Cindy's Recipe Box

Rainbow Cupcakes

2010-05-10T12:50:00.000-07:00

1 box white cake mix

4 eggs

1/2 Cup vegetable oil

1/2 Cup water

8 oz sour cream

small box instant vanilla pudding mix (or white chocolate or cheesecake)

Food Coloring Paste: Red, Blue, Yellow, Green and Purple (I used the Wilton brand’s paste)

Vanilla or Cream Cheese Frosting of Choice

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a stand or electric mixer, beat the cake mix, eggs, oil, water, sour cream and pudding on medium until well combined. Batter will be nice and thick. Divide batter evenly between 5 bowls. Drop 5 different colors of food coloring into each cake batter bowl until you reach your desired colors. Stir well. Spoon small amounts of each color into paper lined cupcake tins until all are half filled. Bake for 22-25 minutes or until cooked through. Remove and let cool completely. Frost with frosting of choice.

Makes 22-24 cupcakes

Sour Cream Chocolate Cookies

2010-04-16T11:12:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup baking cocoa
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup peanut butter chips

Directions

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in egg, sour cream and vanilla. Combine dry ingredients; gradually add to the creamed mixture. Stir in chips.
Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 in. apart onto greased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 12-15 minutes or until set. Cool for 2 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely. Yield: about 3 dozen.

Pineapple Rice Pudding

2010-02-22T08:18:00.000-08:00

I love rice puddings, and this is one of my favorites, a nice change from the usual. I found the recipe in my Taste of Home book, but modified it slightly. For best results, you should use a higher fat milk. I usually use a can of evaporated milk and regular milk for the rest.

Ingredients
4 cups milk, divided
3 cups cooked long-grain rice
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 oz cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
PINEAPPLE SAUCE:
1 (20 ounce) can pineapple tidbits or chunks
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon butter
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
In a saucepan, combine 3-1/2 cups milk, rice, sugar and salt; bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook for 15 minutes or until thick and creamy, stirring occasionally. In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese. Beat in eggs and remaining milk. Stir into rice mixture. Cook and stir for 2 minutes over medium heat. Stir in vanilla. Spoon into six dessert dishes.
Drain pineapple, reserving the juice; set the pineapple aside. In a saucepan, combine brown sugar, cornstarch, butter, salt and reserved pineapple juice. bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in vanilla and pineapple. Spoon over pudding.

Quinoa Chicken Soup

2010-02-17T16:00:00.000-08:00

I've been on a Quinoa kick lately. If you don't know all about the health benefits, google it. It's a great food storage item. Costco sells a 3lb bag which is the most inexpensive way I've found it, plus it comes already rinsed and ready to cook. I like to keep some cooked and in the fridge, then I can easily add it to yogurt or other things.
I found the recipe to this soup here. I think it tastes great, plus it's healthy.
Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
5 stalks celery, chopped
4 large carrots, peeled and sliced
2 Cups sweet pepper, chopped
1 large zucchini, quartered and sliced
64 oz chicken broth
15 oz can diced tomatoes
5 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed and cubed into 1 inch pieces
3 Cups cooked quinoa
4 medium boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked, shredded and lightly seasoned with salt and pepper
2 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
1 Tablespoon Hot Sauce, I used Cholula
Kosher Salt, fresh cracked black pepper to taste
1 1/2 Cups fresh parsley, chopped
Directions:
1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Saute onion, celery, carrots, peppers and zucchini until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in chicken broth and tomatoes and potatoes. Increase heat to high just until broth starts to boil. Reduce to medium high and cook potatoes for 15-20 minutes or until fork tender. Reduce heat to low and stir in quinoa, chicken, dijon mustard, hot sauce and season to taste w/ salt, pepper and Lawry’s. Stir in fresh parsley and simmer until ready to serve.
8-10 servings

Cajun Chicken Pasta

2010-02-17T13:02:00.000-08:00

I came up with this dish when trying to re-create the Cajun chicken pasta at Chili's. Cajun seasonings vary a lot by brand, so start with less and experiment until you get enough heat for your taste.

Ingredients:

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts

1/2 cup white cooking wine

1/4 oil

2 TBS Cajun seasoning (or more or less, depending on the brand and how spicy you like it)

1 lb penne pasta

2 Roma tomatoes, diced

shredded Parmesan cheese

Alfredo Sauce:

8 oz cream cheese

1/2 cup butter

1-2 garlic cloves, minced

2 cups milk

6 oz shredded Parmesan cheese

fresh ground pepper

Directions:

Combine white wine, oil, and seasoning in a bag and add chicken. Marinate several hours or overnight. Grill chicken and cut into strips, set aside.

Prepare the alfredo sauce by melting the butter and cream cheese in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and milk, whisk until smooth. Add cheese and pepper and whisk until cheese is melted.

Cook pasta according to directions, drain. Pour the alfredo sauce over the pasta. Add chicken and toss. Heat through, then stir in tomatoes and sprinkle with shredded Parmesan cheese.

8-10 servings

Sugar Cookies

2010-02-13T13:52:00.000-08:00

I found this cookie recipe online. It's from Kneaders Bakery. I found the icing recipe on allrecipes, but had to change it a bit. You may need to add additional milk or corn syrup to get it to the right consistency. When it dries it stays shiny and bright.

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups butter

2 ¼ cups sugar
4 large eggs

1 cup milk
7 ¾ cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp lemon extract

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp nutmeg

1 Tbsp honey
1. Cream together butter and sugar until fluffy.

2. Add eggs, then milk. Scrape the sides of the bowl often.

3. Stir in remaining ingredients. Dough will be soft and sticky.

4. Place dough on well floured pastry cloth or workspace.

5. Knead in just enough flour to make dough workable. Dough will be very soft. It is best to knead with a rolling motion so you have a smooth surface and you will not get cracks on the tops of your cookies.

6. Gently roll out to 3/8 inch thick.

7. Cut into desired shapes and place on baking sheet lined with parchment.

8. Bake at 325 for 10-12 minutes or until just the edges barely start to change colors. Makes approx. 4 dozen.

Sugar cookie icing:

Ingredients
1 cup confectioners' sugar
4 teaspoons milk
4 teaspoons light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon almond extract (or try lemon or vanilla)
assorted food coloring
Directions
In a small bowl, stir together confectioners' sugar and milk until smooth. Beat in corn syrup and almond extract until icing is smooth and glossy. If icing is too thick, add more corn syrup or milk. Divide into separate bowls, and add food colorings to each to desired intensity. Dip cookies, or paint them with a brush.

Curried Coconut Chicken

2010-01-11T15:41:00.000-08:00

This is a favorite of ours. You can add even more chicken if you're cooking for a lot of people, there's plenty of sauce. We love to eat it with Thai Cucumber Salad. I usually add additional curry paste to this recipe to get it to the spiciness that we like. Curry pastes vary a lot by brand, so try a little at a time if you're not sure.

Ingredients
4 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1 teaspoon salt and pepper, or to taste
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons curry powder

curry paste (optional, I usually add about 1TBS)
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
3 tablespoons sugar

Directions
Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper.
Heat oil and curry powder (and paste, if desired) in a large skillet over medium-high heat for five minutes. Stir in onions and garlic, and cook 5 minute more. Add chicken, tossing lightly to coat with curry oil. Reduce heat to medium, and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink in center and juices run clear.
Pour coconut milk, tomatoes, tomato sauce, and sugar into the pan, and stir to combine. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, approximately 30 to 40 minutes. (Sometimes I let it simmer uncovered for a few hours to let the sauce thicken).

Serve over rice.

Thai Cucumber Salad

2010-01-10T17:31:00.000-08:00

This salad is a must when we cook Indian or Thai food, but I like it with anything grilled as well.

3 cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and chopped

1/3 cup white vinegar

1/4 sugar

1/4 water

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 an onion, chopped

1/2 cup roasted peanuts, chopped

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

In a small saucepan, heat water, sugar, vinegar, and salt until sugar has dissolved. Cool. Pour over cucumber and onion. Stir in cilantro. Refrigerate. Add peanuts just before serving.

Pesto Chicken

2009-11-02T09:07:00.000-08:00

This is so fast and easy. Just make sure to plan ahead enough to leave time for marinating.

Ingredients
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 5 oz. each)
1/2 cup Pesto ( I either use homemade or the kind you find in the refrigerated section)

2 roma tomatoes, sliced (optional)
3/4 cup feta cheese

Directions

Put chicken and pesto in a bag and marinate for several hours or overnight.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place chicken on prepared baking sheet.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in center. Remove from oven; top with tomatoes and cheese. Bake for an additional 3 to 5 minutes.

Cook of the Week

2009-10-26T21:36:00.000-07:00

All of you that are on facebook already know this, but I have to take every opportunity to spread the news of my fame. After all, it's temporary fame and will be over at the end of the week.
I logged on to allrecipes.com this morning to look for a recipe and happened to notice my picture on the homepage. I was chosen as Cook of the Week. Wow, I'm famous, I thought, I must spread the word. So I facebooked it and now I'm blogging it because I would hate for any of you to miss out on my week of fame. But now the pressure is on. You're all expecting me to post more tasty and visually appealing recipes. But not to fear, I just need a day or two to accept the fact that I am now a famous person, and then I'll be back in the kitchen.
Oh yeah, I almost forgot my speech, so....I couldn't have done it without you, my loyal fans, so thank you. I love you all. I also wanted to thank my mom who wouldn't let me give up after I added too much salt to something-I can't remember what- when I was a kid. And my Dad, who made me eat my peas out of the garbage can after throwing them away. Without him I may have never learned to like peas, and probably would have never learned to cook them. I must also thank my husband because on days that I don't want to cook-I know, hard to believe, but it happens occasionally-he doesn't mind eating Hamburger Helper that's 2 years out of date. I hope I didn't miss anyone. Just know that I love you all and it's YOU, my fans, who made this all possible. Now, I've got to get back to allrecipes to make sure my picture is still there. XXOOxOXo!!

Witch Finger Cookies

2009-10-06T10:35:00.000-07:00

The kids had a lot of fun making these. Spencer got real creative making warts and rings for the fingers. A bit labor intensive if you make these yourself, so be sure to let the kids do most the work! Also, these will puff up quite a bit while baking, so make sure to shape them smaller than you want for the finished product.
INGREDIENTS
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup whole almonds* (I blanched mine, see below)
1 (.75 ounce) tube red decorating gel
DIRECTIONS
Combine the butter, sugar, egg, almond extract, and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl. Beat together with an electric mixer; gradually add the flour, baking powder, and salt, continually beating; refrigerate 20 to 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Remove dough from refrigerator in small amounts. Scoop 1 heaping teaspoon at a time and roll the dough into a thin finger-shaped cookie. Press one almond into one end of each cookie to give the appearance of a long fingernail. Squeeze cookie near the tip and again near the center of each to give the impression of knuckles. You can also cut into the dough with a sharp knife at the same points to help give a more finger-like appearance. Arrange the shaped cookies on an ungreased baking sheets.
Bake in the preheated oven until the cookies are slightly golden in color, 20 to 25 minutes.
Remove the almond from the end of each cookie; squeeze a small amount of red decorating gel into the cavity; replace the almond to cause the gel to ooze out around the tip of the cookie.
Let cool completely.
*To blanch almonds, pour boiling water over the almonds, enough to cover them. Let stand for one minute (don't over do it), then rinse with cold water. Skins should peel right off.

Fruit Salsa and Cinnamon Chips

2009-08-26T22:12:00.000-07:00

I love this stuff and could pretty much eat a whole batch all by myself. Which I don't feel too bad about because it's half healthy. You can use any fruit that is in season and sounds good to you. I always use the apples and strawberries, but sometimes the other fruits vary.
Ingredients:
4 kiwis, peeled and diced
4 Gala apples - peeled, cored and diced
1 small cantaloupe, diced
1 pound strawberries, diced
3 tablespoons fruit preserves, any flavor (optional, I never use it)
20 (6 inch) flour tortillas, or the smallest ones you can get
butter flavored cooking spray
2 cups cinnamon sugar
Directions:
In a large bowl, thoroughly mix kiwis, Golden Delicious apples, raspberries, strawberries, and fruit preserves. Cover and chill in the refrigerator at least 15 minutes.
(I like to use this chopper (below) to dice all the fruit. It makes it much faster and easier. I found mine on eBay. I also use it for regular salsa.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Coat both sides of each flour tortilla with butter flavored cooking spray. Cut into wedges with a pizza cutter. Put the wedges in a bag with the cinnamon sugar. Shake until evenly coated. Arrange in a single layer on a cookie sheet.
Bake in the preheated oven 8 to 10 minutes. Repeat with any remaining tortilla wedges. Allow to cool approximately 15 minutes. Serve with chilled fruit mixture.

Fresh Peach Dessert

2009-08-08T08:20:00.000-07:00

This is one of my all time favorite desserts. We would look forward to this dessert every year when the peaches on our tree were ripe. It's important, though, to use sweet, ripe peaches.Peaches from the grocery store are usually not very good.
Ingredients:
16 whole graham crackers, crushed
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 c butter, melted
8 ounces mini marshmallows
1/4 cup milk
1 pint whipping cream, whipped and sweetened with 1/3 cup of sugar
5 or 6 fresh large peaches, peeled and sliced
Directions:
Put milk and marshmallows in a large microwave safe bowl. Microwave until marshmallows melt, stirring often. Set aside to cool.
Mix together graham cracker crumbs, sugar and butter. Set aside 1/4 cup for topping and press remaining mixture into a 9x13 pan. Refrigerate.
After marshmallows have cooled, fold together with whipped cream. Spread half this mixture on top of the crust. Top with peaches, then the rest of the cream mixture. Sprinkle with reserved crumbs. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Cheesy Zucchini Patties

2009-08-06T21:10:00.000-07:00

Depending on how much moisture is in your zucchini, you may need to add a little extra flour.
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups grated zucchini
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup flour (I like whole wheat)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
1/4 tsp pepper (or to taste)
red pepper flakes (optional, if you like a little spice)
2 tablespoons oil
Marinara sauce (optional)
Directions:
In a medium bowl, combine the zucchini, eggs, onion, flour, Parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, and salt. Stir well enough to distribute ingredients evenly.
Heat a small amount of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Drop zucchini mixture by quarter cup fulls, and cook for a few minutes on each side until golden. Serve with marinara sauce.

Pumpkin Bundt Cake

2009-08-04T19:10:00.001-07:00

I drizzled cream cheese frosting over it and sprinkled it with toasted pecans.

INGREDIENTS
1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
1 (3.4 ounce) package instant butterscotch pudding mix
4 eggs
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup canned pumpkin
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
DIRECTIONS
In a large mixing bowl, combine the first seven ingredients. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds; beat on medium for 4 minutes. Pour into a greased and floured 10-in. fluted tube pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 50-55 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 15 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Oriental Chicken Salad

2009-08-04T18:35:00.000-07:00

This recipe is supposed to be a clone of Applebee's Oriental Chicken Salad. I think it's pretty close. This is for 4 servings, I usually double it for my family.

Ingredients:

Dressing:

1/2 cup mayonnaise

6 Tbls honey

4 tsp Dijon mustard

1 Tbls rice vinegar

1/4 tsp sesame oil

Salad:

4 cooked, breaded chicken breast, cut into strips (I use a bag of Tyson chicken)

6 cups of lettuce(s) (I usually use a combination of romaine, red or green leaf lettuce, and sometimes I'll throw in some spinach as well)

2 cups shredded red cabbage

3 green onions, chopped

shredded carrots (I use the matchstick carrots, pre-cut)

toasted almonds

rice noodles (these come in a can by the chow mein noodles. Similar to chow mein, only thinner)

To serve this, I mix just the lettuce and cabbage together, divide onto plates, then top each salad with the rest of the ingredients and top with the dressing.

4 servings

Frog Eye Salad

2009-07-30T14:59:00.000-07:00

This is always a favorite. You can use any type of fruit you prefer.

Ingredients:

8 oz acini de pepe pasta

1 cup sugar

2 cups pineapple juice (reserved from canned pineapple)

3 Tbls flour

1/2 tsp salt

2 eggs, well beaten

1 Tbls lemon juice

1 tsp butter

1 8 oz container of cool whip

1 cup coconut

1 cup mini marshmallows (optional)

1 20oz can pineapple tidbits, drain and reserve juice

2 11 oz cans mandarin oranges, drained

Directions:

Cook pasta according to directions, drain and put into a large bowl. Add enough water to reserved pineapple juice to make 2 cups of liquid. In a medium size pan, combine pineapple juice, sugar, flour, salt, eggs, lemon juice and butter. Cook over medium heat until thick. Pour over pasta. Refrigerate several hours or overnight. Fold in cool whip and then stir in the rest of the ingredients.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

2009-07-30T14:31:00.000-07:00

This dinner is a hit with my kids. It calls for green bell pepper, but I sometimes use other colors, as you can see from the photo.
Ingredients:
1 egg
1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
Dash pepper
1 pound ground beef
1 can (20 ounces) pineapple chunks
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 cup sliced carrots
1 medium green pepper, julienned
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons cold water
Hot cooked rice
Directions: In a large bowl, combine the first five ingredients. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into 1-in. balls. In a large skillet, cook meatballs over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Drain pineapple, reserving juice; set pineapple aside. Add water to juice to measure 1 cup. Stir in vinegar, brown sugar and soy sauce; pour over meatballs. Add carrots. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 5-8 minutes or until carrots are crisp-tender. Stir in green pepper and pineapple; cover and simmer 5 minutes longer or until pepper is crisp-tender. Combine cornstarch and water until smooth; stir into meatball mixture. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Serve over rice. Yield: 4-6 servings.

Chicken Enchilada Soup

2009-04-14T09:53:00.000-07:00

I like to garnish this soup with tortilla strips. An easy way to make these is to cut corn tortillas into thin strips, spray with cooking oil, sprinkle with salt, and microwave until crisp.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups chicken broth
10 (6 inch) corn tortillas, cut into 1/2 inch strips
1 (10 oz) can green enchilada sauce

1 (4 oz) can chopped green chilies
2 (10 oz) can red enchilada sauce, or one red enchilada seasoning packet, prepared
2 teaspoons ground cumin
4 cooked, boneless and skinless chicken breast halves, chopped or shredded
2 cups half-and-half

Garnish with:
Shredded Cheddar cheese

Sour cream (optional)

Tortilla chips or strips (optional)

Green onions or cilantro (optional)

DIRECTIONS
Combine chicken stock and tortilla strips in a large pot. Cook over medium heat until strips soften and broth thickens somewhat.
Stir in enchilada sauces and cumin. Stir in chicken and half-and-half; heat through.
Garnish with and cheese and other desired toppings.

Molten Chocolate Cakes

2009-04-14T09:24:00.000-07:00

This cake is so rich, but so good if you love chocolate. I used mini bundt pans and it made 6. You can also use ramekins or muffin tins. Just make sure to spray the pan well and remove them while still warm. Depending on the size of cups you use, you may have to experiment with the cooking time a bit to get it just right. I think these taste best when the batter is made ahead.

1 cup butter

8 ounces semisweet chocolate, cut into bite-size chunks
5 large eggs
1/2 cup sugar
4 teaspoons flour

DIRECTIONS
Place butter and chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and microwave until butter is melted. Stir until chocolate melts completely. Beat eggs, sugar and salt with a hand mixer in a medium bowl until sugar dissolves. Beat egg mixture into chocolate until smooth. Beat in flour until just combined. (Batter can be made a day ahead; return to room temperature an hour or so before baking.)
Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 450 degrees. Spray ramekins or muffin tins with cooking spray. Divide batter among cups.
Bake until batter puffs but center is not set, 12 to 14 minutes. Turn warm cakes onto dessert plates.
Top each with whipped cream or ice cream.

Buttercream Frosting

2009-04-14T09:09:00.000-07:00

I prefer cream cheese frosting for eating, but this is a great frosting for cake decorating. This recipe makes A LOT, but is easy to half if you don't need as much.

INGREDIENTS
1 cup butter (no substitutes), softened
1 cup shortening
3 pounds confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk or cream
DIRECTIONS
In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and shortening. Beat in sugar, vanilla, salt and enough milk to achieve spreading consistency.

Fruit Pizza

2009-03-03T11:06:00.000-08:00

There are 2 different topping that I have used for this dessert. I think they're both delicious. I usually make it according to what I have on hand. Sometimes I make a combination of the two. You can use any type of sugar cookie dough that you prefer. To make this easy, I use the Betty Crocker packaged mix. You could make it even easier by buying the ready made dough.

I made this on a 12 inch pizza stone, but be warned-one package of cookie dough is TOO MUCH for a 12 inch pan. I smoked us all out of the house when it overflowed in the oven. I usually use a bigger pizza pan, but wanted to try my stone. A 14 inch should be safe.

Ingredients:

Sugar cookie dough of your choice

Topping choice #1:

8 oz cream cheese, softened

7 oz marshmallow cream

Topping choice #2:

8 oz Cream cheese, softened

8 oz whipped topping, thawed

Assorted fruit of your choice

Press cookie dough onto a 14 inch cookie sheet and bake at 375 for 10-15 minutes until light golden brown. Cool completely.

Beat cream cheese until fluffy, then fold in the next ingredient (depending on which topping you've chosen to use). Spread over crust and top with assorted fruit.

Note: If you choose to use bananas or something else that will turn dark, put them first in lemon juice or you can make a glaze by melting a light colored fruit preserves, then brush it over the top.

Broccoli Chicken Braid

2009-03-03T10:42:00.000-08:00

I like to bottle chicken breasts so that I have it on hand for quick meals like this one. Make sure to cook it long enough. It can look done on the outside but still be doughy inside. It will probably be darker than the one in this picture (I found out it needed to be cooked longer after cutting into it). For any questions on the shaping technique check out THIS recipe that is shaped in the same way.
INGREDIENTS
2 cups diced, cooked chicken meat
1 cup fresh broccoli, chopped
1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped
1 clove crushed garlic
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon dried dill weed
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons slivered almonds or pecans
1/4 cup diced onion
2 (8 ounce) packages refrigerated crescent rolls
1 egg white, beaten

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
In a large bowl, toss together chicken, broccoli, red bell pepper, garlic, Cheddar cheese, mayonnaise, dill weed, salt, almonds and onion.
Unroll crescent roll dough, and arrange flat on a medium baking sheet. Pinch together perforations to form a single sheet of dough. Using a knife or scissors, cut 1 inch wide strips in towards the center, starting on the long sides. There should be a solid strip about 3 inches wide down the center, with the cut strips forming a fringe down each side. Spread the chicken mixture along the center strip. Fold the side strips over chicken mixture, alternating strips from each side. Pinch or twist to seal.
Brush braided dough with the egg white. Bake in the preheated oven 25 to 28 minutes, or until golden brown.

Cake Balls

2009-02-14T08:22:00.001-08:00

I've been looking at this recipe on a few different websites for a while now, and decided to make them for Valentines Day. It really wasn't too difficult. We had fun making (and eating) them

I used red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting, but you can use any combination that sounds good. I used Wilton dipping chocolate that I found in the craft section of Wal-mart.

Make sure to cool the cake completely before adding the frosting. Also, you don't need to use the whole container of frosting if you think it's getting too gooey. I used just short of a whole container.

INGREDIENTS

1 (18.25 ounce) package cake mix, flavor of your choice
1 (16 ounce) container prepared chocolate frosting, flavor of your choice
Dipping chocolate, white chocolate, chocolate, or both
DIRECTIONS
1. After cake is cooked and cooled completely, crumble into large bowl.

2. Mix thoroughly with 1 can cream cheese frosting.

3. Roll mixture into quarter size balls and lay on cookie sheet. (Should make 45-50.)

4. Freeze for a few hours.

5. Melt chocolate in microwave per directions on package.

6. Roll balls in chocolate and lay on wax paper until firm. (Use a spoon to dip and roll in chocolate and then tap off extra.)

Coconut Poke Cake

2009-02-10T21:49:00.000-08:00

Quick, easy and yummy. You can find cream of coconut in the drink mixer section of your supermarket.
INGREDIENTS
1 (18.25 ounce) package white cake mix
1 (14 ounce) can cream of coconut
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (8 ounce) package frozen whipped topping, thawed or whipped cream
Additional coconut, toasted or plain
DIRECTIONS
Prepare and bake white cake mix according to package directions, using a 9x13 pan. Remove cake from oven. While still hot, using a utility fork, poke holes all over the top of the cake.
Mix cream of coconut and sweetened condensed milk together. Pour over the top of the still hot cake. Let cake cool completely then frost with the whipped topping and top with the flaked coconut. Keep cake refrigerated.

Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

2009-02-10T21:41:00.001-08:00

If you're looking for a meatless main dish, this is a good one. The recipe comes from Moosewood vegetarian Restaurant in New York.

Quinoa (pronounced Keen-wah) is a grain with a lot of health benefits. I found mine in the bulk section at our health foods store.

1 cup raw quinoa

6 medium bell peppers

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup chopped onions

3 garlic cloves, minced or pressed

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon salt, or more to taste

1 cup peeled and diced carrots

3/4 cup diced celery

1 cup diced zucchini (Optional)

1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels
1 (14 oz) can stewed tomatoes, blended
1 1/2 to 2 cups grated Cheddar cheese

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly oil a baking pan. Place the quinoa in a fine-mesh sieve and rinse well under running water. In a covered pot, bring the quinoa and 2 cups of water to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes, until the quinoa is soft and the water absorbed.While the quinoa cooks, cut the bell peppers in half lengthwise and, leaving the stems on, seed them. Brush the bell pepper shells with about 2 tablespoons of the oil, inside and out. Place them cut side down on the prepared baking pan and roast for 15 to 20 minutes, until softened and slightly browned, but not collapsed.

When the bell peppers are roasted, reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees.

Meanwhile, in a skillet, warm the remaining tablespoon of oil and saute the onions and garlic on medium heat for about 5 minutes, until the onions have softened. Stir in the cumin, coriander, red pepper flakes, salt, carrots, celery, zucchini, and corn. Cover the pan and cook for about 10 minutes, until the vegetables are very tender.Combine the sauteed vegetables and the cooked quinoa, stewed tomatoes and add salt to taste.

Turn over the roasted pepper shells and spoon filling into each half. Sprinkle each bell pepper half with some of the grated cheese and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted.

Mandarin Orange Cake

2009-02-10T21:33:00.000-08:00

I've made this in a large jelly roll pan, 9x13, or layers. In the picture, I used 3 8 inch rounds. If you're going to make a layer cake, 20 oz of pineapple is too much. If you use about 15oz the topping should be thick enough to frost the sides of the cake. Sometimes I add toasted coconut to the top, as in the picture.

INGREDIENTS
1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
4 eggs
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1 (11 ounce) can mandarin orange segments
1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 (20 ounce) can crushed pineapple with juice
1 (3.5 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan.
In a large bowl, combine cake mix, eggs, oil and mandarin oranges with juice. Beat until smooth. Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool.
To make the topping: In a large bowl, beat together whipped topping, pineapple with juice and dry pudding mix until blended. Spread on cake.

Vegetable Meatball Stew

2009-02-10T21:26:00.000-08:00

I like the variety of vegetables in this one.
Ingredients:
4 cups water
2 medium peeled potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 medium carrots, cut into 3/4-inch chunks
1 large onion, cut into eighths
2 tablespoons beef bouillon granules
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 pound ground beef
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 medium parsnips, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch slices
1 cup frozen peas
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cold water
Directions: In a large Dutch oven or soup kettle, bring water to boil. Add potatoes, carrots, onion and seasonings; return to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs, egg and Worcestershire sauce. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into 1-in. balls; add to Dutch oven along with sweet potatoes and parsnips. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Discard bay leaf. Stir in peas. Combine flour, cold water and browning sauce if desired until smooth; gradually stir into stew. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Yield: 6 servings.

Chunky Apple Cake with Butterscotch Sauce

2009-02-01T20:15:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
6 cups chopped peeled tart apples
BUTTERSCOTCH SAUCE:
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions: In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter, sugar and vanilla. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and baking soda; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well (batter will be stiff). Stir in apples until well combined (it looks like more apples than batter at this point). Spread into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Bake at 350° for 45-50 minutes or until top is lightly browned and springs back when lightly touched. Cool for 30 minutes before serving. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine brown sugar and butter. Cook over medium heat until butter is melted. Gradually add cream. Bring to a slow boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat. Serve with cake.

French Toast Sandwiches

2009-01-31T09:52:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:
cream cheese, softened
cinnamon-raisin bread, sliced
strawberry or raspberry jam
4 eggs

1/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon butter
Maple syrup, optional

Directions: Spread cream cheese on one slice of bread. Spread jam on the other slice; place jam side down over the cream cheese. In a shallow bowl, beat egg and milk. Dip both sides of bread into mixture. In a skillet, melt butter; cook bread for 3-4 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Serve with syrup if desired.

Lemony Zucchini Bread

2009-01-29T12:28:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:
4 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cups sugar
1 package (3.4 ounces) instant lemon pudding mix
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
1-1/4 cups milk
1 cup canola oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon extract
2 cups shredded zucchini
1/4 cup poppy seeds
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel

Directions: In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, pudding mix, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, oil, lemon juice and extract. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in the zucchini, poppy seeds and lemon peel. Pour into two greased 9-in. x 5-in. loaf pans. Bake at 350° for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely. Yield: 2 loaves (16 slices each).

Lemon Snowball Cookies

2009-01-27T09:37:00.000-08:00

Just a light, lemon cookie. The dough needs to be refrigerated at least an hour, so plan ahead if you're going to make these. When baking, make sure they're browned enough on the bottom, or they won't be as crisp.
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup butter (no substitutes), softened
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup finely chopped almonds
confectioners' sugar
DIRECTIONS
In a mixing bowl, cream butter, sugar and egg until well blended. Add lemon juice and peel. Combine flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt; stir into creamed mixture. Add almonds. Cover and refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour or overnight.
Roll into 1-in. balls. Place on ungreased baking sheets.
Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned (cookies will not brown on top). Remove immediately to wire racks; cool for 5 minutes, then roll in confectioners' sugar.

Spanish Rice Dinner

2009-01-22T13:15:00.001-08:00

This recipe is great for ease of preparation, plus I always have the ingredients on hand.

The first time I made it, I thought the recipe was wrong, as there's hardly any liquid for the rice to cook in, but if you make sure to keep the heat low and keep it tightly covered, it will cook with no added water.

INGREDIENTS
1 pound ground beef
1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes
1 (14.5 ounce) can cut green beans, drained
1/2 cup uncooked long grain rice
1 onion

2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

DIRECTIONS
In a large skillet, cook beef with onions and garlic over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until rice is tender.

Split Pea Sausage Soup

2009-01-22T13:03:00.000-08:00

This has a really good flavor. The kids enjoy it as much as we do.

Ingredients:
1 pound smoked kielbasa or polish sausage (I use the reduced fat)
1 pound dried split peas
7 cups water
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon butter

1 cup chopped celery
2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley or 1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon coarse black pepper
2 bay leaves

Directions: Cut sausage in half lengthwise; cut into 1/4-in. pieces. Saute onion, celery and garlic in butter. Place in a Dutch oven or soup kettle; add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hours or until peas are tender. Remove bay leaves. Yield: 8 servings.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

2009-01-20T16:30:00.001-08:00

This may well be the most unhealthy thing I've posted so far. But it's good. It's a quick to fix crowd pleaser. And you'd be wise to only make them for a crowd, lest you eat them all yourself.
INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup butter, melted
2 cups powdered sugar
Topping
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
1/4 cup peanut butter
DIRECTIONS
In a medium bowl, stir together graham cracker crumbs, confectioners' sugar, peanut butter and melted butter. Press firmly into the bottom of a 9x13 inch pan. Melt chocolate chips and peanut butter over a double boiler or in the microwave, stirring occasionally. Spread melted chocolate over the crumb crust. Chill for about 20 minutes, then cut into bars, then chill until ready to serve.

White Chocolate Blondie

2009-01-16T08:16:00.001-08:00

This is a clone recipe of Applebee's White Chocolate and Walnut Blondie, although I think they may have changed the name. It calls for walnuts, but I prefer pecans. The sauce is amazing! I always double it so that there's plenty to go around.

Ingredients:

CAKE:
4 egg whites
½ cup butter softened
½ cup light brown sugar - (packed)
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup milk
8 ounces white chocolate cut into chunks
½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans

SAUCE:
½ cup butter softened
½ cup powdered sugar
2 oz cream cheese softened
2 tablespoons maple syrup
¼ teaspoon salt
SERVING:
vanilla ice cream
½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
To make the blondie cake, whip the egg whites until they are stiff and form peaks. Add softened butter, ½ cup packed brown sugar, ¼ cup granulated sugar, and vanilla and mix with an electric mixer until smooth.
In a separate bowl sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and ¼ teaspoon salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix well until smooth. Mix in milk, white chocolate chunks, and walnuts.
Pour ingredients into a greased 9— by 13-inch baking pan and bake for 40 to 45 minutes (mine seems to get done after about 30 minutes, so watch closely!) or until cake is golden brown on top.
While cake bakes, combine all ingredients for the sauce in a medium bowl with an electric mixer. The sauce will be fluffy at this point.
Arrange the cake on the skillet or plate. Heat up the sauce for 30 to 60 seconds in the microwave until hot and pourable. Place a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the cake, then drizzle some of the sauce over the top, followed by a tablespoon of chopped walnuts. Serve immediately.

Lemon Cheese Braid

2009-01-14T09:25:00.000-08:00

This is a fairly easy recipe. Even easier if you use a bread machine. This recipe wasn't written for a bread machine, so I'll post the original instructions. If you want to use your bread machine, just add ingredients in the order specified by the bread machine manufacturer (make sure ingredients are at room temperature), and set the dough cycle. Take it out after the first rise, then follow the rest of the recipe instructions.

Ingredients:
1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast
3 tablespoons warm water (110° to 115°)
1/3 cup milk
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 to 3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
FILLING:
2 packages (one 8 ounces, one 3 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
ICING:
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla or lemon extract
2 to 3 teaspoons milk

Directions: In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the milk, sugar, butter, eggs, salt and 2 cups flour; beat on low speed for 3 minutes. Stir in enough of remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Meanwhile, in a small mixing bowl, beat all the filling ingredients until fluffy; set aside. Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; roll into a 14-in. x 12-in. rectangle. Place on a greased baking sheet. Spread filling down center third of rectangle.

On each long side, cut 1-in.-wide strips, 3-in. into center.

Starting at one end, fold alternating strips at an angle across filling.

Mine looked like this when I was done. Kind of ugly, actually. I had some "help" from Ben. But I'm sure you could make it look pretty if you want to take the time. Cover and let rise for 30 minutes. Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. Combine confectioners' sugar, vanilla and enough milk to achieve drizzling consistency; drizzle over bread. Yield: 12-14 servings.

Orange Pecan Chicken

2009-01-13T20:39:00.000-08:00

INGREDIENTS
1/3 cup orange juice concentrate
5 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans or walnuts, toasted
1 tablespoon butter
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup orange marmalade
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Hot cooked rice

DIRECTIONS
In a small bowl, combine orange juice concentrate, 4 tablespoons oil, soy sauce and garlic. Pour half of the marinade into a large resealable plastic bag; add chicken. Seal bag and turn to coat; refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight. Cover and refrigerate remaining marinade.

Set aside 1/4 cup green onions for garnish. Add remaining onions to saucepan; saute in butter until tender. Add the marmalade, juices, honey, orange and lemon peel, salt, pepper and reserved marinade. Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5-10 minutes or until sauce reaches desired consistency. Cook chicken in skillet with remaining oil, or grill (I like mine grilled). Serve chicken over rice; top with sauce, toasted pecans or walnuts and reserved onions.

Jelly Rolls

2009-01-12T17:47:00.001-08:00

This is another recipe that brings back memories. My mom often made these when I was growing up. It's a sponge cake, filled with the filling of your choice and rolled up. It can be filled with jam, jelly, pudding, or anything else that sounds good.
Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
6 eggs, separated
6 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
Whip egg whites until stiff, set aside. Whip egg yolks with sugar until thick and lemon colored. Beat in water. Add flour baking powder, vanilla and salt, mix well. Carefully fold in egg whites until combined. It should look light yellow with an almost foamy texture.
Spray a 17 or 18 inch jelly roll pan with cooking spray (I always use the Pam with Flour Spray for anything I'm baking. I've never had a problem with things sticking to the pan when I've used that). Pour batter into pan. Be careful to make it even because it doesn't really spread out while cooking. Bake for 10 minutes at 400 or until light brown. It should spring back when touched when it's done. Turn out onto a dish towel that's been sprinkled with powdered sugar. Let sit for just a minute, then roll it up with the towel. Let it sit on a wire rack while cooling. It's a good idea to unroll and re-roll a few times while it's cooling. This helps prevent cracking.
When it's cool, you can fill it with the filling of your choice. In the picture above, I used chocolate pudding, one small box with 1 1/2 cups milk.

Raisin Bran Blueberry Muffins

2009-01-12T17:45:00.000-08:00

I found this recipe when I had an abundance of Raisin Bran to use up (sometimes I go overboard when I find a good sale). The original doesn't call for blueberries, but I like it that way.

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups flour (I use whole wheat flour from white wheat that I grind at home)

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup sugar

3 cups of Raisin Bran or 1 1/2 cups All Bran

1 1/4 cups milk

1 egg

1/3 cup oil

1 cup blueberries (optional)

Stir together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Set aside. Measure Raisin Bran cereal and milk into large bowl. Stir to combine. Let stand 2 minutes. Add egg and oil. Beat well. Add flour mixture , stirring only until combined. Gently fold in blueberries. Divide into 12 muffin cups. Bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned.

Meatball Subs

2009-01-12T17:40:00.001-08:00

This one comes from my mom. They're a big hit with the whole family.

Ingredients:

6 sub rolls

1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs

salt and pepper

2-4 cloves garlic, minced

1 large onion, chopped

1 lb ground beef

2 8oz cans tomato sauce

1 1/2 cups green bell pepper, chopped

2 teaspoons fresh basil or 1 tsp dried basil

cheese (optional)

Combine ground beef, bread crumbs, 1/4 cup of the tomato sauce, 1-2 cloves of the garlic, 1/4 cup of the onion, and salt and pepper. Mix well. Shape into small meatballs and place on a greased broiler pan.

Bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, saute remaining onion, 1 or 2 cloves of garlic, and bell pepper in a small amount of oil. Add remaining tomato sauce and basil. Add cooked meatballs. Simmer for a few minutes. Spoon onto split rolls. Top with cheese if desired (I use provolone).

Serve as is, or place under the broiler until cheese melts.

Waffle Cookies

2009-01-07T11:44:00.001-08:00

+

My mom frequently made these while I was growing up. They were my favorite cookie. They're more like a brownie, actually. Each batch makes about 20.
INGREDIENTS
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
6 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
GLAZE:
I'm not really sure the exact amounts for this, but here's a general idea of what I do-
Melt about 2 tablespoons of butter, add a few heaping tablespoons of cocoa and a tablespoon of water. Stir in powdered sugar until you reach the desired consistency, probably 1-1 1/2 cups. Add about 1/2 teaspoon of mint extract if you want, more if that's not strong enough. If you get it too thick, you can add milk or water until you get it right.
DIRECTIONS
In a medium bowl, mix the sugar and butter together. Stir in the eggs and vanilla. Then mix in the flour, cocoa, and walnuts. Preheat the waffle iron. I prefer to use a shallow iron, which are almost impossible to find anymore. I've never tried it on the Belgian type.

Drop dough by heaping tablespoons around the waffle iron. Close the lid and cook for 1 1/2 minutes. It may take more or less time depending on the individual waffle iron. Carefully remove to rack to cool.
When cookies are cool, dip them into a chocolate glaze, then let sit until glaze is set.

Macaroni Grill Rosemary Bread

2009-01-07T11:23:00.000-08:00

This is a copycat recipe . I've never eaten at the Macaroni Grill myself, but I've heard the bread is great so I attempted to make it. I think it turned out really good.

This is the recipe you can find online. I did a couple of things different. I used my bread maker to mix the dough and took it out after the first rise to shape. I cooked them on my baking stones. I cooked it at 400 instead of 350. I put a shallow pan of boiling water in the bottom of the oven (this helps to make a crisp crust). Also I DID NOT put the butter on when it came from the oven. Doing that will give you a soft crust.

Ingredients
1 tablespoon yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
1 cup warm water
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons rosemary
2 tablespoons butter

Directions
1Place yeast, sugar and water in large bowl or food processor and allow mixture to become bubbly.
2Mix in 1 T butter, salt, and 2 1/2 cups of flour.
3Add one tablespoon of the fresh chopped rosemary.
4Knead for about 10 minutes by hand or in food processor about 5 minutes until smooth and elastic.
5Add more flour if necessary.
6Oil a bowl, put dough in it and cover with a towel.
7Let dough rise in a warm place for one hour until doubled.
8Punch down dough and divide in half.
9Let dough rest about 5 minutes.
10Spray baking pan or cookie sheet with cooking spray.
11Shape the dough into 2 small rounded oval loaves.
12Sprinkle remaining 1 Tablespoon of rosemary over the loaves and press lightly into the surface.
13Let loaves rise again until doubled, about 45 minutes.
14Preheat oven to 375°F.
15Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until lightly browned.
16Carefully remove from oven, brush with remaining butter (and salt if desired.).

Flaky Pie Crust

2009-01-05T21:52:00.000-08:00

My mom is an expert pie maker. I believe she learned this recipe from a roommate while in college. Pie crust can be tricky, but really isn't hard once you get it down.

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

3/4 c shortening

1/4 c cold butter

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp sugar

1/3 c cold water

Sift dry ingredients and cut shortening and butter into flour until dough resembles corn meal. One of the tricks to pie crust is having your ingredients cold. I often use frozen butter.

I love to use my food processor. It makes the process so much easier. Just pulse several times until it looks similar to the picture above. But, if you don't have a food processor, don't despair, my mom has never used one for crust, a fork or pastry cutter also works.

Add water a little at a time, pulsing just until dough starts to stick together. You want to mix as little as possible after adding the water, or you'll end up with a tough crust.

Divide dough in half. Roll the dough out onto a floured piece of waxed paper. Use your pie plate to make sure you've rolled it big enough, leaving extra for it to fit down inside the pie plate. Turn the dough over into the pie plate and gently remove the wax paper. Trim the dough just over the edges of the pie plate, then shape the edges with your fingers. If you're going to bake the crust without filling, poke holes all over the crust with a fork. Bake at 375 for about 20 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 2 crusts (unless you ruin one or both).

This takes a little practice. Don't give up if it doesn't always work. If your crust doesn't look presentable, DON"T try to roll it out again. The less you work with the dough, the better it will taste. Even though I've been making pies for years, I still ruin crusts occasionally, like the one pictured below. When that happens, I just dump the whole thing onto a baking sheet, sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon, and bake it. The kids (and I) think it's a great treat.

Failure isn't all bad.

Creamy Lemon Pie

2009-01-04T22:31:00.000-08:00

I love all things lemon, but this is one of my favorties.

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar

6 tablespoons cornstarch

1 cup milk

6 egg yolks, lightly beaten

1/4 cup butter

2 tablespoons grated lemon peel

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

1/2 sour cream

1 cup whipping cream, whipped

1 pie shell (9 inches), baked

Directions:

In a saucepan, combine the sugar and cornstarch. Stir in milk until smooth. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat; cook and stir 2 minutes more.

Remove from heat. Stir a small amount of hot filling into egg yolks; return all to the pan. Bring to a gentle boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in butter and lemon peel. Gently stir in juice. Cool to room temperature. Fold in sour cream and whipped cream. Pour into pie shell. Chill at least 1 hour before serving.

Quick and Easy Green Chili Burritos

2009-01-03T10:28:00.000-08:00

This is such an easy and quick meal that calls for ingredients that I always have on hand. The original doesn't call for onions and garlic, but I add that to almost everything.

Ingredients:

1 can (16 oz) refried beans

8 flour tortillas

1/2 pound ground beef

1 c shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided

1 can (4oz) chopped green chilies

1 onion (optional)

1 or 2 cloves garlic, minced (optional)
Cook ground beef with onion and garlic, drain. Add refried beans and mix until heated through. Fill each tortilla with mixture plus 2 tablespoons of cheese. Fold ends and sides over filling and roll up. Place seam side down in a 9x13 baking dish. Sprinkle with chilies and remaining cheese.

Bake uncovered at 350 for 20 minutes or until heated through. Serve with sour cream and salsa if desired.

Note: My favorite flour tortillas are the ones you can buy that are uncooked. You just throw them on a skillet for a minutes each side. It takes a little extra prep work, but they're so much better.

Blueberry Sour Cream Pancakes

2009-01-03T09:37:00.000-08:00

This is a really good pancake recipe with or without the blueberries.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup cold water
4 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
PANCAKES:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1-1/2 cups milk
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
Directions: In a large saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch. Stir in water until smooth. Add blueberries. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; cover and keep warm. For pancakes, in a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Combine the eggs, milk, sour cream and butter. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in blueberries. Pour batter by 1/4 cupful onto a greased hot griddle. Turn when bubbles form on top; cook until the second side is golden brown. Serve with blueberry topping.

Carrots Lyonnaise

2009-01-02T14:14:00.000-08:00

My favorite carrot recipe
Ingredients:
1 lb carrots, peeled and cut into julienne strips
1 chicken bouillon cubes
1/4 cup butter
1 medium onion, sliced
1 Tbs flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
Cook carrots, covered, for 10 minutes in chicken bullion cube dissolved in 1/2 cup boiling water. In saucepan, melt butter and add onion. Cook, covered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
To butter mixture, add flour, salt, pepper, and 3/4 cup water. Add carrots and stock and simmer for 10 minutes.

Parmesan Cheese Rolls

2009-01-02T14:04:00.000-08:00

This is the easiest roll recipe ever with impressive results.
Ingredients:
Frozen Roll dough (Rhoades or similar)
Melted butter
Grated Parmesan cheese
Roll frozen rolls in melted butter then Parmesan cheese. Let rise for 3-5 hours until the desired size. Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes until golden brown.

Hot Fudge Sauce

2009-01-02T13:58:00.000-08:00

INGREDIENTS
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup butter
4 cups confectioners' sugar
1 14 oz can evaporated milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
DIRECTIONS
In a large saucepan, combine the chocolate chips and butter. Cook and stir over low heat until melted (I usually do this step in the microwave)
Gradually mix in the sugar and milk. Increase heat to a boil. Cook, stirring constantly, for 8 minutes. Remove from heat, and then stir in vanilla and salt. Serve warm. Store in refrigerator.

Baked Potato Soup

2009-01-01T16:31:00.000-08:00

I often use the potato and bacon that is left over from making potato boats for this recipe.

INGREDIENTS
3 bacon strips, diced
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 cups chicken broth
2 large baked potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 cup half-and-half cream
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
Shredded Cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS
In a large saucepan, cook bacon until crisp. Drain, reserving 1 tablespoon drippings. Set bacon aside. Saute onion and garlic in the drippings until tender. Stir in flour, salt, basil and pepper; mix well. Gradually add broth. Bring to boil; boil and stir for 2 minutes. Add the potatoes and cream ; heat through but do not boil. Garnish with bacon and cheese .

French Bread

2009-01-01T14:20:00.001-08:00

This is a very simple bread recipe using your bread machine and very few ingredients. The results are a European style baguette.

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups water

1 teaspoon lemon juice

3 cups bread flour

2 Tablespoons rye flour (I've used wheat in place of rye before, I'm not really sure what it does)

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast

Directions:

Place ingredients in the bread machine in the order suggested by the manufacturer. Use the dough cycle. At the end of the dough cycle, shape into 2 long thin loaves. Let rise until double on a pan or stone that has been sprinkled with cornmeal. Bake at 425 for the first 15 minutes then reduce heat to 375 and bake an additional 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Note: Because I like a crisp crust, I put a shallow pan of boiling water in the bottom of the oven.

Stuffed Baked Potatoes

2009-01-01T14:16:00.001-08:00

Ingredients:
5 medium baking potatoes
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese, divided
3/4 cup sour cream
1 envelope ranch salad dressing mix
1 tablespoon snipped chives
1 garlic clove, minced
Crumbled cooked bacon and chopped green onion

Directions: Scrub and pierce potatoes Bake at 375° for 1 hour or until tender. When cool enough to handle, cut each potato in half lengthwise. Scoop out the pulp, leaving thin shells. In a large bowl, beat the pulp with butter. Stir in 1 cup of cheese, sour cream, salad dressing mix, chives and garlic. Spoon into potato shells. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Place on a baking sheet. Bake at 375 ° for 15-20 minutes or until heated through. top with bacon and green onions. Yield: 10 servings.

Tiny Cherry Cheesecakes

2009-01-01T14:13:00.001-08:00

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup baking cocoa
1/2 cup cold butter
2 tablespoons cold water
FILLING:
2 packages (3 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 can (21 ounces) cherry or strawberry pie filling

Directions: In a small bowl, combine flour, sugar and cocoa; cut in butter until crumbly. Gradually add water, tossing with a fork until dough forms a ball. Shape into 24 balls. Place in greased miniature muffin cups; press dough onto the bottom and up the sides of each cup. In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in milk and vanilla. Add egg; beat on low just until combined. Spoon about 1 tablespoonful into each cup. Bake at 325° for 15-18 minutes or until set. Cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Carefully remove from pans to cool completely. Top with pie filling. Store in the refrigerator. Yield: 2 dozen.

Poppy Seed Dressing

2009-01-01T14:07:00.000-08:00

This is our favorite salad dressing. It keeps well, but needs to be stirred or shaken before each use.

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar

1 cup oil

1/2 c vinegar

1 tsp salt

1 tsp dry mustard

1 1/2 tsp paprika

1 1/2 Tbsp poppy seeds

1 tsp grated onion

Mix all ingredients thoroughly.

Cheese Balls

2009-01-01T11:20:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

2 packages of cream cheese, 8 oz each

1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

1 cup pepper jack cheese, shredded

3 or 4 green onions, sliced

1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Mix all ingredients well. Shape into 2 balls. Rolls in your choice of nuts, if desired.

Pepper Ranch Dressing

2009-01-01T11:04:00.000-08:00

As far as ranch goes, I think this recipe of my Mom's is the best.

Ingredients:

1 quart mayonnaise

2 cups buttermilk

2 Tablespoons Accent (MSG found in the spice aisle)

1 1/2 Tablespoons pepper

1 teaspoon garlic salt

1 teaspoon onion salt

Granola

2008-12-18T09:28:00.000-08:00

This is a very versatile recipe. You can add anything you like, or omit anything you don't like. Just make sure the amount of cups called for in the baked part of the recipe remains the same.

If you're not familiar with cooking granola, you should know that it will harden as it cools, so don't try to bake it until it's crunchy. If you don't like your granola crunchy, you can bake for less time.

INGREDIENTS
8 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 cups wheat germ
1 1/2 cups oat bran
1 cup sunflower seeds (optional, I don't care for them)
1 cup finely chopped almonds
1 cup finely chopped pecans
1 cup finely chopped walnuts
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
3/4 cup honey
1 cup oil
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups raisins or sweetened dried cranberries (optional)

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 225 degrees. Line two large baking sheets with parchment or aluminum foil. Combine the oats, wheat germ, oat bran, sunflower seeds, almonds, pecans, and walnuts in a large bowl. Stir together the salt, brown sugar, maple syrup, honey, oil, cinnamon, and vanilla in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then pour over the dry ingredients, and stir to coat. Spread the mixture out evenly on the baking sheets.
Bake in the preheated oven until crispy and toasted, 60 minutes. Stir once halfway through. Cool, without stirring, then stir in the raisins or cranberries before storing in an airtight container.

Potato Boats

2008-12-18T07:49:00.000-08:00

INGREDIENTS
4 large or 8 small potatoes, baked
3 tablespoons oil
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon pepper
8 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled or real bacon bits like these.

1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
4 green onions, sliced

DIRECTIONS
Cut potatoes in half lengthwise; scoop out pulp, leaving a 1/4-in. shell (save pulp for another use). Place potatoes skins on a greased baking sheet. Combine oil, Parmesan cheese, salt, garlic powder, paprika and pepper; brush over both sides of skins. Bake right side up at 475 degrees F for 7 minutes; turn. Bake, upside down, until crisp, about 7 minutes more. Sprinkle bacon, cheddar cheese, and green onions inside skins. Bake 2 minutes longer or until the cheese is melted. Serve with sour cream or ranch dressing.

Banana Wheat Muffins

2008-12-12T15:59:00.000-08:00

INGREDIENTS
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup mayonnaise*
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup mashed ripe bananas
1 cup mini chocolate chips (optional)
DIRECTIONS
In a bowl, combine the flours, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, combine mayonnaise, sugar and bananas; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. bake at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.

Cream Puffs

2008-12-12T14:55:00.000-08:00

Cream Puffs are really not that hard to make(unless you're making 180 of them to give away at Christmas-not really a good idea), but they make an impressive dessert. One recipe will make 25-30 small puffs.

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup butter
1 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 eggs

FILLING

You can use any filling you'd like, but this is my favorite:

1 (3.4 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix
1 1/4 cups milk
1 cup heavy cream, whipped
1 teaspoon almond extract

GLAZE:

4 TBS butter

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

3 heaping Tablespoons cocoa

2 Tablespoons milk

To make filling: Prepare pudding according to instructions on package, but use only 1 1/4 cups milk. Fold in whipped cream, and 1 teaspoon almond extract. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a large pot, bring water and butter to a rolling boil. Stir in flour and salt until the mixture forms a ball. It should look similar to this:

Let it cool for 5 minutes. Transfer the dough to a large mixing bowl. Using a wooden spoon or stand mixer, beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. When it's mixed enough, if should look like this:

Drop by tablespoonfuls onto a very lightly greased baking sheet. I like to use a Tablespoon size cookie scoop. I can fit 20 onto a cookie sheet like this:

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown. Centers should be dry. Make sure not to under cook or they will fall. They should be a nice golden brown and look like this:

Immediately poke sides with a toothpick or a sharp knife to let the steam escape. Move to wire rack. When the shells are cool, carefully cut off the tops with a sharp bread or slicing knife. You can pull out any of the web like stuff inside if you prefer (this makes them easier to fill) and spoon the pudding mixture into them.

To make Glaze, melt the butter, then mix in the rest of the ingredients. Stir until smooth. Let it cool some, so it's not so runny, then spoon some on top of each cream puff.

Oven Baked Jambalaya

2008-12-10T15:37:00.000-08:00

Another favorite. I usually bake it in my dutch oven.
INGREDIENTS
1 large onion, chopped
1 large bell pepper, any color, chopped
1 celery rib, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup butter
1 pounds fully cooked smoked sausage, cut into 1/2-inch slices
2 14 oz cans chicken broth
2 cups uncooked long grain rice
1 cups chopped fresh tomatoes
1/2 cups chopped green onions
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoons hot pepper sauce (or less, if you don't like spicy)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
DIRECTIONS
In a large skillet, saute the onions, green peppers, celery and garlic in butter until crisp-tender. Place in a very large bowl; stir in the remaining ingredients.
Transfer to a greased 3-qt. baking dish. Cover and bake at 375 degrees F for 50-60 minutes or until rice is tender, stirring twice.

Lentil Tacos

2008-12-07T21:27:00.000-08:00

Okay, these might sound kind of gross, but they're actually really tasty. I like to find ways to use my food storage; this is a good one for that.
INGREDIENTS
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon canola oil
1 cup dried lentils, rinsed
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup salsa
12 taco shells
1 1/2 cups shredded lettuce
1 cup chopped fresh tomato
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
6 tablespoons sour cream
DIRECTIONS
In a large nonstick skillet, saute the onion and garlic in oil until tender. Add the lentils, chili powder, cumin and oregano; cook and stir for 1 minute. Add broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes or until the lentils are tender. Uncover; cook for 6-8 minutes or until mixture is thickened. Mash lentils slightly.
Stir in salsa. Spoon about 1/4 cup lentil mixture into each taco shell. Top with lettuce, tomato, cheese and sour cream.

Popovers

2008-12-07T21:17:00.000-08:00

We like to eat these for breakfast. We top them with fresh fruit, whipped cream, and syrup.
INGREDIENTS
2 eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Grease and flour popover pan or muffin tin.
In a medium bowl beat eggs slightly, Beat in flour, milk and salt until just smooth; being careful not to overbeat. Fill cups 1/2 full.
Bake at 450 degrees F for 20 minutes. Decrease oven temperature to 350 degrees F and bake for 20 minutes more. Immediately remove from cups and serve piping hot.
Makes about 12 if using a muffin tin,

Chicken Breasts with Balsamic Vinegar and Garlic

2008-12-07T09:14:00.000-08:00

I think it's a good idea to double the sauce on this one. As written, the sauce doesn't go very far.
INGREDIENTS
4 thin skinless, boneless chicken breasts
salt and pepper to taste
1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon butter

DIRECTIONS
Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Rinse the mushrooms and pat dry. Heat oil in a skillet over medium high heat and saute the chicken until it is nicely browned on one side (about 3 minutes).
Add the garlic. Turn the chicken breasts and scatter the mushrooms over them. Continue frying, shaking the skillet and stirring the mushrooms. Cook for about 3 minutes, then add the vinegar, broth, bay leaf and thyme. Cover tightly and simmer over medium low heat for 10 minutes, turning occasionally.
Transfer the chicken to a warm serving platter and cover with foil. Set aside. Continue simmering the sauce, uncovered, over medium high heat for about 7 minutes. Swirl in the butter and discard the bay leaf. Pour this mushroom sauce mixture over the chicken and serve.

Mexican Rice

2008-12-05T18:39:00.000-08:00

Similar to the rice in mexican resturants, this makes a good side dish for any mexican meal.

INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup uncooked long-grain rice
1 or 2 cloves of minced garlic
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup tomato sauce
2 cups water
2 chicken bullion cubes or 2 tsp of chicken bullion

DIRECTIONS
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and add rice. Cook, stirring constantly, until golden. While rice is cooking, sprinkle with salt and cumin.
Stir in garlic and onions and cook until tender. Stir in tomato sauce, water and bullion; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes, without lifting the lid. Let stand another 5 to 10 minutes before uncovering. Fluff with a fork.

Enchiladas Suisas

2008-12-05T18:24:00.000-08:00

This is one of my favorite dinners. Sometimes I like to use the whole roasted chicken you can buy in the deli at the grocery store. They have wonderful flavor and it also saves prep time.

INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons butter
2/3 cup chopped Spanish onion
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 14 oz can chicken broth
2 4 oz cans chopped green chile peppers
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tsp ground cumin

16-18 (6 inch) corn tortillas
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 cup shredded mild Cheddar cheese
2 cups shredded, cooked chicken breast meat
1 cup heavy cream

DIRECTIONS
Prepare salsa verde: Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Saute the onion until soft Add garlic, saute a minute longer. Stir in the flour. Add the broth, then add the chiles, salt, and cumin. Simmer about 15 minutes to blend flavors, then set aside 1 cup for topping and add shredded chicken to remaining sauce. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C.)
Spray both sides of tortilla with cooking spray and lightly fry tortillas, being careful not to make them too crisp to roll. Combine the cheeses and keep 1/2 cup aside for topping. Place 2 heaping tablespoons of chicken salsa verde mixture and about 2 tablespoons cheese down the center of each; roll and place seam side down in a shallow dish.
After all the rolled tortillas are in the dish, spoon additional salsa verde over them and then cover evenly with heavy cream. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese mixture. Bake uncovered in preheated oven for 20 minutes. Serve immediately.

Cinnamon Rolls

2008-12-05T18:12:00.000-08:00

I love this recipe because it uses a bread machine, so less work for me! And of course, they are delicious. It's a good idea to turn them out onto another pan when they come out of the oven so that all the filling doesn't end up on the bottom of your pan.
Keep in mind bread machines are not all created equal. A cheap bread machine may not produce a quality product. I use a Zojurushi and would recommend it to anyone.

INGREDIENTS
1 cup warm milk (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
2 eggs, room temperature
1/3 cup margarine, melted
4 1/2 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup white sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons bread machine yeast

1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/3 cup butter, softened

1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS
Place ingredients in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select dough cycle; press Start.
After the dough has doubled in size turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, cover and let rest for 10 minutes. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon.
Roll dough into a 16x21 inch rectangle. Spread dough with 1/3 cup butter and sprinkle evenly with sugar/cinnamon mixture. Roll up dough and cut into 12 rolls. Place rolls in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking pan. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Bake rolls in preheated oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes. While rolls are baking, beat together cream cheese, 1/4 cup butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract and salt. Spread frosting on warm rolls before serving.