Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Easy Apple Crisp with Oatmeal Streusel Recipe

  • 2 1/2 pounds medium Granny Smith and Golden Delicious apples (about 5 or 6), peeled, cored, and sliced 1/4 inch thick
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
  • 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup uncooked rolled oats
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter (1/2 stick), cut into small pieces, plus more for coating the dish
  1. Heat the oven to 350°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Lightly coat an 8-by-8-inch baking dish with butter.
  2. Combine the apples, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and 1/8 teaspoon of the salt in a large bowl and toss to coat. Place the apple mixture in the prepared baking dish and set aside.
  3. Using the same bowl as for mixing the apples, mix together the brown sugar, oats, flour, and remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt until evenly combined. With your fingertips, blend in the butter pieces until small clumps form and the butter is well incorporated, about 2 minutes.
  4. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the apples and bake until the streusel is crispy and the apples are tender, about 50 to 60 minutes. Let cool on a rack at least 30 minutes before serving.
I got this recipe from chow.com  That last couple of times I have tried to make crisps they came out too juicy.  This one is came out fine and maybe a little bit dry.

Megan-3.5/5
Jesse-3.5/5

Thursday, December 12, 2013

California Sherry Chicken
















Directions
  1. Place chicken in a resealable plastic bag with flour, salt, and pepper. Seal bag and shake to coat. Remove chicken from bag, shaking off excess flour.
  2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Brown chicken on each side for about 5 minutes, or until golden. Remove from skillet and set aside.
  3. In same skillet combine sherry, broth, garlic and a squeeze of lemon and bring to a boil. Return chicken to skillet, reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink inside.
  4. In the meantime, saute carrots and zucchini in a separate medium skillet until they are tender. Add to simmering chicken and sauce and heat through before serving.
I got this recipe from allrecipes.com  I did not coat the chicken with flour but next time I will.  

Megan-3/5
Jesse-4/5

Thursday, December 5, 2013

Seared Chicken with Apricot Sauce

  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, (about 1 1/4 pounds), trimmed and tenders removed
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • 3/4 cup dry white wine
  • 1 medium shallot, minced
  • 4 fresh apricots, pitted and chopped
  • 2 tablespoons apricot preserves
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon , or 1/2 teaspoon dried
  • Place chicken breasts between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Pound with a rolling pin, meat mallet or heavy skillet until flattened to an even thickness, about 1/2 inch. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Place flour in a shallow dish. Dredge the chicken in the flour, shaking off excess. (Discard any leftover flour.)
  • Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook until browned and no longer pink in the center, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate, cover and keep warm. (If necessary, cook the chicken in two batches with an additional 1 tablespoon oil.)
  • Off the heat, add wine and shallot to the pan. Return to medium heat and cook, scraping up any browned bits, until slightly reduced, about 3 minutes. Add apricots and cook until the fruit begins to break down, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in preserves, tarragon and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Return the chicken to the pan and cook until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve the chicken with the sauce.
I got this recipe from Eatingwell.com  I had apricot preserves left over from another recipe that I wanted to use up.  When i went to the grocery store fresh apricots were not in season so I used more preserves instead.  

Megan-3/5
Jesse-3/5

Saturday, November 23, 2013

Kentucky Beer Cheese

20 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, grated
2 garlic cloves, grated
7 ounces bottled dark beer, flat
1/8 teaspoon salt
Tabasco sauce
mustard powder (optional)

Directions:

1
Open beer and bring to room temperature It is desirable to get most of the gas out of the beer, but don't let it get stale. You can heat it in the microwave a bit if you are in a hurry, but don't boil it.
2
Grate cheese and garlic in a food processor.
3
Switch to the mixing blade and add remaining ingredients, mixing until thoroughly blended.
4
Refridgerate overnight. This really helps the flavors develop and meld properly.

I got this recipe from food.com  Jesse and I both like Dad's Beer Cheese which is sold at local farmers markets in Louisville and Lexington.  It has a nice kick and we compare beer cheese to that one.  This beer cheese is good but not as good at Dad's.  I did not use mustard power.  I used Oktoberfest beer.  

Megan-3/5
Jesse-3/5 

Saturday, November 16, 2013

Pomegranate and Queso Fresco Salsa


  • 1/4 cup pine nuts
  • Seeds from 1 large pomegranate (about 1 cup)
  • 2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil
  • 2 tablespoons crumbled queso fresco or feta
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

preparation

1 Toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat until golden, 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool.
2 In a small bowl, mix the pomegranate seeds, basil, queso fresco, and cooled pine nuts. Drizzle with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper.


I got this recipe from Your Good House magazine.  I made this as an appetizer for a football game and it was a hit.  I think this would also be great to bring to a holiday party. I used feta cheese.  

Megan-4/5
Jesse-3/5

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Lime Grilled Chicken with Black Bean Salsa

3 limes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 garlic gloves minced
6-8 chicken breasts

Grate zest from 1 lime and squeeze juice form 3 limes
Combine lime zest, juice, oil, salt, pepper and garlic stirring well; pour over chicken and chill several hours
Grill chicken over medium high heat 8-10 minutes on each side
Serve with black bean salsa

Salsa
2-15oz cans black beans rinsed and drained
1-17z can corn rinsed and drained
2 large tomatoes chopped
1 avocado chopped
1 purple onion chopped
1/8 cup copped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup lime juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Combine all ingredients stirring well.


I got this recipe from the cook book Creating A Stir.  The salsa was fine but the chicken lacked flavor.

Megan-2.5/5
Jesse-2/5

Sunday, November 10, 2013

Tee's Corn Pudding

  • 12 to 13 ears fresh corn, husks removed
  • 1/4 cup sugar 
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • large eggs 
  • 2 cups whipping cream
  • 1/2 cup butter, melted 

Preparation

  1. 1. Preheat oven to 350°. Cut kernels from cobs into a large bowl (about 6 cups). Scrape milk and remaining pulp from cobs; discard cobs.
  2. 2. Combine sugar and next 3 ingredients. Whisk together eggs, whipping cream, and butter in a large bowl. Gradually add sugar mixture to egg mixture, whisking until smooth; stir in corn. Pour mixture into a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish.
  3. 3. Bake at 350° for 40 to 45 minutes or until set. Let stand 5 minutes.
I got this recipe from Southern Living magazine.  I always enjoy corn pudding as a side when I go out to a southern restaurant but had never made it at home.  I used frozen corn instead of fresh.  The corn pudding was good right out of the oven but it was even better the next day.  

Megan-3.5/5
Jesse-3.5/5

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Spicy Thai Basil Chicken

  • 4 teaspoons canola oil, divided
  • 1/2 cup minced shallots
  • 1/2 cup thinly sliced red bell pepper 
  • 4 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
  • 1 pound ground chicken
  • Thai or serrano chiles, minced
  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce
  • 2 teaspoons dark brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons lower-sodium soy sauce
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 cup basil leaves
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
  • lime wedges

Preparation

  1. 1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 teaspoons oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add shallots; sautรฉ 2 minutes. Add bell pepper; sautรฉ 1 minute. Add garlic; sautรฉ 30 seconds. Remove shallot mixture from pan.
  2. 2. Add remaining 2 teaspoons oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add chicken; cook 5 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Drain well. Return chicken to pan over medium heat. Add chiles; cook 1 minute. Add shallot mixture to pan. Stir in fish sauce and next 3 ingredients (through black pepper); cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Remove pan from heat; stir in basil and juice. Serve with lime wedges.
I got this recipe from myrecipes.com   I do not like seafood so I was hesitant to use fish sauce but did anyway,  I used serrano peppers.  This dish was super spicy,  It also was way too fishy for me.  I think if I did not put the fish sauce in and used a quarter or half of the peppers it would be much better.  

Megan-2/5
Jesse-4/5

Saturday, October 26, 2013

Mango Rice Salad with Grilled Chicken

  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
  • 1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
  • 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
  • 4 teaspoons curry powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 1/2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined (about 36 shrimp)
  • 2 cups water
  • 2/3 cup light coconut milk
  • 1 1/4 cups uncooked long-grain rice
  • 3/4 cup shredded carrot
  • 2 cups diced peeled mango (about 2 mangoes)
  • 1 1/2 cups diced red bell pepper
  • 1/2 cup sliced green onions
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • Cooking spray
  • Cilantro sprigs (optional)
  1. Combine first 6 ingredients in a medium bowl. Add shrimp; toss to coat. Cover and chill 1 hour.
  2. Bring water and coconut milk to a boil in a medium saucepan; add rice. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed. Add carrot and next 7 ingredients (through salt); toss gently to combine.
  3. Prepare grill or grill pan to medium-high heat.
  4. Thread 3 shrimp onto each of 12 (6-inch) skewers. Place skewers on grill rack or grill pan coated with cooking spray; grill 3 minutes on each side or until shrimp are done. Serve skewers over salad. Garnish with cilantro sprigs, if desired.
I got this recipe from Cooking Light's website.  I used chicken instead of shrimp since I do not like seafood.  I also only used one teaspoon of curry power since Jesse is not a fan of curry.  I also only used  1 1/3 cup of water and used 1 2/3 cup coconut milk bades on reviews.  I liked this dish because of all the flavors in the rice.  

Megan-4/5
Jesse-3.5//5

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Tomato Ravioli

  • 1 pound cherry tomatoes
  • shallots, cut into wedges
  • Cooking spray 
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 12 ounces cheese ravioli
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
  1. 1. Preheat oven to 425°.
  2. 2. Halve half of tomatoes. Arrange cut tomatoes, whole tomatoes, and shallots on a jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil; toss. Bake at 425° for 35 minutes.
  3. 3. Add 2 tablespoons oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper to pan. Bake 10 minutes.
  4. 4. Cook ravioli according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain ravioli, reserving 1/4 cup cooking liquid. Add ravioli to tomatoes; toss. Add cooking liquid, if needed. Garnish with chopped basil.
I got this recipe from Cooking Light magazine.  I made this with tomatoes and basil from our garden.  It was very easy and had nice flavor.

Megan-4/5
Jesse-4/5

Friday, October 11, 2013

Grilled Pineapple-Chicken Kabob Packs

1/3
cup pineapple preserves
2
tablespoons packed brown sugar
1
tablespoon soy sauce
1/4
teaspoon crushed red pepper
4
boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2-inch cubes (1 lb)
1
medium red bell pepper, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
1
medium green bell pepper, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
1
cup pineapple chunks
1/4
teaspoon salt
  • 1Heat gas or charcoal grill. In small bowl, stir together pineapple preserves, brown sugar, soy sauce and crushed red pepper.
  • 2Cut 4 (24x12-inch) sheets of heavy-duty foil. Divide chicken, bell peppers, pineapple chunks and pineapple preserves mixture among foil sheets. Sprinkle with salt. Bring up 2 sides of foil so edges meet. Seal edges, making tight 1/2-inch fold; fold again, allowing space for heat circulation and expansion. Fold other sides to seal.
  • 3Place packets on grill over medium heat. Cover grill; cook 6 minutes. Using tongs, carefully turn packets over, taking care not to puncture foil. Cook 10 to 12 minutes longer or until chicken is no longer pink in center and vegetables are crisp-tender.
I got this recipe from a Betty Crocker email.  I really like kabobs but they can be a pain to make and hard to cook on the grill with out anything falling off.  These packets are the next best thing to actual kabobs.  They are easy to make and you do not have to worry about anything falling into your grill.  I could not find pineapple preserves so I used apricot and  it worked out fine.  

Megan-4/5
Jesse-3.5/5

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Slow Cooker Chile-Chicken Tacos

1 1/4
pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1
envelope (1 oz) Old El Paso® taco seasoning mix
1
tablespoon packed brown sugar
1
can (4.5 oz) Old El Paso® chopped green chiles
1
cup Green Giant® Valley Fresh Steamers® Niblets® frozen corn (from 12 oz bag), thawed
1
can (10 oz) Old El Paso® enchilada sauce
4
medium green onions, sliced (1/4 cup)
1
package (4.6 oz) Old El Paso® taco shells, warmed if desired
3
cups shredded lettuce
1
medium tomato, chopped (3/4 cup)

  • 1Spray 3- to 4-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Place chicken thighs in cooker. Sprinkle with taco seasoning mix and brown sugar; toss to coat. Mix in green chiles, corn and 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce. Refrigerate remaining enchilada sauce.
  • 2Cover and cook on Low heat setting 6 to 7 hours.
  • 3Place chicken on cutting board; use 2 forks to pull chicken into shreds. Return chicken to cooker. Stir in green onions. Cover and cook on Low heat setting 15 minutes.
  • 4Heat remaining enchilada sauce. Serve chicken mixture in taco shells with lettuce, tomatoes and warm enchilada sauce.

I got this recipe from a Betty Crocker email.  I used chicken breasts instead of thighs.  I also used Kroger brand instead of name brand.  The tacos have a nice flavor and the corn is a nice touch.  

Megan-3/5
Jesse-3/5

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Skinny Cookies


2 large old bananas 1 cup of quick oats. You can add in chocolate chips, coconut, or nuts if you'd like. Then 350ยบ for 15 mins. 

I got this recipe from Pinterest.  I added chocolate chips to the bananas and oats.  These are good right out of the oven.  Are they as good as a regular cookie?  Probably not.  Will they satisfy a sweet tooth?  Yes.

Megan-3/5
Jesse-3/5

Saturday, September 21, 2013

Beef and Tomato Gratin

1 1/4 cup skim milk
1 small onion peeled and left whole
1 small carrot
2 bay leaves
3 whole cloves
11 oz lean ground beef
1 large onion chopped
2 tablespoons who wheat flour
1 1/4 cup beef stock
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried mixed herbs
10 oz zucchini thinly slices
2 large tomatoes thinly slices
2 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper


Put the milk, whole onion, carrot, bay leaves and cloves in small saucepan and slowly bring to a boil.  remove the pan from heat, cover and let infuse for 30 minutes.  Stain, reserving the milk.

In a large saucepan, dry fry the beed and onion for 4-5 minutes until browned.  Drain off any fat from the beef.  Sprinkle the flour over the meat and cook stirring for 2 minutes.  Gradually stir in the stock.  Blend the tomato paste with 2 tablespoons of water or extra stock and add to meat.  Stir well.  Add the herbs and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Bring to boil, reduce the heat, and simmer, covered for 30 minutes stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, blanch the zucchini in boiling water for 2 minutes then drain thoroughly.  Transfer the beef mixture to a baking dish, top with zucchini, then cover with the sliced tomatoes.

Blend the cornstarch to a smooth paste with a little of the infused milk.  Bring the remainder of the milk to a boil.  Stir the paste into the boiling milk and cook, stirring, until smooth and thickened.  Cook, stirring, for a further 2 minutes.  Add the nutmeg and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Pour the sauce over the tomatoes and sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese.  Put the baking dish on a baking tray and bake in a preheated oven at 375 degrees for 3-40 minutes until golden brown.


I got this recipe form the cookbook High-Energy cookbook.  I used regular flour instead of whole wheat.  I did not like how you used some of the ingredients only in the infusing process in the beginning and then did not sue them again. I felt like this was wasting food.  It tasted good but I don't think it is worth the labor, time and effort.


Sunday, September 15, 2013

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

8 hamburger buns, split and lightly toasted
  1. Place the pork tenderloin in a slow cooker; pour the root beer over the meat. Cover and cook on low until well cooked and the pork shreds easily, 6 to 7 hours. Note: the actual length of time may vary according to individual slow cooker. Drain well. Stir in barbecue sauce. Serve over hamburger buns.







I got this recipe form All Recipes Magazine.  This recipe is super easy and very good.  We have made it again for company and others have asked for the recipe and everyone has liked it so far.  We used Secret Six BBQ sauce and AW root beer.

Megan-4/5
Jesse-5/5