Artichoke & Spinach Dip

For those of you who have been bugging me about the recipe - here it is. Sheesh! :)

INGREDIENTS
1/4 C plus 2 TBS oil (I used a light olive oil)
1/4 C all-purpose flour
2 C milk
Salt
Cayenne Pepper
1/2 C shredded Parmesan (about 2 oz)
1/2 C shredded Monterey Jack/Cheddar mix (about 2 oz)
1 C chopped onions
1 (9 or 10-oz) bag fresh spinach, stemmed, rinsed and chopped
1 TBS minced garlic
2 (15 oz) cans artichoke hearts, drained and julienned

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Combine 1/4 C of the oil and flour in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir the mixture constantly for 5 to 6 minutes for a blond roux. Whisk in the milk and bring the liquid up to a boil. Season the liquid with salt and cayenne. Simmer the liquid for 5 to 6 minutes, or until the liquid is thick and coats the back of a spoon. Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the cheeses. Set the sauce aside.

In a saute pan, heat the remaining 2 TBS of oil. When the oil is hot, add the onions and saute for 2 minutes. Stir in handfuls of spinach at a time until all of the spinach is incorporated. Add garlic and artichoke and saute for 2 minutes. Season the vegetables with salt and cayenne. Remove from heat and turn into a mixing bowl. Fold the cheese sauce into the vegetables. Turn the mixture into a baking pan. Bake dip for 10-15 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.

Serve the dip with chips.

adapted from a Food Network recipe

Crockpot Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients

• -Chicken Broth (48oz)
• -1 can-Cream of Chicken Soup
• -1 pod-Knoll Chicken Stock
• -1 can-Whole Kernel Corn, drained
• -1 can-Black Beans, drained and rinsed
• -1 can-Mild Rotel w/Green Chilies, drained
• -3/4 tsp-Cumin
• -1/2 tsp-Chili Powder
• -1/2 tsp-Garlic Powder
• -1/2 package-Taco Seasoning (I use Wick Fowlers - you can use McCormick or something comparable)
• -Meat from 1 Rotisserie Chicken

Directions

• 1. Turn Crockpot on High.
• 2. Add broth, soup, stock pod, and seasonings to crockpot. Whisk until thoroughly combined and stock pod has dissolved.
• 3. Add corn, beans, and Rotel.
• 4. Shred chicken and add.
• 5. Stir and reduce heat to Low.

Serve with Mexican blend shredded cheese and a dollop of sour cream.

Chicken Florentine Soup with Tortellini

Chicken Florentine Soup with Tortellini

(Note: This is a recipe I found all Allrecipies.com and adapted.)

Ingredients

• 1/2 package of frozen cheese tortellini (about 9.5oz) - or 9 oz. refrigerated package
• 14 oz. chicken broth
• 1-2 pods - Knorr Homestyle Chicken Stock (I used 2)
• 10 oz. Classico Light Creamy Alfredo Sauce
• 2C - Tyson Frozen Grilled and Ready Oven Roasted Diced Chicken Breast
• 1/2C oil-packed dried tomato strips, drained (I used 3/4 of a 7.5oz jar with a julienne cut.)
• 3C lightly packed fresh baby spinach (I use pre-packaged from the produce section.)
• Shredded Parmesan for garnish

Directions

1. In a stock pot, cook tortellini according to package directions, drain and set aside.

2. In the same stock pot, add chicken broth and Knorr Homestyle Chicken Stock and bring to a boil. Once Chicken Stock pods have melted into chicken broth, add diced chicken. Boil for 5-8 minutes (or until no longer frozen).

3.Stir in alfredo sauce and tomato strips. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

4. Add tortellini and spinach to pot. Cook an additional 1-2 minutes, or until spinach is wilted.

5. Serve with shredded parmesan on top.

Classic Italian Turkey Meatballs

I couldn't figure out a good way to pin this from the Today Show site. I'm posting the recipe here so that I can find it.



Classic Italian Turkey Meatballs

Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients:

For meatballs

• 1 cup plain bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup whole milk, at room temperature
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 small onion, finely chopped*
• 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound ground dark turkey meat
• 1 pound spicy Italian turkey sausage links, casings removed
• Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

For sauce

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 large garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons finely ground fennel seeds
• 2 (28-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
• 3/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 low-sodium chicken broth

For serving

• Grated parmesan cheese

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

For the meatballs: In a large bowl, combine the bread crumbs, milk, eggs, onion, Parmesan cheese, ketchup, basil, parsley, tomato paste, garlic, salt, and pepper. Using a wooden spoon, stir to blend. Add the ground turkey and sausage meat. Using fingers gently mix all the ingredients until thoroughly combined.

Using a 1-ounce cookie scoop or a small ice cream scoop, form the meat mixture into 11/2-inch balls (about 22 to 24 meatballs). Place the meatballs on a heavy non-stick baking sheet, spacing apart. Drizzle with olive oil and bake for 15 minutes until cooked through.

For the tomato sauce: Heat the olive oil in a large deep skillet with 2-inch-high sides over medium-high heat. Add the onions, garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes, oregano, fennel, and 1/2 cup basil. Bring to simmer. Cook over medium heat until the sauce thickens slightly, stirring occasionally, about 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in the remaining 1/4 cup basil. Adjust the seasoning with more salt and pepper, if desired.

Add the meatballs to the tomato sauce and simmer until the meatballs are heated through, about 10 minutes. Thin the sauce with chicken stock, 1/4 cup at a time, if needed.

Serve with grated Parmesan cheese alongside.

Tips:
*Cook's note: You can either finely chop the onion by hand or in a food processor. Coarsely chop the onion and add them to the processor bowl. Pulse until finely chopped.
Serving Size

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Grilled Chicken & Peaches With Green Beans & Orzo

This recipe and photo are from the August 2012 issue of Better Homes and Gardens.

I made this tonight and it was delicious! Here's the recipe:

8 oz. dried orzo (1-1/3 C)
8 oz. green beans, trimmed (about 2-1/2 C)
1 lb. chicken tenders
2 peaches, cut into wedges
2 TBS olive oil
4 oz. herb-flavored feta cheese (garlic & herb or peppercorn), crumbled (NOTE: I couldn't find herb-flavored so I just used plain feta)

1. In a large saucepan or Dutch oven cook orzo according to package directions. Add green beans during last 5 minutes of cooking time. Drain; do not rinse. (NOTE: I cooked the orzo in chicken broth and I let the green beans cook longer than 5 minutes. I cooked until only a small amount of liquid remained, removed the pan from the heat and kept it covered. The orzo absorbs the rest of the liquid.)

2. Meanwhile, lightly brush chicken and peaches with some of the oil; season with salt and pepper. Grill over medium heat for 4 to 6 minutes, until no pink remains in chicken and peaches are tender and grill-marked. (NOTE: I did this on my Cuisinart Griddler - it took a little longer than 4-6 minutes on medium heat, but it still worked.)

3. In a large bowl, combine orzo, beans, grilled chicken, and peaches. Add feta. Drizzle with remaining olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with fresh thyme, if desired.

Chicken and Gnocchi Soup

Gnocchi: delicious little dumplins typically made from potato (although they don't takes like potato)

I didn't take a picture this time...this is one I found that looks alot like my soup.

Chicken and Gnocchi Soup
1 to 1 1/2 C of cooked, diced chicken breasts (NOTE: I used actual chicken breasts - boiled them and then sauteed them with McCormick's Rotisserie Chicken seasoning. You could use Tyson's Diced Chicken Breasts from the frozen food section - that would make it super easy, but I would suggest boiling it to unfreeze it before you add it to the soup.

Base:
4 TBS (1/2 stick) butter
1 tsp EVOO
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves of garlic
4 TBS flour
1 quart half and half (or if you forgot to look at the recipe before you went shopping you can use a pint of half and half and a pint of buttermilk - super healthy!)

Put EVOO and butter in pan - melt. Add garlic, celery and onions. Saute until onions are translucent. Add flour. Stir for a minute or so. Add half and half (or whatever you decide to use).

Gnocchi:
There are 2 types. I used the one found in the pasta aisle. There is also a frozen kind, but I was told this was better. Just cook it according to package directions. It took 4-5 minutes. You basically cook it until it floats.

Soup:
28 oz - chicken broth
1 cup shredded carrots (I used matchstick carrots from the store because I HATE shredding carrots)
1 cup fresh spinach, coarsely chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp parsley

Add carrots and chicken to the base you created. After it thickens, add chicken broth. Wait for it to thicken again, then add spices, spinach and gnocchi.

Let it simmer until spinach it wilted and thoroughly mixed in soup.

Serve with parmesan cheese. YUM!

Chocolate Chip-Cherry Scones

So, today I made these:

I have made these before, but I changed the recipe a little and I think I like it better this way. They are a little more 'cake-like' in the middle - not as dry. AND these are mini scones.

This round:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup sugar (I used Sugar in the Raw this time)
• 1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup cold butter, cut into small pieces
• 1/2 cup dried cherries, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
• 
  
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 2/3 to 3/4 cup buttermilk (yes, buttermilk!)

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Cut butter into flour mixture with a pastry blender until crumbly and mixture resembles small peas. 

2. In a small measuring cup, whisk together the buttermilk and vanilla extract and then add to flour mixture. Stir just until the dough comes together (add more buttermilk or flour as necessary). Do not over mix the dough.

3. Turn dough out onto wax paper or lightly floured surface (or divide dough in half for mini scones); gently press of pat dough into a round. Cut round into 8 wedges. Place wedges 2 inches apart on a lightly greased baking sheet (or line your baking sheet with a silicone baking mat). Brush tops of wedges with milk, cream, or coffee creamer (if you have some in your fridge) just until moistened.

3. Bake at 450 degrees for 15-17 minutes or until golden brown.

Recipe from Joy of Baking

Phoodos - For Casey

Pasta Carbonara
My friend Casey is a fabulous chef and has given us some fabulous recipes on her blog. This is my shout out to her. She posted a recipe for Pasta Carbonara and while mine is a little different, she was TOTALLY the inspiration for my experimentation with this dish.

Her recipe can be found here.

Here is mine (Lord help us - I threw a bunch of stuff in a pot that I wanted to get rid of before we leave for Christmas in Illinois.)

I used Bacon - LOTS OF YUMMY BACON - actually it was 6 slices of thick cut (and I baked it in the oven - 400 degrees until its crispy - because I vowed to never EVER fry bacon again!).

I used Penne pasta (cause that's how I wanted to roll that night and that's what was in the pantry). I boiled it and threw in some frozen peas during the last few minutes of boiling.

Sauce (my burner was on 6 or 7):
-melted 1/2 stick of butter in a skillet
-sauteed a container of sliced mushrooms and some garlic (don't ask me how much 'cause I just threw some in - add as much or a little as you want)
-added 1/2 onion, chopped, to skillet
-added about 1 1/2 cups of diced chicken (it was about half a package of the frozen diced chicken from Tyson)
-salt and pepper
-I added 1/2 package of cream cheese and let it begin to melt
-added a small container of half and half (oh, it's REAL healthy)
-added shredded parmesan (about 3/4 of a container from the store - I'm too lazy to grate it myself)
-Simmer
-add bacon, crumbled

Mix sauce with pasta/peas. Voila!

Veggie Lasagna

I also made Veggie Lasagna (last week - I'm late posting it). If you're interested, you can find the recipe here. We shared it with a couple from church - I have found it impossible to make a small amount of lasagna and soup/chili.

Beef with Broccoli

So, I love Pintrest. In fact, I may be slightly addicted. However, it does produce good things...just ask Precious. He enjoyed some delicious Beef with Broccoli all because of Pintrest! Here is what ours looked like. YUM, right? (Note: I omitted the Sherry - I didn't have any!)

All plated up like Food Network. (RIGHT!) 

Chocolate-Cherry Scones

Tonight, I made scones. They look so delicious that I thought I would share the recipe in case you want to try it. It was much easier than I thought it would be!

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 Tbsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup cold butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1/4 cup dried cherries, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup whipping cream, divided
• Wax Paper

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Stir together the first 4 ingredients in a large bowl. Cut butter into flour mixture with a pastry blender until crumbly and mixture resembles small peas. Freeze 5 minutes. Add 3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. cream, cherries, and chocolate - stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. 

2. Turn dough out onto wax paper; gently press of pat dough into a 7-inch round (mixture will be crumbly). Cut round into 8 wedges. Place wedges 2 inches apart on a lightly greased baking sheet (or line your baking sheet with a silicone baking mat). Brush tops of wedges with remaining cream just until moistened.

3. Bake at 450 degrees for 13-15 minutes or until golden brown.

Recipe from Southern Living - December 2010

I found this recipe through stumbleupon.com. I think it's from Betty Crocker. So yummy!

Warm Toasted Marshmallow S'more Bars

1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® sugar cookie mix
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 cup butter or margarine, melted
3 cups milk chocolate chips (18 oz)
4 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows

1. Heat oven to 375°F. In large bowl, stir together cookie mix and crumbs. Stir in melted butter until soft dough forms. Press into ungreased 13x9-inch pan.

2. Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until set. Immediately sprinkle chocolate chips over crust. Let stand 3 to 5 minutes or until chocolate begins to melt. Spread chocolate evenly over crust.

3. Set oven control to broil. Sprinkle marshmallows over melted chocolate. Broil with top 4 to 5 inches from heat 20 to 30 seconds or until marshmallows are toasted. (Watch closely; marshmallows will brown quickly.) Cool 10 minutes. For bars, cut into 6 rows by 4 rows. Serve warm. Store any remaining bars tightly covered.

The finished product

Now go make some...you know you want to!

100 - It Better Be Good

So, for my 100th post I thought I would share some goodies.

The first 2 come from Paula Deen's site: Corrie's Kitchen Spa has a few other spa recipies you may be interested in, as well.

Lemon Facial Refresher

A perfect facial refresher in the summer at the beach or winter to
close your eyes and think of the beach.

Servings: 4
Prep Time: 8 hours 10 min
Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

2 cups water
1 vitamin C tablet
Peels from 2 lemons
4 (4 oz.) plastic spray bottles

Directions

In a small sauce pan, bring water to a boil. Add vitamin C tablet and stir until dissolved. In a medium glass bowl, add the lemon peel. Pour the hot water over the lemon peel and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to steep overnight on the counter. Pour mixture into four (4 oz.) plastic spray bottles, removing all but one piece of the lemon peel in each bottle.



Brown Sugar Body Scrub

An invigorating exfoliator made in your kitchen for pennies compared to spa brands and will leave your skin glowing.

Servings: Yields a 14 oz. container
Prep Time: 10 min
Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

1 cup Dark Brown Sugar
1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil, can substitute Sweetened Almond Oil or Vegetable Oil
1 teaspoon Vitamin E (cut open Vitamin E liquid gel caps)
1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract , optional (or your favorite citrus essential oil)
1 tablespoon honey, optional for dry skin

Directions

In a medium mixing bowl, combine oil, vitamin E and vanilla.
Add the brown sugar and mix well. 
To Use: In the shower, apply Corrie’s Brown Sugar Body Scrub into skin and rinse.
Can be used daily. 
Corrie’s Note: Please be aware that oils can make the shower and bath surfaces very slippery.


Apple-Butter Pecan Dump Cake
(at least that's what we're calling it...)



Dump 2 cans of apple pie filling into a 9x13 dish. Spread evenly in pan. Dump a package of butter pecan cake mix on top of the apple pie filling. Use a fork to break up any clumps and even out the cake mix. Cut 1 stick of butter into small pats and place them on top of the dry mix. Bake at 375 degrees for about 45 minutes. So yummy and so easy. Enjoy!

Share your favorite recipies. I'm always looking for something easy.

Tuna Casserole and Cinnamon Cheesecake Bars

Here are 2 recipes for you to try out.

Tuna Casserole


Ingredients
• 6-7 T butter, divided
• 1 (8 ounce) package uncooked medium egg noodles (I use whole wheat)
• 1 pkg. frozen mixture of celery, onion and green peppers
• 8 ounces button mushrooms, sliced
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups milk
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3 cans of tuna, drained and flaked
• 4 tablespoons bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray.

2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add egg noodles, cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until al dente, and drain.

3. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium-low heat (or cooking spray works just fine). Stir in the onion, celery, and peppers, and cook 5 minutes, until tender. Increase heat to medium-high, and mix in mushrooms. Continue to cook and stir 5 minutes, or until most of the liquid has evaporated.

4. Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan, and whisk in flour until smooth. Gradually whisk in milk, and continue cooking 5 minutes, until sauce is smooth and slightly thickened. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in tuna, veggie mixture, and cooked noodles. Transfer to the baking dish. Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a small bowl, mix with bread crumbs, and sprinkle over the casserole. Top with cheese.

5. Bake 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until bubbly and lightly browned.


Cinnamon Cheesecake Bars


Ingredients
2 pkg. cream cheese
1 stick butter
2 pkg. crescent rolls
2 Tbs. cinnamon
2 cups of sugar

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Roll out 1 pkg. of crescent rolls in an ungreased 9x13 pan (glass works best).

3. Mix both packages of cream cheese with 1½ C sugar until smooth. Smooth this mixture over the layer of crescent rolls in the pan.

4. Roll out the 2nd pkg. of crescent rolls on top of the cream cheese mixture.

5. Melt a stick of butter and pour over the top of the 2nd layer of rolls in the pan.

6. Combine ½ C sugar with 2 Tbs. cinnamon and sprinkle on top of butter.

7. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

8. Allow to cool for 20 minutes. Place in refrigerator overnight for best taste.