Archive for the ‘Wednesday: Recipes!’ Category
Vegetarian Lasagna
- 1 1/2 quarts spaghetti sauce (your favorite homemade or jar spaghetti sauce)
- 1/2 cup grated carrot
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 6 uncooked lasagna noodles
- 1 (16 ounce) container ricotta cheese
- 1 (16 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach , thawed and well drained
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/2 cups thinly sliced zucchini
- 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
- 3 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
Directions:
- Mix carrots, oregano, and spaghetti sauce together.
- Mix Ricotta, spinach, and eggs together in separate bowl.
- Spread ½ cup spaghetti sauce in bottom of 9 x 13 inch baking dish.
- Layer 3 lasagna noodles, ½ remaining sauce, ½ Ricotta mixture, ½ sliced zucchini, ½ sliced mushrooms, ½ Mozzarella, and ½ Parmesan.
- Repeat layers with remaining ingredients.
- Bake in 350 degrees oven for about 45 minutes.
Makes 8 servings!
Candy is Dandy!
We have moved from turkey season to candy season! Yay! So, today I have decided to take a break from making kids belts to share some super yummy candy recipes!
Are you a fan of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups? How about Heath Bars? What about the red cinnamon candies? Yes, yes and yes! Well I stumbled across some recipes for all of those and I am going to share with you!
Peanut Butter Cups
- 1 1/2 Cups Peanut Butter
- 1 Lb Confectioners Sugar (Powdered Sugar)
- 1/4 Lb Butter
- 1 Tsp Vanilla
- Wilton’s Light Cocoa Candy Melts (2 or 3 bags)
Place candy melts in a crock pot on low and stir occasionally. Mix all of the other ingredients together (it will make a very thick dough). Roll dough in to dime size pieces (if you are using the Wilton’s Peanut Butter Cups candy mold). Once the chocolate is melted, spoon a small amount into the molds (just enough to coat the bottoms and sides). Place in freezer until hard. Remove from freezer and place the dough in the middle and then cover with more chocolate. Put back in freezer to harden. When they are fully set, they will come out of the mold with no problem when you turn it upside down. Repeat the process. WARNING: This makes a TON of peanut butter cups so be prepared to eat or giveaway!
Chocolate Toffee Bars
- 1/2 Cup Butter (no substitutions)
- 1 Cup Finely Chopped Pecans
- 1 Cup Granulated Sugar
- 1/2 Tsp Vanilla
- Wilton’s Light Cocoa Candy Melts (2 or 3 bags)
Place candy melts in a crock pot on low and stir occasionally. Cook sugar and butter together over low heat until butter is melted. Stir constantly to blend well. Cook over medium heat with continued stirring to 300 degrees F (using a candy thermometer). Mixture will be just starting to brown. Remove from heat and stir in nuts (keeping a few aside to top later) and vanilla. Mix well and pour onto ungreased pan. When toffee has cooled slightly, score with a knife into squares. When candy is thoroughly cooled, break apart the squares and dip in melted chocolate, place on wax paper and top with some of the reserved pecans. Place in freezer until chocolate hardens.
Cinnamon Rock Candy
- 1 cup water
- 3 3/4 cups sugar
- 1 1/4 cups light corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon red liquid food coloring
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon oil
- 1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
The Perfect Turkey
Every year for our Annual kids belts Christmas Party, I bring the turkey. “Why”, you ask? Because everyone requests it, for like months prior to the party. Now that could be because I am their boss and they are just trying to make me feel good, or it could be because this is the BEST TURKEY RECIPE EVER! I’m inclined to believe the latter.
For the Brine:
For 12 -14 lbs turkey, washed and cleaned out
1 cup kosher salt
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 quarts water
2 Tbs Rosemary
Boil for 5 minutes and let sit to cool to room temp. Once at room temp, add ice to chill. Put in large bag and take out all air so brine covers the whole bird inside and out. Brine turkey overnight.
In the morning, drain the brine from the turkey, rinse the bird, pat the skin dry, and follow the cooking recipe.
Cook (The Safeway 2 Hour Turkey cooking method – seriously makes the BEST turkey EVAH!!!):
For the Turkey
1 -2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt
pepper
1-2 days before cooking
Clean your oven to prevent smoking of burned-on grease when cooking at high heat.
DO NOT USE A CONVECTION OVEN.
30 minutes before cooking
Preheat oven to 475º and use oven thermometer to check temperature.
- Remove and discard truss that holds turkey legs together. See Tip A. Pull or trim off and discard lumps of fat in neck and body cavity.
- Rinse turkey inside and out with warm water. Pat dry with paper towels. Rub turkey skin all over generously with olive oil. Set bird breast down and sprinkle back with salt and pepper.
- Place the adjustable V-shaped rack in the roasting pan (set rack sides so the bird is a minimum of 2 inches from pan bottom). Put turkey, breast up, on rack; sprinkle breast with salt and pepper. Fold wing tips under. See Tip B.
- Using aluminum foil, form caps over the tips of each drumstick. If wing tips extend beyond pan rim, fashion a foil collar underneath to make sure drippings flow back into pan. See Tip C. Leave legs untied. Do not add stuffing or close body cavity.
- Insert the oven-safe meat thermometer near center of breast through thickest part of breast to bone (the coldest part of the turkey and most accurate spot to check doneness). See Tip D.
- Set pan on the lowest rack in a 475° oven (do not use convection heat; it causes excessive smoking). Roast according to above time chart, checking as directed during cooking, until thermometer reaches 160°. Halfway through roasting time, rotate pan in oven to assure even cooking and browning. See Tip E. If areas on turkey breast start to get browner than you like, lay a piece of foil over the dark spots. If there is any smoke, check pan and wings for drips into oven; adjust foil under wings, or slide roasting pan onto a larger, shallow-rimmed pan.
- Remove pan from oven, set in a warm, draft-free spot, and loosely cover pan with foil to keep it warm. Let turkey rest 30 to 45 minutes. The resting period will allow the internal temperature to reach 165°, the USDA safe cooking temperature for poultry.
- Drain juices from body cavity (often plentiful in unstuffed birds) into roasting pan. If making gravy, spoon off and discard fat from drippings in pan. If drippings are dry, skim any fat from pan, then add 1 cup fat-free chicken broth; scrape drippings free. Use in Amber Gravy as directed (see 6 Delicious Side Dishes for recipe).
- Cut off turkey legs at thigh joint. See Tip F. If joint is red or pink, return legs to the oven for 3 to 5 minutes (at 300° to 475°) or heat in a microwave oven for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Carve the rest of the turkey. Turkey juices may be clear to pink or rosy; both are fine. Save juices to pour into gravy for richer flavor, if desired.
You’re welcome, I’ll go ahead and say it in advance because I know you are going to love this recipe and it will become the way you cook your holiday turkey’s from here on out. Enjoy!
Blessings,
Brrrr… It’s Chili Out!
There is a chill in the air and you know what that means? It’s Chili weather! When the weather changes, the kids belts warehouse stays on the cold side because it’s a warehouse and and by nature they are difficult to keep warm in the winter and cool in the summer. So what is my method of warming up? Making a nice big pot of chili! I love chili, but not your standard, run of the mill chili, I am in the mood for some White Chicken Chili.
I came across this recipe and had to share…
Ingredients
- Cooking spray
- 2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 2 cups finely chopped onion
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 2 (4.5-ounce) cans chopped green chiles, undrained
- 1 cup water
- 2 (15.5-ounce) cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
- 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
- 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1/2 cup chopped green onions
Preparation
- Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add chicken to pan; cook 10 minutes or until browned, stirring frequently.
- Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion to pan; sauté 6 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Add garlic; sauté 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in cumin, dried oregano, and coriander; sauté 1 minute. Stir in chiles; reduce heat to low, and cook 10 minutes, partially covered. Add the chicken, water, cannellini beans, and broth; bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer 10 minutes. Stir in hot sauce. Ladle 1 cup of chili into each of 8 bowls; sprinkle each serving with 2 tablespoons cheese, 1 tablespoon cilantro, and 1 tablespoon green onions.
I even like to serve this with a little sour cream and shredded cheese on top. Mmmm… my mouth is watering just thinking about it!
Blessings,
Spaghetti Pie
Today, I thought I would change up my recipes a bit. I have been giving a lot of seasonal recipes lately and you may be thinking… “We are about to be overwhelmed with seasonal foods, don’t you have anything else for us?”
Well, of course I do! This one comes courtesy of one of my favorite websites, Weelicious. If you haven’t checked it out before, it really is a cool place. They focus on educating kids and involving them in the cooking process. They encourage parents to be honest – no sneaking veggies! Also, their recipes are quick, easy and nutritious and are made using fresh ingredients. The recipes appeal to a range of ages – from infants starting on solid foods to school-age kids and even adults – and are meant for parents to use as an inspirational feeding guide for their own families.
I really like that, good healthful foods that my kids will love and can even help prepare,which is great because the less I have to do, the better! I mean, I do spend the day slaving away making kids belts.
Spaghetti Pie (Serves 6)
8 oz Spaghetti, cooked (about 1/2 a package)
2 Large Eggs, whisked
1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese, divided
1 Lb Ground Turkey (you could also use ground beef or chicken)
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1/2 Tsp Salt
1/2 Tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 Tsp Onion Powder
2 Cups Weelicious Tomato Sauce or 1 16 Oz Jar Marinara Sauce
1 Cup Ricotta Cheese
1/2 Tsp Italian Herbs
1 Cup Mozzarella Cheese, grated
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place the cooked spaghetti in a bowl and coat with 1 tbsp of olive oil.
3. Combine the eggs and 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese in a bowl. Add mixture to the spaghetti and mix.
4. Place the spaghetti mixture into a greased deep-dish pie plate and spread to make a “pie crust”.
5. Heat 1 Tbsp of oil in a sauté pan over medium heat and cook the ground turkey, salt, garlic and onion powder for 5 minutes or until the meat is cooked through.
6. Pour the marinara sauce over the meat and stir to combine.
7. In a bowl stir the Ricotta cheese, the remaining 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese and Italian herbs to combine.
8. Spread the Ricotta/Parmesan cheese mixture over the pasta, then layer the marinara mixture and finally, top with 1 cup of mozzarella.
9. Place dish on a sheet pan and bake for 30 minutes.
10. Cool, cut into wedges and serve.
If you love spaghetti and lasagna you’ll love this creation because it’s the best of both worlds. It’s got spaghetti noodles, cheese, tomato sauce, cheese, turkey, cheese (can you tell what my favorite part is?), pretty much everything you could ask for in a meal! Serve it with some baked asparagus or a nice side salad and you have a very filling meal. I hope you all enjoy!
Blessings,
Cheesy Bacon Roasted Potatoes
I don’t know about you, but this is the time of year when I start gearing up for all of the holiday parties and get togethers. It seems like every weekend between here and the New Year is packed with stuff to do and people to see. I’m not complaining, mind you, I love socializing, it’s just I get tired of taking the same old standard green bean casserole to every event. Especially since everyone else brings green bean casserole and we are all just sitting around eating a bunch of green bean casserole and that is no fun at all.
I want something different, something more creative but something quick and easy to make, I don’t have a whole lot of time to cook and bake after juggling time for my family and making time for my kids belts. Plus, who wants to spend all day in the kitchen slaving over a hot stove unless you are a housewife circa 1920.
My assistant (Jen) shared her sister’s potato recipe with me and I am definitely adding this to the rotation of potluck dishes because it is so good and so easy! Jen says that if her sister can fix it, then anyone can because her sister admittedly hates to cook.
Cheesy Bacon Roasted Potatoes
Ingredients
5lbs Red Potatoes(Chopped into Cubes)
1 8oz Block of Cheddar Cheese (Shredded)
1 lb of Bacon (Cooked Crisp & Crumbled)
1 Cup of Melted Butter
3 Cloves Chopped Garlic
Chives or Parsley (Optional)
Preheat oven to 350. Boil the potatoes in salted water until just fork tender. Drain the water and place potatoes in a 9×13 baking dish. Mix the chopped garlic into the melted butter and pour evenly over all of the potatoes. Top with the shredded cheddar and the crumbled bacon. Bake until cheese starts to brown. When finished baking, top with chopped chives or fresh parsley. Serve warm.
Let me just say, this it a hearty dish that is sure to please anyone at your next get together. Who can beat a combination of bacon, cheese and butter? Isn’t that like the holy trinity of cooking??
Blessings,
Pumpkin Crunch
Do you hear that? It’s the sound of all of the upcoming holiday festivities of which I am eagerly awaiting. You know what goes great with all of those festivities? Pumpkin, yep this time of year pumpkin goes with pretty much any of the holidays. I’m not sure if I mentioned it recently, but I really do love this time of year. I love the smells of cinnamon, cider, nutmeg, cloves…
Here at the kids belts factory, we have our annual company holiday parties which are always of the potluck variety. That is exciting in itself because I get to torture… eh… treat my employees (insert maniacal laughter here) with super delicious recipes that I happen across on the interweb. This year, I am definitely bringing this amazing piece of pumpkin deliciousness. It’s sort of like if a pumpkin pie and an apple crisp had a baby. (Appetizing, huh?) You get the creamy buttery goodness of the pumpkin pie with the crisp, crunchyness of an apple crisp.
Pumpkin Crunch
1 Box French Vanilla Cake Mix
1 Can (16oz) Solid Packed Pumpkin
1 Can (12oz) Evaporated Milk
3 Eggs
1 1/2 Cup Sugar
1 Tsp Cinnamon
1/2 Tsp. Salt
1/2 Cup Chopped Pecans
1 Cup Melted Butter
Vanilla Ice Cream
Preheat oven to 350. Grease the bottom of a 9×13 inch pan. Combine pumpkin, milk, eggs, sugar, cinnamon and salt in a bowl. Pour into 9×13 pan. Sprinkle dry cake mix over pumpkin mixture. Drizzle the melted butter over the top. Top with pecans. Bake at 350 for 50-55 minutes. For best results, serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
I have to say, it is pure heaven when it’s served hot with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The mixture of the hot and cold in this dish makes all of the flavors really pop. It’s creamy and crunchy and nutty and spicy all at the same time. It’s like a party in my mouth and all the yummyness was invited!
Blessings,
Soup weather!
Mmmmm…. Soup weather! Ok, so soup weather in Florida is just a tad different than it was back home (no changing colors, no crisp cool evenings), but none the less, when the weather is changing (meaning less humidity, not so much that it’s actually cooler out) I get a hankering (yes I said hankering) for soup! I love soup, one of my favorites is Oktoberfest Soup from a local Bowery type restaurant and I promise, if I ever come across that recipe I am totally spilling the beans and sharing it here. I am a giver like that.
Another favorite soup of mine is Taco Soup. One of the things I love about this recipe is that it’s a slow cooker recipe. That means that I can throw everything in the crock-pot in the morning, set it and forget it, then I can head out to a day filled with making kids belts. The best part??? There are hardly any dishes to clean up since it’s a one pot meal!
Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Soup
Ingredients
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 (16 ounce) can chili beans
- 1 (15 ounce) can black beans
- 1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
- 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle beer
- 2 (10 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained
- 1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning
- 3 whole skinless, boneless chicken breasts
- shredded Cheddar cheese (optional)
- sour cream (optional)
- crushed tortilla chips (optional)
Directions
- Place the onion, chili beans, black beans, corn, tomato sauce, beer, and diced tomatoes in a slow cooker. Add taco seasoning, and stir to blend. Lay chicken breasts on top of the mixture, pressing down slightly until just covered by the other ingredients. Set slow cooker for low heat, cover, and cook for 5 hours.
- Remove chicken breasts from the soup, and allow to cool long enough to be handled. Stir the shredded chicken back into the soup, and continue cooking for 2 hours. Serve topped with shredded Cheddar cheese, a dollop of sour cream, and crushed tortilla chips, if desired.
So hearty and satisfying! Plus, tortilla chips with dinner? Yes, please!
I’m all up for trying new soups, any suggestions?
Blessings,
Tis the Season for Baking!
Banana bread, pumpkin bread, zucchini bread, cranberry bread… Oh my!! I love this time of year! There is a chill in the air… ah, who am I kidding, it’s Florida, occasionally the humidity drops and for those two glorious days we enjoy Fall! Time to grab a cup of Starbucks coffee and a slice of homemade bread!
These are definitely the days where I take a break from making my ever popular kids belts and get to mixin’ in the kitchen! In my opinion, there’s not a much better smell than fresh baked bread. The results are not too bad either, eating the fresh baked bread! This recipe for banana bread was passed on to me from a friends mother and I have to say, not only is it easy to put together, but it also tastes amazing! There is an optional ingredient, Pecans. If you don’t like those, you can add chocolate chips or peanut butter chips. Both are equally delish!
Banana Bread
1 3/4 Cups All Purpose Flour
1 tsp Cinnamon1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 Cup Canola Oil
2 Eggs
1 Cup Sugar
4 Very Ripe Bananas
Optional – 3/4 Cup Chopped Pecans
Preheat oven to 350. Cream eggs and sugar together until light and fluffy then slowly mix in the oil and mashed bananas. In another bowl mix the flour, cinnamon and baking soda together. Slowly combine the dry and wet ingredients until thoroughly mixed. Stir in pecans.
For mini loaves bake 30 minutes, for one large loaf bake about 50 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle. Finish it off with a hot cup of coffee or a cold glass of milk and you have a great evening snack!
Now that I have shared that with you, I’m going to go pull mine out of the oven and indulge!
Oh banana-y goodness, how I have missed you. I’m so glad that this time of year is back so that people don’t judge me for baking in the 100 degree Florida summer!
Blessings,
Creamy Chicken Linguini
I don’t know about you, but I love pasta. Smother it in tomato sauce, drench it in butter and garlic, or cover it in a rich, creamy, cheese sauce and I am all over it. There is something about pasta that is just comforting. It’s so hearty and filling, but with it’s heartiness and filling qualities comes calories, calories, calories and then with the sauces, even more calories. Which, by the way, seem to quickly find their way straight to my waistline and thighs…. ugh.
I came across this recipe and thought it was worth trying out. If you can make creamy pasta a little bit better for me, why not? The best part about this dish was that it was even great when I warmed it up for lunch the next day at the kids belt office.
Creamy Chicken Linguini Alfredo
1/2 Cup Green Onions (Chopped)
1/2 Cup Mushroom Pieces
1 Clove Garlic
2 Tbsp Brummel & Brown Butter
2 Oz Fat Free Cream Cheese
4 Tbsp Low Fat Parmesan Cheese
2 Oz Wheat Linguini
1 Cup Chopped Broccoli
4 Oz Chicken Breast
1/2 Cup Pasta water
Salt & Pepper to taste
Directions:
In a saute pan, sauté chicken, onions, mushrooms and broccoli. Add light salt and pepper to taste. Boil pasta according to instructions on box remember to salt the water. In a small bowl, add butter, cream cheese, garlic and Parmesan cheese. Place in microwave for about 20 seconds, until butter melts. Mix thoroughly. Continue to cook chicken mixture until it begins to caramelize. When the pasta is al dente, add to the chicken mixture. Take 1/2 cup (or more depending on how thin you want the sauce) of the water from the pasta and add to cheese mixture, whisk until creamy. Add to chicken and pasta and serve hot.
Servings: 2
Amount Per Serving
Total Calories: 326
Total Fat: 10.14 g
Sat Fat: 2.87 g
Cholesterol: 61 mg
Carbohydrates: 32.97 g
Protein: 28.77 g
Fiber: 3.70 g
Sodium: 1048 mg
It was very tasty! The cream cheese makes a very smooth sauce and the bite of the parmesan compliments it well. So, there we go, I satistisfied my hearty pasta craving, mmmm. Now if I could just find a way to feel better about eating chinese take out, I’d be doing great!
Blessings,