Monday, April 14, 2008

Snicker Bar Trifle

Here are a couple of new recipes we have tried. The first one I forgot to take a picture of...but it is made with snickers so how can you go wrong. For those of you who don't already know, I try at least 1 new recipe every week (sometimes 2-3 new recipes). If they make them on the blog then my family thought they were pretty good. We also cook for families on average once a week, so a lot of these recipes were also tried by others who also liked them. So I would love for you to try them too and then let me know what you think.

Snicker Bar Trifle
1 angel food cake (I used the rectangular one)
2 cups heavy whipped cream (or you can use Cool Whip)
2 jar caramel ice cream topping
1 large package of chocolate pudding
4 regular snicker bars (I actually used 5)

Whip cream until stiff (if using heavy cream). Fold in jar of caramel. Make pudding according to directions. Chop snickers bars. Put half of cake cubes in bottom of trifle bowl. Layer half of whipped cream, pudding and snickers. Repeat. Can be eaten immediately or refrigerated.

Wednesday, March 5, 2008

Mozzerella Chicken Roll-ups

Mozzerella Chicken Roll-ups
(courtesy of kraftfoods.com)

1 cup KRAFT 2% Milk Shredded Reduced Fat Mozzarella Cheese, divided (I doubled this)
2 oz. (1/4 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Neufchatel Cheese, softened (I doubled this)
1/4 cup finely chopped green peppers (I didn't have any green peppers so I used crushed red peppers...it was a little spicy but the kids ate it)
1/2 tsp. dried oregano leaves (I doubled this)
1/4 tsp. garlic salt (I doubled this)
4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1 lb.), pounded to 1/4-inch thickness
1 cup spaghetti sauce (I used Prego Garlic and Herb and I used more than a cup)

PREHEAT oven to 400°F. Mix 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese, the Neufchatel cheese, green peppers, oregano and garlic salt until well blended. Shape into 4 logs. Place 1 log on one of the short ends of each chicken breast; press into chicken lightly. Roll up each chicken breast tightly, tucking in ends of chicken around filling to completely enclose filling.

PLACE, seam-sides down, in 13x9-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray. Spoon spaghetti sauce evenly over chicken; cover with foil.

BAKE 30 min. or until chicken is cooked through (170°F). Remove foil; sprinkle chicken with remaining 1/2 cup shredded cheese. Bake an additional 3 to 5 min. or until cheese is melted.

No-Melt Sundae Pie

No-Melt Sundae Pie
(courtesy of kraftfoods.com)

15 OREO Chocolate Sandwich Cookies, crushed (about 1-1/2 cups crumbs)
3 Tbsp. butter, melted
1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed, divided
1 cup cold milk
1 pkg. (4-serving size) JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding & Pie Filling
2 squares BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate, melted
1/3 cup canned sweetened condensed milk

MIX cookie crumbs and butter; press firmly onto bottom and up side of 9-inch pie plate. Reserve 1/2 cup of the whipped topping. Refrigerate until ready to use.

POUR milk into large bowl. Add dry pudding mix. Beat with wire whisk 2 min. or until well blended. Gently stir in remaining whipped topping. Spoon into crust. Mix melted chocolate and condensed milk until well blended. Spoon over pie. Cut through chocolate mixture several times with knife for marble effect.

FREEZE 6 hours or until firm. Remove pie from freezer 15 min. before serving. Let stand at room temperature to soften slightly. Top with the reserved whipped topping.

Chocolate Rhapsody

Here are some more recipes! There is a lovely Valentine dessert (I know it is a little late for Valentines but maybe next year)! It looks a little hard but there are just a lot of steps...its not hard. I also made another dessert that was awesome...but usually if it has an Oreo crust it is pretty good in my book. I also made another Chicken dinner that my whole family liked. Chris said I should definitly make it again. I have made other stuffed chicken recipes before and this is the only one that he wanted again. Enjoy!

Chocolate Rhapsody
(courtesy of verybestbaking.com)

CAKE LAYER
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
6 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup milk

CHOCOLATE LAYER
2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

RASPBERRY MOUSSE LAYER
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen raspberries in syrup, thawed, pureed and strained
3 bars (6-oz. box) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Premier White Baking Bars, broken into pieces
1 3/4 cups heavy whipping cream, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Sweetened whipped cream (optional)
Fresh raspberries (optional)

Directions:
PREHEAT oven to 350° F. Grease 9-inch springform pan.

FOR CAKE LAYER:
COMBINE flour, baking powder and salt in small bowl. Beat sugar and butter in small mixer bowl until creamy. Beat in egg and vanilla extract. Alternately beat in flour mixture and milk. Spread into prepared springform pan.

BAKE for 15 to 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely in pan on wire rack.

FOR CHOCOLATE LAYER:
MICROWAVE morsels and 3/4 cup cream in medium, uncovered, microwave-safe bowl on HIGH (100%) power for 1 minute; STIR. The morsels may retain some of their original shape. If necessary, microwave at additional 10- to 15-second intervals, stirring just until morsels are melted. Cool completely.

FOR RASPBERRY MOUSSE LAYER:
COMBINE sugar, water and cornstarch in medium saucepan; stir in raspberries. Bring mixture to a boil. Boil, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Cool completely.

MICROWAVE baking bars and 1/2 cup cream in medium, uncovered, microwave-safe bowl on MEDIUM-HIGH (70%) power for 1 minute; STIR. The bars may retain some of their original shape. If necessary, microwave at additional 10- to 15-second intervals, stirring just until bars are melted. Cool completely. Stir into raspberry mixture.

BEAT remaining cream and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until stiff peaks form. Fold raspberry mixture into whipped cream.

TO ASSEMBLE:
REMOVE side of springform pan; dust off crumbs. Grease inside of pan; reattach side. Spread 1/2 cup chocolate mixture over cake layer; freeze for 5 minutes. Spoon raspberry mousse over chocolate; freeze for 10 minutes. Carefully spread remaining chocolate mixture over raspberry mousse. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or until firm. Carefully remove side of springform pan. Garnish with whipped cream and raspberries.

Monday, January 14, 2008

Slow-cooker Chipotle Lime Chicken Thighs with Jamaican Rice and Peas(courtesy of Food Network)


1 cup sliced onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped carrots
4 pounds skinless chicken thighs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
1/4 cup lime juice
1 tablespoon minced chipotle chiles in adobo sauce with 1 teaspoon sauce from can
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 avocado, diced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Lime wedges, for garnish

Arrange onion, celery and carrots in bottom of slow cooker. Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper and arrange over vegetables.
In a medium bowl, whisk together tomato sauce, lime juice, chipotle chiles with sauce, and garlic. Pour mixture over chicken.

Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or high for 3 to 4 hours. Serve half of the thighs with this meal (topped with diced avocado and cilantro and garnished with lime wedges) and reserve remaining thighs for another meal.

Jamaican Rice and Peas:
2 cups instant white rice
1 (14-ounce) can coconut milk
1 cup water
1 (15-ounce) can red beans, drained
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lime zest
1/4 cup chopped scallions
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a medium saucepan, combine rice, coconut milk, water, beans, thyme, and lime zest. Set pan over high heat and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 5 minutes, until liquid is absorbed. Fold in scallions and season to taste with salt and pepper.

I was a little worried about this recipe because it used a lot of new ingredients I have never tried before. It actually turned out good...even my kids ate it. It was a little spicy so if you are sensitive then you should probably use a little less of the chipotle chilies.

Southwest Chicken Skillet

Southwest Chicken Skillet
(courtesy of BHG.com)


Ingredients
1 1- to 1.5-ounce envelope fajita seasoning mix (I used taco seasoning because I already had it on hand)
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons cooking oil
12 ounces skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 1-inch pieces
Nonstick spray coating
1 medium yellow or green sweet pepper, cut into squares
1 small zucchini, bias-sliced (I actually didn't use any because I didn't have any)
1/2 small onion, cut into thin wedges
2/3 cup salsa
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 cup frozen whole kernel corn
1/2 cup cooked or canned black beans, rinsed and drained
8 8-inch flour tortillas (optional)
1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat Colby-Monterey Jack cheese (optional)

Directions
1. For marinade, in a medium mixing bowl combine fajita mix, water, and oil. Add chicken to marinade. Stir to coat. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes.

2. Spray a large skillet with nonstick coating. Preheat over medium heat. Add sweet pepper, zucchini, and onion; cook and stir for 2 to 3 minutes or until crisp-tender. Remove from skillet.

3. Drain chicken; discard marinade. Add chicken to skillet. (If necessary, add 1 tablespoon cooking oil during cooking.) Cook and stir for 4 to 5 minutes or until no pink remains. Return vegetables to skillet. Stir together salsa and chili powder. Add salsa mixture, corn, and beans to skillet. Cook and stir for 1 to 2 minutes more or until heated through. Serve with warm tortillas and cheese, if desired. (To heat tortillas, wrap in microwave-safe paper towels; micro-cook on high power for 30 seconds). Makes 4 servings

I have had other recipes similar to this one but this was still good.

Chicken Piccata

Chicken Piccata (courtesy of allrecipes.com)

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 egg
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon paprika
1/4 cup butter
2 teaspoons chicken bouillon powder
1/2 cup boiling water

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a small bowl, beat the egg together with 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice. Set aside.
2. In a shallow bowl or dish mix together the flour, garlic powder and paprika. Dip the chicken in the egg/lemon mixture, then in the seasoned flour.
3. In a large skillet, melt butter/margarine and brown the coated chicken pieces.
4. Dissolve the bouillon in the boiling water, then add the remaining 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. Pour liquid into skillet. Cover and let simmer for 20 minutes, turning chicken pieces after 10 minutes, until chicken is tender. Garnish as desired and serve.

I served with a broccoli salad and buttered bread. You could also probably serve with rice or pasta.