Bruschetta Chicken Bake

This is a super easy to throw together meal. My hubby loves it too which makes it even better.Bruschetta Chicken Bake

From: Kraft Food and Family

1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 pkg. chicken stuffing mix
1/2 cup water
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 lbs. chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 tsp. dried basil
1 cup mozzarella, shredded

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place tomatoes in a medium bowl. Add the stuffing mix, water and garlic, stir just until stuffing mix is moistened. Set aside.

Place chicken in a 9x13 pan; sprinkle with basil and cheese. Top with the stuffing mixture. Bake for 30 minutes or until chicken in cooked through.

Vegetable Bacon Noodle Toss

Vegetable Bacon Noodle Toss

From: My Recipes

1/2 (16 oz.) pkg. uncooked wide egg noodles
4 slices bacon
1/2 small onion, chopped
2 yellow squash, cut in half lengthwise and sliced
1 zucchini, cut in half lengthwise and sliced
2 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup light balsamic vinaigrette
2 Tbs. flat leaf parsley, chopped
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Prepare egg noodles according to package directions, drain and keep warm.

Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until crisp; remove bacon and drain on paper towels, reserving 2 tsp. drippings in a small bowl. Discard remaining drippings. Wipe skillet clean with a paper towel. Crumble bacon.

Saute chopped onion in hot reserved drippings over medium-high heat 5 minutes or until tender. Add squash, zucchini, and tomatoes; saute 6 minutes or until squash and zucchini are crisp-tender. Add egg noodles, bacon, vinaigrette (I ended up adding a bit more vinaigrette for coverage), and next three ingredients, stirring until well blended. Cook, stirring constantly, until thoroughly heated. Serve immediately. Garnish with a sprig of parsley.

Fresh Pear Crsip

I snatched this recipe off of AllRecipes when my husband invited some friends over for dessert and I wasn't planning a dessert. So I found this in search for a recipe with pears. I am very happy with the results. I love ginger and this... well...this is yummy and gingery and sweet. I think the most important part of a crisp is a good thick topping, so I doubled all of the ingredients for that listed below.Fresh Pear Crisp

From: AllRecipes

1 cup flour
2/3 cup quick cooking oatmeal
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon,divided
6 Tbs. margarine, cut into pieces
4 cups pears, peeled and sliced
2 Tbs. sugar
1 Tbs. lemon juice
1 tsp. grated lemon peel (I didn't have any so I left it out)
1/2 tsp. ground ginger

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, combine the flour, oatmeal, brown sugar and 1 tsp. cinnamon. Cut in the margarine until coarse crumbs form; set aside.

Place pears in a large bowl. Sprinkle with sugar, lemon juice, lemon peel, ginger and remaining cinnamon; toss to coat. Transfer to a 9x13 pan coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with the crumb mixture. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until pears are tender.

*Note: As I said I loved the pears matched with the ginger. Next time I will be adding some crystallized ginger to the topping. Oh yum!

Penne with Tomatoes, Olives and Capers

I was trying to find a few recipes that used up random ingredients that I had on hand. This one used both the capers and Kalamata olives and it turned out great.Penne with Tomatoes, Olives and Capers

From: My Recipes

1 Tbs. olive oil
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups plum tomatoes, chopped (I believe I just used Romas because that it what I had)
1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
1 1/2 Tbs. capers
1/4 tsp. salt
6 cups cooked Penne (about 4 cups uncooked)
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
3 Tbs. fresh basil, chopped

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add pepper and garlic, saute for 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, olives, capers and salt. Reduce heat, and simmer 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add pasta to the pan, tossing gently to coat; cook 1 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Remove from heat. Sprinkle with cheese and basil.

Creamy Pumpkin Struedels

These are to die for. I kid you not that these are one of the most amazing pumpkin desserts ever. I got this recipe from a friend of mine whose blog I linked below, although this recipe is not on her blog.Creamy Pumpkin Strudels

From: The Franson Kitchen

1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin
1/2 cup backed brown sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt
12 sheets frozen phyllo dough, thawed (I always use more than this)
2/3 cup butter, melted
1 cup granulated sugar
4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, cut into 12 slices (again, I always slice it into more pieces to fill more stuedels)
Cool whip or Vanilla Ice Cream

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, combine pumpkin, brown sugar, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt.

In another small bowl, combine 1 cup sugar and 4 tsp. cinnamon.

Place 2 sheets of phyllo dough on top of each other. Slice sheets in half lengthwise to make two long strips of dough. Keep the remaining dough covered with plastic wrap or a very slightly damp paper towel or the dough will get brittle and crack. Brush the top sheets of dough with the melted butter. Sprinkle heavily with cinnamon sugar. Place a slice of cream cheese 2 inches from the top of the dough. Spoon a dollop of the pumpkin mixture on top of the cream cheese. Fold the top edge down over the mixture and roll . Place each struedel on a baking sheet, seamside down. brush with some of the melted butter. Sprinkle generously with the remaining cinnamon sugar mixture.

Bake for 15 minutes or until the phyllo is golden brown. Top with cool whip.

To reheat: After removing from the fridge, place on a greased cookie sheet. Put in a 400 degree oven for 10 minutes. (I usually just pop mine in the toaster oven or microwave. They just don't keep the cripsy outside if you stick them in the microwave)

Frog Eye Salad

Can you really go wrong with some good ole' Frog Eye Salad? I think not. This recipe isn't anything out of the ordinary, but I had to post it because it is getting so warm and this is a perfect summer side.
Frog Eye Salad

From: Mom Solter..aka Ruth

1 cup sugar
1 Tbs. flour
2 1/2 tsp. salt
1 3/4 cup reserved pineapple juice
2 eggs, beaten
1 Tbs. lemon juice
8 oz. Acini di Pepe (1/2 box)
1 tsp. vegetable oil
1 (20 oz.) can pineapple tidbits, juice reserved
1 (20 oz.) can crushed pineapple, juice reserved
1 lg. carton cool whip
1-2 cups mini marshmallows
3 lg. apples, diced
1 small jar maraschino cherries, halved
1-2 cans mandarin oranges

Mix the first five ingredients and cook over low heat until thick. Add the lemon juice and cool.

Boil 3 quarts of water. Add Acini di pepe and 1 tsp. oil. Cook 9 minutes or just until tender. Drain and rinse in cold water. Mix with the 1st mixture and let stand at least 8 hours or overnight in the refrigerator.

Remove pasta mixture from the refrigerator and fold in fruit, cool whip and marshmallows. Chill and serve.

Pata with Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto and Feta Cheese

This was quite tasty. It fit perfectly with my mood!Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomato Peso and Feta Cheese

From: My Recipes

1 (9 oz.) pkg. refrigerated fresh linguine (I just used dried and cooked it)
3/4 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomato halves, drained
1/4 cup loosely packed basil leaves
2 Tbs. slivered almonds
2 Tbs. shredded parmesan
1 Tbs. minced garlic
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Return pasta to the pan.

While the pasta is cooking, place the tomatoes and the next six ingredients, through the black pepper, in a food processor. Process until finely chopped.

Combine the tomato mixture and the reserved 1 cup cooking liquid, stirring with a whisk. Add to the pasta and toss well to coat. Sprinkle with the feta.

Apple Cinnamon Pork Roast

This was good, but I was in a hurry so I didn't leave it in the crockpot as long as I should have. I think that a little bit more time would have allowed the flavors to meld a bit more. Next time I will definitely serve this over rice.Apple Cinnamon Pork Roast

From: Crockpot365

2-3 lb. pork loin roast
1 onion, sliced in wedges
1 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup apple cider or juice
1 Tbs. lemon juice
3 granny smith apples, chopped
1 (16 oz.) bag coleslaw mix
1 Tbs. apple cider vinegar
3 Tbs+ butter
1/2 cup + brown sugar

Put onion wedges intot he bottom of your crockpot, and put the meat on top. Sprinkle dry spices on all sides of the meat. Add the apple juice and lemon juice. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4-6 hours. 20-30 minutes before serving, remove the meat from the crockpot and shred. Put the chopped apples and bag of coleslaw into your crockpot.(I didn't use the entire bag...it just seemed like too much. I probably left 1 1/2 cups in the bag) Add the cider vinegar. stir. Add the pork back to the crockpot. Salt and pepper to taste.

(The recipe called for something a little bit different, but it was much easier to do it the way I did and turned out a good result. I just made up the quantities to what seemed good so feel free to do more or less.) In a small saucepan, melt butter. Stir in brown sugar. Stir until well combined and bubbly. Add to the crockpot and stir to encorporate. Cook for another 20-30 minutes. Serve over rice.

Beef with Rosemary-Mushroom Sauce

This was awesome. I followed the tip to serve with mashed potatoes and we ended up serving it over the mashed potatoes because it was so amazing together.Beef with Rosemary-Mushroom Sauce

From: MyRecipes

1 (8 oz.) pkg. pre-sliced mushrooms
1 cup dry red wine
1 lb. boneless top sirloin steak (about 3/4" thick) (I am too cheap for this and just used fajita steak that was super thin and it still turned out freaking amazing)
Cooking Spray
1 cup green onions, chopped
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped and divided
1 1/2 tsp. fresh rosemary, chopped or 1/2 tsp. dried rosemary(I used dried crushed rosemary)
1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 (10.5 oz.) can beef broth
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce

Combine the mushrooms, wine and steak in a large Ziploc bag and seal. Marinate in the fridge for about 30 minutes, turning occasionally. (I cut my steak into strips before putting in the marinade as it was really thin and is easier to cut before cooking)

Remove the steak from the bag, reserving marinade. Place a large non-stick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add the steak and cook for 6 minutes or until desired degree of doneness, turning after 3 minutes. Remove from pan. (As I mentioned, my steak was a lot thinner, so I just cooked it until it was done, kind of tossing it around in my pan.)

Combine the onions, 2 Tbs. parsley, rosemary, and remaining ingredients. Add onion mixture and reserved marinade to the pan. Bring to a boil; cook until reduced to 2 cups (about 15 minutes), stirring frequently.

Cut the beef diagonally across the grain into thin slices. place beef on a serving platter. Spoon the mushroom sauce over the beef. Sprinkle with 2 Tbs. parsley. (I combined the steak and sauce back in the pan just to make life easier and make sure the steak was still plenty warm. I made some garlic mashed potatoes and served this right over the top. YUMMY!)

Taco Salad Bowls

Taco Salad Bowls

From: Tarah's Food Reviews

4 (8") flour tortillas
1 Tbs. chili powder, divided
3/4 lb. ground beef
1 cup matchstick cut carrots
1/2 cup + 2 Tbs. Salsa, divided
2 Tbs. Mayo
4 cups salad greens, torn
1 lg. tomato, chopped
1/2 cup Mexican style cheese, shredded
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Crumple four large sheets of foil to make four 3" ball; place on a baking sheet. Place 1 tortilla on top of each ball; spray tortilla with cooking spray. Sprinkle evenly with 1/2 tsp. of the chili powder. Bake 6-8 minutes. or until the tortillas are golden brown. (The recipe says that the tortillas will drape over the foil balls as they bake but I had to give mine a little help in the formation department.)

Meanwhile, brown the meat witht he carrots and remaining 2 1/2 tsp. chili powder in a large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Add 1/2 cup of the salsa; cook 2 minutes or until heated through, stirring occasionally.

Mix the mayo and remaining 2 Tbs. salsa in a large bowl. Add the salad greens and tomatoes; toss to coat. Spoon into tortilla shells: top with meat mixture, cheese and cilantro.

Korean Spiced Beef and Cabbage Rolls

Korean Spiced Beef and Cabbage Rolls

From: MyRecipes

Filling:
1/2 cup green onions, chopped
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 Tbs. sesame seeds
1 Tbs. sesame oil
1 Tbs. dry sherry
2 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. minced garlic
1/8 tsp. ground red pepper (I didn't have this and so I just threw is some red pepper flakes)
1/2 lb. ground beef
cooking spray
2 cups green cabbage, thinly sliced

Dough:
4 cups flour
2 Tbs. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/3 cups water
1/4 cup honey
2 Tbs. canola oil
1 Tbs. water
1 lg. egg white, lightly beaten
1 Tbs. sesame seeds

Preheat over to 375 degrees.

To prepare filling, combine the first eleven ingredients in a large bowl.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Coat the pan with cooking spray. Add the ground beef mixture to the pan; cook 8 minutes or until done, stirring occasionally. Stir in the cabbage and cook for 4 more minutes or until the cabbage is tender. Remove from heat, cool completely.

To prepare the dough, combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Combine 1 1/3 cups water, honey and canola oil, stirring with a whisk. Add water mixture to the flour mixture; stirring until a soft dough forms. (I had to add a tad bit more water). Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. (It took me a 10+ minutes of kneading). Cover and let stand for 5 minutes.

Roll the dough into a 16" x 12" rectangle (about 1/4" thick) on a lightly floured surface. Cut the dough into 12-4" squares. Working with 1 square at a time (cover remaining dough with a towel to prevent drying), spoon about 1/4 cup beef mixture into the center of each square. Moisten the edges with water and bring the opposite corners to the center, pinching points to seal. Place rolls seam-side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Combine 1 Tbs. water and the egg white in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Lightly brush the tops of the dough with the egg white mixture. Sprinkle each with 1/4 tsp. sesame seeds. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes or until the rolls are lightly browned. Remove from baking sheet; cool on wire racks.

Couscous Salad with Chicken and Chopped Vegetables

Couscous Salad with Chicken and Chopped Vegetables

From: MyRecipes

1 1/2 cups water
1 Tbs. olive oil, divided
3/4 tsp. salt
1 cup uncooked couscous
1 cup yellow bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup zucchini, finely chopped
1/2 cup fresh mushrooms, chopped
1 1/2 cups chopped rotisserie chicken (I just baked some chicken and chopped it up)
1 1/2 cups (1/8 inch thick) diagonally cut carrots
1/4 cup green onions, thinly sliced
3 Tbs. dried currants (I couldn't find any so I just used raisins and they were awesome in this)
3 Tbs. fresh mint, finely chopped
1/8 tsp. black pepper

Dressing:
1 cup plain low-fat yogurt
3 Tbs. lemon juice
1 Tbs. honey
1 Tbs. white wine vinegar

To prepare the salad, bring the water, 1 tsp. oil and salt to a boil in a medium saucepan; gradually stir in couscous. Remove from heat; cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff witha fork. Place in a large bowl and cool to room temperature.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the remaining oil tot he pan. Add the bell pepper, zucchini and mushrooms; saute for 4 minutes or until the pepper is tender. Add the bell pepper mixture, chicken, carrots, onions, currants, mint and black pepper to the couscous. Toss gently to combine.

To prepare the dressing, combine the yogurt and remaining ingredients, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle over the couscous mixture, tossing gently to combine.

Roasted Banana Bars with Browned Butter-Pecan Frosting

Take me down to paradise city...Roasted Banana Bars with Browned Butter Pecan Frosting

From: Cooking Light Jan/Feb 2009

2 cups sliced ripe banana, about 3
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 Tbs. butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
2 1/4 cups cake flour (I didn't have any and used a flour/cornstarch substitute and it turned out ok, but I could tell it made a difference)
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 cup nonfat buttermilk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 lg. eggs
Baking spray with flour

Frosting:
1/4 cup butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted (I didn't have any and they were still great but I think they would have been good with them too.)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. To prepare bars, combine banana, brown sugar and 1 Tbs. butter in an 8 inch square baking dish. Bake at 400 degrees for 35 minutes, stirring after 17 minutes. Cool slightly.

Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees.

Combine flour, baking soda and baking powder in a medium bowl. Combine banana mixture, buttermilk, and 1 tsp. vanilla in another medium bowl. Place 1/2 cup butter and sugar in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add eggs to sugar mixture, mix well. Add flour mixture to the sugar mixture, alternating with the banana mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.

Pour the batter into a 9x13 pan coated with baking spray. Bake for 20 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack.

To prepare frosting, melt 1/4 cup butter in a small sacuepan over medium heat; cook 4 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool slightly. Combine browned butter, powdered sugar, cream cheese and 1 tsp. vanilla in a medium bowl; beat with a mixer until smooth. Spread frosting over cooled bars. Sprinkle with pecans.

Orange Glazed Roastd Chicken with Wild Rice

This was awesome. The rice was heavenly with the roasting sauces drizzled over the top.Orange Glazed Roasted Chicken with Wild Rice

From: MyRecipes

1 lg. shallot, minced
cooking spray
1 (12 oz.) can orange juice concentrate
1 1/2 cups water
2 Tbs. honey
3/4 tsp. salt, divided
1/4 tsp. ground marjoram
2 tsp. rubbed sage, divided
3/4 tsp. pepper, divided
1 (5 1/2 lb.) whole chicken
2 (6 oz.) pkgs. long grain and wild rice mix
1 medium onion, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
1 fennel bulb, chopped (My stores don't carry fennel, so I left it out and it still turned out fine)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup craisins, chopped (I will definitely be putting more of these in next time)

Saute shallot in a skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat for 3 minutes or until tender. Add juice concentrate, 1 1/2 cups water, honey, 1/2 tsp. salt, marjoram, 1 tsp. sage, and 1/2 tsp. pepper, whisking until blended.

Place chicken, breast side up on a rack in an aluminum foil lined roasting pan coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 tsp. salt; drizzle with juice mixture.

Bake at 350 degrees for 2 hours and 15 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted into the chicken thigh reads 180 degrees. Baste every 30 minutes. Shield after 30 minutes if necessary. I had to shield mine.

Cook rice according to package directions, omitting fat.

Cook onion, celery and fennel in a lg. nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat for 5-7 minutes. Add garlic and saute 2 more minutes.

Stir together the onion mixture, rice, cranberries and remaining 1 tsp. sage and 1/4 tsp. pepper. Cover and keep warm. serve with chicken and the extra sauce.

Apple Slump

Apple Slump

From: Tarah's Food Reviews

2 Tbs. unsalted butter, plus 3 Tbs. chopped and chilled
2 1/4 lbs. gala apples, peeled and sliced into 8ths
1/2 cup + 2 Tbs. sugar
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup + 1 Tbs. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
2/3 cup whole milk

In a small dutch oven (I don't have a dutch oven, so I just used a large skillet), melt the 2 Tbs. butter over medium heat. Add the apples, then stir in 1/2 cup of sugar, the lemon juice and cinnamon. Cover and simmer until the apples are nearly tender, about 8 minutes. Stir in 1 Tbs. flour and remove from the heat.

In a medium bowl, combine the remaining 1 cup flour, 2 Tbs. sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the 3 Tbs. chilled butter, working it in with your fingertips until crumbly. Add the milk and stir to combine.

Return the dutch oven to medium-low heat and spoon the batter onto the hot fruit to almost cover the surface. Cover and simmer until the batter is cooked through, about 20 minutes.