Some recipes~Island Pork and Pesto Stuffed Shells

So here's a couple things from the back of the stove this week:

Island Pork  (I've made this twice and its pretty yummy.  I'm going to try it on the grill.)

For spice rub:

• 2 tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 pork tenderloins (2 ¼ - 2 ½ lbs total) trimmed
• 2 tbsp olive oil

For Glaze:

• ¾ cup packed dark brown sugar
• 2 tbsp finely chopped garlic
• 1 tbsp Tabasco

Stir the spice rub ingredients together in a small bowl and rub all over the pork.  Heat oil in ovenproof 12-inch heavy skillet over medium high heat.  Brown pork, turning occasionally, about 4-5 minutes total.  Remove from heat, but leave pork in skillet.

Stir together brown sugar, garlic and Tabasco in a small bowl.  Pat the mixture on top of the pork.  Place skillet in the oven at 350.  Roast until thermometer inserted diagonally into the center of each tenderloin registers 140 degrees, about 20 minutes.  Let pork stand in skillet, loosely covered with foil for 10 minutes.  

 

Pesto Stuffed Shells (These are the bomb.  I think its the pesto but they're awesome and a perfect company meal.) 

• About 1/2 Crock-Pot Bolognese recipe 
  (I just use my own spaghetti sauce.  I usually have some in the freezer I can pull out.)
• 12 pasta shells, cooked
•  
• For the Filling:
• 2 cups low fat cottage cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese
• 1/3 cup prepared pesto (I use the red pepper pesto from Aldi.  It's about $2 and I can use it in the recipe twice.)
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Extra cheeses for the top, if desired
• parsley flakes, for garnish {optional}

Directions:

1. Make Crockpot Bolognese Sauce according to directions.
2. Spread about 1 1/2 cups of sauce into the bottom of your crockpot to serve as a base and a no-crunchy-or-burned-noodle-barrier. Set aside.
3. For the filling, stir all ingredients together until combined. Spoon filling into cooked shells, stuffing evenly. Place into bottom of crockpot, onto that sauce.
4. Spoon more sauce over the top of each shell and sprinkle with extra cheese if you feel so inclined. Cover and cook 1 1/2 hours on high or 3 hours on low OR until hot all the way through. Sprinkle with parsley flakes and serve.
5. **Non-crockpot directions: Place shells into 9x13 baking dish, cover with foil and bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until hot.

My take on Mexican chicken lasagna

I've been trying to use up some things I have lurking in my freezer and this week I pulled out some southwest flavored chicken and the hugest tortillas I've ever seen.  And since I'm all about easy meals, here's what I did to make some pretty yummy Mexican Lasagna.

Mexican Lasagna

Ingredients:

1 lb of taco/southwestern seasoned chicken
8 oz tomato sauce
3 big tortillas (burrito size)  or just overlap smaller tortillas
about 2 cups of cheddar/colby jack cheese
1 can black beans
1/2 cup of green enchilada sauce

Cook the chicken and shred it.  I dumped 8 oz of tomato sauce on it while it was cooking.  I used the crockpot with a liner to make it super simple.
Using a square pan, place a tortilla in the bottom and then layer half the chicken, half the beans, and a sprinkling of cheese.   Repeat 1 more time and then put a tortilla on top, spread the enchilada sauce on top of the tortilla, and sprinkle with a bit more cheese.
Bake for about 35 minutes at 350.  I let it cool for a few minutes before we ate.

Zesty Italian Chicken

I have finally made a meal besides pizza that my whole family inhaled!  Aaron even ate it! 

Zesty Italian Chicken (adapted from Life Should Cost Less)
I have made the recipe from the link as is before and it is very tasty.  My version was born out of desperation because it was going on 2:00 before I got the crockpot going and I knew frozen chicken breast would not be done by the time dinner needed to be served, so here's what I did:


2 C Chicken Broth (or 16 oz water & 2 tsp Chicken Base)
¼ C Whole Wheat Flour
1/4 cup of Italian dressing
1/2 teaspoon of 5 pepper spice mix from Sam's Club
A few grinds of black pepper
3 cups of cubed cooked chicken

I mixed this all up and put it on high for about 2 1/2 hours.  Then I added about 3/4 cup of sour cream and mixed it in and let it heat up for a half hour.  I served it over brown rice, but Chris thinks noodles would be better.  There wasn't a speck of leftovers left!

Magical Coffee

Andrew and Noah are at art camp every morning this week so the 3 youngest and I ran errands this morning.  I was sorely tempted to make a trip to Bigby, but suppressed the urge and instead drank some magic coffee I had in my fridge.  I've tried many iced coffee recipes at home and this is by far my favorite.  And bonus, it isn't full of sugar.

Magical Coffee

2/3 cup coarsely ground coffee (I've used coffee I've ground at Meijer, but this time all I had was Folger's Black Silk and I'm enjoying it just as much as the coarsely ground Meijer Gold coffee.)
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
3 Tablespoons of brown sugar

Pour ingredients into quart size mason jar and fill to the brim with water.  Screw the lid on and shake ingredients around a bit.  Place in refrigerator overnight.
The next day, strain the coffee through a filter or paper towel (Make sure you put a bowl under the strainer so you don't lose any coffee!).  Pour over ice cubes (frozen coffee ice cubes if you think ahead.) so the cup is 2/3 to 3/4 of the way full.  Fill up the rest with milk or cream (whole milk tastes wonderful).

I go through mine in about 2 days.  I may have to start doubling the recipe!

Taco Meat recipe

One of Andrew's favorite meals is hard shell tacos.  The boys are getting bigger and eating a little bit more and ground beef isn't getting any cheaper.  So when I made tacos yesterday, I was inspired by this post to try and make my 1 lb of ground beef stretch a little farther.  The taco meat I made yesterday was much yummier than just a pound of meat with prepackaged seasoning, plus we had enough leftover to make nachos this weekend.

Taco Meat

1 lb of ground beef
1/2 a large onion
1 can of pinto beans (or whatever kind of beans you like)
8 oz tomato sauce
1/2-3/4 c of salsa
3/4 c of water
1 recipe of homemade taco seasoning

Brown ground beef and onion in large skillet until beef is cooked.  I use my mix n chop from Pamper Chef to really chop my meat up since I don't like big chunks.  Drain the grease from the beef and onions and put them back in the pan.  Add the rest of the ingredients to the pan and stir well.  Cover and simmer lightly for about 30 minutes, stirring occassionally.

*If you don't like a lot of spice, leave the dried red pepper flakes out of the taco seasoning.
*I used this pan to brown my meat.  I recently bought it at Kohls with a 30% off coupon and I've used it a bunch ever since.

Best pizza I've ever made

I haven't made homemade pizza in awhile, but since we are having a rather uneventful weekend (nothing planned for once!), we had homemade pizza for dinner tonight and I have to say, it turned out pretty well!  Here's the recipe I used:

Fail-Proof Pizza Dough 

From Lauren's Latest

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup warm water
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons olive or canola oil
3 cups bread flour (I used 2 cups of white flour and 1 cup of whole grain white flour)

Mix everything together with a Kitchen Aid mixer bread hook attachment for 5-6 min and let rise for 1-2 hours.  My dough made 2 round pizzas and I baked each for about 10 min in a 475 degree oven.  We only have 2 measly pieces left over.  Pretty soon I'll need to make a double batch!

Olga Bread

Ever been to Olga's Kitchen?  They make all their sandwiches with their special Olga bread.  My mom gave me the recipe awhile back and I made it for the first time yesterday.  The whole fam loved it and I used some of the leftover breads to make mini pizzas today.

Olga's Kitchen Bread Recipe

(with my mom's notes)

1 cup milk 
1/4 cup honey 
1/4 cup margarine 
1 teaspoon granulated sugar 
2 1/4 teaspoons (1 package) active dry yeast
1 egg
4 cups all-purpose flour, divided 
1 teaspoon salt 
1/4 cup warm water

I use my Kitchen Aid for this, but you could also use a bread machine.  Heat the milk and honey in the microwave, and then stir in the margarine until it's melted.  Add the sugar and 1 1/2 cups flour, mix until combined.  Add egg and yeast, mix to combine.  Add salt and remaining flour  and knead for several minutes.  I don't usually need to add any of the warm water, but if the dough is too dry, add up to 1/4 cup.

Place dough in a greased bowl, turn to oil top and cover.  Let rise in a warm place until double in bulk.   Punch down and cut into 16 pieces.  Roll each into a circle about 1/8 inch thick.  (You will want to roll out all the dough before you start cooking.)

Cook each piece in a large preheated skillet, approx 10 -15 seconds per side. You may need to spray it with Pam a couple of times.  I use a cast iron skillet.

Freezer Meal: Mini Meatloaves

Before I left for Canada on Monday, I had to deal with 3 lbs of ground beef in my refrigerator. I already had some browned in the freezer so I decided to make some mini meatloaves. The following is my friend Jen's recipe with a couple changes that make it even easier.

Jen P's Mini Meatloaves (with a couple changes)
*1 egg
*3/4 c. milk
*1/2 c. quick oats and 1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
or 1 package of Fresh Take Cheddar Jack and Bacon
*1/2 c. of chopped onion or a couple good shakes of minced onion (if you're in a hurry.  Or too lazy to chop an onion, like me. :-) )
*a dash of salt
*a few grinds of pepper

Sauce:
2/3 c. of ketchup
1/2 c. of brown sugar
1 t. of mustard
(I just use whatever barbecue sauce I have on hand.)

Mix everything together and shape into 8 loaves.


I used my handy mix n chop from Pampered Chef.


I stuck this triple batch into the freezer for a few hours and then just popped them into a gallon freezer bag so I can take out however many I want.

Thaw in the fridge, top with sauce or barbecue sauce and bake at 350 for about 45 min.

Strawberry Orange Pineapple Smoothie

My new favorite smoothie recipe:



7-8 frozen or fresh strawberries (add some ice if you use fresh)
1/2 a peeled orange
1/2 cup or so of fresh or canned pineapple
1  6 oz container of lime yogurt
1/2 cup or so of orange juice
1-2 T of steel cut oats (you  can leave this out, we like the texture)

Blend well and enjoy!
Makes approximately two servings.

Oreo Cake (The most delicious cake ever!)

If you love chocolate, you must make this cake.  Chris even said it was really good.  :-)

Oreo Cake

(recipe from my sis-in-law, Ang)

1 (18.25 ounce) package devil's food cake mix {with or without pudding}
1 (5.9 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1/2 cup warm water
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Mix all the above ingredients together.  Bake at 350 in a 9x13 for 35-40 min or 2 round pans for 25-35 min.

If you use a 9x13, put the ganache on top of the cake, then the frosting.  For the round pans, put the frosting in between the two layers and then the ganache on top.

Chocolate Ganache:

1 cup choc chips

1/4 cup butter

Melt together and let cool.

Frosting:

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sugar

2 cups thawed whipped topping

12 crushed oreos

Mix cream cheese and sugar together and then fold in whippped topping and oreos.

I was trying to cut the sugar a little bit, so I skipped the chocolate chips in the batter and didn't put the ganache on.  I baked it in 2 round pans and used reduced fat cream cheese, fat free sour cream, and fat free whipped topping.  Could have probably subbed some unsweetened applesauce for some of the veg. oil.  I crushed up a few extra oreos to sprinkle on top on the frosting.  It was still really yummy!

Overnight Apple Pie Oatmeal in the Crockpot

I saw this recipe on pinterest awhile ago and have wanted to try it.  I happened to come across steel cut oats at Aldi last week so I tried it out Friday night.  Andrew didn't like it because of the apples in it (He says he likes raw apples, not cooked apples.)  Chris didn't like it because he says he was forced to eat too much oatmeal in his youth.  :-)  But I thought it was great and it keeps in the fridge so I will be able to have a quick, healthy breakfast for a few mornings.

Here's the recipe with my changes:

Apple Pie Breakfast

Cooking With Jax

Ingredients

- 1 cup of steel cut oats*

- 3 diced apples (I had some frozen ones in the freezer.  I don't think mine totaled 3 apples, I probably used about a cup and a half of sliced apples.)

- 1 cup apple juice 

- 3 cups water 

- 1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional)

(I added 1 cup of skim milk, 4-5 T of brown sugar, and a dash of salt also.)

Directions - Slow Cooker

For Best Results:  Combine all ingredients in slow cooker and cook for 2-4 hours on high or 4-6 hours on low until it reaches the consistency that you like.  Be sure to stir every hour or so.

* You can also cook longer without stirring, but you have to add more water liquid and it does come out a bit mushier.  Add an extra cup of liquid for 7-8 hours in the slow cooker.

Here's what it looked like before it was cooked.

The whole reason I was attracted to this recipe was because I could do it overnight.  So I added the extra liquid (milk) and set my crockpot on low.  I happened to be awake at 5 in the morning so I went to check it and it was done, so I just set my crockpot to warm and it was perfect when I went to eat it at 8 AM.  Next time, I think I will make the recipe x 1.5.  I only have a 6 qt crockpot.  A smaller one may be better for this recipe if you want to do it overnight.

Here's what it looked like when we ate it in the morning.  Looks like the edges got a little overdone.

Yum!  I think it would be good with peaches or cherries too.

Recipe: Easy Chocolate Pudding Pie

 

Dessert hasn't been a problem providing the last couple of weeks due to all the treats flowing in and out of the house over the holidays.  But yesterday we were running dry, so I quick whipped this pie up and it was a hit with all 5 boys!

Chocolate Pudding Pie

1 graham crust
1 large box of chocolate pudding
2 1/2 cups of milk
4 oz of cream cheese
8 oz Cool Whip
mini chocolate chips, heath bits, etc (optional)

Soften the cream cheese in a bowl in the microwave, about 30 seconds.  Whisk it a bit to break it up and make it creamy and then add in 2 1/2 cups of milk and whisk.  Whisk in pudding mix and let it set so its slightly firm.  Fold in Cool Whip and spoon into pie shell.  Top with mini chocolate chips if you want.

Quick Snack/Appetizer: Ham Biscuits

My mom used to make these tasty little bites while I was growing up on Sunday evenings.  I'm not sure if she had a recipe or just made them up, but they are a quick, tasty snack to serve.

Mom's Ham Biscuits

Ingredients:
1 can of biscuits (the really cheap ones)
1 can of Hormel ham
mustard
mayo
black pepper
minced onion
about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of shredded cheese or 3-4 processed cheese slices torn in bits

Split each biscuit in half along the edge so you get 20 biscuit rounds.
Chop ham up and dump it in a bowl.  Squeeze about a tablespoon of mustard in, a healthy spoonful of mayo, a good dose of black pepper and a shake of minced onion.  Dump in the cheese and mash/mix everything up well.  Divide evenly among biscuit rounds and bake at 350 for 10-12 min or until biscuits are brown on the bottom and cooked through.  

Linda's Pumpkin Crunch

Here's a super-easy, delicious fall pumpkin recipe.  I got it from my mother-in-law who got it from the inside of an Aldi egg carton.

Linda's Pumpkin Crunch

1 box yellow cake mix
1 can (15 oz) evap milk
1 can (15 oz) pumpkin (I used 2 c of squash)
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups of sugar
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t salt
1/2 c chopped pecans (optional)
1 cup melted buuter

Preheat oven to 350.
Combine pumpkin (or squash), milk, eggs, sugar, cinnamon, and salt in large bowl.  Pour into 9x13 pan.  Sprinkle cake mix and pecans over top.  Drizzle melted butter over pecans.  Bake at 350 for 50-55 min, or until golden brown.  Cool and serve chilled with whipped topping.

New Favorite

Found these at Morries's last week.  Delicious!

 
Photo from google images.


And while we're on the subject of potato chips, did you know you can make delicious chips in the microwave if you have some potatoes, salt, and olive oil?  Here's how.

The surest way to gain 10 lbs (at least!)

I have been married for almost 10 years and have been making chocolate chip cookies for at least as long. My cookies have always turned out tasty, but flat and definitely not bakery worthy.

Until now. I have finally discovered a recipe that will forever change the way I bake chocolate chip cookies.

Source: tendercrumb.blogspot.com via Taylor on Pinterest

Jacques Torres' Secret Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
Makes twenty-six 5-inch cookies or 8 1/2 dozen 1 1/4-inch cookies

Ingredients 
1 pound unsalted butter
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
2 1/4 cups packed light-brown sugar
4 large eggs
3 cups plus 2 tablespoons pastry flour
3 cups bread flour
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 pounds bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats; set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugars.
- Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- Reduce speed to low and add both flours, baking powder, baking soda, vanilla, and chocolate; mix until well combined.
- Using a 4-ounce scoop for larger cookies or a 1-ounce scoop for smaller cookies, scoop cookie dough onto prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart.
- Bake until lightly browned, but still soft, about 20 minutes for larger cookies and about 15 minutes for smaller cookies.
- Cool slightly on baking sheets before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely

Definitely click on the recipe link and read her tips for these cookies.  Do not substitute different flours and be sure to let the dough rest for at least 24 hrs.  Self-control, people!

What's Cookin'

Mon~Oriental cabbage salad, grilled chicken
Tues~Waffles, bacon, fruit
Wed~San francisco pork chops, mashed potatoes, carrots
Thurs~Chicken Tacos, refried beans, salad
Fri~Meatball subs, cold veggies
Sat~Sub sandwiches, chips, picnic food at the beach
Sun~Corn, bacon and potato chowder, bread

Source: weightwatchers.com via Heather on Pinterest

Mon~Memorial Day feast-Mini fruit pizzas and ham and cheese sliders

Source: bannerboutique.blogspot.com via Heather on Pinterest

Eats this week

My favorite meal that my mom made while I was growing up was roast beef and gravy, carrots, and potatoes.  It was actually a very scientific meal.  First, I mashed up my potatoes and carrots and mixed them together.  Then I chopped up some roast beef and forked in on top and smothered the whole mess with gravy.  And usually had seconds.  And my brother added ketchup to his mess.  Quite often my folks would be done eating before my brother and I even made a dent in our plates.

Roast beef was on sale this week at Meijer for $3.49/lb.  Kind of expensive for meat, but we hadn't had any roast beef in awhile and the $12 roast I bought will make at least 3 meals, if not 4.  I tried a recipe similar to this one and my husband immediately detected the 3/4 cup of cola in it (he doesn't like sweet in his savory dishes).  So next time I will just use beef broth.  I like this recipe because it makes an abundance of gravy and I made the whole meal in the crockpot.  I mixed the soups and gravy mix all together in the crockpot and then added carrots and potatoes with the roast layered on top.  It cooked on low for about 5-6 hrs and on high for 2-3 (it was a very large roast).  Delicious and reminiscent of my childhood.

Tonight we had this delicious recipe for spaghetti and meatballs, except I made mine in the crockpot and omitted the water.  I doubled the recipe for the sauce and  quickly realized that I would not be able to fit the meatballs in later, so I simmered the sauce on high for about 5 hours and removed half of it to freezer containers.  I then added half of the meatballs I had made (and froze the other half) and dropped them into the sauce and simmered on high for about 2 1/2 more hours.  The result was delicious, tender meatballs.  I also have a bunch of leftovers, sauce for our pizza tomorrow, and 3 more meals which will likely result in more leftovers.  Love it when that happens!

We noticed at dinner that Andrew really enjoyed his spaghetti.  I wonder what our first clue was??  (He wasn't thrilled to get his pic taken.)

In honor of Chris' 37th birthday, I made a Boston cream poke cake.  Quite decadent-tasting and quite simple.

How to make a panini without a press

Last Friday night we tried go to Arnie's because Chris was itching for a panini and hey, we had a coupon! Unfortunately, the Arnie's on Leonard isn't reopening until June. So we got subs and Chinese and ate dinner by at Riverside park and walked on the blue bridge, which was a much better option for the boys anyway. It was so fun, we plan on doing it again.

Anyway, when I saw this recipe on Pinterest, I knew I had to try it.

Chicken and Bacon Panini with Spicy Chipotle Mayo
(From eat-drink-love.com)


For the Spicy Chipotle Mayo:
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce (If you don't care for spice, use the sauce, not the pepper, or skip altogether.)
1/2 cup mayo
juice of 1 lime (I forgot this, but it was still delish.)
1/2 tsp. adobo seasoning (I skipped this.)

For the Panini:
1 1/2 cups cooked chicken breast (I used chopped grilled chicken from the freezer)
4 slices of cooked bacon
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 tomato, sliced into 4 slices
2 tsp. olive oil
salt
4 slices of bread (I used Italian)
butter

Instructions


For the Spicy Chipotle Mayo
~Mix mayo ingredients in a food processor or blender until smooth  (I used my blender.  A food processor would probably work better, but use whatever you have.)

For the Panini
~The original recipe called for roasting the tomatoes in the oven, but I skipped this step.
~Heat your grill pan to medium heat.  I brushed it with a little olive oil.  (I found this cast iron grill pan for 6 bucks at Goodwill!)

~Butter one side of each piece of bread and place bottom slice in the pan.
~Pile on the toppings!  I did it in this order:  chicken, tomatoes, bacon cheese, mayo.

I had another cast iron pan I was going to put on top, but the bottom is nasty so I just used this skillet and pressed down.  Seemed to work pretty well.

~Cook for a few minutes until golden brown and you get some nice grill marks.  I flipped and then used my skillet to press down on the sandwiches.

My husband said this was the best panini he has ever had.  High praise from a man who has quite the discerning palate.  :-)


Oh, and I didn't make these for the boys, they had grilled cheese and were as happy as hogs in mud.

Mini-baked oatmeals

Source: sugarfreemom.com via Heather on Pinterest

I made these a couple weeks ago and stuck them in the freezer and Andrew and I have really been enjoying them. I eat mine with yogurt and peaches and Andrew tops his with mini-chocolate chips. These are sweetened with banana, unsweetened applesauce, and honey. These are great for a quick breakfast, just defrost them in the microwave for 2-3 minutes. They are even GF if you have the right oats and baking powder.