Eggs Benedict - The Easy Way!

Last year, on Christmas morning, my mom made this for breakfast. NO ONE remembers eating it except for my husband and I. I don't know how you can't remember it, because it's so tasty. But then again, our Christmas mornings start with a bottle of champagne being opened, so I guess that would explain it.

If you love Eggs Benedict, give this a try. Or if you're just looking for a tasty new breakfast dish, do it up! When explaining this to people, I call it a deconstructed Eggs Benedict. It's not your traditional hollandaise sauce, but tasty nonetheless. I have made it for overnight guests and I made it and brought it with when we stayed with Andy's parents a few weeks ago. It's making me hungry thinking about it....

1 pound fresh asparagus (trimmed)

6 tbsp. butter or margarine

6 tbsp. flour

2 cups milk

1 1/4 cups chicken broth

1 pound Canadian bacon, cubed

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

12 hard-cooked eggs peeled and quartered

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (or to taste - I'd use a little less)

10-12 English muffins, warmed

Cut asparagus into 1/2 inch pieces. Cook in a small amount of boiling water until tender (or in microwave). Drain and set aside to cool.

Melt butter in a saucepan; stir in flour into smooth. Add milk and broth; bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes.

Add Canadian bacon and cheese; stir until the cheese melts.

Add eggs, salt, cayenne and asparagus, heat through. Serve over English muffins.

**Can be made ahead of time just don't heat through until ready to use. I always make this the day/night before. After you add all of the ingredients, make sure it's stirred together well. Transfer it into a bowl or a large tupperware container and store in the fridge. In the morning, reheat in microwave, or heat on stove. When it's single portions, I do the microwave, but for the whole recipe, I just throw it back on the stove until hot. Toast English muffins while you're waiting for it to reheat.

Enjoy!

Beef Stroganoff Casserole

I made this for dinner tonight and Evan insisted that I share it with you all.  He thought the husbands would enjoy it.  I was trying to use up some items I had in my pantry and it turned out really good.  As an added bonus, it is one of the easiest things I have ever whipped up.

Beef Stroganoff Casserole
1 lb 93/7 ground beef
1 medium onion
2 cans Golden Mushroom Soup
3/4 of a can of half and half
3/4 Cup of Quality Beef Broth
1 ounce of cream cheese
1 lb of Barilla Mostaccioli Pasta (without the ribs) - cook according to package directions just until al dente, drain well

Preheat oven to 425F.  Add some EVOO to a large skillet.  Dice and cook onion for a minute or two, adding salt and pepper.  Add Ground Beef (season with salt, pepper, and 1/2 t of garlic powder) and cook beef and onion together until cooked.  While cooking whisk together soup and half and half (add pepper to taste).  When beef is cooked add beef broth to the pan and scrape up any browned bits.  Add soup mixture and bring to a boil.  Boil for 3 minutes then whisk in cream cheese stirring constantly until combined.  (Note - add some Wondra Flour if it is not thick enough, like a tablespoon or two.)  Once combined remove from heat and add cooked noodles.  Fold together until combined.

Put mixture into 3 quart dish and bake at 425 for 15-20 minutes until slightly browned and bubbly.

This will easily serve 4-6 adults.

*Note - I have been using this paste stuff instead of buying Beef Broth that I thought I should share.  At one of the grocery stores we go to they do not have any Beef Broth that does not have MSG, so I have had to explore some other options.  I decided to try this stuff called "Superior Touch Better Than Bouillon Beef Base".  Ingredients seem solid and all you have to do to make a quart is boil water then dissolve 1 1/2 T of the base in it.  The best part for Chicago living is that it is a small 8 ounce jar and it will make 38 cups of beef broth over it's life.  Space saving is king for me right now.  Anyway, I never thought I would use a bouillon base and I actually like this one.  It has very deep roasted beef flavor.

Bolognese Alternative

Here's a delicious turkey bolognese that is good and good for you! 255 calories per serving (not including the noodles you serve it with). My husband made this the other night and it was simmering on the stove when I walked in the door - it smelled fantastic! Definitely give it a try. Makes a good amount, so if you're in need of leftovers for lunch during the week - you're in luck. Recipe found in Cuisine at Home.

1 tbsp. canola oil

1 lb. ground turkey breast

8 oz. bulk Italian turkey sausage

1/2 cup diced onion

1/2 cup diced carrot

1/2 cup diced celery

1 tbsp. minced garlic

1 cup 2% cottage cheese (I used low-fat, small curd)

1/4 cup tomato paste

1 big can diced tomatoes in juice (28 oz.)

1 cup dry red wine

2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar

1 tsp. each dried oregano and basil

1/2 tsp each kosher salt and red pepper flakes

1/2 cup neufchatel *

1 cup chopped fresh parsley **

* My store didn't have neufchatel (it would be by the cream cheese), so I bought 1/3 less fat cream cheese instead.

** If I had fresh parsley, I would've used it - Andy just threw some dried in at the end.

Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium-high. Add turkey breast and sausage breaking into smaller chunks; cook until browned. Process onion, carrot, celery and garlic in a food processor until minced; add to browned meat. Cook vegetables until softened, 5 minutes. Process cottage cheese in food processor until smooth, 2 minutes; stir into meat mixture in saute pan. Stir in tomato paste, cook 1 minute. Add tomatoes, wine, vinegar, oregano, basil, salt and pepper flakes. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer sauce 40-45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the neufchatel, stirring until melted, then stir in parsley.

Serve over cooked noodles of your choice. I also went to Great Harvest Bread and bought a small loaf of their Popeye bread to go along with this. It has spinach, roasted red pepper, garlic and chunks of parmesan cheese in it - delicious! If you have a store near you, give it a try. And best part about Great Harvest ... no preservatives! They have different breads offered every day of the week. Andy loooooves their cinnamon bread.

Help!!

Every time school starts again, I try and think of new lunches that I can make so that I do not have to buy my lunch everyday. It is complicated because I do not have a fridge or microwave so whatever I bring needs to be ok just staying in my backpack for the whole morning until lunch. I tried to choke down another sandwich today and simply just could not do it! I have tried making new kinds of sandwiches, thinking that would make it better- chicken salad, egg salad, BLT w/avocado- but, anything that goes in between two pieces of bread and is cold I think I am done with. Does anyone have any lunch ideas for me?

Baby, Its Cold Outside!!

Not sure if you've been outside recently, but I walked down the street to my favorite sandwich place to grab something quick for lunch, and seriously contemplated not returning to work for fear that my nose and ears would LITERALLY freeze off! Its cold out there, and unless you are like me and are heading to the Dominican Republic in a week (yes, I'm rubbing it in!!), its not going to warm up any time soon. I tried this recipe towards the beginning of spring and have yet to make it again, simply because I forgot I had it. Its a copycat of the Olive Garden's "Pasta E Fagioli" soup, and its pretty great. Makes a ton, too.. so you'll definitely have lunch the next day!

Pasta E Fagioli

- 1.5 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1/2 medium onion, chopped
- 1/4 cup chopped celery*
- 1/4 cup chopped carrots*
- 3 or more cloves minced garlic (I use 5, but I really like garlic!)
- 1 large can diced tomatoes and their juice
- 32 oz. (one box) beef stock or broth
- 12 oz. water
- 28 oz. (one jar) spaghetti sauce
- 1 cup each of red and white kidney beans
- 3/4 teaspoon tabasco sauce
- 1 tablespoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon pepper (more or less, to taste. I also added some red pepper flake for more bite)
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1/2 box any kind of small pasta, uncooked (I like the little tubes, like minestrone noodles)

* great tip for the carrots and celery: if you aren't the kind of person that regularly has these on hand, check out the deli section of your grocery store, by the salads. Ours (HyVee) always has a sandwich bag filled with carrots and celery for a fraction of the price of a full bag of each

- brown ground beef in oil in a large stockpot
- add onion, celery, carrots, and garlic; saute until tender
- add tomatoes and their juice, simmer for 5-10 minutes
- add beef stock, water, spaghetti sauce, beans, tabasco and seasonings. mix well to incorporate
- add noodles, cover and simmer for 30-40 minutes stirring occasionally as the noodles will cook in the broth and may stick to the bottom of your pot
- we served this topped with grated parmesan cheese and garlic breadsticks.

Superbowl Munchies!!

Well, with the Superbowl just around the corner (and since most of us have husbands who are Bears fans, we will DEFINITELY be watching, assuming they beat the Packers!!), I thought I'd share a few of my favorite "go to" party dips. These are all great for random snacking throughout the day, and for the most part are 5 or less ingredients. BONUS! :) Enjoy!


Pickle Wrap Dip -my father in law requests this every time we go over there for a game! Everyone loves pickle wraps, but as far as I can tell no one likes the time and effort it takes to make them. Solution:

- 2 (8oz) pkgs cream cheese, softened
- 4 pkgs Carl Budding Corned Beef
- 1 jar refrigerated pickle spears -I like Claussen best

-You'll want a pretty decent sized bowl for this. Find one, and put the cream cheese in it. Stir this around a bit to get it out of its square shape so its creamy.
-Next, chop up the 4 pkgs of corned beef (I usually cut them no larger than 1x1 inch square pieces) and throw this into the bowl.
-Finally, grab your pickles. Its up to you how many to use, but I typically use nearly the full jar. I place the spears on my cutting board so one of the flat sides is down, then cut out the seeds and squishy part of the center of the pickle. This is also optional, but I don't like the slimy parts. Once your spears are "gutted" chop them up into bite sized pieces and throw them into the bowl, too.
- In order to be able to mix well, I usually pour 1/4 to 1/2 of the pickle juice (strained) in as well. This adds more pickle flavor and makes it more dip like.
-Chill until ready to eat. Serve with your favorite cracker (good with Ritz!)


Buffalo Chicken Dip - this has always been a favorite of mine! you can bake it as indicated in the recipe, or just keep it in your crockpot on a low temp.

- 2 (8oz) pkgs cream cheese, softened
- about a cup of cooked or rotisserie chicken, shredded or in pieces
- 1 cup ranch dressing
- 3/4 cup red hot sauce (I like Frank's)
- shredded cheddar cheese

- beat together the cream cheese, ranch dressing, and red hot sauce
- fold in chicken
- pour into an oven safe casserole or pie dish
- bake at 350* for 15 minutes (or put in your crockpot)
- add shredded cheese to the top and bake for another 10-15 minutes, or until cheese is melted. if preparing in crock pot, I'd probably hold off on this until your dip is warm.
- serve with Fritos or tortilla chips


Beer Pretzel Dip - three of my favorite words, combined! :)

- 2 (8oz) pkgs cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup Miracle Whip (yes, you have to use this to achieve the right flavor)
- 1/4 cup beer (drink the rest!)
- 1 pkg Hidden Valley Ranch dip mix
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

- combine all of the above ingredients and chill for at least 2 hours, but longer to combine flavors. serve with pretzels.


Chili Cheese Dip - the best thing my mom ever made when we were kids. who knew it was SOOO simple?!

- 1 pkg velveeta cheese, cubed
- 1 can Hormel Chili (no beans)
- use these as much as you want to double or triple your recipe

- throw it in your crockpot and mix occasionally until combined. Once all melted together, turn your crockpot to "low" or "warm". Serve with tortilla chips or Fritos.

Fiesta Lime Chicken without the visit to Applebees...

I hate Applebees.  Every time I get duped into going there I leave with a stomach ache and a new story about bad service.  When I am forced to go there I get one dish - Fiesta Lime Chicken.  The Chicken is always poor quality, the cheese is overly greasy, the rice is flavorless and dead...but you realize all of that on the 10th bite, the 1st bite is always heaven for me.

So, I decided to try to recreate what I imagine the dish to be and I must say I really enjoyed it as our dinner tonight!

Fiesta Lime Chicken from my kitchen

1 Chicken Breast per person - I prepared 3 in order to have leftovers and because that is how many came in the package
1 bottle Lawry's Baja Chipotle Marinade - because I wanted a 30 minute marinade (1/4 btl reserved)
Monterey Jack Cheese
3/4 C Ken's Ranch Dressing
1/2 t Cumin
1/4 t Garlic Powder
1 Lime
Spanish Rice - either from a box of homemade

I marinaded the Chicken in the Lawry's for 30 minutes.

To make the sauce mix the Ranch Dressing, Cumin, Garlic Powder, 1/4 to 1/2 of the lime juiced (depending on how much you like lime) and 1/4 C of the unused Lawry's marinade.  Whisk together.

After the chicken was done in the marinade I put it in a pan with a little EVOO to sear on both sides.  After it was browned a bit I put it into an oven-safe dish and cooked it at 400 degrees until it was cooked through (about 12 minutes for my Chicken).  I then spooned the dressing mixture over the top in equal portions, topped with shredded cheese and put it under the broiler.  Leave it in the oven just until the cheese melts and not a second longer or the dressing will start to run.

Evan ate the dressing off his finger intermittently until the chicken was done.  Once it was done I put a helping of Spanish Rice on the plate and then put the Chicken Breast half on top.

A bit indulgent, but yummy!

5 Minute Mug Brownies

Ok.. a friend just emailed this to me and I'm kind of in love with it. I figure every woman needs a recipe that leads to chocolate cake/brownie in 5 minutes!!

Ingredients:
- A large coffee mug
- 4 tablespoons flour
- 4 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons cocoa
- 1 egg
- 3 tablespoons milk
- 3 tablespoons oil
- a splash of vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional - could probably use nuts too if you like that)


Directions:
1. combine dry ingredients in mug
2. add the egg and stir together
3. pour in the milk and oil, mix
4. add the vanilla extract and mix ins, stir
5. microwave for 3 minutes
6. allow to cool and tip out onto a plate
7. EAT

Grilled Chicken Lettuce Wraps

OK, I admit.. I haven't yet made these. Nor did I invent the recipe myself. I can take absolutely no credit for these aside from the fact that I was watching the Food Network one day and The Neelys were making them. I thought they looked really good, but didn't pursue the recipe. Well, about a week later I tuned to the FN again and there were The Neelys, making these again. Either my tv is telling me I need to eat healthier, or it recognized subconsciously that I really wanted to try these. Let's go with option #2... :) They contain a lot of ingredients, but I think would be worth trying. And for indoor cooking, just throw the chicken in a Foreman or under the broiler!

Ingredients

• 4 (8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup mango-peach jam (recommended: Stonewall Kitchens)
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon lime juice
• 1 teaspoon peeled, grated ginger
• 1/2 small jalapeno, seeded, ribs removed, and minced
• 12 ounces Boston or Bibb lettuce, leaves separated
• 3 green onions, thinly sliced on the bias
• Neely's Smoky Corn Salsa, recipe follows

Preheat a grill to medium-high heat.

Brush the chicken breasts with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Place the chicken on the grill and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until golden and brown. Flip the chicken and continue cooking for 3 to 4 minutes on the other side.

While the chicken is cooking, add the mango peach jam, soy sauce, lime juice, ginger, and jalapeno in a saucepan. Place the saucepan directly on the grill grates and let the glaze simmer 3 minutes so the flavors can marry together.

Brush the glaze on the chicken breasts during their last minute of cooking. Remove the chicken to a cutting board when done and brush again with glaze.

Shred the chicken with a fork, or dice with a knife.

Place the chicken in lettuce cups together on a platter. Sprinkle with green onions. Serve with Smoky Corn Salsa.

Neely's Smoky Corn Salsa:

• 4 ears corn, husked
• 2 teaspoons canola oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
• 1 small red onion, diced
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• 1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced
• 1 large garlic clove, peeled and very finely chopped, optional
• Juice of 1 lime

Preheat a grill to medium heat.

Rub the corn with canola oil, and season with salt and pepper. Grill or broil the corn ears for 7 minutes or until the ears are lightly browned. Remove corn from the grill and cool.

With your knife, slice the corn kernels from the cob and add to a bowl.

Add the tomatoes, onion, cilantro, jalapeno pepper, garlic, and lime juice and toss well. Season the salsa with salt and pepper, to taste.

Re: Resolution Time

I am back to cooking healthy as well.  Another reason I am looking forward to spring and summer is more opportunities to eat outside and weekends at the farmers market!  In that spirit here is one of my favorite recipes to make as a side dish or as a main meal for me.  I make it vegetarian, but I will list a few options for alternative versions below.

First I guess a funny story...I just noticed that apparently this recipe my Aunt gave me is titled "Cimpl Salad"...but as I have been calling it "Chimp Salad" for at least 4 years we will go with that!

"Chimp Salad" How I make it:

2 C Arborio Rice cooked to package directions - be very careful not to over cook or stir too much

1 yellow pepper or green pepper chopped you can also add 1 orange pepper if you would like to make it 3 total

1 red pepper chopped

1/2 of a red onion chopped

1 bunch cilantro

1 C Raisins

1 C Craisins

1 green apple chopped

Toss all of the ingredients  with 1/4 -1/2 bottle of Champagne Dressing - Silver Plate or Girards (triangle shaped bottle) works just fine.

The variations would be:
1. The recipe calls for Brown Rice - I have always used Arborio Rice when using rice, but I also made it with Barley once and it was good.  I think whatever your grain of choice is will work as long as that grain doesn't have it's own strong flavors.
2. The recipe would like you to add 2 C Chicken - sometimes I serve it alongside grilled chicken, but I have never added it in there.
3. Add 1C of Cashews or Almonds
4. You can really add in any veggies like broccoli and leave out the apple

The best part for me is it is so pretty and colorful to eat!

~-~-~-~-~

Another recipe that is a favorite in my house is Quiche!

A Basic Formula for Quiche Your Way

Pie Crust

make your own (keeps incredibly well in the fridge) or have your Dough Boy friend whip one up

6 eggs - sometimes 7 if you do not add a lot of bulky ingredients (I use large eggs)

1/2 to 2/3 cup or half & half or milk

6-8 ounces of meat chopped

Veggies

1&1/2 to 2 Cups Cheese - fresh grated is better for this

Press pie crust into pan; layer meat, then veggies, then cheese; beat egg and milk together; pour over the top of the quiche

Bake at 425 for 15 minutes then at 400 for 30-35 minutes until it is set and that pretty golden color on top

Let rest for about 5-10 minutes

Slice and enjoy

So that is the basic recipe three options would be:

1. saute 1 onion, 8-10 oz mushrooms, spinach and 1 red pepper - leave out meat - use swiss, mozz or provolone

2. buy turkey or ham lunch meat, slice; add frozen or steamed broccoli; use cheddar cheese

3. brown some sausage; 1 onion, 1 red pepper

Resolution Time...

And so the new year has begun, and my hubby has decided (for real this time) that he's going to diet. So after flipping through some of my mom's foodie magazines on Saturday, I found an interesting recipe for homemade granola. Andy eats yogurt 5-7 times a week, so I thought making some homemade granola would be fun. I'm not crazy about eating yogurt without some crunch in it, and well... I had most of the ingredients in my pantry! Here's what I did.

2 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats

1/2 cup to 3/4 cup rice krispies (because I had them)

1/4 cup wheat germ

1/2 cup flax seed (the store was out of flax seed - but if they had it, it would've made it in here)

3/4 cup slivered almonds

2 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. kosher salt

1 cup dried blueberries

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup maple syrup

Toast the oats, almonds, cinnamon and salt together in a large skillet until fragrant, 7-8 minutes. Combine everything else - with the exception of the maple syrup - in a large bowl. After toasting, add the toasted ingredients. Combine. Stir in maple syrup until well coated. Spread onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 18 minutes, mixing halfway through the baking process.

You could substitute any kind of nut in here, or add - but Andy isn't crazy on nuts. Could also add shredded coconut, but again - Andy doesn't like it. Honey or maple syrup would work as a binder. If I would've used honey, I would've put some vanilla in it too.

It's loaded with fiber! Flax seed is a great source for omega-3 and for those of you who are pregnant or are thinking about becoming pregnant - wheat germ is a great source for folic acid. And no - I am not pregnant, nor am I attempting to become pregnant or even thinking about procreating at this moment in time.

Any good healthy recipes out there that you are dying to share? I'm looking for some new options in our weekly menu.

"French"

I am going to attempt French Onion Soup tonight!  I had to search and search for a recipe that did not contain Sherry, Cognac, or something close to that.  I really do not care for cooking with these two ingredients.  Maybe if someone were to cook with me or give me a recipe where these things are the star and the recipe just would not been the same without them I would change my mind.  But, for now I prefer cooking with wine and beer.  Cheaper, better, and I actually enjoy drinking it while cooking.


So, after searching and searching I found a recipe from my food soul mate, Tyler Florence.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 4 onions, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 fresh thyme sprigs
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup red wine, about 1/2 bottle
• 3 heaping tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 quarts beef broth
• 1 baguette, sliced
• 1/2 pound grated Gruyere

Directions

Melt the stick of butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, and salt and pepper and cook until the onions are very soft and caramelized, about 25 minutes. Add the wine, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the wine has evaporated and the onions are dry, about 5 minutes. Discard the bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Dust the onions with the flour and give them a stir. Turn the heat down to medium low so the flour doesn't burn, and cook for 10 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste. Now add the beef broth, bring the soup back to a simmer, and cook for 10 minutes. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

When you're ready to eat, preheat the broiler. Arrange the baguette slices on a baking sheet in a single layer. Sprinkle the slices with the Gruyere and broil until bubbly and golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes.

Ladle the soup in bowls and float several of the Gruyere croutons on top.

Alternative method: Ladle the soup into bowls, top each with 2 slices of bread and top with cheese. Put the bowls into the oven to toast the bread and melt the cheese.

Happy New Year!

Wow!  The holidays have come to a close.  I'm sorry if you hate hearing that.  I despise when Christmas is over and the first thing out of someone's mouth is "well, glad that over, let's clean this up and move on."  The holiday's live in my heart and memory for a very long time.  They do not feel over to me and that is just fine!

We made Amanda's Peanut Butter Balls and those Oreo Truffles.  Both were a big hit.  We bought everything to make the Chai Cookies, but they did not get made unfortunately.  We were going to make sugar cookies with the littles and Chai cookies for the adults, but there is always a surplus of goodies at Grandma's house and we did not need to add to it more.

 We just got back to Chicago and I desperately need to go grocery shopping! :  )