What's Cookin' in Mama Jan's Kitchen?

Slow Cooker Chicken Enchiladas Verdes Casserole Recipe

2011-01-19T12:22:00.000-08:00

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This is a super easy slow-cooker recipe. I wanted to make an enchilada casserole the other day and I really love slow cooker recipes so I don't have to be cooking dinner during "the witching hour" (anyone with small kids knows what I'm talking about). I figured I could come up with something good and this was it! We like a little heat in our Mexican dishes so next time I would add the can of diced chiles. I will include them in the recipe even though I didn't use them the first time.

Source: combo of several recipes plus a little Mama Jan Original

INGREDIENTS
• 2½ cups cooked chicken, shredded or cubed (2-3 chicken breasts)
• 1 cup asadero or Asiago cheese, shredded (divided)
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• garlic (a couple cloves), minced
• 1/3 C fresh cilantro, finely chopped (subs. green onions, sliced)
• 1/3 C lowfat sour cream
• 1 4-oz. can chopped green chiles (optional, for heat)
• 1 T lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 14-oz. can mild green enchilada sauce (or try the homemade sauce from this recipe if you have time!)
• 18 6-inch corn tortillas, cut into quarters

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine chicken, 1/2 cup of the cheese, onion, garlic, cilantro, sour cream, canned chiles (if desired), lime juice, cumin, salt and pepper in a medium bowl.

2. Spread 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce on the bottom of your slow cooker.

3. Layer 1/3 of your tortilla quarters, then half the chicken mixture, 1/3 of your tortillas quarters, the remaining half of the chicken mixture, and finally the remaining tortilla quarters.

4. Pour the remaining enchilada sauce on top. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup of cheese.

5. Cook on low for 3-4 hours.

Conventional Oven option: Follow instructions using a 9x13 casserole dish. Cover with foil and bake 30-40 minutes at 350°.

Kitchen Tip:For shredded chicken (my favorite in any Mexican dish), I place the chicken breasts in my slow cooker. Sprinkle with salt and pepper then pour in enough water or chicken broth to cover the breasts. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours. Remove and shred! You can make a bunch and a time and then freeze it in portions. Be sure to remove as much air as possible so your chicken doesn't get freezer burn!

Sour Cream Coffee Cake Recipe

2010-12-26T16:57:00.000-08:00

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The recipe came from my grandma. My grandparents lived in Hawaii for a few years in the 1960s and this recipe came from a neighbor of theirs while they lived there. It's been a family favorite every since! It was my contribution to Christmas breakfast this year. I've eaten this coffee cake so many times but it was my first time making it. I was surprised to find out just how easy it is! Would be perfect for special occasions, brunch, serving to your Sunday School class or PTA group!

source: Grammy/Mom - family favorite recipe.

INGREDIENTS

2 C flour

1 ¼ teaspoons baking pwder

¼ teaspoon salt

1 C butter (2 sticks), softened

2 C sugar

2 eggs

2 ½ teaspoons vanilla

1 C sour cream

½ C chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans are good)

2 teaspoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

powdered sugar (for dusting)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350°
Grease and flour an angel food cake pan.

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
Cream together the butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla. Alternately add the dry ingredients and the sour cream to the creamed mixture. Put half the batter into the prepared cake pan. Sprinkle with half of the filling. Add the remaining batter and top with the remaining filling. Bake for 1 hour.
Remove from oven and sprinkle with powdered sugar.
Cool right-side up in the pan for 2-3 hours or overnight. Carefully lift the cake off the angel food cake pan, slice and serve!

Peppermint Chippers Cookie Recipe

2010-12-19T13:35:00.000-08:00

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Peppermint Chippers are a family favorite for the holidays! They're basically just chocolate chip cookies with crushed candy canes but the cookie recipe is different than the one I use for chocolate chip cookies.

They are soooo good. You can even freeze them and eat them just as they start thawing - cold, pepperminty, chewy, crunchy. Yum.

cookies for Santa!

source: family favorite recipe
INGREDIENTS
• 1 cup shortening
• 1 cup sugar
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• 2 cups chocolate chips
• 1 cup crushed peppermint candy canes (about 8 candy canes) *see kitchen tip*

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Cream together the shortening, sugar, brown sugar and vanilla. Add eggs and mix well.
3. Sift together flour, baking soda and salt. Add to creamed mixture.
4. Stir in chocolate chips and peppermint candy.
5. Drop by spoonfuls onto a baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes.

Kitchen Tip:
To crush the candy canes, unwrap them, put them in a plastic bag and break them with a meat mallet or rolling pin. Don't break them up too small or you'll end up with candy cane powder!

Brie & Goat Cheese Panini with Basil Tomato Soup Recipe

2010-12-04T16:04:00.000-08:00

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I'm not a big "soup and sandwich" kind of girl but as soon as our weather turned colder I started craving grilled cheese. One evening for dinner, my husband decided to fix a brie and goat cheese panini that he had heard Bobby Flay mention on an episode of Throwdown. Bobby's recipe called for bacon and tomato but we left it out. Personally, I'm super glad we left it out. I LOVED the flavors of the brie and goat cheese together and their different textures. There was so much going on in the sandwich that it didn't need any other flavors competing!

This was my first time eating tomato soup so I didn't have anything to compare it to. I did like it and it was awesome with the panini. We followed reviewers on allrecipes.com and increased the sugar. It was pretty sweet so the second time we made it, we left the sugar as-is (the recipe you'll find below).... so much better! We froze half of the soup to have for next time! Simply let the soup cool slightly and pour into a ziploc freezer bag. Remove as much air as possible and lay flat to freeze! Be sure to label your freezer bag :) I usually place the freezer bag on a cookie sheet until frozen through and then I can store it upright in my freezer.

BASIL TOMATO SOUP
source: adapted from allrecipes.com
total time: 20 minutes
serves: 6

Ingredients

2 (28oz) cans crushed tomatoes - aim for no-salt added!
1 (14.5oz) can vegetable broth
18 fresh basil leaves, minced (about a cup of leaves)
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup butter

Directions

In a large saucepan, bring the tomatoes and broth to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add basil and sugar. Reduce heat to low, stir in cream and butter. Heat (do not boil) until butter is melted.

BRIE & GOAT CHEESE PANINI
source: adapted from Bobby Flay's recipe
serves: 4

Ingredients

8 slices ciabatta, focaccia, herb slab or other favorite bread (we also liked it on sliced sourdough)
8 to 12 ounces of good brie
8 ounces soft goat cheese
watercress
butter
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Directions

Heat a cast iron griddle or cast iron pan over medium heat (or your panini grill...).
Spread butter on 1 side of each slice of bread. Layer four of the slices of the bread with 3 to 4 slices of brie, watercress, and 2 slices of goat cheese (you can freeze the goat cheese slightly to make it easier to slice). Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Place the remaining bread slices on top, butter side up and cook on the griddle until golden brown on both sides and the brie has melted.

Beef & Black Bean Fajita Burrito Recipe

2010-09-08T16:26:00.000-07:00

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Last Friday, Whole Foods was having a huge (almost 50% off) sale on their grass-fed beef. Time to stock the freezer!! Since I already had the beef and had a few bell peppers left over from our recent fruit & veggie delivery, I decided to make up a recipe... not often that I do that!

We LOVED how these fajita burritos turned out. I was able to freeze half for an easy dinner later on, too! For the taco seasoning, I used a packet that I bought at Whole Foods. We also really love the taco seasoning from SpicesInc.com. For something a little spicier, you could even try my homemade taco seasoning I posted ages ago.

source: Mama Jan Original
yields: 10-12 burritos

INGREDIENTS
1 pound ground beef, chicken or turkey (for vegetarian option, substitute two cans black beans)
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
taco seasoning
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
3 bell peppers, thinly sliced (I used red, orange and yellow)
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1/4-1/2 pound shredded Cheddar or Mexican blend cheese
10-12 tortillas

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Cook your ground meat until brown, drain. Add 2 cans of black beans. Add in taco seasoning and cook according to seasoning's directions.

3. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a frying pan. Add peppers and onions. Sauté.

4. When your meat mixture and pepper mixture are ready, scoop 1/3 to 1/2 cup meat mixture onto a tortilla shell. Add a scoop of the pepper mixture and top with a small handful of cheese. Fold sides and roll into burritos.

5. Place burritos in an ungreased 9x13 baking dish. Bake in preheated oven for 12-15 minutes until the shells begin to brown.

6. Enjoy! Serve with a fresh fruit salad.

FREEZER DIRECTIONS

After rolling your burritos, place on a baking pan in the freezer for a couple hours ("flash freeze"). Once frozen, roll individually in plastic wrap then place in a ziploc freezer bag. Label (with the date!) and freeze for up to 3 months. Try to remove as much air as possible from the freezer bag. To cook, thaw and follow baking instructions above.

BBQ Chicken Tenders Recipe

2010-08-31T10:47:00.000-07:00

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I'm always on the hunt for easy, healthy dinners my whole family will eat. I have two toddlers and you never know when their favorite dinner is suddenly the worst possible thing you could ever serve them! (If you have a toddler, you know what I mean...) My last attempt at serving a breaded baked chicken did not go well, so I wasn't hopeful with this one. I am pleased to say this was a HIT with my whole family. For the first time in a long time, all four of us ate the same dinner. That's huge.

I used panko-style bread crumbs for a lighter, crispier coating. This was the first time I've cooked with panko (Japanese style bread crumbs) and I loved the way it turned out! Will definitely do that again. You can find panko breadcrumbs in the Asian food section at your grocery store. We also loved the "dunkers" (reserved dipping sauce) - a little bit sweet, a little bit spicy, a lot bit delicious. Served this with my "easy sides" (rice and roasted veggie - this time it was asparagus).

Source: eatingwell.com
Yields: about 24 tenders
Active Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 1 1/2 hours (including 30 minutes marinating time)

INGREDIENTS
1 cup prepared barbecue sauce
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons honey
1 1/2 pounds chicken tenders
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 large eggs
1 3/4 cups coarse dry breadcrumbs, preferably whole-wheat (I used Panko style bread crumbs)
Olive oil or canola oil cooking spray

DIRECTIONS
1. Combine barbecue sauce, mustard and honey in a large bowl. Set aside 1/2 cup of the sauce in a small bowl. Cut any large chicken tenders in half lengthwise, then add all the tenders to the large bowl with the remaining sauce; stir to coat. Marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
2. Preheat oven to 450°F. Coat a large rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray (or cover with parchment paper).
3. Combine flour, salt and pepper in a shallow dish. Lightly beat eggs in another shallow dish. Place breadcrumbs in a third shallow dish.

4. Coat each tender in flour, shaking off any excess. Dip in egg and let any excess drip off. Then roll in the breadcrumbs, shaking off any excess. Place the tenders on the prepared baking sheet.
5. Generously coat both sides of each tender with cooking spray.
6. Bake for 10 minutes. Turn each tender over and continue baking until the outside is crisp and the tenders are cooked through, about 10 minutes more.
7. Serve with the reserved sauce for dipping.

Baked Egg Rolls with Honey Soy Dipping Sauce Recipe

2010-08-27T20:23:00.000-07:00

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source: egg rolls recipe modified from tasteofhome.com, sauce recipe from foodnetwork.com
Yields: 8 servings (2 rolls per serving)
Points: about 1 Weight Watchers point per roll

Honey Soy Dipping Sauce
INGREDIENTS

DIRECTIONS
Mix all ingredients except sesame seeds together in a bowl. Cover and chill until ready to serve. Just before serving, add the sesame seeds.

Baked Egg Rolls
INGREDIENTS

1/2 head green cabbage, shredded (I use a bag of cabbage-only coleslaw)*
2 cups grated carrots
1 1/2 cups mung bean sprouts (or one can, drained if you have to use canned!)
1/2 cup chopped water chestnuts (about 4oz can)
1/4 cup chopped green or red bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped green onions (3-4 onions)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
4 teaspoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon brown sugar
Pinch cayenne pepper
16 egg roll wrappers

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 425°.
2. Coat a large skillet with cooking spray
3. Add the cabbage, carrots, bean sprouts, water chestnuts, bell pepper, green onions, garlic and ginger. Cook and stir over medium heat until vegetable are crisp-tender, about 3 minutes.
4. In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch, water, soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar and cayenne until smooth; stir into chicken mixture. Bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened; remove from the heat.
5. Spoon 1/4 cup of chicken mixture on the bottom third of one egg roll wrapper.

Fold center piece up and sides toward center.

Moisten the flap with water like you would an envelope.

Roll tightly.

Place seam side down on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray (I use parchment paper). Repeat.

6. Spray tops of egg rolls with cooking spray. Bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned. (I forgot to spray mine so they aren't browned like they should be...

Serve with dipping sauce.

* you can omit the cabbage and substitute 2 cups finely diced cooked chicken or 1 1/4 pounds ground chicken (cooked) if you prefer to have meat in your egg rolls. Add the chicken at the end of step 3.

Freezer DirectionsAfter rolling all the egg rolls, place baking sheet in freezer until rolls are frozen through. Remove from freezer, wrap individually in plastic wrap and place the rolls into a ziploc freezer bag. Label (including date) and freeze for up to 3 months. Unused egg rolls wrappers can also be frozen (place waxed paper between the sheets and freeze in a ziploc freezer bag).

1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon sesame seeds

Chocolate Caramel Melt-A-Ways Brownie Recipe

2010-08-13T09:44:00.000-07:00

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This post is kind of torture for me. In my last post I mentioned I am finally losing weight now that I've weaned my son, counting my Weight Watchers points... and here I am blogging about brownies. THESE brownies, no less. These are my favorite brownies ever. My mom has been making them for as long as I can remember. They are so easy and SO good. Ooey, gooey sticky caramel... extra chocolate.... yum.

So if I'm trying to lose weight, what am I doing baking brownies? Tonight I'm bringing dinner to friends who just had a baby. These are super easy take-along treats. I made them last night, cut a few of the brownies and packed them up for my friends and sent the rest to work with my husband. No temptation for me, but I'm so jealous of everyone who's getting to enjoy them today....

source: my mom :)
makes 4 dozen brownies

INGREDIENTS
1 14-ounce package Kraft caramels (unwrapped!)
1/3 cup milk
1 package German chocolate cake mix
3/4 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup milk
1 6-ounce package chocolate chips
1 cup chopped nuts, optional (I always leave these out)

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350°. In a double boiler, melt the caramels with 1/3 cup milk.

do you like my bat/Halloween spatula? Part of my every growing collection of Sur La Table spatulas...

Combine the cake mix (dry), butter, milk and nuts, mixing well. Spread half the batter in an ungreased 9x13 pan. Bake for 6 minutes.

Remove from oven and gently sprinkle with chocolate chips.

Gently pour melted caramel mixture over the chocolate chips.

Top with remaining cake batter (you need to use your hands to spread the cake batter and set it on top - it spreads together as it bakes).

Bake for 20 minutes. Let cool at least 30 minutes before cutting into bars.

Spinach Lasagna Rolls Recipe

2010-08-09T10:15:00.000-07:00

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For the first time in over 3 years, I am no longer nursing and/or pregnant (39 months actually, but who's counting?) - which means I can FINALLY focus on losing weight! Hooray! Given that, you will probably see more Weight Watchers friendly recipes here. If I know the points value, I will try to post those for you - but I know most of my readers are not here for WW points recipes so I'm not going to focus too much on those.

I found this recipe over at Gina's Weight Watchers Recipes and they are great! Also a wonderful meatless recipe which I find I cook more and more often these days. According to Gina, these rolls are 4 WW points per serving (1 roll = 1 serving).

source: Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Yields: 9 rolls
Points: 4 WW points per roll

INGREDIENTS
9 lasagna noodles, cooked
10 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and completely drained
15 oz fat free ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg
salt and fresh pepper to taste
32 oz tomato sauce*
9 tbsp (about 3 oz) part skim mozzarella cheese, shredded

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350°.
Combine spinach, ricotta, Parmesan, egg, salt and pepper in a medium bowl.
Ladle about 1 cup sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 12 baking dish.
Place a piece of wax paper on the counter and lay out lasagna noodles. Make sure noodles are dry. Take 1/3 cup of ricotta mixture and spread evenly over noodle. Roll carefully and place seam side down onto the baking dish. Repeat with remaining noodles.
Ladle sauce over the noodles in the baking dish and top each one with 1 tbsp mozzarella cheese. Put foil over baking dish and bake for 40 minutes, or until cheese melts. Makes 9 rolls.

* I used only 28oz. sauce and chose a vegetable pasta sauce with an equal number of WW points per serving.

Zucchini Sweet Potato Bread Recipe

2010-06-14T14:47:00.000-07:00

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I love zucchini bread and was really intrigued when I came across this recipe for zucchini sweet potato bread. Sweet potatoes in a quick bread? Why not! This is a very autumn-ish loaf but we've had a cold spring so one wintry day last week I decided to make this bread. It was AMAZING - I think it was best warm out of the oven but it's been delicious every time I've nibbled off it. If you haven't noticed, I'm more of a chocolate girl than a fruits & nuts girl. I add chocolate to most quick breads and cookies. But this one I didn't! I kept with the walnuts and cranberries and I'm SO glad I did!

Source: modified from Joy the Baker
Yields: 1 loaf

INGREDIENTS
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour (or omit and just do 2 cups of all-purpose flour)
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup grated zucchini (about 2 zucchini)
1 1/2 cup peeled and grated sweet potato (about 1 medium or 1/2 pound sweet potato)
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1/2 cup dried cranberries (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease a 9×5x3-inch loaf pan and set aside.
Sift the flours, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, soda, baking powder and salt into a medium sized bowl.
In a seperate, large bowl, beat the sugar, brown sugar, and oil. Add eggs one at a time, beat in vanilla extract. Mix in the zucchini and sweet potato. Add the dry ingredients and stir just to combine. Fold in the nuts and cranberries and stir well.
Transfer batter to prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven about 65-75 minutes, until wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool bread in pan on a rack for 15 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely on wire rack. Wrap in foil and keep at room temperature.

To freeze, wrap in plastic wrap then place in a ziploc freezer bag. Label and remove as much air as possible. You can also cut into slices before freezing then remove slices as desired (thaw/warm in microwave or toaster).

Recipe for Boxed Brownies with a Kick

2010-05-28T15:43:00.000-07:00

This one's kind of a no-brainer but I can't stop eating these brownies so I had to share...

My two-year-old loves to help me cook. Everytime I start measuring anything he grabs a kitchen chair and drags it over to the counter saying "Help you! Help you!" So the other day we were baking brownies together. Nothing exciting, just regular ol' boxed brownies. But this time I decided to add a little flair to them: cinnamon and chile powder.

For these brownies, you can really use whatever chile powder you have on hand. I used the ancho powder that I bought from SpincesInc.com when I did a complete overhaul on my spice cabinet a while back (I still need to show you that!). Ancho powder is made from poblanos, a sweeter, milder pepper. I bet chipotle powder would be good too or even cayenne pepper if you're looking for a little more kick.

INGREDIENTS
box brownie mix
ingredients for brownie mix (probably water, oil and eggs)
chocolate chips (because I always add chocolate chips to my brownies)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 to 1 teaspoon chile powder

DIRECTIONS
Start with your basic boxed brownie mix.

Combine according to package directions.

Add spices. Mix.

Stir in chocolate chips. Bake according to package. Enjoy.

P.S. These are so easy I'm not even bothering with printable directions. Brownies-Cinnamon-Chile Powder (1 to 1 to ~1).... you can remember that, right?

Kitchen Tip:

When choosing a chile powder to add to your brownies, remember to look for chile powder, not chili powder. Chili powder is a spice blend used in chili, often made with ground chiles, paprika, cumin, oregano and garlic. Chile powder is made from dried, ground chiles. If you're not sure about your spice, check the ingredients. The spices will either be listed individually or it will say something like "dried chilis and spices" if it's a chili powder blend.

Cinco de Mayo Menu Plan

2010-05-03T17:07:00.000-07:00

Have you noticed I love Mexican food? My husband and I both grew up [and still live] in California. Although the Mexican dishes I prepare aren't authentic dishes, you can certainly see that my cooking is influenced by our neighbors down south.

Did you know Cinco de Mayo is not actually Mexico's independence day? Nope! We generally think of it as their independence but that holiday is actually in September. The holiday we celebrate in May as Cinco de Mayo is the day that Mexico won an unlikely victory over the French who attacked the Mexicans in order to force payment of a debt (the French did end up occupying Mexico for many years but this battle was significant because the Mexicans were so outnumbered). You can read more about it here.

Anyway, Cinco de Mayo is a big celebration around here. And this year I decided to put together a Cinco de Mayo menu plan! Try these recipes out this year!

Avocado Relleno

chips & Salsa Verde

a side of Sweet Corn Tomalito

and for dessert, Mexican Hot Chocolate Snickerdoodles

Sweet Corn Tomalito Recipe

2010-05-03T15:51:00.000-07:00

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Sweet corn tomalito is that corn pudding that comes on the side of your plate at Chevy's. Years ago I found this recipe that rivals Chevy's amazing sweet corn tomalito. I follow the microwave instructions offered by a reviewer on allrecipes.com.

source: tweaked from allrecipes.com
prep time: 20 minutes
cook time: 1 hour (or 11 minute in microwave)
serves: 8

INGREDIENTS
5 tablespoons butter, softened
1/4 cup masa harina
1/3 cup white sugar
1/2 cup water
2 cups frozen whole-kernel corn, thawed
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons milk

DIRECTIONS
In a medium bowl, mix together the butter, masa flour, and sugar until light and fluffy.

In a food processor or blender, blend one cup of the corn kernels with the water and cornmeal just until smooth.

Stir corn mixture into the masa mixture. Add the remaining corn, baking powder, salt, and milk, mixing until the batter is smooth.

Pour into an 8x8 inch glass baking dish.

Place the baking dish over a large saucepan of simmering water. Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil, and steam for 50 to 60 minutes, or until firm. Check water occasionally, and refill if necessary. Stir pudding before serving to give it a consistent texture. Serve in small scoops.

* alternative, quick-cook method: microwave at 30% power for 7 minutes then at full power for 4 minutes. Stir mixture and serve in small scoops.

Mexican Hot Chocolate Snickerdoodles Cookie Recipe

2010-05-03T15:26:00.000-07:00

I recently came across this recipe for vegan Mexican Hot Chocolate Snickerdoodles. They look amazing but I wanted to see if I could make them non-vegan. Using a basic snickerdoodle recipe, the vegan Mexican Hot Chocolate Snickerdoodle recipe and some of my own tweaks, this is what I came up with...

INGREDIENTS
cookie dough:
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup Dutch process cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

sugar coating:
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350°.
Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cayenne and salt.
In a large bowl, beat beat butter, shortening and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time. Add vanilla extract.
Slowly pour dry ingredients into mixture and beat until combined.
In a shallow dish, stir together sugar and cinnamon.
Roll dough into walnut sized balls, and roll in cinnamon and sugar until coated. Place dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets.
Place into the preheated oven and bake until the cookies have spread and are crackly on top, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, let cookies cool for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

Salsa Verde Recipe {Tomatillo Salsa or Green Salsa}

2010-05-03T14:52:00.000-07:00

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Salsa Verde is a mild and tangy green salsa made from tomatillos, a staple in many Mexican recipes. When buying tomatillos, choose fruits with green husks (avoid the brown husks) and that are smooth and plump inside (not wilted or wrinkled).

source: Mama Jan original!
yields: 2 cups (or more if you add water to your salsa)

INGREDIENTS
2 pounds tomatillos, husked
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 jalapeño peppers, minced
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
juice of 1 lime
kosher salt, to taste

tomatillos husked and halved

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Brush a jelly roll pan lightly with olive oil. Halve tomatillos and place skin side up on the pan. Halve jalapeño pepper, removing veins and seeds. Place pepper skin side up on the pan also.

2. Place pan in preheated oven, roasting tomatillos and pepper for about 30 minutes.
3. Using a spoon, scoop tomatillos and jalapeño into food processor. Add remaining ingredients.
4. Pulse until well-blended. Add water if you prefer thinner salsa. Serve at room temperature.

Avocado Relleno Recipe {Aguacates Rellenos}

2010-05-03T14:09:00.001-07:00

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source: inspired by my favorite dish at a local {now closed} Mexican restaurant, beef filling recipe from Mangio da Sola

INGREDIENTS
3 avocados, halved, peeled and pitted at room temperature
2 cans black beans, warmed
3 slices sharp cheddar cheese
prepared salsa fresca
2oz. cotija cheese, crumbled

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 pounds beef (boneless chuck roast)
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 cup beef broth
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
1-2 chipotle chile peppers in adobo sauce
1/2 large sweet onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced

I've never purchased Cotija cheese before and wasn't sure what I was looking for:

DIRECTIONS
Cook beef in your slow cooker:

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, combine the chili powder, cumin, and smoked paprika in a small bowl.
Rub the spice mix into the beef, covering each side evenly. Once the oil is hot, place the beef in the skillet and sear on each side. Do not move the meat while it cooks for 2-3 minutes on each side.
Remove the beef from the skillet, and place in the bottom of a slow cooker. Leave the pan on the heat, and add in the beef broth to deglaze, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the tomato paste and minced chipotle or adobo sauce, and whisk into the pan sauce. Bring the sauce to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for a few minutes until the sauce has reduced and thickened slightly.
Add the diced onion and minced garlic on top of the seared beef in the slow cooker. Pour the pan sauce down over the onions, garlic, and beef. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours.
Remove the beef from the slow cooker, and shred with two forks. Use a slotted spoon to remove the onions from the slow cooker, and mix into the shredded beef.

Assemble the Avocado Relleno:

Makes 3 servings.

Scoop black beans onto plate. Place 2 halves of the avocado on top of beans. Lay one slice of cheddar cheese onto avocado. Microwave for 10-20 seconds to slightly melt the cheese (or skip this step!).
Scoop beef onto cheese and avocado, then top with salsa fresca and cotija cheese!

{print this recipe}

Avocado Relleno simply means 'stuffed avocado'. It's a spin on the traditional chile relleno. I discovered this dish at one of my favorite Mexican restaurants and I was hooked. I mean, I love avocado but this dish was incredible. The best use of an avocado that I could have ever imagined. It was all I would order when I went to this restaurant. Then one day a few years ago my husband and I hopped in the car to go out for avocado rellenos and the restaurant was closed. Just out of the blue, no notice - they had been hit hard by the recession and unfortunately I didn't get one last avocado relleno.

I have been thinking about avocado rellenos since that day and finally decided it was time to make my own. I knew I would never know their recipe for the meat (I always ordered shredded chicken on top of mine) so I set out to find the best shredded meat recipe I could find. This one was great - I will make it again but I will also keep looking for the best meat filling for my avocado relleno.

For the most part, the rest of this dish is just as the restaurant prepared it. They did layer roasted poblano peppers between the avocado and the meat which I have chosen to leave off my relleno.

This dish can be made with your favorite chicken, beef, pork or seafood (shredded, cubed, etc.). I would love to know what meat recipe you used! Please be sure to leave a comment on this blog post with a link to your favorite recipe that you used!

Recipe for Easy Peasy Garlic Rolls (just like Palazzio's)

2010-04-28T22:14:00.000-07:00

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I went to a small college in Santa Barbara, California called Westmont College for my bachelor's degree. It was always a treat to go out for dinner, especially if it was at Palazzio's! Aaaahhhhhh, Palazzio's had these amazing garlic rolls. The servers wandered around refilling your plate whenever you were down to the last one. 8 years later, I don't even remember what else they served. I remember garlic rolls and a self-serve wine bar.

If only I could recreate Palazzio's recipe for garlic rolls... Real Simple recently posted this recipe for garlic rolls on their Facebook fan page and I thought I would give them a shot. Not quite Pallazzio's but wow, these are great (with a few tweaks as always)!

My husband and I are huge garlic fans... so unless you love garlic, you may want to cut the number of cloves in... oh, I don't know... half? I served these garlic rolls with Fusilli with Spicy Pesto.

source: modified from Real Simple
prep time: 5 minutes
cook time: 15 minutes
total time: 20 minutes
makes: 9-12 rolls

INGREDIENTS
1lb. prepared pizza dough, thawed according to package*
8-12 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon dried parsley
kosher salt, to taste

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 425°F. Lightly grease the cups of a 12-cup muffin tin.
Tear pizza dough into 12 pieces and place in the muffin tin.
Divide all but 3-4 cloves of garlic among the pieces of dough, pressing them into the centers. Drizzle with 1/4 cup olive oil and bake in preheated oven until golden brown, about 15 to 18 minutes.
While dough bakes, heat remaining oil, garlic and parsley over low heat. Do not simmer.
Toss in a bowl with garlic oil; season with salt.

* I bought an 11oz. package of premade pizza dough from Whole Foods and made 9 rolls out of the dough. I used the same amount of the remaining ingredients.

Magic Cookie Bars Recipe

2010-04-22T15:28:00.000-07:00

{print this recipe}

Another family favorite! When I told my husband I was going to be making these for a friend of mine, he said "Oh, you mean those things you can't eat just three of?" Seriously! When you try these you will see, you just want to keep going back and back and back. Just one more bite! I'd never made them before and when I looked up the recipe I had to call my mom and ask, "Is this right? I mean, it's not this easy right? No mixing, no stirring, nothing?" Nothing. They are that easy. You can even go without toasting the nuts and coconut if you want to make it even easier - Grammy's original recipe does not call for them to be toasted, but my mom improved on the recipe by bringing out the nuttiness.

source: Grammy (family favorite recipe)
total time: ~35 minutes

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 cup chopped walnuts, toasted*
1 cup chocolate chips
1 1/3 cups flaked coconut (sweetened), toasted**
1 (15oz) can sweetened condensed milk

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 325°.

Pour melted butter into a 9x13-inch pan. Add the rest of the ingredients layer by layer: crumbs, nuts, chocolate chips, coconut and milk.

Bake 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Cool 15 minutes before cutting.

Kitchen Tips:

* To toast walnuts, spread nuts in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 5-7 minutes, tossing several times.
** To toast coconut, spread in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 2-4 minutes, tossing every 30 seconds until flakes turn golden brown.
1. Freeze remaining coconut in a ziploc freezer bag. Be sure to label with contents and date, and remove as much air as possible from the freezer bag.

Mandarin Tossed Salad

2010-04-22T14:53:00.000-07:00

{print this recipe}

This recipe has been in my family for as long as I can remember. It's been a family favorite for ages and is often served at both big family gatherings (holidays and celebrations) as well as "every night" dinners. When I'm asked to bring a green salad to a friend's house or if I'm bringing dinner to a family who just had a baby, this is the salad I most often bring. It's so simple and it tastes so good. You will want to drink the sweet vinaigrette dressing! Okay, not really - but it's that good!

source: family favorite recipe

INGREDIENTS
salad:
1 head lettuce, chopped (or a bag of mixed salad greens)
3-6 green onions, sliced
1 (11oz) can mandarin oranges, drained
avocado, diced
1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted

dressing:
1/3 cup salad oil
3 Tablespoons white wine vinegar
3 Tablespoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
dash of pepper

DIRECTIONS
Prepare dressing and set aside. Mix together lettuce, green onions, mandarin oranges and avocado. Just before serving toss with dressing and almonds.

Recipe for Fusilli with Spicy Pesto

2010-04-16T15:39:00.000-07:00

{print this recipe}

This is not your typical pesto... If you're looking for a basil pesto, this is not your recipe! But wow is it good! The jalapeño and arugula really stand out in this recipe. It's not too spicy but if you're worried about that, just remove the seeds of the jalapeño before chopping it.

source: Giada DiLaurentiis
total time: 34 minutes
makes: 4-6 servings

INGREDIENTS
1 cup chopped walnuts, untoasted
2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1 (2-inch long) jalapeño pepper, stemmed and coarsely chopped (see kitchen tip!)
2 cups grated (4 ounces) Asiago cheese
kosher salt to taste
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 ounces baby spinach
3 ounces arugula
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 pound fusilli pasta
4 ounces Asiago cheese, shaved

DIRECTIONS

In a food processor, combine the walnuts, garlic, jalapeno, cheese, salt and pepper. Process until the mixture is smooth.
Add the spinach and arugula and process until blended.
With the machine running, gradually add the olive oil.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes.
Drain and reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water.
Place the cooked pasta and pesto in a large serving bowl. Toss well and thin out the sauce with a little pasta water, if needed.
Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Garnish with Asiago cheese shavings and serve.

KITCHEN TIP

Wear gloves and/or wash your hands really well after handling the jalapeños!
For a milder pesto, remove the seeds from the jalapeño pepper.
Freeze pesto in silicone ice cube trays. Once frozen, pop them out of the tray and store in a ziploc freezer bag. Thaw, do not heat.

Praline Pull-Apart Bread Recipe

2010-04-09T21:33:00.000-07:00

{print this recipe}

This ~~dessert~~ breakfast is not for the faint of heart! I served it to my family for Easter and it was such a treat! You definitely won't find us eating this every day but if you're looking for a special ~~dessert~~ breakfast to serve to your guests, try this one!

source: Southern Living, December 2009
prep time: 15 minutes
total time: 9 hours, 25 minutes
makes: 12 servings

INGREDIENTS
1 cup granulated sugar
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
1 (2lb) package frozen bread roll dough
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup pecans, chopped
3/4 cup whipping cream
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

DIRECTIONS
1. In a shallow dish, stir together sugar and 3 teaspoons of cinnamon. Coat each roll in butter, then dredge rolls in sugar mixture.

Arrange in a lightly greased 10-inch tube pan. Sprinkle with pecans. Cover and chill 8 to 18 hours.

2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Beat whipping cream at high speed with an electric mixer until soft peaks form; stir in brown sugar and remaining 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. Pour mixture over dough. Place pan on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet.

3. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Invert onto a serving plate and drizzle with any remaining glaze from pan.

April Giveaway Winner!

2010-04-04T13:23:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the delay in posting the winner! I drew a random number Friday night and found our winner:

Congratulations to Melissa, winner of the Le Creuset 12-ounce Petite Casserole dish! Thank you to all who participated in this giveaway, what a hit! And thank you to this month's sponsor, CSN Stores.

{CLOSED} April Giveaway - Win a Burst of Sunshine!

2010-03-30T15:45:00.000-07:00

** this giveaway is closed - thank you for your participation! **

I'm bringing this April giveaway a tad early. We've all been getting bogged down by some wet weather so I wanted to bring a little sunshine into your lives! This month, our giveaway sponsor is CSN Stores. CSN Stores is an online U.S. retailer of home and office goods - they have over 200 sites where you can find anything from kids bedding to fitness equipment to outdoor barbecues!

I'm so excited that this month CSN Stores is partnering with me to giveaway a Le Creuset 12-ounce Petite Oval Casserole dish in Dijon (2" H x 6.75" W x 4" D):

According to CSN Stores,

This Petite Oval Casserole is the perfect size for accenting a table with dips, condiments, cheeses, salsas, and aioli. The lid makes it practical for heating up sauces in the microwave or keeping snacks fresh. You can bake charming individual portionswhile entertaining guests. Crafted from high-quality durable stoneware, this piece will not chip, scratch, or stain. The Le Creuset Petite Oval Casserole is a stylish and versatile kitchen essential!

Who wouldn't love to have this burst of yellow sunshine in their kitchen?? You can enter up to FIVE times by doing any or all of the following (but make sure you leave a separate comment for each entry!). Here's how you can win it:

1. Publicly follow my blog by clicking "follow" over on the left side column. Leave a comment letting me know you're a follower.
2. Become a fan of Mama Jan's Kitchen on Facebook. Leave a comment letting me know you're a fan.
3. Add my blog to your blogroll and leave a comment here including a link!
4. Leave a comment telling me (1) Do you currently own any Le Creuset cookware? (2) If so, what's your favorite Le Creuset item you own?
5. What's your favorite warm-weather/spring dish to fix?

Open to residents of U.S. and Canada only. One winner will be chosen randomly on Friday, April 2nd at 9pm PDT. Please make sure you include your email address in your entry OR have your email visible in your blogger profile.

POM Pomegranate Barbecue Ribs

2010-03-24T15:10:00.000-07:00

{print this recipe}

As a child, I remember coming home from school and having my mom cut me a big slice of pomegranate. Then, I would sit at the kitchen table and pick the seeds out one by one until it was just a hollow shell (I loved the indentations the seeds left in the skin!). Little did I know I was eating one of the world's largest antioxidant powerhouses (it contains more antioxidants than orange juice, red wine and even green tea)!

When the awesome people over at POM Wonderful offered to send me some of their 100% pomegranate juice to try out in recipes, I jumped at the chance. I'm always looking for new recipes and especially ones that can be made with such good-for-you ingredients!

I don't go near the grill, that's my husband's territory (he's actually the one who made this recipe for our family last weekend). However, this recipe can be made with a broiler rather than a grill if you prefer.

source: POM Wonderful
prep time: 10 minutes
cook time: 70 minutes
total time: 80 minutes
serves: 2-3

INGREDIENTS
Sauce (enough for a couple racks, will refrigerate for two weeks):
1 cup POM 100% pomegranate juice
3 oz tomato paste (half a small can)
1½ Tablespoons molasses
1/2 cherry, chipotle or jalapeno pepper, minced (optional — for heat)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 Tablespoon dry mustard
1/2 Tablespoon cumin powder
2 Tablespoons honey
1 lemon, juiced

Ribs
1 rack pork baby back ribs
1/2 Tablespoon kosher salt (or 1 teaspoon table salt)
1/2 Tablespoon paprika
1/2 Tablespoon onion powder
1/2 Tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon black pepper, ground coarsely

DIRECTIONS
1. Prepare grill for direct high heat. Preheat oven to 275 degrees.

2. Prepare Pomegranate Barbecue Sauce:

In a large saucepan, combine POM 100% pomegranate juice, tomato paste, molasses, garlic and hot pepper. Add dry mustard, cumin, and honey. Mix together. Whisk and simmer until thickened. Reduce sauce by about half. Remove from heat, mix in juice of 1 lemon. Multi-task! Move on to steps 3 & 4 while whisking. :) Set aside.

3. Prepare dry rub for the ribs: In a small bowl, combine kosher salt, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder and black pepper. Pat liberally onto each side of the ribs.

4. On a hot grill, brown both sides of the ribs about 5 minutes on each side over direct high heat. Alternative: place under broiler, turning to brown both sides (make sure you allow heat to reduce to 275 degrees before baking).

5. Place ribs on a jelly roll pan and cover with foil. Place in preheated oven and bake 30 minutes.

6. Brush ribs with barbecue sauce (to avoid cross-contamination, make sure you don't "double dip" your brush - the sauce will be used as a garnish later). Cover with foil and bake 30 more minutes.

7. Serve in half racks or as individual ribs with additional pomegranate barbecue sauce to drizzle on the ribs.

Pork Chop Suey

2010-03-20T14:25:00.000-07:00

{print this recipe}

Chop suey ("mixed pieces") is an American-Chinese dish that's sort of just a hodge podge of vegetables and meats (believed to have been created when Chinese miners cooked together whatever foods they happened to have).

If you don't like pork, try substituting shrimp, chicken or beef! This recipe can easily be made meatless by leaving out the pork (duh). I actually found the pork was sort of in the way of everything else and will probably leave it out next time!

source: modified from EatingWell.com
total time: ~30 minutes

INGREDIENTS
1 cup chicken broth
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons molasses, preferably blackstrap
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
5 teaspoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
1 pound pork tenderloin, trimmed, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/4-inch-thick pieces
1 medium onion, slivered
1 medium red bell pepper, thinly sliced
3 cups (12oz.) mung bean sprouts
8oz. can bamboo shoots, thinly sliced (julienned)
8oz. can water chestnuts, slices
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

Although I have not tried it, I would also suggest trying this with sliced mushrooms, bok choy, and red pepper flakes (if you like a little heat).

DIRECTIONS

Combine broth, soy sauce, molasses and pepper in a medium bowl. Transfer 2 tablespoons of the mixture to a small bowl; stir in cornstarch until combined. Set aside.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add pork and cook, stirring frequently, until most of the pink is gone, 2 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
3Increase heat to medium-high. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, onion, bell pepper, sprouts, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts and ginger and cook for 3 minutes. Pour in the broth mixture and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium; add the reserved cornstarch mixture and pork (and any accumulated juice) and cook, stirring, until slightly thickened, about 1 minute.
Serve over udon noodles (or other starch such as rice or barley).

KITCHEN TIPS
1. Pork tenderloins are typically sold in packs of 2 (one pound each). Use one for this recipe and freeze the other one for up to 3 months.

2. I mistakenly thought I had fresh ginger in my freezer (one of the many great tips I've picked up from the Next Food Network Star, Melissa d'Arabian). In a pinch, I substituted 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger and that worked well.

Mini Chile Relleno Casserole Recipe

2010-03-18T14:38:00.000-07:00

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Chile relleno means "stuffed chile" - traditionally roasted poblano peppers, stuffed with cheese and other goodies, then coated in a flour/egg batter and fried. This casserole is a nice spin on the traditional relleno. If you wanted to add meat, you could try chorizo sausage or shredded beef.

I had expected my husband home at a certain time and began preparing the casseroles thinking I would pop them in the oven when he called to say he was on his way home. He ended up working late (as accountants often do this time of year) and I realized how easy these are to make ahead! Prepare the ramekins with the dry ingredients (step 2), prepare egg mixture according to step 3. Cover everything and keep in the fridge for later. Then follow step 4 and 5!

Two mini casseroles each was plenty for my husband and me (the recipe is easy to cut in half if you're just cooking for two). I served it alongside fresh pineapple and strawberries and these amazing green chili corn tortillas I came across at Whole Foods the other day. Simple, delicious and ridiculously easy.

source: modified from EatingWell.com
prep time: 10 min.
cook time: 25-35min.
total time: 35-45min.
serves: 4 (two 6oz. casseroles or one 10oz. casserole each)

INGREDIENTS
2 (4oz.) cans diced green chiles, drained and patted dry
3/4 cup frozen corn, thawed and patted dry
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1 cup Cheddar or Pepper Jack cheese (or combo), shredded
1 1/2 cups milk
4 large egg whites
6 large eggs
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat eight 6-ounce or four 10-ounce heatproof ramekins with cooking spray and place on a baking sheet.
Equally divide green chiles, corn and green onions among the ramekins. Top with cheese.
Whisk milk, egg whites, eggs, flour, chili powder and salt in a medium bowl until combined and clumps are gone. Divide egg mixture evenly among ramekins.
Bake in preheated oven until tops begin to brown and eggs are set (about 25-30 minutes for 6-ounce ramekins and 30-35 minutes for 10-ounce ramekins).*

* I had 7-ounce ramekins and they baked for about 30 minutes.

March Giveaway Winner

2010-03-17T14:01:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to the winner of the snackTAXI gift pack! Megan wrote:

Didn't win? Head on over to Jessica Loves to Save Money's giveaway and enter for a chance to win a snackTAXI Waste Free Lunch Start-up Kit! Her contest is open until 3/23.

Recipe for Chicken Casserole with Mushroom, Peas and Homemade Stuffing

2010-03-14T16:29:00.000-07:00

{print this recipe}

I don't make a lot of casseroles and I definitely try to avoid canned ingredients (except for things like tomato sauce/paste, beans, etc.). But I love this casserole! It's a lighter, healthier version of good ol' comfort food. I love that it doesn't use canned ingredients - no cream of anything soup - and you can control the sodium content of your dinner! Plus it tastes delicious. I found this recipe maybe 10 days ago (on one of my new favorite food blogs) and I've already made it twice. Once for us and then just the other night for a dear friend who recently had a baby. I doubled the recipe (so easy to do with this one!) and brought half to her family.

It's a family-friendly, healthy casserole - easy to transport, great for leftovers and I think it would probably even freeze well (freeze at step 5 then when you are ready you can thaw and continue with step 6?).

source: elly says opa! (if you haven't ventured over to elly's blog yet, do it! I love her recipes!)
serves: 4

INGREDIENTS
2 Tbsp. butter
1/2 medium onion, diced
8 oz. sliced mushrooms
1 bay leaf*
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. flour
1 cup chicken broth, divided (preferably warm or at room temp)
1/2 cup milk (preferably warm or at room temp)
1/4 cup grated (about 2 oz.) parmesan cheese
1 lb. cooked and shredded chicken breast**
1/2 to 3/4 cup frozen peas
salt and pepper to taste
1.5 cups cubed, staled bread (left out overnight) or unseasoned bread cubes
1/2 tsp. dried parsley
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
scant 1/4 tsp. ground sage
scant 1/4 tsp. ground marjoram

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 350 and lightly spray a 1.5 – 2 qt casserole dish.

2. Heat butter in a saucepan over medium heat and add onions. Cook until onions are mostly translucent (they will continue cooking with the mushrooms so you don't want them to be too cooked yet!).

3. Add the mushrooms and bay leaf. Cook until the mushrooms are tender and have lost most of their moisture. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant.

4. Stir in the flour. Cook until the mixture turns a light golden brown. Slowly add 3/4 cup of chicken broth and the milk. Whisk out any flour clumps and continue to simmer until the mixture bubbles slightly and begins to thicken, just coating the back of a spoon. Stir in the chicken and the peas, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

5. Pour the mixture into the caserole dish. Sprinkle the parmesan cheese over the top.

6. Mix the remaining 1/4 cup of broth with the staled bread and the herbs. Place the mixture on top of the chicken mixture. Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes.

* I don't often use bay leaves so I didn't know this: leave the bay leaf in through the whole baking process. The first time I made this casserole, I removed the leaf when I transferred to my baking dish. Having had it both ways, I can tell you the bay leaf adds a ton of flavor during baking!!

** to cook your chicken breast, you can roast, bake or poach it. Or try putting it in your slow cooker, cover with water or chicken broth and cook on low for 8 hours - then shred! The slow cooker leaves it so moist and tender, and it shreds so easily.

{CLOSED} Be my LUCKY winner!

2010-03-11T22:22:00.000-08:00

** This giveaway is closed **

I'm partnering with snackTAXI for this month's giveaway! snackTAXI was launched in 2003 by Erin Kelly-Dill, a fellow mom who cringed at the number of plastic bags her family went through in a year. snackTAXIs are an environmentally-friendly substitute for plastic baggies - use (and re-use) them for snacks and sandwiches. They are made of 100% cotton material with a nylon lining. Free of lead and phthalates! Machine washable.

Don't tote your snacks or lunch around with you? Consider other uses for the snackTAXI... makeup bag, ipod tote, purse essentials...

snackTAXI has generously offered one of my incredible readers a gift pack including one "toadstools" sandwich-sack (7.5" x 6") and one "in the sky" snack-sack (6" x 4.5").

There are five ways to enter... you MUST leave a separate comment for each entry. If you leave one comment telling me you did all five things, that's only one entry! Please make sure your email is visible in your profile OR leave your email address in your comment!

Here's how to enter:
1. Publicly follow my blog by clicking "follow" over on the left side column. Leave a comment letting me know you're a follower.
2. Become a fan of Mama Jan's Kitchen on Facebook. Leave a comment letting me know you're a fan.
3. Become a fan of snackTAXI on Facebook. Leave a comment letting me know you did.
4. Visit snackTAXI's website and leave a comment here letting me know another snackTAXI item you would love to have.
5. Leave a comment letting me know how you would use this gift pack if you won!

Residents of U.S. and Canada only please. One lucky winner will be chosen on St. Patrick's Day, Wednesday 3/17 after 1pm PDT.

Thumbprint Cookies

2010-03-11T17:09:00.000-08:00

{print this recipe}

These cookies are nutty and delicious - and not too sweet! I used raspberry fruit spread but you can use any flavor (Whole Foods recommends raspberry, strawberry or apricot). I tried them straight out of the oven and felt like they were better warm than they were the next day (although still yummy!). The warmth brings out their nuttiness which balances the fruit.

Source: Whole Foods Market

makes: about 25 cookies

INGREDIENTS

1 cup almonds (or pecans)
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup safflower or canola oil (I used vegetable oil)
1/2 cup maple syrup (or brown rice syrup)
1/4 teaspoon salt
about 5oz. fruit juice sweetened jam

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Put almonds and oats into a food processor and pulse until coarsley ground.

3. Transfer to a large bowl and add flour, oil, syrup and salt. Stir to combine well.

4. Roll walnut-sized balls of the dough in the palm of your hand to form each cookie, then arrange on 2 large baking sheets, spacing cookies 2 inches apart. Press your thumb gently down into the center of each cookie to make an indentation. Spoon a scant teaspoon of jam into each indentation.

I used Whole Foods Market brand fruit spread for this cookie.

I love the jam and I knew I didn't want chunks of fruit in my cookies.

5. Bake cookies until golden brown and just firm around the edges, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a rack to let cool completely, then serve immediately or store between layers of waxed paper in an airtight container.

How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By YOU!

2010-03-08T14:50:00.000-08:00

This post has been moved! Please check it out here :)

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burrito Recipe (vegetarian)

2010-03-05T16:34:00.000-08:00

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These are delicious, addictive and totally unique! I love how healthy they are with the black beans and sweet potatoes especially. Power packed with superfoods!

The soy sauce adds a whole new element to them. Delicious and amazing. And very dense. We both ate one and then because they were so amazing, we split another one. And then quickly regretted eating as much as we did! For us, one is more than enough!

I used to cut the recipe in half but now I make the whole thing since they're so easy. I freeze six of the burritos for another day, we eat some of the remaining and then have some leftover for lunch or dinner the next day. I often make these burritos when I'm bringing dinner to friends with new babies. Always a hit!

source: modified from allrecipes.com
prep time: 20 min.
cook time: 20 min.
total time: 40 min.
serves: 8-12 people (12 burritos)

Ingredients
3 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
4 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
½ cup water
4 teaspoons prepared mustard
3 tablespoons soy sauce
4 cups cooked and mashed sweet potatoes (about 3-4 medium sweet potatoes) - can subs. canned sweet potato puree but I don't recommend it.
12 (10 inch) flour tortillas
½ to one pound shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Make ahead: wash and scrub sweet potatoes, pierce with a fork and wrap in foil. Bake at 350° for about an hour and 15 minutes. Allow to cool, then slip off peel and puree in food processor (or with hand mixer) until smooth. You can even bake the potatoes a day ahead, unwrap foil and store whole in your refrigerator overnight.

2. Preheat oven to 350°.

3. Heat oil in a medium skillet, and saute onion and garlic until soft.

4. Add chili powder, cumin and cayenne pepper. Cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds). Stir in beans, and mash. I like to use a pastry blender for this...

Gradually stir in water, and heat until warm. Remove from heat, and stir in mustard and soy sauce.

5. Divide bean mixture and mashed sweet potatoes evenly between the warm flour tortillas. Top with cheese.

6. Fold up tortillas burrito style (fold two sides in and roll), and place on a baking sheet.

7. Bake for 12 minutes in the preheated oven, and serve.

Freezer Directions
Follow the recipe through step 4. At step 5, simply fold up the tortillas and place on a baking sheet into the freezer to "flash freeze". Once frozen, wrap individually in plastic wrap then place into a ziploc freezer bag. Label (with date) and remove as much air as possible.

To cook: thaw and bake according to step 6.

Southwestern Chicken Barley Soup

2010-03-03T14:21:00.000-08:00

{print this recipe}

This soup is fantastic! I love the texture the barley adds plus I'm a huge fan of anything with black beans. Look for barley in the bulk food aisle or packaged alongside other grains. This recipe calls for "pearl" barley (as opposed to hulled) which simply means it's slightly more processed and cooks quicker (think rolled oats compared to steel cut oats).

source: modified from allrecipes.com

prep time: 15 min.

cook time: 1 hour, 15 min.

serves: 12

INGREDIENTS

1 medium onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 Tablespoon olive oil

3 cups water

2 cups frozen corn

2 (15oz) cans black beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15oz) can tomato sauce*

1 (14.5oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained

1 (14.5oz) can chicken broth

1/2 cup pearl barley

1 (4oz) can chopped green chiles, undrained

1 Tablespoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 pound cooked chicken, cubed or shredded (about 2 breasts)**

DIRECTIONS

In a Dutch oven or soup kettle, saute onion and garlic in oil until tender. Add the remaining ingredients (except chicken). Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 45 minutes.
Stir in chicken. Cook 15 minutes longer or until chicken is heated though and barley is tender.

* Most recipes call for 6oz cans so make sure you notice this calls for more! Two or three 6oz cans would be fine in this recipe, also.

** If you bake your chicken, try adding some spices such as cumin and chili powder when baking.

Kitchen tip:
The recipe is fantastic for freezing! Eat half and let the other half cool slightly. Store in ziploc freezer bags, removing as much air as you can. Lay flat for quick thawing.

Avocado & Black-Eyed Pea Salad

2010-02-21T17:29:00.000-08:00

{print this recipe}

Black-eyed peas: are they beans or are they peas? My extensive research leads me to they are beans - although they are very closely related to peas, and peas and beans are all from the legume family. So call them what you will. :)

The original recipe calls this a salsa and it does work great as a salsa (serve with chips!) but it also works as a side salad. We ate it as a salad alongside Quesadilla Pie (which was made using leftovers from tacos the night before as well as ingredients from this recipe!). This is also cut in half from the original recipe. Unless you are serving a large group, I promise this is all you will need to make!

source: tweaked from allrecipes.com

prep time: 15 minutes

total time: 1 hour 15 minutes

serves: 6-8 servings

INGREDIENTS

1 ripe but firm avocado, diced

1/4 cup green onions, thinly sliced (about 2 onions)

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

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

1 1/2 cups frozen sweet white corn, thawed

1 1/2 cups black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed

2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 clove garlic, minced

salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

In a salad bowl, gently toss together avocado, green onions, cilantro, tomato, corn and black-eyed peas.
Whisk together remaining ingredients and pour over salad. Lightly toss to coat and refrigerate 1 hour to allow flavors to blend.

And the giveaway winner is...

2010-02-14T23:17:00.000-08:00

A winner has been chosen...

Congratulations! I will contact you for your info and choice of spice set from SpicesInc.com! Thank you to all who participated in this giveaway!

Quesadilla Pie

2010-02-11T22:21:00.000-08:00

{print this recipe}

This is such an easy dinner! So versatile and so delicious. I served this with a side of Barley & Bean Salad. Whatever ingredients I had leftover from that salad, I threw into the quesadilla pie!

source: SimplyRecipes.com
prep time: 15 minutes

cook time: 40-45 minutes

ready in: 55-60 minutes

serves: 4

BASE INGREDIENTS4 large flour tortillas
1/2 pound cheese, grated (Monterey Jack, Colby Jack, Cheddar, etc.)
pat of butter

ADDITIONAL INGREDIENT OPTIONSbeans, drained and rinsed (black, kidney, pinto)
tomatoes, chopped
sundried tomatoes, chopped
zucchini, coursely shredded (squeezed to remove water)
onions, sliced or diced (green onions, yellow onion)
mushrooms, sliced and sauteed
chiles, chopped (chipotles, cooked chile peppers, canned pickled jalapenos)
spices (cumin, chili powder, crushed red pepper flakes, garlic salt, oregano, basil)
black olives, sliced
Consider other ideas.... greek style (feta cheese sprinkled in with mozzarella, white beans, artichoke hearts, green onions tomato, oregano, fennel seeds, kalamata olives), italian style (mozzarella, basil, sundried tomato, pepperoni, tomato sauce, seafoods), etc.

GARNISH OPTIONSsour Cream
guacamole
avocado
salsa
lettuce
cilantro

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter the bottom and sides of a pie dish that's approximately the same size as your tortillas.

2. Place one tortilla on the bottom of your dish. Sprinkle with cheese. Add your chosen ingredients, layering tortillas and adding generous handfuls of cheese to each tortilla. Spread a bit of butter on the top tortilla.

For our quesadilla pie pictured above, the bottom layer had cheese, black beans, green onions, corn, and a sprinkling of chili powder. The second layer had cheese, kidney beans, pickled jalapeno, shredded zucchini and cumin. The top layer was the same as the bottom.

3. Cover dish with aluminum foil and bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove the foil, increase heat to 400 degrees and bake for 10-15 minutes until the top tortilla is lightly browned and cheese is bubbling.

4. Remove from oven. Let cool and cut into quarters. Serve with garnish.

Barley & Bean Salad

2010-02-11T22:19:00.000-08:00

{print this recipe}

This is such a gorgeous salad! It reminds me of confetti... Easy to prepare, great for making ahead, and it's so healthy! You can substitute half or all the barley for wild, brown or white rice if you prefer (but I highly recommend sticking with the barley...). It can be a main dish on its own or a great side salad.

Barley is a high-fiber, high-protein grain. A great substitute for rice (even my picky toddler devoured it when I told him it was "big rice"!). I buy it from the bulk section at Whole Foods. You may notice there are two varieties of barley: hulled barley and pearl barley. Hulled barely is unprocessed with only the outer hull removed, and it takes longer to cook. Pearl barley is 'polished' with more layers [and nutrients] removed.

source: adapted from allrecipes.com
serves: 6-8 servings

INGREDIENTS
1 cup pearl barley
1 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup canned kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen corn kernels, cooked according to package
1/2 cup green onions, cut into half-inch slices (about half a bunch)
1 red bell pepper, diced

1/3 cup red wine vinegar
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2/3 cup olive oil

DIRECTIONS

In a large saucepan, bring 2 cups water to boil. Stir in barley and reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer 30-40 minutes or until tender. If using a rice cooker, increase water to 2 1/2 cups. Allow barley to cool.
In a large bowl, combine the cooled barley, black beans, kidney beans, corn, green onions and bell pepper. Mix well.
Combine remaining ingredients, whisking in olive oil. Pour over salad and toss well.*
Serve at room temperature or chill in fridge for several hours.**

* I only used about 2/3 of the dressing.
** If serving chilled, reserve some of the dressing to pour over salad just before serving.

{CLOSED} Spice Up Your Life this Valentine's Day!

2010-02-10T07:34:00.000-08:00

** This giveaway is closed **

I LOVE spices. Spices add so much spark and life to food. I traveled a lot when I was in college - visited some exotic and beautiful countries - but now that I'm a mama with two little boys, I don't get to see the world like I did before. Spices can bring the world to me! I love that I can fix dinner and experience just a taste of the Mediterranean.... or South America.... or northern Thailand. And I love that spices allow me to introduce the guys in my house to places they haven't seen yet.

I was recently introduced to SpicesInc.com and a few things immediately stood out to me: (1) founder Greg Patterson has a passion for good spices and healthy living, (2) he's committed to offering top quality spices, herbs and seasonings, (3) they give away free spices every week! (4) you can find organic spices and herbs as well as salt-free seasonings on their site... and (5) free shipping on all orders over $35!!

So here it is. The giveaway that you don't want to miss (and I admit, I'm jealous of those of you who get to enter!): SpicesInc.com is graciously offering one of my readers your choice of one of these fabulous spice sets.

Salt Free Basics
This no-salt set includes Pennsylvania Pepper, Salt Free Steak Rub,
Garlic & Herb Seasoning and Manzanillo Mexican Seasoning. (:::drool:::)

Italian Festival

Italian food lovers, this one's for you! Wow your family when you cook with these amazing spices...

Tomato Powder, Italian Seasoning, Basil, Mediterranean Oregano.

Curry Powder

Curry lovers unite! This amazing set includes Madras Curry,

Sweet Curry Powder, Maharajah Style Curry Powder, Garam Masala

Here's how to enter (You may enter up to six times, once for each of the ways below. Make sure to leave a separate comment for each entry!):

Become a follower of my blog and leave a comment - (e.g. "I'm a follower!") - if you already follow my blog, just leave a comment.
Become a fan of Mama Jan's Kitchen on Facebook and leave a comment here - (e.g. "I'm a fan of Mama Jan's Kitchen!") - if you're already a fan, just leave a comment.
Add SpicesInc.com's blog to your blogroll then leave a comment here - (e.g. "Spice Balance is on my blogroll!")
Become a fan of SpicesInc.com on Facebook then leave a comment here - (e.g. "I'm a fan of SpicesInc.com!")
Check out SpicesInc.com's list of Top 25 Spices Every Kitchen Must Have and then come back here to leave a comment telling me either which of these is your favorite spice to cook with OR which one have you never cooked with.
Blog about this giveaway - post a link to that specific blog post in the comments.

Contest will be open until 8pm PST on Sunday, February 14. One lucky winner will be chosen to spice up their life on Valentine's Day! Please make sure you leave your email address in the comment or have your email visible in your blogger profile so I can contact you if you win!

Slow-Cooker Black Bean-Mushroom Chili

2010-02-01T16:16:00.000-08:00

{print this recipe}

I was so excited when my most recent e-issue of EatingWell This Week arrived in my inbox: healthy slow-cooker recipes! Hooray! What was even more exciting was that this recipe wasn't going to include all the same ol' ingredients that make so many slow-cooker meals taste all the same.

But let's take a minute and talk about some of these ingredients. They might seem a little intimidating if you've never cooked with them. Take tomatillos, for example:

I've been eying tomatillos at Whole Foods for ages but I never knew what to do with them. I just about jumped out of my seat when I saw that this recipe used them! Tomatillos look kind of like small green tomatoes, but they are all wrapped up in a paper husk. They're tart, they're the main ingredient in salsa verde and you can find them in the produce aisle at your local market (I assume. I live in California and sometimes take it for granted that we have so much fabulous produce to choose from!).

Chipotle peppers may also be foreign to you. They are just smoked jalapeno peppers, usually canned with adobo sauce. Find them along with the Mexican food at your grocery store.

Source: EatingWell.com
Prep time: 25 minutes
Cook time: 5-8 hours
Servings: 10 1-cup portions

INGREDIENTS

1 pound dried black beans (2 1/2 cups), rinsed*

1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup mustard seeds

2 Tablespoons chili powder

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

2 medium onions, coarsely chopped

1 pound mushrooms, sliced

8-16 ounces tomatillos, husked, rinsed and coarsely chopped (about 4-8 tomatillos)

1/4 cup water

5 1/2 cups vegetable broth

1 6oz can tomato paste

1 canned chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, minced (note: that's one pepper not one can of peppers!)

garnish:

grated Monterey or pepper Jack cheese

reduced-fat sour cream

chopped fresh cilantro

lime wedges

DIRECTIONS

1. Soak beans overnight in 2 quarts water. Drain beans, rinse and discard liquid.**

2. In a 5- to 6- quart dutch oven, combine oil, mustard seeds, chili powder, cumin and cardamom. Place over high heat and stir until the spices sizzle (about 30 seconds).

3. Add onions, mushrooms, tomatillos and water. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are juice (5-7 minutes).

4. Uncover and stir often until the juices evaporate and vegetables are lightly browned (10-15 minutes). Add broth, tomato paste and chipotles. Mix well.

5. Place beans in a 5- to 6- quart slow cooker. Pour hot vegetable mixture over the beans. Cook on high heat for about 8 hours, until the beans are creamy.***

6. Garnish and enjoy! We ate this with buttermilk cornbread on the side.

Kitchen tips:

* want to use canned black beans instead? If I were substituting in this recipe, I would use 3 cans black beans, omit step 1 and in step 5 cook on high 3-4 hours or on low 6-8 hours.

** if you don't have time to soak overnight, place beans and 2 quarts water in a large pot. Bring to a boil and boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand one hour).

*** Stovetop version: increase broth to 8 1/2 cups. Omit step 5, add beans to Dutch oven instead. Cover and simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally. Cook until beans are creamy, about 3 hours.
1. Chipotle peppers freeze well which is great because most recipes call for just one. I bag them individually (1-2 chiles per bag) with a teaspoon or two of the adobo sauce. Don't forget to label each bag with the number of chiles. Then place all the bags in one quart-size freezer bag and stick them in your freezer! If using a frozen chipotle for this recipe (and if you don't mind the extra heat from the seeds), chop it up while frozen. This makes the chopping SO much easier!
2. Freeze half this recipe in a gallon-sized ziploc freezer bag (remove as much air as possible, lay flat to freeze). Thaw and reheat on one of those days when you just can't cook!

Buttermilk Cornbread

2010-02-01T14:52:00.000-08:00

{print this recipe}

Although I know this oh-so-yummy cornbread is not at all healthy, I want to remind you health nuts out there not to be scared off by the word 'buttermilk'. It's not as artery-clogging as it sounds! Buttermilk is made by adding a bacteria culture to low- or non-fat milk! So don't pass on by recipes that include buttermilk if you think this means it's high in fat....

Source: allrecipes.com
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Servings: 9-12 squares

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease an 8-inch square pan.
2. Place butter in a microwave-safe dish. Heat just until melted. In a medium bowl, combine sugar and butter. Stir until mixed. Quickly add eggs, beating until blended.
3. Combine buttermilk and baking soda. Stir into butter mixture.
4. Stir in cornmeal, flour and salt until well-blended and few lumps remain. Pour batter into prepared pan.
5. Bake in preheated oven for about 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Kitchen tip:
If you forgot to pick up buttermilk at the store (as I did the other night...), you can make your own rather than sending your husband back out in the rain (not that I know what that's like...).
What you need: 1 cup milk and 1 Tablespoon white vinegar (or 1 Tablespoon lemon juice or 1 and 3/4 Tablespoons cream of tartar).
What you do: Add your acid (vingar, lemon juice, cream of tartar) to your milk and stir. Let stand for about 15 minutes, until the milk begins to curdle. Stir well.
That's it! So simple!

Shrimp and Crab Enchiladas

2010-01-17T10:17:00.000-08:00

{print this recipe}

Source: allrecipes.com

INGREDIENTS
10 (10-12in.) flour tortillas
8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (set aside about 3oz. cheese for later)
1 (6oz.) can crab meat, drained
1lb. cooked medium shrimp, shelled and deveined* - cut into 2-3 pieces each
1 teaspoon cumin
1 (20oz.) can green enchilada sauce

Garnish:1 (8oz.) container sour cream
3 green onions, chopped

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a medium size bowl, combine cheese (about 5oz.), crab, shrimp and cumin.
3. Lay tortillas on a flat surface. Spoon crab/shrimp mixture onto tortillas. Roll tortillas to form enchiladas.
4. Arrange side-by-side in a 9x13in baking pan.
5. Pour green enchilada sauce over the enchiladas, covering completely. Sprinkle remaining cheese over the top.
6. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Remove cover and continue baking 10-15 minutes. Top enchiladas with sour cream and green onions to serve.

*I bought pre-cooked, shelled and deveined shrimp from the freezer section next to the fish monger at Whole Foods

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

2010-01-17T10:01:00.000-08:00

{print this recipe}
I love chocolate. I love peanut butter. The only thing I love more than those two things is chocolate and peanut butter together. For me, this cake is heavenly - and it is SO easy to make.

I forgot to take a picture before serving the cake! We did enjoy it...

Source: I got the recipe from my mom - I think it was originally from Paula Deen or maybe Ina Garten but I wasn't able to find a recipe online to link to.

INGREDIENTS
1 (18.25-ounce) package devil’s food cake mix
1 (3.8-ounce) package chocolate instant pudding mix
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup water
4 large eggs
1 (8-ounce) container sour cream
1 (10-ounce) package swirled milk chocolate and peanut butter morsels (or mixture of chocolate and peanut butter OR all peanut butter chips)
Garnish: confectioners’ (powdered) sugar

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour a 10-cup fluted pan.
2. In a large bowl, combine cake mix, pudding mix, and sugar. Add oil, water, and eggs; beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Stir in sour cream and chocolate/peanut butter chips. Spoon into prepared pan.
3. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pan, and cool completely on a wire rack.
4. Sift confectioners’ sugar over top of cake.

Chocolate Chunk and Walnut Oatmeal Cookies

2010-01-07T20:05:00.000-08:00

{print this recipe}

I found this recipe when looking for Superfoods for my New Years resolution - my mom passed an article on to me and it had a recipe for "America's Healthiest Cookie". Yum! (I added the flaxseed)

source: Health Magazine
yelds: About 2 dozen cookies

INGREDIENTS
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup whole-wheat flour
2 Tablespoons flaxseed meal (optional)
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Remove
from heat, and add brown sugar; stir until smooth.
2. Combine all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, flaxseed, baking soda, oats, and
salt in a medium bowl.

3. Combine butter mixture with the dry ingredients, and add egg and vanilla extract.
4. Fold in walnuts and bittersweet chocolate.
5. Mix well, and spoon by tablespoonfuls onto lightly greased baking sheets.
6. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until tops are dry to the touch.

Quinoa-Crusted Salmon with Avocado-Mango Salsa

2010-01-04T23:01:00.000-08:00

{print this recipe}

AVOCADO-MANGO SALSA

source: slightly modified from Allrecipes.com

INGREDIENTS

1 mango - peeled, seeded and diced

1/2 red bell pepper - seeded and diced

1/2 red onion, chopped

1 Tablespoon olive oil

2 Tablespoons white wine vinegar

1 avocado - peeled, pitted and diced

1 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS

Toss together mango, bell pepper, onion, sugar, olive oil and vinegar in a bowl. Gently fold in diced avocado and season with salt. Chill before serving.

* - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - *

QUINOA-CRUSTED SALMON

source: Nourish Your Life

INGREDIENTS

1 cup water

1/2 cup quinoa

2 teaspoons olive oil

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

1/4 cup finely chopped sweet red pepper (*or substitute 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes)

1 egg white, slightly beaten

4 salmon fillets (about 3oz each)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Rinse quinoa before cooking to remove bitter coating. Bring water to a boil. Stir in quinoa - cover, reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until water is absorbed.

3. While quinoa is cooking, saute onion and red peppers in olive oil just until soft. Combine with cooked quinoa.

4. Dip salmon into egg whites and dredge in quinoa mixture.

5. Bake in preheated oven for 10-20 minutes or until fish flakes easily. Serve with Avocado-Mango Salsa.

Try serving this with roasted broccoli!

Giveaway Winner!

2009-12-18T13:47:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to our winner (chosen by random.org)!

Please email me at MamaJan0208 [at] gmail.com with the details for your subscription (name/address).

Disappointed you didn't win? There will be more giveaways in the future! Become a fan on facebook to be kept in the loop!

Mom's Best Fudge

2009-12-15T10:47:00.000-08:00

{print this recipe}

This recipe is a family favorite, passed on to me from my mom. This year I sprinkled crushed candycanes on top after letting it set for a minute or so. It added a nice subtle peppermint flavor to this rich, ooey gooey yummy fudge!

INGREDIENTS
4 cups sugar
1 (12oz.) can evaporated milk
2 sticks butter (1 cup), cut into chunks - not margarine!
18oz. chocolate chips
28 large marshmallows
1 Tablespoon vanilla
1 pound chopped nuts, optional

DIRECTIONS
Boil sugar and milk for 10 minutes (not longer!), stirring constantly. The last 2 minutes, add the butter, Remove from heat and add chocolate chips, marshmallows, vanilla and nuts. Stir until smooth and melted. Pour into 9x13-inch pan and let set in refrigerator overnight.

Try topping with crushed candycanes or holiday sprinkles for a twist on a great recipe!

Makes 5 pounds.

{CLOSED} 'Tis the Season for Giveaways!

2009-12-14T22:56:00.000-08:00

** This giveaway is closed - please check back to see if you're a winner **

Who doesn't love free stuff? I'm giving away a one-year subscription to Good Housekeeping Magazine! Yay! You can enter three times. Remember to leave one comment for EACH entry... which means you must comment three times to have three entries.

Here's how to enter:
1. Become a follower of this blog - then leave a comment with your name and "follower" (e.g. Mama Jan - I'm a follower!). If you are already a follower, just leave the comment :)

2. Become a fan on facebook - then leave a comment with your name and "I'm a fan!" (e.g. Mama Jan - I'm a fan!)

3. Leave a comment with your name and a favorite cooking/kitchen/food memory that you have (e.g. Mama Jan - I used to love licking the batter out of the mixing bowl when my mom would bake... especially if it was something chocolate!)

Contest will be open until noon PST on Friday, December 18th. I will pick one random, lucky winner so please be sure to come back to see if you won!

Blog Overhaul

2009-11-18T15:11:00.000-08:00

It was time for a change... what do you think of my new look? Do you love it? Hate it? Stuff you want to see, things I should get ride of?

A couple changes I want to point out:
1. I have added a blog list of cooking blogs I follow or check in on occasionally. Keep your eye on this list as I will be adding more in the future!
2. All recipes from here on out will have an option to "print this recipe" which will make it much easier for those of you wanting a hard copy of the recipe. I am slowly adding that feature to the recipes that are currently posted. You may be told by Google that I have posted a bazillion new recipes... I am only editing those posts, sorry!!

I <3 my readers and want you to like what you're lookin' at! :)

Cranberry-Chipotle Chicken

2009-11-06T21:23:00.000-08:00

{print this recipe}
This is an amazing fall dish! The smokiness of the chipotle pairs amazingly well with the sweetness of the cranberry sauce. Serve with a side of baked sweet potato for extra yummy fall goodness.

INGREDIENTS

8oz. bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 C chopped onion (about ½ of a medium onion)

1 15-oz can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 15-oz can white kidney (cannellini) beans, rinsed and drained

1 C chopped roma tomatoes (about 1 large tomato)

½ C uncooked long grain rice

½ C chicken broth

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground cumin

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breasts

1 16-oz can whole cranberry sauce

1 canned chipotle chile pepper in adobo sauce, finely chopped (just one! Not the whole can!)

2 Tablespoons lime juice (about 1 lime)

¼ teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS

In a large skillet cook bacon and onion over medium heat until bacon is crisp. Drain off fat.
Transfer bacon mixture to slow cooker. Stir in black beans, kidney beans, tomatoes, rice, chicken broth, the ½ teaspoon of salt, the cumin, cinnamon and garlic. Add chicken.
In a small bowl combine cranberry sauce, chipotle pepper, lime juice, and the ¼ teaspoon salt. Pour over mixture in cooker.
Cover and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours or on high for 3 to 3½ hours.

I serve it by placing the chicken on the plate first. Then I mix up the rice, beans and cranberry goodness and serve on top of the chicken.

KITCHEN TIPS:

If you don't use bacon often, you can keep the package in your freezer (put in a ziploc freezer bag). No need to thaw before cutting into strips and cooking.
Chipotle chiles are smoked jalapeno peppers. They freeze well which is great because most recipes call for just one. I bag them individually (1-2 chiles per bag) with a teaspoon or two of the adobo sauce. Don't forget to label each bag with the number of chiles. Then place all the bags in one quart-size freezer bag and stick them in your freezer! If using a frozen chipotle for this recipe (and if you don't mind the extra heat from the seeds), chop it up while frozen. This makes the chopping SO much easier!
I buy several limes at a time and freeze their juice in ice cube trays (about 1 Tbls per cube) so that I always have lime juice on hand for the recipes that call for just a tablespoon or two. Using silicone ice cube trays makes it easier to pop the cubes out.

Black Bean & Shredded Chicken Soup

2009-11-06T19:10:00.000-08:00

{print this recipe}

Source: this recipe came from friends of ours who brought us dinner when our youngest son was born. It was so delicious I had to have the recipe!

INGREDIENTS

2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (frozen ok)

2 cans of diced tomatoes with chiles

2-3 cans of black beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup of salsa

2 cups frozen corn*
salt to taste

garnish:
Mozzarella cheese
sour cream
avocado

DIRECTIONS

Place all ingredients into slow cooker. Cook on low for 8 hours, or on high for 4 hours. After cooking, remove chicken and shred with a fork (should shred very easily), then put back in and stir.

Serve with chips or on top of rice/barley/potato/your favorite starch. Top with mozzarella cheese, sour cream, and/or avocado.

This recipe makes enough to feed a small family twice (2-3 people). It freezes very well so when I make a batch, I put half into a ziploc freezer bag, remove as much of the air as I can, label and lay flat in the freezer. Thaw and reheat and dinner is ready in an instant! :)

* the original recipe calls for 1 can of corn. I prefer frozen corn because it is fresher and more rich in nutrients than canned corn. Either way is fine!

Turkey Breast in the Slow Cooker

2009-10-27T14:50:00.000-07:00

{print this recipe}
I found this recipe here (at allrecipes.com). And really, how much easier can it be? I had a 3lb. boneless turkey breast in my freezer (thawed overnight in the fridge) and I always keep dry onion soup mix in my pantry. Reviewers on allrecipes.com suggested changes to this recipe but really I wouldn't. Don't add spices or liquids. It's not the best-ever-turkey-I've-ever-tasted, but if you're looking for simple, easy and delicious try this recipe!

INGREDIENTS
1 (6 pound) bone-in turkey breast
1 (1 ounce) envelope dry onion soup mix

DIRECTIONS
Rinse the turkey breast and pat dry. Cut off any excess skin, but leave the skin covering the breast. Rub onion soup mix all over outside of the turkey and under the skin. Place in a slow cooker. Cover, and cook on High for 1 hour, then set to Low, and cook for 7 hours.

Banana Bread

2009-10-26T15:25:00.000-07:00

{print this recipe}
Source: altered from allrecipes.com Banana Banana Bread

INGREDIENTS
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour*
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
5-6 mashed overripe bananas
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (optional)

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.

In a large bowl, combine flours, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar. Stir in eggs and mashed bananas until well blended. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture; stir just to moisten. Add mini chocolate chips, stir. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.

Bake in preheated oven for 65-75 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.

Can be made into 12 muffins if you prefer. Bake at 325 degrees for about 25 minutes.

* if you don't have whole wheat flour, you can substitute all-purpose flour (total 2 cups all-purpose OR 1 cup whole wheat, 1 cup all-purpose).

Kitchen Tip:
- Bananas actually freeze well in their skins. When you have one or two bananas that overripen in your bunch, don't throw them out. Toss them in the freezer and when you have enough bananas, thaw them and make your banana bread! They thaw in just a couple hours.
- Your banana bread freezes well, also. After it has cooled, wrap in plastic wrap and store in a freezer bag.

Thanks for your patience!

2009-10-26T15:15:00.001-07:00

I realize it's been months since I've posted and I'm sorry! I'll be honest, not much has been going on in Mama Jan's kitchen since baby boy #2 arrived in July. Things are picking up again and I have many new recipes to post, though. Please don't give up on me! :)

Basil Pesto

2009-06-26T09:35:00.000-07:00

{print this recipe}
I like to buy large bunches of basil at the farmer's market to make batches of this pesto for my freezer. So easy to pull out a few cubes later, let them thaw and make a quick, yummy pesto dinner! Even my 17-month-old devours his dinner when I serve it with pesto.

Source: adapted from allrecipes.com
Prep time: 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS
3 cups fresh basil, coursely chopped
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
1/8 cup walnuts, toasted
2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 cloves minced garlic (or more if desired)
1/2 teaspoon chili powder

DIRECTIONS
Place the basil in a blender. Pour in about 1 tablespoon of the oil, and blend basil into a paste. Gradually add pine nuts, walnuts, Parmesan cheese, garlic, and chili powder. Blend while slowly adding the remaining oil.

Kitchen tip:
Pesto can be frozen and thawed for later use. I freeze it in silicone ice cube trays then transfer to a labeled Ziploc freezer bag, removing as much air as possible. Thaw cubes as needed (takes just an hour or so). Do not heat pesto, allow the pasta to heat pesto through.

Triple Berry Lemon Trifle

2009-04-07T10:04:00.000-07:00

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I made this dessert for a group of friends, but instead of making it in a trifle dish I made individual servings in 8-ounce glasses. This allowed me to alter a few of the servings for different allergies. I loved that I was able to make this recipe early (around lunch-time) so that when it was time to serve dessert, there was no work for me to do!

SOURCE: allrecipes.com
PREP TIME: 25 Min
READY IN: 8 hours, 25 Min
SERVES: 16 - mine made 8 8-ounce glasses, so I guess my servings are large :)

INGREDIENTS
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (8 ounce) container lemon yogurt
1/3 cup lemon juice
zest from one lemon (about 2 teaspoons)
1 (8 ounce) container whipped topping, thawed, divided
1 angel food cake, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 cup sliced fresh strawberries
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 cup fresh raspberries
2 tablespoons slivered almonds, toasted

DIRECTIONS
1. In a large bowl, combine the milk, yogurt, lemon juice and zest. Fold in 2 cups whipped topping.
2. In a 3-qt. trifle bowl or deep salad bowl, layer one-third of cake cubes and lemon mixture and all of the strawberries; repeat one-third of cake cubes and lemon mixture, then blueberries; and remaining cake cubes and lemon mixture, and sprinkle with raspberries.
3. Spread remaining whipped topping over berries; sprinkle with almonds. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours.

Zucchini Loaf

2009-04-01T11:41:00.000-07:00

{print this recipe}

Zucchini are available year-round although they are called summer squash. The name "summer squash" simply means that you cannot store it for a long period of time ('until winter') like you can with winter squash.

SOURCE: modified from allrecipes.com
PREP TIME: 20 Min
COOK TIME: 1 Hr
YIELDS: 2 loaves or 24 muffins

INGREDIENTS
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour (or omit whole wheat and use 3 cups all-purpose)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
3-4 cups grated zucchini (about 3 medium zucchini)
1 cup chocolate chips or chopped walnuts (optional)

DIRECTIONS
1. Grease and flour two 8 x 4 inch pans. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Sift flour, salt, baking powder, soda, and cinnamon together in a bowl.
3. Beat eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar together in a large bowl. Add sifted ingredients to the creamed mixture, and beat well. Stir in zucchini and chocolate chips or nuts until well combined.
4. Pour batter into prepared pans.
5. Bake for 40 to 60 minutes, or until tester inserted in the center comes out clean (in my oven, this took about 75 minutes). Cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes. Remove bread from pan, and completely cool.
** Can also make 24 muffins. Bake about 20 minutes at 325 degrees.

Kitchen tips:
1. Chocolate chips will sink in this batter. Try coating them in flour before folding into batter or use mini chocolate chips instead.
2. Zucchini bread freezes well! Enjoy one loaf and freeze the other for later. After cooling, wrap tightly in plastic wrap then place in a gallon-size freezer bag. Label with the date and remove as much air as possible.
3. To reduce some of the fat, you can replace half of the oil with applesauce. Try this with other muffins and breads also!

Artichoke Chicken Pilaf

2009-03-10T15:53:00.000-07:00

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This recipe is a staple in our home. It makes awesome leftovers and is a good dish to fix if you're bringing dinner to a friend.

Source: Mom
Yields: 4-6 servings

INGREDIENTS:
1 6-ounce package rice pilaf
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips or bite-size cubes
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tablespoon butter or margarine
1 3/4 cups water
1/2 teaspoon dried basil, crushed
1 6-ounce jar marinated artichokes, drained and halved
3 green onions, cut into 1/2-inch lengths
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted

DIRECTIONS:
Cook chicken and garlic in butter until browned. Add water, contents of seasoning envelope, rice and basil. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 15 minutes (do not open lid - rice needs to steam!). Stir in artichokes and green onions, cook 5 minutes more. Garnish with almonds.

Homemade Taco Seasoning

2009-03-10T15:46:00.000-07:00

I like to make a double batch of this recipe and keep it in a small tupperware container. I always have this seasoning on hand.

INGREDIENTS

1 Tablespoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

2-3 Tablespoons seasoning = 1 store-bought packet
Add to ground beef. Mix together 2 teaspoons cornstarch and 2/3 cup water. Simmer 5-10 minutes.

Baked Eggs

2008-12-14T10:27:00.000-08:00

A family favorite Christmas morning tradition

INGREDIENTS
1/4 pound cheddar cheese, finely grated
butter
6 eggs
1/4 cup half-and-half
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 7 1/2 x 11-inch baking dish. Sprinkle the cheese into the pan and dot with bits of butter. Break 6 eggs, one at a time, over the cheese - keep them in their own space. Stir the dry mustard into the cream and pour over the eggs. Bake for about 15 minutes or until the whites are set.
Serve immediately.

Not-So-Sloppy Joes

2008-11-14T19:38:00.000-08:00

I'm not a big fan of messes, especially when it comes to my food. I was so excited to find this sloppy joe recipe that wasn't all that sloppy! Freezes well for up to 3 months.

Source: adapted from allrecipes.com
Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Cook Time: 30 Minutes
Yields: 8 servings

INGREDIENTS:
2 pounds lean ground beef
1 chopped onion
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed tomato soup
1/8 cup (2 Tbls.) ketchup
1/8 cup (2 Tbls.) barbecue sauce
1 tablespoon white vinegar
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
8 hamburger buns

DIRECTIONS:
1. Saute onion until in a large skillet until it begins to soften. Place ground beef in skillet with onion. Cook until evenly browned, stirring to crumble. Drain off any grease.
2. Stir the tomato soup (undiluted), ketchup, vinegar, brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce into the beef mixture. Season with salt and garlic powder. Heat to a simmer over low heat, and cook until thoroughly heated, stirring frequently to prevent it from burning on the bottom.
3. Spoon the hot beef mixture onto buns, which may be toasted first, and serve.

Everything but the Kitchen Sink Chili

2008-11-09T09:59:00.000-08:00

...formerly Lawson Famous Chili...
This is a recipe I created by just throwing everything that sounded good into the crockpot. It can be daunting looking at the ingredients list but obviously all the different ingredients are optional. Pick and choose, use only what you have or throw everything in there!

This recipe makes a LOT of chili! I recommend freezing half of it in ziploc freezer bags - keeps for up to 3 months.

INGREDIENTS
1 pound ground beef or turkey
1 pound spicy Italian sausage
2 15-ounce cans chili beans, drained
1 28-ounce can BBQ baked beans
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained (try garlic or oregano/basil!)
1 6-ounce can tomato paste
1/2 to 1 large yellow onion, chopped
3 to 5 cloves garlic, minced
2 cubes beef bouillon
1 can/bottle dark beer
1/2 cup strong brewed coffee (I just use what's leftover in the coffeepot from the morning)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons Tabasco sauce
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 to 3 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 teaspoon paprika

DIRECTIONS
Brown meat and sausage together; drain. In a large stockpot or slow cooker, combine all ingredients. Cook 2 to 4 hours.

Garnish with:
Sharp cheddar cheese
Sour cream
Fritos

Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake Swirl Brownies

2008-11-04T11:43:00.000-08:00

Source: another blog - click the link and check out awesome pictures of the brownies.
BROWNIE BATTER INGREDIENTS
3/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup sugar
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon

CHEESECAKE BATTER INGREDIENTS
6 oz cream cheese, softened
1 egg
1/3 cup sugar
2 tbsp flour
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp each ground ginger and ground cloves

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease an 8x8" square metal baking pan.
2. Beat together melted butter, sugar, and vanilla, then beat in eggs one at a time. Combine dry ingredients and then gradually stir into butter mixture with a wooden spoon. In separate bowl, beat together cheesecake batter ingredients.
3. Spread about 2/3 of chocolate batter into prepared pan, and spoon cheesecake batter over. Dollop remaining brownie batter over cheesecake batter. Swirl the batters together by running a butter knife back and forth through the pan.
4. Bake for 40 minutes, or until center is set. Cool completely on wire rack and chill before cutting and serving.

Dark Chocolate Cookies with Espresso

2008-10-30T20:30:00.001-07:00

{print this recipe}

A friend served these at our playgroup recently and I had to get the recipe. So, so yummy. Rich, chocolatey, soft and yummy. They can be made without the espresso too, if you prefer.

Source: Martha Stewart
prep time: 20 minutes
cook time: 12-15 minutes
total time: 32-35 minutes

makes: 18-22 cookies

INGREDIENTS
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, 4 ounces melted and 4 ounces coarsely chopped

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
3. Using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition; mix in vanilla.
4. Combine espresso powder and melted chocolate; beat into butter mixture. With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture; mix just until combined. Fold in chopped chocolate.
5. Drop dough by two heaping tablespoons, 3 inches apart, onto parchment lined baking sheets. Bake until edges are dry, 12 to 15 minutes.
6. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. To store, keep in an airtight container at room temperature, up to 3 days.

Spanish Rice

2008-10-27T13:05:00.000-07:00

This dish is super easy to make. I've always been afraid to make Spanish rice (or any rice on the stovetop for that matter... I tend to stick with my rice cooker), but not anymore! I found the recipe in an online search but changed it enough that I am going to claim it as my own :) This recipes make a lot so I recommend either cutting it in half or making the full batch and freezing smaller portions!

Servings: about 8

INGREDIENTS
1 ½ cups rice
2 ½ cups chicken broth
1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes, undrained
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon onion powder
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 green onions, cut into ½-inch slices

DIRECTIONS
1. In a medium sauce pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute for just a minute. Add dry rice. Stir until rice turns golden brown (about 5 minutes - do not burn!).
2. Slowly stir in broth and diced tomatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Do not remove the lid - the rice needs to steam!
3. Stir in green onions and simmer 5 minutes more, covered.

This went really well paired with the chipotle marinade below.

Chipotle-Marinated Pork Tenderloin

2008-10-27T12:52:00.000-07:00

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Source: Eating Well

INGREDIENTS
1 canned chipotle chile in adobo plus 1 teaspoon adobo sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
½ cup orange juice
3 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
8 ounces pork tenderloin, trimmed of fat

DIRECTIONS
1. Combine chipotle and sauce, garlic, orange juice, lime juice, vinegar, oregano, cumin, salt and pepper in a blender or mini food processor; blend or process until the chipotle is chopped and the mixture is relatively smooth. Pour into a sealable plastic bag, add pork and seal, squeezing out any excess air from the bag. Turn to coat with the marinade. Refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 8 hours.
2. Preheat grill to high or heat a large indoor grill pan over high heat. Remove the pork from the marinade (discard marinade). Grill the pork, turning occasionally, until an instant-read thermometer inserted diagonally into the center of the meat registers 165° F, 20 to 30 minutes. Transfer the pork to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

Kitchen Tip:
1. One pork tenderloin typically weighs about 1 pound, enough for 4 servings. You can marinate a whole pound in the same amount of marinade used to marinate the 8 ounces in this recipe and have enough cooked tenderloin for 2 dinners (for 2 people). Or freeze half for up to 3 months
2. Chipotle chiles are smoked jalapeno peppers. They freeze well which is great because most recipes call for just one. I bag them individually (1-2 chiles per bag) with a teaspoon or two of the adobo sauce. Don't forget to label each bag with the number of chiles. Then place all the bags in one quart-size freezer bag and stick them in your freezer! They thaw very quickly, too.
3. We recently discovered that this marinade tastes great with chicken also.
4. Use half the marinade today, and freeze the other half with pork tenderloin or 2 chicken breasts. Thaw and cook - no need to allow for extra marinating time.

Slow-Cooker Beef Stew

2008-10-21T12:58:00.000-07:00

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Source: adapted from several recipes
Yields: about 6 servings

INGREDIENTS:
2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1 inch cubes
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups beef broth
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon paprika
1 packet McCormick's beef stew seasoning
1 potato, diced (or a handful of fingerlings, chopped)
2 medium-sized yams or sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
1-2 carrots, sliced
add your other favorite root vegetables

DIRECTIONS:
If you have a little time to prep:
1. In a small bowl mix together the flour, seasoned salt, and pepper. Toss meat to coat.
2. Brown the meat in a little bit of olive oil. Don't cook through, just cook until browned. Transfer to slow cooker.
3. Saute onion and garlic in the same skillet. Transfer to slow cooker. Deglaze skillet with beef broth and Worcestershire. Pour into slow cooker.
4. Stir in the bay leaf, paprika, seasoning packet and vegetables.
5. Cover and cook on Low setting for 10 to 12 hours, or on High setting for 4 to 6 hours.

If you are in a hurry to get out the door...
1. Place meat in slow cooker. In a small bowl mix together the flour, seasoned salt, and pepper; pour over meat, and stir to coat meat with flour mixture. Stir in the garlic, bay leaf, paprika, seasoning packet, Worcestershire sauce, onion, beef broth, and vegetables.
2. Cover and cook on Low setting for 10 to 12 hours, or on High setting for 4 to 6 hours.

Apple Crisp

2008-10-21T12:43:00.000-07:00

I went apple-picking with some friends recently and now have a bag full of apples to get creative with! I made this crisp with Jonagold apples (pictured below) and served it warm with vanilla ice cream on top.

Source: adapted from allrecipes.com

Prep Time: 30 Minutes

Cook Time: 45 Minutes
Ready In: 1 Hour 20 Minutes

Yields: 6-8 servings

INGREDIENTS:
6 cups all-purpose apples, peeled, cored and sliced (about 4-5 apples)
2/3 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 cup water

2/3 cup quick-cooking oats
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup butter, melted

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place the sliced apples in a 9x9 inch baking dish. Mix the white sugar, 2 teaspoons flour, ground cinnamon, and ground nutmeg together, and sprinkle over apples. Pour water evenly over all.
3. Combine the oats, 2/3 cup flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and melted butter together. Crumble evenly over the apple mixture.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

2008-10-13T13:11:00.000-07:00

These cookies have a fluffy, cakelike texture and they taste like fall. Yum!

Source: adapted from allrecipes.com
Yields: about 5 dozen

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine pumpkin, sugar, vegetable oil, and egg.
3. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground cloves and salt. Dissolve the baking soda with the milk and stir in.
4. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture and mix well.
5. Add vanilla, chocolate chips and nuts.
6. Drop by spoonful on greased cookie sheet. Using the back of a spoon, press cookie dough to flatten the cookie.
7. Bake in preheated oven for approximately 12 minutes or until lightly brown and firm.

Apple Rosemary Pork Tenderloin

2008-10-03T15:17:00.000-07:00

INGREDIENTS
1 boneless pork tenderloin (about 2 lbs)

¾ tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

2 cups apple cider or apple juice

3 sprigs of fresh rosemary

½ cup dried cherries, pits removed

5 tsp cornstarch

DIRECTIONS
1. Sprinkle salt and pepper liberally on tenderloin and brown in frypan with cooking spray, frying for 4-5 minutes per side.

2. Add half apple cider/juice to crock pot, then add one sprig rosemary. Place tenderloin in slow cooker, then remaining rosemary. Cover with cherries.

3. Cover with lid and cook on low for 5-6 hours. Remove roast from slow cooker, wrapping in foil to keep warm.

4. Pour sauce into saucepan, removing cherries and rosemary (use a strainer). Add ¾ cup cider/juice and bring to boil. In a small bowl, combine last ¼ cup cider/juice with cornstarch and slowly add to saucepan. Boil for 1-2 minutes until sauce is thickened. Serve sauce over pork.

Kitchen tip:

Pork tenderloins come 2 in one package. Use one and freeze the other for up to 3 months.

Lime Chicken Soft Tacos

2008-09-30T17:10:00.000-07:00

Source: Allrecipes.com
Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Cook Time: 30 Minutes
Ready In: 50 Minutes
Yields: 10 servings

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast meat - cubed
1/8 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 lime, juiced
1 teaspoon white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 green onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
10 (6 inch) flour tortillas
1 tomato, diced
1/4 cup shredded lettuce
1/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 cup salsa

DIRECTIONS:
1. Saute chicken in a medium saucepan over medium high heat for about 20 minutes. Add vinegar, lime juice, sugar, salt, pepper, green onion, garlic and oregano. Simmer for an extra 10 minutes.
2. Heat an iron skillet over medium heat. Place a tortilla in the pan, warm, and turn over to heat the other side. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Serve lime chicken mixture in warm tortillas topped with tomato, lettuce, cheese and salsa.

Tuna and Egg Salad

2008-09-30T13:03:00.000-07:00

I labeled this recipe "no-cook" although it does require some minimal cooking. A great meal for hot days. When I know it's going to be a scorcher, I prep the potatoes, green beans, eggs and bacon in the morning before it's too hot. Keep everything in the refrigerator and serve cold with a slice of crusty bread and a nice glass of sauvignon blanc.

photo credit: Yunhee Kim (taken from original recipe page)

Source: Every Day with Rachael Ray
Serves: 4
Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 35 min

INGREDIENTS
4 large eggs
1 pound green beans, cut crosswise into thirds
4 red potatoes (1 1/4 pounds), halved
6 slices bacon, cooked and chopped
1 avocado, diced
1 1/2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
Two 6-ounce cans tuna
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS
1. In a medium saucepan, combine the eggs and enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, remove from the heat, cover and let stand for 12 minutes. Drain and let cool; peel and quarter lengthwise. Reserve the saucepan.
2. Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the green beans and cook until crisptender, about 3 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water.
3. In the reserved saucepan, combine the potatoes and enough salted water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and let cool, then cut into bite-size pieces.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil and lemon juice; season with salt and pepper.
5. Arrange the potatoes, green beans, bacon, avocado and tomatoes on a platter. Flake the tuna and mound over the vegetables. Top with the eggs. Drizzle the dressing on the salad.

Kitchen tip:
I hoard Meyer lemons when offered them by family members who have lemon trees. I freeze their juice in ice cube trays (about 1 Tbls per cube) so that I always have lemon juice on hand for the recipes that call for just a tablespoon or two.

Chicken Sandwiches with Zucchini Slaw

2008-09-30T12:47:00.000-07:00

{print this recipe}

Sounds a little fancy but really all slaw means is "salad." This is one of my favorite meals to serve on those hot summer nights when it's too hot to cook. Serve with a fresh fruit salad. Yum! The zucchini slaw is spicy so don't forget to cut back on the chipotle or add some more creme fraiche if you're not a fan of the chile heat. Try serving as a wrap instead of on a baguette!

Source: Food & Wine Magazine
Total Time: 25 minutes
Serves: 6

INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons crème fraîche or sour cream
1 canned chipotle chile in adobo, seeded and minced
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, divided
2 small zucchini, coarsely shredded
Kosher salt
One 5-ounce bunch of arugula, thick stems discarded
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground pepper
6 small baguette rolls, split lengthwise
1 roast chicken, shredded

DIRECTIONS

In a small bowl, combine the crème fraîche with the chipotle in adobo and 1 1/2 tablespoons of the lime juice. You can tone down the spice of this slaw by adding more crème fraîche or a little less chipotle chile. Add the shredded zucchini and a pinch of salt. Let the zucchini slaw stand for 5 minutes.
In a medium bowl, toss the arugula with the olive oil and the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of lime juice; season the arugula with salt and pepper.
Now it's time to build your sandwich!

Using a slotted spoon, spread the zucchini on the baguette rolls.

Mound the shredded chicken on the zucchini and season generously with salt and pepper.

Top with the arugula.

Close the chicken sandwiches and serve immediately.

Kitchen tips:
1. Chipotle chiles are smoked jalapeno peppers. They freeze well which is great because most recipes call for just one. I bag them individually (1-2 chiles per bag) with a teaspoon or two of the adobo sauce. Don't forget to label each bag with the number of chiles. Then place all the bags in one quart-size freezer bag and stick them in your freezer! They thaw very quickly, too.
2. I love to buy a bunch of limes (4-5) and freeze their juice in ice cube trays (about 1 Tbls per cube). I always have lime juice on hand for the recipes that call for just a tablespoon or two.

** Update 06.14.10: This sandwich has become a regular dinner on those hot, hot summer nights. I have always served it on the mini sourdough rolls pictured above. But, as part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker program, I recently received a package of Nature's Pride Premium Harvest(TM) Deli Rolls. Since we had the rolls on hand, I used those. They were great with this sandwich!! They reminded me a little of hot dog buns, but I liked how light they were! The sourdough rolls I always use have a hard crust so they're not easy to bite through, plus they leave you feeling over-full. Yay for Nature's Pride Premium Harvest Deli Rolls! Oh, and bonus points for being 100% natural! **

Pasta Salad with Homemade Dressing

2008-09-29T15:53:00.000-07:00

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This pasta salad is fantastic! It's a huge hit at family parties and I'm often asked to bring it for events. There is a lot of chopping and prep time but it is worth it!! I leave the olives whole and yes... I can probably be found picking out my favorite pieces to eat while I prepare the salad. Shhhh... don't tell!

Source: allrecipes.com
Prep Time: 45 Minutes
Cook Time: 10 Minutes
Ready In: 8 Hours 55 Minutes
Yields: 8 servings

INGREDIENTS
salad:
1 (8 ounce) package uncooked tri-color rotini pasta
6 ounces pepperoni sausage, diced
6 ounces provolone cheese, cubed
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1 small cucumber, thinly sliced
3/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
3/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 (6 ounce) can pitted black olives
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

dressing:
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard seed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS
1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add rotini pasta, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until al dente. Drain, and rinse with cold water.
2. In a large bowl, mix the cooled pasta, pepperoni, provolone cheese, red onion, cucumber, green bell pepper, red bell pepper, olives, parsley, and Parmesan cheese.
3. In a jar with a lid, mix the olive oil, vinegar, garlic, basil, oregano, ground mustard, salt, and pepper. Seal jar, and shake well.
4. Pour the dressing mixture over the pasta salad, reserving just a bit to be added just before serving. Toss to coat. Cover, and chill 8 hours or overnight in the refrigerator. Pour reserved dressing if salad is too dry.

Kitchen Tip
Using a madolin slicer makes for very quick, even slicing. I use mine all the time!

Chocolate Cappuccino Cheesecake

2008-09-29T15:29:00.000-07:00

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source: allrecipes.com prep time: 30 minutes
cook time: 45 minutes
ready in: 14 hours
yields: 12-16 servings

INGREDIENTS
Chocolate Crust1 cup chocolate cookie crumbs
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 tablespoons white sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Cheesecake
3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup white sugar
3 eggs
8 (1 ounce) squares semisweet chocolate
2 tablespoons whipping cream
1 cup sour cream
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons instant coffee granules dissolved in 1/4 cup hot water
1/4 cup coffee flavored liqueur
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Flavored Whipped Cream1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons confectioners' (powdered) sugar
2 tablespoons coffee-flavored liqueur

Chocolate Leaves2-4 (1 ounce) squares semisweet chocolate
1 teaspoon shortening
assorted fresh non-toxic leaves such as camellia, rose, lemon or orange

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter one 9 or 10 inch springform pan.

2. Combine the chocolate wafer crumbs, softened butter, 2 tablespoons white sugar, and the cinnamon. Mix well and press mixture into the buttered springform pan, set aside.

3. In a medium sized bowl beat the softened cream cheese until smooth. Gradually add 1 cup white sugar mixing until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time. Beat at low speed until very smooth.

4. Melt the 8 ounces semisweet chocolate with 2 tablespoons whipping cream in a double boiler (or bowl set over boiling water), stir until smooth.

5. Add melted chocolate mixture to cream cheese mixture and blend well. Stir in sour cream, salt, coffee, 1/4 cup coffee liqueur, and vanilla; beat until smooth. Pour mixture into prepared pan.

6. Bake in the center of preheated oven for 45 minutes. Center will be soft but will firm up when chilled. Do not over bake. Leave cake in oven with the heat turned off and the door ajar for at least 45 minutes. Remove cake from oven and chill for 12 hours.

7. To make flavored whipped cream: Beat whipping cream until soft peaks form, then beat in confectioner's sugar and 2 tablespoons coffee liqueur.

Just before serving top cake with mounds of flavored whipped cream and garnish with chocolate leaves.

Kitchen Tip:

Chocolate leaves are an easy way to impress your guests! Choose leaves that are smaller as you don't want your garnish to overwhelm your dessert.

Melt 2-4 ounces semisweet chocolate with a teaspoon of shortening in a double boiler (or bowl set over boiling water), stir until smooth.

Brush underside of leaves (with the veins) with melted chocolate.

Carefully wipe off chocolate that may have run onto front side of leaf. Place on a cookie sheet to harden.

Refrigerate until firm and then peel off leaves.

Refrigerate chocolate leaves until needed.