garlic, 1 t salt

TO COOK- Add the contents of the bag with 3/4 cup of dijon mustard, and 1/4 cup of maple syrup and 1 T of rice wine vinegar to a foil lined glass pan. Cook at 450 until a meat thermometer reads 165 degrees. Garnish with fresh rosemary and serve.

Sesame-Giner Pork 'n Veggies by Hungry Girl

Sesame-Ginger Pork 'n Veggies1/4th of recipe (about 4 oz. pork and 1 cup veggies): 258 calories, 5.5g fat, 523mg sodium, 19g carbs, 2.5g fiber, 5.5g sugars, 34g protein -- PointsPlus® value 6*  It's almost magical the way five simple ingredients come together in this mind-blowingly delicious dish. Make it STAT.  Prep: 10 minutes Marinate: 1 hour Cook: 35 minutes Ingredients:  One 1 1/4-lb. raw pork tenderloin, trimmed of excess fat 1/2 cup Newman's Own Lite Low Fat Sesame Ginger Dressing 1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms 1 cup sliced red onion 6 cups chopped kale Seasonings: salt and black pepper  Directions:  Place pork and 1/4 cup dressing in a large sealable plastic bag. Remove as much air as possible and seal. Gently knead dressing into meat through the bag. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Bring a large oven-safe skillet sprayed with nonstick spray to medium-high heat on the stove. Add pork, and discard excess dressing used for marinating. Evenly sear meat, rotating it occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 4 minutes total. Place skillet in the oven, and bake for 12 minutes. Carefully flip pork. Bake until pork center reaches 145 degrees, 8 - 10 minutes. Remove pork from skillet, cover loosely with foil, and let rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, clean skillet if needed. Re-spray, and return to medium-high heat on the stove. Add mushrooms and onion, and sprinkle with 1/8 tsp. each salt and pepper. Cook and stir until partly softened and lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Add kale and 1/2 cup water to the skillet. Stir. Cover and cook for 3 more minutes, or until kale is tender. Uncover and, if needed, cook and stir until water has evaporated, 2 - 3 minutes. Slice pork. Plate veggies, top with pork, and drizzle with remaining 1/4 cup dressing (not the dressing used to marinate the meat) and enjoy! MAKES 4 SERVINGS HG Tip! If you're not sure if the skillet handle is oven-safe, wrap it in aluminum foil first.

Veggie Quinoa Teriyaki Stir Fry by Hungry Girl

Veggie-Quinoa Teriyaki Stir-Fry1/4th of recipe (about 2 cups): 323 calories, 4g fat, 788mg sodium, 59g carbs, 8.5g fiber, 18.5g sugars, 12.5g protein -- PointsPlus® value 8*  This is one ROCKIN' meat-free meal. So much flavor... so little effort!  Prep: 5 minutes Cook: 30 minutes

Ingredients: 
1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed thoroughly
1 tbsp. chopped garlic
6 cups frozen stir-fry veggies
4 cups broccoli florets
1/2 cup all-natural thick teriyaki marinade or sauce (like the kind by Annie Chun's)

Directions: 
In a medium pot, combine quinoa, 1/2 tbsp. garlic, and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to low. Cover and let simmer for 15 minutes, or until water has been absorbed and quinoa is fully cooked. Transfer to a large bowl, and cover to keep warm.

Bring a very large skillet sprayed with nonstick spray to medium heat. Add remaining 1/2 tbsp. garlic, stir-fry veggies, broccoli, and 1/4 cup water. Cover and cook until veggies have mostly softened, 6 - 8 minutes.

Uncover, and cook and stir until excess liquid has evaporated and veggies are fully softened, about 2 minutes.

Add teriyaki sauce and cooked quinoa and mix well. Cook and stir until hot, about 1 minute. Serve up and enjoy!

MAKES 4 SERVINGS 

Honey Lime Rainbow Fruit Salad

Honey Lime Rainbow Fruit Salad

Ingredients

• 1 lb fresh strawberries, diced
• 1 lb fresh pineapple, diced
• 12 oz fresh blueberries
• 12 oz red grapes, diced into halves
• 4 kiwis, peeled and diced
• 1 (15 oz) can mandarin oranges in juice, drained well and sliced into halves
• 2 ripe bananas, diced*
Honey Lime Dressing
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 tsp lime zest (zest of 2 medium limes)
• 1 Tbsp fresh lime juice

Directions

• Add all fruit to a large mixing bowl. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together they honey, lime zest and lime juice. Pour over fruit just before serving and toss to evenly coat (as it sits for a few minutes the juices will gather at the bottom, so toss again before plating).
• *The bananas aren't pictured. I decided to add them later on because I love the sweet flavor they add.
• Recipe Source: Cooking Classy

Walnut and Rosemary Oven Fried Chicken

Ingredients

·         1/4 cup low-fat buttermilk

·         2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

·         4 (6-ounce) chicken cutlets $

·         1/3 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

·         1/3 cup finely chopped walnuts

·         2 tablespoons grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese $

·         3/4 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary

·         1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

·         1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

·         Cooking spray

·         Rosemary leaves (optional)

Preparation

1.      1. Preheat oven to 425°.

2.      2. Combine buttermilk and mustard in a shallow dish, stirring with a whisk. Add chicken to buttermilk mixture, turning to coat.

3.      3. Heat a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add panko to pan; cook 3 minutes or until golden, stirring frequently. Combine panko, nuts, and next 4 ingredients (through pepper) in a shallow dish. Remove chicken from buttermilk mixture; discard buttermilk mixture. Dredge chicken in panko mixture.

4.      4. Arrange a wire rack on a large baking sheet; coat rack with cooking spray. Arrange chicken on rack; coat chicken with cooking spray. Bake at 425° for 13 minutes or until chicken is done. Garnish with rosemary leaves, if desired.

Note:

This recipe originally ran in Cooking Light June, 2010 and was updated for the November, 2012 25th anniversary issue.

MyRecipes is working with Let's Move!, the Partnership for a Healthier America, and USDA's MyPlate to give anyone looking for healthier options access to a trove of recipes that will help them create healthy, tasty plates. For more information about creating a healthy plate, visit www.choosemyplate.gov.

Laraine Perri, Cooking Light 
NOVEMBER 2012

Million Dollar Dip

Million Dollar Dip




5 green onions, chopped
8 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded
1- 1/2 cups mayonnaise
1 jar Hormel Real Bacon Bits
1 pkg. slivered almonds

Mix the onions, cheese, mayo, bacon bits, and slivered almonds together. Chill for 2 hours.
Serve with favorite cracker. (Tastes best with butter flavored crackers such as Ritz or Club).

Crab and Cream Cheese Snacks

Crab & cream cheese snacks



1-8 oz. tube crescent roll dough
3 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup mayonnaise
3/4 cup cooked crabmeat, chopped
2 green onions, chopped
1/8- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt and pepper, to taste

Heat oven to 375°F. Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray. Unroll dough on work surface. Pinch seams to seal and roll with a rolling pin to create an even rectangle. Cut into 6 rows by 4 rows to make 24 squares.

In small bowl, mix cream cheese, mayo, crabmeat, onion, and red pepper. Salt and pepper to taste. Divide crab mixture evenly among the squares, dropping it by spoonfulls that are 1/2 inch from 1 corner of each square. Starting with same corner, fold dough over filling, and tuck end tightly underneath filling; continue rolling to within 1/2 inch of opposite corner. Roll opposite corner of dough over roll; press to seal. Place on cookie sheet. Brush with egg white, if desired.

Bake 10 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from cookie sheet. Serve warm.

Crockpot Sweet & Sour Meatballs




Serves 6-8
Prep time 5 minutes
Cook time 4 hours
Total time 4 hours, 5 minutes
Meal type Appetizer, Snack, Starter

Ingredients
•10oz chili sauce (one jar)
•16oz grape jelly (one jar)
•2lb frozen meatballs (we used Rosinas)
Optional
•siracha (for dipping)
Directions
1. In a crockpot, add chili sauce and grape jelly. Whisk to combine ingredients and make sauce smooth.
2. Add in meatballs. Stir to coat all meatballs with the sauce. Cover and cook on low for 4 - 6 hours. Serve with toothpicks.

No Bake Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Balls

No Bake Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Balls



1-18 oz. jar of smooth or chunky peanut buter - I prefer smooth
1 - 16 oz. bag of confectioners sugar
1/4 c. butter, melted
chocolate almond bark
or
chocolate candy melts
or
12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips & 2 tsp. shortening

In a large bowl, stir together the peanut butter, confectioners sugar and melted butter until the mixture is crumbly. For the next step, the best way that I've found to make a smooth filling is to use your hands to mix everything together.

Line a baking sheet with foil. Roll the peanut butter filling into 1 inch balls and line the baking sheet with rows of the balls. Set the baking sheet in the freezer for 5-7 minutes to chill the peanut butter balls for easier dipping.

While the peanut butter balls are chilling, melt the chocolate in the microwave in a microwave safe bowl that is deep enough for dipping. I melted 6 blocks of chocolate almond bark at a time, stirring at 45 second intervals until smooth.

Remove the baking sheet from the freezer. Insert a toothpick or wooden skewer into a peanut butter ball and then dip it into the chocolate, turning quickly to cover the entire candy. Place onto a second baking tray that has also been lined with foil. Swirl the chocolate on the top of each candy for a pretty design. Refrigerate until the chocolate had completely dried.

Store the candies in a sealed container in the refrigerator.