Yummy little side dish...

So tonight I made these yummy little potato stacks. They were really easy but they took a long time to cook. My family loved them. I had them in the oven before I started making the pork chops with the roasted red pepper cream and everything was done at the same time. Thought I'd share the recipe! :)


Roasted Potato Stacks
Serves 4
Recipe courtesy of Gourmandrecipes.com




INGREDIENTS:
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. Russet potatoes
Salt and pepper
sprinkle dried thyme leaves








DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Make the garlic oil: combine the olive oil and garlic in a small saucepan and gently warm over low heat until fragrant but the garlic is not brown. Remove from the heat and set aside.
3. Peel the potatoes and thinly slice them with a mandolin.
4. Brush 8 muffin tins with thr garlic oil with a pastry brush. Layer a potato slice in the bottom of a muffin tin and brush it with a thin layer of garlic oil. Layer another slice of potato and brush it with the garlic oil. Repeat until it stacks up to the top of the muffin tin.
5. Repeat step 4 with a new muffin tin until you have a total of 8 potato stacks.
6. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the potato stacks with the dried thyme leaves.
7. Bake the potato stacks in the preheated oven for 35-45 minutes or until the potatoes are golden brown and cooked through.
8. Serve immediately with any main entrees.

Week Twelve Recipes and Shopping List

Day One:

Indoor BBQ Chicken Skewers
*can be done on an outdoor grill as well
adapted from a recipe in cooks country

Ingredients:
3 tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp paprika
½ tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp salt
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch chunks
1 cup bbq sauce
¼ cup cider vinegar
½ cup sour cream
2 tbsp minced fresh cilantro OR 1 tsp dried

Directions:
Adjust oven rack to highest position (about 5 inches from broiler element) and heat broiler. Set wire rack over rimmed baking sheet. Combine brown sugar, paprika, cumin, and salt in a large bowl. Add chicken and toss to coat. Thread seasoned chicken onto 12 inch skewers, either metal or bamboo soaked in water.

Whisk ¾ cup bbq sauce and 2 tbsp vinegar in small bowl. In second bowl combine sour cream, cilantro, bbq sauce and remaining vinegar; set aside for serving.

Brush each kebab with bbq sauce/vinegar mixture. Broil until lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Flip kebabs, brush with remaining sauce and continue to broil until chicken is lightly charred and cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Serve with sour cream sauce.


Day Two:

Margherita Pizza (Pizza Margherita)
recipe courtesy of food.com

Ingredients:
12 inches thin pizza crust ( Boboli 12 inch thin crust)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 -4 large basil leaves, cut into strips
2 small tomatoes, cut thinly
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons parmesan cheese
salt and pepper, to taste
crushed red pepper flakes, to taste (optional)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 450°F.
Drizzle the olive oil over the pizza shell. Use a brush to spread it around and make sure to get the crust!
Next, disperse the finely chopped garlic evenly.
Spread the mozzarella cheese throughout the top, but keep it thin.
Place the thinly sliced tomatoes across the entire pizza.
Lightly salt and pepper the tomatoes with the kosher salt.
Spread the fresh basil leaves, making sure to get some on tomatoes and on just the cheese itself.
Cook the pizza in the oven for about 9-10 minutes, or until sufficiently crispy and melted to your liking.
Add a little Parmesan cheese and (optional) crushed red pepper and enjoy!


Day Three:

Broccoli-Cheddar Soup
recipe courtesy Food Network Magazine
serves 4

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups half-and-half
1 pound russet potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 bay leaf
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 cups chopped broccoli florets
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
Croutons, for topping (optional)

Directions:
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and celery and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken broth, half-and-half, both potatoes, bay leaf, 2 cups water, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, put the broccoli in a microwave-safe bowl; add 3 tablespoons water and season with salt. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes; drain.

When the potatoes are tender, remove the bay leaf from the soup and transfer the soup to a blender. Puree until smooth, leaving the filler cap slightly open to let steam escape (or puree the soup in the pot with an immersion blender). Return the soup to the pot and thin with water, if necessary. Return to a simmer over medium-low heat; stir in the broccoli and season with salt and pepper.

Add the cheese and stir until melted. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with croutons, if desired.


Day Four:

Pork Chops with Roasted Red Pepper Cream
Recipe courtesy of cooks country

Ingredients:
4 bone in or center cut pork chops, about 1 inch thick
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
½ onion, sliced thin
6 garlic cloves, minced
¾ cup chicken broth
¾ cup heavy cream
1 (12 oz) jar roasted red peppers, drained & chopped
2 tsp light brown sugar
¼ cup chopped fresh basil OR 1/4 tsp dried basil leaves

Directions:
Pat chops dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chops and cook until well browned, about 5-7 minutes per side. Transfer to serving platter and tent with foil.

Reduce heat to medium. Add onion to empty skillet and cook until softened and browned, 1-2 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in broth, cream, roasted peppers, and sugar and simmer, scraping up any browned bits with a wooden spoon, until sauce is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Off heat, add any accumulated pork juices back to pan and stir in basil. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon sauce over chops. Serve.


Day Five:

Basil Garlic Shrimp Linguine
adapted from a recipe in cooks country


Ingredients:
1 pound large uncooked shrimp, peeled and deveined
Salt and pepper
1 ½ tbsp. olive oil
6 garlic cloves, minced
½ cup white wine
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil or 1 tbsp dried basil
3 tbsp butter, cut into pieces
1 tbsp capers, drained & minced
1 tsp lemon juice

1 pound linguine

Directions:
Pat shrimp dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tbsp oil in large non stick skillet over medium high heat. Add shrimp and cook until lightly browned, about 1 minute per side. Transfer to plate.

Heat salted water for linguine in a large pot. Cook 1 pound linguine according to package directions.

Meanwhile, Add remaining oil, garlic and a dash of pepper to empty skillet and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in wine and tomatoes and simmer until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Off heat, whisk in basil, butter, capers and lemon juice. Add shrimp and any accumulated juices to skillet. Cover and let sit until shrimp are heated through, about 5 minutes. Season with salt & pepper. Serve over cooked linguine.


Shopping List

Vegetable oil
Olive oil
crushed red pepper flakes
1 bay leaf
Kosher salt
Salt and pepper
brown sugar
paprika
ground cumin
dried basil (if not using fresh)

bbq sauce
cider vinegar
3 cups chicken broth
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 (12 oz) jar roasted red peppers
capers
white wine
lemon juice
Croutons (optional)

2 heads of garlic (14 cloves)
1 pkg fresh basil (if not using dried)
2 small tomatoes
2 medium onions
2 stalks celery
1 pound russet potatoes, about 4
1 pound sweet potatoes, 2 large
2 cups chopped broccoli florets
fresh cilantro

4 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons parmesan cheese
2 cups half-and-half
1/3 pound sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1 1/3 cups)
¾ cup heavy cream
3 tbsp butter, cut into pieces
½ cup sour cream

Boboli 12 inch thin crust
1 pound linguine
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch chunks
4 bone in or center cut pork chops, about 1 inch thick
1 pound large uncooked shrimp, peeled and deveined

Week Twelve Recipes Currently Being Tested!

Well my family is in the middle of another experimental week. Week twelve! Last night's indoor BBQ skewers turned out so good! Hopefully all the recipes will continue to be that way. New recipes should be up on Saturday! Keep checking back. :)

Week Eleven Recipes and Shopping List

Day One:

Pepper Steak:

Ingredients:
2 tbsp soy sauce, plus extra for passing at the table
1 pound sirloin steak tips, sliced very thin against the grain
1 cup plus 2 tbsp low sodium beef broth
2 tbsp dry sherry
4 tsp cornstarch
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 med red bell pepper, sliced thin
1 med green bell pepper, sliced thin
1 med onion, halved & sliced thin
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup canned diced tomatoes, drained
salt & pepper

Directions:
Toss soy sauce & steak in medium bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate while preparing other ingredients. Whisk 1 cip beef broth, sherry, and cornstarch together in medium bowl.

Heat 2 tsp oil in a large, nonstick skillet over med-high heat until shimmering. Add half of beef and cook, turning once, until browned at edges, about 2 minutes. Transfer to clean plate. Add 2 tsp oil to pan, repeat with remaining beef, and transfer to plate.

Add remaining 2 tsp oil to pan and heat until shimmering. Add peppers, onion and garlic and cook until just beginning to brown, about 4 minutes. Add remaining 2 tbsp beef broth, reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until peppers are soft, about 2 minutes.

Return beef to pan along with cornstarch mixture. Increase heat to high and simmer until sauce is thickened, about 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and season with salt & pepper. Serve immediately, passing extra soy sauce at table.



Day Two:

Chicken with Sun Dried Tomatoes

Ingredients:
3 tbsp olive oil
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 can cream of mushroom soup
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup thinly sliced sun dried tomatoes
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp dried basil leaves
4 cups hot cooked extra wide egg noodles
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Directions:
Heat 2 tbsp oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook 10 minutes or until well browned on both sides. Remove chicken from skillet.

Heat remaining oil in skillet over medium heat. Add shallot and cook and stir 2 minutes. Stir soup, water, tomatoes, vonegar and basil in skillet.

Return chicken to skillet and heat to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Cook 5 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Serve chicken and sauce over noodles. Sprintkle with cheese if desired.



Day Three:

Shrimp & Tortellini in Tomato Cream

Ingredients:
1 pkg (9 oz) refrigerated cheese tortellini
1/2 pound uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tbsp olive oil, divided
2 tsp grated lemon peel
1/4 tsp pepper, divided
dash crushed red pepper flakes
1 shallot, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 bottle clam juice (4 oz)
1/2 cup white wine
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves
1/4 cup grated parmesan
1/4 cup half & half cream
2 tsp dried basil
2 tsp dried chives

Directions:
Cook tortellini according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a nonstick skillet, cook shrimp in 2 tsp oil until shrimp turn pink. Stir in lemon peel, 1/8 tsp pepper and pepper flakes. Remove and keep warm.

In the same skillet, cook shallots in remaining oil over medium heat for 5-7 minutes or until gloden brown, stirring occasionally. Add garlic, cook 1 minute longer.

Add the tomatoes, clam juice, wine, vinegar, thyme and remaining pepper. Bring to a boil. Cook until liquid is reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, Stir in the cheese, cream, basil, chives and shrimp.

Drain tortellini; stir into shrimp mixture. Sprinkle with additional shredded cheese if desired.



Day Four:

Fish with Fennel

Ingredients:
1 medium lime
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 large fennel bulb, sliced
1/4 tsp salt
4 tsp olive oil, divided
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 striped bass or tilapia fillets
1 tbsp chopped fennel fronds

Directions:
Cut lime in half, cut four slices from one half for garnish. Finely grate enough peel from remaining half to measure 3/4 tsp. Squeeze juice from lime half. Set aside.

in a large saucepan, bring 1 inch of water to a boil. Add sliced fennel and salt; cover and boil for 6-10 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain and pat dry.

In a large, nonstick skillet, saute fennel in 2 tsp oil for 3 minutes. Add garlic; cook 1-2 minutes longer or until fennel is lightly browned. Remove from the pan and set aside.

In the same skillet over medium-high heat, cook fillets in remaining oil for 3-4 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Drizzle with lime juice; sprinkle with lime peel and fennel seeds. Serve with sauteed fennel. Garnish with fennel fronds and lime slices.



Day Five:

Southwest Frito Pie

Ingredients:
1 pound lean ground beef
1 1/2 tbsp chili powder
2 tbsp all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 cup water
1 can (15 oz) pinto beans, rinsed & drained
corn chips
shredded cheddar cheese
shredded lettuce
chopped tomatoes
chopped green onions
sliced black olives*
sour cream*
chopped fresh cilantro*
(*optional)

Directions:
In dutch oven, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in the chili powder, flour, salt and garlic powder until blended; gradually stir in water.

Add the beans. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 12-15 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally.

To serve, divide chips among serving bowls. Top with beef mixture, lettuce, cheese, tomatoes and onion; garnish with olives, sour cream and cilantro if desired.



Week Eleven Shopping List

1 pound lean ground beef
4 striped bass or tilapia fillets
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 pound sirloin steak tips
1 pkg (9 oz) refrigerated cheese tortellini
1 pound uncooked medium shrimp, peeled & deveined

1 can (15 oz) pinto beans
1 can cream of mushroom soup
3 cans diced tomatoes
1 8oz bottle clam juice
1 small can sliced black olives

Corn chips

Lettuce
1 tomato
2 medium onions
Fresh Garlic
3 shallots
1 fennel bulb
1 medium green pepper
1 medium red pepper
1 lemon
Sliced sun dried tomatoes

Red pepper flakes
Chili powder
Flour
Salt
Garlic powder
Sour cream*
Cilantro*
Olive oil
Salt & Pepper
Red wine vinegar
dried basil
dried chives
Soy sauce
Beef broth
Dry Sherry
Cornstarch
Vegetable oil
Balsamic vinegar
Dried thyme leaves
White wine

4 cups extra wide egg noodles

1/2 cup shredded parmesan
1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
¼ cup half & half cream

A New Week of Meals coming next weekend!

I need to apologize. Anyone NOT on my facebook page, or a friend in real life, probably doesn't know why I have disappeared as of late. I recently accepted a very exciting new DAYSHIFT position and in doing so I got very, very busy for a few weeks.

First there was the heartache of leaving a place that I truly loved working. That was hard. I had built up some great relationships in five years of being there. While it's true it's not goodbye forever, it is the realization that I don't get to see those people every day that made me sad.

So then after that, I had two weeks of travel in order to be trained for my new job. I left my husband with the children and I went travelling to a couple of different states for a couple of weeks. Not as glamorous as I had pictured. I'm all trained now, back in Arizona, and I'm in my first week of actually working in the building. I haven't done any real work yet but I will, starting next week.

I have enjoyed coming home before 5pm and cooking dinner with my husband. As long as we remember to pull out something the night before to defrost, we're good. We're flying by the seat of our pants as I get used to this routine. BUT I'M ON DAYSHIFT!!

I know what will help... It's time for some meal planning! By next Sunday I'll have a new week of recipes and a shopping list up. My new coworkers are fantastic so I think I'll be making some treats to break in our new breakroom... If I do, I'll post that recipe too. Salty Caramel Snickerdoodle Blondies..... yum! Thanks for your patience everyone! xoxo

Raspberry Muffins

So I had this recipe emailed to me and it looked really good. The recipe was actually for sugar crusted raspberry muffins but when I tried it, the batter wasn't sweet enough and the tops of the muffins stuck like glue to the top of the muffin tin. They weren't very pretty when I wrestled them out with a butter knife! So, as I always do, I made some modifications. Now they're sitting there, tempting me and every time I walk by I eat another one. This recipe is great for the friends back home that have raspberries ready in their gardens. I had to buy mine at the store but if I close my eyes I can pretend I picked them myself. Enjoy!

Raspberry Muffins adapted from a recipe from Real Simple



Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour, divided
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
3/4 cup milk
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups fresh raspberries (I used two 6oz containers)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat muffin tins generously with cooking spray or line with paper liners.

In mixing bowl combine 1 3/4 cups of the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add melted butter and combine. Add egg, milk and vanilla and combine until well blended.

In another bowl, toss the berries with the remaining flour. Don't worry if the berries break up. Fold the berry mixture into the batter.

Fill the muffin cups and bake 20 minutes for large muffins, 15 minutes for mini muffins, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Leave muffins in tins and allow to cool for 10 minutes before removing.

Makes 24 large muffins or 36 mini muffins.

Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies

So there's a big potluck at work tomorrow and I have been baking cookies like crazy all day! I baked two batches of chocolate chip cookies (recipe off the side of the Nestle toll house morsels package - still awesome after 50+ years) and two batches of oatmeal butterscotch (a favorite in this house). All in all about 20 dozen cookies. When I posted on facebook that I was doing this today a few friends messaged me and asked for the butterscotch cookie recipe. How can I not share? So if you want to try a really good cookie recipe that is just a little different, here you go! :)



Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies

Ingredients:
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
3 cups rolled oats
2 cups butterscotch chips

Directions:
Heat oven to 375 degrees.

In large bowl, beat the butter, white sugar and brown sugar together. Add the eggs and vanilla, beating well.

In a medium sized bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture; stir until blended. Stir in oats and butterscotch chips. Drop by tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes, until the edges begin to brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Makes about 5 dozen cookies.