Chorizo and Fried Egg Sandwiches

Do I really need to say anything about that sandwich?! It was delicious!!! An awesome combination of flavors and a great break from our standard dinner. The girls even ate the egg on theirs (and they are weird about eggs lately). I ate mine on ricecakes and still loved it :-)! Oh, and This recipe is one from Rachael Ray.

Ingredients:
* 1 avocado, peeled and chopped
* 1 large tomato, chopped
* 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
* 1/4 cup cilantro, coarsely chopped
* 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
* Juice of 1/2 lime
* Salt and pepper
* 12 ounces fresh chorizo, divided into 4 patties
* 4 eggs
* 4 ciabatta or french-style rolls, split and toasted

Directions:
1. In a medium bowl, combine the avocado, tomato, onion, cilantro, 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil and the lime juice; season with salt.
2. In a large nonstick skillet, cook the sausage patties, turning once, for 5 minutes; transfer to a plate. Add the remaining 1/2 tablespoon olive oil to the skillet, then fry the eggs; season with salt and pepper.
3. Divide the avocado salad among the roll bottoms. Layer with the sausage patties, fried eggs and the roll tops; serve at once.

Cranberry Pear Tossed Salad

I went looking on All Recipes for a new salad to make for my girls' night dinner and this is the one I went with. I really liked the dressing and thought it was a great compliment to the rest of our meal!

Ingredients:
* 1/3 cup apricot nectar
* 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
* 1/3 cup canola oil
* 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/8 teaspoon pepper
* 2 tablespoons sugar
* 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
* 12 cups torn mixed salad greens
* 3 medium pears, sliced
* 1/2 cup dried cranberries
* 3/4 cup crumbled blue cheese

Directions:
1. For dressing, in a bowl, whisk together the first six ingredients; set aside. In a heavy skillet, melt sugar over medium heat, stirring constantly. Add walnuts; stir to coat. Remove from the heat.
2. In a large salad bowl, combine greens, pears and cranberries. Drizzle with dressing. Add nuts and blue cheese; toss.

Cheese Cake Sheet Cake

This dessert, which I found on Taste Buds, looked too good not to try. It was absolutely delish...moist and spongy with a great glaze frosting. Not to mention easy enough that I didn't mess it up :-)!

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese, softened (I actually used 1/3 fat cream cheese, because that's what was in my fridge and it still was wonderful!)
2 1/4 cups sugar
6 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 1/4 cups cake flour

Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter, cheese, and sugar for 3 minutes on high speed. Add vanilla then one egg at a time mixing well after each egg. Add flour and mix well. Pour batter into a greased 13 x 18 inch pan. Bake at 325° for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Frost immediately with glaze.

Chocolate Glaze:
Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:
In a medium sauce pan combine sugar and milk and bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 3 minutes. Do not stir! After three minutes add chocolate and butter and stir until blended. Pour and spread over cake. Place in freezer for 45 minutes.

Baked Ham in Dijon Cream Sauce

So, when it came time to figure out what to do with my ham for my girls' night dinner I went to Hormel's website first and when I saw this I thought it sounded absolutely delish! I think this sauce got more rave reviews that night than anything else and it was seriously so easy!!!

Ingredients:
* 2 tablespoons butter
* 4 (1/2-inch-thick) slices Ham (I used 8)
* 2 cups whipping cream
* 3 tablespoons Dijon Mustard

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 375ºF.
2. In ovenproof skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add ham; brown lightly on both sides. Remove ham to plate.
3. Add cream to skillet; whisk to release any browned bits from bottom of skillet. Whisk in mustard. Return ham to skillet. Bring to a boil.
4. Bake 20 minutes. If cream does not thicken, return to stove and gently boil 5 minutes or until thickened.
(I browned the ham in a skillet, and then placed them in a big baking dish. I whisked the cream and mustard together and then poured over the ham to bake it.)

Girls' Night with Foodbuzz and Hormel

This weekend I hosted a girls' night out dinner. Through Foodbuzz and Hormel I was given the opportunity to try out Hormel's new Cure 81 Ham and it was the perfect excuse to throw a little party. I had never cooked ham in my life, so I was a little nervous, but since the Cure 81 ham was already cooked it was super easy. I even found some of my recipes right off Hormel's website! Who knew :-)?
Here is the menu I planned, followed by the appetizer recipes (and the rest to come soon).

Appetizers:

Brie Bites

Bacon and Blue Cheese Crostini

Devils on Horseback

Main Course:

Baked Ham with Dijon Cream Sauce

Individual Potato Gratins (which I made in one big 9x13 dish instead)

Cranberry Pear Tossed Salad

Dessert:

Cream Cheese Sheet Cake

Brie Bites 

 (recipe from Big Red Kitchen)

Fill each mini fillo cup (found in freezer section) with a tiny cube of brie, a spoonful of blueberry fruit spread (I used a baby spoon), and top with a pecan half. Bake in 400 degree oven for 10 minutes or until cheese has softened and pecan is toasted. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Devils on Horseback 

(recipe also from Big Red Kitchen)

Wrap dried apricot halves with cooked bacon slices and secure with a toothpick. This is usually done with prunes but the texture of the apricots in this dish is fantastic. 

(I used Hormel's pre-cooked bacon, all I had to do was heat it up in the microwave...these were the easiest appetizer ever!)

Bacon and Blue Cheese Crostini 

(recipe from Hormel)

Ingredients:

* 24 garlic crostini

* 1/2 cup crumbled Danish blue cheese

* 1 (2.1-ounce) package Hormel® Fully Cooked Bacon, coarsely chopped 

(I actually used their crumbled bacon, which meant NO prep!)

Directions:

1. Heat broiler to 500ºF.

2. Top each crostini with 1 teaspoon cheese and generous pinch bacon; place on baking sheet. Broil 6 inches from heat source 5 minutes or until cheese is slightly browned and bacon is hot.

Pioneer Woman's Chicken Pot Pie

I love a good old fashioned comfort meal every now and then and this definitely fit the bill! I made 3 pot pies (I added extra of each ingredient to have extra filling), one for us and two to take to people, so it was a good thing it turned out so yummy :-), but I knew the Pioneer Woman wouldn't let me down! I only wished we'd had more leftovers!

Ingredients:
3 celery stalks
3 medium carrots, peeled
1 large yellow onion
4 T butter
1/2 c frozen peas
3 c cooked chicken
1/4 c all-purpose flour
3 c chicken broth
1 chicken bouillon cube
1/8 c white wine, optional (I did use white cooking wine)
1/4 c heavy cream
1 t ground thyme
1 t kosher salt, or more to taste
black pepper to taste
1/2 recipe Perfect Pie Crust

Directions:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Finely dice celery, carrots and onions.
- Melt butter in a large pot or dutch oven over med heat. Add the onion, carrots, cleery and peas. Saute until the vegetables start to turn translucent, a couple of minutes.
- Add chicken and sprinkle the flour evenly over and stir to combine Cook e for a couple minutes, stirring gently.
- Pour in chicken broth, stirring constantly. Stir in teh bouillon cube and wine. The flour will combine with the chicken to create a gravy.
- Pour in the cream and stir. Allow the mixture to cook over low heat, thickening gradually. Season with the thyme, salt, and pepper. Remove from teh heat. Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed.
- Pour the chicken mixture into a deep pie pan or small casserole dish.
- Roll out the crust so that it's 1 inch larger that the pan. Place the crust on top of chicken mixture and cut small slits in the top. Press the crust gently into the sides of the dish to seal.
- Bake for 30 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbly. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Pioneer Woman's Perfect Pie Crust

I made the Pioneer Woman's version of chicken pot pie this week from her cookbook, but it's not posted on her website, which means I can't just copy and paste it :-). So, here's the pie crust recipe and I'll get around to the really good part later tonight or tomorrow. I am challenged as a baker and thought the pie crust turned out pretty tasty. It took me a little while to be able to roll it out and lift on top of my pie without it ripping, but eventually I succeeded. I divided this batch into thirds to top 3 pies (because in the book she says it makes think crusts and you can), but I think next time I would just use it for 2 so I have a little more to work with at the edges. It was tasty and I'm sure just as good as the bottom of a sweet pie as well!

Ingredients:

* 1-½ cup Crisco (vegetable Shortening)
* 3 cups All-purpose Flour
* 1 whole Egg
* 5 Tablespoons Cold Water
* 1 Tablespoon White Vinegar
* 1 teaspoon Salt

Directions:

In a large bowl, with a pastry cutter, gradually work the Crisco into the flour for about 3 or 4 minutes until it resembles a coarse meal. In a small bowl, beat an egg with a fork and then pour it into the flour/shortening mixture. Add 5 tablespoons of cold water, 1 tablespoon of white vinegar and 1 teaspoon of salt. Stir together gently until all of the ingredients are incorporated.

Separate the dough into thirds. Form 3 evenly sized balls of dough and place each dough into a large Ziploc bag. Using a rolling pin, slightly flatten each ball of dough (about ½ inch thick) to make rolling easier later. Seal the bags and place them in the freezer until you need them. (If you will be using it immediately it’s still a good idea to put in the freezer for about 15 to 20 minutes to chill.)

When you are ready to use the dough to make a crust, remove from the freezer and allow to thaw for 15 minutes. On a floured surface roll the dough, starting at the center and working your way out. (Sprinkle some flour over top of the dough if it’s a bit too moist.) If the dough is sticking to the countertop use a metal spatula and carefully scrape it up and flip it over and continue rolling until it’s about ½ inch larger in diameter than your pie pan.

With a spatula, lift the dough carefully from the surface of the counter into the pie pan. Gently press the dough against the corner of the pan. Go around the pie pan pinching and tucking the dough to make a clean edge.

Greek Salad (and a Giveaway!)

My sister Kayley posted this recipe and then brought it to a family dinner and it was AWESOME!!! I tend to get stuck in a salad rut, making the same thing over and over and this has been a great salad to throw in the mix.

Ingredients:

* Romanine lettuce (chopped) - 6 cups
* Tomatoes (chopped) - 3 cups
* Red onion (chopped) - 1 cup
* Cucumber (chopped) - 1/2 cup
* Green pepper (chopped) - 1/2 cup
* Feta cheese (crumbled) - 3 oz
* Olives - 16 to 20
* Olive oil - 3 tbsp
* Fresh dill (chopped) - 3 tbsp
* Fresh parsley (chopped) - 1/4 cup
* Lemon juice - 1 tbsp
* Garlic (minced) - 1 clove
* Oregano - 1/2 tsp
* Salt - 1/4 tsp

Directions:
1. Mix together the olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, parsley, dill, garlic, and salt.
2. Mix the lettuce, tomatoes, red onion, cucumber, green pepper well.
3. Add the dressing to the salad mix and top off with feta cheese and olives.

 And on to the GIVEAWAY!!! (my first one!)

When I made the salad it was SUPER easy because I used a bag of Fresh Express romaine hearts...all cleaned and chopped up and ready to go! 

Through Food Buzz and Fresh Express, I was given the opportunity to try out some of their new bagged salads. The good news is they are awesome (the Asian salad kit has been my personal favorite) and the great news is that they gave me coupons to share with you!

One lucky reader will win 5 coupons, each good for a FREE bag of Fresh Express!

To enter, follow my blog through Blogger or Networked Blogs (Facebook) and leave a comment here telling me how you are following me AND your favorite salad combo...do you prefer strawberries, feta and spinach or a classic caesar?

I'm always looking for new ways to spruce up my salad and can't wait to see your ideas!

One winner will be selected at random at 9pm CT Wednesday, October 27th.

Good luck :-)!

Chicken Salad Piccata

This recipe is another hit from my Rachael Ray magazine. It was flavorful and light but still filling. The chicken was the highlight of the dish, absolutely delicious! I suggest tossing the green beans and potatoes in the sauce right away so they absorb the flavor while you make the chicken (I did them first so I could use the same pan to cook the chicken in and have less dishes to clean up afterwards). I added garlic salt, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to the final product. I can't wait to eat leftovers for lunch today :-)!!!

Ingredients:
* 1 1/2 pounds small red potatoes, quartered
* 1/2 pound green beans, halved crosswise
* 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
* 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped capers
* 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
* Grated peel and juice of 1/2 lemon
* Salt and pepper
* 1 large egg
* 1/4 cup flour
* Two 6-ounce skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, lightly pounded
* 1/4 cup chicken broth

Directions:
1. In a large saucepan, add the potatoes and enough salted water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a boil and cook until almost tender, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a colander. Add the green beans to the boiling water and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Drain in the colander with the potatoes; let cool slightly.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup olive oil, 1 tablespoon capers, 3 tablespoons parsley, the lemon peel and half of the lemon juice. Add the potatoes and beans and toss; season with salt and pepper.
3. In a shallow bowl, beat the egg. In another shallow bowl, season the flour with salt and pepper. In a large nonstick skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Coat the chicken breasts with the seasoned flour, then dip in the egg, allowing any excess to drip off, and coat with the flour again, shaking off the excess. Add to the skillet and cook, turning once, until golden, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and cut into strips.
4. Add the chicken broth to the skillet; cook over medium heat, scraping up any browned bits. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon capers, 1 tablespoon parsley and lemon juice. Top the salad with the chicken and drizzle with the pan sauce.

Candy Corn Cupcakes

These were super cute and sooo tasty! In fact, I had 3 little plates of them ready to take to friends and they were so good, that I only delivered one of the plates and we ate the rest! I'll have to make more to deliver :-). This recipe was with some Kroger coupons I got in the mail last month.

Ingredients:
1 box plain white cake mix
1 c regular sour cream (I used light)
1/3 c vegetable oil (I used canola)
1/2 cup milk (I used 2%)
2 eggs
food coloring (yellow and orange...we made our own orange)
whipped topping (I bought a tub of whipped white frosting)
candy corn to top them

Directions:
-Preheat oven to temperature on your cupcake mix box (I think mine was 350 degrees).
-Combine cake mix, sour cream, vegetable oil, milk and eggs in a large bowl. Mix according to package directions.
-Divide batter evenly into 2 separate bowl. Color half of the batter with a few drops of orange food coloring (I just used yellow and red until I like the color it was). Color the other half with yellow food coloring.
-Place cupcake liners into cupcake tins. Fill each cupcake liner with 1/4 cup yellow batter and then top with orange batter until the liner is 1/2 full (I always overfill, but they turned out still,just didn't make as many).
-Bake according to package directions.
-Cool cupcakes completely, frost and top with a piece of candy corn.

Nuevo Cubano

YUM! These were sooo good! I saw these in my Cooking Light magazine this summer and have been really excited to give them a try. What a great twist on a grilled cheese sandwich! The leftover beans have been equally as delicious in quesadillas for lunch too :-)!

Ingredients:
* 4 whole-wheat sub rolls, cut in half lengthwise (I just used our regular whole wheat bread)
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
* 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
* 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
* 2 garlic cloves, minced
* 1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added black beans, rinsed and drained
* 1/4 pound thinly sliced reduced-sodium deli ham
* 1 peeled mango or 2 large tomatoes, thinly sliced (I thought the ones with mango were better!)
* 1/4 pound thinly sliced provolone cheese
* 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

Directions:
1. Hollow out top and bottom halves of bread, leaving a 1/2-inch-thick shell; reserve torn bread for another use.
2. Combine cilantro, lime juice, chili powder, garlic, and black beans in a food processor; process until almost smooth and spreadable, adding a few drops of water, if necessary. Spread bean mixture evenly on bottom halves of the prepared rolls. Layer rolls evenly with ham, mango or tomatoes, and provolone cheese; replace top halves of rolls.
3. (I used our George Foreman grill) Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add 2 sandwiches to pan; place a cast-iron or other heavy skillet on top of sandwiches; press gently. Cook 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until sandwiches are golden brown (leave cast-iron skillet on sandwiches while they cook). Remove sandwiches from pan; repeat procedure with remaining 1 tablespoon oil and 2 sandwiches.

French Toast Casserole

This recipe came along with some coupons from one of my favorite local grocery stores, Kroger. In their description they say it is "perfect for Easter" so I've been hanging on to it for awhile :-). I decided to make it for our breakfast this General Conference Sunday and it was a HUGE hit with the family. I have been doing a lot better at sticking to my gluten-free diet, so I only tried a little bite, but the kids and Mike ate ALL the rest of the 9x13 pan. That definitely says something about how good it is!!! I really loved that you make it they day before you will be serving it and then just pop it in the oven the next day.

Ingredients:
2 t butter, softened
8 slices white bread, cut in 1-inch cubes
7 large eggs
2 cups milk
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup maple syrup (I used our cheap sugar-free syrup)
4 T granulated sugar, divided
3/4 t cinnamon
1/4 t nutmeg
1/4 t cardamom (I didn't have this)
1/2 c toasted pecans, chopped
maple syrup, for serving

Directions:
Grease a 9x13 baking dish with butter and fill the dish with bread cubes, distributing evenly.
In large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, cream, maple syrup, 2 T sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom.
Pour this mixture over the bread cubes, and press down over the surface of the casserole with a spatula to help the bread soak up the liquid.
Sprinkle the top with the remaining sugar.
Cover tightly with aluminum foil, and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and place the casserole, still covered with foil, in the oven for 30 minutes.
Uncover, and bake an additional 30-35 minutes, until the casserole if puffy and brown.
Let cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing into squares and topping with the chopped pecans and warmed maple syrup.
Refrigerate all leftovers.

4 Packet Roast

There is nothing like a roast really...so easy and so delicious! I saw this one recently on The Sister's Cafe and I had to try it. It was unbelievably flavorful and the gravy it made while cooking...YUMMY!!!

Ingredients:
1 packet ranch dressing mix
1 packet brown gravy mix
1 packet Italian salad dressing mix
1 packet onion soup mix
1 roast of choice
1/2-3/4 cup of water
assorted veggies if desired (I threw in some baby carrots)

Directions:
Place roast in crockpot.  Arrange vegetables around the roast if being used.  Sprinkle the mix packets over the roast.  Pour water around the roast.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Coconut-Crusted Chicken with Mango Salsa

This was a recipe I had saved to try from an old issue of Rachael Ray's magazine. I loved the combination of flavors (and colors) and thought it was perfect served with some chicken rice. It was a great end of summer meal :-)!

Ingredients:
1/2 pound frozen mango, thawed and chopped (about 1 1/2 cups) (I used 1 large fresh mango)
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/3 cup chopped red onion
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
Salt and pepper
1 egg
1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
Four 6-ounce skinless, boneless chicken breasts
3 tablespoons vegetable oil

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a shallow bowl, beat the egg with 1 teaspoon water and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Place the coconut in another shallow bowl. Dip the chicken in the egg, then in the coconut. Press to coat.
In large, ovenproof skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook, turning once, until golden, about 3 minutes. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until cooked through, about 12 minutes. Serve the chicken with the mango salsa.

Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana

(this pic courtesy of Favorite Family Recipes, it's much better than the one I took!)

I have only eaten at Olive Garden a handful of times and have never tried this soup there so although I can't vouch for how similar it is to the orginal, I can tell you it is DELICIOUS! When I saw the recipe on Favorite Family Recipes The ingredients sounded intriguing and I am always up for a new soup recipe. I'm so glad I tried it! I loved it and even my husband, who is a soup skeptic, loved it.

Ingredients:
3 cans (14oz) Chicken Broth
2 cups whipping cream (I used 1 cup cream, 1 cup whole milk)
red pepper flakes (to taste) (I left out since I used spicy sausage)
salt and pepper (to taste)
1 small onion, diced, sauteed
1/2 pkg. bacon (cooked and crumbled)
4-5 cups chopped kale
3 to 4 potatoes scrubbed and cut into slices or small chunks (skins left on) (I used red onions)
1 lb Johnsonville mild Italian sausage (shaped into small rounds, browned, and put on paper towels to de-grease... or if you are in a rush, just brown the sausage like you would ground beef). (I used 2 small links spicy Italian sausage)

Directions:
Put everything together in a large crockpot and cook on high for 3 to 4 hours. (they suggested not putting the potatoes in until the last 40-60 minutes, but I put mine in at the beginning and was glad I did...they took awhile to cook)