Caramels

I must confess, this is a holidays-only recipe for me.  They are so yummy, but let's be honest.  There is nothing good for you in caramels.  If you're like me, and still eating like a little piglet until Sunday, then make a batch and indulge.  Your mouth won't be sorry (but your waist might).

3 cups whipping cream, divided
2 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups Karo light syrup

Spray a 9x13 pan generously with cooking spray, then use a paper towel to wipe out excess.  Make sure sides and corners of pan are covered.

In a large sauce pan, combine sugar, Karo, and 1 cup whipping cream.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer.  Let the mixture bubble (rapidly, but not violently) until it reaches the soft ball stage*.  Once it has reached the soft ball stage, stir in 1 cup whipping cream.  Let the mixture bubble/simmer until it reaches the soft ball stage again.  Stir in last cup of whipping cream.  Let mixture bubble/simmer to the firm ball stage**.  Pour quickly into prepared 9x13 pan.  Let cool, then cut into squares and wrap in individual bits of wax paper to keep fresh.

*I'm sure you can use a candy thermometer to help you get to the soft ball stage, but they've never worked for me and I'm too lazy to track one down and wash it afterward. It takes about 20 minutes on medium-low heat on my stove to get to the soft ball stage.  At about 17 minutes, I begin testing it by placing a teaspoon-sized drop of the caramel mixture into a little ramekin filled with cool water.  If I can shape the caramel into a soft ball and pick it up out of the water, then it's ready.

**For the firm ball stage, it takes about 25 minutes on medium-low on my stove.  I test it just like I would for the soft ball stage, except a firm ball should hold together a bit better and feel slightly more solid (but not hard).

Beef Stroganoff

This was my grandma's recipe, and despite the fact that I'm not a big meat eater, I love it.  It was perfect for a comforting Sunday dinner on a crisp fall night, and makes 6-8 generous portions.  It's unlike a lot of other stroganoff recipes in that instead of being creamy and white sauce-based, it's tomato-based.  You can stir in 1/2 cup or so of sour cream at the end to make it creamier, but I like it as is.

2 1/2 pounds beef, cut in 1/2 inch cubes (I use top round, trimmed of fat)
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup butter, divided
1 large onion, diced
1 can sliced mushrooms (opt.) or scant 1/4 cup beef broth
1 15-oz. can tomato sauce or 2/3 cup tomato juice
salt & pepper
1 1/2 pound cooked pasta or rice

In a brown paper bag, toss cubed beef with flour until lightly coated.  Melt all but 1 Tbs. of butter in large skillet.  Brown beef on both sides, but don't worry about cooking it through (about 5 minutes).  Remove beef from skillet.  Melt remaining butter in skillet, the saute onions until softened.  Add in can of sliced mushrooms and their juice (or beef broth), tomato sauce  (or tomato juice), and browned beef.  Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce heat to low.  Simmer on lowest heat for approximately 1 hour, until beef is tender.  Crockpot option:  empty skillet into crockpot with additional 1/4 cup liquid, and cook on low 6 hours or high 3 hours until meat is tender.

When meat is tender, serve over cooked pasta or rice (I like whole wheat egg noodles or penne).  

Easy Lemon Cookies

I needed a quick treat to make for visiting teaching this month, and I saw this recipe on one of my favorite cooking blogs, Boy Cheese Sandwich.  It took me about 30 minutes, including clean up, to have a tasty treat ready to go.

1 lemon cake mix
2 eggs
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350.  With a mixer, combine cake mix, eggs, and oil (dough will be stiff).  Roll tablespoon-sized balls in powdered sugar, then place on greased or parchment-lined cookie sheets (I fit 12 on a sheet, as the dough didn't spread much).  Bake for 6-8 minutes (I did 8), or until just starting to crack.  Let cool for 2 minutes on sheets, then cool completely on racks.  Makes about 2 1/2 dozen.

Spicy (or not!) Chicken Sandwiches with Cilantro-lime Mayo

I love summer meals, don't you? This recipe is soooooo easy! You just have to remember to get the chicken marinating earlier in the day, but once it's time to cook it, you'll have dinner ready in ten minutes!

I omitted the hot sauce altogether (neither my husband nor my kids are fans of spicy stuff) and it turned out great! The crunch on these is great (it's tortilla chips!). For my girls, I just cut up the chicken into strips and gave them the Kaiser rolls on the side.

As you can see above, we had ours with a simple salad that had a Spring/Baby Spinach mix with sliced strawberries, crumbled bacon, and mozzarella cubes. You honestly don't even need a sauce over it, but Lighthouse's Raspberry Walnut salad dressing would be a fantastic choice.

The link is at the bottom for the recipe.

http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/spicy-chicken-sandwiches-with-cilantro-lime-mayo-10000001860085/

Broccoli Chicken Enchiladas

Can you tell enchiladas are my husband's favorite thing ever?  Since I get sick of having the same thing all the time, I try to put new little twists on old favorites.  Although this is far from authentic Mexican, it sure tasted good.  Plus, this is another meal that makes 2 pans, so it's perfect for freezing.

For the sauce:
2 cans Cream of Chicken Soup (I use the 98% fat free kind to lighten this up)
2 1/2 cups fat free sour cream
1/3-1/2 cup dried minced onions
1 1/2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
1-2 tsp. canned diced green chilis
1 tsp. lemon juice

In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients until thoroughly mixed.

For the enchiladas:
1 cup grilled chicken, cut into bite-size pieces
2 cups broccoli, cut into small bite-size pieces
1 small can sliced black olives, drained
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced bell pepper
1 tsp. olive oil
8-10 flour tortillas
2 cups shredded cheese, divided (I use part-skim mozzarella)

Preheat oven to 450.  Spray one large or two small baking dishes lightly with cooking spray.  In a large nonstick skillet, heat olive oil.  Saute onion and pepper until softened.  In a small pot, steam or boil broccoli until tender but still crisp (don't overcook--remember it will be baked too).  When onions and peppers are starting to brown and broccoli is done, add chicken, broccoli, olives, and about 3/4 cup sauce mixture (enough to make a moist but not runny filling) to the skillet.  Spread 1/4 cup sauce mixture onto bottom of prepared pan(s).  In each tortilla, place a few tablespoons of the chicken-broccoli filling and a sprinkle of cheese, then roll up.  Place seam-side down in prepared baking pan(s).  Repeat with remaining tortillas until filling is gone.  Spread remaining sauce over the top, then sprinkle with remaining cheese.  Bake for 5-7 minutes or until browned, bubbling, and heated through.  Watch closely so it doesn't burn!  Serve with black beans and a greens salad.

Lazy Lasagna

Does anyone else wish this dang snow would go away already? On the other hand, my husband loves it because he can get me to make warm, bubbly casseroles like this one because somehow in my mind it still feels like winter and therefore there's no need to be swimsuit-ready anytime soon.  This is not quite as easy as the Crockpot Lasagna recipe, but I like how this can be divided into two pans so one can be frozen for another day.

1 1/2 boxes lasagna sheets
2 jars spaghetti sauce (I like Classico or Barilla, but it's up to you)
1 large container cottage cheese
1 large container ricotta cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese, divided
2 eggs
1 Tbs. Italian seasoning
1/2 cup onion, diced (optional)
2 cloves garlic, minced (optional)
1/2 pound ground beef (optional)
 1 tsp. olive oil (optional)
1 tsp. red pepper flakes(optional)

Preheat oven to 400.  Lightly spray either two 8x8 pans or one 9x13 pan with cooking spray.  In a large nonstick skillet, heat olive oil over medium high heat.  Saute onions, garlic, and red pepper flakes until beginning to soften, then add in ground beef (if using).  When onions and garlic are translucent, and meat is browned, add spaghetti sauce and heat through.*  

In a mixing bowl, mix cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, 1 cup mozzarella, 1/4 cup parmesan, eggs, and Italian seasoning.

Ladle about 1/4 cup of sauce into sprayed baking pan(s).  Cover with uncooked lasagna noodles**, breaking into pieces to fill in all gaps.  Spoon 1/3 of ricotta mixture over noodles, covering well.  Ladle 1/3 of spaghetti sauce over cheese mixture, spreading to cover.  Cover with uncooked lasagna noodles, pressing down lightly to compact layers.  Repeat layering with remaining ricotta, sauce, and noodles.  In an 8x8 pan, I can fit about 4 noodles (broken to fit) per layer, and 4 layers of noodles in total.  Cover last layer of noodles with any remaining sauce and ricotta mixture.  Cover with foil and bake 1 hour.  Then remove foil and sprinkle 1 cup mozzarella and 1/4 cup parmesan over the top. Broil 3-5 minutes (watch closely) until browned and bubbly.  Serve with a green salad.

*I feel better about using store-bought spaghetti sauce if it's a good quality brand, doesn't have too much sugar, and I doctor it up with onions, garlic, and spices.  But to make this even simpler, you could skip the ground beef and onion mixture altogether, and just ladle the sauce into the pans right from the jar.

**You can buy either no-boil noodles, or just use regular lasagna noodles.  I've found that as long as each noodle ends up covered with plenty of sauce to give it moisture, and as long as you bake for at least 1 hour, it all works out fine.  Plus, it's easier and less messy to skip boiling the noodles!

Meatloaf

My husband has been gone during the week, so when he came home last weekend, I wanted to make him something hearty and comforting.  He loves meatloaf, which I've never made before, so I combined a few recipes I had and came up with this.  I served it with mashed potatoes (made so easy by the frozen Ore Ida Steam 'n Mash), roasted asparagus, and these caramel rolls.  Oh, and my husband liked it so much he had leftover meatloaf sandwiches 2 days in a row!

1 1/2 lbs. extra lean ground beef (I use either 93/7 or 96/4)
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup Stove Top Stuffing (dry)
1 envelope Lipton Onion Soup mix (optional)
1 cup ketchup, divided
1/2 cup diced onions
1/3 cup diced celery
1/3 cup diced green pepper
2 Tbs. shredded or grated parmesan cheese
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. olive oil
salt and pepper


In a nonstick skillet, saute onions, celery, garlic, and peppers in about 1 tsp. olive oil until softened and barely browned.  Scoop into a large mixing bowl and let cool.  Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375.  Mix together cooled veggies, soup mix (if using, or just add salt, pepper, and dried onion), dry stuffing mix, beaten eggs, 1/2 cup ketchup, and Worcestershire sauce.  Then mix with beef, being careful to distribute seasonings evenly without over mixing.  Shape into a loaf on a large baking sheet covered with parchment paper.*  Brush remaining 1/2 cup ketchup over the top.  Bake for 35-45 minutes until browned and cooked through (I did mine for 45 minutes and it was perfect).  Let rest covered with tinfoil for an additional 10 minutes.

*You can also use a loaf pan, but from what I've read, loaf pans steam the meatloaf instead of getting the outside crisp.  Plus then you have to wash the pan.

Chicken Pesto Pasta

The family party was last Sunday, and it was a hit.  I ended up doing lime jello jigglers, a huge green salad, broccoli pasta salad, rolls dyed green, and chicken kabobs with onions and green pepper.  To go with the salad and chicken, I made homemade pesto sauce and homemade Cafe Rio salad dressing, which were both yummy.  I had a little bit of chicken, broccoli, and pesto leftover, so I made this for dinner Monday night:

1 chicken breast, diced and seasoned with McCormick's Rotisserie Chicken seasoning
1 shallot, diced
1 1/2 Tbs. olive oil or butter
1 cup broccoli, cut into florets
1/3 to 1/2 box of penne pasta (I like whole wheat or Barilla Plus)
2 Tbs. flour
1/2-2/3 cup skim milk
3 heaping Tbs. prepared pesto sauce
4 sundried tomatoes, chopped
parmesan cheese, for garnish.

In a large pot, boil water for pasta.  Cook pasta according to package directions, adding in broccoli for last 2 minutes of cooking.  Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, melt butter or heat olive oil.  Saute shallot until it begins to soften, then add chicken, seasoning with salt and pepper.  When chicken is browned and nearly cooked through, sprinkle with flour and cook an additional 1-2 minutes.  Whisk in milk and bring mixture to a bubble.  Add in pesto, sundried tomatoes, and cooked pasta and broccoli, until heated through and thoroughly combined.

This made a big, hearty meal for just the two of us, but it can easily be doubled for larger families.

Even Easier Chicken and Black Bean Enchiladas

Last night was not my best, culinarily speaking.  I was experimenting with new recipes, and I planned on making mini-dishes of 2 different kinds of enchiladas--white sauce and red sauce, and a jello.  I had the jello ready to go in the fridge, went to slide it in...and the whole stupid thing tipped over and splashed everywhere!  Let me tell you, cleaning reddish orange goo off of carpet, wood floor, the fridge, the walls, the cabinets, etc. was not fun.  I had to take apart all the drawers in my fridge and freezer, pull the fridge out, steam clean the carpet, etc.  Not my best moment for sure.

So my plans for 2 gourmet types of enchiladas went right out the window.  I had about 20 minutes before my hungry husband would walk through the door, and not many ready-to-serve ingredients aside from a leftover rotisserie chicken breast, so I threw together these instead (based on my original recipe for Chicken and Black Bean Enchiladas):

1 chicken breast from a Costco rotisserie chicken, skin removed and diced
1/2 can black beans, drained and rinsed (save the other half for nachos or something)
1/4 cup diced onions
diced green pepper
1 tsp. olive oil
1 can red enchilada sauce (I like Rosarita brand)
4-6 flour tortillas
1 cup shredded cheese, divided

Preheat oven to 450.  In a non-stick skillet over medium high heat, heat oil  Season onion and pepper with salt and pepper, then saute until tender.  Add chicken, black beans, and a few tablespoons of enchilada sauce until heated through and mixture is cohesive but not too wet.  On the bottom of  an 8 by 8 pan, spread a couple of spoonfuls of enchilada sauce.  Roll chicken/black bean mixture in flour tortillas with about a tablespoon of cheese (makes anywhere from 4-6, depending on how full you fill them).  Place seam side down in prepared pan.  Top with remaining enchilada sauce, then sprinkle with remaining cheese.  Bake at 450 for 3-5 minutes until browned and bubbly.  Then congratulate yourself for throwing together a decent meal in no time at all!

Recipe Requests

I need help! My husband's family has started a new tradition where we get together on Fast Sunday each month to have a family party and celebrate all the birthdays in that month.  I'm in charge of March, and I want to do a fun St. Patrick's Day theme.  At first I thought we could do traditional Irish food, but I'm thinking with tons of picky kids that might not go over so well.  So instead I'm just going to do my best to make everything green.

Here are the ideas I have so far:
Chicken kabobs skewered with green pepper and onion
Pesto sauce and/or chimichurri sauce (both really green) for either a marinade or to serve alongside kabobs
Green salad
Broccoli pasta salad made with spinach tortellini instead of plain pasta
Rolls made with dough dyed green with food coloring
Lime jello
Grasshopper pie

I'm thinking it might be fun to make some sort of punch or slush with lime sherbet so it would be green.  Any ideas or recipes for that, or any other suggestions?

Sweet and Spicy Meatballs

This isn't much of a recipe, but the flavor is so yummy and unique.  I brought them to a Super Bowl party along with this pasta salad and this caramel apple dip, and they were a huge hit.  We had the leftovers in toasted rolls with melted provolone, spinach, onions, and peppers, and they were fabulous too. 

1 jar grape jelly
1 jar salsa (I used Pace Picante-medium)
1/2 bag frozen meatballs (I used the Italian-style ones from Costco)

Mix equal parts grape jelly and salsa, then pour over meatballs in the crockpot.  Cook 4-6 hours, or until jelly has melted into sauce and meatballs are heated through.

Soft Sugar Cookies

 *Please excuse bad pictures and sloppy frosting job--I was in a hurry!*

There are many wonderful sugar cookie recipes out there--this one's my favorite. The technique is a little different from most recipes, and I think it really makes a difference. I like my sugar cookies soft and thick, but not cake-like, and since these aren't overly sweet, they are the perfect vehicle for vanilla buttercream. I love them so much that self-control becomes a bit of a problem, so I usually only make them twice a year--Valentine's Day and Halloween.


5 cups flour
2 cups shortening
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup sour cream
2 tsp. vanilla
1 heaping tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 eggs, beaten

Sift together flour, sugar, and salt, then pour into mixing bowl.  Cut in 2 cups shortening (I use 2 butter knives and just slice back and forth until the shortening is in small pieces, then I quickly use the flat beater and my mixer on low until the shortening is about the size of peas).   Add in eggs, vanilla, sour cream, and baking soda until thoroughly combined (but don't overmix).  Wrap in plastic and chill in refrigerator for at least an hour.  Roll on floured surface to desired thickness (I like between 1/4 and 1/2 inch).  Bake at 350 for about 10 minutes, until edges are firm and just starting to brown (don't overbake).  Makes 48-60 cookies, depending on size and thickness.

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

2/3 cup salted butter, softened
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 lbs. powdered sugar (more or less, until desired consistency)

Mix butter, vanilla, and heavy cream with an electric mixer.  Pour in powdered sugar starting with one pound of powdered sugar, then adding more about 1/2 cup at a time until desired consistency is reached.

Notes:
-Use salted butter--it really does make a difference.  One time I used unsalted butter, because most cookbooks call for it, and it was a gloppy, flavorless disaster.  Never again.
-I like my frosting a bit stiffer since I usually pipe it with a pastry bag and I want it to hold it shape and set up a bit as it sits.
-Feel free to exchange the vanilla extract for whatever flavor you want.  I've done lemon and mint before, and I know lots of people like almond (for me it tastes cloyingly sweet).
-Makes enough to frost 48 sugar cookies or 24 cupcakes with a pastry bag.

My Nan's Banana Bread

There are already lots of yummy banana bread recipes on here, but I thought I would add this one anyway.  This is my Nan's, and whenever I make it, the whole house smells wonderful and I think of her (and how I miss her).  The ingredients are standard and simple, and I always have everything on hand--especially overripe bananas.  I also usually double this recipe to make two  9x5 loaves, since the first one always seems to mysteriously disappear before it's even cooled.

1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
3 very ripe bananas
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups flour
1/2 cup nuts (optional--I leave them out)

Grease 9x5 loaf pan.  Cream together shortening and sugar.  Add in eggs, vanilla, and bananas, and mix until fairly smooth.  Add in flour, baking soda, and salt, and mix until thoroughly combined.  Stir in nuts (if using).  Bake at 350 for about 1 hour (start checking around 55 minutes), or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Since my loaf pans are dark and nonstick, I lowered my oven to 330 and baked them for about 57 minutes.

Soy-Vinegar Marinade

I don't remember where I got this recipe from, but I use it all the time.  It gives meat such a yummy flavor.  I usually do flank steak, chicken breasts, or pork tenderloin.  This recipe makes enough for 1 large flank steak, 2 pork tenderloins, or 4 big chicken breasts.

1 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup canola oil
2 Tbs. onion flakes
1 tsp. Lawry's Seasoned Salt or McCormick Montreal Steak Seasoning

Whisk marinade ingredients together, then pour into a Ziploc with meat and marinate 1-2 days.

I had this marinade on chicken last night with steamed broccoli and this rice pilaf.