Busy, Busy!

I've been very busy lately with my new job, newish baby, and updating my cookbook software. I bought a software program last year called Living Cookbook. I've slowly been adding my recipes to it. The software can be used for meal planning/grocery shopping so I'm eager to get my recipes added. It's a fairly quick process, but still eats away at my time. Needless to say there has been a lack of new posts on this blog lately.

If you're into meal planning, check out Dinner Tool for a free online meal planner. It doesn't appear that you can add your own recipes, but you can do meal planning on it.

Check back soon for new recipes!

Triple P (pesto, Parmesan, pasta) Chicken

1 lb boneless/skinless chicken (cut into bite-sized pieces)
1/3 box mini-penne pasta (or other pasta of your liking)
1 package (10-12 oz) frozen Parisian vegetables
2 Tbsp pesto sauce
1/3 c. grated or shredded Parmesan cheese
fresh ground pepper to taste
1-2 Tbsp olive oil

Prepare pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, heat oil in nonstick skillet. Cook chicken until no longer pink inside. Remove chicken from pan. Drain oil from pan. Cook vegetables until tender. Combine chicken vegetables, and pasta. Stir in pesto and Parmesan cheese. Add fresh ground pepper to taste.

This was a completely on the fly meal. I started out thinking I was going to make a chicken stir-fry and then decided to do this instead, just grabbing from my pantry (pasta) and freezer (vegetables and some pesto I had made a while back). The vegetables I used were a Kroger brand so if you don't live near a Kroger/Fry's Market, you will have to find a substitute, but really any vegetables (fresh or frozen) will work. This is just a quick easy throw together meal, but is tasty and beautiful enough for company...and healthy too!

Chicken Rose

2 large boneless/skinless chicken breast halves
3 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp pepper
2 Tbsp flour
2-3 Tbsp butter
1/4 cup white cooking wine
1 tsp dried tarragon leaves, crushed

Place garlic powder, salt, pepper, and flour in a large Ziploc bag. Cut chicken into uniform strips, about 2x 1/2x1/2-inch. Place chicken in back. Shaking bag to coat chicken with flour mixture.

In a 10 inch skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter (do not brown). Add wine, tarragon and chicken. Stirring constantly, cook for 5 minutes or until pieces are golden brown and no longer pink inside.

This recipe was modified from a recipe in "Express Lane Recipes".

I LOVED THIS, and so did my family.

Tuna Pot Pie

1 sheet puffed pastry, thawed
milk
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed (2 cups)
1 package (10 oz) frozen peas and carrots
*1 package mushroom sauce mix
1 1/4 cups milk (for sauce)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 can (9.25oz) chunk tuna (drained)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place puff pastry on a sheet of waxed paper. Press seams together. Invert a 9 x 2 inch round baking dish onto pastry and cut out a 9 inch circle. Place circle on ungreased baking sheet. Brush top with milk. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until puffed and golden. Cool.

Meanwhile, in a 2 qt saucepan, cook potatoes in boiling salted water for 5 minutes or until partially tender. Add peas and carrots. Return to a boil and simmer over low heat 5-7 minutes or until all vegetables are tender; drain well. Keep warm.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, prepare sauce using 1 1/4 cups milk, salt and pepper. Stir into drained vegetables. Stir in tuna. Pour mixture into baking dish. Top with baked pastry. Bake for 10 minutes or until edges are bubbly.

This recipe came from "Express Lane Recipes", a little cookbook my aunt lent me.

*I used a mix for "mushroom gravy" and did not add any extra salt or pepper.

Ham and Cheese En Croute

8 slices (1 oz each) boiled ham
Dijon Mustard
3/4 cup shredded swiss cheese
1 can (8 oz) refrigerated cresent roll dough
Butter or Margarine (melted)-optional
sesame or poppy seeds -optional

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a baking sheet.

Spread four of the slices of ham with a thin layer of mustard according to taste. Sprinkle each with about 3 Tablespoons of the cheese. Cover with a second slice of ham, making 4 stacks; set aside.

Divide dough into 4 rectangles along perforations. Press diagonal perforations together to seal. On a lightly floured surface, roll each into a 8x6-inch rectangle. Place a ham/cheese stack in the center of each rectangle. Fold dough over ham , pressing seams and edges to seal. Transfer, seam side down, to baking sheet. Brush tops with butter and sprinkle with seeds (optional).

Bake 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.

This recipe comes from a little cookbook called "Express Lane Recipes" that my aunt lent to me.

I did not put the mustard on the ham before baking, but instead served them with mustard and mayo for dipping. My husband and I both agreed you could put a variety of different ingredients in the center (broccoli and cheese, pizza toppings, chicken, etc) and it would be equally as yummy. I used reduced-fat cresent rolls and they still turned out just fine.

Club Pizza

1 can (13.8 oz) refrigerated pizza crust
1/4 cup KRAFT Mayo with Olive Oil Reduced Fat
1/2 cup KRAFT Ranch Dressing, divided
1 1/2 cups KRAFT Shredded Triple Cheddar Cheese
1 1/2 cups finel chopped cooked chicken
8 slices bacon, cooked, crumbled
1 1/2 cupes finely shredded lettuce
1 tomato finely chopped

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Unroll pizza dough onto a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. press into a 15x10 inch rectangle. Bake 10 minutes.

Mix mayo and 1/3 cup ranch dressing; spread onto crust. Top with 1/2 the cheese. Top with chicken, remaining cheese, and bacon.

Bake 5 minutes of until crust is deep golden brown and cheese is melted. Top with lettuce and tomatoes; drizzle with remaining ranch dressing.

This recipe is from my sister-in-law. I think she said it's a KRAFT recipe (which makes sense based on the ingredient list).

It was delicious! Not low-fat/low-calorie, but yummy! BONUS... our 3 year old gobbled it up and wanted more! I did use low-fat ranch dressing and probably a little less than a cup of cheese. You could skip the ranch drizzled on top too if you're trying to cut calories/fat. I think you could do this on any pizza crust (store bought or homemade) and it would be just as good and probably less fat and calories too. I know we'll be making this one again!

Taquito Enchiladas

1 box frozen beef taquitos
1 pouch Uncle Ben's Ready Rice "Spanish Style" (cooked)
1 can (19 oz) enchilada sauce
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

In a 9x13 pan, place a layer of taquitos (you should be able to get a full layer out of 1 box). Pour enchilada sauce over the taquitos. Spread the rice over the sauce. Top with cheese. Cover with foil and bake at 375 degrees for 30-40 minutes.

*You can add other toppings like onions, and black olives on top of the cheese if desired.
*You can use chicken taquitos and green enchilada sauce instead of beef.

I got this recipe from my sister-in-law. She was one of the few who answered my call for recipe help. I will have to say it's probably not the healthiest dish, but it's easy and relatively quick. We found it to be a bit spicy (could have been the taquitos, rice, or sauce), but it was good and I'll probably make it again.

Modificatiosn I made:
*I was unable to find the Spanish Style Ready Rice at the store I went to (though I did see it at Walmart today). I substituted a different quick cooking Spanish rice.
*I did not put 2 cups of cheese on top. I only used about 1 cup.
*I did put some thinly sliced green onions on top.
*We ate our enchiladas off a bed of shredded lettuce, and topped them with a little sour cream.

Recipe Search!!!

I am well aware of the hiatus this blog has taken. The reasons are as follows:
1. We have a new baby at home
2. All the new recipes I've tried lately have not been worthy of a post

So I'm offering up a challenge....FIND ME A GREAT RECIPE!!!

I will cook the recipe for my family and we will decide if it is blog worthy. There are some rules about the recipes though:
1. The ingredient list must not be a mile long
2. The ingredient list should not include anything weird that I may only use a tiny bit of and therefore need to find something else to cook with the rest of it.
3. The meal should be easy and relatively quick to prepare, taking an hour or less (unless it's a crockpot recipe)

Send your recipes to my e-mail dnorenherman@gmail.com

Hash Brown Casserole with Bacon, Onions, and Cheese

6 bacon slices
1 c. chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (32 oz) pkg frozen Southern-style hash brown potatoes
1 c. preshredded Classic Melts Four Cheese Blend, divided
1/2 c. chopped green onions
1/2 c. fat-free sour cream
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 (10.75 oz) can condensed 30% reduced sodium, 98% fat-free cream of mushroom soup

Cook bacon in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat until crisp (I cooked mine in the microwave). Discard drippings. Add 1 c. onion and garlic to pan. Cook 5 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Stir in potatoes; cover and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Combine crumbled bacon, 1/4 c. cheese, green onions, sour cream, salt, pepper, and soup in a large bowl. Add potato mixture; toss gently to combine. Spoon mixture into an 11x7-inch baking pan (I used a 9x13-inch) coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Cover with foil coated with cooking spray. Refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350. Remove casserole from refrigerator; let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes. Bake casserole cover for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 30 minutes or until bubbly around edges and cheese begins to brown.

This is a Cooking Light recipe.

My aunt made this for our Christmas Eve brunch and I thought it was amazing! I made it for a breakfast at work today and people loved it. It's so flavorful and has that wonderful comfort food feeling to it. I meant to take a picture before I took it to work, but in my rush I forgot.

Chicken Parmesan (slow-cooker)

1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 egg (beaten)
1/2 c. bread crumbs
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 c parmesan cheese
4 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts
4 slices of mozzarella cheese
1 jar of pasta sauce (26 oz)

Spread olive oil around bottom and sides of crockpot

Beat the egg in a dish. Combine parmesan, seasonings, and bread crumbs in a dish.

Dip the chicken in the egg, then coat both sides with the bread crumb mixture. Stagger the chicken in the bottom of the crockpot. Put a slice of mozzarella cheese on top of each piece of chicken. Pour the jar of pasta sauce over the chicken. Cover and cook on low 6-7 hours, or on high 4 hours.

Serve over pasta.

*I got this recipe from my cousin Kylee.

This is one of the easiest, tastiest meals out there. As you can see by the pictures, I use shredded mozzarella cheese. I also prefer to use whole wheat linguini as my pasta when I serve it. My family's preferred pasta sauce is Ragu Thick and Chunky Garden Combination.

Crockpot Tips:
As you can see by the pictures I use the Reynolds Crockpot Liners. I've found them the cheapest at Target and Walmart ($1.87 for a pkg of 4). They cost twice as much at my local grocery store. I will often get coupons for them for $1.00 off too, which makes them even cheaper. Honestly even if I had to pay twice as much for them, I would because they make crockpot clean-up so much easier!

I usually put my crockpot meals together the night before and stick them in the fridge until morning when I plug it in.

Devilish Chicken

1/4 c. dijon or spicy brown mustard

1/4 c. reduced fat greek yogurt

1 T. hot sauce

1 lb. chicken tenders

1 1/3 c. panko bread crumbs

4 tsp. Italian Seasoning

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

In a large bowl, whisk together mustard, yogurt, and hot sauce. Add the chicken, turning to coat, and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes (or cover and refridgerate up to 12 hours).

Line a baking sheet with foil. Place a wire cooling rack on top of the baking sheet and spray it with cooking spray.

In a large bowl mix together the bread crumbs, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Working the chicken one piece at a time, coat in the bread crumb mixture. Place on wire cooling rack. Spray chicken lightly with olive oil or cooking spray. Bake 12-15 minutes or until chicken is cooked and golden brown.

*This is a recipe I modified from Rachel Ray.

Super easy and has great flavor. You can modify the amount of hot sauce you use to make it more or less spicy.

Chocolate-Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Cream together:

3/4 c. shortening

1 1/2 c. sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

Add:

1/2 c. water and mix well

Add:

2 1/2 c. flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. ground cloves

Mix well.

Add:

2 c. quick cook oats

Mix well.

Add:

12 oz mini chocolate chips

Mix well.

Bake 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Do not overbake!

These are my husband's favorite cookies. The recipe comes from my mother-in-law. I'm not sure if she made up the recipe herself, or where she got it.

Mexican Rice

1 T vegetable oil
1 medium onion (1/2 c.) chopped
1 green bell pepper (1/2 c.) chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 can (10.5 oz) condensed beef broth
1 can (8oz) tomato sauce
3/4 tsp. ground cumin
3/4 tsp. chili powder
2 1/4 c. uncooked rice (instant)

Heat oil in a 2 qt saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook onion, pepper, and garlic until tender. Stir in broth, tomato sauce, cumin, and chili powder. Heat to boiling. Stir in rice. Cover and cook over very low heat for about 10 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.

*I got this recipe from my aunt. I think it might be from a Cooking Light Mexican Food cookbook, but I could be mistaken.

I made this recipe (doubled it) for my small group potluck and it went over very well. I used red pepper instead of green because that's what we had on hand (and I'm not a big green pepper fan). I used a low-sodium beef broth and I definitely think the regular is the way to go. A little salt added brought out a lot more flavor.

Our Pefect Zesty Chicken Tortilla Bake

1/4 c. Miracle Whip Salad Dressing
1/4 c. flour
1 1/2 c. milk
4 oz. shredded cheese, divided
3/4 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cut into bite-sized pieces
1/4 c. salsa
1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley
8 flour tortillas, 6 inch

Heat oven to 375. Mix dressing and flour in a medium saucepan with whisk until well blended. Gradually stir in milk. Bring to a boil on medium heat, stirring constantly. Cook and stir until thickened. Add 1/2 c. cheese; cook until melted, stirring constantly. Reserve 1 cup sauce.

Stir chicken, salsa, and parsley into remaining sauce. Spoo 1/3 c. down center of each tortilla. Roll up and place in 13x9 baking dish (greased). Repeat with remaining tortillas. Top with reserved sauce and remaining cheese.

Bake 25 minutes, or until heated through.

*This recipe is from the Kraft Food and Family Magazine. I have modified it so that it is just a 1/2 recipe. The full recipe fills 2 13x9 baking dishes.

My family enjoyed this recipe, though I felt it could use more kick. I would try this again with some diced green chilies and/or spicier salsa. I served it with the Mexican Rice recipe.

Cavatappi with Spinach, Beans, and Asiago Cheese

8 cups coarsely chopped spinach leaves
4 cups hot cooked cavatappi (about 6 oz uncooked spiral shaped pasta)
1/2 c. shredded Asiago Cheese
2 T. olive oil
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 (19oz) can cannellini beans or other white beans (drained and rinsed)
2 garlic cloves, crushed
Cracked black pepper (optional)

Combine first 8 ingredients in a large bowl; toss well. Sprinkle with cracked black pepper, if desired. Makes 4, 2 cup servings.

*I think this is a Cooking Light recipe, but it was just a clipping from a magazine that I had saved from years ago, so I'm not certain on that.

My husband and I both enjoyed this recipe much more than I thought we would. The flavor is wonderful and the dish feels light. We both felt you could easily add grilled chicken to the recipe. We ate this as a meal, but it could easily be a terrific side dish. *I did not find Cavatappi pasta at the store I went to the day I bought ingredients for this dish so I used Penne instead.

Banana-Carrot Muffins

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup sugar

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

2 eggs, separated

1 Tbsp. honey

1/4 tsp. grated orange peel

2 medium ripe bananas, mashed

1 c. shredded carrots
1/2 c. unsweetened applesauce

In a large bowl, combine the first seven ingredients. In a smaller bowl, beat egg yolks until light and lemon-colored. Beat in honey and orange peel. Fold in bananas, carrots, and applesauce. Stir into dry ingredients until just moistened. In another small bowl, beat egg whites on high speed until stiff peaks form. Fold into batter a third at a time.

Spray muffin pan with cooking spray (if using muffin cups, spray them). Fill 2/3 full. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cook 5 minutes before removing from pan onto a wire rack. Makes 12 muffins.

*I have no idea where this recipe came from . I cut it out of a magazine a long time ago and can find no information on the clipping regarding where it came from.

These muffins are healthy, moist, and absolutely delicious! I was actually surprised at how much I like them. I had some shredded carrots in my freezer (shredded from left over whole carrots...I LOVE MY CUISINART!) that I wanted to find a use for. I am not disappointed! I'm actually glad I still have more shredded carrots in my freezer so I can make these again very soon.

Nutrition: I have to comment about the nutritional value of these muffins. Yes, there is 3/4 cup of sugar and a bit of honey in them, but with 2 bananas, a cup of carrots, and 1/2 cup of applesauce, combined with the fact there isn't any oil or butter in them, makes them a very low-fat and rather nutritious snack/breakfast. I did substitute 1/2 of whole wheat flour for 1/2 of the all-purpose flour when I made mine. I like to use whole wheat flour whenever I can.