Hunan Green Beans and Pork

When browsing my new cookbooks and magazines for weekly recipes, I had marked this one. Kevin is always wanting pork chops but I am not the biggest fan of them. I decided to try this one because green beans are one of the only vegetables he likes, plus it had pork chops. I am glad I tried it because it was very good! I made 2 changes - one was using onion powder instead of the onions because I ran out, and the other was using red wine + an extra 1/2 tsp. sugar instead of the dry sherry, because that is what I had. One of the recipe suggestions was to serve it "southern-style" over cornbread, so I made a pan of cornbread (another one of Kevin's favorites) and we ate it with that.



Green Beans & Pork Hunan-Style
Source: Healthy Cooking for Two (Or Just You) by Frances Price

Ingredients (For 2 servings):
1 pound of fresh green beans
6 oz. lean boneless pork chops
1/2 cup dry sherry or apple juice
1/2 cup defatted chicken broth or water
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 green onions, sliced

Snap the stem ends from the beans, then snap the beans into 2" lengths. Immerse them in lukewarm water, then turn them into a colander to drain.

Cut the pork chops into strips about the size and shape of the green beans.

In a large measure, combine the sherry or apple juice, broth or water, cornstarch, sugar, soy sauce, and pepper flakes (if using); stir to dissolve cornstarch and sugar.

Place a heavy, 10" nonstick skillet over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes. Add the oil, then the pork and ginger. Cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add the beans and garlic; cook and stir for 1 minute.

Stir in the broth mixture. Cook and stir for 1 minute longer, or until the sauce is translucent and thickened. Reduce the heat to low, cover the skillet and cook the mixture for 2-3 minutes, or until the beans are crisp-tender. Stir in the green onions and serve hot.

Triple Chocolate Chip Cookies

The other night I got a craving for some chocolate - not just any chocolate, but gooey, melty chocolate in the form of a just-baked cookie. I was specifically thinking of the triple chocolate chip cookies from Otis Spunkmeyer that we sell at the c-store where I used to work (those things are 6-8 WW points apiece, btw!!). I had some assorted partial packages of chocolate chips and baking chocolate left over from Christmas baking, so I took your basic Big Fat Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe and made them Big Fat Chewy Triple Chocolate Chip cookies! Even better! Mine didn't turn out very fat, probably because I was too impatient to eat them so I skipped the chilling step, which made them spread more than normal. But they were so delicious, and Kevin said he liked them better when they were thinner, so all was well. I made a batch of this dough, baked one dozen of them, and rolled the rest into a log in the freezer for some future use. Maybe the next batch will be fatter - we will see!



Triple Chocolate Chip Cookies
Adapted from Made by Melissa

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 egg

1 egg yolk

1/2 cup white chocolate chips

1/2 cup chopped dark baking chocolate

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.

Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.

In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended. Beat in the vanilla, egg and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended (do not over-mix). Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon. I refrigerate the dough for a couple hours before baking. Drop cookie dough 1/4 cup at a time onto the prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be about 3 inches apart. I prefer smaller cookies, so I use my cookie scoop.

Bake for 15 to 17 minutes (about 12 minutes if using cookie scoop size) in the preheated oven, or until the edges are lightly toasted. Watch closely and pull out of the oven as soon as edges start to turn golden! Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Store in an airtight container and these cookies should stay soft for a couple of days, if they last that long! If cookies do start to become hard, add a piece of bread to the container.

I know my un-pretty pictures do not make these look that great, but you are going to have to trust me when I say they are AMAZING and you need to go make them now!!

Deep Dish Cherry Cobbler

This dessert came from one of the healthy cookbooks I got for Christmas. I really like this book because it gives the amounts for the recipes for two different servings - either 1 or 2 servings, or 2 or 4 servings depending on the recipe. It is geared toward the 1/2 serving recipes, making it ideal for just Kevin and I, and it also gives nutrition information for a serving. Most of the ingredients are either items I usually have in my cabinets, or meat/produce that I buy weekly anyway, so the recipes are pretty low-cost and low-fuss.

I wanted to make a dessert to end our "nice" New Years Day dinner and this sounded pretty good - and it was! Not the most decadent dessert out there (I mean, the fact that there is no chocolate rules it out automatically), but for a "light" fruit dessert it was very tasty. It was the perfect finish to our relatively heavy meal and took no time to throw together.



Deep Dish Cherry Cobbler
Source: Healthy Cooking for Two (Or Just You) by Frances Price

Ingredients (for 2 servings):
1 cup canned water-packed pitted tart cherries, with liquid
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
1/3 cup reduced-fat biscuit mix
2 tablespoons 1% lowfat milk

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Drain the cherries, reserving the liquid. Measure the liquid and add water, if necessary, to make 1/2 cup, and set aside.

Spread the cherries in the bottom of a 3-cup shallow casserole or baking dish.

In a small saucepan, mix the sugar and cornstarch. Stir in the liquid reserved from the cherries. Place over medium heat and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. Stir in the almond extract (if using) and pour the thickened liquid over the cherries.

In a small mixing bowl, stir together the biscuit mix and milk until just blended. Divide the dough into 2 biscuits and spoon over the cherries.

Bake the cobbler for 15 minutes, or until the biscuits are browned and the cherries are bubbling. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Chicken Kiev

I was looking for something a little special to make for New Years Day dinner - something that took a little more time and effort than a usual weeknight dinner. This chicken kiev from Alton Brown fit the bill. It was deliciously juicy and the panko crust was perfectly golden-brown and crispy. It wasn't really that difficult, either - just takes a bit of planning ahead because it needs to rest in the fridge for a few hours before cooking. I served it with roasted potatoes and peas. I also made a (healthy version of a) cherry cobbler for dessert - look for that in my next post!



Chicken Kiev
Source: Food Network (Alton Brown)

Ingredients:
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried tarragon (I didn't have any so I subbed dill weed)
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus extra for seasoning chicken
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus extra for seasoning chicken
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
2 large whole eggs, beaten with 1 teaspoon water
2 cups Japanese bread crumbs (panko), plus 1/4 cup for filling
Vegetable oil, for frying

Directions:

Combine butter, parsley, tarragon, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper in the bowl of a stand mixer. Place mixture on plastic wrap or waxed paper and roll into small log; place in freezer.

Place chicken breasts, 1 at a time, between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Squirt chicken lightly with water and squirt the top of the plastic wrap as well. Pound to no less than 1/8-inch thickness. Season each piece of chicken with salt and pepper.

Lay 1 chicken breast on a new piece of plastic wrap and place 1/4 of the compound butter and 1 tablespoon bread crumbs in the center of each breast. Using the plastic wrap to assist, fold in ends of breast and roll breast into a log, completely enclosing the butter; roll very tightly. Repeat with each breast. Place chicken in refrigerator for 2 hours, or up to overnight.

Place egg and water mixture in 1 pie pan and 2 cups bread crumbs in a different pie pan.

Heat 1/2-inch of vegetable oil in a 12-inch saute pan over medium-high heat until oil reaches 375 degrees F.

Dip each breast in the egg mixture and then roll in the bread crumbs. Gently place each breast in oil, sealed-side down, and cook until golden brown, approximately 4 to 5 minutes on each side, until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. Remove to a cooling rack set in sheet pan and allow to drain for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. After reading a bunch of reviews saying that the chicken wasn't all the way done, I put it in the oven for an additional 15 minutes after it was nice and brown on both sides.

Luau Turkey Loaf with Pineapple Chutney

One of my new Christmas cookbooks is Healthy Cooking for Two (Or Just You) by Francis Price. I immediately went through the entire book and marked recipes that I wanted to try, so when we were brainstorming the menu for this week I turned to the book and looked back at what I had marked. Kevin is always wanting meatloaf but I just don't care for it, but the flavors in this Luau Turkey Loaf actually didn't seem too bad. I had some leftover ground turkey in the freezer so on the menu it went. This dish actually was pretty good, though the pineapple chutney that accompanied it made the meal in my opinion. Kevin liked it pretty well so I have a feeling I will be making this again when the man wants some meatloaf.



Luau Turkey Loaf and Pineapple Chutney
Source: Healthy Cooking for Two (Or Just You) by Francis Price

For 2 servings:
1 tablespoon pineapple or orange juice
1 1/2 teaspoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped onions
1/8 small sweet green or red pepper, chopped
2 quarter-size slices fresh ginger
6 oz. lean ground turkey
1/4 cup fresh bread crumbs
1 large egg white

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a blender, combine the pineapple or orange juice, soy sauce, onions, peppers, and ginger. Process on medium speed until the vegetables are finely pureed. Pour into a medium mixing bowl. Add the turkey, bread crumbs, and egg.

Lightly coat a small baking sheet with no-stick spray. Blend everything well with your hands and pat the mixture into a loaf shape on the baking sheet. Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 25-30 minutes, until the loaf is brown on top with no trace of pink in the center when you pierce it with a sharp knife.

Let the loaf stand for 5-10 minutes before slicing. Serve hot or cold.


Pineapple Chutney

1 can (8 oz) juice-packed crushed pineapple (with juice)
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped onion
2 tablespoons chopped red or green peppers
1 tablespoon fresh minced ginger
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons golden raisins (I omitted)

In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the pineapple (with juice), sugar, vinegar, onions, red or green peppers, ginger, and pepper flakes. Microwave on high for 3 minutes. Stir in the raisins and microwave on high for 1 minute. Let the chutney stand at least 5 minutes before serving. Serve warm or cold.


MA! The meatloaf!!!
...sorry, couldn't resist ;-)

Chicken Enchilada Soup

One of my favorite snack foods every is Harry and David's Pepper and Onion Relish. Every year my mom and I split a case of the stuff and it usually lasts for a couple months. I usually just use it as a dip for chips, but there are 4 recipes on the jar I have always wanted to try. I finally got around to trying one this past week and while it was very good, I think I like the relish better just by itself! This recipe made enough for 2 bowls of soup, which we ate with warm crescent rolls.



Chicken Enchilada Soup
Source: Harry and David

1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
3/4 cup Pepper and Onion Relish
1 1/2 cups chicken broth or stock (I just used the whole can)
1/2 cup cream (I used fat free half and half)
Salt to taste
3/4 cup Monterey Jack cheese
Optional: 1 cup cooked chicken breast, diced
My addition: 1 or 2 chopped scallions for garnish

Heat oil in a pot over medium heat and saute onion and garlic. Add relish and chicken broth and cook with pot covered for 15 min. over low heat. Add cream, salt, and chicken (optional) and simmer another 8-10 minutes over low heat. Stir in cheese and serve hot. Ladle into bowls and top with scallions.

Roasted Potatoes

I have had this Cooking Light recipe in a stack of "things to try soon" for about a month now, so I decided to make these for a side for my family's Christmas dinner at my grandma's house. There are about 30 people in the family so we eat a LOT! I made a 5 lb. bag of potatoes and they were gone in under 5 minutes... guess I didn't make enough because not everyone even got some! I know I for one could not wait to eat them, because for the hour drive to Grandma's house all I could think about was how my car smelled like Chicken Shack potatoes (which are amazing, for you poor people who never lived near Detroit and experienced them first-hand)!! I made the vinaigrette in a separate container and put it on the potatoes after I reheated them, right before serving. These were really good and I am making some for tomorrow night's dinner for Kevin and I to enjoy, since we only got a taste last weekend.



New Potatoes with Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette
Source: Cooking Light, November 2008

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
7 garlic cloves, unpeeled
3 pounds small red potatoes, quartered
3 tablespoons minced chives
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard (I omitted since I cannot stand any sort of mustard flavor, and used a dash of Worcestershire sauce and an extra dash of salt and vinegar instead)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Combine 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, garlic, and potatoes in a roasting pan or jelly-roll pan; toss well to coat. Bake at 400 degrees for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until tender, stirring after 35 minutes. Cool 10 minutes.
3. Squeeze garlic cloves to extract pulp. Discard skins. Combine garlic pulp, remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons oil, remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper, chives, vinegar,, and mustard into a large bowl; stir well with a whisk. Add potatoes to bowl; toss well to coat.

Yield: 8 servings (about 3/4 cup)

White Chocolate Peppermint Cheesecake

This cheesecake was inspired by the Cheesecake Factory's Peppermint Bark cheesecake, which is only available around the holidays. I couldn't find a recipe that was exactly what I wanted, but I found one that came pretty close and just made some minor changes to it. I don't think it as good as the Chubby Hubby Cheesecake that I made for Thanksgiving, but it was still very enjoyable. The red and green candy canes gave it a very festive touch. It also was the first cheesecake I made in my new springform pan that I got for Christmas! I ended up having to double the crust because there was no way a single recipe was going to cover the whole bottom of the pan!



White Chocolate Peppermint Cheesecake
Adapted from RecipeZaar

Ingredients:
2 cups chocolate graham cracker crumbs
1 stick butter, melted
4 tablespoons sugar
3 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, softened (I used reduced fat)
3 eggs
4 oz. white baking chocolate
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons peppermint extract
Crushed candy canes for garnish (I used 1/2 a box, so 4 or 5 candy canes)

Directions:
1. Mix graham cracker crumbs, 4 tablespoons sugar and melted butter together to make crust. Press mixture into bottom of 10-inch springform pan. Bake crust at 325F for 10 minutes. Cool.

2. Mix cream cheese and 3/4 cup sugar until just blended. Add peppermint extract and eggs, one at a time, mixing after each until blended.

3. Melt white chocolate in microwave or double boiler and stir into cream cheese mixture.

4. Pour mixture over cooled crust. Bake 45-50 minutes at 325F or until center is almost set. Cool completely, then refrigerate for (at least) 4 hours.

5. When ready to serve, spread a thin layer of whipped topping or whipped cream on top of cheesecake (if desired) and sprinkle with crushed candy canes. You can sprinkle with red and green sugar, too, if you like.

Quick Candied Yams

Since Kevin and I spent Christmas with just the two of us this year, I didn't go all out on the menu. We got some sliced ham from Heavenly Ham, and I served it with corn, peas, and these yams. (Unfortunately, I forgot to take pictures, again!) It was a very nice day and it was the first time we had spent all of Christmas day together with just us. Like the title of the recipe implies, they are quick, easy, and tasty! I reduced the sugar because we don't like them to be overly sweet. I also added some cinnamon and nutmeg because I love those flavors together!

Quick Candied Yams
Adapted from the recipe on the side of the Bruce's Yams can

1 can Bruce's Yams (the medium size can)
2 TB butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup syrup from the can
Sprinkle of cinnamon to taste
Sprinkle of nutmeg to taste

Place Yams in a shallow baking dish. Combine syrup from can, sugar and butter in saucepan, stirring to boil to thicken. Pour sauce over Yams. Sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg. Bake in 350° oven for 20 to 30 minutes, basting frequently.

Hearty Christmas Pasta

My dad and I created this recipe together when I was home for a few days leading up to Christmas. I call it Christmas pasta because it is red and green. It is very filling and delicious, and has some unexpected ingredients that most people (myself included) don't tend to think of as going with pasta (such as the carrots), but worked very well. This could be made healthier by using lean ground beef and turkey sausage, but since it includes so many veggies already it isn't too bad. Since we made this up by tasting as we went along, I am going to try my best to recall this exactly how we did it, but I didn't take any exact measurements so keep that in mind.



Hearty Christmas Pasta
A Kelsey and Jeff original

1 box farfalle pasta, cooked
1/2 lb. ground beef
2 links italian sausage, casings removed
1/2 - 1 whole onion, chopped
3-4 cloves minced garlic1 1/2 green peppers, in a large dice
2 handfuls baby carrots
4-5 celery ribs with leaves, chopped
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can tomato paste and 1 can of water
2 teaspoons Dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon Cayenne pepper
Freshly ground salt and pepper to taste
Handful fresh basil leaves
Handful cherry tomato halves

Brown ground beef and sausage in a large skillet. Remove from pan and add onion and garlic. Saute for a few minutes then add the green peppers, carrots, and celery. Cook for 5 minutes or so until starting to soften, then add diced tomatoes, tomato paste, water, and seasonings. Add browned meat back into the pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, for 15-20 minutes or until sauce is reduced to the consistency you want. Make sure to taste the sauce as you go and adjust seasonings. Remove from heat, stir in basil and cherry tomatoes, and serve over the farfalle.

Green Beans with Bacon

I made this as a side dish for our Christmas potluck with Kevin's side of the family (sorry, forgot to take a picture!). The were yummy! I used onion instead of shallots and turkey bacon instead of regular bacon because that was what I had in my fridge, and also to lighten it up a bit. It was very good and I would make the recipe again, but it is nothing too special.

Green Beans with Bacon
Source: Cooking Light

Yields 12 servings (2/3 cup)

Ingredients:
2 1/2 pounds green beans, trimmed
3 bacon slices
1/2 cup chopped shallots
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:
Cook green beans in boiling water for 5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain and plunge beans into ice water; drain.

Cook bacon in a Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan; crumble. Add shallots to drippings in pan; sauté 4 minutes or until tender. Add beans, juice, salt, and pepper to pan; toss to combine. Cook 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring often. Remove from heat. Sprinkle bacon over bean mixture; toss.

Christmas Cookies!

This is the first year I have every really gotten into Christmas baking, but I really enjoyed making all my cookies. My friend Melanie came over one night and we baked for hours, accomplishing about half of these. The others were made over my finals week, because I had no finals (lucky me!). I enjoyed taking these to work, to holiday parties, and of course, snacking on them at home!

So this post isn't ridiculously long, I will just link to the recipes I found in other blogs, and will only post the recipes here that are family recipes I used.

Espresso Shortbread (Source: Yum.)
Chocolate Toffee Cookies (Source: Smitten Kitchen)
Mexican Wedding Cookies (Source: A Year in the Kitchen) Not pictured; these got eaten up too fast!


Top to bottom: Peanut Butter cookies with mini PB cups, Chocolate Toffee cookies, and Espresso Shortbread

It was my first time making all of these recipes, all were wonderful, and all will definitely be made again! I especially loved the lemon zest added to the Mexican Wedding cookies, it was so refreshing tasting with all that sugar!

The following 3 recipes are family recipes from my mom:

Sugar Cookies
4 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup shortening
3 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. almond extract
1 1/2 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Cream: Shortening, sugar, eggs, and flavoring
Mix: Dry ingredients
Add: Dry ingredients to cream mixture
Roll to 1/4 inch thickness and cut with cookie cutters. Decorate as desired.
Bake 10 minutes.




Gingerbread Men

4 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup shortening
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup molasses

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
Cream: Shortening, sugar, eggs, and molasses
Mix: Dry ingredients
Add: Dry ingredients to creamed mixture
Roll to 1/4 inch thick and cut with cookie cutters.
Bake for about 10 minutes




Peanut Butter Cookies (With Mini PB Cups or Kisses)

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda

Cream: Butter and peanut butter
Add: Egg, vanilla, sugar, brown sugar, flour, and baking soda
Roll into 1" balls and put onto a greased cookie sheet.
Bake for 10 minutes
Immediately press in mini PB cups or kisses (14 oz. bag)
Let cool 10 minutes.

Captain Morgan Rum Balls

I didn't catch a picture of these guys but I wanted to blog about them anyway. First I would like to say that I never plan to make these again. A couple people who tried them liked them, but most people agreed that they were way too strong, including Kevin's sister, who drinks Captain Morgan almost exclusively. So, if you like strong alcohol flavoring then go for it; if you don't, then I would pass on this one. They were, however, easy to make, but be prepared for your hands to get very messy!

Captain Morgan's Spiced Rum Balls
Source: Gifts From Your Kitchen

1 box vanilla wafers
4 tablespoons white Karo syrup
1/2 cup Captain Morgan's Spiced Rum or similar spiced rum
3 tablespoons powdered cocoa
1 cup walnuts or pecans (optional)

Blend vanilla wafers in blender until they are powdered. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Roll into half dollar size balls. Roll in confectioners' sugar. Refrigerate overnight.

Dr. Pepper Peanut Brittle

I found this recipe and thought it looked pretty simple. I was also wanting something else to go with all the holiday cookies I was making, so I decided to give it a go. I think my parents ate almost the whole batch themselves, and my mom especially loved it! It was quite easy and the cayenne adds an unexpected kick, so if you don't like sweet and spicy together than I would reduce this amount, or just omit it.



Dr. Pepper Peanut Brittle
Source: Homesick Texan, originally adapted from Cooking with Dr. Pepper and 7-Up

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups of sugar
3/4 cups of butter (1 1/2 sticks)
1 1/2 teaspoons of salt
1/2 teaspoon of cayenne
1/4 cup of Dr Pepper
2 cups roasted and salted peanuts, shelled
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda

Method:
1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Combine all the ingredients except for the baking soda in a pot, cook on medium heat and bring to a boil stirring often.

3. When the temperature reaches 290 degrees, remove from heat and stir in soda. Mixture will foam up and double in size.
4. Spread mixture thin on baking sheet using a silicone spatula.
5. When mixture cools and hardens (about half an hour), break into pieces and serve.
Makes 1 1/2 pounds or enough to feed you and a couple of other people.

Lasagna Rollups

Kevin loves lasagna. But since there are just the 2 of us, I don't like to make a whole pan because we would have so much left over. Then I found this recipe for lasagna rollups, decided to try them, and now I think he likes these even better than regular lasagna! These are a regular dinner item in our house, and I probably make them once every 3 weeks or so. I make mine with the spinach, but Kevin doesn't like it so I make his with just the meat and cheese.

Beef and Spinach Lasagna Roll-Ups
Source: Pillsbury.com
Ingredients:

1/4	lb extra lean ground beef
3	tablespoons chopped onion
1	jar (14-oz.) tomato pasta sauce
1	egg white
1/2	cup ricotta cheese
2	tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1	teaspoon dried oregano leaves
3/4	cup shredded mozzarella cheese (3 oz)
4	(8x2 1/2-inch) frozen precooked lasagna noodles, thawed (I use cooked dry noodles)
1	cup fresh baby spinach leaves, washed, stems removed

Directions:

1.	Heat oven to 350°F. In 8-inch skillet, cook beef and onion over medium-high heat until beef is thoroughly cooked, stirring frequently; drain. Stir in 1/2 cup of the pasta sauce. Remove from heat.
2.	In bottom of ungreased 8-inch square (2-quart) glass baking dish, spread 3 tablespoons of the remaining pasta sauce. In medium bowl, beat egg white. Stir in ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, oregano and 1/2 cup of the mozzarella cheese.
3.	Spread 1/4 each of ricotta mixture, spinach leaves and beef mixture over each lasagna noodle. Starting with short side, gently and loosely roll each noodle; place seam side down over sauce in baking dish. Top roll-ups with remaining sauce. Cover with foil.
4.	Bake 30 to 40 minutes or until bubbly and thoroughly heated. Remove foil; sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese. Bake an additional 2 to 4 minutes or until cheese is melted. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

One note: don't use fat free mozzarella like I did (it was all I had), or you will not get the nice gooey melted cheese on top. It will look like the picture above, and it is ok, but gooey cheese is way better.

Seasoned Pretzels

These are something my mom makes every holiday season, and sometimes as a treat at other times in the year. They are super simple to make and so tasty! I bet you can't eat just one!



Seasoned Pretzels
Source: My Mom

Preheat oven to 200 degrees.

20 oz. of broken pretzel sticks (the thick rod kind)
3/4 cup oil
1 pkg. dry ranch dressing mix
1 1/2 Tbsp. dill weed
1 1/2 Tbsp. garlic powder

Mix together oil, ranch dressing mix, dill weed, and garlic powder.
Coat pretzel pieces.

Bake in oven for 1 hour.
Stir every 15 minutes.

Roasted Chicken Penne

This is a great comfort food recipe for a cold day. It reminds me of chicken pot pie, in pasta form.



Roasted Chicken Penne
Source: The Everything Quick and Easy 30-Minute, 5-Ingredient Cookbook by Linda Larsen

2 cups penne pasta
2 roasted deli chicken breasts (I used boneless skinless breasts that I poached myself)
1 10-oz jar garlic Alfredo sauce
1/2 cup chicken gravy (from deli or jar)
2 cups frozen mixed vegetables, thawed and drained

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook penne pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, remove meat from chicken and shred. Combine with Alfredo sauce, chicken gravy, and vegetables in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce bubbles and chicken and vegetables are hot, about 8 to 10 minutes.

2. When pasta is cooked al dente, drain thoroughly and add to chicken mixture, stirring and tossing gently. Cook for another 1 to 2 minutes to heat through and serve.

Serves 4.

Homemade Christmas gifts!

This year I decided to do mostly homemade gifts, for fun and also to save a little money. I made three different types of cookie mix in a jar, which Kevin and I gave to friends, family, and coworkers. I decorated these with fabric circles and made a tag with baking instructions, which I tied with a ribbon around the top. I also made two different types of flavored cooking oil for my dad. (Also a no-sew fleece blanket for my brother, but that doesn't really belong here!)

M&M Cookie Mix in a Jar
Source: About.com

Jar Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• * M & M's

Filling the Jar:
Layer the ingredients in a quart size canning jar in the order listed. I used a small funnel and it worked pretty good for most of the ingredients! Use enough candy pieces so the jar is full to the top. You can use regular M & M's (I used the red and green ones) or the mini M & M's made for baking. Pack down all indredients, especially the brown sugar!

The website has printable tags that include baking directions for the recipient!

Decorative Brownie Mix in a Jar
Source: About.com

Jar Ingredients:

• 1 1/8 cup flour
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2/3 cup white sugar
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup vanilla chips
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• walnuts

Filling the Jar:
Layer the ingredients in a quart size canning jar in the order listed. I used a small funnel and it worked pretty good for most of the ingredients! The walnuts are optional. If you use the walnuts, use enough to fill the jar to the top. If you do not use the walnuts, use extra chocolate and vanilla chips so the jar is full to the top. Pack down all indredients, especially the brown sugar!

The website has printable tags that include baking instructions for the recipient!

Snowball Cookie Mix in a Jar
Source: Gifts From Your Kitchen

2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup finely chopped pecans or walnuts

(4 1/4 cups are placed in quart jar.)

Place 3/4 cup sifted confectioners' sugar in a separate packet to attach to jar with recipe.

Attach the following instructions to the jar:

Snowballs
Cream 1 cup (2 sticks) of unsalted butter or margarine with 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract. Gradually stir in the Snowball Cookie Mix until ingredients are well combined. Dust your hands with a little of the confectioners' sugar and roll the dough into 1-inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on baking sheets and bake, in a preheated oven, for 5 minutes at 325 degrees F or just until light brown. Transfer to racks to cool for 15 minutes, then roll in the confectioners' sugar.

These cookies keep well in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. Do not freeze them.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

First I used measuring cups to figure out the volume of my bottles; they held just under 2 cups. Then I adjusted the amounts in the recipes accordingly. The bottles came from the Dollar Tree.

Hot Chile Oil
Source: Whole Foods Market

Makes 3 (8-ounce) bottles of oil

Ingredients
3 teaspoons peppercorns (white, black or pink)
3 teaspoons cumin seeds
3 teaspoons red chile flakes
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 (25.4-ounce) bottle extra virgin olive oil or canola oil
10 whole dried chile pods

Method

Wash 3 glass bottles with hot soapy water, rinse well and set aside to dry. Once dry, place 1 teaspoon peppercorns, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon red chile flakes and 1/2 teaspoon salt in each bottle. Heat olive oil and chile pods in a sauce pan to 150°F, turn heat off and allow oil to sit for a half hour. Carefully strain out chile pods. Place funnel in the bottle opening and pour oil in the bottle, leaving about 1 to 2 inches at the top. Shake to mix well, seal and store in a cool dark place for 1 week before enjoying. Package with a stainless steel spout around the neck of the bottle for easy dispensing.

Basil Oil
Source: Food Network - Michael Chiarello

For soft herbs, such as basil, parsley, cilantro or tarragon: Use 4 cups packed leaves to 2 cups pure olive oil.

For woody herbs, such as rosemary, sage, thyme, oregano or lemon verbena: Use 1 cup packed leaves to 2 cups pure olive oil.

In a blender, puree the herbs and oil until completely smooth. Put the mixture in a saucepan and bring it to a simmer over moderate heat. Simmer for 45 seconds, then pour through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl. Don't press on the mixture, but you can tap the strainer against your hand to get the oil to drip through faster.

Immediately strain the oil again through a flat-bottomed paper filter. If the filter clogs, you may need to change the filter partway through. It's okay to pick the filter up and squeeze it gently to get the oil out faster, but be careful not to break the filter.

(Sometimes a little dark liquid comes through the filter first. Don't worry; that's water. It will settle to the bottom because it is heavier than the oil.)

Let the filtered oil settle for a few hours, then pour it off the dark liquid. Store in an airtight jar in a cool, dark place.

Cook's Notes: The oil passes through the filter faster if it's filtered while still hot, so set up your filter before you start the recipe. You'll need a flat-bottomed paper filter, like those used for some drip coffee machines. Cone-shaped filters tend to get clogged.

Yield: about 1 1/3 cups

Oreo Truffles

These little truffles are so decadent, and they are a perfect holiday treat! They do take a little bit of time, but they are pretty easy (except when you try to grab your hot burner with your bare hand and give yourself a second degree burn, but that is a different story).

Oreo Truffles
Source: Skinny Food by Amy

1 package oreos
14 oz. condensed milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Almond bark or melting chocolate



First, crush the oreos in a ziploc bag or a food processor. Then, add the condensed milk and mix together. Form into small balls (a cookie scoop is a great way to do this) and place in the freezer to set for about half an hour. In the meantime, prepare your melting chocolates according to the package instructions in the microwave or double boiler. Then, dip the balls in chocolate (I used toothpicks to hold the balls in the chocolate) and allow to cool on parchment or mini candy cups. Decorate with a white chocolate drizzle or sprinkles, if desired.



I got about 30 or so truffles out of the recipe, but I made them bigger than I would have liked. They were so large that you could barely eat a whole one because they were so rich. They also were a little too large for the mini muffin wrappers I was using. I will definitely be making these again, just with a smaller scooper!

Italian Chicken Pitas

Another easy, quick one pan meal! You can also use this filling for wraps, or just eat it plain!

Italian Chicken Pitas
Source: Weight Watchers Recipes

3/4lb. Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast, Cut in thin 1" slices
1 small Zucchini cliced (1/2 cup)
1 small Carrot, grated (1/2 cup)
1 small Onion, slice in rings, then halve them
1/4 tsp dried Oregano, Basil and ground Pepper
1 med Tomato, chopped (3/4 cup)
3 pita pocket breads, 6", warmed & halved
1/3 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese (optional)
1 dash garlic powder per sandwich (optional)

Stir fry chicken with non-stick cooking spray until cooked, no longer pink inside. Add Zucchini, Carrot, Onion, & Seasonings. (Add a little water if needed) Stir fry 2 - 3 min, until crisp tender. Remove from heat & add tomato just before filling warmed pocket breads. Sprinkle fillings with cheese.

Makes 6 sandwiches.

I have not measured the volume that goes into each pita, but I would estimate the filling volume around 1/2 cup. Add lettuce to cooled mix for a little more volume.

These pitas are a great way for me to sneak vegetables into Kevin's food, since he usually doesn't eat them. He claims to not like any of the ingredients in these except the chicken and carrots, yet somehow he will eat every bite when you put them all together!