Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Mac n Cheese

My grandma taught me to make something like this when I was about 16. She has always been an amazing cook. I was so excited to find the recipe that I had to make it right away. I only made half of it because it's not fat free, and I really didn't want to be eating it all week.


4 Tbsp. butter, cut in pieces
1/2 lb. uncooked macaroni
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 c. milk
½ c. sour cream
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
½ tsp. dry mustard powder
4 c. grated cheddar


Preheat oven to 350. butter a 2 quart flameproof baking dish. In a large pot of boiling water, cook macaroni. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, mix together the butter, eggs, milk, sour cream, salt, pepper and mustard. Drain macaroni, transfer to a large bowl and stir in 2 c. cheese. Add egg and milk mixture and stir to combine. Pour into the baking dish and bake for 30 minutes, or until set. Top with remaining 2 c. cheese and put the baking dish under the broiler until bubbly and golden brown.

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Onion Lover's Bacon Cheeseburger

Okay, so I may not be losing any weight eating like this, but it was so good and so worth it. At least the onion rings are baked and not fried. That's something right?

Onion Rings:
olive oil
1 small sweet onion, cut into rings
1 egg, beaten
3 Tbsp. bread crumbs
1 tsp. salt

Burger:
2 slices bacon
1/2 c. sliced sweet onion
4 oz. ground beef
1/4 tsp. salt
burger bun
BBQ sauce
1 slice pepper jack cheese

Preheat the oven to 400. Brush a baking sheet with olive oil. Seperate the onion into rings. Dip in egg and then into bread crumbs mixed with salt. Place on baking sheet and brush with olive oil. Bake on the lower rack of the oven for 6 min. then flip and bake for 10 min.

Cook the bacon in a skillet until the fat starts to melt, then add the sweet onion. Cook until the bacon is cooked and the onion is tender.

Form the beef into a patty and season with salt. Cook until no longer pink and serve on the bun with cheese, BBQ sauce, onions strips and onion rings. YUM, YUM!!

*Note that this recipe is only for one serving

Monday, November 2, 2009

Chick-fil-a chicken strips

Chick-fil-a is one of my favorite places to eat. There isn't one in Idaho Falls, so I have been very excited to eat here in Texas.

1 boneless, skinless chicken breast
2 tsp. flour
2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
1/8 tsp. onion powder
1/8 tsp. cayenne
olive oil
1 egg white
1 1/2 tsp. milk
3 Tbsp. dry bread crumbs

pound the chicken flat and cut into 6 pieces. Combine flour, sugar, salt, paprike, ground black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and cayenne in a small bag. Shake the chicken in the mixture. Place in refrigerator for 10 minutes. Preheat the oven to 450 and brush a baking sheet with olive oil.

Combine the egg white and milk in a bowl. Spread bread crumbs on wax paper. Dip chicken in egg and then in crumbs. Place on baking sheet. Lightly brush with olive oil. Bake until bo longer pink inside.

Wendy's Spicy Chicken Fillet

I've never actually had a spicy chicken fillet, but it is Samantha's favorite, so we tried making them and she said it tasted a lot like the real thing. Marshall thought it was a little too spicy. Either way it was quite a tasty meal, and since it's baked and not fried it is healthier too. Note that this recipe is only for one sandwich.


1 tsp. flour
1/4 tsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tspcayenne
1/4 salt
pinch of garlic powder
pinch of turmeric
boneless, skinless chicken breast, pounded 1/2" thick
olive oil
1 egg white
1 tsp. milk
3 1/2 Tbsp. panko crumbs
ground black pepper
hamburger bun or kaiser roll
lettuce
tomato
mayo

combine flour, cornstarch, paprika, cayenne, salt, garlic powder, and turmeric in a small bag. Ske to mix and add chicken. Shake to coat. Place in the refrigerator for 10 minutes.

preheat oven to 450. Brush olive oil on a baking sheet. Combine egg white and milk in a small bowl. Spread the panko crumbs on wax paper. Dip chicken in egg and then in panko crumbs. Repeat dipping into egg and then in panko crumbs. Place on baking sheet. Lightly brush with olive oil on both sides and season with black pepper. bake until chicken is cooked through.

Toast the bun and spread with mayo, then chicken, lettuce and tomato.

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Spaghetti with Meat Sauce

I like this so much better than the canned spaghetti sauce. The tomato flavor isn't so strong, which is a plus for me. Definitely one I'll make again. From The Comfort Table.

2 lbs. ground beef (I only used one. That's too much meat for me)
1 medium yellow onion, grated
1-12 oz. can tomato paste
1-16 oz. can tomato sauce
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. garlic salt
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
2 bay leaves
1 Tbsp. white vinegar
1 lb. spaghetti

In a stock pot combine the beef (do not brown first, onion, tomato paste, tomato sauce, 2 c. water, sugar, chili powder, garlic salt, salt and pepper. Mix until combined. Add the bay leaves. Cover and simmer over medium low heat for approximately 2 hours. Stir in the vinegar and simmer another 30 minutes. Meanwhile, cook spaghetti and then top with meat sauce. (I only used half the sauce on my spaghetti, so i froze the other half and saved it for a night when I needed to make dinner quickly.)

Italian Sausage and Provolone Flat Pie

This was just so easy and simple, yet tasted so good. Samantha and Amy made sure they took leftovers for lunch the next day.

1 pkg. puff pastry
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
3/4 lb. sweet or hot Italian sausage, casings removed
1 1/2 c. grated provolone
1 egg, lightly beaten

On a lightly floured surface, unfold the pastry dough and roll into a rectangle. Cut in half and transfer to the refrigerator for 20 minutes.

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage, breaking it up with a wooden spoon and brown for about 10 minutes. Spoon the sausage onto a pastry rectangle, leaving a 1 inch border. Top with provolone. Using a pastry brush, brush the border with the egg. Lay the second rectangle over the filling and press gently to seal. Refrigerate fro another 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 375. Brush the entire top of the pastry with the egg. Gently cut 5 three inch vents in teh top. Bake, rotating once, for 35-40 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Baked Gnocchi

This was a terrific dish, although I think I should have done 2 batches of the Gnocchi. I posted the recipe for the Gnocchi just before this one. The recipe says that using the vacuum packed gnocchi from the store works just as well as fresh, but I wouldn't be me if I didn't try out the homemade stuff.

2 pkg. gnocchi
3 c. heavy cream
1 c. reduced sodium chicken broth
1/4 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
12 oz. baby spinach
3 oz. goat cheese
1/2 c. freshly grated parmesan

Preheat the oven to 400. Place the gnocchi in a lightly greased 9 x 13 pan. Set aside. In a medium saucepan whisk together cream, chicken broth, and flour over medium heat. COntinue whisking until sauce is simmering and thickened, about 5 minutes. Add the salt, pepper and nutmeg. Add spinach and toss to coat in the cream. Pour over the gnocchi. Crumble goat cheese on top and sprinkle with parmesan. Bake 30 min.