Chicken Parm Pizza balls

This was an awesome recipe I found on another cooking blog that we decided to try last night. Dan ended up eating all of them minus 2, so you know they were good!



Ingredients
1 ball of fresh pizza dough
1-2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese
1-2 cups of diced chicken (or any other meat)
2 tsp Italian seasoning (combine oregano, basil, and garlic)
1/4 cup olive oil
pizza or marinara sauce
Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease pie pan.

Grab a walnut-sized piece of dough and flatten. In each dough piece place a couple pieces of diced chicken and a tablespoon of cheese. Seal dough around meat and cheese and place seam side down in pie pan.

Repeat, placing approximately 16 dough balls in each pie plate.

Once assembled, drizzle oil over the balls and sprinkle with the herbs.

When ready to bake: bake at 400°F for 16-20 min. Serve with warm pizza or marinara sauce.

Source: Lauren's Kitchen Blog

Mini Chocolate Cheesecakes

This is one of my favorite recipes of my mother's. We made this over Christmas & I am bored & decided to try it on my own. I overfilled the cupcakes & they aren't anywhere near as pretty as my Mom's but let's hope they taste just as good!!



Mini Chocolate Cheesecakes
Makes about 4 dozen

Cheesecake part:
8 oz cream cheese
1 egg
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup chocolate chips (you can use less)

Chocolate part:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup water
1/2 cup oil
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp vanilla
1 Tbps vinegar
1 tsp baking soda

Directions: Mix the cream cheese, egg & sugar in a bowl. Mix with mixer & then add chocolate chips. Then mix the rest in another bowl.

Fill the cupcake tin halfway with the chocolate part, then top with the cream cheese filling.

Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees.

Source: MOM

Spaghetti with Sauteed Chicken and Grape Tomatoes

Spaghetti with Sauteed Chicken and Grape Tomatoes



Servings: 4 • Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups • Calories: 302 Points: 5.5 pts

-2 skinless chicken breast halves, diced in 1 inch cubes
-cooking spray
-1/2 tsp each of dried oregano and dries basil
-kosher salt and fresh pepper
-8 oz spaghetti

-2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
-6 cloves garlic, smashed and coarsely chopped
-4 tsp extra virgin olive oil
-4 tbsp chopped fresh basil
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil.

Season chicken generously with salt, pepper, oregano and basil. Heat a large skillet on high heat. When hot, spray with oil and add chicken. Cook about 3-4 minutes, until no longer pink. Remove chicken and set aside.

Add pasta and cook according to package directions. Reserve about 1/2 cup pasta water before draining.

While pasta cooks, add olive oil to skillet on high heat. Add garlic and sauté until golden brown (do not burn). Add tomatoes, salt and pepper and reduce heat to medium-low. Sauté about 4-5 minutes. When pasta is drained, add pasta to tomatoes and toss well. If pasta seems too dry, add some of the reserved pasta water. Add fresh basil and chicken and toss well. Serve and top with good grated cheese.

Source: Gina's Weight Watchers Blog

Drunken Noodles - Pad Kee Mao

Thai Fried rice was such a hit we decided to try our other favorite, Drunken Noodles. The recipe was awesome, the picture doesn't do it justice!



Ingredients:
For the sauce:
-2 T oyster sauce
-2 T fish sauce
-2 T palm sugar/brown sugar
-1 T mirin
-1 T rice vinegar
-1 T Golden Mountain sauce or Maggi
-1 T Thai chili-garlic paste (or substitute with another Asian chili sauce, like sriracha)
Juice of half a lime

Other ingredients:
-7 ounces (about half a package) wide rice noodles (XL)
-3 T canola oil
-1 T minced garlic
-4-5 Thai chili peppers, seeded and chopped (or substitute with another hot pepper, ex: jalapenos)
-3 green onions, white ends thinly sliced, green tops cut into 2-inch pieces
-2 chicken breasts, cubed & cooked
-Handful of fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped


Optional additions:
Broccoli florets
Bell peppers
Napa cabbage
Tomato wedges

-In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients for the sauce. Mix until the sugar has dissolved and set aside.
-In a large bowl, pour boiling water over the noodles and soak for 15-20 minutes, or until softened. Then drain.
-Add oil to a wok or large skillet over high heat. Cook chicken (same way as thai fried rice). Add garlic, chili peppers and sliced green onion ends, and saute for about a minute.
-Add vegetables (from optional additions list, except tomatoes) and stir-fry for 3-4 minutes. Keep texture in vegetables.
-Add noodles and sauce to wok. Toss until noodles are coated with the sauce and heated through, 2-3 minutes.
-Add basil, cilantro, and green onion tops (and tomatoes) and toss until well mixed.

Source: Massive Appetite Blog.

Thai Fried Rice

Dan & I have come to love thai food, so we decided to try it at home! (Tomorrow is drunken noodles!) This was a huge success. I had my doubts. The fish sauce does not smell so good on its own. BUT this was delicious!! I found it on Gina's Weight Watchers blog which is awesome.




Thai Fried Rice

-1 chicken breast (1 cup), cut in small cubes
-3 cups jasmine rice, cooked
-1/2 large onion, chopped
-3 cloves garlic, minced
-2 scallions, chopped
-3 egg whites, scrambled
-1 whole egg, scrambled
-2 tomatoes, sliced
-3 Thai chili peppers (optional)
-4 tsp vegetable oil
-4 tsp soy sauce (or more to taste)
-2 tsp fish sauce
-salt and pepper

Prepare rice ahead of time according to package instructions. It's best if it's made slightly on the dry side.

Heat a skillet or wok on a high flame. Meanwhile, season chicken with salt and pepper. When the wok is very hot, add 2 tsp oil. When the oil gets hot, add the chicken and cook on high a few minutes, tossing so that its browns all over. Remove chicken from wok and set aside, add the eggs and salt and cook a minute or two until done. Set aside.

Add the remaining oil to the wok and add the onion, scallions and garlic. Saute 1 minute, add the chili pepper and tomatoes and stir in all the rice. Add soy sauce and fish sauce stir to mix all the ingredients. Keep stirring a few minutes, then add egg and chicken back to the wok. Adjust soy sauce if needed and stir well another 30 seconds.

Modifications - I added a little oyster sauce & then used chili paste to flavor at the end. Spicy but good!! I also used only 1/2 a tomato & 2 chicken breasts instead of 1. ENJOY!

Source: Gina's Weight Watchers Blog.

Chicken Stuffed Shells

Chicken Stuffed Shells

-15 uncooked jumbo pasta shells
-2 teaspoons oil
-2-4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
-8 ounces cooked chicken
-1(15 ounce) container fat free ricotta cheese
-1/3 cup dry breadcrumbs
-1 (28 ounce) can low fat marinara sauce
-Salt and pepper to taste
-1 tsp parsley
-Parmesan cheese for topping

1)Heat oven to 400 degrees
2)Spray large baking dish with nonstick cooking spray
3)Cook pasta shells according to directions and drain
4)Boil chicken and shred
5)Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat
6)Combine chicken and garlic, cook for 3-5 minutes
7)Remove from heat and stir in ricotta, breadcrumbs, parsley and salt and pepper to taste
8)Spread 1/2 cup sauce in the bottom of the baking dish
9)Fill cooked shells with chicken mixture and place filled sides up in baking dish
10)Pour remaining sauce over shells

Bake covered with foil for 15-20 minutes, remove foil and continue baking until filling is lightly browned

Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve.

Source: This blog.

Cheesy Beer Bread

Cheesy Beer Bread

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
4 ½ tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar
12 oz. beer
2 tbsp. butter, melted

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly grease a 9×5” loaf pan.

In a large bowl, combine flours, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, and garlic powder. Whisk to combine well. Add cheese and whisk to combine. Slowly add beer to dry ingredients and stir lightly until just combined, and all ingredients are completely moistened. Place into a prepared loaf pan and pour melted butter over the top. Place in the oven and bake for 55-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Source: Annie's Eats.

Light Brioche Burger Buns

Dan & I decided to make homemade burger buns & burgers tonight! Everything came out awesome. The buns were delicious, and Dan did an awesome job making the burgers too.





Light Brioche Burger Buns
Adapted from Comme Ça restaurant in Los Angeles, via the New York Times


Makes 8 4 to 5-inch burger buns

3 tablespoons warm milk (all I had was fat free half & half)
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 1/2 tablespoons sugar
2 large eggs
3 cups bread flour
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
Sesame seeds (optional)

1. In a glass measuring cup, combine one cup warm water, the milk, yeast and sugar. Let stand until foamy, about five minutes. Meanwhile, beat one egg.

2. In a large bowl, whisk flours with salt. Add butter and rub into flour between your fingers, making crumbs. Using a dough scraper, stir in yeast mixture and beaten egg until a dough forms. Scrape dough onto clean, well-floured counter and knead, scooping dough up, slapping it on counter and turning it, until smooth and elastic, 8 to 10 minutes. The dough will be on the sticky side so it can be a bit messy, but keep in mind that the more flour you knead in, the tougher the buns will get. Try to leave them tackier than you would a round loaf.

3. Shape dough into a ball and return it to bowl. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, one to two hours.

4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using dough scraper, divide dough into 8 equal parts. Gently roll each into a ball and arrange two to three inches apart on baking sheet. Cover loosely with a piece of plastic wrap lightly coated in nonstick spray and let buns rise in a warm place for one to two hours.

5. Set a large shallow pan of water on oven floor. Preheat oven to 400 degrees with rack in center. Beat remaining egg with one tablespoon water and brush some on top of buns. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, if using. Bake, turning sheet halfway through baking, until tops are golden brown, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Notes: I did not have parchment paper, but everything worked fine on a greased pan. Also, I did not realize how much these would rise. I only got 7 buns, but I probably could have gotten 10-12. They were ginormous! Next time I will make them smaller.


Sourece: Smitten Kitchen.

Chicken Piccata Toss

Dan & I love chicken piccata, and this recipe was even better! It was easy besides cutting the chicken, we will definitely be making this again!

Chicken Piccata Toss
Source: Rachel Ray



Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/3 pounds chicken breast tenders, cut into 1-inch pieces
Salt and pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 shallots, chopped
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white wine
1 lemon, juiced
1 cup chicken broth or stock
3 tablespoons capers, drained
1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 pound penne rigate pasta, cooked to al dente
Chopped or snipped chives, for garnish

Directions
-Heat a deep nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add a tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil and the chicken to the pan. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Brown chicken until lightly golden all over, about 5 to 6 minutes. Remove chicken from pan and return the skillet to the heat.

-Reduce heat to medium. Add another tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter, the garlic and shallots to the skillet. Saute garlic and shallots 3 minutes. Add flour and cook 2 minutes. Whisk in wine and reduce liquid 1 minute. Whisk lemon juice and broth into sauce. Stir in capers and parsley. When the liquid comes to a bubble, add remaining 1/2 tablespoon butter to the sauce to give it a little shine.

-Add chicken back to the pan and heat through, 1 to 2 minutes. Toss hot pasta with chicken and sauce and serve. Adjust salt and pepper, to your taste.

Modifications: For 2 people, we used 1/2 pound of chicken & about 2 cups of pasta. This way there was enough sauce & no leftovers! If you do this, you will want to use less capers, also :)

Source: Rachel Ray.

Lemon Pasta Bake

This recipe was a great summer pasta recipe! It was really light and tasted even better as leftovers. We got the recipe off the Pioneer Woman's website...I would definitely make this again. It was super easy too!



Baked Lemon Pasta
-1 pound thin spaghetti (I used fusilli)
-1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) butter
-2 tablespoons olive oil
-2 cloves garlic, minced
-Juice of 1 lemon
-Zest of 1 lemon
-2 cups sour cream (I used low fat)
-1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste if desired
-Plenty of grated Parmesan cheese
-Flat leaf parsley, chopped
-Extra lemon juice

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook spaghetti until al dente.
In a skillet, melt butter with olive oil over LOW HEAT.
When butter is melted, add minced garlic.
Squeeze lemon juice into the pan. Turn off heat.
Add sour cream and stir mixture together. Add lemon zest and salt. Taste, then add more salt if necessary.
Pour mixture over drained spaghetti and stir together, then pour spaghetti into an oven safe dish.
Bake, covered, for 15 minutes. Then remove foil and bake for an additional 7 to 10 minutes. (Don’t bake too long or the pasta will dry out.)
When you remove it from the oven, squeeze a little more lemon juice over the top.
Top generously with Parmesan cheese, then chopped parsley.
Give it a final squeeze of lemon juice at the end

Source: Pioneer Woman Cooks.

Pomegranate Mojito

This is a fun balcony happy hour drink! Plus it has to be healthy because it has pomegranate juice in it right?



2 oz pomegranate juice
2 oz white rum
1 tbsp sugar
4 oz club soda
6 mint sprigs
cracked ice

1 -In a cocktail shaker, combine all ingredients except the mint and shake well.
2 -Muddle the mint in the bottom of a cocktail glass & add sugar.
3 -Strain the pomegranate mixture into the glass with the muddled mint, and serve.

Recipe found on this blog. Enjoy!!

Cheesy Chicken Skillet

This recipe was surprisingly good & super easy! We made the entire thing in about 25 minutes!



Cheesy Chicken Skillet
Ingredients

-2 cups of pasta
-3/4 lbs chicken, cut into pieces
-1 can Healthy Request cream of chicken soup
-1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes with Italian seasoning
-1 cup of skim milk
-1 tsp black pepper
-1/4 cup shredded mozzarella

Cook the pasta as directed. Heat oil in 10 inch skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken & cook thoroughly. Reduce heat to medium; stir in soup, tomatoes, milk and seasonings. Stir in cooked pasta. Cook about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally until bubbly & heated through. Sprinkle with cheese. Reduce heat, cover & let stand about 5 minutes.

**Modified to use less milk, & Italian style tomatoes instead of adding seasoning separately

Source: Lauren's Kitchen Blog

Homemade gnocchi

This is a recipe I tried a while back & it was HARD to make. But I wanted to give it a shot. They totally fell apart, but I'd like to try them again sometime.





I have no idea what recipe I used, but I didn't have a ricer and I used a cheese grater instead. I definitely need to attempt this one more time!

Dante helping us cook!

This is our favorite video - Mom was visiting and we were making gravy, meatballs & lasagna. Dante helped out by cleaning out the ricotta container!!!

Cocktail Meatball Appetizer

Cocktail Meatballs

Easiest, most delicious appetizer! There are never leftovers!

Ingredients:
1 bottle 12 oz chili sauce
12 oz ketchup
1/2 can jellied cranberry
Bag of frozen appetizer meatballs (We use Trader Joe's Party Sized Mini-Meatballs)

Put ingredients in pot on the stove, let cook. Add meatballs, simmer for at least 20 minutes.

Source: Not quite sure...

This dish does not take pretty pictures :)

Orange Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is a recipe from Dan's childhood that he wanted to make. I was skeptical of the orange & chocolate chips, but it was delicious!!


Orange Drop Chocolate Chip Cookies

Source: 1975 Betty Crocker Cooky Book

2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg, room temperature
1/2 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons orange zest, grated
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Directions
1)Heat oven to 400F
2)Mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
3)In another large mixing bowl, mix butter, sugar and egg thoroughly. Stir in orange juice and rind.
4)Sift dry ingredients into wet ingredients and blend together.
5)Drop rounded teaspoonfuls of dough about 2" apart on ungreased baking sheet.
6)Bake 8-10 minutes or until delicately browned on edges.
7)Remove from cookie sheets and cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

Chicken Parm Meatball Subs

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds ground chicken
1 tablespoon various seasonings
1 large egg
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
EVOO
Salt
Pepper
Crusty sub rolls
Sliced Mozzarella

Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Place chicken in a bowl and season. Add egg, grated cheese, bread crumbs, and a serious drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil to the bowl. Mix the meat and form 12 large meatballs. Squish the balls to flatten them a bit like mini oval meatloaves. Be careful not to form the balls wider than your bread. Bake the meatballs 15 minutes until golden and firm. Switch the broiler on.


Cut sub rolls making the bottom a little deeper than the top. Hollow out a little bread and lightly toast the sub rolls under broiler. Fill the bottoms of the breads with flattened balls and sauce. Cover the subs with cheese and return to broiler to melt the cheese until golden.

Adapted from Rachel Ray

Recipes to try in 2009

Here are some recipes I'd really like to try in 2009:

Chicken Parm Meatball Subs

Parmesan Orzo

Chicken Stuffed Shells

This will be good for Superbowl!
Buffalo Chicken Dip

Thai Style Chicken Fried Rice

Ricotta Gnocchi with Tomato Cream Sauce

Weight Watchers Penne Vodka

I hope I have a chance to try them all! So many cooking blogs out there & so many fun recipes :)