Oatmeal Muffins

I've been mentally preparing for the start of school.  Last school year my wonderful husband got our son dressed, fed and drove him to preschool almost every morning since I was tending to our newborn daughter.  I know, I know...I'm spoiled.  This year, however, things are going to change.  My husband might not be working from home for much longer and he won't have the flexibility to execute our mornings as he had before.  I'm actually going to have to wake up and get myself and two children out the door and to a destination by 9am!  Yikes!  How do working parents do it?!  I used to have a job that required me to be there by 5am, but that changed after having my son.  Now I'm struggling to get out the door by 8:50am (we live a mile from the preschool).

So...in preparation for my future early mornings, I'm trying to be proactive and think of ways to get us out the door with minimal struggles.  Part of that preparation is getting a healthy, minimally process breakfast into my little guy.  This is my way of easing into Full-Day Kindergarten next year when I'll be making breakfast, packing a lunch and I'll be returning to the workforce full-time (maybe). 

So here's a nutritious breakfast that can be made the night before and frozen if desired.  It's packed full of ingredients you won't fill guilty about giving to your children.  This recipe is also versatile.  I used mini chocolate chips in mine, but you can use cranberries, raisins, butterscotch chips, etc.  Since these are not sweet, spices need to be used to add flavor.  Cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin pie spice...

My husband thought they were good, but he could tell they were "healthy" from the lack of sugar.  So there you go, sweeten it up however you'd like.

I should probably mention that I found this recipe on Pinterest.   

http://greenlitebites.com/2009/03/07/banana-oatmeal-cups-with-chocolate-chips/

Ingredients

• 3 ripe banana, mashed
• 1 cup milk (you can use vanilla almond milk for sweetness)
• 2 eggs
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 3 cups rolled oats
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 4 tbsp mini chocolate chips + more for garnish
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp nutmeg

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2.  Mix all ingredients except the chocolate chips together, and let sit while you prepare the muffin pans.
3.  Spray a muffin pan and/or liners with with non-stick spray.
4.  Stir the chocolate chips into the oatmeal batter.
5.  Divide batter into 15-16 muffin cups. They should be almost full.
6.  Bake 25 minutes, you’ll see the edges just starting to brown and are firm to the touch.

Cranberry Upside Down Cake

I hosted Mother's Day breakfast this year and I obviously have no regard for the fact that it's Spring.  Besides an incredible egg casserole with biscuits, sausages and fruit salad, I made this amazing Cranberry Upside Down Cake and Sweet Potato Donuts (the donuts will appear in a future blog post).  I suppose my menu would be more appropriate at Thanksgiving.  Ah, whatever...

Back in...the Fall...I found this recipe in Parade Magazine.  Olympic gold-medalist Lindsey Vonn's friend came up with this recipe.  They bakes theirs in a 9" cake pan; I baked mine in a bundt cake pan.  I also glazed mine in the photo where as the cake they show on their link is not. 

I really like how it came out.  Being that cranberries are not in season I used frozen cranberries from Whole Foods.  I also used pecans instead of walnuts because I have a ton of them in the freezer (ya know, because nut go rancid). 

Here's a photo of my work in progress.  I used a scoop to evenly distribute the cake batter.

I would definitely make this again.  I'd probably used the bundt pan again too.  I really like the way the juice from the berries and the glaze seep down the sides of the cake.

Recipe slightly adapted from http://www.dashrecipes.com/recipes/sunday-dinner/cranberry-upside-down-cake-lindsey-vonn.html

Ingredients

• 1½ cups fresh or frozen cranberries
• 2 tbs chopped walnuts or pecans
• 1 tsp grated orange zest (rind)
• 1/2 cup butter, softened, divided
• 1/2 cup packed, dark brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup buttermilk (fat-free is okay)
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar 
• 1 tsp melted butter
• 4 tbs freshly squeezed orange juice, divided

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9-inch square, a 9- or 10-inch round, or bundt baking pan with cooking spray and dust with flour.
2. In a small bowl, combine cranberries, walnuts, and orange rind. In a small saucepan, melt 2 Tbsp butter over medium. Stir in brown sugar, orange juice, and cinnamon. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Pour into pan. Sprinkle with cranberry mixture.
3. Whisk flour, salt, and baking powder in a medium bowl.
4. In a large mixing bowl, with an electric mixer set on medium, beat granulated sugar and remaining butter until creamy. Add vanilla, egg, buttermilk, and flour mixture. Spoon over cranberries.
5. Bake 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool in pan for 5 minutes. Invert onto a rack to finish cooling. Beat glaze ingredients. Drizzle over cake. Serve.

Mexican Black Bean Salad

I was looking though one of my Southern Living cookbooks for side dishes to serve with dinner and I found this one.  While I was preparing it my husband told me more than once that it smelled great.  The combination of chopped onion and fresh tomatoes was filling the kitchen.  By the time dinner was served, anticipation was high.  Healthy, colorful, aromatic...I decided to give it a try before serving it.  Oh no!  How disappointing!  It was similar to a taco salad that I make, but it totally lacked flavor!  How could something with so many awesome ingredients not taste fantastic?  The dressing completely lacked flavor...I had to make modifications to the recipe since it didn't have quite that wow factor that I was looking for and, the green leaf lettuce couldn't stand up to the weight of the dressing and beans.  By that I mean, once tossed with the dressing, the lettuce didn't have any distinguishable flavor or texture.  I would use a hardier lettuce next time, like iceberg or a romaine/iceberg mix.  I want my lettuce to crunch when I bite into it, not fall flat.  To improve the dressing I added some medium salsa to it.  It saved the salad.  Below is my adapted version.  I would make it again using this version.

Here's the salad when tossed.

Here's the salad when served as a small side salad (not tossed).

Ingredients

• 1 (8-ounce) carton sour cream
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tbs taco seasoning
• 1/4 cup medium salsa 
• 1 head iceberg lettuce, shredded
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup chopped purple onion
• 2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 large tomatoes, chopped
• corn chips, slightly crushed
• 1 fresh lime, cut into large wedges, optional

Directions

1. Combine first 4 ingredients into a bowl, cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight.
2. In a large bowl combine next 5 ingredients, toss with dressing.
3. Sprinkle with corn chips, serve immediately with a wedge of lime on the side.

Here's the original recipe from my cookbook.

Rustic Potato Pizza

I once saw a photo of potato slices on pizza.  It looked good.  Very, very good.  The other day I was thinking about making a pizza and I recalled the potato pizza.  I researched various recipes and some said to peel then cook the potato, some didn't say to cook it first.  Some recipes called for butter while others called for EVOO.  Some  instructions said to bake for 15 minutes, others said to bake for 35.  Since none of the ingredients nor directions set me on a clear path I decided to create my own.  I'm so happy I did.  It turned out fantastic and it's versatile.  Alter the ingredients (cheese, potatoes, herbs) to suit your preferences or to use up the cheese you've got in the refrigerator.  What is also nice is that you don't have to measure out each ingredient.  If you like more cheese, use it.  If you want less, cut it back.  Just make sure you have the pizza covered so that each bite has some potato.

This pizza is light.  Even though it's got oil, cheese and potatoes, it bodes well for an appetizer for a group of friends to share.  To serve it as an entree, serve it with a salad.  The combination of mozzarella cheese and Gruyere cheese is incredible.  You can use any combination that you like.  I was really in the mood to buy some Gruyere and I thought it would complement the creamy taste of the Yukon potatoes and fresh rosemary.  Gruyere is a harder cheese with a slightly salty yet creamy flavor.

Ingredients

• 1 FRESH homemade or store-bought pizza dough (regular or whole wheat) 
• NOT ready-made like Boboli
• 2 tbs Fresh rosemary, roughly chopped, divided
• you can use dried but it can't match the quality of the fresh stuff
• 1 Yukon (yellow) potato, peeled and sliced about 1/8"
• a potato about the size of your fist
• 6 oz Gruyere cheese, shredded, divided
• 6 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded, divided
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• EVOO 
• S & P

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450F.
2. Peel and slice potato.  Set in a bowl of salted water and set aside.
3. Spread or roll fresh pizza dough on a greased baking sheet pan.
4. Brush EVOO on dough to cover, sprinkle with garlic and 1 tbs chopped rosemary.
5. Spread 3/4 of the shredded cheeses on the dough.
6. Drain potatoes and pat dry.  Sprinkle both sides with S & P.  Place on pizza.  Do not shingle or layer.
7. Cover the pizza with the remaining cheese and rosemary.
8. Bake for 20 minutes. 

We all really enjoyed this recipe, although my son picked off the rosemary first.  

Black Bean Lasagna

This is one of my all-time favorite homemade meal(s).  I have prepared it many times and have tweaked the recipe a couple of times.  My sister-in-law shared with recipe with me a few years ago.  I believe she found it in Cooking Light magazine or something like that.  It takes a bit of time to prepare, as lasagna does.  I've tried using no-bake lasagna noodles and I'm not a fan.  I'd rather cook my own pasta and just suck up the time and effort it takes to boil the noodles.  This lasagna is flavorful, colorful, almost completely healthy and smells great during preparation and while baking.

You can vary the degree of spiciness by altering the ingredients, but using spicy black beans and a medium salsa makes it perfect!  Would anyone like to come over for dinner and try it?  I mean it.  Open invite!  You might even be offered a glass of wine...

Ingredients

1 cup                chopped onion

1 cup                chopped bell peppers (any color)

2 tsp                 minced garlic

1 cup                chopped tomato

2 each              chopped jalapeno peppers (optional)

2 (15 oz) cans  black beans, drained & rinsed (Whole Food Spicy BB are yummy!)

3 tbs                 fresh chopped cilantro              

8 oz                  low-fat sour cream

1 each              large egg, lightly beaten

1 (16oz) btl      chunky salsa (I use 24oz of Kirkland Organic Medium Chucky Salsa)

Cooking spray

12 each            cooked lasagna noodles

16 oz               shredded Monterey jack cheese (I like to use 8oz monterey jack, 8oz pepper jack)

Directions

1.      Sauté onion, peppers, garlic for 6 minutes over medium heat.

2.      Add tomatoes, cook 3 more minutes.

3.      Add jalapenos & beans, cook 3 more minutes.

4.      Remove from heat, let cool for 10 minutes.

5.      Stir in cilantro, sour cream, & egg.

6.      Spread 13 x 9 pan with cooking spray.

7.      Arrange 4 noodles over salsa & top with 1/2 bean mixture, 1/2 cup cheese & 3 tbs salsa. 

8.      Repeat layers, ending with noodles.

9.      Spread remaining salsa over noodles & sprinkle with 1/2 cup cheese.

10.  Spray foil with non-stick spray, cover and bake at 375 F for 30 minutes.

11.  Uncover and bake for 15 minutes or until cheese melts.

12.  Let stand 5 minutes.

Serves 8.

 

Pan-Fried Tilapia with Creamy Lemon Sauce

Do you ever get excited about a recipe and run out and buy the necessary ingredients and rush back home to start cooking?  I don't!  I get excited when I find a new recipe that I want to try, but I don't usually rush out grocery shopping.  I didn't with this one, but I was looking forward to making this simple recipe from Kraft.  I actually followed the recipe exactly this time, minus using my preferred brand of dressing, broth and cream cheese.

The feed back I received from hubby was that it looked great and I managed to get it to the table at the proper temperature.  The latter has occasionally been a problem since the food often cools off quickly while I'm attempting to get an acceptable photograph.  The feed back went downhill when he commented on the flavor.  He was unimpressed.  An exact quote is, "it's nothing special".  How disappointing.  A creamy lemon sauce over fish.  What's not to like?  I guess a lack of flavor.  Can't win them all.  If someone thinks they could tinker with the recipe and make it a home run, please let me know how to do it.  I might try it again just to make sure it's a real "miss".

Ingredients
  

2  tilapia fillets (1/2 lb.)

1 Tbsp. flour

4 Tbsp. Light House Italian Dressing

1/2 cup fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth

2  Tbsp. lemon juice

2 oz. Fat Free Cream Cheese, cubed

1 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

Directions

 1.  Cost fish with flour.
2.  Heat dressing in medium skillet on medium heat. Add fish; cook 4 to 5 min. on each side or until fish flakes easily with fork. Remove from skillet; cover to keep warm.
3.  Add broth and lemon juice to skillet; cook 3 min. or until reduced by half, stirring frequently with whisk. Add cream cheese; cook 1 min. or until melted, stirring constantly. Pour over fish. Sprinkle with parsley.

 http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/pan-fried-fish-creamy-lemon-118572.aspx

Slow-Cooker Boneless BBQ Country Ribs

While I was working part-time I would try to use a slow-cooker to get a meal going for my husband. I wouldn't get home until 10 pm at night or later so if I didn't have something planned, he'd have 'chicken on the Foreman' on those nights. How sad. I'm sure it was unseasoned with no side dish. :( I've been making this entree for him for a long time. It's incredibly easy and I use the left-overs to make my baked chimichangas (previous blog entry). This smells great as it cooks and it shreds so easily when it's done. My preschooler likes this as well, so thanks, Parenting Magazine (February 2007), for the recipe.

Here are the changes I make when preparing the recipe...
- I use enough onion to cover the bottom of the crock pot and enough to cover the pork on top. It's about half an onion.
- I only spray the crock pot with cooking spray if I remember to. Not a big deal.
- I typically only use 1# of pork.
- I do not measure the BBQ sauce. I use enough to cover.
- Forget the jam. Not necessary and it's near impossible to find plum jam.
**Cook on low for only 5 hours + the 30 minutes on high.** - more than this tends to dry it out.

Coconut Chicken Tenders with Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce

For my sister-in-law's baby shower, quite a long time ago, I made a coconut chicken tender appetizer with a sweet chili dipping sauce. I got a lot of positive feedback that day and I got rave reviews again when I prepared it for dinner! While I did fry these up, they can be baked. I'll definitely bake them next time to try and cut out some fat and calories.

My son said grace and then dug right in and didn't say a word all throughout dinner until it was time to eat his vegetables. That was a huge thumbs up for me! My husband liked the crunchy coating (why wouldn't he? it's panko). He liked that the coconut was flavorful but not overwhelming. He called these "adult chicken tenders". I guess that is a good thing. ;)

Ingredients

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut diagonally into strips
2 large eggs
1/4 cup coconut milk (optional)
1/2 cup AP or whole wheat flour
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1/2 tsp salt
1/2+ cup vegetable oil
sweet chili sauce for dipping

Directions

1. Cut each breast into approximately 6 strips, diagonally.

2. Take two ziploc bags, one for dredging and the other for breading. In the first bag combine the flour and salt. In the second bag, together the panko bread crumbs and shredded coconut. In a bowl, combine the eggs and coconut milk. Whisk together until well combined.

3. Place 1/4+ cup of vegetable oil in a large heavy duty skillet and heat over medium/high heat until hot.

4. While the oil is heating, toss chicken into the first bag of flour & salt. Then dip the strips into the eggs/coconut milk and finally toss the chicken into the second bag of panko & coconut.

5. After breading the strips, the oil should be hot enough. Place about 1/2 the strips in the pan at once. There should only be one layer in the pan and there should be about an inch between each strip. If you over crowd the pan it will get too cold and the strips will soak up a lot of oil instead of frying. Fry the strips for 2-3 minutes on each side or until they are golden brown and crispy. Place them on a plate with paper towel to drain and move on to the next batch. After a couple of batches you may need more oil so you can add the second 1/4 cup to the pan. Allow the oil to come up to temperature before frying the next batch (2-3 minutes). Because the strips are thin, they should be cooked through by the time both sides are browned. You can tell by the texture of the chicken; it should be stiff when pressed. If you cut your strips thicker, you will need to bake off the chicken after frying to make sure the insides are cooked through.

6. When all of the strips are done frying, serve immediately with sweet chili sauce to dip in.

**These baked up really nicely at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes.

Adapted from:

http://budgetbytes.blogspot.com/2010/01/coconut-chicken-w-sweet-chili-sauce-691.html

Crock Pot: Brown Sugar and Balsamic Glazed Pork Loin

Slow-cooker recipes are always something I'm on the hunt for. I get an immense feeling of gratification when dinner is already in the works by 9 am. I especially love when a crock pot recipe doesn't call for me to chop vegetables or brown meat first. Just more or less toss in the ingredients and head off in pursuit of other things to scratch off the to-do list before the baby wakes up from her nap or I have to run and pick up her big brother from preschool.

Tonight I decided to invite my parents over to be guinea pigs...and to watch home movies from about 38 years ago. My parents and husband really liked the pork and especially the glaze that is brushed on the pork while cooking and then also served on the side. It smelt great while cooking. The pork shredded so easily. The only suggestion I received was to cook it for a shorter amount of time. That's the problem with crock pot recipes. This recipe instructed me to cook on low for 6-8 hours. Two hours is a big swing. I set the timer for 6 hours and we ate at the 7 hour mark. Shouldn't the pork stay tender for another hour...or even better, get even more tender with more time? They all said they'd enjoy it again so I've adapted the recipe for 6 hours on low. Only six.

Here's a question my Mother asked me during dinner...was this pork loin or pork tenderloin? Hum. I studied this in college but that I was a long time ago. I'm a vegetarian and I haven't retained a lot info regarding cuts of meat since I never eat them. Is there a difference? Yes. I'll let you google the question for the answer. This recipe calls for pork loin and I used pork tenderloin. Maybe, just maybe, my pork would've been moister had it been a loin. I guess I'll have to try it again to see. Anyone want to be a guinea pig? ;)

By the way - the preschooler ate it! He didn't give it the "thumbs up" or "thumbs down". He kept his thumb in the neutral position. I'll take it.

Ingredients

1 (2 pound) boneless pork loin

1 teaspoon ground sage

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 clove garlic, crushed

1/2 cup water

Glaze

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup water

2 tablespoons soy sauce

Directions

1. Combine sage, salt, pepper and garlic. Rub over roast. Place in slow cooker with 1/2 cup water. Cook on low for 6 hours.

2. About 1 hour before roast is done, combine ingredients for glaze in small sauce pan. Heat and stir until mixture thickens. Brush roast with glaze 2 or 3 times during the last hour of cooking. Serve with remaining glaze on the side.

http://www.candcmarriagefactory.com/2011/01/brown-sugar-and-balsamic-glazed-pork.html

Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

I'm feeling indecisive today. I prepared these amazing muffins late this morning and I love more than one picture that I took. I've included them all. Please tell me which one you prefer.

I love banana and I love chocolate. A few weeks ago I made some stellar chocolate banana spring rolls. Today I made a recipe I found on AllRecipes.com. After reading through other people's suggestions, I had my game plan. I love that in this day & age you can do more than flip through a cookbook. I always read other people's comments and check out the photos they post so that I can make it as perfect as possible the first time. With this recipe I've adapted the ingredients, as I do with almost all the recipes I find. I cut out the oil and substituted in applesauce and yogurt. I've also combined AP flour with some whole wheat flour. I'm so glad I did because they are fantastic without all of the guilt.

My preschooler was so excited to try one that he actually asked me to take his picture with them. After he tried them he gave them the "thumbs up"!

Ingredients

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup applesauce
• 1/4 cup yogurt (plain, vanilla, or banana)
  
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
  
• 3 medium bananas (1/2 thinly sliced for garnish, 3 1/2 mashed)
  
• 3/4 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, combine the egg, applesauce, yogurt and vanilla.

2. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in bananas and chocolate chips.

3. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.

*This recipe yielded me 17 muffins.

Enjoy!

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/chocolate-chip-banana-muffins-2/detail.aspx

Panko Tilapia with Black Bean Salsa

I must start this entry with the words that rushed out of my husband's mouth when he came up for air as he was inhaling this meal. "Awesome". He said it three times. Then he called it "superb"! He said it was the second best part of the weekend. The first being our 20-week old daughter took a 3-hour nap today! I couldn't be happier!

I adapted this recipe from Kraft.com. Since it's a Kraft recipe, they call for lots Kraft products. I choose to use whatever I prefer. My husband loves seasoned Panko breadcrumbs like it's God's gift to the culinary world, so I chose to use it instead of Ritz crackers. He love that the fish was flaky on inside and slightly crunchy on the outside. A friend of mine highly recommended Duke's mayonnaise, so I used that instead of Kraft Real Mayo. I also used "spicy" black beans from Whole Foods.

Although the use of mayonnaise makes this a less than healthy dinner, it is simple to make and full of flavor! You could use light mayo or dredge the fish in egg instead of mayo. I will definitely be making this often.

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups seasoned Panko breadcrumbs

2 tilapia fillets

1/3 cup real mayonnaise, divided

1/3 cup pickled jalapeño slices, chopped

2-4 tbs olive oil

1 can (15 oz.) black beans, rinsed

5 cherry tomatoes, quartered

3 green onions, sliced (optional)

Juice from 1 lime

Directions

1. Brush fish with mayo. Dip fish in crumbs, turning to evenly coat both sides of each fillet or toss in a plastic bag with panko. Mix remaining mayo and jalapeños.

2. Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in large skillet on medium-high heat. Add fish; cook 3 min. on each side or until fish is golden brown on both sides and flakes easily with fork. Remove from skillet. Meanwhile, combine remaining ingredients.

3. Top fish with mayo mixture. Serve with bean mixture.

http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/breaded-tilapia-black-bean-114985.aspx

Smothered Sirloin Steak in Parmesan-Peppercorn Sauce

I receive emails from a few food websites such as AllRecipes.com and Kraft. One day Kraft emailed me this recipe and after reading the reviews I thought I try it out on my husband. Back in my meat-eating days I loved a good steak and this recipe would've been right up my alley.

Many of the people reviewing the recipe raved about the parmesan-peppercorn sauce. I made it a day ahead of time and tried it. Wow! Amazing flavor. I used it to drip some sweet potato waffle fries in. The peppery goodness is fantastic. Next time I make it I'll probably double the recipe for the sauce.

I followed other people's advice and let the steak marinate overnight. The night I prepared this dish we ate dinner outside on the deck. The weather was awesome, but after the sun went down the temperature dipped. I mention this because I prepared the platter, spent a minute taking a few photos and then took it outside - where it quickly cooled off. Temperature aside, my husband loved it! It is something easy enough and tasty enough to serve to guests. I'll definitely make this again and might actually have my husband grill it outside.

Ingredients

1 cup Italian Dressing, divided

1 boneless beef sirloin steak (1 lb.), well trimmed

1/3 cup Sour Cream

4-1/2 tsp. Grated Parmesan Cheese

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1 onion, thinly sliced, separated into rings

Directions

1. Pour 1/2 cup dressing over steak in a ziploc bag; turn to evenly coat steak. Refrigerate overnight to marinate.

2. Mix sour cream, 2 Tbsp. of the remaining dressing, Parmesan cheese and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

3. Heat 2-3 Tbsp. dressing in large nonstick skillet on medium heat. Add onions; cook 10 to 15 min. or until golden brown, stirring frequently. Remove onions from skillet; set aside.

4. Remove steak from marinade; discard marinade. Add steak to skillet; cook on medium heat 5 to 6 min. on each side or until medium doneness (160ºF). Remove steak from skillet and let it rest for about 5 minutes; cut into thin strips. Serve topped with the sour cream sauce and onions.

Adapted.

http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/smothered-sirloin-steak-in-90959.aspx

Slow-Cooker Mediterranean Beef Stew

I kinda did a bad thing. I was in Costco one day looking at the magazines on the magazine rack. I found one with slow-cooker (aka crock pot) recipes in it. I flipped through the pages and when I found only one or two recipes that interested me, I put the magazine back on the shelf. Then I took it back off of the shelf, opened it up again, took out my cell phone and took photos of the recipes I wanted. I stole them. I still feel guilty about it.

After stealing this recipe and purchasing the ingredients, I didn't hold out much hope for this dish. It seemed very boring, but easy to make. I liked that the recipe didn't ask me to brown the meat first, like you need to with most stew recipes. My husband bought diced tomatoes with green chiles and not Italitan-style diced tomatoes that I had asked for so I used those. I doctored up the recipe a little bit by added about a tablespoon of Montreal Steak Seasoning and hoped for the best.

My. husband.loved.it! He raved and raved about it. He complemented the look, the flavor, the aroma. He was so excited that I thought it was going to eat the whole pot. I quickly got some ready for the freezer so that I could surprise him one day for lunch. It was totally worth it to swipe this recipe and now I'm encouraged to do it again after the winning review that I got! ;o

Italian Sausage Tortellini Soup

I bought some Sweet Italian Sausage at Costco and as you can imagine, there's a lot of it. I'm trying to find recipes that call for Italian sausage besides the standard Sausage with Peppers & Onions. My husband loves it, but I need to give him some variety.

I found this recipe on AllRecipes.com. I tweaked it a little (or a lot) based on what I had and didn't have on hand. The recipe calls for 1 sausage link. It didn't seem like enough, so I used three. Only 8 ounces of tortellini? I used 12! The recipe calls for 5 cups of beef broth, I only had 2 1/2 and the grocery store was sold out of the brand that I use. I substituted vegetable broth. It also called for red wine. When I went down to our wine cellar (aka laundry room ((a place the preschooler can't get into))), there was none to be found! I was a bit shocked and quickly added it to my shopping list. So I substituted more vegetable broth. It also called for tomato sauce but I had some tomato paste already open so I used that instead. Blah, blah, blah... I'd make sure I had red wine and enough beef broth on hand next time.

It turned out great! How do I know, being a vegetarian? Because my husband AND my preschooler loved it! They even ate it for left-overs the next night! No complaints out of the child and he finally ate tortellini for the first time! The only suggestion my husband made was to use a spicy sausage next time to kick up the flavor a bit.

Adapted.

Ingredients

• 3 links sweet Italian sausage, casings removed (or spicy sausage for more flavor)
  
• 1 cup chopped onions
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 5 cups beef stock
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 4 plum tomatoes - peeled, seeded and chopped
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 1 zucchini, chopped
• 12 ounces cheese tortellini
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese for topping

Directions

1. Place the sausage in a large pot over medium high heat and saute for 10 minutes, or until well browned. Drain the fat except for about 1 tablespoon, add the onions and garlic and saute for 5 more minutes.
2. Next add the beef stock, water, wine, tomatoes, carrots, basil, oregano and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes, skimming any fat that may surface.
3. Add the zucchini, tortellini, green bell pepper and parsley to taste. Simmer for 10 minutes, or until tortellini is fully cooked. Pour into individual bowls and garnish with the cheese.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/italian-sausage-tortellini-soup/detail.aspx

Coming soon...

-Honey Soy Tilapia

-Black Bean Lasagna

-Spicy Garlic Lime Chicken

-Mini-Caprese Bites

-Coconut Chicken Tenders

-Tortellini Ranch Salad

-Tequila Lime Chicken Fajitas


Feel free to follow me on Pinterest at: http://pinterest.com/joanne_fulmer/

Chocolate Banana Spring Rolls

Oh my goodness. I am on a roll. I'm three for three on my last...well...three recipes. I was feeling so confident about using egg roll wrappers that I decided to give this dessert a try. It was fast and easy to make and it tasted just as good as PF Chang's Banana Spring Rolls. If only I had served it with ice cream. That would've been amazing!

I adapted the ingredients and directions to a recipe I found on Pinterest and was able to make this recipe my own. Try it! You won't be sorry.

Ingredients

2 bananas, diced
6 egg roll wrappers
mini chocolate chips
cream (heavy cream/whole milk/2% milk)
1 egg, beaten
oil
powdered sugar

Directions

1. Heat about 1/2" of oil in a frying pan. I set the stove to 6.

2. Place egg roll wrapper facing you in the shape of a diamond. Brush egg around all four sides.

3. Place 2-2 1/2 tablespoons of diced bananas 1/4 of the way up from the bottom. Sprinkle with 1 1/2 tsp of mini chocolate chips. Roll half way up and tuck in sides, then roll all the way up.

4. Place in oil and cook until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes each side. Remove and place on paper towel to drain off any excess oil.

5. Heat chocolate chips and approximately 1-2 tablespoons of cream in a microwave safe bowl until melted. Drizzle on top of spring rolls.

6. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve with ice cream, as desired.

Yield: 6 Spring Rolls

You can also sprinkle butterscotch chips inside and drizzle with caramel sauce.

Homemade Mozzarella Sticks

So I feel like I'm on a bit of a roll after recreating that amazing Jalapeno Popper Grilled Cheese and now recreating this tasty appetizer. Neither item is healthy but both are incredibly tasty and super easy to execute.

I found this lovely recipe on Pinterest. I might spend a few hours here and there on the site, but it's quality time! I made this yesterday afternoon and surprised my husband with this treat while he was outside playing with our son. We ended up tailgating in the truck of my SUV in our garage. It was a fun time.

After reading the recipe and combing over other people's reviews I came up with a game plan on how to execute this. I felt pretty confident using these egg roll wrappers after overcoming my fear of frying wonton wrappers a couple of weeks ago.

The outcome was fantastic. I fried them as the recipe called for, but I might try and bake them next time. I hesitate to though because I worry about the texture. Texture is really important for this treat. The flavor is mild so you need the texture to compensate a bit. Serve it with a really good quality marinara sauce. This also helps compliment the mild flavor. I had no issues with the cheese melting out of the egg roll wrapper.

I've adapted the recipe.

Ingredients

• 12 pieces string cheese
• 12 egg roll wrappers
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1-2 cups Italian flavored Panko breadcrumbs
  
• Oil for deep-fat frying
• Marinara or spaghetti sauce

Directions

• Place a piece of string cheese near the bottom corner of one egg roll wrapper. Fold bottom corner over cheese. Roll up halfway; fold sides toward center over cheese. Moisten remaining corner with egg; roll up tightly to seal. Brush egg all over the outside of egg roll wrapper and roll in panko. Press down firmly to make sure panko sticks, as needed. Repeat with remaining wrappers and cheese.
• In an electric skillet, heat 1/2 in. of oil to 375°. I set the dial to 6.
• Fry sticks, a few at a time, for about 1 minute or so on each side or until golden brown. Keep a close eye on them so they don't over cook. Drain on paper towels. Serve with marinara sauce.
  
• Yield: 1 dozen.

http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/Mozzarella-Sticks-2?pmcode=IKLDC05S&_mid=838832&_rid=838832.650200.781355/

Jalapeno Popper Grilled Cheese

I have not been this excited about something I've prepared - ever! This one really knocked my socks off...and my husband's too! I found a photo of a Jalapeno Popper Grilled Cheese sandwich on Pinterest. I followed the "pin" back to a blog called "Becky Bakes" where she made the sandwich created by the blog "Closet Cooking". If you venture to the other blogs you'll see that these people are wonderful photographers. I totally need tips!

Anyways...after reading "Becky Bakes", I decided that the recipe was more involved than I wanted to commit to preparing. Why? Because I really didn't want to spend time broiling my jalapenos and then peeling them. That's just too much work for a sandwich. And Becky also mentioned that she only used one jalapeno but she'd use two next time to punch up the flavor. I had an idea! Why not try pickled jalapenos? No broiling, no peeling, use as much or as little as you like depending on the amount of kick you can handle.

I really never even read the recipe on the other sites. I just got too excited and prepped it the way I wanted to. I bought some sourdough bread, buttered the outside, slathered the insides with cream cheese, tossed a piece of real cheddar cheese on there and placed a single layer of pickled jalapenos on top. I picked out the seeds as you can see on the side on the photo below. I grilled mine on the pre-heated George Foreman grill for just over 4 minutes.
The bread came out crunchy on the outside and the inside literally tasted just like a jalapeno popper - but with bread and no frying. It was so good that I made a second one for lunch! I can't ever imagine making a plain old grilled cheese sandwich again. You've gotta try this!

In fact, I'll make it for you if you'd like! Here's a contest of sorts...If you live in the DC Metro area, leave a comment in the comment section of this blog entry and tell me why you'd like me to make this sandwich for you. If I only get a comment or two, your chances will be great that you'll be a winner! So easy.

Here's another nugget - I've got a Tummy Temptations Facebook page in the works. I don't know what I'm doing and it's sloppy, but I'm sure if you search for it you'll find it. If you are one of the first two "local" people to "Like" it, I'll make you a surprise treat!

Update: 3/26/12.
I made this again today using Mt. Olive brand pickled jalapenos. Not impressed. Definitely use Old El Paso brand. Thicker, spicier slices of jalapeno.

http://www.closetcooking.com/2011/04/jalapeno-popper-grilled-cheese-sandwich.html

http://www.beckybakes.net/2011/04/13/jalapeno-popper-grilled-cheese-sandwich/

Glazed Pecans

My sister-in-law had us over for dinner some time ago. She served salad with the entree. And I don't know if it was because I was hungry or not, but that salad was the best salad I had ever had! Come to think of it, I now know that it was more than about being hungry. I've had the salad many times since then. We joke that I like the salad so much because of all the "candy" in it.

In her salad is mixed greens, a diced apple, a handful dried cranberries and a handful glazed pecans. She serves it with honey mustard dressing. I started serving this during dinner so often that the cost glazed pecans was driving me into the poor house. I decided to start making my own and I went out and purchased a huge 2 pound bag of pecans from Costco. If you've been reading my blog every once in a while, you'll see this salad on a few of my dinner plates...most recently on my January 18th entry of Pecan Crusted Chicken Tenders. I substituted pears for apples that night.

So feeling like I was spending all of my money on pecans instead of saving for retirement, I did an internet search and found a recipe from Pillsbury. I've made four batches of glazed pecans and I thought it was time to share this tasty treat. I need to mention that they are so yummy that you might want to sprinkle them over ice cream or just eat them out of the airtight container that you store them in. It's all natural and kind of "healthy" dessert or snack. At least it is until you glaze them! They would make a nice little hostess gift during the holidays.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons organic butter

2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar

2 tablespoons real maple syrup

2 cups pecan halves (6-7 oz) <--8 oz is too much

Directions

1 - Heat oven to 350°F. Line cookie sheet with cooking parchment paper. In 12-inch skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add brown sugar and syrup; mix well. Cook until bubbly, stirring constantly.
2 - Add pecans; cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until coated. Spread mixture onto parchment-lined cookie sheet.
3 - Bake 6 to 8 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely, about 30 minutes. Store in tightly covered container up to 2 weeks.

Pillsbury Note

Pecans are more than 70% fat and can become rancid easily. Store shelled pecans in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.

Transfer cooled pecans to a tightly covered freezer container. Freeze for up to 3 months.

http://www.pillsbury.com/recipes/glazed-pecans/a53aa7a8-efd1-42bf-886a-2d70be56f363/

Birds' Nests

Who's ready for Spring? The Robins are out in large numbers. The temperature here in the D.C. Metro area is above-average with today's high being around 66 degrees and my flowerbed is in bloom. I think the Groundhog was wrong, which is alright with me. I just wish I could return my son's new snowsuit and gloves. They'll be too small for him to use next year.

So in honor of Spring I decided to try and make a treat that I made a long time ago intermediate school home ec class. No cooking/baking makes this super easy. Use pastel M&Ms or for a fancier, more accurate looking nest use Cadbury mini eggs as your bird eggs.

Ingredients

pan spray or unsalted butter, for greasing the muffin pan

4 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips

4 oz butterscotch chips

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter

5 oz chow mein noodles

36 pastel M&Ms or mini Cadbury eggs

Instructions

1. Grease the wells of a muffin pan with pan spray or butter.

2. In a large microwave-proof bowl, heat the chocolate and butterscotch chips in 30 second intervals until thoroughly melted, stirring after each increment. (It only took me three 30-second intervals).

3. Once melted, add the peanut butter to the chocolate/butterscotch mixture, mixing well until smooth and completely mixed.

4. Add the chow mein noodles, stirring gently with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, until completely coated.

5. Using a large spoon, mold the mixture into the wells of your muffin tin.

6. Chill the nests until hardened, for at least 1 hour.

7. Once chilled, gently remove the nests from the muffin tin.

8. Place three eggs on the tops of each nest.

Homemade Shells and Cheese

Who doesn't like mac and cheese? Come on...you know you're the 99%! Who likes it made with processed cheese vs. real cheese? The processed stuff tastes great, but it's not so great for you. Here's my attempt at homemade shells and cheese made with a blend of real cheese. I used a blend of regular shredded hormone-free cheddar and smoked mozzarella. It’s pretty easy to make since you make it on the stove top and there is no baking.

It turned out great! Very creamy and very smokey. My 4 1/2 year old son had never tried mac and cheese until tonight...and he ate it! He didn't inhale it like I did, but then again he's not really a pasta lover.

Because this side dish is so creamy and delicious, it really needs something to enhance the flavor and texture so thinly sliced green onions made the perfect topping. Breadcrumbs would work but I find them to often times be too heavy.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

8 ounces medium whole wheat shells
¼ cup butter
¼ cup flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 dash black pepper
2 cups organic milk
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup smoked mozzarella
sliced green onions

Directions

1 - Cook shells according to package directions.
2 - Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in flour, salt and pepper. Slowly add the milk and cook while whisking out any lumps and stirring until the mixture becomes somewhat thick. Stir in the cheese until melted. Remove from heat.
3 - Drain shells and toss them to the cheese sauce. Stir to coat. Top with green onions for serving if desired.

(Makes 4 Servings)

Tortilla & Black Bean Pie

Something is wrong with me. While I was vacationing in Sandbridge, VA a few years ago I spent some time writing down some recipes. Who in the world spends their time at the beach writing down recipes? I'm not normal. I guess I can cut myself a little slack because we went after peak season and the temperature was a bit cooler and it was really windy, so I stayed inside one afternoon. I would now consider it crazy to write down a recipe. I've had a smart phone for about a year now and when I see a recipe I like, I take a photo of it.

This vegetarian recipe was found inside a Martha Stewart cookbook, or maybe it was a magazine...it's been a few years since I found it. This recipe is versatile. In fact, I would highly recommend doctoring it up to suit your taste. I prepared the recipe as written (substituting spicy black beans for regular) and my husband and I were pretty impressed with the presentation, but pretty disappointed with the overall lack of flavor. It has jalapenos and onions and cumin. How could it lack flavor?I loved seeing the layers; They turned out really well. I think the meal itself needed less corn, more cheese and more of a kick - like adding salsa and tomatoes inside. I topped mine with sour cream. I will make this again but with the suggestions I just made and if you're a meat-eater I'd recommend adding some marinated shredded pork tenderloin. I did not adapt the recipe.

Ingredients

4 flour tortillas (10 inch)
1 tbs canola oil
1 large onion, diced
1 jalapeno, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp ground cumin
S & P
2 cans (15oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
12 oz beer or 1 1/2 cups water
1 package (10oz) frozen corn
4 scallions, thinly sliced + more for garnish
2 1/2 cups shredded cheddar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Trim tortillas to fit 9" spring form pan.
2. Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Add onion, jalapeno, garlic and cumin. Season with
S & P. Cook stirring occasionally - 5-7 minutes.
3. Add beans and beer to skillet and boil. Reduce heat to medium. Simmer until liquid has almost evaporated - 8-10 minutes. Stir in corn and scallions and remove from heat. Season with S & P.
4. Tortilla on the bottom of the pan. Layer with 1/4 of beans and 1/2 cup of cheese. Repeat 3 times.
5. Use 1 cup cheese on top layer.
6. Bake until hot and cheese is melted. 20-25 minutes.
7. Unmold; sprinkle with scallions.
8. Slice into wedges and serve immediately.