Chicken Enchiladas

• 24 oz cooked, shredded chicken
• small can green chilies
• 2 oz chicken broth
• 8 tortillas
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup mayo (I used lite)
• 1/2 cup salsa verde
• 1 T ranch powder
• 1 T taco seasoning
• 4-8 ounces shredded cheese

Mix chicken, chilies, and broth

roll chicken mixture in tortillas

place in a baking dish sprayed with oil

mix sour cream, mayo, salsa, ranch, and taco seasoning

pour over enchiladas

sprinkle with cheese

bake at 400 for about 30 minutes

Sheet Pan Tilapia and Vegetables

 This recipe came from Gimme Delicious.com. I will list it how I made it.

3-4 tilapia filets (3 was perfect for hubby and I)

3 Tablespoons olive oil

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon dried parsley

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon mineral salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

broccoli florets (from two heads)

asparagus spears (one bunch)

Heat oven to 400 (I increase mine by 5 degrees because it seems to run a little cool)

place tilapia and veggies on sheet pan covered in parchment paper

mix rest of the ingredients and pour over fish and veggies

roast for about 15 minutes

Delicious and easy!

Pork Tenderloin in Marinade

 This recipe is from Le Creme de la Crumb. The instructions are for grilling the meat, but it was getting dark so I cooked it in the oven at 450 instead. It still came out very good, so either is an option.

• 1.5-2.0 pounds pork tenderloin (I think mine was 1.5 AND I bought a pork loin (not tenderloin) by mistake but it was still good)
• juice of half a lemon (I used 1 T bottled lemon juice)
• 2 t minced garlic
• 1 t Italian seasoning
• 0.25 C olive oil
• 0.5 t salt
• 0.125 t (1/8) cracked black pepper
• 2 t dijon mustard
• 2 t honey

Pat tenderloin dry with a paper towel.

Mix marinade ingredients and pour half in ziplock bag with meat

Marinate for 30 minutes

Roast or grill for 20 minutes or until thermometer reads 145 degrees, turning at least once and basting during cooking.

Let sit for about 10 minutes before slicing.

Oven Roasted Sausage and Peppers

 This recipe comes from wellplated.com and is absolutely delicious and easy.

General oven roasting directions:

• heat oven to 400 degrees (unless otherwise stated)
• line sheet pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper (foil is easier if you want to capture the juices)
• mix ingredients in a large bowl with the liquids and seasonings
• spread on baking sheet

Ingredients:

• 12 oz. package pre-cooked Italian chicken or turkey sausage, sliced
• 3 bell peppers, various colors, sliced
• 1 onion, sliced
• 3 T extra virgin olive oil
• 2 t red wine vinegar
• 2 garlic cloves, minced (2 t)
• .5 t kosher salt
• .5 t basil
• .5 t oregano
• .25 t ground black pepper
• .25 t red pepper flakes

Roast for about 35 minutes, stirring halfway

Sheet Chicken and Vegetables

 This recipe comes from wellplated.com and is absolutely delicious. I am done struggling with stir fry, this is my new go-to. The seasoning is perfect. I did not use sweet potatoes (if you do, you are supposed to start them first, see original recipe).

boneless chicken (I used three breasts)

veggies of your choice, I used:

small head of broccoli, cut up

2 peppers, cut in chunks

1 large zucchini, cut in chunks

sliced carrots, about 1.5-2 cups

place in a bowl and mix with

3 T extra virgin olive oil

2 T lemon juice (juice of 1 lemon)

2.5t Italian seasoning

1 t salt

1 t garlic powder

1 t onion powder

.5 t pepper

stir well and roast in 400 degree oven, stirring once in between

It took about 45 minutes with the amount of food I had on the tray. If you use less and the items are spaced out a bit, it will be a lot less time, just keep an eye on it.

Tarragon Chicken

heat oven to 450 degrees

place skinless, boneless chicken breasts in baking pan

mix and pour over chicken:
1 T lemon juice
1 T onion flakes
3/4 t salt
1/2 t tarragon leaves crumbled
1/2 t white pepper

bake at 450 uncovered 15 minutes
cover with foil and bake at 350 until done...

Roasted Chicken

3-3 1/2 lb chicken
1 head garlic
1 lemon, cut into 1 inch pieces
small bunch fresh rosemary or thyme
2 T olive oil (or less)
kosher salt
fresh ground pepper

cut garlic in half, separate into cloves
stuff chicken cavity with garlic, lemon, and herbs
tie legs and tuck wings
coat skin with oil
sprinkle with salt and pepper
put in roasting pan in oven
roast 1.25 hours or until meat thermometer reads 160 in breast
let sit 10 minutes
carve

Easy Meatloaf

1 1/2 lb ground beef
1 envelope onion soup mix
1 C shredded italian cheese blend
2 eggs
1 1/2 C crushed saltine crackers
1/3 C water

heat oven to 400 degrees
mix all but water, then mix water
place in baking pan
bake 40 minutes

Boneless Rib Roast

Leave roast uncovered in fridge overnight
let sit on counter about 1 1/2 hours to get to room temperature
season with Kitchen Bouquet, salt, & pepper
put in a deep pan, leave uncovered
put in 500 degree oven for 5 minutes per pound
shut off heat and leave in oven for two hours
DO NOT OPEN OVEN DOOR

Kitchen Sink Quesadillas

I cannot believe I have not posted this yet. It is so easy that it is embarrassing. I don't remember where I got this recipe; it is not my own.

1 15.5 oz can black beans, drained
1 11 oz can corn, drained
3/4 C salsa, drained
8 flour tortillas
8 oz shredded cheddar cheese

mix beans, corn, salsa
lay four tortillas on a baking sheet lined with foil
spread 1/2 of the cheese
spread bean mixture
spread remaining cheese
lay remaining tortillas on top
bake @ 400 degrees for about 10 minutes

Yes, that is all. So quick, so easy, perfect for a night when you have about 1/2 hour to eat!

Tomato Baked Chicken from Mostly Homemade Mom

Here is the link:

http://www.mostlyhomemademom.com/2013/01/easy-tomato-baked-chicken.html

Easy Tomato Baked Chicken
1 lb chicken pieces, I used thighs 3/4 cup zesty Italian dressing, divided 2 (14oz) cans diced tomatoes with garlic, basil, and oregano, drained 1/2 tsp garlic powder 1/4 cup parmesan cheese white rice (if desired)
Pour 1/4 cup dressing over chicken and place in refrigerator to marinade for at least 30 minutes. Remove chicken from marinade and place in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish (discard used marinade). In a separate bowl, combine both cans of drained tomatoes, 1/2 cup dressing, and garlic powder. Pour tomatoes over chicken. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake at 425 for about 40 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Serve chicken alongside rice topped with tomatoes. If using a crockpot, arrange chicken and tomato mixture the same as above and cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3 hours.
This was a big hit with my family, but next time I will use boneless & skinless chicken. Other than that, perfection! (We had it with pasta.)

Pumpkin Bread - Better Than Any Candle

(photo courtesy of Google Images)

When my husband and I were first married and looking for our first home, we spent more time shopping for a town than a house. We have never regretted our decision. It is a great small town. 

Our first street was U shaped, so sort of a cul-de-sac but not quite. It was a great street with great neighbors. One of our neighbors came over and brought us some pumpkin bread. She also gave me the recipe!  I still use it today because it is so good and makes your house smell like heaven, thus explaining the title of this post. As a matter of fact, my husband's car had a cracked windshield, and the repair couple came today to fix it in our driveway. When I opened the door to sign the paperwork, they started raving about the smell (and maybe hinting a little, and I would have given them some if I had actually thought of it while they were here - I'm a little slow sometimes).

Without further ado:

Makes one 9x5 inch loaf

1 1/2 C flour

1 C packed brown sugar

1 C pumpkin (I used canned)

1/2 C (thus one stick) butter (unsalted is better IMO), softened

2 eggs

1 t baking powder

1 t baking soda (get mixed up between the two? have no fear, you need equal amounts of both!)

1/2 t salt

1 1/2 t ground cinnamon

1/2 t ground cloves

1/2 t ground ginger

Throw all ingredients in a large bowl and beat until well mixed.

Pour into a greased 9 x 5 inch baking pan (grease it with the wrapper from the stick of butter you used - easy!)

Bake at 350 for 45-55 minutes - check center with a toothpick

Cool in pan on a wire rack.

Enjoy!

We are expecting lots of fun next week here in the Northeast - a hurricane mixed with snow? So I am doing some baking this weekend to make myself feel better because I most likely will be dealing with no power (and let's hope nothing worse than that) for a few days.

Chicken and Rice - Super Easy but Partially Processed Version

Chicken and rice should be easy. But let me tell you a little story. It was several years ago. We had gotten a dog from the local animal shelter that day. My husband was flying out of state the following morning. The dog was skittish and kept going to the bathroom in the house. I was completely clueless about training dogs (still am) and kept taking him outside to go to the bathroom, leaving my 2 year old in the house unattended. The dog would grab onto the leash with his mouth and play tug-of-war.

It was not a good night. 

I made chicken and rice in the oven.

The rice didn't cook properly.

My husband was sick on the airplane the next day.

I did not attempt chicken and rice again.

Until last Friday when I was asked to make a dish for my women's group. I was given the recipe. I followed it precisely. It took twice as long to cook as the directions claimed.

Why would I attempt chicken and rice again?  I don't know.

But I did last night.

Now do not make fun of me for waffling, as I am known to do. This dish has one can of cream of chicken soup in it. And a packet of onion soup mix I know, I know. I am still trying to wean off processed foods, but if you have read my Happy Homemaker Monday posts then you know that I am a little busy. So, instead of trying the from scratch version I referenced above, I went to this version from AllRecipes.com:

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/easy-and-delicious-chicken-and-rice-casserole/

It was delicious.

The chicken was sooooo moist. And everything was tasty. Yum.

So here it is for my future reference and yours:

Easy Chicken and Rice

1 C uncooked rice

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 7/8 C water

1 package onion soup mix

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

spread rice on bottom of 9x13 baking pan

place chicken breast on top of rice

mix cream soup and water, pour over chicken

sprinkle with onion soup mix

cover with foil

bake at 350 for 1 1/2 hours

remove from oven and serve

*We returned the dog to the shelter the next day and got a kitten instead.

My Most Popular Recipe

By popular, I mean the most requested by my kids and my sister (which I take as a particularly wonderful compliment because she is a much better cook than I), and which recipe I have given out more than others. And it is so ridiculously easy. Not particularly healthy though.

I was surprised to find that I did not already put it on the blog. I guess I didn't bother because I already know this one so well that I don't need to write it down. I make it so often that I stockpile lasagna noodles when they are on sale.

So here it is:

The Easiest Lasagna Recipe Using Regular Lasagna Noodles Ever. No, really.

Once again the ingredients are important, so pay attention to my notes, please. Thank you.

Abt 8 regular lasagna noodles (not the no cook kind, although you are not going to cook them ahead of time)
Abt 16 oz ricotta cheese. Now let's talk a minute about the cheese. I have lived just about all of my life on the east coast in a heavy Italian populated area. So we do not put cottage cheese in our Italian cooking instead of ricotta. Is it just as good? I have no idea, because I have never tried it. It may be easier to spread than ricotta, but I'm sticking with the ricotta.  And by the way, around here it is pronounced rig-GOT, not rick-cot-a. But if you do not live in a heavily Italian populated area, (or in the northeast) and you asked for rig-got, they probably would have no idea what you are talking about. And no one laughs at you if you say rick-cot-a instead. They just think that you do not have an ounce of Italian in you. I'll have you know that I am 1/500 Italian. I don't think that counts.

And while we are talking about Italian pronunciations, do you know that there are still pizza places around here that spell it APIZZA? It is pronounced a-beets, not peetsa. But really it is just the old timers that call it a-beets; peetsa has become the norm. But when I was a kid I didn't understand why there was an A in front of the word pizza.

Ingredients?  Oh yea,

lasagna noodles (see above)
ricotta cheese (see above)
12 oz. (or thereabouts) of mozzarella cheese, shredded
abt 1/4 C parmesan cheese
32 ounce tomato/pasta sauce.  Here is the thing. You do not want a thick, sweet sauce like Ragu or Prego. I buy Sclafani, but that may not be available nationwide. My sister used Francesco Rinaldi marinara and it was very good too.

Lastly, and optional, 1 pound ground beef

The great thing about this recipe is that you can easily adapt it to your liking, and measurements do not have to be exact. The sauce is really the most important choice you are going to make.

So here is what you do:

Brown ground beef if you are using it, then add sauce and 3/4 C of water and heat. (If you are not using ground beef, you can pour the sauce right from the jar into the lasagna pan without heating it first and don't add water)

Layer ingredients in a 9x13 baking pan as such:

@ 1/3 sauce

@ 4 lasagna noodles - uncooked (or as many as will make a nice layer in your pan. Snap off some of the noodle to make it fit.)

@ 1/2 of ricotta cheese

@ 1/2 of shredded mozzarella

@ 1/8 C parmesian cheese (I do not measure, just give it a good shake all over)

@ 1/2 of remaining sauce

another 4 noodles

rest of ricotta cheese

rest of mozzarella cheese

1/8 C (or good shake all over) parmesian cheese

rest of sauce

Yes, the noodles will slip around on you as you try to spread the ricotta. It will get messy. No one cares. Just do the best you can, but don't worry, it will still taste great.

Cover pan

Bake @ 375 for about an hour (edges should be bubbly)

Let sit for about 10-15 minutes

EAT!

This is a very saucy version (hence why it is important to choose a good sauce), so serve some bread with it to help eat up the sauce.

It seems like a lot of work because I go on and on, but it is really easy, as lasagnas go, and everyone loves it. It will be whipping up two for my brood. It was my soon-to-be 14 year old's birthday dinner request.

Maybe I will take pictures and add them later. Maybe.

Delicious Pork Tenderloin

I recently rearranged my kitchen, and by doing so got reacquainted with some of my cookbooks. Meanwhile, I had a pork tenderloin in my refrigerator with yesterday's date on it. I had originally intended to try a slow cooker recipe, but didn't get to it last week, and could not remember where I found the recipe to try. (Hate it when I do that.) So, last night, with about an hour and a half before dinner needed to be ready, and a pork tenderloin to cook, I went searching for a recipe (I can make them without a recipe, but I wasn't in the mood to wing it. So, I looked through a couple of cookbooks to no avail, then I pulled out this one,

which I purchased through a school fundraiser. ANYWAY, I tried the following recipe, WHICH WAS ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS, and as you can see I have not eliminated soy sauce from my diet. Don't yell. I did use low sodium though. This marinade is similar to other ones I have used, but I think what makes this so  awesome are the sesame seeds. I think I love their flavor as much as chocolate. Really.

I left some things out, due to the level of picky-ness in this family, so I will include my usual notes.

Sesame-Soy Pork Tenderloin

1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce (the recipe calls for low sodium, it's not just me)

1/4 cup honey

1 t ground ginger

1/2 t garlic powder

1/2 t chives (did not use)

1 T sesame seeds (yes, yes, yes!)

1/8 t ground red pepper (did not use)

1 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin (I used 2 1/2 pounds but the same amount of marinade, it was plenty)

Mix marinade ingredients together

Brush tenderloin with marinade (I pour some marinade on the raw meat and then use a brush to spread it, that way I am not infecting the remaining marinade with germs from the raw meat, just in case I want to use it for something else, although in this case I didn't).

Place in in a baking dish

Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes (mine took about 45 minutes, but my pieces were bigger), brushing with marinade until an instant read thermometer reads 155 degrees (mine read 160 - it was still delicious).

I actually baked them on one side for about 20 minutes, then turned them over, poured on some more marinade, baked for another 20 minutes, turned again for a few minutes, and one last turn for a few more minutes. When it was done there was some marinade floating in the pan, I just poured in a quart of hot water (after removing the meat to a cutting board) to let it sit until I was ready to clean it so that it wouldn't get sticky. Often I will line the pan with aluminum foil to make clean up easier, this time I forgot.

So easy, so delicious, EVERYONE like it, even with the seeds; this is definitely a keeper.

Okay, I'm in Love

(photo courtesy of smittenkitchen.com)

I got this recipe from A Chelsea Morning.  You can find the original post here.

2 boxes cake mix

2 sticks butter (melted, but I left mine out on the counter and in the heat of the summer, it was plenty soft)

2 tablespoons water

2 eggs

2 cups chocolate chips, or peanut butter chips, or raisins, or whatever goody you want

Mix cake mix and butter

Add water and eggs

Add chocolate chips

Bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes

The flavor combinations are endless.  I used Dunkin Hines Butter Golden flavor with semi-sweet chocolate chips.  What about Devil's Food with milk chocolate chips?  Spice cake cookies with cream cheese frosting?  Marble with mini chocolate chips?  Oh yum, I cannot wait.

* Now, I am a Toll House snob.  But this is so quick and the cookies come out crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside, and I find them a very close second.  Very close.

Hope you like them!

No Leftover Baked Ziti

The original recipe came from the Food Network but this is how I made it:

One pound ziti, cooked al dente

1 1/2 jars Testa's Marinara Sauce (this is made locally, so you will have to use 4 C of a really, really good marinara sauce)

1/4 C freshly grated pecorino romano cheese

1/2 C freshly grated parmesan cheese, divided

1 pound fresh mozzarella cheese

cut half of the mozzarella into small cubes and mix with 1/4 C parmesan and the rest of the ingredients

pour into a slightly oiled baking pan

slice rest of mozzarella into thin slices and lay over top of ziti

shake remainder of parmesan on top of all

bake uncovered in a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes or until slightly browned

* The key to this recipe is the quality of the ingredients. Yes, this would be yummy with regular cheeses and some other jarred sauce, but sometimes you want something really special. This is it.

Dinner Anyone?

(photo courtesy of Sandra @ www.fullbellies.blogspot.com)

Last week I made two meals. TWO. It was one of those weeks.
But one of the reasons I only made two is because we had lots of leftovers.
One that I made was this yummy goodness from Sandra.

Virginia's Baked Spaghetti

I should write some kind of review, I suppose. It was creamy, cheesy, hardy, warm, and delicious. How's that? Sandra warns that this recipe makes a lot, and she is right. It took three dinners for us to finish it. This is being archived under potlucks and missionary dinners. The only thing I would do differently is break up the spaghetti into small pieces before cooking (or cut it up after cooking). You could also use a different pasta, but it might not fit in the dish if you are cooking a full recipe because other pastas are bulkier.

Check out Sandra's cooking blog, Full Bellies, Happy Kids for more delicious recipes. Let me know if you try anything else.