Chicken Quesadillas

Every once in awhile, the nights when the primary goal of dinner is to use up as much of the pantry ingredients as possible in one dish end up being the nights with the best meals. Enter my chicken quesadillas. I have no fancy name for them. They are quesadillas, plain and simple. But they are tasty, and they will speak for themselves once you take a bite of one!

We have definitely been trying to be more aware of what we are putting into our bodies, and hopefully, rather than this being a yearly attempt at what eventually becomes a failure, the changes we make will be lifestyle rather than temporary and we will be able to come up with some better resolutions next year! I think my head is finally in the right place to make this type of commitment a permanent change, especially when I consider the children we are growing at our house. With that in mind, these quesadillas are full of good ingredients that will fill you up quickly and leave you feeling satisfied.

I apologize in advance- no picture for these. Next time I make them (which will probably be soon because they were so delicious), I will definitely take a picture to share with you all.

Chicken Quesadillas

-          6 whole wheat tortillas (10" size)

-          1 lb. cooked chicken breast, shredded or cut into small pieces

-          1 red or orange bell pepper, seeded and diced

-          1 cup corn, drained and rinsed

-          1 cup black beans, drained and rinsed

-          1 cup Rotel tomatoes

-          1 tsp. each cumin, chili powder, and garlic powder

-          1/2 tsp. each seasoned salt, pepper, and paprika

-          1 cup of your favorite Mexican cheese blend

-          1 tbsp. olive oil for skillet

1.       Heat olive oil in skillet over low-medium heat. Add chicken, bell pepper, corn, black beans, and tomatoes. Add seasonings and mix well to combine. Heat until mixture is warmed through.

2.       In a separate skillet large enough to place your tortillas in, heat to medium. Place one tortilla in the bottom of the skillet (no oil is needed). Sprinkle a couple tablespoons of cheese over one-half of the tortilla, then top with 1/4-1/3 cup of the chicken mixture. Sprinkle again with a little cheese, just enough to help bind the tortilla. Fold the empty half of the tortilla over the filled side and press down firmly with a spatula to flatten and shape the quesadilla. After about 15 seconds, flip the quesadilla over to other side and hold for an additional 15 seconds.

3.       Remove to a plate to cool slightly, then cut into four pieces. Serve with a mixture of light sour cream and fresh salsa and enjoy!

Note: You can save the remaining corn, black beans, and tomatoes from the cans used in the fridge in an airtight container and toss with fresh Romaine, tortilla chips, and fresh salsa for a quick weeknight salad!  

Starting the New Year Off Right!

2012 is officially here. Each new year fosters new goals, new ambitions, and the refreshing idea that we each get a new start; it's a time to wash our hands of past mistakes and rid ourselves of bad habits that may be holding us back or hindering us in some way. For some of us, these ideals take the form of resolutions. For others, there is a general conception that often times resolutions fail, and so goals are made to make healthy lifestyle changes that last rather than making a resolution that runs a short-lived course. Whatever the case may be, many of us find that the new year ushers in a want and a desire to make healthier life choices, whether they be in relation to food, exercise, time management, or mental health and spirituality. There are many pieces to the overall health puzzle, and each piece plays an equally important role in the overall quality of the end result.

Naturally, the focus of this blog is food. It's no secret that I have an unabridged love for desserts and anything that offers satisfaction for my sweet tooth. Don't worry- just because the focus of the new year will be healthy food ideas, I will never go without sweets, nor would I ever suggest that you do! I believe that EVERYTHING is good for you in moderation, and for me, an occasional indulgence is the ONLY thing that keeps me on track in the bigger scheme of things. In other words, there will still be plenty of dessert recipes to come in the midst of some of the lighter meal ideas I will present to you.   

With that in mind, I would like to take the opportunity to direct your attention to a unique website (unique, at least, in that it's being mentioned in a food blog while its focus is primarily scientific in nature)… I stumbled across this page on one of my personal favorite food blogs, Brown Eyed Baker. She contributed a recipe for homemade granola to the Posit Science Thinkfood: Brain fitness recipes cookbook, along with 49 other noted food bloggers. The collection of recipes here is widely varied from cookies to fish to enchiladas and everything in between. What I think is fantastic about this particular collection of recipes is its objective: food concoctions that are not only delicious but put forward combinations of ingredients that actually boost your brain power and offer substantive value in addition to taste. In my opinion, this type of emphasis is the key to building a healthy diet. There is much more to losing weight and/or feeling good than calorie-counting alone. You can find the compilation of recipes here: http://www.positscience.com/human-brain/brain-fitness/thinkfood-recipes, or, take the scenic route and visit Brown Eyed Baker's delectable site in the process: http://www.browneyedbaker.com/2011/03/23/fruit-almond-granola-recipe/.

Above, a picture of Brown Eyed Baker's contribution to the Thinkfood cookbook - Fruit & Almond Granola- looks delicious!



Along this same line of thinking, I would also like to offer one additional website for your health-oriented perusing: http://www.nutritionwithsheila.com/. I have personally sought out the advice of this wise, self-employed Nutritionist and found the insight that she can offer invaluable. In fact, many of the ideas I have regarding healthy eating come from Sheila's coaching. Follow her on Facebook for daily pointers on how to incorporate more nutrition into your diet and lead a healthier lifestyle, in general. She is very knowledgeable about the true, hidden power that can come from the nutrients we put in our bodies when we eat with a purpose.

In the meantime, tell us about your 2012 goals or resolutions, or if you choose not to participate in the seeming new years' traditions, tell us why. Look forward to a new recipe on Wednesday, and be assured it will be full of good-for-you ingredients!

"Melted Wicked Witch" Mint Cookies and Cream Gooey Cake Bars

I know I have been MIA for awhile now.... 25 days to be exact, and I do apologize deeply. This month has proven to be rather crazy, and I am sure you all can understand how life sometimes manages to get in the way of some of our obligations and activities! Hopefully, November will prove to yield more regular postings from me. And, since I am in the process of beginning to compile and organize recipes to start working on a cookbook, I often finding myself torn between what recipes I share and what recipes I keep all to myself, saving them for some far-off, magical date when they can appear on the pages of a cookbook I can call all my own... someday....

In the meantime, I want to share with you a fabulous Halloween recipe perfect for last minute celebrations on this perfectly spooky day. When I picked Brooklyn up from daycare last Friday, I noticed that they had a sign-up sheet posted for individuals wanting to volunteer to bring some sort of treat for the cake walk they were having as part of their Halloween party that evening. Luckily, I had taken off early that day to spend some extra time with my father while he was in town, so I went ahead and signed up and started brainstorming what I could take that I could whip up in just a couple hours, still allowing for time to cool and set up properly. I recalled seeing several recipes of late where the food bloggers used a cake mix from a box to form the base layer of a cookie bar recipe of sorts and decided to go with that. As I was in the kitchen, the rest of the recipe just sort of fell into place and the end result was not only delicious, but fun in a special Halloween sort of way.

Here is what you will need to make "Melted Wicked Witch" Mint Cookies and Cream Gooey Cake Bars:

- 1 box chocolate or devil's food cake mix
- 1 stick of butter, softened to room temperature (or thrown in the microwave if you're running short on time like I was)
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup Andes Mint baking pieces
- 16 Mint Oreo Cookies, crushed and broken into small pieces
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk
- Green food coloring

1. Line a 9x13" cake pan with aluminum foil, leaving excess foil at each end to create handles. Generously spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a medium bowl, mix the cake mix, the butter, and the egg until well-combined. I used my hands and it worked way better than the spoon I initially started the process with. You will get a Play-Doh result when the ingredients are sufficiently combined. Press this mixture evenly into the bottom of your prepared pan.
3. Next, sprinkle the Andes Mint baking pieces onto the crust layer, followed by the Mint Oreo cookies. Top with the chocolate chips.
4. Add a few drops of green food coloring to your can of sweetened condensed milk and mix well. Pour the now-green sweetened condensed milk evenly over the top of all.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 18-22 minutes, until cooked through. Cool to room temperature and cut into 16 bars. Store covered in an airtight container. ENJOY this spook-tacular treat- we sure did!

Layers of chocolatey-minty-cookies and cream goodness... To die for! 

Happy Halloween! Here is a picture of Miss Brooklyn in her kitty cat costume, which, oddly enough, she was terrified of until she realized it was her golden ticket to free candy. Now, even though she won't smile in most of the pics we take, she at least doesn't scream bloody murder when we try to put it on her... Thank goodness!

And yes... it's cold here. For those of you not from Wyoming, we select our Halloween costumes based on how many warm layers we can fit comfortably underneath. It was about 35 degrees on Saturday when we were downtown trick-or-treating. But, in spite of the chilly temps, fun was had by all! Round 2 starts tonight!

Cheesy Pasta & Ham Casserole

I don't know about you guys, but when the temperatures start to drop, my craving for comfort foods skyrockets almost instantly. This is definitely one of those creamy, cheesy, ooey, gooey, all-around delicious foods that just begs to be eaten on a chilly fall evening- the epitome of comfort food, really.

We had some leftover ham we needed to use up, so we decided to be a little more creative than packing sandwiches for lunch for the next few days. Homemade macaroni and cheese plus ham....what's not to love? I will admit, though, that this dish is a little on the indulgent side.If you're counting calories... keep on walking browsing. :-) This recipe is probably not for you...Sorry!

Cheesy Pasta & Ham Casserole

- 1 lb. cellentani pasta, cooked and drained (or any type of small pasta you have on hand)
- 1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
- 8 tablespoons flour
- 3 cups milk
- 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 3 cups cooked ham, diced into cubes
- 1 1/4 cups shredded mild cheddar cheese
- 1 1/4 cups shredded Swiss cheese
- 4 tablespoons Italian-seasoned bread crumbs
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese

1. Start by cooking your pasta according to package instructions, chopping your ham into small cubes, and shredding your cheese. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add the flour, whisking well to combine, and cook, stirring continuously until the mixture is bubbly and frothy. Add in the milk and stir constantly until the mixture begins to thicken and is smooth and creamy. Add in the seasoned salt, paprika, and garlic powder. Mix well to combine, then slowly add all of your shredded cheese until completely melted into mixture. Reduce heat to low and cook for a few minutes, stirring constantly to keep sauce mixture smooth.
3. Combine the cooked pasta, diced ham, and sauce in a large pot (I just used the one the pasta had been cooked in) and mix well.
4. Coat a 9x13" casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray. Spoon mixture into casserole dish.
5. Mix bread crumbs, melted butter, and Parmesan cheese in small bowl, then sprinkle mixture over the top of the pasta mixture.
6. Bake in oven for 25-30 minutes until topping is lightly browned. Makes 12 servings.

AH-Mazing! :)

This was a hit all around, and was perfect served with nothing more than a salad of sorts. Hopefully, your family enjoys this as much as we did!

What are some of your favorite go-to comfort foods for cold weather? 

 

Mexican Taco Rice

I love one-pot meals. Sometimes, I tend to make a bit of a mess when I cook, regardless of how hard I try not to, so the fewer the dishes involved, the better! Awhile back, my brother made a dish similar to this for me when I had gone home to my parents' house for the weekend. I really enjoyed it and ended up asking him for the recipe. He gave it to me, and unfortunately, I lost it amidst four moves and an overflowing box of loose recipes.

My original plan for dinner last night was just to make tacos, something quick and easy that I knew the kids would eat without a fuss. Then, for one reason or another, my brother's Mexican rice, which is usually served as a side rather than a main dish, popped into my head, and I decided that that would be a nice twist on the tacos I was going to make, but without going so far as to make the kids think I was trying to feed them some horrifying new dish chock full of veggies and good-for-them ingredients. I decided that with just a few minor additions, the Mexican rice my brother had made would turn into a delicious filling for burritos or tacos. Enter shredded cheese and sour cream and we have a delicious dinner!

This would make a great side dish, too, if you so desire!

Mexican Taco Rice

- 1 lb. lean ground beef

- 1/2 yellow onion, chopped

- 1/2 tsp. EACH black pepper, seasoned salt, paprika, cumin, and garlic powder

- 1/4 tsp. dried oregano

- 1 tsp. chili powder

- 1 16-oz jar of your favorite salsa

- 1 15-oz can sweet yellow corn, drained

- 1 15-oz can pinto or black beans, drained and rinsed well

- 2 cups instant rice

- 2 cups water

- Tortillas, shredded cheese, sour cream, lettuce, and olives for serving

1. In a large pot, cook ground beef and chopped onion together over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Drain excess grease and return to stove top. 

2. While meat is cooking, in a small bowl mix ALL of your seasonings together. Once meat has been drained, sprinkle seasoning over meat and stir in, mixing well. You can add a tablespoon or two of water if needed to make sure your meat is well-seasoned and evenly coated. At this point, you have a basic taco meat filling. 

3. After meat is seasoned, stir in salsa, corn, beans, and water. Stir well to combine. Bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat.  

4. Once boiling, turn off the heat and stir in rice. Cover your pot with a lid and let stand for 5-7 minutes to allow rice time to cook. After rice is cooked, use a fork to fluff mixture before serving. 

5. Warm tortillas, either in microwave or stove top, and fill with a scoop of the Mexican Taco Rice. Top with lettuce, cheese, olives, and anything else your hungry little heart desires. Enjoy! 

(You can tell we were REALLY embracing the quick and easy idea-we even used paper plates!)

This meal goes great alongside some tortilla chips and fresh salsa, and is the epitome of the definition of a quick, easy, and delicious weeknight meal. The kids all really enjoyed the variation from our normal taco night, and didn't even complain about the corn or the beans! This one is definitely a keeper. I guess sometimes losing a recipe can end up being a good thing when the end result is a tasty twist on the original idea!

What are some of your favorite quick and easy weeknight meals that you can have on the table in 30 minutes or less?  







Cinnascotch Butter Cookies

So, for those of you fellow food lovers out there, I am sure a lot of you are probably aware of the Picky Palate blog. She is constantly coming up with some innovative and delicious-sounding recipes, especially when it comes to sweets! Last week, I saw that she had posted about Biscoff Stuffed White Chocolate Chip Cookies... I have never tried Biscoff, nor had I ever even heard of it before she started posting about it. Nevertheless, I read this post, thought it sounded fantastic, and decided to play around with it and make it my own, out of both satisfaction for my creative needs and necessity, due to the fact that nowhere in our area sells Biscoff or Biscoff spread.

Seeing as how it is starting to feel like fall out there and I am just LOVING the crispness in the air, cinnamon immediately came to mind, followed by butterscotch. I decided I wanted to add these two elements to the cookie base of the recipe, but then needed to find a way to come up with some sort of delicious filling to stuff inside the cookies. To be honest, I am not really sure where the idea for the filling came from other than I had been snacking occasionally on miniature white chocolate Reese's cups and thought maybe something with peanut butter would be tasty. I ended up mixing peanut butter, graham cracker crumbs, and cinnamon and using that for the filling. It turned out delicious!

These cookies are seriously decadent, and are PERFECT to help welcome fall with open arms and empty stomachs!

Cinnascotch Butter Cookies (recipe adapted from Picky Palate http://picky-palate.com/)

- 1 stick unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
- 1 cup butterscotch chips
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
- 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with either a silpat liner or parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer beat together the butter and both sugars until well-combined. Add egg and vanilla and mix well.
3. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
4.  Slowly add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, followed by the white chocolate chips and butterscotch chips, mixing until just combined.
5. In a small bowl, mix together the peanut butter, graham cracker crumbs, and cinnamon.
6. Using a small cookie scoop, scoop dough onto prepared baking sheet 1 inch apart. Using your thumb, make indentations into each cookie for the filling. Using a 1/2 teaspoon measuring spoon, scoop the filling into each cookie. Top with another small scoop of cookie dough and press edges of cookie dough together to seal. Some filling will seep through.
7. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until edges are just starting to turn golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes on baking sheet, then remove to wire rack to cool completely. ENJOY!

SO satisfying...sweet, with a hint of salty and a whole lot of richness! 

Even though some of the flavors in this cookie are not necessarily traditional fall flavors, they really felt like fall to me, especially when they were still warm and gooey and just sinfully perfect. There are so many layers of flavor here that it is hard not to find something to fall in love with in these cookies. For me, it was, oh... pretty much everything! I will definitely be making these again. Hopefully, you enjoy them as much as I did! 

P.S. My brother named them.... I decided he needed to start "earning" his beloved banana bread! :)  

New School Goulash

One of my friends approached me about finding a good recipe for goulash because it is her husband's favorite dish. She, however, is not a big fan of it herself, so she was not really eager to get in the kitchen and try to make anything she hadn't had tested and approved by someone else first. I can't say that I blame her. With the abundance of recipes readily available on the Internet today, it can be hard to sort through and find one that you will actually like.

My grandma used to make us goulash when I was younger, so my mind initially turned to that meal and what it consisted of. I mostly remember hamburger, macaroni, and tomato sauce or tomatoes. I didn't remember all that well, but hoped that when I saw a recipe that I thought looked like a good place to start it would be similar to this simple combination. After some searching, I found a recipe by Paula Deen on Food Network's website called Bobby's Goulash. It sounded tasty, so I used this as the basis for the dish I created. 

I am still hoping to come across my grandmother's recipe. I love all of her foods, and the thing I enjoyed more about her version of this classic comfort dish was the simplicity. While this recipe is certainly tasty and filling, it took quite awhile to put together. Hope you will enjoy it!

New School Goulash (recipe adapted from Paula Deen)

- 2 lbs lean ground beef

- 1 yellow onion, chopped

- 1 red bell pepper, chopped

- 1 green bell pepper, chopped

- 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

- 1 ½ cups water

- 1 ½ cups chicken broth

- 2 15-oz cans tomato sauce

- 2 15-oz cans diced tomatoes

- 1  tablespoons Italian seasoning

- 1 bay leaf

- 1 tablespoons soy sauce

- 1 tablespoon worchestire sauce

- ½ teaspoon garlic powder

- ½ teaspoon black pepper

- ½ teaspoon seasoned salt

- 3 cups elbow macaroni, uncooked

- Fresh Parmesan Cheese, for topping

In a Dutch oven or large pot, sauté the ground beef, onions, and garlic over medium-high heat until cooked through. Drain excess grease. Add the bell peppers and cook until slightly tender, about 5 minutes. Add the water and the chicken broth, followed by the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning, bay leaf, soy sauce, worchestire sauce, garlic powder, black pepper, and seasoned salt. Stir well. Place a lid on the pot and allow to cook for 15 minutes, until steady boiling is reached. Add the elbow macaroni, stir well, and recover with lid. Simmer for about 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and remove the bay leaf, then allow to sit for about 10 minutes before serving. Top with grated or shredded Parmesan cheese. Fresh worked really well, but packaged would be fine, too.

We served with a fresh loaf of French bread and a Caesar salad.  Delicious, satisfying meal!

The nuttiness of the Parmesan cheese really went well with the hearty flavors in this goulash!