Crock pot chicken, sausage and tomato soup

Super easy, very few ingredients. I was skeptical at first, but it turned out wonderfully. I was thinking of adding more chicken brother and a little less pasta sauce, but Husband said it was perfect just the way it was. You can serve it over pasta, I suppose, but we just ate it as soup with some crusty French bread and a side salad.

3 chicken breasts (cut into 1 inch pieces)

4 chicken sausages cut into 1/2 inch pieces (we get them from Costco)

1 jar of pasta sauce (I used the TJ no salt added sauce to lower the sodium)

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

1 can of white beans, drained and rinsed

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp garlic powder

shredded/grated Parmesan cheese to taste

In the crock pot, combine all of the ingredients (minus the cheese). Cook on low for 7-8 hours. Top with cheese. Voila!

Another excellent fried rice with edamame

Slightly adjusted from Cooking Light


Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 1  (3 1/2-ounce) bag boil-in-bag long-grain rice
• 3  tablespoons  canola oil, divided
• 1  tablespoon  chopped peeled fresh ginger
• 3  garlic cloves, minced
• 6  ounces  pork tenderloin, trimmed and cut into cubes (we used leftover pork tenderloin)
• 1/2  cup  shelled edamame (green soybeans)
• 1/2  cup  preshredded carrot
• 1/2  cup  diagonally cut green onions
• 1/2  cup  (1/4-inch-thick) slices red bell pepper, each cut in half
• 2  tablespoons  low-sodium soy sauce
• 1/2  cup  water
• 2  tablespoons  chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 1/2  tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1  tablespoon  Thai chili sauce
• 1/4  teaspoon  black pepper
• 
  
• Preparation

Cook rice according to package directions; set aside.

Heat 1/2 teaspoon oil in a wok or large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add ginger and garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add pork; sauté 3 minutes or until pork loses its pink color. Place pork mixture in a large bowl; cover and keep warm.

Add 1 teaspoon oil to pan. Add edamame and carrot; sauté 2 minutes. Add onions and bell pepper; sauté 2 minutes. Add carrot mixture to pork mixture in bowl; keep warm.

Heat remaining 2 1/2 tablespoons oil in pan. Add cooked rice and soy sauce to pan; sauté 3 minutes. Return pork mixture to pan. Stir in water and all remaining ingredients; cook 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Spoon 1 1/2 cups fried rice mixture onto each of 4 individual plates.

Oven Spaghetti

My rockin' sister-in-law made this for us when Baby was born. It is probably not one of the healthiest meals, but easy to put together--and the kids love it. I've also used it with great success as a meal for parents of newborns (hey, it beats lasagna).

8-oz. package thin spaghetti
1 ½ lbs. lean ground beef
1 teaspoon of salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 8-oz. cans tomato sauce or 1 28-oz. jar of spaghetti sauce
½ lb. fresh mushrooms, sliced
8-oz. container cream cheese
½ cup sour cream
8-oz. container cottage cheese
½ cup green onions, sliced
2 tablespoons diced green pepper
½ cup shredded parmesan or mozzarella cheese (optional)

Preheat oven to 350. Cook and drain spaghetti according to directions. In a large skillet, brown beef, then stir in salt, pepper, tomato sauce and mushrooms. Remove from heat. In a bowl, stir together cream cheese, cottage cheese, sour cream, onion and green pepper. Coat a 2 ½ quart casserole dish with cooking spray. Place half of the cooked spaghetti in the dish. Spread cheese layer over spaghetti. Place remaining half of spaghetti on top of cheese layer. Top with tomato-meat sauce layer. Sprinkle with shredded parmesan or mozzarella cheese, if desired. Can be refrigerated at this point to be baked later. If so, remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Bake for 45 minutes. Serves 6-8.

Christmas Cookie List 2009 (updated)

I haven't settled on the final list, but thanks to my social networking friends, here are some I am considering for this year:

1. Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars (via Meredith)
Fantastic. Made these several times because they are so easy, quick and tasty. These won the best in their category and the best overall in our bake-off at work.

2. Chocolate Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies (via Kristin)
Did not make these as I was trying to stay away from nut cookies for Baby's sake.

3. Black Bottom Coconut Bars
Made these, and they turned out well, but they do dry out really quickly.

4. Sweet and Salty Peanut Chocolate Chunk Cookies (via Meredith)
Did not make these for the same reason as #2.

5. Oatmeal Scotchies (via Sarah L.)
These were very easy to make and quite tasty, but not out of this world.

6. Ritz Cracker Cookie (via Sarah S.)
1. Spread peanut butter between 2 ritz crackers (we do the whole box this way).
2. Dip cracker sandwiches in melted chocolate almond bark (I melt it with a double boiler over boiling water)
3. I throw 5 or so cracker sandwiches in at a time, and then use a tongs to swish them around and bang the excess chocolate off.
4. Put onto wax paper. Sprinkle with colored sugar (the multi-colored dots work best against the dark chocolate.)
They set up in about 30 minutes or less.
Did not make these for the same reason as #2.

And now the old standbys:

7. Sugared Cranberries
Yes!

8. Spiced Maple Pecans
Not this year.

9. Black Forest Cookies
Yes!

10. Pumpkin Walnut Loaf
Yes! Made several, gave away as gifts.

11. Kringla
Made these for Ukrainian Christmas.

I made a few other new cookies that were not in the original plan.

12. Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies
Highly recommended by Sarah L. I made these at the in-laws' house. They were good and very different. However, mine looked nothing like the picture. I would definitely try these again.

13. Toffee Blond Brownies
Husband really liked these, but I was slightly underwhelmed. I mean, they were good, but not as good as I expected. May try these again though.

Roasted Chicken, Goat Cheese and Peach Salad

Excellent summer salad, especially when we have lots of peaches from the farmers market. This salad is also the reason for my falling in love with rotisserie chicken. I get unseasoned rotiserrie chicken (they call it naked bird) from a certain healthy food store, and OMG, it is so juicy and delicious. One thing though--this salad is not particularly kid-friendly, at least not for my kids since they don't actually eat salad. For them, I set aside the ingredients they will eat (chicken, peaches, cheese, etc) and serve some pasta on the side.

Adapted from Cooking Light

Dressing

• 2 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons minced shallots
• 2 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 1/2 teaspoons maple syrup
• 3/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Salad

• 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
• 2 cups thinly sliced peaches
• 1/2 cup vertically sliced red onion
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted
• 1 (5-ounce) package salad greens
• crumbled goat cheese to taste

1. Combine dressing ingredients; stir with a whisk (I find that it makes more dressing than we need, so I save it for another salad--it is a great sweet dressing).

2. Combine all salad ingredients except cheese in a large bowl.

3. Add dressing; toss gently. Sprinkle with cheese. Voila!

Creamy Shrimp and Veggie Pasta

I made this for dinner last night, and it was quite good. Fairly quick, especially if you buy shredded carrots (which I did) and shredded parmesan (which I did not). I did not use parsley on Child’s dish (he does not like ‘lettuce’). The sauce tasted very much like alfredo (but a lot better for you).

adapted from Cooking Light

1/2 pound uncooked long pasta (fettuccine, spaghetti, angel hair)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined (I used precooked frozen shrimp)
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup frozen green peas, thawed
1/2 cup shredded carrot
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2/3 cup (4 ounces) grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, divided
1/4 cup bacon crumbles (optional; we did not use it and it was still tasty)

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain well; keep warm.

2. Heat up olive oil in a large skillet. Add shrimp and garlic to pan; sauté over medium-high heat 2 for minutes. Add peas and carrot; cook 2 minutes or just until shrimp are done. Transfer shrimp mixture to a large bowl; keep warm.

3. Combine milk, flour, salt and pepper, stirring with a whisk. Add milk mixture to pan; cook over medium heat 3 minutes or until thickened and bubbly, stirring constantly with a whisk. Remove pan from heat; add cheese, stirring until blended.

4. Add milk mixture to shrimp mixture; stir until combined. Add pasta and half of the parsley, tossing gently to coat. Transfer pasta mixture to a platter or divide evenly among each of 4 plates; sprinkle evenly with remaining parsley and crumbled bacon, if desired. Serve immediately.

Amazingly Easy Broiled Salmon

This is one of my recent finds, and I’ve already made it three times. It just can’t get much easier than this. And if you use aluminum foil, clean up takes no time at all. The family loves it! On the side, the magazine recommends a salad and roasted potatoes. I made it with steam broccoli and buttered gnocchi, and the whole meal was out of this world.

• 1/2 cup orange marmalade
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
• 4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets (do not use one large piece in hopes of cutting it later—it will take too long to cook through and the marinade will begin to burn)
• Cooking spray

1. Preheat broiler.
2. Combine first 6 ingredients in a small bowl, stirring well.
3. Line a jelly-roll pan with foil, spray foil with cooking spray.
4. Brush half of marmalade mixture over fish; broil 6 minutes.
5. Brush fish with remaining marmalade mixture; broil for 2 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or until desired degree of doneness.

Turkey Meatballs

I found this recipe a long time ago and kind of forgot about it. Nothing gourmet about it, but it’s definitely easy and quick, and it freezes wonderfully.

Adapted from allrecipes.com

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 (20 ounce) package ground turkey
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/3 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
• Spaghetti sauce of your choice (I often mix the sauce in the blender with some steamed broccoli and/or steamed carrots to sneak in some veggies)
• Package of spaghetti or noodles of your choice
• Shredded Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish with the olive oil, and place it in the oven while preheating.

2. Make noodles according to package directions.

3. In a medium bowl, mix together the ground turkey, egg and bread crumbs using your hands. Form the meat into golf ball sized meatballs. (You can freeze them at this point, although I usually freeze them after baking).

4. Place about 1 inch apart in the hot baking dish. Press down to flatten the bottom just slightly.

5. Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven, then turn them over and continue baking for about 5 more minutes.

6. To give meatballs more flavor and make them a little juicier, place cooked meatballs in a skillet, pour tomato sauce over them and simmer for 10 minutes. Or you can skip this step and simply serve meatballs right out of the oven with pasta, warmed up sauce and grated Parmesan cheese.

Squash and potato soup

I am a sucker for squash soup, and this one was just delightful and easy to make. Seeing a trend here? I have really been going for easy-to-make recipes in an attempt to find some work/life balance. Oh, if only it was as easy as finding quick recipes...

Don't skip the cheese toast! It is such a nice addition to the soup.

Adapted from Cooking Light

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 5 cups (1/2-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash (about 1 1/2 pounds)
• 2 cups (1/2-inch) cubed peeled russet potato (about 12 ounces)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups sliced leek (about 2 medium)
• 4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup fat-free half-and-half
• 12 ounces baguette, cut into 16 slices
• 3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded Gruyère cheese
• 3 tablespoons chopped chives
• Freshly ground black pepper (optional)

1. Preheat broiler.

2. Melt butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add squash, potato, salt, and pepper to pan; sauté 3 minutes. Add leek; sauté 1 minute. Stir in broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until potato is tender, stirring occasionally.

3. Place half of potato mixture in a blender. Remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure blender lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening in blender lid (to avoid splatters). Blend until smooth. Pour into a large bowl. Repeat procedure with remaining potato mixture. Stir in half-and-half. Cover and keep warm.

4. Arrange bread slices in a single layer on a baking sheet; sprinkle evenly with cheese. Broil bread slices 2 minutes or until golden.

5. Ladle 1 cup soup into each of 8 bowls; top each serving with about 1 teaspoon chives. Serve 2 bread slices with each serving. Garnish with freshly ground black pepper, if desired.

Stir-Fry Tofu

This was not out-of-this-world good, but it was a different take on homemade take-out and it was good to find another tofu recipe.

• 1 cup of whole grain rice
• 2 teaspoons canola oil
• 1 (14-ounce) package extra firm tofu, cut into (1-inch) cubes
• 2/3 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
• 1 tablespoon sherry
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1/2 teaspoon dark sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon bottled minced fresh ginger
• 2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic

1. Prepare rice according to package directions, omitting salt and fat.

2. Heat canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add tofu, and sauté 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from skillet.

3. Combine broth and the next 6 ingredients, stirring well with a whisk.

4. Add ginger, garlic, and onions to pan; sauté 30 seconds. Stir in broth mixture; cook 1 minute or until thickened, stirring constantly. Add tofu to pan; cook 30 seconds, stirring gently to coat.

5. Divide rice evenly among each of 4 plates; top each serving with tofu mixture.

Sausage and Pasta Soup

This was a very easy, quick and tasty soup. Great for leftovers, too, although when it sits, pasta absorbes a lot of the broth.

• 12 ounces turkey or chicken sausage, halved lengthwise and sliced (we used sweet turkey sausage)
• 4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup uncooked small-ish pasta (shells, bow ties, rotini)
• 2 zucchini, coarsely chopped
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can stewed tomatoes, undrained
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/3 cup shredded Asiago cheese

1. Heat a large saucepan over high heat. Add sausage; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

2. Add broth and pasta; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 4 minutes.

3. Add zucchini and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 2 minutes.

4. Stir in basil, oregano, and beans; cover and simmer for 3 minutes or until pasta and zucchini are tender.

5. Sprinkle with cheese.

DONE! Told ya it was quick and easy.

Chili Blanco

This recipe is courtesy of my fabulous sister-in-law who cooked it for us over Thanksgiving. I have not made it myself yet, but I can attest that it tastes great.

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 onions, chopped
• 6-8 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 (7 oz. ounce) can chopped green chilies, drained
• 4 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 4 cups chopped cooked chicken
• 3 (15 ounce) cans white beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup light sour cream
• 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1. Heat oil in large saucepan.

2. Saute onion, garlic, green chilies, cumin, cayenne pepper and oregano until onion is tender.

3. Mix in chicken broth, chicken and white beans. Bring to boil and simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. (At this point, you can turn off the heat, cool it completely and freeze it.)

4. Add cheese and sour cream, stir until melted.

Christmas 2007 Cookie List (now updated)

Hard to believe Christmas is here again, and I have only added a handful of posts since last Christmas... I tried to be realistic in my cookie baking plans this season, what with the new baby and all. Is a 10-item list realistic? Don't think so. But a girl can dream, can't she? So here is what on my list so far (I will add reviews as I bake these, so stay tuned).

1. Oatmeal Cranberry Chocolate Chip Cookies (from Cooking Light)
I made these by mistake this year. They are a repeat from last year, and my reaction is very much the same. Underwhelmed. Child helped me make these this year, so the process was definitely more fun, but the taste is just so so. They are not bad--just not as exciting as they sound.

2. Sugared Cranberries (from Cooking Light)
Made these last year, will make them again. They totally deserve to be on the annual list.
Update: I actually didn't get to make these this year because I could not find decent fresh cranberries anywhere. Really pissed about that.

3. Spiced Maple Pecans
See above. Ditto.
Update: I made several batches of these, and even mailed a package to Iowa to my family.

4. Death by Chocolate Cookies or Black Forest Cookies or Chewy Chocolate Cherry Cookies
The first ones I made last year and loved them. If I make them again this year, I plan to make them smaller and add cranberries. The second and the third I haven't tried, but they sound so tasty. What to do, what to do...
Update: I made the Black Forest ones, substituted bittersweet chocolate chunks and dried cranberries. Oh. My. Lord. Chocoholic's dream. Wow. Definitely, definitely a winner. However, these do not freeze well.

5. Chocolate Cherry Biscotti
Update: I made these with whole wheat flour, and they just didn't turn out great this time. They were tasty, but not hard and crumbly, as the biscotti should be.

6. Pumpkin Walnut Loaf (from Cooking Light)
Will be tripling it this year. So good.
Update: this was good, as always, but did not raise as well this year and ended up being a more dense, heavier bread.

7. Kringla
Bingo. I finally found the right recipe. I have made these before and did not care too much for them, plus the dough was so tough to work with. This recipe is perfect. Husband (who was the requester of these cookies) approved with two big thumbs up.

8. Apricot Cream Cheese Thumbprints
Yummo. Tried apricot, raspberry and strawberry jam this year. Very good. Note for next year: if using whole wheat flour, increase the baking time--otherwise they end up being pretty cakey.

9. Peanut Blossom Cookies
I am craving an old-fashioned cookie.
Update: These turned out great, and Child loved helping me put the candies on top of the cookies. We used milk chocolate, dark chocolate and milk/white swirl chocolate candies. Very pretty.

10. Black Bottom Coconut Bars
A friend of mine made these a few years ago, and they are so, so good. Love me some coconut.
Update: These did not turn out very well for me. Note to self: do not use whole wheat flour next time, big mistake.

And these two recipes, I am not planning to make because I don't want to have a coronary. Two cups of butter? Yikes. But they deserve to be here because OMG, they do sound tasty.

Death by Caramel Bars
Espresso Biscuits

How Sweet It Is Casserole (Sweet Potato Casserole)

After strongly disliking sweet potatoes for years, I have finally come around and realized that it wasn't the sweet potatoes that I didn't like--I simply didn't like the way they were cooked. Now that I am wiser, I can't get enough. This is one of my recent favorites (goes great as a side dish to Awesome Slow Cooker Chicken).

Adapted from Cooking Light

Potatoes:

• 2 1/4 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 1 cup fat-free half-and-half
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• Cooking spray

Topping:

• 1 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into small pieces
• 3/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted

1. Preheat oven to 375°.Place potatoes in a pot of water, bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes or until very tender. Drain; cool slightly.

2. Place potatoes in a large bowl. Add half-and-half, 1/3 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, and vanilla. Beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Add eggs; beat well (mixture will be thin). Scrape mixture into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.

3. To prepare topping, sprinkle miniature marshmallows over top of casserole. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, 1/4 cup sugar and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in pecans and sprinkle over potato mixture and marshmallows. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Yield: 8 servings

Linguine with Butternut Squash, Gorgonzola and Shrimp

Valentine's Day dinner for my boys. Absolultey awesome. The Child ate the noodles and the squash, but disagreed with the shrimp. I did not use parsley or walnuts for his serving since I knew he would not like it. This dish would be very good without shrimp, too.

Adapted from Cooking Light

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 cup vertically sliced onion
• 2 cups (1-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash (I got mine already pre-cut at the supermarket)
• a dash of salt
• a dash of freshly ground black pepper1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 1/2 cups 1% low-fat milk, divided
• 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese (or other blue cheese), divided
• 4 cups hot cooked linguine (about 1/2 pound uncooked pasta)
• 1 lb cooked shrimp (I used frozen, tail-on shrimp, defrosted)
• a couple tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted (I put them in the toaster oven and pushed "dark toast" button)
• 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind

1. Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, squash, a dash of teaspoon salt and pepper; sauté 10-12 minutes or until the squash is almost tender. Add minced garlic; sauté 1 minute. Cover and set aside.

2. Bring 1 cup of milk to a boil in a saucepan. Combine the remaining 1/2 cup milk and flour, stirring well with a whisk; gradually add to boiling milk, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium and cook 5 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add most of the cheese and stir until smooth.

3. Combine squash mixture, pasta, shrimp and cheese mixture in a pan; toss well to combine. Cover and place over low heat for a minute or two to let the shrimp warm up.

4. Remove from heat. Sprinkle with parsley, chopped walnuts, lemon rind and the remaining cup cheese. Serve immediately.

Yield: 4 servings

Awesome Slow Cooker Chicken

Kuddos to the Husband for finding this totally awesome recipe. Oh so easy, oh so yummy, oh so little effort is required. Pat dry, mix, pour, turn on, go to work, come back, eat. Done! Oh, you will need to come up with something on the side. We had baked potatoes and steamed broccoli.

• 1 (3 pound) whole chicken, skin removed
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic

Remove skin from chicken and empty inner cavity of contents within. Pat chicken dry with a paper towel and place inside the slow cooker.

In a bowl, stir together all remaining ingredients. Pour mixture over chicken and cover.

Cook chicken on low setting for 8 hours or 4 hours on high setting.

P.S.: You will have a fair amount of chicken left over. I use it to make my MIL's chicken curry salad: shred chicken or chop into small pieces, add grapes (cut in half or in quarters), chopped nuts (almonds, pecans or walnuts), raisins (if desired) and chopped celery (if desired). Add enough sour cream and mayo (half and half in proportion) to get desired consistency. Generously sprinkle with curry and stir it all up. Serve on buns, in pitas or simply eat with fork.

Pinto Bean Burgers

This was a pretty yummy recipe, although the presentation is not the best. These were also tough to flip, which negatively affected the presentation. But the flavor was great. I will try rinsing and draining the beans next time to see if it would improve consistency.

• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 2 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream
• 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg
• 1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, drained
• 1 (8 3/4-ounce) can no salt-added whole-kernel corn, drained
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 4 hamburger buns (whole wheat), toasted (if desired)
• Lettuce leaves (if desired)
• Chipotle ranch dressing

[the original recipe calls for making your own chipotle mayo, but I could not find the ingredients, not even in Whole Foods]

1. To prepare burgers, combine the first 9 ingredients in a large bowl. Add pinto beans and corn; partially mash with a fork. Divide bean mixture into 4 equal portions, shaping each portion into a patty and refrigerate for 10 minutes.

2. Heat canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add patties to pan and cook 4 minutes on each side or until thoroughly heated. Place patties on the buns; top each patty with the dressing and lettuce (if desired).

Yield: 4 servings

Overnight Orange Pecan Toast

Super easy, super yummy, make-the-night-before morning meal. Don't make sticky buns--make this instead. No regrets, I promise.

Adapted from Cooking Light

• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons light-colored corn syrup
• Cooking spray
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1 teaspoon grated orange rind
• 1 cup fresh orange juice
• 1/2 cup fat-free milk
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 large egg whites
• 2 large eggs
• 12 (1-inch-thick) slices of bread (I tried whole wheat for a slightly healthier version)

1. Combine brown sugar, butter and corn syrup; pour into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle chopped pecans evenly over sugar mixture.

2. Combine rind and next 7 ingredients (rind through eggs); stir with a whisk. Arrange bread slices over pecans in dish; pour egg mixture over bread. Cover and refrigerate overnight (or at least one hour).

3. Carefully turn bread slices over to absorb excess egg mixture. Let stand at room temperature 20 minutes. Bake in preheated oven at 350° for 35 minutes or until lightly browned.

Yield: 12 servings

Christmas 2006 Cookie List

With the holidays behind us, I wanted to post some feedback on my Christmas 2006 Cookie Bake-a-thon.

1. Sugared Cranberries (from Cooking Light)
A-maz-ing. Simple, delicious, pretty much guilt-free and great for gift-giving. Definitely making these again next year.

2. Spiced Maple Pecans
Also great for gift-giving and SO addictive. We could not stop eating those.

3. Cookie Dough Truffles
Very tasty, although quite rich. Coating them in chocolate is a pretty time consuming (albeit easy) process. Don't know if I would make these again--unless I really crave them next year. I would give it a solid B.

4. Death by Chocolate Cookies
Total chocolate overload. So, so, so good. Definitely making these again, although they did not feel very Christmasy... Maybe I will add some dried cranberries or cherries next time. Funny enough, these are now called chocolate bliss cookies, which is true, but they are deadly, so I like the original title better.

5. Pecan Date Bars (from Cooking Light)
Quite tasty, reminded us a lot of the pecan pie. Very sticky and messy to eat, so these would not be good for gift-giving. Will probably make again though. How often do you get to use dates?

6. Oatmeal Cranberry Chocolate Chip Cookies (from Cooking Light)
These were a bit of a disappointment. They were very chewy (which is good), but just didn't wow me at all. They looked nothing like the picture on the Web site, so I am wondering if I used a wrong kind of oats. I feel like I should try these again--they sound so good in theory...

7. Coconut Biscotti (from Cooking Light)
A solid, tasty biscotti recipe, particularly enhanced by coating half of the biscotti in chocolate. Glad I tried it and will probably try it again. However, this recipe does not beat my 2005 favorite, chocolate cherry biscotti.

8. Pumpkin Walnut Loaf (from Cooking Light)
Definitely a winner. Will most definitely be making it again. Perfect for gift-giving. Note to self: triple the recipe next time so that you have enough to give away.

There were two items that I didn't have a chance to make even though they were on my list. I simply ran out of time.

1. Kringla
This Scandinavian cookie is not one of my favorites, but Husband loves it for sentimental reasons, so I will continue making it.

2. Apricot Cream Cheese Thumbprints
These are awesome. Great pasty texture. Love the tart taste of the jam. Must put these on top of the list in 2007.

Tofu in Caramel Sauce

This is a very tasty tofu recipe. Our entire family loves it. Serve with whole grain rice and stir-fry veggies, or with fried rice.

Adapted from Sunset magazine

• 1 pound extra firm tofu
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1/4 cup minced shallots
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced

1. Cut tofu into 2- by 3-inch, 1/2-inch-thick slices and pat dry.

2. Place sugar in a large frying pan over medium-high heat; shake pan often until sugar is melted and amber colored, 2 to 3 minutes. Add 1/2 cup hot water (mixture will bubble vigorously) and stir over medium heat until sugar is dissolved.

3. Stir in soy sauce, shallots, ginger, and garlic; stir often over high heat until boiling. Lay tofu pieces in a single layer in sauce. Simmer, uncovered, over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes. Then turn pieces over; simmer until hot and coated with sauce, 3 to 4 minutes longer.

Yield: 4 servings

Baked Parmesan and Garlic Crusted Chicken

I found this recipe a long time ago, modified it to my tastes (and existing equipment) and have been making it ever since. It is really a winner--tasty, quick and make ahead. You can assemble the whole thing the night before, keep it in the fridge until you get home and throw it in the oven. Done! On the side, I nuke a few sweet potatoes, mash them, add a bit of butter and brown sugar, and serve with chicken and steamed broccoli.

Adapted from Real Simple

• 1 tablespoon of pressed garlic
• 1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves (I usually use 1 tablespoon of dry parsley)
• 1/2 cup unseasoned breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken-breast halves
• 4 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1. Heat oven to 400° F. Lightly coat a medium baking dish with vegetable cooking spray.

2. Mix garlic, parmesan, breadcrumbs, oil and pepper.

3. Arrange the chicken in the baking dish. Spread with the mustard, then pat the crumbs on top.

4. Bake until cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes.

Yield: 4 servings

Chili

I love this recipe because it requires almost zero-prep: just throw it all together and turn it on. It can be done in the crock pot or on the stove. 'Tis the season for chili!

• 2 pounds lean ground beef
• 1 (46 fl oz) can tomato juice
• 1 (29 oz) can tomato sauce
• 1 (15 oz) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (15 oz) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onion
• 1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/4 cup chili powder

Extras:

• shredded cheddar cheese
• sour cream
• Frito chips or corn bread

1. Browne ground beef in a large, deep skillet. When it gets evenly brown, drain and crumble.

2. If using a crock pot, combine all ingredients in a crock pot lightly sprayed with cooking spray. Turn it to low and cook for 8-10 hours.

2a. If making it on the stove, combine all ingredients (minus extras) in a large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Simmer for 1 1/2 hours.

3. Place frito chips or corn bread in individual bowls. Top with cooked chili, add shredded cheese and a dollup of sour cream.

Peach Salsa and Ham Roll-Ups

The peach salsa is absolutely delightful. I have made it many times this summer--for this recipe and simply as a dip for corn chips. The trick is to find ripe yellow peaches or nectarines. They have to be juicy and a bit tart (hence, white peaches won't do--they are too sweet). Yumsters! Have to add the disclaimer though: the Child did not like cilantro or shallots in the salsa, so I simply reserved a few peach cubes and cranberries and used those instead of salsa in his roll-up.

The original recipe had ham and salsa paired with corn bread, which was very tasty, but definitely more labor intensive. If you would like to try it, skip the tortillas and put ham and salsa between two slices of corn bread.

Salsa:

• 3 cups diced peeled peaches
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries, chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
• 3 tablespoons minced shallots
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper

Remaining ingredients:

• 9 (1 1/2-ounce) slices smoked ham
• 12-inch tortillas (spinach tortillas are the best)
• Cilantro sprigs (optional)

1. To prepare salsa, combine the first 9 ingredients in a bowl, and toss gently. Cover and chill for 1 hour.

2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add ham to pan, and sauté 1 minute on each side or until lightly browned. [You can skips this step, but browning the ham really intensifies the smoky flavor, which works perfectly with the salsa.]

3. Warm up tortillas in the microwave, top each tortillas with a slice of ham and 2 tablespoons of salsa and roll up.

Yield: 9 servings

An Ode to Chocolate

Since I had an Ode to Mint, I thought I should have one to chocolate as well.

This is a very easy and absolutely delicious dessert. It is not guilt-free, but it was adapted from Cooking Light, so it can't be that bad. Right?

• 2 cups 1 % milk, divided
• 2 cups fat-free half-and-half
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips (or any sort of chocolate you want)
• 6 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 large eggs
• 2 large egg whites
• 1 1/2 tablespoon orange extract

1. Combine 1 cup of milk, all of half-and-half and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes or until it begins to simmer. Add chocolate chips and remove from heat. Let stand for 5 minutes to let the chocolate melt.

2. Place chocolate mixture over low heat, return to simmer, stirring frequently. In the meantime, combine remaining 1 cup of milk, cornstarch, eggs and egg whites in a medium bowl and stir with a whisk. Gradually add about a cup (or 1 1/2 cups) of chocolate mixture to the cornstarch mixture, stirring constantly with a whisk. Add this back to the remaining chocolate mixture in the saucepan and cook, stirring constantly, over low heat for about 10 minutes or until thickened (it won't be very thick, but it will thicken more when it is cooling).

3. Stir in orange extract. Cover and chill.

Grilled Steaks in Red Wine Marinade

This is definitely a special occasion type of meal (not because the prep but because you want to get a really good--meaning expensive--cut of meat for this). It was oh so worth the money though.

• 1 cup red wine, preferable Bordeaux
• 1 heaping tablespoon grain mustard
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 12 black peppercorns, crushed
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 4 to 6 6 0z. steaks

1. Combine wine, mustard, thyme, bay leaves, peppercorns and salt together in a large bowl. Mix well.

2. Add steak and toss to coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and marinade for 8 hours or overnight.

3. Remove meat from fridge 1 hour before you are ready to grill. Drain marinade just before grilling.

4. Prepare grill. When the heat is medium-high, place steaks on grill. Sear 2 minutes on each side to seal in juices. Remove from grill until heat is medium, the put back on the grill and continue cooking 3 to 5 minutes longer on each side or until desired doneness.