Lower Calorie Spinach Dip

Everyone loves Spinach Artichoke dip but the calories in the original are practically dinner! I make a lower fat & calories version & you won't miss the original. I add shredded Mexican cheese to the top of mine and as my sister said that takes it to a whole new level! I buy either light or baked tortilla chips for this, be careful with your chips & check the labels sometimes the so called light chips have more fat than other regular brands.

Heat the oven to 400. In a large bowl combine:
1 10 ounce box of frozen spinach drain the excess water out
1 12 ounce can of artichoke hearts chopped & drained
1/2 cup whipped cream cheese
3/4 cup fat free sour cream
1 cup grated low fat Mexican shredded cheese
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Scrape into small baking dish & bake for 15 minutes.

Lemon Rum Cake

We have another birthday in the family. (We have a lot in August) I decided to mix it up from a traditional cake this time. This is a really simple cake but everyone loves it. It is very moist & flavorful. I think everyone likes deserts with liquor. I think this is my mom's favorite.

Cake:

1 (18.25 ounce) box yellow cake mix

1 small box vanilla instant pudding

4 eggs

1 cup milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup rum

Glaze:

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup water

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup rum

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a Bundt pan. Pour batter in pan. Bake for 1 hour. While still hot pour glaze into pan. Cool. Invert onto a platter.

Melt butter. Stir in water and sugar. Boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in rum.

Healthy Dinner in 10 minutes

As much as I love rich, fattening food; you should really try to eat healthy dinners. This is a great quick healthy meal when you get home from work late. Here is what you need from the store:

Salmon fillets buy the boneless skinless fillets

broccoli

Uncle Ben's Ready rice Wholegrain Brown

Turn your oven on to Broil, place your Salmon fillets on a cookie sheet lined with foil, shake some Cavender's Greek Seasoning on your fillets. Mix a glaze for your Salmon, you can improvise based on what is in the kitchen. Tonight I used 1 teaspoon Italian Herb Mix, 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil, 1 Tablespoon White wine, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, mix it all together. Place your fillets on the top rack of the oven for 2 minutes. Take a sauce pan & your steamer basket, put water in the pan so it touches the bottom of the basket. Snap the broccoli into pieces & place it in the basket. Turn the water on to boil & cover. Take the Salmon out & brush the glaze over it. Put it back in the oven for 5 minutes. Microwave your rice for 90 seconds. Your broccoli is done when the Salmon is, spray the broccoli with I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Spray & shake some salt & pepper. You're all done, dinner in 10 minutes.

Pasta Fagioli

Pasta Fagioli is a great classic Italian soup, it is hearty enough to eat on it's own especially with crusty bread & a salad. This is a great recipe for it using the infusion of fresh herbs & the unique flavor of pancetta. I hope you like it!

4 sprigs fresh thyme

1 large sprig fresh rosemary

1 bay leaf

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

1 cup chopped onion

1 zucchini squash chopped to small pieces

3 ounces pancetta, chopped

2 teaspoons minced garlic

5 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

2 (14.5-ounce) cans red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

3/4 cup elbow macaroni

Freshly ground black pepper

1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Wrap the thyme, rosemary, and bay leaf in a piece of cheesecloth and secure closed with kitchen twine. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and butter in a heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, pancetta, zucchini, and garlic and saute until the onion is tender, about 3 minutes. Add the broth, beans, and sachet of herbs. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat, then decrease the heat to medium and simmer until the vegetables are very tender, about 10 minutes. Discard the sachet. Puree 1 cup of the bean mixture in a blender until smooth*. Before putting the puree back into the soup, add the macaroni and boil with the lid on until it is tender but still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Return the puree to the remaining soup in the saucepan and stir well. Season the soup with ground black pepper and red pepper flakes. (If you like red pepper flakes, I have a small aversion to them)
Ladle the soup into bowls. Sprinkle with some Parmesan.

Tropical Wedding Cake

When you get married at a resort in a tropical local, they offer you the most amazing wedding cake ever, Spiced Rum Cake. My sister had it at her wedding, I was smitten. Poor Matt had to sneak to the kitchen to get me another slice. When the resort where Matt & I are tying the knot asked what flavor cake I wanted & I was offered Spiced Rum, well I was over the moon!
Here is the best adaptation I have come up with. Now I am not suggesting you bake an entire wedding cake but you can make a small version.
Cake:

1 cup butter

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ginger

1/2 tsp. allspice

1/3 cup dark rum

1/2 cup molasses

2 cup unsifted flour
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 2 8 inch round cake pans with Pam with Flour for Baking. Cream butter in bowl. Gradually beat in sugar. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and allspice. Combine rum and molasses. Add flour alternately with the rum mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Mix well until batter is very smooth. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes, allow to cook before icing.

Icing:

This icing is delicious, save the recipe you are going to want it on everything.

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

6-8 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup milk

2 tsp vanilla (I prefer Mexican)

Place the butter in a large bowl. Add 4 cups of sugar, then milk & vanilla. On the medium speed beat until smooth, add remaining sugar one cup at a time. Continue until it looks like a good consistency to spread. (If you want to you can add some food coloring but spice cake looks prettiest without)

Enjoy! Don't smash cake in each other's faces, that is so passive aggressive.

We miss Jamaica

My first big vacation with Matt was my sister's wedding in Jamaica. We have fond memories of the beach grill & their jerk everything! They add the sauce even to your cheeseburger. Don't laugh it's good. The jerk chicken was amazing. This recipe is the closest I have come up with.

1/2 cup malt vinegar

2 Tbsp dark rum (We love Appleton of course)

2 habanero peppers, with seeds, chopped

1 red onion, chopped

4 green onion tops, chopped

1 Tbsp dried thyme

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

4 teaspoons ground all spice

4 teaspoons ground cinnamon

4 teaspoons ground nutmeg

4 teaspoons ground ginger

2 teaspoons molasses
3 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts(if you don't want to cook that much chicken freeze your extra sauce)

1/2 cup lime juice

Salt and pepper
WARNING: Habanero chile peppers are very hot, it is very painful if they come in contact with your eyes or cuts on your fingers. Be careful.

Put vinegar, rum, hot peppers, onion, green onion tops, thyme, olive oil, salt, pepper, allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and molasses into a blender. Pulse until mostly smooth.

Place chicken in a large baking dish. Pour lime juice over the chicken and coat well. Add the jerk paste to the chicken, coat evenly. Cover the chicken in the pan with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight.

When you are ready to cook the chicken, remove chicken from the marinade pan. Put the remaining marinade into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Set aside to use as a basting sauce for the chicken. If you want you can reserve a little of the marinade (once boiled for 10 minutes since it has been in contact with raw chicken) to serve with the chicken or to mix with some ketchup and a dash of soy sauce for a serving sauce.

I know this step sounds like a pain but I don't want anyone calling me saying they have salmonella.

Have your griller (Matt in my house), heat grill to medium high. Sprinkle chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Cover. Cook for approximately 6-7 minutes per side, turning the chicken occasionally and basting with marinade, until the chicken is cooked through.

Serve with black beans & rice. Don't forget your Appleton & coke. Yummy!

Mexican Coffee

I was feeling bad for telling all you would be Pyros about the flambe coffee & not sharing more info. Here is my disclosure:
If you make Mexican Coffee & you lite your:
house, table, dog, hair, clothing or anything else on fire
Your:
Wife, mom, sister,girlfriend, husband, dad, boyfriend (I didn't say brother because they would laugh at you) will say I told you so & think you are really stupid. Anyway if you make this I recommend you not take the first 3 steps.
1- Pour 1 shot of tequila over a sugar cube in the coffee cup. (Let's be serious about this, if you have to do this it is for show, so use a pretty cup not your World's Best whatever you are best at)
2-Light it on fire with a long match
3-Pour back & forth between the cups.
This is were everyone else will begin
4-Pour your coffee in your cup (extinguishing the flames if you have them) leave room at the top
5-Add a shot of Kahlua & a sugar cube
6-Top with whipped cream
7-Shake a dash of cinnamon or chocolate shavings on top

Enjoy. I hope you didn't singe your eyebrows! :)

Finishing our Culinary Vacation: After dinner drinks

After dinner & desert in Cabo, the waiters will typically offer you a Mexican Coffee, which is really more of a show than a beverage. They light it on fire and pour it between to cups. Me, I am more of a cappuccino gal. What I do love in Mexico is the Sangria. Sangria is fun because there are no serious rules with it, choose a wine, add some fruit & some fizzy beverage. I had a champagne Sangria once, it was amazing. My friend who made it said the champagne was horrible on it's own. So when life gives you bad wine...make Sangria! Here is a recipe my a friend gave me years ago, it is always a hit!

• 1 Bottle of red wine (You can use anything here I actually love those cheap jugs of Sangria, Carlo Rossi Brand is good!)
• 1 Lemon cut into wedges
• 1 Orange cut into wedges
• 2 Tbsp sugar (I use Splenda, every little bit helps)
  
• 1/3 cup brandy ( I keep a bottle of good brandy in the bar, you never know when someone fancy will stop by, although I use it more in deserts)
  
• 2 Cups club soda or diet Sprite
  

Pour wine in the pitcher and squeeze the juice wedges from the lemon and orange into the wine. Toss in the fruit wedges (leaving out seeds if possible) and add sugar and brandy. Chill overnight. Add soda just before serving.

If you'd like to serve right away, use chilled red wine and serve over lots of ice. Here are some other fruit ideas to use: sliced strawberries (add these at the last minute they get mushy) , peaches, handful of fresh blueberries, raspberries, kiwi, pineapple tidbits...you can really do anything.

Salud!

Sopapillas

I can't really think of any famous Mexican deserts besides flan, I am not a big flan fan, I prefer Creme Brulee. I love sopapillas though, I think they remind me of the Texas State fair. Traditionally you would serve them with honey, but mix it up, serve with jam or Nuetella.

2 c. flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. shortening
1/2 cup warm water
Oil for deep frying

Sift dry ingredients together in bowl. Cut in shortening until crumbly. Add 1/2 cup warm water gradually, stirring with fork. Dough will be crumbly. Turn onto lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth. Divide in half. Let stand for 10 minutes. Cut into 3" squares. Fry, several at a time, in deep fat at 400 degrees for 30 seconds on each side.

Update on the Turnovers

We are taking a break from Mexico. My cousin Kristin (who I think is the number fan of this blog) made the blueberry turnover recipe, and noticed that I forgot to tell you when to add the sugar! As I was fixing it I realized, if you know how to make a sweet turnover, you can also make a savory one, which make great hors d'oeuvres. Now turnovers are great because all you have to do is start with your basic shape & change the filling. And not sprinkle with sugar!!

Here are some easy fillings: (Try to come up with some of your own & email them to me!)

Spinach

1/2 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed & squeezed of excess water

1/2 bunch of green onions

grated3/4 c. Monterey Jack

1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese

1 egg, beaten

1/4 tsp. black pepper

Salt to taste

Mix it all up & stuff!

Asparagus with Goat Cheese

1 cup of cooked asparagus (steam it) chopped in to 1 inch pieces

3 slices proscuitto chopped small

1/2 cup goat cheese

1 egg, beaten
1/4 tsp. black pepper
Salt to taste

Mix & stuff

Like I said before you could really go crazy & experiment with fillings. If you find something fab, share!

Dinner: Seared Ahi Tuna

Seared Tuna sounds more like something you get in a sushi place, but the best I have ever had is in Cabo. Now it is a toss up whether it is better at Baja Cantina or Cafe Dorian, but I am going to give it to Cafe Dorian based on presentation! The cafe is right on the pier in downtown Cabo, the first time I went was with my parents for my Mom's birthday. We loved it! Naturally when we went to Cabo for Matt's birthday we ate at Cafe Dorian. Hey it's our birthday place. This picture is from when they saute your food table side. This recipe is the closest I have found to their amazing seared tuna. Don't forget to buy sushi grade tuna because you are only going to sear it.

Sauce:
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 1/4 cup white wine (Remember if you wouldn't drink it don't eat it!)
1/4 cup minced shallots
2 tablespoons wasabi paste, I like it hot you can reduce the amount
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 cup unsalted butter, cubed
salt and black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil, or as needed
1 cup chopped cilantro leaves
fresh tuna steaks, 1 inch thick
This is enough sauce for about 4 steaks

Combine the white wine vinegar, white wine and shallots in a small saucepan over medium heat. Simmer until the liquid is reduced to about 2 tablespoons. Strain out shallot and discard, return liquid to the pan.
Stir the wasabi and soy sauce into the reduction in the pan. Over low heat, gradually whisk in butter one cube at a time allowing the mixture to emulsify. Don't let it boil. When all of the butter has been incorporated, stir in cilantro, and remove from heat. Pour into a small bowl, and set aside.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brush tuna steaks with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Place in the hot skillet, and sear for 1 to 2 minutes on each side. Be careful not to overcook, this fish should be served pink in the center. Top with sauce.

Summer Gazpacho Soup

Utah can not rival Arizona for summer heat, but until the sun goes down it can get pretty toasty here in the summer. This Gazpacho soup makes a great summer lunch or cool evening meal. Best if you can pick the fixings from your own garden or the local farm stand.
Get your blender or food processor out for this recipe.
You'll need:
2 46 oz cans of V-8 Juice
2 cloves garlic
2 T. olive oil
1 medium onion
2 cucumbers (don't peel if they are fresh picked)
3 large tomatoes
1 green pepper
1/2 t tobassco
fresh ground pepper.
Chop your veggies into chunks, place some of the veggies into the blender with enough V-8 juice to cover and blend together. Pour into a bowl and repeat with the rest of the veggies. Add any remaining V-8 juice to the large bowl, season with the tobassco and fresh ground pepper.
Chill for 3-4 hours, longer is better and serve cold. Some nice crusty bread would be good with it.
You can improvise. My husband would chop in a fresh jalapeno pepper from our little garden, to spice it up.

Dinner: Fish Tacos

My favorite restaurant in Cabo is the Baja Cantina. Even in High School before I had been there I had a poster of it. Cabo is famous for their fish tacos. When Matt & I went to Cabo he had fish tacos at least once a day. Now I don't normally condone fried food but these tacos are as authentic as you are going to find.

Batter:

1 cup flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 cup beer
Mexican Tartar Sauce:
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup sour cream

(make both fat free, you have to cut calories somewhere!)
1 lime, juiced
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
1 teaspoon minced capers
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

The Rest:
1 quart oil for frying
1 pound white fish fillets(In Cabo they use Mahi Mahi, you could also do cod, tilapia), cut into 2 to 3 ounce portions
1 (12 ounce) package corn tortillas
1/2 medium head cabbage, finely shredded
DIRECTIONS
To make beer batter: In a large bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt. Blend egg and beer, then quickly stir into the flour mixture (don't worry about it looking a little lumpy).
To make Mexican Tartar sauce: In a medium bowl, mix together yogurt and sour cream. Gradually stir in fresh lime juice until consistency is slightly runny. Season with jalapeno, capers, oregano, cumin, dill, and cayenne.
Heat oil in deep-fryer to 375 degrees F (I don't have a thermometer so I just drop a little bit of batter in to see if it is hot enough)
Dust fish pieces lightly with flour. Dip into beer batter, and fry until crisp and golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Lightly fry tortillas; not too crisp. To serve, place fried fish in a tortilla, and top with shredded cabbage, and white sauce. Matt likes some guacamole on this too.

Guacamole

Now I don't eat Guacamole, I have this little avocado allergy. :(

I always think it looks good. This recipe seems very authentic like you would find in Cabo. I love the way they make it table side!


4 ripe avocados, peeled, seeded
1 tsp ground cumin
1 ripe, medium Roma tomato, seeded, diced
½ Cup minced sweet white onion
2 serrano chilies, seeded, minced
¼ Cup chopped cilantro leaves
4 Tbsp fresh lime juice
Hot pepper sauce, sea salt, white pepper to taste
Instructions
Cut avocado in large chunks and mash coarsely in large bowl with a fork. Add remaining ingredients and blend gently - leaving some small chunks is fine. Taste and adjust seasoning with more pepper sauce, salt and pepper if desired.

On to the Salsa!

Okay, I admit it. I have been holding out on you. This is the best salsa recipe EVER!!! Now I can't claim it, because it was given to me by my mom's friend Joni. Here it is:

3-4 Fresh tomatoes

28 oz can tomatoes drained

3-4 T. Mrs. Renfros green salsa

1/3 bunch cilantro

3-5 garlic cloves

1/2 red onion

juice of 2 limes

salt to taste

Chop in food processor. Serve with Chips!

Culinary Vacation to Cabo

My Aunt & Uncle were on their way to Cabo but had to cancel. Cabo is one of my favorite places, they have the best food; Mexican with a seafood flare. Not to mention the Margaritas. So this week I am going to take you on a culinary vacation to Cabo, even if you do need to go to your day job. Now if I had just landed in Cabo, my first stop after going to my room to put on my bikini would be The Office. Once I was there I would order margaritas (watch out it's happy hour & they are going to bring you two as big as fish bowls!) and chips & salsa, maybe some guacamole for Matt. Let's start with the Margaritas:

Two parts tequila (We like Sauza Hornitos)
One part Grand Marnier
One and a half parts fresh lime juice.
One part simple syrup.
One part Limoncello (you can buy an inexpensive bottle Costco sells it)
Rim the glass with coarse salt. Mix with 5-6 ice cubes in a shaker and shake violently for about 15 seconds add a slice of lime if you like.

Too strong for your taste? (It's okay I am a cheap date too) Stir in some Sprite or Lemon aide. Don't shake!

Crab & Corn Chowder

My dad was telling me today about how he had this great Crab & Corn Chowder at a restaurant in Florida. Then I remembered that my Crab & Corn Chowder is unbelievable. I love making this soup because it is hardy enough to serve for dinner. If you are lucky you will have fresh corn, in the town where my parents live, there is a family that owns a corn farm, their name is Rice. Although I would make a spinach salad & some biscuits.

6 ounces bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 large onion, chopped
1 pound red-skinned potatoes, unpeeled, diced
2 1/2 cups bottled clam juice
3 1/2 cups half and half
1 pound fresh or frozen corn kernels
1 pound fresh crab meat, coarsely flaked or chopped
3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme

Cook bacon in heavy large saucepan over medium heat until brown and crisp, about 10 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels to drain. Pour off all but 3 tablespoons bacon fat. Add onion to drippings in saucepan and saute until beginning to soften, about 3 minutes. Add potatoes and stir until coated. Add clam juice; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 10 minutes.
Add half and half, corn, crab, fresh thyme, and half of bacon; cook uncovered until potatoes and corn are tender, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle chowder equally into 6 bowls. Garnish with remaining bacon and serve.

Favorite Scottsdale Restaurant

Matt & I are lucky to live in Scottsdale, we have beautiful weather for the most part. One of my favorite things about living here is all of our great restaurants. I often have people from out of town ask us the best places to eat. Here are our recommendations, in our favorite food groups:

Italian, Sushi, Mexican & Happy Hour!!!! :)

Uncle Sal's:

Amazing Italian, my parents are picky about their Italian & they love this place. You can't get a bad meal but the meatball subs are to die for & the Chicken Marsala is out of this world.

Sushi Brokers:

Go before 6:30 for Happy Hour. You must have the Wahoo sashimi & the Cowboy Roll. When Aunt Karen & Uncle Mike came to visit for 4 days we ate here twice, because Uncle Mike loved it.

Mexican, I will give you two places, it is Scottsdale:

Old Town Tortilla Factory:

We like the enchilada stack or the old town tacos, I am a huge fan of the tortilla soup,great margaritas too. Fun fact they filmed the dinner date scene from Jerry Maguire here.

Frank & Lupes:

I like the combo plate because you get a tamale & sopapillas. They have a really fun lounge too.

Finally Happy Hour, again two favorite spots:

Salty Senorita:

Salty is our favorite hang out bar, the paradise margarita is awesome. The street tacos are good too, they have the best chips & salsa in town.

Uncorked:

This is a swankier happy hour spot. You should order the Parmesan cheese cake, the red wine cheese tray & the Syrah flights. I have been ordering the fizzy flight lately but I am into sparkling wine!

Happy travels.

Thai Chicken Soup

I love soup & I love spicy food, so naturally love this soup. Poor Matt his eyes get watery if I even chop a jalepeno. But once it is cooked he enjoys this soup too. This is a great light summer dinner.

3 cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon grated lime rind
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon chopped peeled fresh lemongrass
2 tablespoons Thai fish sauce
1/2 teaspoon chopped seeded Thai chile or a small jalepeno chopped & seeded
2 tablespoons green curry
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 (14-ounce) can light coconut milk
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

PreparationCombine first 7 ingredients in a large saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat; stir in chicken and coconut milk. Cook 3 minutes or until chicken is done. Sprinkle with cilantro.

Chicken Tacos

As much as I love Italian food, Matt loves Mexican food. I think when we went to Cabo he was in heaven being able to eat tacos every day. We like to make tacos at home but rather than the traditional American ground beef variety, we like chicken. This is a great quick dinner & makes for great leftovers.

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts
Cooking spray
12 (6-inch) white corn tortillas

Garnish: (Tacos are all about the garnish)
thinly sliced lettuce
shredded reduced-fat mexican cheese
Low-fat sour cream
Guacamole
salsa
chopped tomatoes
sauteed onions
We could really go crazy right here but you get the point!

Prepare grill.
Combine first 4 ingredients in a small bowl; rub spice mixture over chicken.
Place chicken on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 10 minutes on each side or until done. Let stand 5 minutes; chop.
Heat tortillas & set up your taco bar.

I chose this picture for Mexican food because there are traditional celebration flags. We are using the white ones for our wedding!!! :)

Chicken Scallopini

I love chicken scallopini, we lived in Italy when I was a kid, given the choice I would eat Italian for every meal. Some Italian seems heavy for the summer but not scallopini.

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/3 cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
Cooking spray
1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup dry white wine (Yeah you can have a glass while you cook!!)
4 teaspoons capers (I omit these but I don't love capers)
1 tablespoon butter

pound each chicken breast to 1/4-inch thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin. Brush chicken with juice, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in breadcrumbs.

Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until chicken is done. Remove from pan; keep warm.

Add broth and wine to pan, and cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in capers and butter. Serve over linguine with a little olive oil & Parmesan. Make a green salad & finish your vino. :)

The importance of an apron

I love this apron set, it reminds me of my Aunt Harriet, who was this fabulous woman who answered to know one. She had leopard print sofas, standard poodles, lots of lingerie & occasionally paddled her way to work in a canoe.
When I was making the Baja Citrus Chicken, I was still wearing the dress I had worn to a meeting & the chicken splattered my dress. So again, everyone needs an apron. I guess you don't have to get an Aunt Harriet one.
You could get an Aunt Ginny style.
Or Aunt Millie

Blueberry Turnovers

I am trying really hard to eat more fruits & vegetables. I was really good until I moved in with Matt who has a serious aversion to them. :)
My Safeway has been making the fruit part really easy for me they have the most amazing organic fruit lately. I bought a pint of blueberries but only ate about half. I am going to a meeting tomorrow that I thought it might be nice to bring a treat. I found this blueberry turnover recipe & it is a winner.


4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 egg
¼ cup sugar plus extra for sprinkling
1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
½ pint blueberries (1 cup)
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly coat a baking sheet with oil or cooking spray. Place the cream cheese in small bowl, add the 1/4 cup of sugar and stir until completely smooth.
Separate the egg yolk from the egg white. Place the egg white in a small bowl and add the egg yolk to the cream cheese and stir until combined. Lay the sheet of puff pastry on a flat surface and cut into 9 small squares. Spoon a tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture down the center of each square from one corner to the opposite corner. Press the blueberries into the cream cheese. Fold the sides into the center, wet the points with a little water, and press tightly to seal. (Press the sides tightly together or they will open while they bake.)
Place the turnovers in the baking pan, brush with the egg white, and sprinkle lightly with sugar. (If you are making these ahead, you can cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate them for up to 4 hours before baking.) Bake for 15 to 17 minutes, until golden brown. Remove form the oven and serve warm.

You should keep a turnover & coffee cake recipe in your recipe box, you never know who will be over that you want to impress over breakfast. Have some good coffee on hand too.

Baja Citrus Chicken Meant for the grill

Our dinner tonight was purely by accident. I had intended to buy some fish at the store but, chicken was on sale. You can't pass up $1.99 a pound! Then my little neighbor girls were out side when I got home & wanted to give me some oranges. They also wanted me to give them a dollar for them. :) Well I got the oranges inside & they were a little soft to eat so I juiced them. Then I remembered my mom bought me a Baja Citrus Marinade mix.
The instructions on the package say to use 1/4 cup of water & 1/4 cup olive oil. I substituted my orange juice for the water. Mix the oj or water, the oil & the marinade together. Using a meat pounder flatten your chicken breasts to an even thickness, allow to marinade at least 3 hours.
Back to my accidental dinner, I had a pot of brown rice on the stove to enjoy with our chicken. Matt got home & I was ready to send him out to the grill, I had our chicken, along with a yellow squash, when he reminded me that we were out of propane! So I got out my frying pans.
Heat 2 frying pans over medium high heat, one small for the squash & one large for the chicken. Spray the chicken pan with Pam, when hot add the chicken breasts. In the squash pan add a tablespoon of olive oil, season the squash with Cavender's Greek Seasoning. Cook your chicken over a medium high heat for 6 minutes per side, after about 4 minute pour the rest of your marinade in the pan, be careful it will splash. Saute your squash about 6 minutes. Serve with rice. This chicken even though the package said to grill was rather tasty sauteed. So the moral of my accidental dinner story, in the kitchen as in life you need to think on your feet!!

Capelinni de Mar

Capelinni de Mar is a dish that I adapted from one of my favorite cookbooks, Small Plates. (I highly recommend that you get it!) This is a great dish for a romantic dinner, it is fragrant & looks very elegant. Serve with a glass of Pinot Grios. We like Cavit or Ecco Domani in our house.

Ingredients:
4T. olive oil

2 large shallots
1 medium zucchini, sliced thin or julienned
2 carrots, peeled sliced thin or julienned
1 cup fat free half & half
2 cups chicken broth
3 T tomato paste
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp pepper
½ lb. raw shrimp peeled, chopped
½ lb. lobster meat
¾ cup chopped chives
½ chopped basil

1 box of Capelinni or Angel Hair pasta

In medium sauce pan, heat butter. Add shallots, carrots, zucchini, sauté 3 minutes.
Add half & half, broth, tomato paste, salt & pepper.
Simmer 3 minutes to thicken. Add lobster & shrimp.
Cook 2 minutes until shrimp are pink.
Add ¼ cup of basil & chives.
Serve over Capelinni & sprinkle remaining herbs over sauce.

Birthday Party: The Best Part! Cake!

Red Velvet is a very traditional Southern desert, if you have ever seen Steel Magnolias you will remember the bleeding armadillo! Although we lived in the south growing up & I remember eating Red Velvet cake, my favorite memory of it is my Uncle who lived in New York City taking me to the Magnolia Bakery for a Red Velvet cupcake. They make their cupcakes with a Vanilla Frosting, I prefer my Red Velvet with a cream cheese icing. To each his own but here is my version. Here's a little test: Why do Southerner's say the cake is red? It is made with Love. :)

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups flour (not self rising)

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

2 1/4 cups sugar

3 large eggs room temperature

6 Tablespoons red food coloring

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extracted

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

1 1/2 teaspoons cider vinegar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray 2 9 inch round cake pans with Pam (use the baking kind with flour)

In a large bowl use a mixer to cream the butter & sugar together. Add eggs one at a time, beat each one well. Add cocoa, vanilla & food coloring, mix well. In your measuring cup add the salt to the buttermilk, Alternate adding 1/3 of the buttermilk then 1/3 of your flour until all is added. Make sure it is mixed well. Add vinegar & baking soda, mix well, scrape the sides of your bowl with a spatula. Divide batter between the two pans, bake 30-40 minutes, test with a toothpick. Allow to cool on a cooling rack at least an hour before frosting.

Cream Cheese Icing:

2 8 ounce packages Cream Cheese softened & cut into little pieces

6 tablespoons butter softened & cut into little pieces

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

5 cups powdered sugar (Use 4 if you like it less sweet)

In your mixer, blend the cream cheese & butter together. Add vanilla mix well, add a cup of powdered sugar at a time, be sure it is well blended. Cover & refrigerate at 2 hours but no longer so it thickens before you use it.

Birthday Party:Grill Time

Go get your man a beer or a cocktail as mine prefers, it's time to fire up the grill. You already made all your salads it's time to cook the chicken. You can marinade up to a day ahead, make sure you do it at least 3 hours before.

Port Marinated Chicken
4 chicken breasts, bone in
Cavenders

1 tablespoon olive oil

Marinade
1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup ruby port (yeah you can drink the rest after dinner)
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup dijon mustard
2 tablespoons shallots, minced
3 tablespoons rosemary, finely chopped (Rosemary grows in the common areas of our neighborhood as a shrub, I always take my scissors out & cut some. My neighbors probably think I am crazy!)
1 tablespoon pepper
1 tablespoon garlic salt

Mix all your marinade together, pour over chicken in a large shallow bowl. Cover & keep in the fridge until ready to grill.

Grill chicken over 220 heat for 1 hour, this is a long time but on the low heat it is worth the wait. Your chicken will be moist, tender and delicious!

Birthday Party: Salads

After those amazing hors devours, you are going to need a fabulous salad. This salad has great color & the dressing is out of this world. We are also going to make a Red Potato Salad with Celery Seed. Let's start with that you can make your dressing while the potatoes cook. I always make potato salad at least a day ahead, it is just one of those foods that tastes better the next day.

Ingredients for the dressing:
3/4 cup sour cream
3/4 non-fat plain yogurt
2 celery stalks finely diced
1 Tablespoon Celery Seeds
2 Tablespoons fresh chopped chives
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Salt & Pepper to taste

3 pounds medium red potatoes

Cook your potatoes in boiling water for 30 minutes or until tender. When cool cut into smaller pieces but don't peel.

Whisk all your dressing ingredients together. In a large bowl toss with the potatoes to coat them. Cover & refrigerate. If you want to be fancy take a few sprigs of parsley & tie them into a bouquet with a chive to garnish.

On to the green salad!

Three Lettuce Salad with Tomato-Tarragon Dressing

Dressing:
1 shallot
1 garlic clove
½ lb. tomatoes, peeled, seeded & chopped
2 teaspoons Dijon Mustard
1 tablespoon finely chopped tarragon
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
½ cup olive oil
1 tablespoon whipping cream
salt & pepper

In food processor:
Add garlic, shallot, tomatoes, mustard, tarragon and vinegar.
Process well, slowly add oil, add salt & pepper, cream
Process well.

Salad:
1 head butter lettuce
1 head radicchio
4 medium heads Belgian endive (You can short cut this & buy a bag of mixed greens)
1 cucumber julienned
3 carrots julienned
1 avocado peeled pitted and sliced

Tear all lettuces into bite sized pieces, arrange other vegetables in colorful pattern.

Recipe Help

While I have been sharing all my favorite meals with you, I can also help you find the recipe or menu you need for an event. I have quite the arsenal of recipes, between all my cookbooks & cooking magazines I read. So if you have a special dinner coming up or just want to know what you can fix quickly when you get home from work email me. I take suggestions on postings & love to help! Anyone who has a fabulous recipe that they would like to share can also email me & I will post it.

Birthday Party: hors d'oeuvres

My sister in law's birthday is today, we are all getting together for the occasion on Saturday. Birthdays are always a big deal with me, I guess I get it from my mom. When my dad turned 50 she made sure he had 50 gifts to open! Along with a super party. I will give you all the recipes for a Birthday Menu your guests won't forget. Let's start in the obvious place. The best part of any meal hors d'oeuvres! I like hors d'oeuvres to either be dips or finger foods. For this party I think we will go with finger foods.

Assorted Bruschetta

When you are making Bruschetta start by preparing your bread. I like to buy the ciabatta rolls at Costco. Slice them into 1/2 inch slices, brush each with olive oil & toast in the oven at 350 for about 5 minutes.

I like to offer a variety when I make bruschetta, so taking a short cut is okay! We are going to make four different choices. Prepare them all & then heat them in batches when the party starts.

Apples with Brie-Green apple sliced thin, place a slice on a piece of bread & top with a thin layer of Brie, my friend Jenny buys President Wee Brie, this works well.

Proscuitto, Marscapone & Figs- If you can't find fresh figs there are a variety of Fig preserves availible. Layer your fig or preserves, then a layer of the marscapone & top with Proscuitto.

Caprese-Layer a thin tomato slice, a basil leaf & top with a slice of Mozzarella. (Don't heat this one)

Olives & Blue Cheese-For this one you can either buy an Olive tapenade or make one. To make one take a cup of Kalamata olives pitted & process them in you food processor. Spread a layer of your olive spread & top with Blue Cheese crumbles.

About ten minutes before serving time place them all on a cookie sheet (except your Caprese) bake at 350 for ten minutes, remove from the oven 7 transfer to a pretty platter. We should serve a cocktail with our hors devours too. Keeping with the Italian theme, we should serve Limoncello Coolers. In tall glasses with ice pour one ounce Limoncello & top with soda water, garnish with a lemon twist.

Salmon with Dill and Mustard

I really like Salmon, we don't eat it as often as we should. Salmon has great heart health benefits. You should be careful when buying your Salmon that you purchase caught wild. To gain the maximum health benefits of Salmon it is best to grill or broil it. I buy mine at Trader Joe's, they have really nice Salmon steaks, the skin is all trimmed off & there are minimal bones.


2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
2 tablespoons whole-grain Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice object
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
Salmon fillets, skinned get as many as you need this amount of glaze will be enough for 1 lb.
Cooking spray

Prepare grill.
Combine fresh dill, mustard, rind, juice, salt, pepper, and garlic in a bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add salmon tossing gently to coat. Place salmon on grill rack coated with cooking spray, and grill 4-5 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork

Since you already have a dill flavor, I would serve with a simple side dish of brown rice with a little butter & some grilled veggies. Happy grilling!

Tortellini with Pancetta & Peas

This was my favorite dinner when I was a kid. No one makes it as well as my mom but here's a recipe so you can try! You will need a package of tortellini, remember that the serving size on the package is for a side dish if you are serving it for dinner. I like to buy it at Costco. You get two packs but you can freeze one.

Ingredients:

Tortellini

1/2 cup peas

Sauce:
1/2 cup butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup mozzarella cheese

4 slices pancetta diced into small pieces

Start by boiling your water (remember to salt & add a teaspoon of olive oil to your water) while your tortellini are cooking start making your sauce. At the last minute of boiling time add your peas to the water.
Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium/low heat.
Add the garlic, cream, white pepper and bring mixture to a simmer.
Stir often, add pancetta.
Add the Parmesan cheese and simmer sauce for 8-10 minutes, simmer 3-5 more minutes or until sauce has thickened and is smooth.
When sauce has thickened add the mozzarella cheese and stir until smooth. STIR FREQUENTLY

Drain the water from your tortellini & peas top with your sauce enjoy!

On a side note I used to babysit these 2 cute little boys. Robert was 4, he too like tortellini but called them Turtle Weenies. :)

Chicken Marsala

I love Chicken Marsala, it is by far my favorite Italian dish. I must confess one of the main reasons I love it so much is the mushrooms! Matt doesn't like mushrooms which is just fine, more for me. :)
I adapted this recipe to try & cut the calories back a little with out compromising the taste. I know you will like it.

5 tablespoons butter, divided object
Cooking spray
16 ounce package mushrooms sliced (This is a lot of mushrooms you can half it)
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup dry Marsala wine
2 tablespoons half-and-half
4 cups hot cooked fettuccine (about 8 ounces uncooked pasta)

Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray and 1 Tablespoon butter over medium-high heat; add mushrooms, shallots, and garlic. Cook 3 minutes or until moisture evaporates; remove from pan. Set aside.

Using a meat mallet pound each chicken breast half to a 1/4-inch thickness
Sprinkle both sides of chicken with salt and pepper. Place flour in a shallow dish; dredge chicken breast halves in flour.
Add 3 tablespoons butter to pan, and place over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 3 minutes on each side or until lightly browned.
Remove chicken from pan.
Return mushroom mixture to pan; add broth and Marsala, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes
Add 1 tablespoon butter, half-and-half, salt and pepper, stirring until butter melts. Return chicken to pan; cook until thoroughly heated. Serve chicken and sauce over pasta.

Swordfish with Prosciutto

We love to eat grilled fish. There is talk of the mercury being too high in swordfish, I think if you eat it a few times a year, as long as you are not pregnant or nursing you will be fine. Fish does not need to marinade very long, it takes flavor quickly. Swordfish doesn't need much but here is how we prepare it. You will need the following:

12 wooden skewers (soak them in water first for an hour)
2 pounds swordfish steaks, cut into 2 inch cubes
8 slices of prosciutto sliced into thirds
2 teaspoons Cavenders Greek Seasoning
2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried
1/4 cup lemon infused olive oil (If you don't have this just add 2 tablespoons lemon juice to your oil)

Wrap your fish in the proscuitto, thread pieces onto skewers.
Mix up your marinade, drizzle over fish. Grill the swordfish over high heat (as close to the heat as possible), brush skewers while cooking, turning once, until cooked through, 6 to 7 minutes. Transfer the skewers to a platter. I would serve this with green salad, rice pilaf & a bottle of Pinot Grigio. Here are some recommendations under $10. Happy grilling!

Friday Pizza Part 2

Pineapple is my all time favorite pizza topping, I was thrilled to find out that Matt liked it too. The best part was that he too prefered chicken on his Hawaiian pizza to the traditional Candian Bacon. This is a great end of the work week recipe, it's quick & easy, pizza works well on your lap while watching a movie too. Enjoy!

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees
Ingredients:
1 thin crust Boboli
1/2 cup barbeque sauce
1 1/2 cup shredded chicken (Use your left overs or buy a Rotisserie at the grocery store)
1 cup chopped pineapple
1/4 cup sauted red onions
1 1/2 cup shredded montery jack cheese
Spread the barbeque sauce onto your crust, top with chicken, onions, cheese & pineapple. Bake for 10 minutes. Serve with a green salad & a bottle of Red Zinfandel-it is Friday! Click here for some great Red Zins under $15. I personally love the Ravenswood.

Must Have Cook Books

After sharing the lasagna rolls recipe from Everyday Italian yesterday, I thought I should share my favorite cookbooks. Now I might have a little problem with my cookbooks, I love them. I have confessed to reading them like novels! There are my favorites & the ones I use most often. Remember when you try a new recipe not to be afraid to make it your own. If you like your food spicy add a jalapeno, if you prefer a dish richer use half the recommended chicken stock & add fat free half & half for the rest. I will include a link to each one.

Everyday Italian-Giada de Laurentiis
Giada's Family Dinners-Giada de Laurenttis
Small Plates-Marguerite Henderson
Savor the Memories-Marguerite Henderson
The Taste of Summer -Dianne Rosen Worthington
Cooking Light-Chicken
More From Magnolia: Recipes from the World Famous Bakery and Allysa Torey's Home Kitchen

I have admitted before I am not a baker, but when I need to the Magnolia Bakery book has saved me! Happy shopping.

Lasagna Rolls

I can't take credit for this recipe, I got it from my Everyday Italian Cook book, which is one of my all time favorites. I love Giada she is so cute & perky! (My friend Jodi calls her my twin, which I take as a huge compliment) I used to make this a lot before Matt & I lived together, it was really portable & froze well so I could make 2 small pans. We would eat one on our Wednesday night dinner date & he had an extra in the freezer. I have also brought this to parties & friends with new babies, it is always a hit!

Bechamel Sauce:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups whole milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
Pinch ground nutmeg

Lasagna:
1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta cheese
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, squeezed dry
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
3 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, chopped
1 large egg, beaten to blend
3/4 teaspoon salt, plus more for salting water
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
12 uncooked lasagna noodles
2 cups marinara sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella (about 4 ounces)

To make the sauce: Melt the butter in a heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the flour and whisk for 3 minutes. Whisk in the milk. Increase the heat to medium-high. Whisk the sauce until it comes to a simmer and is thick and smooth, about 3 minutes. Whisk the salt, pepper, and nutmeg into the bechamel sauce.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Whisk the ricotta, spinach, 1 cup Parmesan, prosciutto, egg, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl to blend.

Add a tablespoon or 2 of oil to a large pot of boiling salted water. Boil the noodles until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain. Arrange the noodles in a single layer on a baking sheet to prevent them from sticking.

Butter a 13-by-9-by-2-inch glass baking dish. Pour the bechamel sauce over the bottom of the prepared dish. Lay out 4 lasagna noodles on a work surface, then spread about 3 tablespoons of ricotta mixture evenly over each noodle. Starting at 1 end, roll each noodle like a jelly roll. Lay the lasagna rolls seam side down, without touching, atop the bechamel sauce in the dish. Repeat with the remaining noodles and ricotta mixture. Spoon 1 cup of marinara sauce over the lasagna rolls. Sprinkle the mozzarella and remaining 2 tablespoons of Parmesan over the lasagna rolls. Cover tightly with foil. Bake until heated through and the sauce bubbles, about 20 minutes. Uncover and bake until the cheese on top becomes golden, about 15 minutes longer. Let stand for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the remaining marinara sauce in a heavy small saucepan over medium heat until hot, and serve alongside.

Fresh Raspberries

I don't make a lot of deserts, I don't like having to measure my ingredients and I prefer savory food to sweets. My big exception is a desert with Raspberries. Costco has a big flat of fresh raspberries right now, they are big gorgeous berries. This raspberry pound cake is so good & just the right amount of sweet. You make it in a bundt pan. Click here to buy a really cute pan. If you don't make the custard it makes a great alternative to coffee cake.

Raspberry Pound Cake

5 eggs
1 2/3 cups of sugar
1 ¼ cups room temperature butter cut into pieces
2 Tablespoons Chambord
2 ½ cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
3 cups raspberries

Preheat oven to 325
Butter & Flour a 9 inch bundt pan
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer beat eggs and sugar. Add butter & Chambord and beat until fluffy. Add all flour but 2 tablespoons, baking powder & salt
In a separate bowl toss raspberries in remaining flour. Fold them into batter.
Pour into prepared cake pan.
Bake one hour, allow to cool in pan 25 minutes
Dust with powdered sugar.

Custard Sauce

8 egg yolks
¼ cup of sugar
¼ cup Chambord
1 ¼ cup whipping cream

Combine yolks, Chambord & sugar in the top of double boiler, beat until well blended.
Place over Medium low heat, whisk until mixture is foamy, remove from heat add ¼ cup cream whisk until blended, allow to cool.
Whip remaining cream until stiff, fold into custard, cover & refrigerate.