Kitchen Adventures 12.4

As I sit here getting ready to make dinner tonight, I am realizing that I need to start chipping away at this recipe backlog. So, here is my first attempt at getting this backlog down. (This sounds like work situations, too. Goodness.)

I am a big fan of quick dinners, and dinners that don't make a huge mess. One dish dinners are my favorite for both of these reasons.Many times you can find these recipes as advertisements for products in food magazines, and that is exactly how I found this one. There are always lots of ads in my Everyday with Rachael Ray magazines. Sometimes they look quick and easy (ok, most times) and most of them look pretty delicious.

This recipe was pretty good. If you are not a brown rice fan, though, you may want to substitute white rice instead as the brown rice is a key ingredient and component of this recipe.

Quick & Easy Chicken, Broccoli and Brown Rice

Ingredients:

1 T. vegetable oil
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 1/2 c. water
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1 1/2 c. uncooked instant brown rice
2 c. fresh or frozen broccoli flowerets

Directions:
1. Heat the oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with pepper and paprika, and some salt if you want, to taste, then place in the skillet and cook until well browned on both sides. Remove the chicken from the skillet.
2. Stir the soup, water, paprika and black pepper in the skillet and heat to a boil.
3. Stir the rice and broccoli in the skillet and reduce the heat to low. Return the chicken to the skillet and sprinkle additional paprika and black pepper over the chicken. Cover the skillet and cook five minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the rice is tender.

Kitchen Adventures 12.3

Sometimes the name of a recipe can really turn you on or off of a recipe. Names can have connotations that give you a a preconceived idea of how a recipe will taste. To me, the word "haystacks" does not sound appealing. I am not a cow or horse, after all. But, just like many other things, once you look beyond the name your ideas about that thing may change. That is exactly what happened to me with this recipe. I had looked at it for several years, trying to decide if I would ever make it. Finally, I decided to look at the ingredients and discovered that it really just looked like a Frito chili pie recipe. Since I love that, I figured this would be good, too. And I was right!

This recipe came from my ever-dependable Triple T youth group cookbook. This recipe was actually submitted by my old high school trig teacher's wife. They are such good people that I figured it must be worth trying.

Mexican Haystacks

Ingredients:

2 lb. hamburger, browned
1 (16 oz.) can pinto beans, drained
3/4 (6 oz.) c. tomato paste
1 tsp. salt
1 (32 oz.) can tomatoes (I substitutes 1 can tomato sauce and 2 cans of water since I'm not a big tomato fan)
2 T. chili powder
1 package corn chips
1/2 head lettuce, shredded
6 oz. grated cheese (or as much as you like!)

Directions:

Season your hamburger with a little taco seasoning and chili powder while browning, then drain. Add the beans, tomato paste, tomatoes (or tomato sauce), chili powder, and salt to browned and drained hamburger. Cook over low heat for 10-15 minutes. When serving, place a handful of corn chips in a bowl, then pour the meat mixture over the chips. Top with lettuce and cheese.
*You might substitute crisped tortilla strips instead of chips.

Kitchen Adventures 12.2

Gracious, that was a long posting break! I guess I was just busy. That, and I need to be better about balancing my time. So many recipes to share now! Slowly but surely I will get caught up.

Here is the first step in getting caught up. Back in June (it seems so long ago!) I found a recipe I had printed off several weeks earlier from the Food Network. I'll admit, it was a little different and not for everyone, but it was good. You definitely needed a drink of water after having one of these spicy sweets, though!

Mexican Brownies

Directions:

Prepare your favorite brownies, from a mix or homemade. Add in 3/4 teaspoon ground chipotle chile pepper and one teaspoon ground cinnamon to the batter. This is for a batch that fits in a 9 x 13 pan. Bake the brownies according to the box directions or the recipe directions. If desired, top with a scoop of ice cream and sprinkle with cinnamon when serving.

Kitchen Adventures 12.1

It's been about a year now since I first started sharing my recipes and cooking creations with others through this blog. Admittedly I am not the most faithful of bloggers, but it is something I enjoy and if people keep telling me they read my posts and want to try my recipes then it's worth it.

As usual, I am behind. I need to catch up with my May dishes before adding in my June endeavors. Life has been so busy and will only get busier, even though it's summertime. I always thought things were supposed to slow down when school got out, but it never happens that way. We, or at least I, save projects until it's summer because we somehow think we'll have more time to do things. Yet, inevitably, we have LESS time because we have so many things we put off and have to try to catch up before the summer months slip away. It's the never-ending circle of life I'm discovering as I settle more into my adult life.

Through all the craziness that life sometimes brings, I still find time to cook and bake. I have to eat, of course, and if you know me well you understand how important eating is to me. :) I get quite grumpy without sustenance, as my friends and co-workers can attest.

Something I had been wanting to try for some time is baked spaghetti. I'm a big pasta lover, but this was something I had yet to try. While flipping through my many cookbooks I found a baked spaghetti recipe and decided it was finally time to try it. This one comes from my Wheat State Manor cookbook my mom got for me a couple years ago and it was submitted by a lady from my church. I will have to tell her I tried it out the next time I go home!

One note about the recipe: I made the mistake of not browning my meat with the veggies or seasoning my meat while browning it, so the meat did not absorb as much of the flavor it could have. Just make sure you do this to get the best out of the dish.

Baked Spaghetti

Ingredients:

2 lb. hamburger
1 onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 green pepper, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp. salt
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can tomatoes, mashed
1/2 lb. cheddar cheese, grated
spaghetti

Directions:

Brown the hamburger and fresh veggies, seasoning with dashes of the spices; drain. Cook the spaghetti as directed and drain. Add the spaghetti to the meat, and add the cream of mushroom soup, tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce and spices. Make sure to not add in water to the soup. Mix all this together, then spoon into a baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, then top with cheese and return to oven until the cheese melts.

Kitchen Adventures 11.3

Do you ever really think about why you don't like a certain dish? Sometimes a scarring experience from childhood turns you off a dish for the rest of your life. Other times, you just THINK you don't like something without ever trying it. That was how I felt about chicken pot pie. I just had it in my head that I didn't like it for the longest time. People would rave about how delicious it was, which restaurant had the best one (Cheddar's is pretty great) or whose grandma had the best recipe. When I finally tried it, I realized just how good it is. And when I found a recipe for it that looked pretty easy, I couldn't resist trying it.

This is another dish from the PHILADELPHIA cooking creme cookbook. Those smart people really put together a good marketing plan with their new product and accompanying cookbooklet (it's a tiny recipe book and that sounds like a good name for it!). Again, something nice and easy that doesn't take too much time or effort to make and is absolutely delicious. My boyfriend was a little wary and swore I was making it wrong when I didn't use a bottom crust, but it turned out fine. That must be the hot pot pie debate question: to use or not to use a bottom crust? I'm sure the bottom crust is just as good, but this top crust-only version was pretty yummy. Though it is more of a fall/winter comfort food item, it's just light enough to work for the summertime, too. Give it a try!

Creamy Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients:

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
2 c. frozen mixed vegetables, thawed and drained
1 tub PHILADELPHIA Savory Garlic Cooking Creme
1 ready-to-use refrigerated pie crust (1/2 of a two crust package)

Directions:

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Cook and stir chicken in nonstick skillet on medium heat for five or six minutes, or until the chicken is lightly browned (Tremayne would say season your chicken while cooking, so sprinkle some salt, pepper, and garlic powder on there if you feel like it.) Add the vegetables to the chicken in the skillet and cook for one or two minutes, or until the veggies are heated through. Stir in the cooking creme, and then spoon this mixture into a greased 9-inch pie plate. Cover this with the crust, then seal and flute the edges. Cut several slits into the crust as steam vents and then place the pie on a baking sheet. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Kitchen Adventures 11.2

Life has been busy this past month! Still, that is no reason for me to have a month-long break in posting. I have no excuses, that's just how it happened. So, here's a posting to start back up again and do some catching up. Thank goodness there's no work Monday; it should give me plenty of time to get all caught up.

At many grocery stores, samples are provided while you are shopping. This especially is true when you are shopping during the lunch hour. It's good advertising, really, because they get you when you're hungry and such you in to try something new. If you like it, you are much more likely to buy that unplanned product than you would be with just seeing the new product. I will admit, every now and then I get sucked in. With this particular instance that led to this recipe, I tried the product one week but did not buy it until several weeks later. I must say, it was well worth the wait.

The PHILADELPHIA cream cheese people have introduced a new cooking creme product. So, instead of mixing in spices and herbs with your cream cheese, it comes mixed in for you. Plus, it is not as thick as a regular block of cheese. I have tried two of the four cooking creme flavors and liked them both. PHILADELPHIA also made the smart move of putting out a recipe book using these products. This is one of those recipes.

I liked this because it was quick and easy to make, yet filling and delicious. It was also pretty light, which was nice with warmer weather approaching. I would definitely recommend checking out these products!

Creamy Italian Chicken & Orzo Skillet

Ingredients:

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces
1 small zucchini, chopped (I omitted this as zucchini were just too expensive when I made this)
1 tub PHILADELPHIA Italian Cheese & Herb Cooking Creme
1/2 c. chopped tomatoes ( I also omitted this as I'm not a big tomato fan)
2 c. hot cooked orzo pasta

Directions:

Cook the chicken and zucchini in a large skillet over medium heat for 6 to 7 minutes or until the chicken is done. Add the cooking creme and tomatoes to the skillet and cook and stir for 2 minutes. Serve the chicken mixture over the cooked orzo.
* substitute 2 cups frozen cut green beans for the zucchini (this is what I did).

Kitchen Adventures 11.1

Every now and then you read a recipe and think it will turn out perfectly, then when you get halfway through it you realize things could go terribly wrong. At that point, you turn to salvage mode and try to find a way to save the dish so it's not a complete wash. This happened to me with this recipe. Everything looked fine at first, but as I went along I realized I would have to do some adjusting to make things turn out right. Fortunately, I made the correct adjustments and it turned out pretty well. I'm getting better at this improvisation in the kitchen thing!

This is a nice casserole recipe that could feed a family or a couple people for a few days. It came from the binder my aunt gave me several years ago. I'm posting it with changes I made so you can learn from my experiences. The oddest thing that happened when making this was that I used more meat than I was supposed to but cut almost everything else in half. It turned out pretty meaty, but it was still good.

Burrito Bake

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lb. ground beef
1 1/2 c. grated cheddar cheese
1 pkg. taco seasoning
1 1/2 c. grated Monterrey jack cheese
1/4 c. chopped onion (I omitted this)
1 pkg. crescent rolls
1 can refried beans

Directions:

Brown the beef and onion, then drain. Stir in the dry taco seasoning. Press the crescent rolls in the bottom of a 9"x13" pan. Use a second package of crescent rolls is one won't cover it. Spread refried beans over rolls. Use a second can if one won't cover it. Add the beef mixture to the top and then top it all with the cheeses. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove the foil to brown the cheese at the end.

Kitchen Adventures 10.5

Most people tend to have their go=to dish for parties or special occasions. Some people always bring the brownies; others always bring the chips and dip. I can usually be counted on for some type of dessert, no matter the affair, though occasionally I do mix it up. For a recent cookout, I chose to bring a dessert, but since it was a spur-of-the-moment event, I had to go with what I had on hand. Luckily, I had quite a few ingredients. I thought about making brownies from scratch, then found another new recipe while looking for the brownie one. It was neat to try something new, and it was pretty delicious.

As a note, I did not make the original version of this recipe. I made a variation as I knew one of the hosts loves peanut butter and I thought he would really enjoy that variation.

This recipe came from the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook.

Peanut Butter-Chocolate Revel Bars

Ingredients:

6 T. butter, softened
2 c. packed brown sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 c. flour
3 c. quick cooking rolled oats
1 1/2 c. semisweet chocolate chips
1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. chopped peanuts (optional)
1/2 c. peanut butter

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat the butter in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer for 30 seconds. Add the brown sugar and baking soda and beat until combined, scraping the bowl occasionally. Beat in the eggs and 2 tsp. vanilla until combined. Beat and stir in the flour, then stir in the oats.
2. For filling: in a medium saucepan combine the peanut butter, chocolate chips, and sweetened condensed milk. Cook over low heat until the chocolate melts, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in the peanuts and 2 tsp. vanilla.
3. Press 2/3 (about 3 1/2 c.) of the oat mixture into the bottom of an ungreased 15x10x1 baking sheet. Spread filling evenly over the oat mixture and top with dollops of the remaining oat mixture.
4. Bake about 25 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Cool in pan on a wire rack and cut into bars when cooled.

Kitchen Adventures 10.4

I am always on the lookout for quick and easy dinner recipes. I'm not much of a cook--I much prefer baking- and most of my dinner recipes usually involve the oven. Typically, this means dinner takes a little longer. To compensate for a longer cooking (and waiting) time, I try to find things that do not take long to prepare. This recipe definitely falls into that category.

I have made several variations of this recipe, and I am sure there are many more to be made. I used this one since it had been on my list for awhile and I had cornflakes on hand. It proved to be quite yummy and very simple.

This recipe came for Every Day with Rachael Ray.

Crunchy Parmesan Chicken

Ingredients:

1 c. cornflakes, lightly crushed
3/4 c. grated parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper
3 large eggs, beaten
Four 6 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
5 T extra-virgin olive oil
1 lemon, cut into wedges (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a shallow bowl, combine the cornflake, cheese, and 1/4 tsp. each salt and pepper. Place the beaten eggs in another shallow bowl. Coat each chicken breast with the cornflake mixture, dip in the eggs, then back in the cornflake mixture and place on a wax paper-lined baking sheet.
2. Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large nonstick skillet. Add the chicken and cook until golden brown, turning once, about 2 minutes per side. Place on a foil lined baking sheet. Bake the chicken until cooked through, about 10 minutes. Note: if some chicken breasts are larger than others they may need to bake longer. Serve with lemon wedges if desired.

The pictures did not turn out too well, but they give you an idea. These were some of the juiciest chicken breasts I have ever had. It made me think I had cooked them wrong!

Kitchen Adventures 10.3

Ah, it's good to be back and sharing recipes! Life has definitely been busy over the past month. The parents came to visit in early March, the sister and brother-in-law came to visit a week later, work got crazy busy, and of course there are always social things to be done. I'm going to try and do some catching up today, so we'll see how that goes.

As I have mentioned before, I am more aware of dietary restrictions such as gluten free these days since I have several friends and co-workers that have to follow those guidelines. Hence, I am always looking for easy GF recipes I can share with them. While flipping through some of my Rachael Ray magazines my parents brought me, I stumbled across a GF pie recipe. This was perfect, since I had just been talking with a friend about GF pie crusts and finding a way to make them. I of course had to tell her the secret: use Chex instead of graham crackers. If you think about it, Chex have always been gluten free, but now the product can be advertised that way. I have never thought about using them as a substitute, but it was pretty delicious.

Included with this information was a recipe I just couldn't resist. Chocolate and peanut butter has to be one of the best culinary combinations ever. The timing was perfect, too, since I wanted to make a pie to celebrate PI Day (I told you I had some catching up to do). Even though I'm no longer taking math classes, I remember with fondness celebrating my first PI Day in Mr. Wertenberger's trig class. I had been looking for a great recipe to share at work to celebrate and this one fit the ticket.

This recipe came from the February 2011 Every Day with Rachael Ray magazine.

Double Chocolate-Peanut Butter Pudding Pie

Ingredients:

3 c. Chocolate or Rice Chex cereal, finely crushed
5 T. butter, melted
12 oz. semisweet baking chocolate, chopped, plus more for chocolate shavings
1 1/2 T. unsweetened baking cocoa, sifted
2 c. half-and-half
1/2 c. sugar
1 egg plus 3 egg yolks
6 T. whipping cream, plus 1 c. whipping cream, whipped for topping
1/2 c. white vanilla baking chips
1/4 c. creamy peanut butter

Directions:

1. Stir together the crushed cereal and melted butter in a small bowl. Press this mixture in the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie pan. Refrigerate the crust for 30 minutes or until set. Heat the oven to 350 degrees and bake the crust for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with one-third (4 oz.) of the chopped chocolate after removing the crust from the oven.
2. Meanwhile, in a large heatproof bowl, mix the cocoa and remaining chopped chocolate together. In a 1-quart heavy saucepan, heat the half-and-half over medium-high heat until it is almost boiling. In a medium heatproof bowl, beat the sugar, egg and egg yolks together with a whisk until the mixture is light yellow. Slowly beat in half of the hot half-and-half, then pour this egg mixture into the saucepan. Reduce the heat to medium and heat the mixture just to boiling. Cook this mixture, beating with a whisk, for about 1 minute or until thickened. Pour this through a sieve into the cocoa mixture and beat with a whisk until smooth. Pour this into the crust and refrigerate 30 minutes or until fairly set. (As a short cut, you could just buy instant pie pudding and use that. I realized that after I had made it.)
3. Wipe out the saucepan, then add 6 T. cream to the pan. Heat to boiling over medium-high heat. Place the vanilla baking chips and peanut butter in a medium heatproof bowl and pour the hot cream over them and let stand until chocolate is melted, about 2 minutes. Beat this with a whisk until smooth. Spread this mixture evenly over the chilled pie and refrigerate until firm, about 1 1/2 hours.
4. If desired, serve with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

Here is a picture of the delicious creation.



For more gluten free recipes, check out chex.com/glutenfree

Kitchen Adventures 10.1

Wait, there's only a two week gap between postings?? Something must be wrong! :) Actually, I just finally have a bit of down time and so I'm catching up on my recipe posting. These last few weeks have been busy with work, social activities, family visits, and life in general. Last week was spring break at OU, but I had to work all week except Friday, so I didn't really get a break. However, I'm taking the next few days off and enjoying time with my sister and brother-in-law while they enjoy THEIR spring break! I love having accrued vacation time. :)

Anyway, back to the recipes. The first one I'm sharing is from the lovely blue binder I received from my aunt a few years ago. I first made this recipe last year and really enjoyed it. My boyfriend at the time had the bright idea that you could really substitute other ingredients for the filling instead of sausage since I know not everyone likes sausage. I believe we made a batch with chicken and mushrooms which was also delicious. That is the beauty of recipes like this--you can tailor them to fit your tastes!

Bubble Pizza

Ingredients:

2 tubes (10 count) biscuits
1 T. oregano
2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
1 small can tomato sauce
1 lb. ground sausage (substitute whatever filling you want)

Directions:

Brown sausage. Cut biscuits into quarters, then mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. Place ingredients into casserole dish, probably a 7"x11" dish. Bake according to biscuit cooking directions. Note: you may have to bake it a little longer than it says, just check it until it's done.

Kitchen Adventures 9.4

This will be a short posting as I am just making a note regarding previous postings. Recently, I have become more aware of the need to consider dietary restrictions when baking and cooking for others. I am fortunate to not have any restrictions except for my own personal likes and dislikes. However, I have several co-workers and friends who are not in this same situation. Gluten-free diets are becoming more and more common these days and so I try to keep this in mind when baking. I have found a few cake mixes that work well, especially those made by Betty Crocker. There are also GF flours available. I bought one of those awhile back from Target and had not used it yet. When preparing to use it, I realized I needed an additional item, xanthum gum, to add viscosity to the mixture. After searching for this at several stores, I finally decided to use a type of substitute, Gum-Tex, that I found in the cake section of Michael's. I could have found what I needed at a specialty foods store, but I just didn't have time to make it there. I used this substitute and it seemed to work well enough.

Here's a note about using GF flours, though. I discovered that with the cake mix, I couldn't tell a difference at all between the regular and the GF. However, with the flour, I could actually tell a different in the taste. I think it is probably due to the types of flours used, but it was still pretty good.

Here is the link to the cake I made. The only difference is that I used the GF flour this time. The other recipe I shared as a GF recipe, for chocolate gooey butter cookies. Hope this is helpful for those that need it!

Kitchen Adventures 9.3

Oh life, you art so busy! Of course, it's because I make it that way. No one is MAKING me go do all the things I do, except for work-related things, of course. All this socializing I do is of my own free will. It all puts things into perspective, though. Sometimes I think about the lives some of my other friends have, being married with babies or babies on the way. At times I think maybe this is the life I'm supposed to have, or at least what the world thinks I should have by this point in my life. But, then I get to go hang out with whoever, whenever I want and do lots of fun things like have girls night, listen to cover bands, watch sporting events and enjoy the company of my friends. I'm sure I could do all these things if I was married or have babies, but I'm quite content to enjoy this single, lovely life that God has given me.

I'm not quite sure what that all has to do with my recipe posting, but it was just a rumination that came to me. Anyway, back to the recipe, which I know is what most people look for on this blog. Well, not to disappoint, here it is! This is another recipe that came from the Wheat State Manor cookbook my mom gave me a few years ago for Christmas. The nice thing about this recipe is that you can substitute some of the ingredients to fit what you have. For instance, I did not have the right kind of potatoes because the shredded hash browns were all sold out from the store. Apparently this is a vital item right before a snowstorm. Anyway, the chunk potatoes worked just as well. It's all about making what you have work for you. Hope you like this yummy casserole!

Chicken Potato Casserole

Ingredients:

1 32 oz. pkg. frozen shredded potatoes, thawed
6 chicken breast halves, cooked and diced
1 c. melted butter, divided
1 can cream of chicken soup
12 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
1 sm. onion, diced (I omitted this)
1 tsp. salt
1 8 oz. pkg. sour cream
Corn flakes, crushed

Directions:

Spread the potatoes in the bottom of a greased 9x13 baking dish. Place the chicken over the potatoes. Combine the remaining ingredients with the exception of 1/2 c. butter and the corn flakes, and then pour this over the chicken. Mix together the remaining butter and the crushed corn flakes. I don't have an exact measurement for the corn flakes, but just crush enough until the butter is all absorbed. Spread the corn flake mix on top of the other ingredients and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Kitchen Adventures 9.1

Oh goodness, it's been almost a month since my last post! Gracious. February has been a busy month to say the least. We had lots of snow at the beginning of the month, busy weekends all month, beautiful weather in the middle of the month, and a big hurdle finally jumped. The combination of everything has kept me away from my computer and my blogging. Fortunately, it has not kept me away from my kitchen. When recently asked about my hobbies, cooking and baking are always at the top of my list now. It's a great stress reliever, and it's also a way I give of myself to others. For example, someone asked me to make him brownies since he had a bad day yesterday. Even though I was exhausted, I quickly whipped up a batch (I luckily had a box mix on hand) and they made his day. It's just part of my personality; I have to care for people. One way I do that is through food.

And though I care about people and love making food for them, I also have to eat. And boy, do I love eating! Good thing my metabolism can still keep up with this love. :) I love making a large dish at the beginning of the week and having it for dinner the rest of the week. Mainly, this is because my week gets busier as it goes and it's much faster to heat something up instead of making another meal later in the week. I do mix it up every now and then, though.

This recipe is one I made almost a month ago at the onset of the big blizzard to start February. My sister had made it and gave it good marks, so I figured it would be delicious. However, after making the dish and then speaking with her again, I realized I had made a small but significant error. The recipe calls for egg noodles. It means the kind you find in the pasta aisle. However, I think I must have combined ingredients from another recipe and thought I needed frozen egg noodles, like you find in chicken noodle soup. Like I said, small mistake with significant consequences. This dish was still delicious, but I'll have to try it again sometime the way it is supposed to be made! Also, perhaps I'll try it when I get married someday (whenever that is in the distant future) as it's called "Husband's Delight" and since I have no husband to delight I can't know if it's really good. Just kidding, of course. Perhaps I should call it "Myself Delight" since it filled my belly wonderfully. :)

This is a recipe that came from the binder my aunt made for me several years ago. I'm glad I have this recipe source; it has provided me many a delicious meal.

Husband's Delight

Ingredients:

1 pkg. egg noodles (NOT the frozen ones!)
26 oz. spaghetti sauce
8 oz. softened cream cheese
2 lbs. ground beef
8 oz. sour cream
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

Cook the noodles and place them in the bottom of a 9"x13" baking dish. Beat the cream cheese and sour cream together, then spread this mixture over the noodles. Brown the meat and drain the grease, then add the spaghetti sauce and stir together. Pour this over the ingredients already in the baking dish. Sprinkle (liberally) with shredded cheese. Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

It should turn out like lasagna without all the layers. Mine, obviously, was different since I used frozen egg noodles, but it was still delicious.

Kitchen Adventures 8.5

Social networking and information sharing are now an integrated part of our culture. Everything has a Facebook page, website, or newsletter it seems. I subscribe to several daily food emails, and these typically have a weekly themed newsletter that also includes highlighted recipes. This recipe is one I got from my Food Network weekly newsletter. I like this newsletter, and feel that is balances out my other newsletter, which is recipes submitted by "regular people" rather than the celebrity chefs on Food Network. It's nice to use those "celebrity" recipes too, though.

I liked this recipe and it was something different than I would normally make. This recipes was also a lesson in reading directions for me. Normally I will read an entire recipe before starting the cooking or baking process, but sometimes I just get so excited I only look at one step at a time. This got me in trouble this time as I did not use a large enough skillet and forgot to add a key ingredient until the very end. The nice thing about cooking, though, is that you can make that mistake and it will still turn out well! It taught me a good lesson, though, and from now on I plan to read the entire recipe before beginning my adventure. Also, you may substitute regular pasta for the whole wheat pasta, but it was nice to feel like I was being somewhat healthy while eating this. :)

This is from the Food Network Magazine via a Food Network email newsletter.

Penne with Vodka Sauce

Ingredients:

Kosher salt (I didn't use this)
12 oz. whole wheat penne pasta
1 28 oz. can whole plum tomatoes
1 T. butter
2 shallots, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/2 c. vodka
2/3 c. heavy cream
1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese, plus more for topping
Handful fresh basil leaves, torn, plus more for topping (I used dried basil and it worked fine)

Directions:

Bring a large pot of salted water to boiling. Add the penne and cook according to the directions. Remove 1/2 c. boiling water, then drain. Empty the tomatoes (drained) into a bowl and crush with your hands. (You could always buy crushed tomatoes, but this was actually a pretty quick step.)
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large skillet (really, sue a large one)over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vodka, tomatoes, and salt to taste. Return the pan to the heat and simmer, still stirring, until the alcohol cooks off, about 7 minutes. Stir in the heavy cream and cook until the sauce thickens, about 3m inutes. Stir in the parmesan and basil.
Add the pasta to the sauce (I added the sauce to the pasta that I had returned to the large pot as my skillet was not big enough) and toss to combine. Add in the reserve boiling water if necessary to loosen the sauce. Serve topped with more parmesan and basil.

This dish had a "tang" to it. I'm not sure if it was the sauce, the whole wheat pasta, or the combination. Either way, it was good!

Kitchen Adventures 8.4

Sometimes I end up making things for my main dish that other people, especially people with families, might make as a side dish. Since I don't have anyone else to please with my cooking, though, I can do whatever I want. :) This next recipe is one of those dishes.

I feel like this one could be a side, or a main dish, depending on the person and the menu. It is very simple and fairly quick to make, so if you're in a pinch for something fast for dinner it is a good one to try.

This recipe came from the binder that my aunt put together for the women of our family several years ago. I have gotten some great recipes form this binder, as have other members of my family. Family recipes are the best I always say! This is also a recipe I would classify a semi-homemade. Sandra Lee would approve I think. :)

Italian-Style Mac and Cheese

Ingredients:

1 pkg. (7.5 oz.) mac & cheese
1 c. Italian-style bread crumbs
2 T. butter

Directions:

Make mac & cheese according to box directions. Transfer to 7"x11" baking dish. Melt butter in microwave safe bowl, then add the bread crumbs and toss to combine. Sprinkle bread crumbs on top of mac &cheese. Just put enough on top to coat; you do not need to use them all if you have extra. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes.

Like I say, quick and easy. :)

Kitchen Adventures 8.3

Once again, I have a backlog of recipes. This happens often, I know. Fortunately, nature threw me a big excuse to blog with a massive winter storm yesterday and today. We had thundersleet last night, regular sleet, snow, crazy winds, and blizzard conditions. I went outside to take pictures and could only stay out a few minutes before my fingers got cold, and I was wearing good gloves! Suffice it to say, it's reaaallly cold here. I saw someone posted that it's colder in Oklahoma than some parts of Alaska. Now that just seems wrong to me, but so it is. On the positive side, I did not have to go to work today and I have the day off again tomorrow. The roads are nowhere close to clear, and I live right by the university, so hopefully they will be able to make progress tomorrow. It's been a great blessing for me, though, as I had things I needed to work on and now I have a weekend in the middle of my week to get them done! I also came down with a cold yesterday, so recovering at home is much better than being miserable at work or taking sick days.

The first recipe I'll share in my "weekend in the middle of the week" posting is a delicious cake I made for my friend Sally's going away party. I have known Sally almost three years and she just left last weekend (good timing on her part!) to join her boyfriend in Seattle. We will miss her here, but we know she'll have a wonderful life in Seattle! Anyway, I saw this recipe as a highlighted item in my Mixingbowl.com newsletter and decided it was just too delicious to pass up. It also helped that I had several of the necessary ingredients on hand that I would normally have had to buy as specialty items. I took the leftovers to work and one of my students said it was the best cake she has ever had. I don't know that I would go THAT far, but it's pretty close. :)

As a note, this is a pretty rich cake. Small slices will definitely be enough!

One-Bowl Chocolate Cake with Espresso Cream

Ingredients:

Cake--
1 c. buttermilk
1 c. water
2/3 c. oil
2 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 c. flour
3/4 c. cocoa powder

Cream Filling--
1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/4 c. sugar
1 tsp. instant espresso powder

Chocolate Glaze--
1/2 c. whipping cream
4 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans. (My mom always cuts out wax paper and puts it in the bottom instead. I should have done this as my layers stuck to the bottom.) In a very large bowl, whisk together the first seven ingredients for the cake until well combined. Add the flour and cocoa powder, and whisk until smooth. Divide batter between your prepared pans and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, baking until the top springs back at the touch. Cool on wire racks in pans for 10 minutes, then remove and cool completely on racks. I had to let mine sit longer than 10 minutes, so remove them whenever they seem ready to come out of the pans.
For the espresso cream: In a medium bowl, whisk together the cream cheese, sugar and espresso powder until blended.
Place one cake layer on a plate, then spread the espresso cream over that layer. Place the other layer on top of the cream mixture.
For the glaze: Bring the whipping cream to boiling in a saucepan over medium heat. Immediately remove from heat. Add the chocolate, but do not stir it in. Let it sit for 5 minutes, then stir it until it is smooth. Let it cool for 15 minutes, then pour over the top cake layer when thickened. Chill the cake for at least 30 minutes, then serve.

This may seem like a tricky recipe, but it is actually very easy. The results will be worth the effort!

Kitchen Adventures 8.2

As I sat down to share recipes today, I realized that I am not a very good blogger. A good blogger would post daily, or at least weekly. A good blogger would not store up so much information that multiple posts come out in quick succession in one day. However, that's how I roll. With a busy life and sometimes not really feeling like sitting on the computer at home after I have been sitting on one all day at work, rapid posts all at once is the end result. Also, I don't cook enough to have multiple posts a week. You'll notice most of the things I make feed more than one person. Since I only have to feed myself, things last longer. That's part of my plan--cook once a week and make it last. I have some family members that couldn't do it (ahem, Karen :) ), but it works for me.

Hence, here is the second post of the new year, shortly after the first. This is another good one from the Triple T youth group cookbook. This is also a recipe I have used for several years. This one was submitted by my Nana. Looking back, I'm really glad that we accepted recipes from many contributors for our cookbook when we were fundraising. This is how I have received most of the recipes I have from my Nana, and for someone working with history having little things like recipes passed down through generations is significant. The funny thing is, my mom also has a very similar recipe in the cookbook but I always use Nana's. Sorry Mom, your version was delicious at Christmas!

On a slightly irreverent note, this recipe recently has been making me think of a great Saturday Night Live skit. It's one of the great Alec Baldwin skits panning "Delicious Dish" on NPR. The innuendo throughout is ridiculously funny. Go to Youtube and search for "Schweddy Balls" and you will understand. I don't think a SNL affiliated person posted the video, so I'm not linking directly to it so I don't get in trouble with the Internet police. :)

Here, finally, is the recipe. Thanks again, Nana!

Barbequed Meatballs

Ingredients:

Meatballs--
1 lb. hamburger
1/2 c. milk
2/3 c. oatmeal
1 egg
1/3 tsp. salt
1/3 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
3 T. chopped onion (I omitted this)
1/3 tsp. chili powder
1/3 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. garlic powder

Sauce--
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. ketchup
1/2 tsp. dry mustard (I omitted this)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Directions:

Mix meatball ingredients well in large bowl and them form into small balls (2 inch). Place in greased casserole dish. I use a 7"x1" dish and it's perfect.
For the sauce, mix the ingredients and heat in small saucepan over medium heat. As soon as it starts bubbling remove from heat. Pour the sauce over the meatballs and bake at 350 degrees for one hour.

Kitchen Adventures 8.1

Here's to the first post of 2011! It's belated, I know. I seem to be doing lots of things belatedly thus far this year. Hopefully that will soon change! It's not that I haven't had time--three working days off in the past two weeks is really no excuse--but other more pressing issues always seem to arise to fill the days. And it's not even shopping (though a new pair of shoes would be nice, and maybe some jeans...). But I digress.

The first recipe contribution of the year comes from my trusted Triple T youth group cookbook, Homemade with Love. This recipe is one I have used for several years now, and every time I think about adding in spices and never do. So, if you make this, add in some different spices and let me know how it goes! This recipe was contributed by a family friend, and it was one of her family recipes. I hope you enjoy it!

Sunday Chicken Casserole

Ingredients:

1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of celery soup
1/4 lb. melted butter (1 stick)
1 1/2 c. minute rice
1/2 c. milk
6 chicken breasts
paprika
salt and pepper

Directions:

Mix together the soups, butter, milk and rice in a fairly large bowl. Pour this mixture into a greased 9"x13" baking pan. Place the chicken on top and season with paprika, salt and pepper. Be generous with the salt and pepper; I never seem to use enough. Bake covered with foil for 1 hour at 325 degrees, then remove the foil and continue baking for another 20 minutes.

Kitchen Adventures 7.3

Sometimes, there's nothing better than a good burger. I know it's not quite the time of year when most people think of making burgers since it's a little chilly for breaking out the grill (or at least it is today!) and tailgating season has ended, but I found a good variation that doesn't need a grill. This is good, since I don't have one. :)

I like this recipe because it jazzes up your traditional hamburger and does things a little differently. For one, it includes cheese, but not how you would think it does. This is not your typical cheeseburger that slaps a skinny piece of American cheese on top of a patty. No no, this one sticks the cheese INSIDE the burger and uses blue cheese. Pretty neat, huh? I liked it at least. Now, if you are not a blue cheese fan, then this recipe is probably not for you. The blue cheese is pretty prominent in every bite, so just be aware.

This recipe came from one of my Every Day with Rachael Ray magazines.

Inside-Out Cheeseburger

Ingredients:
1/4 c. crumbled blue cheese (2-3 oz.)
2 oz. cream cheese
2 T. chopped flat leaf parsley
1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
salt and pepper
2 T. vegetable oil (I used olive oil)
2 T. butter
4 hamburger buns, split and toasted
Toppings of your choice

Directions:
In a small bowl, mash the blue cheese and cream cheese together until smooth. Stir in the parsley (I used dry parsley, so if you do this remember to use less than the recipe calls for.) Divide the mixture into 4 disks and cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.
In a large bowl, season the beef with salt and pepper and mix well. (I like to add in a little Italian seasoning as well.)Form into 4 equally sized patties. Form a deep cavity in the center of each meat patty and place a cheese disk inside. Pull the meat together to completely cover the cheese disk. Make sure to do this or the cheese will leak out.
In a large skillet, heat the oil and butter over medium-high heat. Add the burgers and cook, about 4 minutes on each side. Serve on the buns with your choice of toppings. *Note: make sure to use enough meat. I only used 1 lb. and the cheese ended up leaking out since there wasn't enough meat to keep it sealed up. Still, it was delicious.

Here are a few pics: