Cheese Fondue

Fondue is so delicious. I love this recipe, because it can be served as a snack, as part of your main course, or as an appetizer!

Cheese Fondue

1 1/2 cups milk

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, cubed

1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

In a large saucepan, cook and stir the milk and cream cheese over low heat until cheese is melted. Stir in Parmesan cheese and garlic salt; cook and stir until heated through. Transfer to a fondue pot or mini slow cooker; keep warm.

My favorite things to dip in cheese fondue:

Blanched broccoli, blanched cauliflower, crusty French bread, sliced pepperoni, sliced summer sausage, raw bell peppers.

To blanch a vegetable, boil in water for 2 minutes; just long enough to soften slightly.

Another Chili Recipe

This one is our family favorite for Chili.

Chili

2 lbs. ground beef

1 large onion

6 tsp. chili powder

2 tsp. allspice

1 tsp. cinnamon

2 tsp. cumin

2 cans tomatoes (diced)

5 bay leaves

1 tsp. ground red pepper

1 ½ tsp. garlic powder

46 oz. tomato juice

6 dashes Tabasco sauce

6 dashes Worcestershire sauce

3 cans kidney beans

Brown ground beef with onion. You can also use 1 lb ground beef and add an extra can of kidney beans. Combine all ingredients and simmer. (We normally put this in the crock-pot all day)

Enchiladas Verdes

I got this recipe from my sister-in-law, who is from Mexico.  These enchiladas are SO good! 

Enchiladas Verdes


1 lb tomatillo tomatoes
5 to 7 serrano peppers (Remove seeds after cooking if you don't want it too spicy)
2 cloves of garlic
1 cube of chicken boullion
1 whole chicken
3 roma tomatoes
1 ½ medium-sized white onion
15 corn tortillas
Sour cream
¼ lb of panela cheese

For the sauce
Start boiling the tomatillos, the peppers, ¼ of the onion and the clove of garlic. Once the tomatillos have taken a yellowish color, they are done.  Drain ingredients and add to blender (remove seeds from the peppers if you don't want it too spicy). Blend everything together until completely pureed.
Put a little oil in a pan, only to season the sauce(about 1 tbsp.). Add the content of the blender and bring it to a boil for approximately 2 minutes.

For the chicken
Boil the chicken in a large stock pot with 1/4 of an onion, garlic, and chicken boullion.  Cook until done, about an hour.  Shred the chicken.  Chop the rest of the tomato and the rest of the onion into little squares. Place them in a pan over medium heat until the onion turns out to be transparent and the tomato has extracted all its juice. Then, add the shredded chicken and simmer.

When the sauce and the chicken is ready to serve, submerge the tortillas in the sauce (first, fry them in oil quickly to prevent tearing). Put chicken inside the tortillas and wrap or fold the tortillas neatly on a plate and put chicken on top. Add cream and cheese as desired.

Pasta with Herb Cream Sauce

This recipe I adapted from foodnetwork.com.  Their recipe is a lot more fattening (surprisingly enough!), but this still tastes so good!  Even my kids devoured it.

Penne Pasta
4 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp flour
1 tsp. dried rosemary or 1 Tbsp. Fresh rosemary
1 C heavy cream
1 C milk
1/2 C parmesan cheese (or italian cheese blend)
1/8 tsp nutmeg
2 Tbsp. Parsley
Salt and Pepper to taste

In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium low heat. Stir in flour with a whisk and let cook for 1-2 minutes to create roux. While stirring constantly, slowly add in milk and cream. Cook until thickened. Add remaining ingredients. Serve over cooked pasta.  Serves 4.

Chicken Tacos

If I had time to go to the store before I made this, there would be lettuce, cilantro and some really yummy home made salsa.  They were still good without them.

Chicken Tacos

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into bite size pieces
1 cup lemonade/limeade
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon lime juice
½ teaspoons cumin
¼ tsp chili powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder

1 (12 ounce) package flour tortillas
2 large tomatoes, chopped
1 (8 ounce) package shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1 (8 ounce) jar salsa
1 (8 ounce) container sour cream

In a large skillet over medium heat, combine chicken, lemonade/limeade, olive oil, lime juice. Season with garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, onion powder. Simmer until chicken is no longer pink, and juices run clear, 15 to 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, warm the tortillas in the oven or microwave until soft. When chicken is fully cooked, transfer to serving bowl. Place lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, salsa, and sour cream in serving dishes. Each person can create their own wrap, using their preferred ingredients.

Cheese Enchiladas

Cheese Enchiladas

Corn tortillas
Monterey jack cheese or cheddar cheese
Green chiles
Oil
Shredded chicken (optional)
One recipe white sauce with added Monterey jack cheese and green chiles
Heat oil in small frying pan. Dip tortillas one by one in hot oil to soften. Roll ingredients inside tortillas and place sides touching in 9x13 baking dish. Pour white sauce over top. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.


Basic White Sauce
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
1 C milk
Melt butter over medium low heat until melted.  Add flour and whisk together until blended.  Stir constantly until bubbly.  Very slowly, add milk while stirring constantly with a whisk.  Heat until thick, stirring constantly.

Italian Bread Bowls and Broccoli Cheese Soup

Italian Bread Bowls
1 1/2 tablespoons yeast
2 1/2 cups warm water
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
7 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon cornmeal
1 egg white
1 tablespoon water
In a large bowl (or bowl of an electric mixer), dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
Add salt, oil and 4 cups flour to the yeast mixture; beat well. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well with an electric mixer at medium speed after each addition until a soft but not sticky dough is formed (you may not need to use all 7 cups).
When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 6 minutes (or let knead in an electric mixer). Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes. Punch dough down, and divide into 6-8 equal portions. Shape each portion into a round ball. Place loaves on lightly greased baking sheets sprinkled with cornmeal (or use silpat liners or parchment paper). Cover and let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, until doubled in bulk, about 35 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, beat together egg white and 1 tablespoon water; lightly brush the loaves with half of this egg wash. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Brush with remaining egg mixture, and bake 10 to 15 more minutes or until golden. Cool on wire racks.


Broccoli Cheese Soup
1 can chicken broth
1 small onion, diced
1/3 c. flour
1/4 c. butter
Pepper to taste
2 c. milk
1 1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 c. shredded Swiss cheese
Steamed chopped broccoli
Simmer chicken broth and chopped onion for 15-20 minutes in a covered small saucepan, until onions are soft. Heat milk in microwave for 1-2 minutes. In a separate medium-sized stockpot, melt butter then add flour and pepper. Cook together for a couple of minutes, then whisk in warmed milk. Stir and heat together on medium-high heat until soup starts to thicken. Next add chicken broth and continue to stir until well blended. Add cheeses and steamed broccoli. Serve immediately.
Makes approximately 4 servings

Chicken Marinade

Chicken Marinade

1 cup soy sauce
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup melted butter
1 tsp. dry mustard
1/4 cup water

Directions:
Marinate chicken strips all day. Broil for 10 minutes or so, depending on how thick you cut the strips. This also works great on chicken breasts on the grill.

Dinner Nachos

This is my dinner in a pinch solution.  I need to go to the store.  Desperately.  I am out of nearly everything.  This is a meal that was thrown together with what I had on hand.  It turned out pretty good, and even the kids liked it.

1 pound ground beef

1 package Taco Seasoning Mix
1 can black beans
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
Thick & Chunky Salsa
Shredded Cheddar cheese
Shredded lettuce
Tortilla chips
Cook beef and taco seasoning in skillet until browned. Pour off fat. Add beans, and tomatoes. Heat to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat 5 min. or until done. Pour into casserole dish and top with cheese.  Broil for a few minutes until  cheese is melted.  Top with salsa and lettuce. Serve with tortilla chips for dipping.

Spicy Italian Sausage and Black Bean Soup

As the cold weather hits us, soup season is here!  Here is a recipe we tried out the other day.  It was yummy!  My three year old loved it, even though the sausage I used was on the spicier side.  If you don't want it so spicy, just use a mild italian sausage.  I cook spicy things alot, so my kids are used to it.  Sometimes I won't feed them the same thing as us if what I am cooking is extra spicy. 

I am not a fan of using wine to cook with - I just don't like the flavor.  In place of the red wine in this recipe, I just used an extra cup of beef broth.  I also had run out of celery and didn't want to go to the store.  I used celery seed to give the flavor.  I don't like using spinach in soup, so it was really just a personal preference to leave that out.  I'm sure it would be just as good with it in it. 

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

1 pound spicy Italian sausage
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 russet potato, cubed
5 stalks celery, diced
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 cup red wine
1 (32 fluid ounce) container beef broth
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 cup uncooked rotini pasta
1 cup baby spinach leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 bunch fresh basil, chopped
salt and black pepper to taste

Heat the vegetable oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook the Italian sausages in the hot oil, turning occasionally, until browned on the outside and no longer pink in the center, 10 to 15 minutes. Set aside to cool; remove all but 1 tablespoon of grease from the pot.

Stir the garlic, onion, carrot, potato, and celery into the hot fat. Cook until the vegetables are tender and the onion has turned translucent, about 7 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste until no lumps remain; pour in the red wine. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook until the liquid has reduced by half, stirring frequently to dissolve the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the beef broth, black beans, and diced tomatoes. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 1 hour.

Cut the cooled sausage into 1/2-inch thick slices. Stir the sausage into the soup along with the rotini pasta, spinach, and dried oregano. Simmer until the pasta is tender, 7 to 10 minutes. Stir in the chopped basil and season to taste with salt and pepper before serving.

Parmesan Chicken

My husband raves about this recipe. 

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1 egg
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Flatten chicken to 1/4-in. thickness. I use a freezer zip lock bag, place in chicken, then use a rolling pin to beat the chicken down. In a shallow bowl, combine bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and basil. In another bowl, beat the egg. Dip chicken into egg, then coat with crumb mixture. In a 13X9 baking dish place chicken breasts. Bake in preheated oven on 350 for 20-25 minutes.

Curried Honey Mustard Chicken

We are big fans of curry at our house (even the kids love it).  Add some to a honey mustard sauce, and you have got some seriously yummy chicken on your hands. 

1/3 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup Dijon-style prepared mustard
4 teaspoons curry powder
1 pinch ground cayenne pepper
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

In a medium bowl combine the melted butter/margarine, honey, mustard, curry powder and cayenne powder. Mix well. Place chicken breasts in a 9x13 inch baking dish and pour honey/mustard mixture over chicken. Cover and place in refrigerator. Marinate for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Remove dish from refrigerator and bake, covered, in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Remove cover and bake about 10 minutes more, or until done and juices run clear (baking time will depend a little on how thick your chicken breasts are - I use pretty thick chicken breasts, so I cooked it for 20 minutes covered and another ten or so uncovered).

So I didn't decide to make this until it was way too late to marinate it for that long.  I only was able to get about an hour of marinating in.  So I used my newest favorite kitchen gadget - the meat injector. 

Have you ever used one of these?  I mentioned it here, also. I just got some of the sauce in here and injected it right into the chicken.  Yum.

Onion Mushroom Meatloaf

Normally, I use Lawry's meatloaf seasoning to make meatloaf.  When our youngest was born, we had a neighbor bring us some meatloaf for dinner.  It was so tasty, and I just couldn't resist asking for the recipe.  I made it again the other night, and it was a hit.

Preheat oven to 350°

1 envelope Lipton Onion-Mushroom Soup Mix
1 1/2 lbs ground beef (as lean as possible)
1 c. soft bread crumbs
1 egg
1/2 c. water
1/4 c. catsup
In medium bowl, combine all ingredients. Shape into loaf in a shallow pan. Bake uncovered approximately 1 hour
Topping:
1/4 c. catsup
3 T brown sugar
2 T Dijon-style mustard.
Spread topping on top of meatloaf halfway through baking time (1/2 hr) Return to oven.
Serves 6

Fish Cakes

Fish is not one of my favorite things.  I have always liked shellfish and canned tuna.  I have also always liked fish sticks....Anyway, I made these with Halibut, and they are now on my "regular dinners" list.  So good!

1 lemon

1 ¼ lbs. fresh flaky fish (cod, halibut, mahi-mahi, or canned tuna)
¼ c. vegetable oil
2 tsp. seafood seasoning blend
2 ribs celery (hearts) and their greens, finely chopped
1 small yellow onion, peeled and finely chopped
2-3 T. chopped fresh thyme leaves (or 2 tsp. dried thyme)
3-4 T. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
salt & pepper to taste
1 egg
2 c. plain bread crumbs (or 4 slices toast processed to crumbs in food processor)
In a large, nonstick skillet, bring ½ inch water to a simmer. Zest a lemon and reserve. Cut lemon and season the fish with lemon juice and salt and add to simmering water. Cover pan and cook fish about 8 min. Remove and flake fish into a bowl. Discard water and wipe out pan, returning it to medium heat and add oil. To the fish, add reserved lemon zest, seafood seasoning, celery, onion, thyme, parsley, salt and pepper. Add egg and 1 c. of the bread crumbs. Form 8 fish patties (I only made six, but I also only used about a pound of fish) and carefully toss in remaining bread crumbs to set the patties. Cook the patties in the oil for 4-5 minutes on each side until golden brown. Serve with a lemon on the table to squeeze over the patties.

Mom’s Chili

This is a mild recipe for chili, but still oh so good. Don't worry, you will get a few more chili recipes throughout the winter.

1 lb. ground beef, cooked and drained
½ onion, chopped
1 can light kidney beans
2 cans dark kidney beans
1 20 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
½ tsp. - 1 tsp. salt (to taste)
2-3 tsp. chili powder
Dash pepper
Sautee ground beef and onion together. Add all ingredients into a pot and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

Chicken Cannelloni

I was flipping through the pages of a magazine this afternoon and saw an advertisement for an italian frozen meal. It was not anything I had attempted to make before, or even seen a recipe for. So I went in search. I found a recipe that looked pretty good and changed a few things. My husband had requested teriyaki chicken for dinner, but this just looked too good to pass up. After we finished eating, he said he was very glad that I did not make the teriyaki chicken. Thanks, honey!

Sauce:

1/4 c. (1/2 stick) butter

1 clove garlic, crushed

1/4 c. flour

1 tsp. instant chicken bouillon

1/8 tsp. white pepper

2 c. light cream or half and half

1/2 c. combined grated Parmesan and Romano cheese

Cannelloni:

8 manicotti shells

2 tbsp. butter

3 tbsp. sliced green onion

8-10oz. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained

2 c. finely chopped chicken

1/2 c. combined grated Parmesan and Romano cheese

2 eggs, beaten

3/4 tsp. Italian seasoning

1/4 tsp. pepper

Sauce: saute garlic in butter 3 minutes. Stir in flour and seasonings. Remove from heat. Gradually stir in cream. Bring to boiling over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute. Reduce heat to low. Stir in cheese until melted (set aside).

Cannelloni, boil shells according to package directions. Rinse and drain. Meanwhile, saute onion in butter until tender (about 3 minutes). Remove from heat; stir in remaining ingredients.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Fill shells. Place in buttered 2 quart rectangular baking dish. Spoon sauce over filled cannelloni. Bake 20 minutes. Then broil several inches from source of heat about 5 minutes or until sauce becomes golden and bubbles (serve immediately).

Frozen pizza...or homemade pizza?

You can buy a frozen pizza at the grocery store for anywhere between $1 and $10. Some taste like cardboard, some taste pretty good. To me, however, homemade pizza is so much better. There are times when a frozen pizza is just too easy to pass up, though. I have found a solution! I made some pizza dough, flattened it out on a pan, then stuck it in the freezer. I also made some extra pizza sauce, put it in a baggie, and stuck it in the freezer, as well. I normally keep some grated mozzarella cheese in the freezer. So there you have it. Fresher ingredients than a frozen pizza, and better tasting, too! Plus it's there and easy for the husband to take out the freezer on nights when you want a break from cooking!

Pizza Dough
1 ½ c. flour
½ tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. oil
1 pkg. active dry yeast
½ c. warm water
Mix yeast in water. Add flour, salt and oil. Knead well. Cover with cloth and let rise approximately 15-30 minutes. (Double for one large round pizza)

Fast Pizza Sauce
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 6 oz. can tomato paste
¼ tsp. garlic powder
¼ tsp. salt
1 tsp. oregano (or Italian seasoning)

Quiche Lorraine

There are many different types of quiche. There is the crab kind, the ham kind, the vegetable kind, and the bacon kind. This is one of my favorites.

1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch single crust pie (you can get the recipe here)
12 slices bacon
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1/3 cup minced onion
4 eggs, beaten
1 ½ cups light cream
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white sugar
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
Place bacon in a large skillet, and fry over medium-high heat until crisp. Drain on paper towels, then chop coarsely. Sprinkle bacon, cheese and onion into pastry shell.
In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, cream, salt, sugar and cayenne pepper. Pour mixture into pastry shell.
Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Reduce heat to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C), and bake an additional 30 minutes, or until a knife inserted 1 inch from edge comes out clean. Allow quiche to sit 10 minutes before cutting into wedges.

Stuffed Peppers

1 pound ground beef

1/2 cup uncooked long grain white rice

1 cup water

4 green bell peppers

3 (8 ounce) cans tomato sauce

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

Salt and pepper to taste

2 Tbsp Italian seasoning

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place the rice and water in a saucepan, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and cook 20 minutes. In a skillet over medium heat, cook the beef until evenly browned. Remove and discard the tops, seeds, and membranes of the bell peppers. Arrange peppers in a baking dish with the hollowed sides facing upward. (Slice the bottoms of the peppers if necessary so that they will stand upright.) In a bowl, mix the browned beef, cooked rice, 2 cans tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper, and 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning. Spoon an equal amount of the mixture into each hollowed pepper. Mix the remaining tomato sauce and Italian seasoning in a bowl, and pour over the stuffed peppers. Bake 1 hour in the preheated oven, basting with sauce every 15 minutes, until the peppers are tender.

Sesame Pork

Serves 3-4
3 whole boneless chicken breasts or Pork
Marinade:
2 Tbsp. light soy sauce
1 Tbsp. cooking wine or dry sherry
A few drops of sesame oil
2 Tbsp. flour
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
2 Tbsp. water
¼ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vegetable oil
Sauce for chicken:
½ c. water
1 c. chicken broth
1/8 – 3/4 c. vinegar (depending on how sweet you want the sauce – for a sweeter sauce, reduce the amount of vinegar)
¼ c. cornstarch
1 c. sugar
2 Tbsp dark soy sauce
2 Tbsp. sesame oil
1 tsp. chili paste or more if desired
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. toasted sesame seeds
3 ½ - 4 c. peanut oil for deep-frying
Cut the chicken into 1-inch cubes. Mix the marinade ingredients and marinate the chicken for 20 minutes, Mix together all of the sauce ingredients. Pour them into a small saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring continuously. Turn the heat to low and keep warm while deep-frying the chicken. Add the marinated pieces of chicken a few at a time and deep fry until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Repeat with the remainder of the chicken. Just before you are finished deep-frying, bring the sauce back to a boil. Place the chicken on a large platter and pour the sauce over. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve with rice.

I have had a hard time getting to an asian market to get dark soy sauce, so the dish pictured used regular soy sauce in the sauce. Using dark soy sauce makes for a much better color.