What to do with all that Zucchini?

If you're like us you may have an abundance of zucchini around your house thanks to lots of rain and a over-producing plant! :) Tired of the same-old Stuffed Zucchini recipe that I use as my fall back, I discovered a new recipe that makes a GREAT side or a meatless meal if you wish. This one's even 'Neighbor Approved'! The original recipe is from Rachel Ray.

(I'll post a picture next time we make it, didn't anticipate this one being blog worthy!)

Ingredients;

6 small zucchinis or 1 enormous zucchini

3 T. EVOO

3 cloves of garlic

a few shakes of crushed red pepper (more if you like it hot)

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 can of petite diced tomatoes, drained, SAVE THE JUICE

1/4 dry white wine (and a glass for the cook)

2 T. butter (pref. unsalted, but regular works)

3/4 to 1 cup of bread crumbs

1/2 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

a small bunch of flat leave parsely chopped (approx. 1/4 cup) I didn't use that much

1/4 cup of basil shredded (I was out of fresh and substituted 1 T. of dried basil)

Instructions;

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

1. Halve the zucchini length wise and hollow them out with a melon baller or icecream scoop (pending the size of your zucchini). SAVE the centers! Place the hollowed out zucchini on a cookie sheet or shallow pan, drizzle some olive oil over the top and throw them into the oven. They will cook while you prepare the stuffing (approx. 10-15 minutes).

2. If you have a small food processor, go ahead and thow the zucchini centers in there, if not, just chop them up really finely. In a medium size pan, add 2 T. of olive oil, 1 clove of garlic, minced, the red pepper flakes, onion and the chopped zucchini. Cook for about 5 minutes until the zucchini starts to carmelize.

3. Add the tomatoes and heat through for about 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, then add the wine. Cook until the wine evaporates, then add the juice from the can of tomatoes. Reduce the heat to medium/low and continue to cook.

4. In a seperate pan add 1 T. of olive oil with 2 T. of butter and melt over medium heat. When melted, add 2 cloves of minced garlic and cook for 2 minutes, then add the bread crumbs. Be sure to mix well to coat them in the oil/butter. Toast the bread crumbs for approx. 2-3 minutes. Add the cheese, parsley and pepper. Mix well them remove from heat.

5. Add the bread mixture to the stuffing mixture, stir well, add basil and remove from heat. Remove the zucchini from the oven and stuff! Top with additional cheese and return to the oven for 5-10 minutes until the tops look crispy.

Enjoy!!

Strawberry Cupcakes

Oh sweet deliciousness! These cupcakes are amazing. Dont take my word for it, try them yourselves!

Ingredients;

1/2 cup of sugar

1/4 cup unslated butter, room temperature

1 egg, room temperature

6 ounces (standard size container) vanilla yogurt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons potato starch

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon fine ground salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2-1 cup diced fresh strawberries

Instructions;

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place mixing bowl in freezer for 5 minutes. Line 12 cup muffin tin with paper liners.

2. Cream the sugar and butter with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes.

3. Add the egg and beat for an additional 2 minutes.

4. Add the yogurt and vanilla. Beat on low until smooth.

5. Whisk in flour, potato starch, baking powder, salt and baking soda together in a seperate bowl.

6. Add flour mixture slowly to the batter. Mix until just blended.

7. Fold in diced strawberries using a spatula.

8. Using an ice cream scoop or 1/4 cup measuring cup, scoop batter into paper liners. Each cup should be filled 3/4 of the way to the top.

9. Turn the heat on the oven down to 350. Put in muffin tin and bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean after it's placed in the middle of the cupcake.

10. Cool for 5 minutes in tins, then remove and cool for an additional 20-30 minutes before frosting.

Frosting Ingredients;

1/2 cup whole frozen strawberries, thawed
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, firm and slightly cold
Pinch of coarse salt
3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Frosting Instructions;

1. Place strawberries in the bowl of a small food processor; process until pureed.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter and salt on medium speed until light and fluffy.

3. Reduce mixer speed and slowly add confectioners' sugar; beat until well combined.

4. Add vanilla and 3 heaping tablespoons of strawberry puree (save any remaining strawberry puree for another use); mix until just blended.

5. Place frosting in bowl in refridgerator until you're ready to frost the cupcakes. Use a pastery bag with a star tip for the piled on rosette look! Careful not to handle the frosting too much or it will become too runny!

TIPS

Do not overmix or frosting will incorporate too much air. Frosting consistency should be dense and creamy, like ice cream.

Refridgerate these cupcakes to keep them a cool, delicious treat on a hot summer day!

Healthy Popsicles, now way!

Found this delicious popsicle recipe thanks to a friend. They're 100% natural and totally a crowd pleaser. Follow the recipe below or replace any of the fruit with your own personal favorite (or your kids if you plan on sharing)! (Oh, original recipe found here, Weelicious)

Ingredients;

1 1/2 Cups Frozen or Fresh Blueberries, (defrosted if necessary)

5 Tbsp Agave, divided (you really CAN find this just about anywhere, it's usually by the honey near the spice aisle, use it, it's good!)

1 Cup Plain Yogurt

1/4 Cup Milk

1 1/2 Cups Frozen or Fresh Strawberries, (defrosted if necessary)

1 Tbsp Lemon Juice

Instructions;

1. Place defrosted blueberries, 1/2 tbsp. lemon juice and 2 tbsp agave in a blender and puree until smooth.

2. Pour the blueberry puree a 1/3 way up each popsicle mold (I used plastic dixie cups, the 3 oz. side) and freeze for 30-45 minutes.

3. Combine yogurt, milk, and 1 tbsp of agave in a bowl and whisk until smooth.

4. Put the sticks in at this point if you are not using a popsicle mold. Pour yogurt mixture 2/3 way up the popsicle molds on top of the blueberry mixture, and freeze for another 30-45 minutes.

5. Place defrosted strawberries, 1/2 tbsp. lemon juice and 2 tbsp agave in a blender and blend until smooth.

6. Finish the popsicles by pouring the strawberry puree over the yogurt, freeze for at least another 2 hours.

7. To serve if using dixie cups, dip each cup in hot water to help ease pulling off the cup.


Enjoy!!

P.S. I also tried 1 cup of strawberries, 1 cup peaches and 1 cup of yogurt, 4 T. agave, 1 T. lemon juice all blended together and frozen, it was delicious!!

Bruschetta Chicken Stuffed Tomatoes and Farmer's Salad

Oh my, it's been FOREVER since I've posted, and my apologies include a special 2-for recipe just for you! I have recently been diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes, and the month of May has left me scrambling for healthy food that I can eat AND healthy food that my husband and child are willing to eat. So you may notice a slight change in the recipes posted, but I promise I'll throw in the occasional helping of unhealthiness every now and then!

These two recipes I'd like to consider both healthy and delicious. Try them and see what you think!

Bushchetta Chicken Stuffed Tomatoes

Ingredients

1 rotissere chicken (get just the breast if it's available to you)
1 cup fresh spinach, washed and chopped (I just tear it apart with my hands)
2 thinly sliced green onions
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil or 2 t. dried basil
2 T. white balsamic vinegar
1 T. extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves of garlic minced
4 large tomatoes
2 thin slices of whole wheat bread, toasted and cubed
2 T. shredded Parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Pull the meat off the chicken and shred. You'll want approx. 2 cups, save the remaining chicken for other recipes, like my Chicken Salad for instance!

2. In a bowl combine the chicken, spinach, green onions, parmesan and basil. In a seperate small bowl combine the vinegar, oil and garlic. Go ahead and add some salt and pepper to taste.

3. Cut off the top, stem part, of each tomato, then scoop out the inside pulp, making a small tomato bowl. You'll want to save the pulp. Once you're done with all 4 tomatoes, chop up the pulp until you've got about 1/2 a cup. You can throw out the rest. Add the pulp to the vinegar and oil mixture and stir well.

4. Combine the vinegar/oil/pulp mixure with the chicken/spinach/basil mixture and mix well.

5. Divide the mixure evenly among the 4 tomatoes and stuff! Top with a few bread cubes for each one!

6. If you're just cooking for two, fill your two tomatoes and save what's left of the mixture. Add some additional spinach or mixed greens if you prefer and you've got yourself an amazing (and healthy) salad for lunch the next day!


Farmer's Salad

Ingredients

1-1/4 pounds of tiny new potatoes (or fingerling potatoes if you can find them), washed and quartered
12 ozs. fresh green beans
3 medium roma tomatoes chopped
1/4 cup of white wine vinegar
3 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 medium shallot finely chopped
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon or so black pepper



Instructions

1. In a large sauce pan cook potatoes in just enough boiling water to cover them for about 10 minutes. Rinse, drain and set aside. Do the same for the beans. If you're planning on serving the salad imediately, run the veggies under cold water for a bit to chill. (I used a double decker steamer for this part, super simple and everything was done at the same time.)

2. DRESSING; In a small bowl combine vinegar, oil, shallots, mustard and pepper. Whisk until well combined.

3. In large bowl combine potatoes, beans and tomatoes. Top with dressing and serve. All parts can be made up to 24 hours in advance and shilled, however if you do this, leave the dressing seperate and bring to room temperature before putting it on the veggies and serving!

Enjoy!

Vodka Cream Pasta

This is my take on Rachel Ray's "You Wont Be Single For Long Vodka Cream Pasta". I LOVE this recipe, Nate does too. It makes enough for 4 or a really hungry husband, a wife and leftovers!

Ingredients;

1 T. olive oil
1 T. butter
2 cloves of garlic minced
1-2 shallots, minced
1 cup of vodka
1/2 cup chicken STOCK
1 can of petite diced tomatoes
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 T. flour
1/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1 pound of pasta, I like rigatoni

(additional/optional toppings; fresh basil or green onions, parmesan, ricotta salta cheese)

Instructions;

1. Heat a large skillet. Add oil, butter, garlic and shallots. Saute for about 3-5 minutes.

2. Turn up the heat. Add the vodka to the pan and reduce it by half, it will take about 2-3 minutes.

3. Add chicken stock and reduce for an additional 2-3 minutes.

4. Add the tomatoes and bring the sauce to a boil. Season with salt and pepper.

5. Cook the pasta until al dente.

6. Stir cream, parmesan and flour. Use a whisk to incorporate the flour. Sauce is done when it returns to a boil.

7. Toss sauce with hot pasta and basil, or top with green onions and ricotta salta.

Twisted Pasta Salad

As you've noticed, I'm sure, I have a fondness for pasta salad. We tried a new one that got some rave reviews so I figured I should share! The base of this recipe came from one I found on my new favorite iphone application, allrecipes.com. Haven't checked their website yet but if it's anything like the app, I'm sure I'll love it. Anyways, I changed the recipe so much that I kinda figured I could call it my own at this point, hence the cooler name! Enjoy!

Ingredients;

1 box of rotini noodles, the colored ones are fun
1 onion chopped, 3 tomatoes diced
(or if you're like me you can just go buy some premade pico de gallo and use that instead, make sure it's a good pico de gallo and not too watery or mushy.... my favorite is the one at the Jewel deli counter, they call it salsa but it's totally pico de gallo.... anyways I used like 3/4 of a cup. If it comes with jalapenos in it don't add more.... unless you like the spice like us, in which case, chop up and add a jalapeno!)
1 small can of diced green chile
1 red pepper chopped
1 green pepper chopped
1/2 - 1 can of black beans rinsed well
1 clove of garlic minced
1/4 cup of chopped fresh cilantro (I used dried, fresh would have been way better)
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 T. chili powder
1 T. white sugar

Instructions;

1. Cook the pasta until al dente, Drain and rinse with cold water.

2. Chop all the veggies and herbs.

3. Combine veggies, herbs, spices and pasta.

4. Mix wet ingredients in a small bowl and pour over pasta. Mix well. Best if refridgerated for a few hours before serving. Pepper-jack cheese would make an AWESOME addition to this salad as well!

Lovely Ladies Lunch

Everybody always has that 'go to' dinner. the one that you can make in your sleep and it makes everyone happy. Well I feel that you should have a few 'go tos' up your sleeve. This is my go to lunch for guests. It works especially well for ladies.... the men folk, not so much. So today you'll get three recipes for the price of one! Enjoy!

First up Chicken Salad. Anyone can make chicken salad. I do prefer to make mine instead of buying it as I do not like mayonnaise and having control over how much goes in, makes me happy. Also, this recipe have a surprise kick to it that I like to think makes it stand out!

Chicken Salad

Ingredients;
1 rotisserie chicken
3 stalks of celery
fresh parsley
1 lemon
1/2 to 1 cup mayonnaise
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions;

1. Shred the chicken. I use rotisserie chicken a lot. It's not the most economical of choices but it's the easiest and the fastest. You can also do some slow-cooker chicken breasts, but that's another recipe for another time. On a side note, I only use white meat because I strongly dislike dark meat and my grocery is awesome and sells rotisserie chicken breasts only!

2. Chop the celery and the parsley. I make the celery into pea size pieces and finely chop a good handful of parsley. Try hard to use the fresh stuff, I prefer flat parsley. It really does add to the flavor!

3. Zest the lemon. If' it's medium sized, go ahead and do the whole thing. AND add at least half the juice of the lemon (approx. 3 T.), I typically juice the whole thing.

4. Toss everything together. Salt and pepper (before adding the mayo) to taste. At this point you can refrigerate what you've got, adding the mayo right before serving. I feel that this gives the lemon and parsley time to flavor the chicken. Again, just my preference.

5. Lastly add the mayo. Like I said before, I'm not a huge fan, so for this much chicken I added roughly 1/2 cup maybe a little more.... I add just enough to wet everything down. Add mayo as you see fit.

6. Serve! You can serve this on a lettuce leaf to be eaten on it's own, with crackers, or even on an English muffin! (see bonus recipe to follow)

(This makes approx. 6-8 good size portions!)


Fruit Salad

This next recipe is fairly straight forward and not really a recipe at all. I think nothing goes better with chicken salad, than fruit salad. Fruit salad only requires fruit and these two ingredients! :) After you get all your fruit chopped and in a bowl, add 2T. of lemon juice and 2T. of orange juice. If you only have one or the other, just do 4 T. of whatever you have. Trust me! It really adds to the fruit! My favorite fruit salad combination is as you see here.... cantaloupe, strawberries, blueberries and grapes,

The last recipe is a work in progress for me. While everyone always loves these muffins I am always disappointed in how they look. They taste delicious but getting them to look good has still proven impossible for me! Oh and this comes from the Food Network website. I got it off there about 4 years ago.... I think it's originally from Emril, guess that's why it's hard for me to perfect!

Mini-Orange Crumble Top Muffins with Orange Butter

Ingredients;
1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 stick plus 1 tablespoon (9 tablespoons) melted unsalted butter
1 cup milk
3 tablespoons orange juice concentrate, thawed
2 1/2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

Instructions;
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease 2 small muffins tins (with 24 (1 3/4-inch) wells), and set aside. (I use muffin wrappers too and SPRAY THEM WITH PAM.)

Also, I've had more luck making these as larger muffins. Just adjust the cooking time by 2 minutes!

In a large bowl, sift together 1 1/2 cups of flour, the sugar, baking powder, and salt.

In a bowl, beat together the egg, 8 tablespoons of the butter, the milk, orange juice concentrate, and 2 teaspoons of the zest. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, combining just until moistened and being careful not to over mix. Divide the batter among the prepared muffin tins, filling each halfway. (You're suppose to get about 30 mini muffins from this, I usually get a decent amount more....)

To make the crumble topping, in a small bowl, combine the remaining 2 tablespoons of flour, the chopped pecans, the brown sugar, and the remaining 1 tablespoon of melted butter and 1/2 teaspoon of grated zest. Mix to combine and sprinkle 1 teaspoon on top of the batter for each muffin. Bake until the muffins are set and golden brown and a tester inserted into the middle comes out clean, 14 to 16 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes in the tins, then cool on wire racks. Serve with orange-butter on the side.

Orange Butter

Ingredients;
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup sweet orange marmalade
1 teaspoon honey

Instructions;
In a bowl, cream together the ingredients. Transfer to a decorative crock or small bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until slightly firm. Serve with the muffins or spread on toast.

Plan your next ladies lunch... and enjoy!!

Veggie-Bowtie Pasta Salad

Doesn't this look pretty? Weird, huh? Food looking pretty. Now I've been making pasta salad for a long time. It's super easy, you can make it in mass quantities and in general people like it. This is a new one I've tried and I'm hoping it'll be a big hit tonight!

Here's the Ingredients. You'll notice in the finished product picture above that there is a lack of feta cheese. I decided to serve it on the side this time, as sometime people aren't a fan!

Ingredients;

1 lb. Farfalle Pasta (Bowties, feel free to use any kind really, but a bigger pasta with nooks and crannies is best!)

1/4 cup of WHITE balsamic vinegar (I'll explain later)

1/4 cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 clove of garlic

salt and pepper to taste

Veggies, I used;

1 red bell pepper

1 green pepper

1 yellow pepper

a container of cherry tomatoes

1 cucumber

green onions

Instructions;

1. Chop your veggies. Let me introduce you to my most favorite cooking gadget... this chopper.

If you don't have one, you seriously need to go out and buy one today. It makes prep time SO much faster. I timed myself this time and it literally took me under 5 minutes to chop an entire cucumber, red pepper, green pepper, and yellow pepper. It really couldn't be simpler and I love how it makes everything exactly the same size. Now I've seen these gadgets at William-Sonoma but I'm sure you can find it elsewhere for cheaper!

I digress, chop your veggies, make sure you've got a decent mix of color. For some added flavor I finely sliced some green onions and added some minced garlic, just one clove as I'm serving two preggo mama's and a nursing mama tonight.... don't want to cause any issues! :)

See, perfect similar sized pieces! And it comes with a smaller grate to make tinier pieces as well!

2. While you're chopping your veggies, cook your pasta. I don't normally do this, but salt your water for the pasta. I've found with the pasta salads, the cold noodles taste better with a hint of salt. Drain the noodles and rinse them with COLD water. Drain as much water off as you can.

3. In a big bowl toss the pasta, veggies, onions, and garlic together. Add 1/4 cup each of white balsamic vinegar and olive oil. I just read this little tidbit, that when you're using balsamic vinegar in a pasta dish, you should use the white version so it doesn't give the pasta that nasty brown look, cool, right?! Oh, and throw some black pepper in there too if you'd like!

4. Now this step is important. Mix it all together, cover it, AND LET IT SIT IN THE REFRIGERATOR AS LONG AS POSSIBLE. Like 24 hours would be best, but who thinks out their meals that well, right? Anyways, when you taste how well all the flavors combine, you'll thank me for it!

Enjoy!

SIDE NOTES!

-This amount will easily serve 8 adults with leftovers. Adjust the recipe as necessary for the amount of people you'll be serving.

-If you're not a fan of balsamic vinegar, try it with 1/4-1/2 cup of Zesty Italian dressing. That's my go to!

Chocolate Cupcakes with Carmel Frosting!

This recipe is compliments of my friend Stephanie! Now I'm not a big chocolate fan, nor do I really care for carmel, but this puppies were AMAZINAG! Try them!!

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup baking cocoa
1 cup water
1 cup canola oil
1/2 cup butter, cubed
2 eggs
1/3 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

CARAMEL ICING:
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, cubed
1/4 cup milk
2 to 2-1/4 cups confectioners' sugar

Directions
In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt and baking soda. In a large saucepan over medium heat, bring the cocoa, water, oil and butter to a boil. Gradually add to dry ingredients and mix well. Combine the eggs, buttermilk and vanilla; gradually add to batter and mix well (batter will be very thin).
Fill paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full. Bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

For icing, in a heavy saucepan, combine the brown sugar, butter and milk. Cook and stir over low heat until sugar is dissolved. Increase heat to medium. Do not stir. Cook for 3-6 minutes or until bubbles form in center of mixture and syrup turns amber. Remove from the heat; transfer to a small bowl. Cool to room temperature. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar until smooth. Frost cupcakes. Yield: 2 dozen.

Breakfast Tartlets

Sooo, about 3 years ago, my mother-in-law showed me a delicious recipe on the back of a tube of cresent rolls. This morning as I ravenously searched for a breakfast to make for myself (my child doesn't eat eggs and my husband doesn't eat breakfast) I stumbled upon some crumbled turkey bacon, sausage, egg-beaters and low and behold, a tube of seamless cresent roll dough! Eureka!

Ingredients;

1 tube of seamless cresent roll dough

1 small container of egg beaters OR 3 eggs beaten

bacon AND/OR sausage, cooked and crumbled

shredded cheese

pepper to taste

Optional ingredients;

green onions

green/red peppers

ham

onions

crushed red pepper

Instructions;

1. To crumble my coooked bacon and sausage, I actually put it in my mini blender.... way faster that trying to chop everything up really small! Go ahead and chop up whatever optional ingredients you intend to use as well. Make sure you chop it all really small and try to get the pieces roughly the same size.... I know, easier said than done... but it will help everything cook evenly.

2. Next you're going to liberally spray a muffin tin with Pam, or any non-stick cooking spray. Now, you can use a small muffin tin or a regular size. If you use a small one you can use these as delicious appetizers or for a brunch. The larger ones are great for when you're just cooking a hearty breakfast for your family! Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees while you're at it!

3. Next, open and unroll your dough. If you cant get the seamless kind, go ahead and buy the regular cresent roll dough, roll it out in one big piece, and using your fingers, gently pinch together the seams. If you're using the large muffin tin, you're going to want to use a pizza roller to cut the dough into 8 eaqual squares. If you're using the smaller muffin tin you'll want to 32 smaller squares, or whatever size/number will fit your tin.

4. Once you've got your squares, gently press them into the muffin tin holes. In each little dough cup, add your dry ingredients (bacon, sausage, cheese, veggies, etc.). Go ahead and add your spices at this point as well.

5. Next, using the egg beaters straight out of the container, pour a bit of egg mixture into each muffin hole. You want enough to just reach the top of your ingredients. If you're using regular eggs, beat them together in a bowl with a little cream or milk. Using a large spoon to spoon the mixutre over the eggs.

6. IMPORTANT STEP - Now you're going to bake these for 15-25 minutes. You're going to have to watch them starting at the 10 minutes point for the small tin and the 15 minute point for the large tin. If you'll notice in my picture, my dough is a bit well done.... I wasn't watching! You're looking for the dough to turn that perfect golden color. When it does, take out a piece of tin foil and lay it gently over the top of the muffin tin. Finish cooking the muffins for the remainder of the time. The tartlets are done when you stick a knife or toothpick in the middle tin and it comes out clean. For my larger tin tartlets, it took 25 minutes. You just need to make sure the eggs are set!

Enjoy! And be creative!

Caprese Kabobs

One of my absolute favorite dishes to eat is a good Caprese salad. For those of you that may not know, a Caprese salad consists of tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, balsamic vinaigrette and basil. Those are the basic ingredients and depending where you are, there are quite a few variations. My favorite variation has been adding avocado, which I discovered on a visit to my friend Sara's place in San Diego!

These Caprese Kabobs came about due to a need for finger food to bring to a party. This is so quick and easy to make and truly a big hit!!

Ingredients;

2 containers of Ciliegine Mozzarella or 1 log of mozzarella (I like the Bel Gioioso brand.)

2 containers of grape or cherry tomatoes

fresh basil leaves

2-4 cloves of garlic

1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil

balsamic vinaigrette

ground pepper and coarse salt to taste

fancy or colored toothpicks

Instructions;

1. Put the oil into a small bowl. Mince the garlic and add it to the oil. The longer you can let the garlic sit in the oil, the better. Try for at least 45 minutes!

2. Drain and dry your mozzarella. I just pat it with paper towels. Then salt and pepper the mozzarella to your preference. I'm not a huge salt fan but like this cheese to be well salted. Taste as you go to get it just right.

3. Wash and pat dry your tomatoes. Rinse the basil and tear it into small pieces roughly the size of the cheese or tomatoes. If you don't have access to fresh basil, skip this step and sprinkle your finished product with dried basil once it's been plated.... the fresh really does give it something special though!

4. To make the kabobs, add one piece of mozzarella, a basil leaf and a tomato to each toothpick. Set them on whatever plate/platter you'll use for serving. Do this until you run out of tomatoes or cheese, whichever happens first!

5. Once you have the kabobs plated, spoon your oil evenly over the top of the kabobs... I prefer not to get the garlic chucks all over the kabobs but if you're into garlic, go for it! At this point I typically add a bit more salt and pepper.

6. You can refrigerate this until you're ready to serve it, I do prefer to give it about 30 minutes to come to room temperature thought. Serve with a small bowl of vinaigrette for dipping or if you really want to go crazy spoon some over the top of the kabobs.

Enjoy!

Cajun Chicken Pasta

I found this recipe on Pioneer Woman and thought that there was a chance I could fulfill my husbands request to try to figure out the recipe for Rattlesnake Pasta from our favorite restaurant, J. Alexanders. Check out the original recipe here!

Here's a list of the ingredients... it's missing a few things... olive oil, cream and shredded Parmesan.



Ingredients;

pasta (I used Bertoli Fettuccine)
3 chicken breasts thinly sliced
Cajun seasoning (or white pepper, cayenne pepper, paprika, garlic and onion powder)
2 cloves of garlic minced
1 red pepper chopped
1 green pepper chopped
1/2 onion chopped
1 tomato thinly sliced
2 T. butter
2 T. olive oil
1 cup of cream
1 1/2 cups of chicken broth
1/2 cup of white wine
cayenne pepper
black pepper
parsley

Instructions;

1. In a large skillet heat 1 T. of butter and 1 T. olive oil. Thoroughly coat the chicken in Cajun seasoning. Add chicken to hot pan in a single layer. Cook 1-2 minutes on each side. Brown it the best you can while cooking it for the shortest amount of time. Remove the chicken from the pan and set it aside. (Cook your pasta according to directions.)

2. Add an additional 1 T. of butter and 1 T. olive oil to the pan. Keep it on high heat. Add the peppers, onion, garlic and some additional Cajun seasoning. Cook for about 2 minutes. If you'd like add the tomatoes and cook an additional 30 seconds... I ended up not adding the tomatoes because I remembered my husband hates cooked tomatoes... oh well! Remove the veggies from the pan and add them to the cooked chicken.

3. Keep the pan on high eat and add the chicken broth and wine. Cook for 3-5 minutes and be sure to scrape the bottom of the pan as the sauce boils. Reduce the heat to medium and add the cream, stirring constantly. As it thickens, add about 1/2 cup of shredded Parmesan, black pepper, cayenne pepper(and salt if you choose) to taste.

4. Once the Parmesan has fully incorporated, add the chicken and vegetables. Be sure to add the juice that has accumulated from the chicken and veggies. Stir until sauce bubbles and everything is hot.

5. Toss the sauce, veggie and chicken mixture with the pasta. Top with parsley and Parmesan and serve!

Enjoy! And look for a new recipe soon!

Pizza Pockets

This recipe was inspired by a recipe I saw at Tasty Kitchen. That recipe used homemade dough and some different ingredients... not quite my thing. This way, it's so simple you can whip it up for a weekend lunch!

Ingredients

1 tube of thin crust Pilsbury Pizza Dough

1/2 cup of pizza sauce

fresh mozzarella balls (Ciliegine)

shredded paremesan

2 T. butter, melted

garlic powder or garlic salt

Optional Ingredients; pepperoni, green peppers, ham, pineapple, any pizza topping!

**Ingredient Comments; This is a forgiving recipe! I used fresh mozzarella because we love it and always have it around. Shredded mozzarella or even mozzarella slices would work just as well. Same goes for the pizza sauce. We like the Contadina squeezable because it's easy to use and keeps well. If you don't have it available you can even use pasta sauce! And as far as toppings go, I'm not too adventurous. My husband likes pepperoni but my little guy and I are just cheese fans. I think you can really go wild here. How fun would little Hawaiian Pizza Pockets be (pineapple and ham, yum!)? Add whatever floats your boat!

Instructions

1. Pre-heat your oven to 400/425 degrees, or whatever your dough requires. You're also going to want to use a little flour on your work surface so the dough doesn't stick.

2. Roll out the dough, dust it with a little flour on top as well, and be sure to stretch it out (use a rolling pin if necessary) so that's it's roughly uniform in thickness.

3. Use a pizza dough cutter to cut the dough in 8 sections. (See picture below.)


4. Top each piece of dough with the two cheeses, sauce and any toppings you may want to use. Go easy on the sauce so you don't have any explosions during cooking, you can always serve some sauce on the side for dipping.

5. You have a few options when it comes to closing up the pockets... I tried the pyramid method and the envelope method. (I totally made said methods up, I'm just calling it as I see it. Refer to the picture below.) However you close them up, be sure to pinch the seams so they seal tight. You'll also notice that you can make a small open-faced personal pizza as well. This was to satisfy my two year old who refuses to eat anything he can't see.

6. This last step is optional but I think gives it a little something extra. Melt 2 T. of butter and mix in some garlic or garlic salt. Using a pastry brush (or a spoon), coat each dough pocket with the mixture.

7. Bake according to the dough directions, however, I did find it necessary to go about 4 minutes longer than recommended. Just be sure to keep an eye on things while they're cooking!

And that's it!! Enjoy!

Monkey Balls

This is my take on the ever popular morning treat, Monkey Bread.

1 can of Pilsbury Grand Butter Tastin' Biscuits
2/3 cup of sugar
2 T. of cinnamon
1/2 stick of butter
1/2 cup of brown sugar

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Spray your muffin tins well with Pam or cooking spray.

2. In a size bowl mix the cinnamon and 2/3 cup of white sugar.

3. Cut each bisuit in 4. Roll dough pieces in cinnamon sugar mix. (Get your kiddos involved, my two-year old loves to do this part for me!)

4. In a small sauce pan melt butter and stir in 1/2 cup of brown sugar... dont let it bubble.

5. After the pieces are coated put 2-3 pieces of dough into each muffin tin.

6. Spoon the butter/sugar mixture over each 'cup of dough' in the muffin tin. I usually do like 1 to 1 1/2 T. in each cup.

7. Use the remaining cinnamon sugar mixture to sprinkle some over the top of the dough before you throw it all in the oven.

8. Cook the biscuits according to the directions on the package! (I think it's 350 degrees for 14-17 minutes). Careful the sugar part is REALLY hot when it comes out! And be sure to take them out of the muffin tin while they're still warm!

This is one of our favorite morning treats and it's so easy to make! They even reheat well! Please note that if you don't have access to Pilsbury biscuits I'm sure you can substitute any other type of raw dough... just be sure to adjust the cooking temperature and times to suit your dough!

Enjoy!

Super-tons (a 'healthy' alternative)

I will admit that when I first made these I did not fry them in the canola oil, afterall I have to at least TRY to be healthy. So I will offer you an alternative to frying them...

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

2. After forming your wont-tons, spray a cookie sheet with Pam (or any non-stick cooking spray).

3. Place the wont-tons on the cookie sheet, flat side down.

4. Put the sheet in the oven for 7 minutes, then flip the won-tons over and cook for an additional 5 minutes.

The won-tons baked are very good (and much healthier to boot). I will admit, however, that frying gives them such a perfect, crunchy and delicate outer crust.... it's hard to resist!

Super-tons

The inspiration for this recipe came from these, Super (Appetizer) Bowls. They were featured on Tasty Kitchen and The Pioneer Woman. They were a big hit at the Super Bowl party this weekend but I felt that it needed a little something more! Here's what I did!

Ingredients
1 pkg. won-ton wrappers
1 pkg. ground turkey
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tsp. of fresh "zested" ginger
1/4 cup of finely diced onions
2 T. of soy sauce
2 tsp. of 'Chili Garlic Sauce' (add more or less depending on how hot you like it)
2 stalks of chopped green onion

You'll also need a large (preferably high-sided) frying pan and about a cup or so of canola oil.

**Ingredients Notes - Won-ton wrappers are not difficult to find! Jewel carries them in the produce section. I've included a picture of the package to help you on your search! We use ground turkey for everything. I like it so much more than ground beef, however, I suppose you could substitute ground beef if you so choose. If you're looking for a good ground turkey, Jennie-O Lean Ground Turkey is the only kind I will use. I understand not everyone has fresh garlic and ginger at their disposal. Powdered can be substituted but fresh really gives this dish the kick it deserves. My opinion on soy sauce is Kinkoman's is the ONLY way to go! The Chili Garlic Sauce is that stuff that is always on the table at Chinese and Thai restaurants, I included a picture but I have found that it's available almost anywhere!**

Instructions

1. Get the won-tons out so that they can come to room temperature.

2. Add onions, ginger, garlic and soy sauce to raw ground turkey. Mix well. Brown ground turkey of medium heat. It browns fast, don't let it over-cook. While you're browning the ground turkey, be sure to make sure it's as finely crumbled as you can make it, the smaller the better.

3. Once the turkey is browned, drain any excess fat.

4. Mince the green onions. You'll also want to get a small bowl of water to use on the won-tons.

5. Begin separating the won-ton sheets. One at a time put a spoonful of the meat mixture and a pinch of green onions in the middle of the won-ton sheet. Dip your finger into the water and trace all the way around the outer edge of the won-ton sheet. Fold the sheet in half to make a triangle, pinching along the edges. The won-ton package has a good drawing of this process. Once you have a triangle pinch together the outer corners, using a dab of water to seal it together.

6. You'll want to work quickly at this point because the won-tons dry out pretty fast. Once you're about halfway through, you're going to want to put the canola oil in your pan and get it turned on to between low and medium. If you have a splatter screen, you're going to want to keep that handy. The amount of oil you need depends on the size of your pan. You want enough to cover the bottom of the pan and a little bit more. Also, get a little pile of paper towels to set next to your pan to put the won-tons on when they're finished.

7. Finish up making the won-tons.

8. Put the won-tons in the pan about 6-8 at a time depending on the size of your pan. You're going to want them to sizzle. If they don't as soon as you put them in, kick the heat up a bit. Brown the won-tons on ALL sides.... this may take some maneuvering but you'll get the hang of it.

9. Serve warm with sides of soy sauce and the Chili Garlic Sauce. (Some people like Wasabi sauce, I'm not a fan, but if it works for you, knock your socks off!)

So, give it a try and let me know what you think! And if you find your own way to tweak it, please share that as well!

Testing the divider.

Testing the signature.