Chocolate Lasagna

Ingredients:

Crust:
36 regular OREO's
6 Tablespoons butter, melted

Cream cheese Layer (double for optional 2nd layer)
1 (8 oz) package of cream cheese, softened 

1/4 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons cold milk
1 cup Cool Whip

Pudding Layer

2 (3.9 oz) pkg's. chocolate instant pudding
3 1/4 cups cold milk

Topping
1 (12 oz) container Cool Whip (remainder)
1 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions:

Butter a 9x13 dish and set aside.

Crust:

Crush OREO's in a zip top bag with a rolling pin. Add melted butter into the bag and mix until combined. Press OREO mixture into the bottom of the dish and place in the refrigerator for 5 minutes.

Cream Cheese:

In a medium sized bowl whip the cream cheese until fluffy. Add in 2 Tablespoons of milk and sugar. Mix until combined. Stir in 1 cup Cool Whip, then spread the mixture lightly over the crust. Place in the fridge for another 5 minutes.

Pudding:

In a separate bowl combine the chocolate pudding and cold milk. Whisk together until thick. Then spread over the top of the cream cheese layer. Place back in the fridge for another 5-10 minutes to allow pudding to set.

Optional 2nd Cream Cheese:

Spread half the Pudding over the top of the cream cheese layer. Place in fridge for 5-10 minutes to allow pudding to set. 

Once pudding has set spread Cream Cheese Layer lightly over the pudding. Place in fridge for another 5 minutes.

Spread the rest of the Pudding over the top of the cream cheese. Place back in fridge for another 5-10 minutes to allow pudding to set.

Topping:

Once pudding has set spread remaining Cool Whip on the chocolate layer and then top with chocolate chips. Place in the fridge for 3-4 hours before serving.

Original recipe from:

http://www.iheartnaptime.net/chocolate-lasagna/ 

Chicken Florentine Pesto Pasta

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes

Yield: Serves 6-8.

INGREDIENTS
12-16 ounces dried short pasta (bowties, penne, gemelli, etc)
4 chicken breast cutlets (1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds total)
Salt
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 yellow or white onion, chopped, about 1 cup
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup white wine or stock
8-16 ounces of fresh spinach*, washed, long stems removed and chopped
Black pepper
1/4 cup cream
1/4 cup (or more) pesto

*To wash spinach, fill up a clean sink basin with cold water and let the spinach soak in the water. Move it around a bit to loosen any dirt. Fresh spinach is usually pretty dirty, so you may need to do a couple of soakings. Remove the spinach and shake off excess water. Lay the spinach leaves down on a clean towel and pat dry.

METHOD

1 Bring a large pot of salted water (add enough salt so that the water tastes salty) to a boil. Add the dried pasta and cook until al dente.

2 While preparing the pasta, cook the chicken. Sprinkle the chicken breasts with salt, heat the olive oil in a sauté pan and brown the chicken breasts on both sides over medium-high heat. They don't need to be cooked all the way through, just browned. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.

3 Add the chopped onion to the pan and sauté 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. While the onions cook, slice the chicken into strips. Put any pieces that are cooked all the way through in one pile, and put the ones that still need a little cooking in another pile.

4 When the onions are just beginning to brown, add the garlic and cook another minute. Add the white wine or stock and boil vigorously until the liquid is reduced by half.

5 Add the spinach and the undercooked pieces of chicken to the pan. Using tongs, turn them over to coat them with the juices in the pan. Continue to cook, turning and stirring often, until the spinach is wilted and the chicken cooked through, about 2 minutes.

6 Turn off the heat and add some black pepper, the pile of cooked chicken pieces and the pesto. Stir to combine. Drain the pasta put it in a large bowl. Add the cream to the saute pan and stir well to combine. Add the contents of the pan to the bowl with the pasta and mix well. Serve at once.

Simply Recipes: 

www.simplyrecipes.com 

Cooking with Fresh Herbs: Sage, Rosemary, & Thyme

For Christmas, Jack is getting some fresh herb to enjoy. Here is a compilation of articles about using herbs.

Sage

45 Things To Do With Fresh Sage

Butter and Sage Sauce

Fettuccine with Brown Butter and Sage

Growing Sage - A Wise Choice for the Herb or Flower Garden

6 tasty recipes with sage

Rosemary

How to Grow and Care for Rosemary Plants

39 Delicious Things To Do With Rosemary

8 fresh rosemary recipes

Cooking with Rosemary

Thyme

Thyme - How to Grow Fragrant, Flavorful Thyme Plants

8 ways with fresh thyme

Cooking with Thyme

7 Week Bran Muffins

Combine and cool:

• 2 cups boiling water
• 2 cups 40% Bran Flakes

Add:

• 1 cup soft shortening (margarine or butter)
• 1 quart buttermilk

Sift then stir to combine only:

• 5 cups flour
• 5 teaspoons soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/2 cups sugar

Stir in

• 4 cups Bran Buds

Store in refrigerator in a covered container up to 7 weeks.

Can add nuts, apples, raisins, dates, etc.

Use large pan to mix.

Bake 375° for 20 minutes.

Yield approximately 7 dozens.

Tortilla Soup

My friend, Heather, brought this to us as we adjusting to being new parents. It is absolutely delicious and tastes like tortilla soup from a restaurant. It tasted like Sothern California to me.

Ingredients

3 cups rotisserie chicken, taken off the bone
1 large onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 can Rotel tomatoes (10 oz) - I used 'original' but you can use 'mild' as well
1 can diced tomatoes (14.5 oz)
4 c. water
2 beef bouillon 
2 chicken bouillon
2 cans tomato soup
3 more cups of water
2 T. Worcestershire Sauce
1 T. chili powder

Directions

Saute onions and garlic in some butter in the bottom of your pot.

Add the rest of the ingredients (except the chicken) in the order listed.

Simmer 1 hour. 

Add chicken.

Serve with tortilla chips, sour cream, avocado, shredded cheese, limes.

Pumpkin Cream of Wheatless Cereal

This was our Mother's Day breakfast today. Super-yum. I adapted the recipe. Original is found here. I made a double recipe and it was enough for two people.

• 1/2 C cottage cheese
• 1 egg
• 1/4 C pumpkin puree'
• Pinch salt
• Sweetener and flavorings to taste
• 2 T flax seed meal (optional)

Dump the cottage cheese and in the mixing bowl and water it down thin. Whisk in egg and beat. Add the pumpkin and salt. Stir on non-stick skillet on medium heat. Add flax when it gets "grainy." When it is fully grainy the egg is cooked.

I thought this might turn out more like an omelet, but it really was like cream of wheat instead.

Ultimate Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

4 cup (24 oz) chocolate chips                   1 cup margarine, softened

2 2/3 cup flour (2 3/4 cup)                           1 cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda                            ½ cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt                                           1 t vanilla

                                                    3 eggs

Melt 2 cups chocolate chips. Combine flour, soda, salt in medium bowl. Beat butter, brown sugar, sugar, vanilla in large bowl. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Beat in melted chocolate. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in remaining chocolate chips. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 8-9 minutes at 375 ̊

Coconut Marshmallow Krispies

For Sunday dessert with the Turners and Brent, we had Coconut Marshmallow Krispies. They were quite tasty. We preferred them plain rather than dipped in chocolate.

Ingredients

(Nutrition Information)

• 3 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 1 teaspoon imitation coconut extract
• 1 package (10 oz., about 40) regular marshmallows
• 6 cups Kellogg's® Rice Krispies® cereal

Microwave Directions:

1. In microwave-safe bowl heat butter, coconut extract and marshmallows on HIGH for 3 minutes, stirring after 2 minutes. Stir until smooth. (Microwave cooking times may vary.)
   
2. Add KELLOGG'S RICE KRISPIES cereal. Stir until well coated.
   
3. Using buttered spatula or wax paper evenly press mixture into 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan coated with cooking spray. Cool. Cut into 2-inch squares. Best if served the same day.
   

Creamy Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese

There are so many variations of this classic. What’s your favorite kind? I love this recipe with it’s Worcester Sauce. Mmmm, good.

 

Photo: Beau Gustafson; Styling: Melanie J. Clarke

Creamy macaroni and cheese is a recipe for comfort, while mustard, garlic, and Worcestershire sauce add some zip. Try making the stove-top dish with any short pasta, such as fusilli, farfalle, or cavatappi, or experiment with different cheeses.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups)

Video: How to Cook Creamy Stove-Top Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients

• 4 cups uncooked medium elbow macaroni
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 1/4 cups fat-free milk
• 1/4 cup (2 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce 
• 1/2 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
• 1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese

Preparation

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain and set aside.
2. While pasta cooks, place flour, salt, and pepper in a large saucepan. Add milk, stirring with a whisk until well blended. Drop cream cheese by teaspoonfuls into milk mixture; bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat; simmer 2 minutes or until thick and cream cheese melts, stirring occasionally. Stir in mustard, Worcestershire, and garlic; simmer 1 minute. Remove from heat. Add cheddar cheese, stirring until cheese melts. Combine pasta and cheese sauce in a large bowl; toss well.

Lorrie Hulston Corvin, Cooking Light
JUNE 2006

Chicken, Rice, and Edamame Salad

This chicken salad breaks out of the traditional chicken salad class with its rice vinegar and mint flavors that sing to your taste buds.

Chicken, Edamame, and Rice Salad

The distinct and powerful taste combination of fresh ginger and mint lends a burst of flavor to this main-dish salad.

Prep: 11 minutes; Cook: 5 minutes; Other: 2 minutes

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: about 3/4 cup salad and 1 radicchio leaf)

Ingredients

• 1 (8.8-ounce) pouch microwaveable cooked long-grain rice (such as Uncle Ben's Original Ready Rice)  {I just used approximately 1 1/2 cups of cooked long-grain rice}
• 1 1/4 cups frozen shelled edamame (green soybeans)
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1 cup diced cooked chicken breast
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
• 1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 radicchio leaves (optional)

Preparation

1. Microwave rice according to package directions. Set aside; keep warm.
2. Combine edamame and 3 tablespoons water in a small bowl. Cover with plastic wrap. Microwave at HIGH 3 minutes. Let stand 2 minutes; drain.
3. Combine rice, edamame, chicken, and next 5 ingredients in a large bowl; toss to coat. Serve over radicchio.

Cooking Light Fresh Food Fast, Oxmoor House 2009.

Chex Party Mix- 1986 recipie

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine
1 1/4 tsps McCormick/Shiling Season-All Seasoned Salt*
4 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 2/3 cups Corn Chex cereal
2 2/3 cups Rice Chex cereal
2 2/3 cups Wheat Chex cereal
1 cup salted mixed nuts

Mom adds 2 2/3 cups pretzles


Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Melt butter in a 15x10x2-inch roasting pan in the oven. Remove from oven. Stir the seasoned salt and Worcestersire sauce into the melted butter. Gradually add cereal and nuts, mixing until all pieces are coated. Bake 1 hour at 250 degrees. Stir mixture every 15 minutes during baking for even coating and baking.

Makes 9 cups.


Microwave Directions: In a 4-qt bowl or 13x9x2-inch microwave safe dish, melt butter on high for 1 minute. Stir in seasoned salt and Worcestershire sauce. Gradually add cereal and nuts, mixing until all pieces are coated. Microwave on High for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring every two minutes. NOTE: A 650 microwave oven was used for these directions. For other wattage ovens, time may need to be adjusted.

Pizza

2 1/2 cups bread flour
2tsp sugar
2tsp yeast
3/4 tsp salt
8 ounces water
2 tbs vegatable oil

Put all ingredients in bread-machine on the dough setting.
Preheat oven to 350*
Roll out dough and cook for 20-30 minutes, or until almost brown.
Pull out of oven and add desired toppings return to oven for additional 15-20 minutes.

Irish Pan Boxty Cakes

I loved the boxties at the Irish Pub Andrea took us to in Vegas. So sad they closed! In clearning out more files, I found this recipe.

Pan Boxty Cakes
1 cup grated peeled raw potato
1 cup thick mashed potatoes
1 cup unsifted all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. salt
2 eggs,beaten
1/4 cup milk
2 Tbsp. butter or margarine
Butter or Margarine
Sugar or cinnamon sugar

1. Use food processor to grate potatoes or grate potato by hand.
2. Place grated potato on clean dish towel and press out excess liquid.
3. Combine grated potato with mashed potato. Stir in flour, baking powder and salt, mix well.
4. Add eggs and milk, mixing to make a soft batter.
5. Heat skillet with 2 Tbsp butter until hot. Drop batter by tablespoons onto skillet and cook 4-5 minutes on each side until well browned.
6. Serve hot with butter and sugar or cinnamon sugar. Makes 6 servings

Mexican Cornbread

Mexican Cornbread
1 cup butter, melted
2/3 cup sugar
4 eggs
1 15 oz. can cream-style canned corn
3 Tbsp. diced green chilies
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup Cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
4 tsp. baing powder
1 cup yellow corn meal
1 cup flour

Preheat oven to 325. Lightly grease a 9 x 13" baking dish. In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugar. Beat in eggs one at a time. Blend in cream corn, chilies, and cheeses. In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, cornmeal, bakgin powder and salt. Add flour mixture to corn mixture; stir until smooth. Pour batter into pan. Bake approx. 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted into center of pan comes out clean. Serves 8.

Recipe pirated from a San Diego Mexican cookbook at the store - I'm guilty but it looks like one I've been hunting for. Can't wait for a pot of chili and this cornbread.

Alcohol Substitutes

Remember when I was making a creme de menthe pie and I didn't it know that it called for alcohol, I just thought that creme de menthe and chocolate whatever were just extracts. I found the following I clipped from a newspaper some time ago and thought I would add it to our blog. By the way, Andrea, I found it cleaning out a box of file folders!!!



Alcohol Substitutes
Cooking Substitutions for Alcohol – Newspaper Clipping

In Soups and Entrees:
Dry (unsweet) red wine: Water, beef broth, bouillon or consommé, tomato juice (plain or diluted), diluted cider vinegar or red wine vinegar. Liquid drained from canned mushrooms.
Dry (unsweet) white wine: Water, chicken broth, bouillon or consommé, ginger ale, white grape juice. Ginger ale,white grape juice, diluted cider vinegar or white wine vinegar. Liquid drained from canned mushrooms.

In Cheese Dishes (fondue or rarebit)
Beer or ale: Chicken broth, white grape juice, ginger ale

In Desserts:
Brandy: Apple cider, peach or apricot syrup.
Rum: Pineapple juice or syrup flavored with almond extract
Sherry: Orange of pineapple juice
Kirsch: Syrup or juice from black cherries, raspberries, boysenberries, currants, or grapes or cherry cider.
Cointreau: Orange juice or frozen orange juice concentrate.
Crème de menthe: Spearmint extract or oil of spearmint diluted with a little water or grapefruit juice.
Red Burgundy: Grape juice.
White Burgundy: White grape juice.
Champagne: Ginger ale
Claret: Grape or currant juice or syrup or cherry cider.

Note: To cut the sweetness of the syrups, dilute with water. Also, there are many flavor extracts such as almond or pineapple that can be added for interesting flavors.

Flambles or Flaming Desserts
The only substitute that might be used is a sugar cube soaked in lemon extract, then set atop a dessert and burned.

Andrea’s Delicious Peanut Butter Popcorn

• 1 cup karo syrup
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1 cup sugar

Heat on stove until almost bubbly, blended. Poor over popcorn.

Andrea got this when she was student teacher from a neighbor. She made it for Tamara and me when we spent Spring Break together in 2011 and discussed wedding plans. Fun times.

Cheese Blintz

4 well beaten eggs
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup sour cream
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup cottage cheese


Strawberry sauce
1 cup sour cream & strawberry jam

Andes Layered Frozen Mousse Pie

This was such a hit for dinner today, Dad suggested I be sure to add it to the recipe blog. It's perfect for a hot summer day!

Andes Layered Frozen Mousse Pie
2 cups vanilla ice cream, softened
2 cups Andes Crème de Menthe Baking Chips
1 ready to use chocolate wafer crumb crust
1 ½ cups whipping cream, divided
2 eggs yolks
Stir ½ cup of Andes Baking Chips into ice cream. Spread onto bottom of crust, freeze. Melt remaining Andes Baking Chips with ½ cup whipping cream in a saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, stir in egg yolks. Continue heating over medium low heat 3-5 minutes or until mixture begins to thicken, stirring every 30 seconds. Do not allow it to boil. Cool to room temperature. Whip remaining 1 cup of whipping cream until stiff peaks form, fold into baking chips mixture. Spread over ice cream in crust. Freeze 4 hours or overnight. Allow pie to sit at room temp for 10-15 mins before cutting.

Fourth of July "All American Dessert"

This is a recipe by Dole (bananas) that looks so PATRIOTIC! I'm making it for our 4th of July celebration tomorrow. I'll first give the full recipe and then give my alterations.

ALL AMERICAN DESSERT
Prep Time: 20 mins
Refrigerating Time: 4 hours
4 cups boiling water
1 pkg (8oz serving size) Jell-o any RED flavor
1 pkg (8 oz serving size) Jell-o Berry BLUE flavor
1 cups cold water
2 Entenmanns all buter pound loaf, cubed
1 tub (8oz) Cool Whip
3 Medium Dole Bananas

STIR: 2 cups of the boiling water into each flavor of gelatin in separate bowls 2 minutes or until completely dissolved. Stir 1 cup cold water into each bowl. Pour into separate 13x9 inch pans. Refrigerate 3 hours or until firm. Cut each pan into 1/2 inche cubes.
CUT bananas into slices. Place blue gelatin cubes in 3 1/2 quart bowl or trifle bowl. Layer with cake cubes, 1/2 of the whipped topping and bananas. Cover with red gelatin cubes. Garnish with remaining whipped topping and additional banana slices.
REFRIGERATE: at least 1 hour or until ready to serve. Store leftover dessert in refrigerator.
MAKES: 12-16 servings.
NOTE: You can use sugar free jell-0, Entemanns fat free golden loaft cake and cool whip lite.

My Alterations: I didn't want to use bananas because they turn brown and mushy and some in our family are not banana eaters, so I left them out. I don't like soggy cake so I left it out as well. I just layered the blue jell-o cubes, homemade whipped cream (much better than cool whip) and the red jello cubes and topped with cream. I layered them in juice glasses for individual servings. I make more blue jello up (finger jell0, use only the two cups of hot water) and used a star shaped cookie cutter to cut out blue stars to top the cream on top. Very fun. It will be a good refresher after watching the Crest parade tomorrow! HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA!

Roasted Sweet Potato Salad With Citrus Vinaigrette

Daniel and I made this for Sunday dinner tonight and loved it. We had fresh spinach on hand, so we used that instead of mâche (I don’t know what that is, but wikipedia does: corn salad). The Citrus Vinaigrette makes this salad.

Roasted Sweet Potato Salad With Citrus Vinaigrette

Hands-on Time: 20 min.; Total Time: 1 hr., 10 min. (including vinaigrette).

• YIELD: Makes 4 servings
• COURSE: Salads

Ingredients

• 1 pound medium-size sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges
• 1 medium-size sweet onion, cut into wedges
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 garlic clove
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
• 1 (5-oz.) package fresh mâche, thoroughly washed
• Citrus Vinaigrette

Preparation

• 1. Preheat oven to 400°. Heat a 17- x 10-inch cast-iron pan or 12-inch cast-iron skillet in oven 10 minutes. Toss together sweet potato wedges and next 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Place sweet potato mixture in hot pan.
• 2. Bake at 400° for 25 minutes. Stir once, and bake 15 more minutes or until potatoes are tender and begin to caramelize.
• 3. Spoon potato mixture over mâche; drizzle with Citrus Vinaigrette.

Southern Living
JANUARY 2010