Summer Greens, Strawberry, and Rotini Salad

A few weeks ago my friend Julie texted me this recipe saying how much her and her husband loved it.  I was anxious to try it because it sounded delicious and so summery.  And after I made it, it only took me seconds to come to the conclusion that IT IS!

As with most salads, you can alter the measurements to your liking.  The next time I will probably add a small handful of copped green onions on top, but with or without onions, this salad is perfect on a summer's evening.

If you have leftover chicken, or you cook your chicken ahead of time, this recipe really does come together so quickly.  Dinners that can be made and served in under 30 minutes on any night of the week are AWESOME!

Summer Greens, Strawberry, and Rotini Salad
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients
*1 large chicken breast, cooked and chopped or shredded
3-4 cups Rotini pasta, cooked
3 cups mixed greens
1 cup strawberries, rinsed and sliced
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted
1/2 cup Feta cheese, crumbled
Italian dressing

Directions

Cook pasta according to directions on the box.  Rinse the cooked noodles under cold water and drain completely.  Add noodles, chicken, mixed greens, strawberries, almonds, and feta to a large salad bowl and combine well.  Then either add the desired amount of Italian dressing over the whole salad and combine once more until evenly coated or dish each plate individually and add the dressing separately to each plate.  Enjoy right away.

*Lately, I really like cooking chicken this way: Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.  Line a baking sheet with foil. Place the chicken on the foil, brush with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.  Once chicken has cooled a little either dice it or shred it.

Recipe Source: my good friend, Julie Field who adapted it from Runner's World. 

Classic Chicken Pot Pie

I love a good chicken pot pie.  I really like pie crust and I really like a good creamy filling.  Then pack it with veggies and some flavorful chicken and call me when dinner is ready!  Even though I'll be calling you when dinner is ready.  ;)   

This pot pie meets all of those requirements.  Yummy crust (already made!), lots of veggies, flavorful chicken, and the thing I love most is the creamy filling.  Really doesn't take very long to put together and I clean up the dishes while the pie is baking so once it's done the after-dinner clean up is simple and fast.

Classic Chicken Pot Pie

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

*1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts (cooked and cubed or shredded)

1 1/2 cups diced or sliced carrots

1 cup frozen peas

1 cup celery

1/3 cup butter

1 medium onion, chopped

1/3 cup all-purpose four

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1 3/4 cups chicken broth

2/3 cup milk

2 (9-inch) frozen pie crusts, thawed

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.  Grease a 9-inch pie plate and place one thawed pie shell in the pie plate, pressing to mold.  Set aside.

In a pot combine the carrots, peas, and celery.  Add water (and a little bit of salt) to cover and boil on stove-top for 10 minutes.  Add the cooked chicken the last few minutes to heat through.  Drain and set aside.

In a saucepan, over medium heat, cook onions in butter until soft and translucent, about 3-5 minutes.  Whisk in flour, salt, and pepper.  Slowly stir in chicken broth and milk.  Simmer over medium-low heat until thickened, just a few minutes.  Remove from heat and set aside.

Place the chicken mixture in the prepared pie plate.  Pour hot liquid mixture over the top.  Cover with the other thawed pie crust, sealing edges, and cutting away excess dough.  Make slits on the top crust to allow steam to escape.

Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly.  Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

*My favorite way to cook chicken right now is line a cookie sheet with tin foil, place the chicken breast on the foil, brush it with olive oil, sprinkle some salt and cracked pepper over the top and bake it at 425 degrees F for 20-25 minutes (until the internal temperature reads 165 degrees F).

Recipe Source: adapted from allrecipes.com

Smokey Black Bean Stew

 

I really, really, really like this stew.  It doesn't matter if it's hot outside, I'll make it and love it.  I love the combination of the fresh avocados and cold sour cream with the smoky flavor that this stew has.  And just as much as I love the taste of this stew, I love the fact that it comes together in about 20 minutes (and is packed with protein and veggies!).  It is a perfect meal to make on a busy night or when you aren't really in the mood for cooking but you can't get yourself to spend money on eating out or feeding your kid's macaroni and cheese yet again.  And the stove really is on for only about 20 minutes so it doesn't heat up your house if you're making this on a summer's evening.

And you know what goes heavenly with this stew?  These Texas Roadhouse Rolls.  Oh so good, really.

Smoky Black Bean Stew
Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients
2 teaspoons canola oil
1 onion, diced
1 carrot, sliced thinly
2 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 red pepper, sliced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 avocado
1 lime
sour cream, optional

Directions
In a large pot, heat oil over medium-high heat.  Add the onion and carrot and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally (until softened).

Add the black beans, broth, red pepper, thyme, cumin, salt, and black pepper.  Increase the heat and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 15 minutes, or until thickened a little.

Meanwhile, dice the avocado and cut the lime wedges.

Serve the stew into bowls and top with diced avocado, a touch of fresh lime juice, and sour cream if desired.

Recipe Source: adapted from the recipe in Runner's World, Meals on the Run.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake {Super Fun!}

We love this cookie cake.  I have to admit I made it twice within a 10-day period.  It is that good.  And I really don't think it compares at all to store-bought cookie cakes.  This one is much, much better.  It is so so so soft, and stays that way for days - even though this cake doesn't stay around that long.  I also love the hint of vanilla pudding I can taste in it.  It's really subtle, but if you made the cake and you know it's in there then you'll be able to pick it out and I really like it.  Adding some colorful summery sprinkles on top makes it extra fun.

The ganache icing is super easy.  It's pretty rich so sometimes I only half the recipe, but it goes pretty perfectly with this cookie cake since it's just chocolate chips and heavy whipping cream.  Pretty easy.

 

A slice of this cake + a cold glass of milk = happiness.  (My toddler is sitting on my lap right now as I type this and he's pointing at the screen saying "Oooooo.  Mmmmmmm."  He doesn't talk yet but I know inside he's saying "I want some of that cookie cake.")

Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake
Yield: One 9" Cookie Cake

Ingredients
Ganache Frosting
6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
4 ounces heavy whipping cream

Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 (3.4 oz) box instant vanilla pudding mix
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, unbleached
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 cup + 2 tablespoons semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions
You will want to prepare the frosting before you start making the cake since it needs to set up before whipping.  Pour heavy whipping cream in a small saucepan and heat on the stove-top until very hot, but not boiling.  Place chocolate chips in a medium-sized bowl and pour hot whipping cream on top.  DO NOT STIR.  Let the cream sit over the top of the chocolate chips for 3 minutes without stirring.  Start whisking chocolate from center - outward until everything is completely smooth and combined.  Chocolate sauce should have a smooth velvety texture.  Cover loosely with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for about an hour and a half, coming back every 30 minutes or so to stir it.

While frosting is in the refrigerator start the cake.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease a 9" springform round pan.  (A normal round cake pan will work too, just a little harder to get the cake out.)  Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine brown sugar and butter.  Beat until smooth.  Add egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and beat until completely combined.  Pour in pudding mix, flour, baking soda, and salt and stir until just combined.  Try not to over-mix.  Fold in 1 cup of chocolate chips until evenly distributed.

Press dough into prepared pan until even and level.  Sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons of chocolate chips onto the top of the cake and press down gently pushing the chips partway into the dough.  Bake between 22-26 minutes or until the top/center starts to golden slightly.  Cookie may look undone in the middle but it will set up when it cools and stay extra soft.  (Last time I cooked mine for 23 minutes and it was still way soft, maybe a little too soft for me, but just the way my husband likes it.)  Allow the cookie cake to cool completely in the pan.

Once cookie cake is completely cool, finish preparing the frosting.  Ganache is ready when the texture is firm but still soft and spoonable.  I usually take mine out of the refrigerator after about 90 minutes and let it soften a bit on the counter before I whip it together.  Using hand beaters, whip frosting for 3 minutes on high until slightly lighter in color and smooth.  Spoon frosting into a piping bag or other frosting decor kit and using the open star tip, pipe frosting around the edges.

Cookie cake will stay soft and fresh for up to one week in an airtight container.

Recipe Source: sprinklesomesugar.com  

Chicken Parmesan

When I was at my dad's house a few weeks ago he gave me Ann Romney's cookbook, The Romney Family Table.  I had so much fun thumbing through the pages with some of my sisters and got excited to start trying some of her recipes.  Last week I sat down and dog-eared some of the pages I wanted to try.

There has been more than one time when Colby and I have gone out to eat together and he has ordered Chicken Parmesan.  I've tried a few times to make homemade Chicken Parmesan but neither of us have ever loved any of the recipes I've tried.  That is, until now!  Ann's Chicken Parmesan was perfect.  I'd say even better than some served in restaurants.  Sometimes I've been intimidated by making Chicken Parmesan because it seems like a lot of work, but this recipe really isn't!  You do need three separate bowls for dipping, but that's it and that's really not a lot of work, just a few more spaces that fill up the dishwasher, right?  This recipe is so good.  You really should give it a try.  

I served it on top of spaghetti noodles with some spaghetti sauce and grated Parmesan cheese on top, but this Chicken Parmesan is so juicy and yummy that eating it plain or with a sprinkle of lemon juice on top would still be just as satisfying.

Chicken Parmesan

Yield: 6 chicken breasts

Ingredients

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/2 cup flour

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 eggs

1 cup Italian-styled seasoned bread crumbs

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

Using a sharp knife, slice chicken breasts in half horizontally.  If the breasts are not very uniform in size, take something heavy (or a meat mallet), cover the top of the breasts with plastic wrap and flatten the breasts until they are about 1/2-inch thick.

In a shallow bowl, combine the flour, salt, and pepper.  In a separate bowl beat the eggs.  In a third bowl, whisk together the bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Melt 1 tablespoon butter with 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Dip chicken in flour mixture, then egg, then bread crumb mixture.  Add 3 chicken breasts to the skillet and brown nicely on both sides (about 4 minutes on each side).  You may want to reduce the heat to medium-low if it is starting to brown to quickly.  Add the last tablespoon of butter and olive oil to the skillet and brown the remaining 3 chicken breasts.  Place browned chicken in a greased 9x13-inch glass dish and finish cooking for about 20 minutes in the oven.

Recipe Source: adapted slightly from The Romney Family Table cookbook.

Lion House Dinner Rolls

Behind these One Hour Dinner Rolls, these Lion House Dinner Rolls come next in line as are our family's favorite rolls.  Our little growing family of 6 has devoured all 24 + of these in two days flat many a times.  They take a little more time than the One Hour Dinner Rolls, but they also make about twice as many rolls so when I have a little extra time I like to make these.  

These also freeze beautifully.  After a day, if I know we aren't going to eat them all within another day or so, I place them in a gallon-sized ziplock freezer bag and put them in the freezer.  Then whenever we want one (or some) I just put them in the microwave for anywhere between 30 and 90 seconds (depending on how many we're warming up) and presto - delicious homemade rolls all over again.

I've known some people who brush melted butter on the dough after they've rolled it out in a rectangle before they slice each individual roll, or others who brush melted butter on the top of them right after they get out of the oven.  Either way would be delicious, I just tend to not do this to decrease the butter content - although my favorite thing to do a few minutes after these babies get out of the oven is to slice one in half and spread butter in the middle.  Oops, but oh, so good. 

Lion House Dinner Rolls

Yield: Makes about 2 dozen rolls

Note: If you are using active dry yeast you will want to increase the amount to 2 tablespoons instead of 1 1/2 tablespoons.  You will also need to proof the yeast before continuing with the recipe - combine the yeast and water and let stand for 5 minutes and then continue with the recipe directions.

The amount of flour will vary.  I almost always end up using 6 cups, but sometimes I only need 5 1/2 cups.  You will just need to go by sight and feel to know if you need to keep adding more flour or not.  After 5 cups of flour just watch it carefully as it kneads to know if you need to add more or not.

Ingredients

1 1/2 tablespoons instant yeast

2 cups warm water

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup butter, softened

1 egg

2 1/2 teaspoons salt

2/3 cup nonfat dry milk

5 - 6 cups all purpose flour, unbleached

Directions

In a large bowl of a stand mixer, combine the yeast, water, sugar, butter, egg, salt, dry milk, and 3 cups of the flour.  Beat together until everything starts to come together then gradually add the rest of the flour.  (Look at the note above.)  You want the dough to pull away from the sides of the bowl.  You want it to be soft but not sticky.  Knead the dough for 5 minutes.  Once the dough is smooth and elastic, place it in a lightly greased large bowl and cover it with greased plastic wrap.  Allow it to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Separate the dough into two equal portions.  Roll each portion out ta an 11x14-inch rectangle.  Cut the dough horizontally into two portions.  Then slice the dough into five or six strips vertically.  You should now have 10-12 small rectangles of dough.  Roll each small rectangle up like a snail and place on a silpat lined baking sheet or baking stone.  Place the open edge portion down so it doesn't open up on top.  Repeat with the second portion of dough.  Cover the rolls with lightly greased plastic wrap and allow to rise again until doubled in size.

Bake at 350 degrees F for about 15 minutes, until they are golden on top.  

   

Recipe Source: from The Lion House

4 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies (Gluten Free)

These wonderful little cookies require only four ingredients!  And no flour which make them perfect for gluten-free diets!  Chances are you already have the ingredients in your home.  So if you're craving something sweet but want to be able to whip something together in a snap and not have a big mess to clean up afterwards these cookies are for you!

Add everything in a bowl...  

Mix together until all is blended...

Scoop out and place on cookie sheet, then gotta add the little fork prints to give it that classic peanut butter cookie look.

Bake for 15 minutes and wah-lah!  I like how they don't come out super flat or crunchy.  Next time I make these I might even decrease the time to 13 minutes because we like really soft cookies around here.

4 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies
Yield: 13 decent-sized cookies

Ingredients
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup peanut butter
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  In a large bowl, cream together all of the ingredients with a hand mixer until creamy.  Using a cookie scoop, scoop out the dough and roll it into balls.  Place about 1-inch apart on a silpat lined or greased cookie sheet.  Flatten gently with the tines of a fork.  Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove to wire racks and allow to cool.

*This cookie can be made with lots of variations.  You can place a mini-sized Reese's cup or Rolo in the center of each cookie dough ball or add chocolate chips or chopped peanuts and then bake as directed.  

Recipe Source: Southern Living.

White Chili

I know it's the middle of the summer and soup might not be the most normal thing to serve on a summer's evening, but this White Chili recipe is so easy, doesn't heat up the house, and tastes just as delicious on a warm summer's evening as it does on a cold winter's night.  I make this chili year-round and never get complaints.  In fact, whenever I have guests over and I make this I usually get asked to share the recipe.  So... I wanted to share it with all of you!

This is great to make when you can prepare ahead and have some leftover chicken in the fridge.  Then really - you just have to toss all the ingredients in the slow cooker, go and enjoy your busy or relaxing summer's day, and when it's dinner-time and everyone is hungry and you are too tired to make something dinner is already done!  Oh, I love nights like those.

White Chili
Yield: 6-8 servings

Ingredients
3 (15oz) cans of Great Northern Beans, drained
8 oz chicken, cooked and shredded
1 cup onions, chopped
1 1/2 cups bell pepper (any color)
2 garlic cloves
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 cups chicken broth

Optional Toppings:
shredded cheese
sour cream
tortilla chips

Directions
Combine all the ingredients in a slow cooker and cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-5 hours.  Serve with cheddar cheese, sour cream, and chips if desired.

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

These cookies.  I love them.  They take me back to the semester I lived in Hawaii.  Paradise!  I think these cookies are a great combination of sweet with a tad bit of salty.  In our house, we love our chocolate chip cookies but every once in awhile you need a change (at least I do - my kids and husband would probably disagree with me) and these cookies are a great change to add to the rotating cookie list.

Love the soft centers with the chunks of white chocolate and macadamia nuts.

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

Yield: About 16 cookies

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour, unbleached

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

1/2 cup white chocolate chips

1/2 cup coarsely chopped salted macadamia nuts

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silpat liners.  Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.  Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugars until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes).  Add the egg, vanilla, and almond extracts.  Add the flour mixture and beat until everything is evenly combined.  Stir in the white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts until evenly distributed.

Roll two heaping tablespoons of dough into a ball.  Tear the ball in half and place the torn side down on the cookie sheet.  Take the second half and place it on top of the first half with the torn part facing up.  Like this:

Leave about two inches between each cookie for spreading.  Bake for 12 minutes or until the edges are very slightly browned.  The centers might not look all the way done but the cookies will finish cooking while cooling on the cookie sheet.  Leave the cookies on the sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack and allowing them to cool completely.  Store in an airtight container for up to 7 days.

Recipe Source: thenovicechefblog.com

Oatmeal Banana Chocolate Chip Energy Bars

 

I hope you all had a wonderful 4th of July weekend filled with fun, family, friends and fireworks!  A break from normal every-day-life is wonderful and very much needed every once in a while, but then it's always nice to get back into the normal routine; including sharing my favorite recipes with you!  

These little jam-packed energy bars are ooey, gooey, easy to make and so yummy.  A perfect treat to make when you have bananas you need to use up.  And using coconut oil and oats and bananas and spices makes these healthy, right?  That's what I say when I find myself going back every few minutes to even the pan out.  I hope you enjoy them!

Oatmeal Banana Chocolate Chip Energy Bars

Yield: 16 squares

Ingredients

2 bananas, ripe

3/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup coconut oil, melted

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

3/4 cup all-purpose flour, unbleached

2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Line a 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper then spray with non-stick cooking spray.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, mash the bananas then add the brown sugar, oil and vanilla.  With an electric mixer mix until smooth.

In a separate large bowl, whisk together the baking power, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, flour and oats.  Add the banana mixture and stir until almost all the way combined then add in the chocolate chips and finish stirring until just combined.

Pour the mixture into the baking pan and spread evenly.  Bake for 20 minutes or until the top puffs up and is golden brown.  Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool completely.  Remove the bars by lifting up the parchment paper then cut into 16 squares.  Store in an airtight container.

Recipe Source: adapted from one of my favorite cookbooks: Runner's World, Meals on the Run.

Patriotic White Chocolate Popcorn

This popcorn is such a fun 4th of July treat.  It would be great to snack on while watching fireworks!  And what makes this recipe even more fun is you can change up the M&M's depending on the upcoming holiday and enjoy this little treat for many different occasions; orange and black M&M's for Halloween or green and red M&M's for Christmas, etc. and the white chocolate popcorn stays the same.  It really takes just about 5 minutes to put together then a few more minutes to cool and that's it.    

Patriotic White Chocolate Popcorn

Yield: about 12 servings

Ingredients

7 cups popped popcorn, plain

1 1/2 cups white chocolate

1 cup red, white and blue M&M's

Directions

Line and large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.  Pop the popcorn then spread it out onto the baking sheet.

Fill up a small sauce pan about 1/3 of the way with water.  Place the white chocolate into a bowl and put the bowl on top of the pot filled with water.  Turn the stove-top on and as the water comes to a boil stir the white chocolate with a rubber spatula.  It will begin to melt.  (The is the double boiler method).  Continue stirring until all the chocolate has melted and is smooth.  Pour the chocolate over the popcorn and carefully toss until all the popcorn is coated.  Sprinkle the M&M's on top.  Allow the chocolate to cool for 20 minutes before serving.  Store any leftovers in an airtight container or ziplock bag.

Recipe Source: adapted from a pumpkin and a princess