The Basil Pesto

2 1/2- 3 cups basil leaves, gently packed
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmasan cheese
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted
1/2-3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt, to taste
a few turns of pepper

1. Place all the ingredients except the olive oil in a food processor. For the salt, start with 1/4 teaspoon and add the rest in the end. (The final amount really depends on the saltiness of your cheese, so give it a taste.) Pulse the mixture a few times in the food processor.

2. Slowly pour in the olive oil while processor is running until ou reach your desired consistency. Eat it right away or store in the fridge or freezer

Freezer instructions:  Place pesto into ice-cube trays and freeze. Once frozen transfer to large ziplock bags.

Great Uses:

• homemade pizza or pasta
• over steamed veggies or with potatoes
• Combined with mayo (or cream cheese) for amazing sandwiches and wraps
• Cut with oil or water to make a salad dressing
• Personal cheap, easy and healthy favorite put on top of thinly sliced cabbage (like spaghetti)

***Special Note most often when using a replacement nut people choose Walnut. I have used Cashew, Sunflower Seeds, Walnut, Pecan, Peanut and Pine Nut- what I have found all are a little different but very little AND ALL TASTE DELICIOUS!!!

Greek style Chicken Pitas

I used to make a lot of greek Pitas a few years ago and have lost that touch but I made these the other day and I could NOT get enough! SOO GOOD! Can't wait to make them again!! YUMM


obviously not my picture but looks like that

Ingredients
1 lb chicken
Olive oil
Italian seasoning
Greek Seasoning
1/2 c Diced tomatoes
1/2 C Diced cucumber
1/4 C Diced red onion
Kosher salt & pepper
1T Balsamic vinager
1/2 Greek Yogurt OR sour cream
1/4C Feta Cheese

Intructions

Chicken
Dice 1 lb chicken
Cook in Olive oil
Italian seasoning
and Greek Seasoning

Sauce
1/2 c Diced tomatoes
1/2 C Diced cucumber
1/4 C Diced red onion
Kosher salt & pepper
1T Balsamic vinager
Greek seasoning
Italian seasoning
1/2 Greek Yogurt OR sour cream
1/4C Feta Cheese

Take delicious pita bread (or homemade!) and layer Chicken, Lots of romaine lettuce and then a generous amount of sauce

Smoked Salmon Salad

A friend dropped by some smoked salmon so I found this recipe and it was A-MAZEING!! TRY IT!!  I didn't have radishes or scallions and replaced them with sliced RED ONIONS! LOVED!!

ENJOY!

MORE ∨

1. 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2. 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3. 2 tablespoon chopped dill
4. Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
5. 8 cups baby spinach (7 ounces)
6. 6 ounces thinly sliced smoked salmon, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch ribbons
7. 1 medium English cucumber—peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded and thinly sliced
8. 4 radishes, halved and thinly sliced
9. 2 scallions, thinly sliced

1. In a large bowl, whisk the olive oil with the lemon juice and dill and season with salt and pepper. Add the spinach, smoked salmon, cucumber, radishes and scallions to the bowl and toss well. Transfer the salad to plates and serve.

Best buttermilk Pancakes

Camille gave this recipe to me and even though I'm not a pancake person I loved these! They taste in between a pancake and a crepe! YUMM

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 3 cups buttermilk
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus 1/2 teaspoon for griddle
• 1 cup fresh blueberries (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat griddle to 375 degrees. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar in a medium bowl. Add eggs, buttermilk, and 4 tablespoons butter; whisk to combine. Batter should have small to medium lumps.
    WATCH: How to Measure Flour
2. Heat oven to 175 degrees. Test griddle by sprinkling a few drops of water on it. If water bounces and spatters off griddle, it is hot enough. Using a pastry brush, brush remaining 1/2 teaspoon of butter or reserved bacon fat onto griddle. Wipe off excess.
3. Using a 4-ounce ladle, about 1/2 cup, pour pancake batter, in pools 2 inches away from one other. Scatter with berries, if using. When pancakes have bubbles on top and are slightly dry around edges, about 2 1/2 minutes, flip over. Cook until golden on bottom, about 1 minute.
4. Repeat with remaining batter, keeping finished pancakes on a heatproof plate in oven. Serve warm.

Baked Cheesy Chicken Penne

thank you camille!

slightly adapted from this recipe by Martha Stewart

• 
• 6 tablespoons butter, plus more for baking dishes
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 pound penne rigate
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 8 ounces each), halved horizontally
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour
• 6 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 6 cups whole milk
• 10 ounces white or cremini mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced
• 1 cup sliced oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained
• 1 1/2 cups shredded provolone* (6 ounces) you could also make that 1/2 mozzarella
• 1 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan (about 6 ounces)

*Note on Cheese: 
Sometimes provolone cheese can be hard to find.  I don’t always encourage the use of pre-shredded bagged cheeses (because ‘ve found they usually contain additives and therefore don’t melt or taste as good), but in this recipe I’ve used a *good* quality one, like Sargento, and it’s turned out great.  Actually in this batch I used Sargento’s Provolone/Mozzarella mix.  You’ll find that with packaged cheese mixes, provolone is often mixed with other white cheeses and that’s totally fine.  Just try to find one that is mostly provolone, like a 50/50 mix.  The other easy option is to go to the deli department where you can buy sliced cheese.  Just ask for a 6 oz chunk and you can grate it yourself.

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400. Butter two shallow 2-quart baking dishes. If you’re going to freeze one, use a disposable foil pan.  In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta 3 minutes short of al dente; drain pasta and set aside.
2. While pasta is boiling, heat oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Season chicken with salt and pepper; cook until opaque throughout, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Halve each piece lengthwise, then thinly slice crosswise.  While chicken pan is still hot, toss the mushrooms in and saute until golden brown (3-4 minutes).  Use a little extra olive oil if needed.
3. In a 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy pot (I just use the pot I cooked my pasta in), melt butter over medium. Add flour and garlic; cook, whisking, 1 minute. While whisking constantly, gradually add milk; bring to a simmer.  Keep whisking frequently as sauce thickens, about 1 minute more. Add mushrooms and tomatoes; cook 1 minute. take the pan off the heat and and gradually stir in provolone and 1/2 cup Parmesan.
4. Add chicken and pasta to pot; season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide pasta mixture between baking dishes.  If freezing, place remaining parmesan cheese in a zip-top baggie.  If cooking, sprinkle on top.
5. Bake, uncovered, until top is golden and bubbling, about 25 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Freezer instructions:

To freeze, prepare through step 4 and then let pasta cool.  Cover pan well with plastic wrap.  Place extra cheese in baggie (for topping) on top and then cover entire pan well with foil.  Freeze for up to 3 months.  To bake, preheat oven to 400.  Remove foil and plastic from pan and set cheese baggie aside.  Place foil back on pan and bake for about 1 1/2 hours.  Remove foil, stir pasta, and top with cheese.  Return pan to oven and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until mixture is hot and bubbly throughout.

Chicken and Spinach Stuffed Shells

March 25, 2008 · by Erin · 18 Comments

  .

Chicken and Spinach Stuffed ShellsSubmitted by Erin (Brittany’s delicious recipe. :) )

44 uncooked jumbo pasta shells (That’s about one and one-half 12-oz boxes)
2 c chopped cooked chicken
2 c fresh chopped spinach
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (15oz) container ricotta cheese
2 (8oz) packages cream cheese, softened
1 (5oz) package shredded Parmesan cheese (about 1 2/3 c.)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 Tb dried parsley flakes
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 c shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 (26oz) jar prepared spaghetti sauce (any variety)

Cook shells according to package directions (be sure to stir every once in awhile so they don’t stick to the bottom of the pan and tear apart); drain and set aside.
Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly grease 2 13x9x2inch baking dishes.
In a large bowl, combine chicken and all the rest of the ingredients except mozzarella and spaghetti sauce. Stir in 1 cup mozzarella. Spoon into shells. Spread half of spaghetti sauce into prepared baking dishes. Arrange shells over sauce; top with remaining sauce. Cover tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Bake, covered, for 40 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with remaining 1 cup mozzarella. Bake for 5 to 10 more minutes.
Makes 8-10 servings.

S'mores Cookie Bars

Recipe from "Lovin from the Oven"

• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 king-sized milk chocolate bars (e.g. Hershey’s)
• 1 1/2 cups marshmallow creme/fluff (not melted marshmallows)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan.
2. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light. Beat in egg and vanilla. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt. Add to butter mixture and mix at a low speed until combined.
3. Divide dough in half and press half of dough into an even layer on the bottom of the prepared pan. Place chocolate bars over dough. 2 king-sized Hershey’s bars should fit perfectly side by side, but break the chocolate (if necessary) to get it to fit in a single layer no more than 1/4 inch thick. Spread chocolate with marshmallow creme or fluff. Place remaining dough in a single layer on top of the fluff (most easily achieved by flattening the dough into small shingles and laying them together).
4. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool completely before cutting into bars.

Makes 16 cookie bars.

Easy Chicken & Cheese enchiladas

from Camille...

Looking for a creative way to use leftover chicken?  These kicked-up, easy-to-prepare enchiladas come out of the oven hot and bubbly for a flavorful dish the whole family will love.

1  can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup (Regular or 98% Fat Free)

1/2 cup  sour cream

1  cup  Pace® Picante Sauce

2  teaspoons  chili powder

2  cups chopped cooked chicken

1/2 cup  shredded Monterey Jack cheese

6    flour tortillas (6-inch), warmed

1   small tomato, chopped (about 1/2 cup)

1    green onion, sliced (about 2 tablespoons)

• Heat the oven to 350°F. Stir the soup, sour cream, picante sauce and chili powder in a medium bowl.
• Stir 1 cup soup mixture, chicken and cheese in a large bowl.
• Divide the chicken mixture among the tortillas. Roll up the tortillas and place seam-side down in an 11 x 7 x 2-inch baking dish. Pour the remaining soup mixture over the filled tortillas. Cover the baking dish.
• Bake for 40 minutes or until the enchiladas are hot and bubbling. Top with the tomato and onion.

RECIPE TIPS

• Ingredient Note: Stir 1/2 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed, into the chicken mixture before filling the tortillas, if desired.
• Easy Substitution: Substitute 3 cans (4.5 ounces each) Swanson® Premium White Chunk Chicken Breast in Water, drained, for the cooked chicken.
• Serving Suggestion: Serve with iceberg lettuce salad mixed with carrots and red cabbage and a red wine vinaigrette. For dessert serve prepared refrigerated flan.

Spinach Tomato Tortellini

Prep Time: 20 Minutes

Cook Time: 20 Minutes

Ready In: 40 Minutes

Servings: 6

NGREDIENTS:

1 (16 ounce) package cheese tortellini 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes with garlic and onion 1 cup chopped fresh spinach 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil 1 teaspoon minced garlic 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 3/4 cup milk 3/4 cup heavy cream 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the tortellini, and cook until tender, about 10 minutes.
2.	While you get the tortellini going, combine the tomatoes, spinach, salt, pepper, basil and garlic in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook and stir until the mixture begins to bubble.
3.	In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, milk and cream. Stir this mixture into the saucepan along with the Parmesan cheese. Heat through, then reduce heat to low, and simmer until thick, about 2 minutes.
4.	Drain the tortellini, but do not rinse, then pour them into the saucepan with the sauce. Stir to coat, and serve.

Corn Salsa

Oh so good and healthy!

Put the following ingredients in a medium sized bowl:

1 can corn, drained

1 c chopped cilantro

1/2 c chopped red onion

3-5 roma tomatoes, chopped

1 jalepeno, seeded and chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

2 tsp minced garlic

1 can black beans, drained

2 lg avocados, chopped

Next, add:

1 Tbsp salt

6 Tbsp lime juice

2Tbsp vegetable oil

2Tbsp cider vinegar

Mix everything together with a spoon and you're done! Great with chips!

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Enchiladas

This was the very first recipe i ever tried with sweet potatoes and Salsa Verde and now i love finding recipes with them whether its together or separate. This is SO SO good. Its also a nice change from other enchiladas and once you do it once or twice it is actually pretty easy. Again the hardest part for me was the sweet potatoes (the first time) and i know you will find what is easiest and best for you and your family. I personally never put any enchilada sauce on the bottom of the pan, mainly because i always smother them in enough on top that it gets on the bottom. Like all other recipes i use what i have. Enjoy!~Lynette

by: a Couple Cooks

Makes: 6

What You Need

• 2 medium to large sweet potatoes (3 cups diced)
• 15 oz. can black beans
• 8 ounces canned diced green chilies (about 1 cup)
• 1 medium red onion
• ½ tablespoon cumin
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• Fresh ground pepper
• ~2 cups salsa verde (or homemade tomatillo salsa)
• 6 to 8 oz. Colby jack cheese, shredded
• 8 8-inch whole wheat flour tortillas (or 10 6-inch)
• Sour cream
• Fresh cilantro, to garnish

What To Do

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Cook the sweet potato: Peel and dice the sweet potato. Place in a pot and cover with water; add a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, around 12 to 15 minutes.
3. Prepare the filling: Finely chop the red onion. Drain and rinse the black beans. (If using cilantro to garnish, you could chop it at this time as well.)
4. Assemble the filling: In a large bowl, combine the cooked sweet potato, black beans, red onion, green chilies, ½ tablespoon cumin, 1 tablespoon chili powder, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ to ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and fresh ground pepper. Mix to combine.
5. Assemble the enchiladas: Warm the tortillas for a minute in the microwave, or in a pan for a few seconds per side. In a large baking dish, spread ¾ to 1 cup of the salsa verde. Fill each tortilla with a heaping ½ cup scoop of the filling, add a handful of cheese, and roll it up. Place the enchilada seam-side down in the baking dish. Repeat for the remaining tortillas. When all enchiladas are in the dish, top with the remaining salsa verde (about ½ cup or so) and the remaining cheese.
6. Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes, until the cheese is melted.
7. Serve, garnished with sour cream (mixed with a tiny bit of water to loosen it) and chopped cilantro.

Notes

As a time saver, you could cook the sweet potato beforehand, and even prepare the entire filling in advance.

Chicken Ranch Tacos

Ok here is another one that i am really enjoying and is super super easy. So the only part that takes a long time is that i have to defrost and cut up the chicken. I really don't follow much of the amounts i put how much seasoning and ranch as i see fit with the amount of the chicken i do. What i LOVE most about this recipe is i know for sure i ALWAYS have everything i need to make this meal. Plus, the chicken is amazing on a salad, burritos, nachos and the tacos, of course, and I’m sure a ton of other things. But it taste great and its what i need on a busy day. Hope you all like it as much as we do.

Ingredients You’ll Need:

3 cups cooked chicken, cut up
1 pkt. taco seasoning (chicken or beef)
1/2 cup Ranch dressing
taco shells
lettuce
cheese
Ranch dressing
tomatoes
any of your favorite taco toppings!

Directions:

1) Heat a skillet over med-high heat. Add chicken & warm it for a few minutes. Sprinkle on the dry taco seasoning. Do not add any water! Heat for 5-7 minuted until all heated through & powder is stuck to the chicken.

2) Add Ranch dressing, heat an additional 2-3 minutes to warm through.

3) Serve in taco shells with all the fixings you love – plus an extra squirt of Ranch!

 

Sweet Potatoe, chicken & Quinoa Soup

GO TRY THIS, SO AMAZING!! SO SO YUMMY! EVERYONE INCLUDING DIETER LOVED IT, OF COURSE JEFF AND I BELIEVE ITS OK TO GIVE HIM LOTS TORTILLA CHIPS OR CHEESE IF THAT MEANS HE WILL EAT THE HEALTHY FOOD. THIS IS PROBABLY BY FAR ONE OF MY FAVORITE RECIPES I HAVE EVER FOUND AND MADE. VERY EASY TOO. NOT ONLY IS IT HEALTHIER, BUT YOU CAN MAKE IT AS HEALTHY AS YOU WANT AND ITS VERY VERSATILE. YOU CAN EAT THIS LIKE JUST A REGULAR SOUP, OR YOU EAT IT LIKE A TACO SOUP SO WITH CHEESE AND TORTILLA CHIPS. AS LEFT OVERS JEFF AND DIETER HAVE EATEN IT AS THE TOPPING OF NACHOS OR IF YOU CAN DRAIN ENOUGH OF THE BROTH YOU CAN PUT IT RIGHT INTO A TORTILLA AND MAKE IT INTO A QUESADILLA OR BURRITO. PLUS, YOU CAN ADD ANY KIND OF VEGGIES YOU CAN THINK OF. I HAD SOME YELLOW SQUASH THAT WAS GOING TO START GOING BAD AND IT WAS PERFECT WITH IT. IN REALITY YOU JUST MIGHT NEED TO MAKE SURE THERE IS ENOUGH BROTH FOR ADDITIONAL VEGGIES. I USED CANNED BROTH SO 3 CANS WAS JUST ENOUGH OVER THAT THE ADDED SQUASH WAS PERFECT.  

INGREDIENTS

• 1 and 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 cup quinoa (I used a black bean quinoa package)
• 2 large sweet potatoes (1 pound or ~3-1/2 cups)
• 1 can (15.25 ounces) black beans
• 1 can (14.5 ounces) petite diced tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 packet (1.25 ounces) chili seasoning mix
• 5 cups chicken broth*
• Optional: fresh parsley

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Spray the slow cooker with nonstick spray. Remove the fat from the chicken breasts and put them into the slow cooker along with the rinsed quinoa.
2. (I found a black beans seasoned quinoa package which I used and loved, but regular quinoa will work as well, just make sure to rinse it well.)
3. Remove the skins and chop the sweet potatoes into cubes adding them into the slow cooker.
4. Drain and rinse the black beans and add those in. Add in the undrained petite diced tomatoes, minced garlic, chili seasoning mix, and chicken broth.
5. Place on high for 3-5 hours (It took 4 hours on high for my crockpot.)
6. Using two forks, shred the chicken and stir all the ingredients together.
7. Add salt and pepper and if desired fresh parsley.
8. Serve immediately.

Scotcheroos

A wonderful brother of mine reminded me how addicting and amazing these are!! WOW! FHE here we come!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 6 cups Kellogg's® Cocoa Krispies® cereal
• OR
• or 6 cups Kellogg's® Rice Krispies® cereal
• 1 package (6 oz., 1 cup) semi-sweet chocolate morsels
• 1 cup butterscotch chips

DIRECTIONS

1. Place corn syrup and sugar into 3-quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until sugar dissolves and mixture begins to boil. Remove from heat. Stir in peanut butter. Mix well. Add KELLOGG'S RICE KRISPIES cereal. Stir until well coated. Press mixture into 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan coated with cooking spray. Set aside.

2. Melt chocolate and butterscotch chips together in 1-quart saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. Spread evenly over cereal mixture. Let stand until firm. Cut into 2 x 1-inch bars when cool.

Note: Before measuring the corn syrup, coat your measuring cup with cooking spray--the syrup will pour easily out of the cup.