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 9.2

Everyone loves a good party, right? I know I sure do! My friends and I like to gather and celebrate things, be it a big event like some one's birthday or a going away party or a sporting event. So, of course, we had to get together to watch the Super Bowl between the Packers and the Steelers. I made sure to wear my green sweater to urge the Pack on to victory, and I guess it worked! :) It was a good game, but we always end up socializing so much half the time we're not even paying attention. We just like each other too much I guess. :)

For any party, you have to have good party food. Snacky finger-food items are a must-have. In my binders of recipes I have an entire section for this type of food that I don't get to break into very often, so I deliberately planned to make some items from this section for the party. And I'm sure glad I did, because they were hits!

I took three things to the party. Of course we had too much food, because everyone else brought that much as well. Better to have extra than not enough, though! Two of the recipes I made are from Rachael Ray's magazine, Every Day with Rachael Ray. The other one is something my sister told me that is super quick and deceptively delicious and addictive. Hope you are able to use them at your next gathering!

Baked Potato Bites (from Every Day with Rachel Ray)

Ingredients:

4 red potatoes, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds and patted dry
1/2 c. olive oil
Salt
1/2 lb. bacon
1/3 c. sour cream
1/3 c. cream cheese
1 T finely chopped chives (I omitted these b/c I couldn't find them at the store)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degree. Toss the potato rounds in the olive oil, coating all sides. Place the potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet and season with salt. Arrange them in a single layer. Bake for 25 minutes, flip them over, and bake for another 10 minutes. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
2. While the potatoes are baking, cook the bacon until crisp and then crumble it; set aside. In a medium bowl, stir together the sour cream and cream cheese until smooth.
3. Arrange the potato slices in a single layer on a plate or serving dish and top each round with a spoonful of the cream mixture, some bacon bits, and chives. Serve warm.

Cheesy Corn Bites (from Every Day with Rachael Ray)

Ingredients:

8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
1 c. shredded pepper jack cheese
1 egg
1/2 c. frozen corn kernels
48 scoop-shaped tortilla chips
Chopped chives, for sprinkling

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together the cream cheese, pepper jack cheese, egg and corn.
2. Arrange the chips in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Spoon 1 T. of the cream cheese mixture into each chip. Bake until the filling sets, about 20 minutes.
3. Sprinkle with chives and serve warm.

Tortilla Roll-ups

Ingredients:

Tortillas, any size or kind (flour are better than corn for this)
8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
Taco seasoning

Directions:

Stir the softened cream cheese until it is smooth. Shake in taco seasoning to taste. Do this in stages so it does not get too strong. Spread the cream cheese mixture onto tortillas, making a thin layer of cheese on each tortilla. Roll up the tortillas, then slice them like a sushi roll.

This picture includes a couple of each item. Yummy!

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. :)