Tasty Tuesday ~ Raspberry Poppyseed Vinaigrette

This was my first attempt at making salad dressing....without a recipe. I must say it turned out pretty well. Add more or less sugar, vinegar, or yogurt/mayo to your desired taste. I used light mayo for this recipe, but next time I plan on trying it with nonfat yogurt.

Raspberry Poppyseed Vinaigrette

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups raspberries, fresh or thawed
1/2 sugar (or to desired sweetness)
2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
3/4 Tbsp. poppyseeds
1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
3/4 cup nonfat yogurt or light mayo

How to Make It:
1) Place raspberries in food processor and blend until smooth.
2) Add sugar, vinegars, and yogurt or mayo. Blend until smooth. (This part may require several tasting if you want to alter it.)
3) Pour into a serving bowl and stir in poppyseeds.

I served this on spinach greens with mandarin oranges, craisins, and toasted almonds. Yum-my!

Tasty Tuesday ~ Chocolate Cobbler

The first, and only, place I've had chocolate cobbler is at Wood Grill. The few times I've been this is the only thing I get for dessert. So I set out to find a recipe for it, which was surprisingly difficult considering I only found two that sounded good. I got this one from Allrecipes.com, and it was exactly what I was hoping for! Serve it warm from the oven with some all natural Breyers vanilla ice cream, and you'll think you're in Heaven. Oh yeah, it was good.

Ingredients:
12 Tbsp. butter
2 cups self-rising flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup milk
2 tsp. vanilla
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
2 1/2 cups boiling water

How to Make It:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter in 9x13 dish while oven is preheating.
2) In bowl stir flour, 1 1/2 cups sugar, and 3 Tbsp. cocoa. Stir in milk and vanilla until smooth. Spoon over melted butter in dish.
3) Stir together remaining sugar and 1/2 cup cocoa. Sprinkle over batter. Slowly pour boiling water over mixture.
4) Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until set.

*This recipes is doubled. If you want to make half in an 8x8 dish, just do half of all the ingredients except the water. Use 1 1/2 cups instead of 2 1/2.

Tasty Tuesday ~ Ham-Swiss Ring Around

HAM-SWISS RING AROUND

This is a recipe that my mother makes, but I have no idea where it came from originally. It looks at lot more complicated than it is. So don't be afraid to try it! It's definitely a family favorite!

Ingredients:
1 cup broccoli florets
1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
2 Tbsp onion, finely chopped
2 tsp mustard
1 Tbsp butter, softened
1 tsp lemon juice
3/4 cup (3 oz.) swiss cheese, grated
1 can Hormel chunk ham, drained
1 8 oz. can crescent rolls
Parmesan cheese, grated (about 1/4 cup)

How to Make It:

1) Cook and drain broccoli. Mix parsley, onion, mustard, butter, and lemon juice.
2) Add cheese, broccoli, and ham. Mix lightly. Set aside.
3) Separate rolls on well-greased cookie sheet. Arrange triangles with the points outside, overlapping the base a little bit.

4) Spoon filling evenly around the base.


5) Fold points over top and tuck under bases. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
6) Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.

Tasty Tuesday ~ Honey Chicken Salad

This is a Southern Living recipe and I am telling you it is the BEST chicken salad! I can't tell you how many times I have made this for a gathering and every time someone requests the recipe (including this past weekend when I made it). It's the only chicken salad I ever make!

Honey Chicken Salad

Ingredients:
4 cups chopped cooked chicken
3 celery ribs, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 cup sweetened dried cranberries
1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
1/3 cup honey
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Garnish: chopped toasted pecans

How to Make It:
1) Combine first 4 ingredients.
2) Whisk together mayonnaise and next 3 ingredients. Add to chicken mixture, stirring gently until combined. Garnish, if desired.

Yield: 6 servings

Tasty Tuesday ~ Manicotti

You know any meal involving homemade crepes can't be all bad! I got this manicotti recipe from a friend of mine when I was looking for dishes that freeze well. And since this is an easy-to-follow, yet time-consuming recipe, I also recommend doubling it and sticking one in the freezer.


MANICOTTI

Crepes:
1 cup flour
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1/4 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. butter, melted

How to Make It:
1) In large bowl wisk together flour and eggs. Gradually add milk and water, stirring to combine. Add salt and butter, beat until smooth.
2) Heat a lightly oiled frying pan or griddle over medium-high heat. Poor or scoop the batter onto pan, using about 1/4 cup batter for each crepe. Tilt the pan so batter coats the surface evenly. Cook for 2 minutes turn and cook other side.

Filling:
15 oz. ricotta cheese
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella
3 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese (plus more for sprinkling)
1 egg, beaten
1 Tbsp. chopped parsley
1 jar spaghetti sauce

How to Make It:
1) Mix first four ingredients in a bowl.
2) Take a spoonful of mixture and put in the middle of the crepe and roll up. Place seam-side down in 9/13 dish.
3) After repeating with all crepes, cover with spaghetti sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
4) Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. Remove foil, sprinkle with parsley, and bake another 15 minutes. When done recover and let stand before serving.

Tasty Tuesday ~ Fresh Strawberry Pie

I am not a big fan of cooked fruit, so when my brother-in-law, Dan, (who is quite the chef) made this pie I knew it was going to be delicious! It is so fresh, light, and it's the perfect summertime pie! This gets made often in our house when strawberries are in season.

Crust:
1 1/2 cups flour
dash of salt
2 Tbsp. milk
2 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 cup oil

1) Mix ingredients in a bowl with fork.
2) Press onto bottom and sides of 9" pie plate.
3) Bake at 375 degrees for 8-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool.

Filling:
2 1/2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
3 Tbsp. cranberry jello (cranberry is my favorite but you can also use rasberry or strawberry)

1) Mix first three ingredients in a pot. Bring to boil; stirring continually with a wisk.
2) Boil until thick. Remove from heat.
3) Add jello. Cool. (I set the pot on a towel in the fridge and stir every once and while until cool.)
4) Place 1 1/2 - 2 pints of cut strawberries over cooled crust. Pour filling over strawberries.
5) Chill in fridge for several hours. Serve with whipped cream.

Tasty Tuesday ~ Chicken Noodle Casserole

Okay, I know that I am missing a photo......You see, I was nice enough to "let" Tom take the camera on his 3-day trip to DC the week before last. So when I made this dish I literally couldn't take a picture of it. And since I was sick all last week, there was NO cooking going on in this house! So there you have it, a photo-less recipe entry. It pretty much looked like your normal, everyday chicken casserole, but it sure was yummy!

CHICKEN NOODLE CASSEROLE

Ingredients:
2/3 cup chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon olive or canola oil
1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
1 1/2 cups chopped carrots
3 celery ribs, chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried savory, thyme, or basil
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
1 1/2 cups 2% milk
1 1/4 cups shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese
8 ounces wide egg noodles or spaghetti, cooked and drained

How to Make It:
1) In a large nonstick skillet, saute onion and garlic in oil until tender. Add chicken; cook and stir until no longer pink. Add the broth, carrots, celery and savory. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
2) Meanwhile, in a saucepan, melt butter. Stir in the flour, salt, and pepper until smooth. Gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in cheese until melted. Pour over chicken mixture. Add noodles; mix well.
3) Transfer to a 3-qt. baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes or until bubbly.

Instead of just carrots I used a couple scoops of those always-in-our-freezer organic mixed veggies (carrots, green beans, peas, and corn). The only other alteration I would make next time is to add more cheese in the sauce and/or on the top before baking. You can't go wrong with more cheese!

Tasty Tuesday ~ Lemon Greek Chicken

LEMON GREEK CHICKEN

This recipe is from The Pampered Chef cookbook "Stoneware Inspirations." It's a yummy and impressive-looking dish to make for company, too. One alteration I always make, I use sweet onions instead of red, but you may find you like the red better. Either way it's delicious! Of course, when I made this last night it would have been even better if I hadn't forgotten to buy a red pepper. Oops!

Ingredients:

2 lemons, divided

1/4 cup olive oil

4 large garlic cloves, pressed/minced

2-3 tsp. dried oregano

3/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper

4 split bone-in chicken breast halves (2 1/2 - 3 lbs.)

8 petite red potatoes

1 medium red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch strips

1 medium red onion, cut into 1-inch wedges

8 oz. whole mushrooms

How to Make It:

1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Zest one lemon to measure 1 1/2 Tbsp. of zest. Juice lemon to measure 2 Tbsp. juice. Combine zest, juice, olive oil, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper. Mix well.

2) Place chicken on center of pan. (It calls for the Stoneware Bar pan which is 10x15 1/2, but I use my stoneware 9x13 dish.) Using a pastry brush, brush chicken with a portion of the lemon juice mixture.

3) Cut potatoes. Thinly slice remaining lemon. In a large bowl combine potatoes, sliced lemon, red pepper, onions, and mushrooms. Pour the rest of the lemon juice mixture into the bowl and toss to coat.

4) Arrange vegetables around chicken. Bake 1 hour or until chicken is no longer pink, brushing chicken and vegetables with pan juices after 30 minutes.

Tasty Tuesday ~ Choc-Oat-Chip Cookie Bars

CHOC-OAT-CHIP COOKIE BARS

This is straight off the Quaker Oat's website and they tasted exactly they way I was hoping they would! I do love nuts in cookies, but I left them out of this recipe. We didn't even miss 'em.

Ingredients
1 cup (2 sticks) margarine or butter, softened
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 tablespoons milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
2-1/2 cups Quaker Oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)
2 cups (12 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

How to Make It:
1) Heat oven to 375°F. Beat margarine and sugars until creamy.

2) Add eggs, milk and vanilla; beat well. Add combined flour, baking soda and salt; mix well.

3) Stir in oats, chocolate chips and nuts; mix well.
4) Press dough onto bottom of ungreased 13 x 9-inch baking pan. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool completely; cut into bars. Store in tightly covered container.

Variations
Substitute 1 cup of any of the following for 1 cup chocolate chips: candy-coated chocolate pieces, candy-coated peanut butter pieces, white chocolate chips, peanut butter & milk chocolate chips or butterscotch chips. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 9 to 10 minutes for a chewy cookie or 12 to 13 minutes for a crisp cookie. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets; remove to wire rack. Cool completely. Store tightly covered. Makes about 5 dozen.

Tasty Tuesday ~ Tater Tot Casserole

TATER TOT CASSEROLE

This is one of those recipes you can make a million different ways, but this is the one I got from my sister and it's my favorite version. I think just about every child would eat this. It's got meat, it's got potatoes how can you go wrong?

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 - 3/4 cup chopped onions
1 (10.75 oz) can cream of celery soup
1/2 can of water
2 cups shredded cheese
1 (32 oz) bag of tater tots

How to Make It:
1) Brown the meat and onions in a skillet. Drain. Put into 9x13 dish.
2) Add the soup and 1/2 can of water and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Stir and mix well.
3) Top evenly with shredded cheese and then the tater tots.
4) Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until hot, bubbly, and crispy.

Tasty Tuesday ~ Chicken & Yellow Rice

CHICKEN & YELLOW RICE

This recipe is an old family favorite. My mother got the recipe from another army wife when my parents were living on base, and she's been making it ever since. So I can't tell you how many times I've eaten this dish, but I still love it! And for some reason, we always have it with brussel sprouts, always. It's tradition.

Ingredients:
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 26 oz. can cream of chicken soup
1 10.75 oz. can cream of mushroom soup
yellow saffron rice (we prefer Mahatma)

How To Make It:
1) Mix both cans of soup in a deep casserole dish. Add chicken breasts and stir. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour.
2) When one hour is up remove chicken breasts one by one and cut into bite-sized pieces. Return to casserole dish and continue cooking until the rice is ready.

Serves: 6-8

Tasty Tuesday ~ Pasta Primavera

This was our dinner on Saturday night, and with all the fresh veggies it had such a wonderful flavor. It was a good way to welcome spring! This was the first time I had made this, so naturally, once the delicious dish had been consumed, I started thinking of alterations: adding blackened chicken, carrots, or broccoli. I am looking forward to making it again and experimenting. Isn't that what cooking is all about?

PASTA PRIMAVERA

Ingredients:
1 lb. of (thin) asparagus
16 oz. dried rotini
1 large red or yellow sweet pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 1/2 cups sliced yellow summer squash
1 16 oz. jar of light Alfredo sauce
2 Tbsp. fresh tarragon or thyme
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper

How To Make It:
1) Wash and snap off woody bases from asparagus spears. Bias-slice asparagus into 1-inch pieces.
2) In a large pot cook pasta according to package directions, adding asparagus, sweet pepper, and squash to pasta the last 4 minutes of cooking. Drain. Return pasta and vegetable mixture to pot.
3) Meanwhile, for the sauce, in a small saucepan combine Alfredo sauce, the 2 Tbsp. tarragon/thyme, and crushed red pepper. Cook and stir over medium heat about 5 minutes or until heated through. Pour sauce over pasta and vegetable mixture; stir gently to coat.

Serves: 6

Tasty Tuesday ~ Chicken Parmesan

CHICKEN PARMESAN

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups Italian breadcrumbs
3 Tbsp. flour
Dash of red pepper flakes (or more if you like some spice)
2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Olive oil
2 eggs
1 16 oz. jar marinara sauce, plus more if you serve with pasta
1 cup mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
Cooked pasta, if desired

How to Make It:
1) Mix the first 3 ingredients and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook pasta.
2) Place each chicken breast between heavy duty plastic wrap and pound to 1/4 inch thick with a mallet or use a rolling pin.
3) Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Slightly beat eggs. (I used one yolk and discarded the other.) Dip chicken in egg and coat well with breadcrumb mixture.
4) Brown chicken breasts in hot oil on both sides until no longer pink. Place in 9x13 dish. (I used 3 breasts and needed an extra dish.) Top evenly with marinara sauce. Sprinkle evenly with cheeses.
5) Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Serve with pasta, if desired.

PS- I have to admit that this photos is not of my chicken parmesan, but it could have been. :-)

Tasty Tuesday ~ Lemon Poppyseed Muffins

I know I have been slacking off posting recipes on here, mostly because I keep forgetting to take photos of the food before we eat it! When I am rushing around trying to get dinner done, I don't think "Hmmm, let me grab the camera."

I got this recipe from another favorite cookbook - Southern Living. This was my first attempt at these and despite overcooking them just a tad, they were great!

LEMON POPPY SEED MUFFINS

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups of flour (I always buy bread flour)
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 Tbsp. poppy seeds
1 Tbsp. lemon zest
1 cup sour cream (I never use anything but reduced fat)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup butter, melted
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 vanilla extract

How to Make It:
1) Combine first 6 ingredients in a large bowl, and make a well in the center of mixture. Combine sour cream and next 3 ingredients; add to dry mixture, stirring just until moistened.
2) Spoon batter into greased muffins pans, filling two-thirds full.
3) Bake at 400 degrees for 17-18 minutes or lightly browned. Remove from pans immediately, and cool on wire on racks.
4) Combine powdered sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla in a small bowl, stirring until smooth. Drizzle glaze over muffins and let glaze set.

Yield: 1 dozen

Tasty Tuesday ~ Best Banana Bread

BEST BANANA BREAD
Must give credit where credit is due. This is my mother's banana bread recipe, and personally it's my favorite.

Ingredients:
2 cups bread flour, sifted
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. banana flavor
1/2 tsp. butter flavor
2 eggs
1 cup bananas, mashed (3 large)
1 tsp. vanilla
1/3 cup shortening, melted
1 cup pecans, chopped

How to Make It:
1) Sifted together the first four ingredients in a large bowl
2) Beat the remaining ingredients (except the nuts) together in a small bowl and add to the dry ingredients
3) Mix in 1 cup pecans
4) Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour (or until toothpick comes out mostly clean)
5) Cool 5 minutes before serving

Tasty Tuesday ~ Rainbow Fried Rice

Rainbow Fried Rice

I got this recipe from Cooking Light (via the Southern Living website). I did use chicken instead of pork and left out the lettuce. The only other alteration I would make is to leave off the sesame oil at the end. It was just a bit too strong. Otherwise it was a tasty, lowfat, easy recipe!

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. canola oil
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup mined yellow onion
1 cup chopped roast pork/chicken
4 cups cooked long-grain rice, chilled
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp white pepper
1/2 minced green onions
1 tsp. sesame oil

How to Make It:
1) Heat canola oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add eggs; stir fry for 1 minute or until done. Remove from pan.
2) Add chicken to pan and cook until no longer pink. Add yellow onion to pan; cook 2 minutes or until translucent. Add rice and soy sauce; stir-fry 2 more minutes.
3) Return eggs to skillet. Stir in lettuce, peas, salt, and white pepper; stir-fry 1 minute. Sprinkle with green onions and sesame oil.

Yield: 6 1-cup servings

Tasty Tuesday ~ Summer Squash Casserole

Summer Squash Casserole
I got this recipe from Southern Living and it reminded me of the casserole my grandmother used to make. (It originally called for an 8-oz can of water chestnuts, drained and chopped, but I left that out.) A great casserole for summertime!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs. yellow squash
1 lb. zucchini
1 small, sweet onion, chopped
2 1/2 tsp. salt, divided
1 cup carrots, grated
1 (10.75 oz) can cream of chicken soup
1 (8 oz) container light sour cream
1 (8 oz) package herb-seasoned stuffing
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar (optional)

How to Make It:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut squash and zucchini into 1/4-inch thick slices; place in pot. Add chopped onion, 2 tsp. of salt, and water to cover. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook 5 minutes. Drain well.
2) Stir together carrots, sour cream, soup, and remaining 1/2 tsp salt in large bowl; fold in squash mixture.
3) Stir together stuffing and melted butter and spoon half into bottom of greased 9x13 dish. Spoon squash mixture over stuffing and top with remaining stuffing mixture.
4) Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown. If necessary shield with foil after 20-25 minutes to prevent excessive browning. Sprinkle with cheese during last 5 minutes or so of bake time. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Tasty Tuesday ~ My Mashed Potatoes

Does everyone do this, find a handful of good recipes and make them often? Well, that's usually what happens in our house. Over the weekend I made a standard favorite, BBQ roast, only this time I used a less fatty cut of meat, sirloin tip roast. We also made a little trip to the farmer's market for some fresh produce: redskin potatoes, cucumbers, sweet vidalia onions, and tomatoes. I served the cucumbers, onions, and tomatoes with Italian dressing. It's such a simple and refreshing salad to make in the summer!

Now I know everyone does mashed potatoes their own delicious way, but this is how I made these tasty taters:

~ Srubbed, quartered, and boiled approx. 7 small redskin potatoes until they were soft all the way through.
~ Mashed them just the right amounts of butter, salt, black pepper, milk and garlic powder.
~ Stirred in fresh, chopped chives/green onions.

I would have added light sour cream as well, but my husband is not a fan. Oh well. They were fabulous anyway!!!

Tasty Tuesday ~ Baked Oatmeal

BAKED OATMEAL

This is a delicious and healthy way to eat your oats. It makes so much we can eat it most every morning for the week.

Ingredients:

3 cups old-fashioned oats
4 1/2 cups boiling water
2 eggs
1/2 cup light brown sugar or 1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup oil (for a healthier version I fill the measuring cup most of the way with mashed banana first. You can also use applesauce of pumpkin puree.)
1/2 cup chopped nuts, raisins, or other fruit

How to Make It:

1) Mix oatmeal and boiling water in a large bowl. Let stand 15 minutes.
2) Add all other ingredients. Mix well.
3) Spread in greased 9x13 pan.
4) Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.
5) Serve warm with either fruit, nuts, milk, sugar, or apple-cinnamon topping.

Apple-Cinnamon Topping

1 1/2 cups water
1/2 - 3/4 cups sugar (depending on sweetness desired)
1 tsp. cinnamon
3 cups apples, peeled and cubed
2 Tbsp. cornstarch dissolved in 1/4 cup water

1) Heat water, sugar, and cinnamon together in a small pot.
2) Add sliced apples.
3) Cook slowly for 5 minutes or until apples are tender.
4) Thicken with cornstarch and water mixture. Cook until thickened.
5) Serve warm over oatmeal.

Tasty Tuesday ~ Blueberry Lemon Yogurt Bread

Blueberry Lemon Yogurt Bread

I am copping-out with my recipe of the week. My dear friend posted this recipe on her blog last week and I made it this morning. Y-u-m-m-y!!! You must try it! Find the recipe here. Enjoy!