Chicken Enchiladas

Me and Mexican food are a match made in heaven. Me and enchilada sauce are soul mates. It's the sad truth. These are quick and easy because I used a bottled enchilada sauce from Trader Joe's. If you're an over-achiever you could serve with Spanish rice and black beans.

Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients

4 whole wheat tortillas

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces

1 tsp cumin

Salt

Pepper

1/4 onion, finely chopped

4 mushrooms (I like mushrooms in everything, but you can leave out)

2 tbsp sour cream

1 green onion, diced

1/2 c shredded cheese

1 tbsp cilantro

1 bottle Trader Joe's enchilada sauce

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Season diced chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat in a large skillet with a bit of canola oil. Season with cumin. When cooked through (only 5 minutes or so), put in a bowl to the side. Add onions and mushrooms to the skillet and saute lightly. When softened, add chicken back into the pan. Add green onion, sour cream and a couple tbsp of enchilada sauce.

Spoon the mixture into flour tortillas and put in your baking dish. Top with desired amount of remaining enchilada sauce and shredded cheese. You could also top with olives, if you had some. Bake until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbly, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve with your favorite toppings (sour cream, hot sauce, etc).

Homemade Ice Cream Sandwiches

Holy Cow!! These were A-mazing!! They were a bit labor intensive, but completely and totally worth it. And the oohs and ahhs that I got when I brought them to the table erased all the work from my memory (and the fact that there are leftovers in my freezer doesn't hurt either...).

In order for this to work best, you need 2 8x8 baking dishes. I only had one, which made it more labor intensive than it needed to be.

Ice Cream Sandwiches

Adapted from The Food Network Magazine

Ingredients

4 tbsp butter

3/4 c flour

cooking spray

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 c cocoa powder

1/2 light brown sugar, packed

1/2 c sugar

1/2 c brewed coffee (not espresso)

1/2 c buttermilk

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1.75 quarts of your favorite ice cream

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line the bottom of 2 8x8 square-inch metal baking pans with parchment paper and lightly spray them with non-stick cooking spray. Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a bowl, whisk to combine.

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the cocoa powder and whisk until dissolved, about 1 minute. Transfer to a bowl and whisk in both sugars until combined. Add the coffee, buttermilk, egg, and vanilla and whisk until smooth. (It takes a few minutes to loosen up and become smooth, but it will).

Divide the batter evenly between the 2 prepared pans. Bake until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs, 15-20 minutes. Cool slightly in the pans, then turn out onto cooling racks to cool completely. Transfer the cakes to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, cover with plastic wrap and freeze for 1 hour.

Remove the ice cream from the freezer and let soften 10-20 minutes. Clean and dry the baking pans used to make cake. Line each with plastic wrap, leaving a 4-inch overhang on all sides. Scoop the ice cream into one of the pans, packing it to make an even 1-inch layer. Smooth with a small offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Fold the plastic wrap over the ice cream to cover it, then freeze until solid, about 1 hour.

Put 1 frozen cake in the remaining plastic-lined pan. Unwrap the ice cream layer and invert it on top of the cake; remove the plastic wrap. Cover with the remaining cake, pressing gently. Fold the plastic wrap over the cake and cover it and freeze until firm, about 1 hour.

When ready to serve, unwrap the cake and cut into squares or desired shape. Enjoy!

Shrimp 'Ceviche'

So ceviche is a term loosely used in this recipe... because we actually cooked the shrimp first. This is a great one to use if you don't have time to let the shrimp get 'ceviche'd' or cooked in lime juice like in real ceviche. Between myself and the other 5 ladies who dined with me, we all decided this was fantastic!

Shrimp 'Ceviche'

Adapted from www.barefootwine.com

Ingredients

1 lb uncooked shrimp, peeled deveined and tails off

2 tbsp butter

1/2 c pinot grigio

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 avocados, diced

2 tomatoes, diced

1/2 onion, diced

Juice of 2 limes

Salt

Pepper

Cilantro

Hot sauce

Tortilla chips

Directions

Wash shrimp in a bowl and drain. Place shrimp, 1/2 c pinot grigio and butter in a pan. Turn to low heat and simmer. Add 1 tsp salt and one clove finely chopped garlic. Simmer for 10 minutes or until wine has evaporated. Finely chop tomatoes, avocado, onion and shrimp once cooked. Add remaining clove of garlic. Add ingredients plus pepper, desired hot sauce and cilantro. Finally, add juice from 2 limes. If it's not lime-y enough, add more juice. Serve with tortilla chips.

Merlot Salad

This is a fruit salad and cole slaw hybrid. Since we are girls, I knew my ladies would appreciate a salad or at least something with nutritious content. It was really tasty and refreshing and easy to pull together. I'm sure the longer it sits in the dressing, the more delicious it becomes too.

Merlot Salad

Adapted from www.barefootwine.com

Ingredients

1 c shredded carrots

2 c shredded green cabbage

1 c green apple, cut into small pieces

1/2 c cranberries, rehydrate in merlot

2 tbsp slivered almonds, toasted

Dressing

1/4 c light sour cream

1 green onion, minced

1/2 lemon, juiced

1 tsp mustard

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar)

3 tbsp Merlot (from cranberries)

1 tsp orange zest

1-2 tsp agave nectar (or honey), as needed to sweeten dressing

Directions

Reconstitute cranberries by adding 3 tbsp merlot and letting sit 5 minutes or so. Prepare fruit and veggies. Make dressing in the bottom of your serving bowl. Combine all ingredients. Season with salt and pepper.

Scallops with Chardonnay Shallot Sauce

Since Kasey is moving to Florida, I wanted to have sea food on the menu. For some reason, I assume people in Florida eat mass amounts. Whatever. Anyway, I recently fell in love with scallops and thought this would be great. The sauce was fantastic and wine-y and garlic-y. (those are real words... look it up.) Loved it! It ranked #1 when my girls asked which was their favorite dish.

Scallops with Chardonnay Shallot Sauce

Adapted from www.barefootwine.com

Ingredients

1/2 c chicken broth

1/4 c butter

1 tbsp shallot, minced

1/4 c Chardonnay

1 lb scallops (I used bay scallops, but sea scallops would be great)

Salt

Pepper

Extra virgin olive oil

1/2 lemon, juiced

1 garlic clove, minced

Directions

Preheat broiler. In a small saucepan on medium heat, mix chicken broth, wine, lemon juice, shallot, and garlic. Cook and stir until liquid is reduced. Stir in butter until melted. Brush scallops with extra virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Arrange on baking sheet. Broil in oven about 3-5 minutes on each side, or until opaque. Serve with wine sauce.

Kalamata Olive Tapenade

For Kasey's party, I wanted to have some kind of bruschetta with a dip. Forgetting that Kasey doesn't like olives, I chose this. Awesome... At least I can say I've made tapenade now. Liz and thought it was great but bordered on too salty, so taste it before adding any additional salt. It's really easy to make because you put all the ingredients in the food processor.

Kalamata Olive Tapenade

Adapted from www.barefootwine.com

Ingredients

2 c pitted Kalamata olives

2 tbsp capers

1/2 tsp anchovy paste

Juice of 1 lemon

2 cloves garlic

1 tbsp thyme

1 tbsp oregano

1/3 c extra virgin olive oil

Pepper

Salt

Directions

In a food processor, combine all ingredients. Pulse until desired texture. Taste and season with salt/pepper, as needed. Serve with toasted baguette.

Mother's Apple Crumble

When my Mom requested apple pie for her Mother's Day dinner, I knew I'd make a crumble instead. I don't like pie dough and personally prefer the crunchy crumbly topping so that's what I did. My mom didn't mind one bit because this was fantastic! I got the recipe from my Mother's Best cookbook, which is from Mother's Bistro in downtown Portland. Such a simple recipe and really wonderful.

Mother's Apple Crumble

Adapted from Mother's Best Cookbook

Ingredients

Apples:

10 granny smith apples

2 tbsp lemon juice

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 c sugar

Crisp topping:

1 1/2 c flour

1 c light brown sugar (firmly packed)

1/4 c sugar

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 c (2 sticks) cold butter, cut into 1/2 inch dice

1 1/2 c chopped walnuts

Directions

Heat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 13x9x2 inch baking dish with non-stick spray.

Peel the apples and then cut each of the four sides off the apple as close to the core as you can. (This way you save a step by coring and slicing at the same time). Slice the quarters into 1/4 inch thick slices.

Place the apples in a bowl and add lemon juice, cinnamon, and sugar. Toss to coat. Pour the mixture into prepared dish.

Place the flour, brown sugar, sugar, and cinnamon in a bowl. Add the butter pieces and toss to coat. Using your hands, blend butter into the flour mixture until it forms large crumbs. Add in the walnuts.

Scatter the topping over the fruit. Lightly press the topping into the fruit. Bake until the topping is brown and the filling is bubble, 45-55 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool 30 minutes before serving.

Beef Stroganoff

Today, I invited my Mom and brothers over for Mother's Day dinner to have my Mom's favorite dishes: beef stroganoff and apple pie. My mom has great memories of beef stroganoff that my Aunt Dana used to make but hasn't had it in 15 years (she says). So, I found a great recipe and whipped it up for her. It was DELICIOUS! My brothers don't normally like the food that I make (cause it's too fancy, they say), but they both loved this and gave me high fives. You really gotta try this!

Beef Stroganoff

Adapted from For The Love of Cooking

Ingredients

1 lb lean beef, cut into chunks (I used cube steak)

1 onion, chopped

1 tsp fresh thyme

4 c beef stock

3 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 bay leaf

8 oz mushrooms, sliced (I prefer cremini)

2 tbsp Dijon mustard

2 tsp Worcestershire

3 tbsp sour cream

2 tbsp cornstarch (mix with 2 tbsp water)

Egg noodles

Parsley

Directions

Preheat oven to 275 degrees. In a oven-safe pot, heat 2 tbsp olive oil. Add beef chunks and brown the meat, 3 minutes. Add onion and garlic, saute 2 minutes. Add bay leaf, thyme, and beef broth. Put the lid on the pot and transfer to the oven. Cook for 4 hours.

Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add 2 tbsp olive oil and mushrooms, saute until golden brown. Remove the pot from the oven and place on the stove top on low heat. When mushrooms are done, add them to the pot. Add dijon, worcestershire, sour cream, and corn starch mixture. Bring to a boil and then turn to low and simmer until the noodles are ready. Serve with egg noodles and garnish with parsley.

Pecan Squares

For Mother's Day, I wanted to make my Gram one of her favorite things, which is pecan pie. I decided to try these pecan squares because they would be easier to eat. I also drizzled them with chocolate because my Gram's other favorite thing is chocolate (and it's more yummy that way). They are very rich, but got rave reviews from the family.

*****NOTE: Do not continue if you are afraid of butter. This will traumatize you.*****

Pecan Squares

Adapted from The Barefoot Contessa

Crust:

1 1/4 pounds unsalted butter, room temperature

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3 extra-large eggs
• 3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 
  
• Topping:
• 1 pound unsalted butter
• 1 cup good honey
• 3 cups light brown sugar, packed
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 2 pounds pecans, coarsely chopped

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

For the crust, beat the butter and granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, until light, approximately 3 minutes. Add the eggs and the vanilla and mix well. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix the dry ingredients into the batter with the mixer on low speed until just combined. Press the dough evenly into an ungreased 18 by 12 by 1-inch baking sheet, making an edge around the outside. It will be very sticky; sprinkle the dough and your hands lightly with flour. Bake for 15 minutes, until the crust is set but not browned. Allow to cool.

For the topping, combine the butter, honey, brown sugar, and zests in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cook over low heat until the butter is melted, using a wooden spoon to stir. Raise the heat and boil for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in the heavy cream and pecans. Pour over the crust, trying not to get the filling between the crust and the pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the filling is set. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold. Cut into bars and serve.

*I melted bittersweet chocolate chips and drizzled that on the bars to make them more delicious*

Cranberry Orange Scones with Orange Icing

I have a thing for cranberries... I do. Weird, I know. I also have a thing for scones, but then again, who doesn't? I watched the Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten, make these and needed to try them as well. I again used my sister as an excuse because she's very pregnant and needs a pick me up. She's coming over in an hour or so and I think will be so excited to take a lot of scones home with her!

It's a bit labor intensive with the rolling out and cookie cutting, but you can do it. Channel your grandma while you do it (that's what I did). They come out so nice and pretty and tasty, as well! P.s. don't skip the icing because the scones themselves aren't super sweet so they kinda need the delicious zesty icing.

Cranberry Orange Scones with Orange Icing

Adapted from Barefoot Contessa

Ingredients

4 cups plus 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar, plus additional for sprinkling

2 tablespoons baking powder

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 tablespoon grated orange zest

3/4 pound cold unsalted butter, diced

4 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup cold heavy cream

1 cup dried cranberries

1 egg beaten with 2 tablespoons water or milk, for egg wash

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, plus 2 tablespoons (icing)

4 teaspoons freshly squeezed orange juice (icing)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix 4 cups of flour, 1/2 cup sugar, the baking powder, salt and orange zest. Add the cold butter and mix at the lowest speed until the butter is the size of peas. Combine the eggs and heavy cream and, with the mixer on low speed, slowly pour into the flour and butter mixture. Mix until just blended. The dough will look lumpy! Combine the dried cranberries and 1/4 cup of flour, add to the dough, and mix on low speed until blended.

Dump the dough onto a well-floured surface and knead it into a ball. Flour your hands and a rolling pin and roll the dough 3/4-inch thick. You should see small bits of butter in the dough. Keep moving the dough on the floured board so it doesn't stick. Flour a 3-inch round plain or fluted cutter and cut circles of dough. Place the scones on a baking pan lined with parchment paper. Collect the scraps neatly, roll them out, and cut more circles.

Brush the tops of the scones with egg wash, sprinkle with sugar, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the tops are browned and the insides are fully baked. The scones will be firm to the touch. Allow the scones to cool for 15 minutes and then whisk together the confectioners' sugar and orange juice, and drizzle over the scones.

Cinnamon Sour Cream Waffles

I like mine with peanut butter, bananas and syrup! Delicious!

Don't you wish you woke up at my house this morning? My cousin, Cassady, was pretty glad she did! I've been wanting waffles for a couple of days and thought this mornings recovery from a night of dancing signaled waffle-time! These were so easy to make and really delicious- not too sweet or sugary at all.

Cinnamon Sour Cream Waffles

Adapted from Alton Brown

Ingredients

1 c fat free milk

1 c low fat sour cream

2 eggs

3 tbsp butter, melted

1 tsp vanilla

2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 c flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp cinnamon

pinch of salt

Directions

Heat waffle iron. Combine wet ingredients and whisk well to combine. Sift dry ingredients into a large bowl and form a well in the center. Add the wet mixture to the dry and fold to combine. Don't worry about lumps.

When iron is hot, spray with non-stick spray. Spoon 1/2 to 3/4 c of batter onto the center of the iron and cook until a golden brown crust forms. Serve with your favorite toppings!