cookie recipes 2008

Angel Wings

Ingredients:

- 1 cup cold butter, cubed
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup sour cream
- 10 tablespoons sugar, divided
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, divided
- colored sugar (optional)

Directions:

In a bowl, cut butter into flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the sour cream. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; knead 6-8 times or until mixture holds together. Shape into four balls; flatten slightly. Wrap in plastic wrap; refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
Unwrap one ball. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons sugar on waxed paper; coat all sides of ball with sugar. Roll into a 12-in. x 5-in. rectangle between two sheets of waxed paper. Remove top sheet of waxed paper. Sprinkle dough with 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon. Lightly mark a line down the center of the dough, making two 6-in. x 5-in. rectangles.
Starting with a short side, roll up jelly-roll style to the center mark; peel waxed paper away while rolling. Repeat with other short side. Wrap in plastic wrap; freeze for 30 minutes. Repeat three times. Place remaining sugar or place colored sugar if desired on waxed paper. Unwrap one roll. Cut into 1/2-in. slices; dip each side into sugar. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets.
Bake at 375° for 12 minutes or until golden brown. Turn cookies; bake 5-8 minutes longer. Remove to wire racks to cool.
Yield: about 3 dozen.


Christmas Crack

Ingredients:

4 ounces saltine crackers
1 cup butter
1 cup dark brown sugar
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C).
Line cookie sheet with saltine crackers in single layer.
In a saucepan combine the sugar and the butter. Bring to a boil and boil for 3 minutes. Immediately pour over saltines and spread t cover crackers completely.
Bake at 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) for 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle chocolate chips over the top. Let sit for 5 minutes. Spread melted chocolate and top with chopped nuts. Cool completely and break into pieces.


Sour Cream Cookies

Ingredients:

- 1 cup butter
- 2 cups sugar
- 3 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup sour cream
- 4 ½ cups flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 teaspoons baking powder

Directions:

Cream together first four ingredients. Add baking soda and sour cream. Sift in the remaining ingredients. Bake at 375* for 8-12 minutes.
Butter Frosting:
Melt two sticks of butter in pan. Remove from heat. Add powdered sugar until you can’t stir it anymore- it will get crumbly. Add small amount of milk until you can stir it like frosting. Add one teaspoon of vanilla.
Enjoy!

Vanilla Bean Angel Pillows

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt 1 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise
1 cup cold butter, cubed
Vanilla Sugar (use 1/4 cup for the recipe)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350*. In a food processor combine flour, powdered sugar, cornstarch and salt. cover and process until combined. Scrape the pulp from the vanilla bean and add to the flour mixture. Add the butter and pulse several times until mixture begins to cling together, stop and scrape bowl. Gather mixture into a ball. Shape dough into 1 1/4 inch balls and place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. bake for 12 minutes or just until edges start to brown. Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. While warm roll in the vanilla sugar to coat. Cool completely before packing.
To make the vanilla sugar, add the vanilla bean to the sugar, cover and allow to stand at room temperature for one week. (we did not do this)

Okay, I have been searching for twenty minutes for the macaroon recipe online since the recipe I have is in a BH&G magazine and I CANNOT find it so...

Here's a typical macaroon recipe...just had a dollop of chocolate in the center and top it with a macadamia nut and VOILA!

Macadamia Macaroons

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups coconut, shredded
1 cup macadamia nuts, unsalted,chopped
1 (14 ounce) can condensed milk, sweetened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
20 saltine crackers, finely crushed
2 egg whites
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped and melted

Directions:

In 350 degree oven toast coconut and macadamia nuts for 10 minutes.
Stir often and allow to cool.
Combine milk and vanilla in large bowl.
Add in coconut mixture and crushed crackers, Blend together well.
Beat egg whites till stiff then gently fold into coconut mixture.
Lightly grease baking sheet and drop tablespoon of cookie mixture onto sheet.
Bake 350 degree oven for 12- 14 minutes.
Cool completely.
When cooled dip in melted chocolate.
Refigerate until set enjoy enjoy enjoy.

No Bake Peanut Butter Bars

Ingredients:

2 cups peanut butter, divided
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
3 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Mini Morsels, divided

Directions:

GREASE 13 x 9-inch baking pan.

BEAT 1 1/4 cups peanut butter and butter in large mixer bowl until creamy. Gradually beat in 1 cup powdered sugar. With hands or wooden spoon, work in remaining powdered sugar, graham cracker crumbs and 1/2 cup morsels. Press evenly into prepared baking pan. Smooth top with spatula.

MELT remaining peanut butter and remaining morsels in medium, heavy-duty saucepan over lowest possible heat, stirring constantly, until smooth. Spread over graham cracker crust in pan. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or until chocolate is firm; cut into bars. Store in refrigerator.

Christmas Mice

Ingredients:

24 double-stuffed cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies
1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
2 teaspoons shortening
24 red maraschino cherries with stems, well drained
24 milk chocolate kisses
48 sliced almonds
1 small tube green decorative icing gel
1 small tube red decorative icing gel

Directions:

Carefully twist cookies apart; set aside the halves with cream filling. Save plain halves for another use. In a microwave, melt chocolate chips and shortening; stir until smooth. Holding each cherry by the stem, dip in melted chocolate, then press onto the bottom of a chocolate kiss. Place on the cream filling of cookie, with cherry stem extending beyond cookie edge. For ears, place slivered almonds between the cherry and kiss. Refrigerate until set. With green gel, pipe holly leaves on the cream. With red gel, pipe holly berries between leaves and pipe eyes on each chocolate kiss. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Eggnog Snickerdoodles

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
1-3/4 cups sugar, divided
2 eggs
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon rum extract
2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground nutmeg

Directions:

In a mixing bowl, cream butter, shortening and 1-1/2 cups sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and extract. Combine the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture. In a shallow bowl, combine the nutmeg and remaining sugar. Roll dough into 1-in. balls; roll in sugar mixture. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 400° for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool. Yield: 6-1/2 dozen.

Red Raspberry Shortbread Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
3/4 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon milk

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a medium bowl, cream together butter and white sugar until smooth. Mix in 1/2 teaspoon almond extract. Mix in flour until dough comes together. Roll dough into 1 1/2 inch balls, and place on ungreased cookie sheets. Make a small hole in the center of each ball, using your thumb and finger, and fill the hole with preserves.
Bake for 14 to 18 minutes in preheated oven, or until lightly browned. Let cool 1 minute on the cookie sheet.
In a medium bowl, mix together the confectioners' sugar, 3/4 teaspoon almond extract, and milk until smooth. Drizzle lightly over warm cookies.

Phew! Enjoy!

Spicy Mac n' cheese

If anyone in this world is a connoisseur of Macaroni and Cheese, it would be me. Earlier today I had my TV set on foodnetwork and Sunny Anderson was making this spicy mac n' cheese and it looked SO good to me so I decided it needed to be made for dinner tonight :)

It did not dissapoint. Nguyen loved it because it had some kick, and the homemade croutons on top were the perfect touch! This is definitely a keeper!


Ingredients

2 cups elbow pasta, cooked until almost al dente
16 ounces Cheddar cheese, 1/2 cubed, 1/2 shredded
8 ounces Monterey pepper jack cheese, cubed
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
4 tablespoons sour cream (fyi, I didn't have any and it didn't matter...still good without!)
1 large egg, beaten
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup half-and-half
4 slices bread
1 tablespoon butter
Special equipment: 2-quart baking dish

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large bowl, toss together pasta with the cheese cubes and pour into the baking dish. In a large bowl mix together the flour, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, dry mustard, nutmeg and sour cream, egg, heavy cream and half-and-half. Pour over the pasta and cover with shredded Cheddar. Bake uncovered until top is just beginning to brown, about 35 minutes. Meanwhile, cut the bread into crouton-sized squares. In a skillet over medium heat, melt butter, add cubes and toast until golden. Sprinkle the bread cubes on top of the macaroni and cheese and bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes more.

Bruschetta Chicken Bake

This was really yummy!

Bruschetta Chicken Bake

Ingredients:

1 can ; (14-1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained

(I use Garlic and Basil seasoned)

2 cloves garlic ; minced

1 pkg. ; (6 oz.) STOVE TOP Stuffing Mix for Chicken

1/2 cup water

1 -1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts ; cut into bite-sized pieces

1 tsp. dried basil leaves

1 cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Instructions:

PREHEAT oven to 400°F.
Place tomatoes with liquid in medium bowl.
Add garlic, stuffing mix and water; stir just until stuffing mix is moistened. Set aside.

Place chicken in 13x9-inch baking dish; sprinkle with basil and cheese.
Top with stuffing mixture.

BAKE 30 min. or until chicken is cooked through

CHEX MUDDY BUDDIES

Ingredients:

9 c. Chex cereals (corn, rice and/or wheat)

1 c. semi sweet chocolate chips

1/2 c. peanut butter1/4 c. butter

1/4 tsp. vanilla

1 1/2 c. powdered sugar

Directions:

Pour cereal into large bowl and set aside. Combine chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter in 1 quart microwavable bowl. Microwave on high for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes or until smooth (stir after 1 minute). Stir in vanilla. Pour chocolate mixture over cereal and stir until all pieces are evenly coated.
Pour cereal mixture into large container (with seal) with powdered sugar. Seal securely. Shake until all pieces are well coated. Spread on wax paper to cool. Store in an airtight container. Makes 9 cups

Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

This was really good. I made a few minor changes. I didn't bake the corn tortillas. I just bought a bag of tostitos. I will also be adding green onion, sour cream, and cheese when serving. I also doubled the chicken and added a little bit more of everything since we like leftovers!

Slow-Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:

1 pound shredded, cooked chicken
1 (15 oz) can whole peeled tomatoes, mashed
1 (10 oz) can enchilada sauce
1 medium onion, chopped
1 (4 oz) can chopped green chile peppers
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups water
1 (14.5 oz) can chicken broth
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 bay leaf
1 (10 oz) package frozen corn
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

7 corn tortillas
vegetable oil

Cooking Instructions:

Place chicken, tomatoes, enchilada sauce, onion, green chiles, and garlic into a slow cooker. Pour in water and chicen broth. Season with cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Stir in corn and cilantro. Cover and cook on Low setting for 6-8 hours or on High for 3-4 hours.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly brush both sides of tortilla with oil. Cut tortilla into strips, then spread on a baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven until crisp, about 10-15 minutes. To serve, sprinkle tortilla strips over soup.

Nutritional Info:
Caloies 267, Total Fat 11g, Cholesterol 44mg, Sodium 924mg, Carbs 25g, Fiber 4g

Honey Mustard Dressing

I love love love Honey Mustard dressing. I don't know why it has taken me so long to look up a recipe for it. I made it today to go with Cam's favorite "dinosaur chicken nuggets." It's super easy and YUMMY!

Honey Mustard Dressing

1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice

Knock You Naked Brownies

These are SINful. They are VERY rich so I don't suggest making these unless you're having a gathering of some sort where you know they will ALL get eaten. I wouldn't want to be left alone with these. Bad, bad things would happen to my ass.

Knock You Naked Brownies

Prep. Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients:

1 box German chocolate cake mix
1 cup chopped nuts
1/3 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 pkg. (14 oz.) vanilla caramels, unwrapped
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl, combine dry cake mix, nuts, 1/3 cup evaporated milk and melted butter. Press half of the batter into the bottom of a greased 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish.
Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 8 minutes.
In the microwave or top of a double boiler melt caramels with remaining 1/2 cup evaporated milk.
When caramel mixture is well mixed, pour over baked layer.
Cover with chocolate chips.
Spoon remaining batter on top of morsels.
Return to oven and bake 18 minutes (or less for gooier brownies).
Let cool before cutting.

Buttermilk Baked Chicken

Okay, I am by no means saying this recipe is good for your thighs. But I am sayin it's good for the soul :p

This is SO good. I served with good ole mashed potatoes and gravy and steamed asparagus.


BUTTERMILK BAKED CHICKEN

4 chicken breasts
1 1/2 c. buttermilk
3/4 c. flour
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 c. butter
1 can cream of mushroom soup

Dip chicken in 1/2 cup buttermilk and roll in flour seasoned with the salt and pepper.
Put butter in 13x9x2 inch baking pan and melt in hot oven (425 degrees).
Put chicken in pan and bake 30 minutes.
Turn and bake 15 minutes.
Mix remaining buttermilk and the soup and pour around the chicken.
Bake 15 minutes longer until tender.

Shredded Chicken Nachos!

I haven't done a post on this blog in FOREVER, but my dear friend Ashley has discovered it and asked for more recipes. :)

Last night we had Shredded Chicken Nachos. I actually cheated and didn't end up making the cheese sauce like I was supposed to. It was getting late and so I just used regular ole' shredded cheese this time. It was good but I will definitely have to try the cheese sauce another day!


Shredded Chicken Nachos
courtesy of Emeril!

Ingredients:
(For the Chicken)
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast diced into 3-inch strips
4 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups thinly sliced onions
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 cups chicken stock
4 teaspoons fresh squeezed lime juice

Directions:

Set a wide-mouthed 3-quart saucepan with lid over medium-high heat and add the oil to the pan.
Season the chicken pieces with the chili powder and salt and toss the evenly coat.
Add the chicken to the pan and sear for 3 minutes per side.
Add the onions to the pan and saute for another 3 minutes.
Add the garlic to the pan and saute for 1 minute.
Pour the chicken stock over the chicken and bring to a boil.
Reduce to a low heat and cover.
Continue to cook the chicken until very tender, about 1 hour, stir the chicken to shred it and continue to cook, covered, for another 30 minutes.
Once the chicken is cooked, stir and mash to shred the chicken meat and add the lime juice to the chicken.
Set aside as you prepare the nachos.

For the Nachos:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
1 small can chopped green chiles, drained
2 cups grated sharp yellow Cheddar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
8 to 10 cups corn tortilla chips
4 cups shredded chicken
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 cup green onions finely sliced
3/4 cup sour cream, for garnishing
1/2 cup sliced pickled jalapenos, for garnishing
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves, for garnishing

Directions:

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat and whisk in the flour.
Cook, stirring constantly, for 2 to 3 minutes. Do not allow the flour to color.
While whisking constantly, add the milk in a steady stream.
Add the green chiles and bring the sauce to a boil.
Cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes, or until the sauce is thickened and bubbly.
Add the Cheddar, salt, and cayenne pepper and stir until the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth.
Cover and remove from the heat.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
In a large, ovenproof shallow casserole or on a large baking sheet, spread half of the tortilla chips in an even layer.
Top with half of the chicken, and half of the Monterey Jack cheese.
Top with the remaining tortilla chips and chicken.
Pour the hot cheese sauce over the chicken, then evenly spread the remaining grated Monterey Jack over the top.
Bake until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the nachos are heated through, 8 to 10minutes. Garnish with the sliced green onions, sour cream, pickled jalapenos and cilantro. Serve with salsa or pico de gallo alongside

Crockpot Pepperoncini Roast Sandwiches

got this brewing in the CP right now...

Crockpot Pepperoncini Roast Sandwiches

1 roast

16 oz jar of sliced pepperocini (or 1/2 of a 32 ounce jar)

2 TBSP of minced garlic

1 packet italian dressing mix

1 can beef broth

Put roast (frozen is fine too) in crockpot

Top with pepperocinis (including juice) and garlic.

Cook until meat shreds. Usually around 6 hours or so on low.

Put shredded meat and pepperocinis on hoagie/kaiser rolls.

Top with Provolone cheese and put in broiler for 3 or 4 minutes on low.

Crockpot Vietnamese Pho

I found a crockpot recipe for Cameron and Nguyen's favorite Vietnamese dish so I am pretty excited! I have made Pho (pronounced phuh) before but never in the crockpot. It's cooking now and smells really good so hopefully it will be a winner!

Crockpot Vietnamese Pho


Ingredients:

--6 cups beef broth or stock
--2 inch chunk of peeled ginger
--3/4 t anise --1 cinnamon stick
--2 sliced green onions
--1 lb thin sliced beef
--package of rice noodles (usually in the ethnic aisle in the grocery store)
--1 t fish sauce (anchovies, salt, water. ethnic aisle again. it smells horrible.)
--1/2 t kosher salt
--1/2 t black pepper

Directions:

Put all of the broth into the crockpot. Add the meat, green onion, ginger, fish sauce, and spices. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours, or on low for 4-6. It's done when the meat is fully cooked. I used a 6qt Smart Pot for this recipe and it took a good 4 hours on high for the large amount of broth in my crock to get hot enough to cook the meat. 15 minutes before serving, add the entire package of rice noodles to the pot. Push them under the liquid with a wooden spoon, and cover.By the time you set the table, the noodles will be tender and glass-like. Serve in bowls. We didn't add any additional garnish, but you can add bean sprouts, fresh cilantro or basil, and lime wedges.

Pecan Crusted Chicken Tenders

Last night, we had Pecan Crusted Chicken Tenders. This is pretty much the ONLY way may men will eat chicken breast other than in tacos or enchiladas :() We ate this with Tomato and Cucumber Salad, and Quick Peanut Butter Cookies for dessert!

Pecan Crusted Chicken Tenders

Ingredients:

16 finely crushed saltine crackers
1/2 cup of ground pecans
2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 egg white
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 lbs chicken tenders
vegetable cooking spray

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Stir together crackers and next four ingredients, then set aside. Whisk egg white just until foamy. Place a wire rack (I used my cooling rack) on top of a jelly roll pan. Coat the wire rack with cooking spray. Dredge chicken tenders in flour; dip in egg white and dredge in saltine mixture. Spray chicken on each side with cooking spray. Arrange chicken on wire rack.
Bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden brown, turning once after twelve minutes.

Nutritional information per serving:
Calories 152; Fat 4.3 grams (saturated 0.3 grams); Protein 19.5 grams; Carb 8 grams


Tomato and Cucumber Salad

Ingredients:

1 English cucumber, seeded and thinly sliced
2-3 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/4 c red onion, thinly sliced
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
pinch white sugar
1/2 tsp kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

Combine all ingredients. Toss to coat. Marinate at least one hour before serving.


Quick Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar
1 cup peanut butter
1 egg
1 tsp baking soda
6 oz chocolate chips, optional

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients. Roll dough into walnut-sized balls. Press slightly with fork. Bake 8-10 minutes on ungreased cookie sheet. Cool 2 minutes before removing from pan. Makes about 2.5 dozen

Italian Mini Meat Loaves

Tonight was a simple dinner. This was the first time I tried this recipe and I really liked it because there were four mini loaves as opposed to one big one. Made for a quick cooking time, and easy lunch leftovers! We ate these with smashed red potatoes with gravy and sauteed brocolli and garlic.

Italian Mini Meat Loaves


Ingredients:

1 1/3 pounds ground sirloin
1 large egg, beaten
2/3 cup Italian bread crumbs, a couple of handfuls
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano, plus 1/2 cup
1/2 small green bell pepper, chopped
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
3 tablespoons tomato paste
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Directions:

Place meat in a bowl. Make a well in meat. Fill well with egg, bread crumbs, 1/4 cup cheese, peppers, onions, garlic, tomato paste, salt and pepper. Mix meat and breading and form 4 individual oval meat loaves, 1-inch thick. Coat loaves with extra-virgin olive oil and arrange on a baking sheet. Roast 18 to 20 minutes.

Muffins!

Tonight we're just grilling some carne asada and eating it with corn tortillas, and all of the fixins. ;)

I just got done making some muffins. I was looking for some things I could freeze for quick and easy snacks, etc. I came across "Anything Goes Muffins" and decided to give them a try. These are very versatile, hence "Anything Goes." I did blueberry and they turned out great. They aren't very sweet which was what I was going for since I don't want my kid to be on a sugar high at school after eating one for breakfast! Next time I may try some shredded carrot and spice! Mmmm.


Anything Goes Muffins

Ingredients:

2c flour
¾ c packed brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp soda
1/3 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 c milk
¼ c vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla
1 c chocolate chips (blueberries, or any other item you want to use)

Directions:

Mix together dry ingredients.
In a separate bowl mix liquid ingredients.
Blend dry ingredients into liquid ingredients.
Fold in chocolate chips.
Bake 20-25 minutes at 375.

Enchiladas de Pollo y Queso

This is another kicked up version of a regular dish in rotation at the Pham house. I actually haven't made enchiladas this way in a very long time but I don't know why...they're so good like this. It's just a tad more work but so worth it! I will be serving this with a green salad and mexican rice. :)

Enchiladas de Pollo y Queso

5 T butter
1 cup chopped onion
2 cups cooked chicken, chopped or shredded
4 oz chopped green chiles
1/4 cup flour
1 T chili powder
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack
12 tortillas-I prefer flour

Directions:

Melt 2 T. butter and cook onions until softened.
Remove to a bowl. Add chicken and green chiles. Set aside.
Melt remaining butter. Blend in flour and seasonings.
Whisk in chicken broth. Cook, stirring until sauce boils.
Remove from heat. Stir in sour cream and 1/2 cup cheese.
Stir 1/2 cup sauce into chicken mixture.
Spoon chicken mixture into tortillas and roll up.
Place in 9x13 pan. Top with remaining sauce and cheese.
Bake uncovered at 350 for about 25 minutes.

What's for Dinner 9/10/08

Tonight I am making Spaghetti and Meatballs. Normally this is something I make when I absolutely cannot think of anything else worth making. I think we are always a bit burnt out on the classic dish due to the fact that it was pretty much the only thing I knew how to make for quite a while, ha!

This is the revved up version. The "from scratch" recipe with an added twist...MEATBALLS! Nguyen will be so excited :)

Thank you Rachael Ray!

For dessert we're going to finish up my first ever loaf of Zucchini Bread. I made this yesterday and it turned out great!!


Spaghetti and Meatballs
Rachael Ray

Ingredients:

1 pound spaghetti
Salt, for pasta water

Meatballs:

1 1/4 pounds ground sirloin
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, eyeball it
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs, a couple of handfuls
1/4 cup grated Parmesan, Parmigiano-Reggiano or Romano cheese
2 cloves garlic, chopped
Salt and pepper
Sauce:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
4 cloves garlic, crushed or chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 cup beef stock, available on soup aisle in market in small paper boxes
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
A handful chopped flat-leaf parsley
10 leaves fresh basil leaves, torn or thinly sliced
Grated cheese, such as Parmigiano-Reggiano or Romano, for passing at table
Crusty bread or garlic bread, for passing at the table

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Place a large pot of water on to boil for spaghetti. When it boils, add salt and pasta and cook to al dente.
Mix beef and Worcestershire, egg, bread crumbs, cheese, garlic, salt and pepper. Roll meat into 1 1/2 inch medium-sized meatballs and place on nonstick cookie sheet or a cookie sheet greased with extra-virgin olive oil. Bake balls 10 to 12 minutes, until no longer pink.
Heat a deep skillet or medium pot over moderate heat. Add oil, crushed pepper, garlic and finely chopped onion. Saute 5 to 7 minutes, until onion bits are soft. Add beef stock, crushed tomatoes, and herbs. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes.
Toss hot, drained pasta with a few ladles of the sauce and grated cheese. Turn meatballs in remaining sauce. Place pasta on dinner plates and top with meatballs and sauce and extra grated cheese. Serve with bread or garlic bread (and some good chianti!)


Zucchini Bread
Courtesy of Paula Deen

Ingredients:

3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg 2 teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 3 cups sugar 1 cup vegetable oil 4 eggs, beaten 1/3 cup water 2 cups grated zucchini 1 teaspoon lemon juice 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, nutmeg, baking soda, cinnamon and sugar. In a separate bowl, combine oil, eggs, water, zucchini and lemon juice. Mix wet ingredients into dry, add nuts and fold in. Bake in 2 standard loaf pans, sprayed with nonstick spray, for 1 hour, or until a tester comes out clean. Alternately, bake in 5 mini loaf pans for about 45 minutes.