Honey-Mustard Turkey Cutlets & Potatoes

I copied this recipe directly from the Eating Well website after I had found it in one of their cookbooks (Eating Well's website and their dozens of cookbooks are some of my favorite sources for good recipes right now) and after I had made it 3 times. This is a recipe that I will be making often. The flavor of the sauce is astounding! Just enough spice, but not too much...the taste makes my mouth sing! I love recipes that everyone in the family will eat, and this is one of those.

I haven't tried it yet, but I'd like to make this recipe and substitute these chickpea cutlets. I think those would go perfectly with the curry/spicy flavor, and it would give me another meatless meal for the family (all sworn 'meatatarians' who go along with my semi-vegetarian ways as long as the food tastes great ;) ).

Honey-Mustard Turkey Cutlets & Potatoes

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/honey_mustard_turkey_cutlets_potatoes.html

From EatingWell:  May/June 2008

Potatoes, leeks and turkey burst with intense flavor when roasted with honey, mustard and curry. Serve with: Steamed snow peas and carrots and a glass of white wine.

4 servings | Active Time: 25 minutes | Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 medium leeks, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced
• 1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
• 1 pound turkey cutlets

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Coat a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. Place sliced leeks in a colander; rinse and drain well. Toss the leeks, potatoes, 1 tablespoon oil, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and 1/8 teaspoon salt on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, stirring once.
3. Meanwhile, whisk the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, honey, mustard and curry powder in a small bowl until smooth. Sprinkle both sides of cutlets with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper and 1/8 teaspoon salt.
4. Reduce heat to 400°F. Toss the leeks and potatoes with 2 tablespoons of the honey-mustard sauce. Place the cutlets on top of the vegetables and spread the remaining sauce over the cutlets. Return to the oven and bake until the turkey is cooked through and the potatoes are tender, 12 to 15 minutes more.

Nutrition

Per serving : 359 Calories; 8 g Fat; 1 g Sat; 4 g Mono; 45 mg Cholesterol; 43 g Carbohydrates; 31 g Protein; 3 g Fiber; 551 mg Sodium; 615 mg Potassium

3 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 2 starch, 2 vegetable, 4 lean meat

Hearty Lentil Stew

I have a love-hate relationship with lentils. I want to love them all the time, but some recipes that include them are just unbearable. My digestive system definitely hates lentils (oh boy)--a little bean-o, however, goes a long way in that department! 

I've been spoiled since my discovery of red lentils, which have a milder, less...'lentil-y' taste (this soup is the bomb). But I don't want to give up on humble old brown lentils. They are so inexpensive and good for you, and can really be made in so many different ways. For me, lentils are delicious when they are put with the right ingredients, and this recipe was a huge success at making the lentils shine. A little shredded sharp cheddar cheese on top makes the stew even more delicious. It's amazingly filling, and super healthy. Just don't forget to take a bean-o or two if your guts hate lentils like my guts do. ;)

Hearty Lentil Stew 

1 T. olive oil

4 celery stalks, finely chopped

1 small onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 1/2 cups cooked brown lentils

1 c. canned crushed tomatoes

3 c. low sodium V-8 juice

1 (1/2 lb) bunch kale, tough stems removed and leaves roughly chopped

salt, freshly ground black pepper

First cook your lentils and set them aside. You can use two 15 oz cans of lentils, drained and rinsed, if you prefer. If using dried, 1 1/3 c. dried will make about 3.5 c. cooked. Here's a handy site to help with conversions like that.

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add celery, onion, and garlic; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally (do not brown).

Add lentils, tomatoes, juice, and kale; stir to combine and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook 15 to 20 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Easy White Chicken Chili

This is my current favorite chicken chili. The lime and cilantro add the perfect tang, while the hominy makes each bite chewy and fulfilling. And to think, for the longest time I thought I hated hominy! This stuff is amazing! Crushed tortilla chips and sharp cheddar cheese on top of the soup gives it an extra bang, but I think it's delicious with no toppings. YUMMY yum!

Easy White Chicken Chili

1 T. canola oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 (16 oz) can golden hominy, drained

1 (16 oz) can great northern beans, rinsed and drained

1 (14 oz) can low-sodium chicken broth 

1 1/2 c. diced cooked chicken breast

1/4 c. lime juice

2 T. chopped cilantro

1/4 t. cumin

1/4 t. ground black pepper

shredded cheese, crumbled tortilla chips

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat; add onion and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in hominy, beans, broth, chicken, lime juice, cilantro, cumin and pepper. Increase heat, cover and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Top with cheese and serve with salsa, chips and more cilantro, if desired.

Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers

Let me start out by saying: I am the only one in this family who adores green peppers. 

If your family adores green peppers, and you make stuffed pepper recipes, then this is an amazing version that you should try.

I made this recipe one night and while the two older boys ate it nicely (but not with stars in their eyes, by any means), the youngest refused entirely (I scooped the rice out of his for him and ate his green pepper shell, gladly). My poor husband suffered it down, because he never complains about the food I make, but I could tell he was really struggling. Like I'm-gonna-hurl struggling. His aversion to green peppers is strong and irreversible, it seems (he likes other colors of peppers, and he is okay with green peppers cooked into things like chili or on top of pizza. But a big whole hunk of green pepper on his plate--he just can't do it. Yet he did. He loves me).

But hey, I LOVE GREEN PEPPERS, and you know what, this recipe is for ME! I love, love, love it. It made way too much stuffing, which was great, because the rice itself is amazing. For lunch the next two days, I took the stuffing and sliced up a raw green pepper on top of it, added some cheese, and nuked the whole mess for a couple minutes. YUM. The rice is also super delicious without using any peppers at all, just as a pilaf. I will be making this recipe for myself, even if not for the hubby. He is not picky about almost anything I make, and is always very gracious about my cooking hobby, so I'll let the stuffed green pepper thing go for family suppers. You can bet though, that the next time I get a nice bunch of green peppers, I will be making this for a good week's worth of lunch for myself!

Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers

4-6 medium peppers
2 T. olive oil
1 c. brown rice (I used 3/4 c. brown rice, 1/4 c. barley)
2 c. vegetable broth
1 small red onion
1 clove garlic
7 oz canned chopped tomatoes
pinch each of dried thyme, parsley and rosemary
1/2 c. peas (can thaw from frozen)
salt and pepper

1. First cook the rice in the vegetable broth and 1/2 c. of water. Either cook in a pot using instructions on rice package or use a rice cooker. Assemble your ingredients while the rice cooks. Read a book while waiting. :)

2. Turn oven on to 400 degrees F. Wash and dry peppers, put them on a baking sheet and brush lightly with olive oil (I misted them with olive oil using a mister, click here to see). Bake peppers for 12 minutes.

3. Let peppers cool on the pan enough so that you can slice them in half, remove stems and seeds. Lay them, open side up, on the baking sheet.

4. Peel and dice the onion. Pour 1 T. olive oil in pan, bring it to medium heat, and throw the diced onions in. After 3 or 4 minutes, mince the garlic and add it to the onion. Cook for another minute, then add the tomatoes, herbs and a little salt and pepper. Let the mixture bubble and simmer on med/low heat for about 5 minutes. Add the rice and peas to this mixture, then spoon in the halves of pepper.

5. Put the stuffed peppers into the preheated oven for 10 minutes. For extra flavor, sprinkle shredded cheese of your choice on top after the 10 minutes, switch the oven to broil, and broil for 3-4 minutes or until cheese is beautiful and bubbly.

Very Vanilla Vegan Pancakes

This is a nice, simple recipe using ingredients I usually have hanging around. Well, expect the vanilla soymilk--I only buy that occasionally for a treat. I just use regular milk in this (which promptly ends the recipe's status as 'vegan'). My other changes are in red. Wonderful recipe for pancakes with the kids! Oh, and I'm not sure what "Mexican Vanilla" is, but I use regular imitation vanilla extract. :)

Very Vanilla Vegan Pancakes
teamgulley via mylittlecelebration.com
makes 8-10 pancakes | adapted from food.com

Ingredients

1 c flour (1/2 c. all purpose, 1/2 c. white whole wheat)
1 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp baking powder {no, not teaspoons}
pinch salt
1 c light vanilla soy milk (I usually use regular milk)
1 Tbsp canola oil
1 Tbsp unsweetened applesauce
2 tsp Mexican vanilla (I use 1 T. vanilla if using regular milk)

Method 

 Turn griddle to medium heat. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the wet and then add them to the dry. Stir until just combined and no large lumps remain. Spoon about 1/3 c measurements onto the greased griddle. Carefully flip when bubbles appear on top or the edges look dry, then cook for 1-2 minutes more. Serve with vegan butter and agave nectar or maple syrup. Or sprinkles, if you dare.

Tomato-Rice Soup with Roasted Garlic and Navy Beans

Oh wow, this soup hit the spot on so many levels. The roasted garlic was just the right touch. Noah couldn't get enough of it! I'm not sure how he fit so many bowls into his little tummy at once, but it kept disappearing and he kept asking for more. I found the soup very tasty and fulfilling. Great soup to divide into individual portions in freezer containers for later!



Tomato-Rice Soup with Roasted Garlic and Navy Beans

TooManyLegos via Veganomicon

2 bulbs roasted garlic (top sliced off, drizzled with olive oil, wrapped in foil and roasted at 400 for 30 to 40 mins)

1 T. olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, diced as small as possible

1 c. long grain brown rice

2 bay leaves

2 t. dried thyme

1 t. dried marjoram

2 t. salt

several pinches freshly ground black pepper

2 (28 oz) cans crushed tomatoes

1 (15 oz) can navy beans, drained and rinsed

56 oz water (fill up tomato cans)

Preheat soup pot over medium heat. Saute the onions in the olive oil for 5-7 minutes, until translucent.

Add rice, bay leaves, thyme, marjoram, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes and the water, and bring to a boil. Lower heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for about 45 minutes.

Squeeze roasted garlic out into a bowl and smash it with the back of spoon to make a smooth paste. Add to the soup once the rice is nearly tender. When the soup is completely cooked, add the navy beans and heat through. Remove bay leaves and serve!

Carmelized Onion and Zucchini Pizza

The pesto-ricotta base on this pizza is what gives it a WOW factor. And you really can't go wrong with carmelized onions! With these deep flavors combined, the slices of zucchini were there just to add some texture. I couldn't really taste them. Which, if you have a glut of zucchini and aren't really excited about yet another zucchini recipe, this is great because of the fact the taste is a little overpowered. ;)

*note (added 9/2013) I used Greek yogurt in place of the ricotta cheese and the result was awesome! I am much more likely to have plain yogurt on hand rather than ricotta, so that may be my new way of making this amazing pizza.

I think Perfect Pizza Dough is THE dough to use in this pizza!

Zucchini and Carmelized Onion Pizza

(Ladies Home Journal)

Heat 2 T. olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat, add 1 medium thinly sliced onion and cook, sitting occasionally until deeply carmelized, about 30 minutes; remove from heat.

In a small bowl combine 1/2 c. ricotta with 2 T. prepared pesto and 1/4 c. grated parmesan.

Stretch 1 lb. pizza dough into a large circle. Spread ricotta mixture over the dough and top with 1 thinly sliced zucchini, spreading carmelized onions over the top of everything. Bake at 450 degrees until crust is golden and crisp, about 12 minutes.

Zucchini Cakes with Tomatillo Cilantro Salsa

Oh me, oh my...using up zucchini never tasted so darn good!

Zucchini Cakes with Tomatillo Cilantro Salsa
Makes about 10 cakes

Ingredients:
2 small zucchini (about 1 cup), shredded
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup Monterey jack cheese, grated
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 cup corn
1/4 cup red onion, finely diced
1/4 cup orange bell pepper, finely diced
2 teaspoons cumin seeds, crushed
1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano, crushed
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
Salt and pepper
3 to 5 tablespoons canola oil
Tomatillo Cilantro Salsa (see recipe below)

Directions:
1. Coarsely shred zucchini, drain on several layers of paper towels, patting dry with more paper towels.
2. In a large bowl, stir together eggs, cheese, flour, red onions, peppers, cumin seeds, oregano, pinch of salt and pepper. Stir in zucchini and corn.
3. In a large skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of the oil to medium heat/hight heat. Drop by 1/4 cup full into hot skillet, and slightly flatten. Cook for about 2 minutes pe side or until golden brown. Drain onto paper towels. Keep warm in a 250º F. oven. Serve with tomatillo salsa.

For the Tomatillo Cilantro Salsa...

Ingredients:
8 tomatillos, husk removed and washed
1 jalapeno, chopped
1/2 small white onion
Handful chopped cilantro (about 1/3 cup)
Juice of 1/2 lime
Salt

Directions:
Combine the tomatillos, jalapeno and onion in a glass, microwave-safe bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of water, cover with paper towels and microwave for 6 to 7 minutes. Remove from microwave, transfer to blender, add the cilantro, lime juice and 2 tsps. salt, blend until smooth. Taste for salt, serve warm or at room temperature.

I had a handful of jalapenos to use up from the Farmer's Market, and this recipe had been calling out to me for weeks. I left the peppers out of the younger boys' sandwiches, even though I think they could have handled it...the heat wasn't too bad since I thoroughly seeded the peppers before roasting them.. Everyone loved these, and they really did remind us of Jalepeno poppers!


Jalapeno Popper Grilled Cheese
http://www.closetcooking.com/2011/04/jalapeno-popper-grilled-cheese-sandwich.html
Ingredients
2 jalapeno peppers, cut in half lengthwise and seeded
2 slices sour dough bread
1 tablespoon butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup jack and cheddar cheese, shredded
1 tablespoon tortilla chips, crumbled
Directions
Place the peppers on a baking sheet with the cut side facing down.
Place the baking sheet on the top shelf in the oven and broil until the outer layer of the skin has blackened, about 8-14 minutes.
Place the peppers in a zip-lock bag or other sealable container, seal and let them cool until you can handle them, about 20 minutes.
Remove the skins from the peppers. The skins should easily "pinch" off.
Assemble sandwich and grill until golden brown and the cheese has melted, about 2-3 minutes per side.

Banana Oatmeal Cups with Chocolate Chips

Their simplicity is one of the big reasons I like these muffins...only 7 ingredients! Because they contain no flour, the batter was runny and milky--I was skeptical about them baking properly. But wow, they have amazing texture, and just the right amount of sweetness. I find them a little bit addicting! Perfect to freeze and pull out individually for breakfast each morning (sometimes I pull out two). Something about them reminds me strongly of my Grandma Marshall, so I'm wondering if she used to make something similar to these. I'll be making them often!

Note: I used good old 2 percent cows milk. I added a little honey.

Banana Oatmeal Cups with Chocolate Chips (Sassix)

3 mashed bananas (the more ripe the better!)

1 cup vanilla Almond milk (you could use skim but you may want to add a little sweetener)

2 eggs

1 tbsp Baking powder

3 cups (240g) Old Fashion or Rolled Oats

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 tbsp (42g) mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Mix all ingredients except the chocolate chips together, and let sit while you prepare the muffin pans.

Spray a muffin pan and/or liners with with non-stick spray.

Stir the chocolate chips into the oatmeal batter.

Divide batter into 15 muffin cups. They should be just about filled.

Bake 20-30 minutes, you’ll see the edges just starting to brown and they will be firm to the touch.

The muffins may stick when hot but are removed easily when cooled for a bit

Oatmeal and Wheat Flour Pancakes

These are my personal favorite pancakes at the moment. I have the original recipe, and then my 'veganized' version, and while they offer a little different flavor, both versions are tasty. The original has a tad more flavor, but there are times I'm just not in the mood to use up three eggs to make pancakes. Bottom line...both versions will make your tummy happy, it just depends on your mood.

I have used canola oil instead of olive oil every time I've made them because I was little afraid of the  olive oil's flavor being too strong. One of these times I will try the olive oil.


Oatmeal and Wheat Flour Pancakes

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup whole wheat flour 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons brown sugar 2 tablespoons baking powder 3/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups quick cooking oats 2 cups soy milk 3 eggs, beaten 1/4 cup olive oil 1/2 cup frozen blueberries

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Preheat a lightly oiled griddle over medium heat.
2.	In a large bowl, mix whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt.
3.	In a small bowl, mix oats and soy milk. Whisk in eggs and olive oil. Pour into the flour mixture all at once. Continue mixing until smooth. Gently fold in blueberries.
4.	Pour batter about 1/4 cup at a time onto the prepared griddle. Cook 1 to 2 minutes, until bubbly. Flip, and continue cooking until lightly browned.

Vegan Version: Follow instructions, substituting the flax seed 'eggs' for real eggs.

Ingredients:
1/2 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 c. all-purpose flour
3 T. brown sugar
1 T. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1 1/2 c. quick cooking oats
2 c. almond or soy milk
2 T. ground flax seed soaked in 1/4 c. water until gummy
1/4 c. oil
1/2 c. frozen blueberries

Enchanted Broccoli Forest

How enchanting! Seriously, with the steam rising from this adorable forest of broccoli, how could anyone resist it? My entire family LOVED this dish, and it's a fun way to present some veggies and whole grains together for supper. My three year old kept asking for 'more trees'--and he doesn't usually devour broccoli like that! We ate it alongside some grilled chicken tenders, but honestly, I think this could be a meal in itself (and it was-- the leftovers made me a filling lunch for 2 days). The rice had such a good flavor with the fresh dill, parsley and a touch of cayenne. I did not add the mint or the sunflower seeds, but I think I'll try it next time. Also, I added more cayenne than I thought I wanted (my hand slipped!), and the extra spice was just right, even for the kids.

Enchanted Broccoli Forest

First: Cook 2 cups brown or white rice, fluff with a fork and set aside. 

(I used my favorite base rice, click here)

Ingredients:

1 lb bunch of broccoli                                 cayenne to taste

1 T. butter or canola oil                               2 T. minced fresh dill (2 t. dried)

1 c. chopped onion                                     3 T. fresh mint (3 t. dried)

3/4 t. salt                                                    1/4 c. minced fresh parsley

1 large garlic clove, minced                         1/2 c. toasted sunflower seeds (optional)

2 T. fresh lemon juice                                  1 packed cup grated cheddar or swiss (optional)

about 6 cups cooked rice                            a little melted butter for the top (optional)

1. Trim the tough bottoms from the broccoli stalks, and cut the tops into smallish spears of whatever size suits you. Cook them in a steamer over boiling water until bright green and just barely tender (I did about 5 minutes). Rinse under cold running water, drain well, and set aside.

2. Preheat oven to 325. Lightly grease a 9x13 in. baking pan.

3. Melt butter or heat the oil in a large, deep skillet or a Dutch oven. Add the onion and salt, and saute over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until the onion begins to soften. Add the garlic and lemon juice, and saute for about 2 minutes longer. Stir in the rice, some black pepper and cayenne to taste, the herbs, and the optional sunflower seeds and/or cheese (cheese is NOT optional in my family!). Taste to correct salt, if necessary, and spread into the prepared pan.

4. Now for the fun part. Arrange the broccoli upright in the rice, and, if desired, drizzle with melted butter. Cover loosely with foil, and bake until just heated through (15 to 20 minutes). Serve right away.

Source: The New Enchanted Broccoli Forest by Mollie Katzen

Southwestern Pinto Bean Burgers with Chipotle Mayo

The flavor of this bean burger is awesome! The chipotle mayo adds great spice to it as well--but I think the burger stands alone just fine. This will become a staple in our house. I did have a problem with the patties holding together as I cooked them, so next time will make 6 or 8 smaller burgers and I think they'll hold together much better. I cooked them until they had a nice golden crust on each side, and once I carefully laid a patty on a bun and smooshed it all together, the sandwich held together fine while eating it. YUM!

Southwestern Pinto Bean Burgers with Chipotle mayo
The-Skipper-Bunch via Cooking Light

1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons minced seeded jalapeño pepper
2 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, drained
1 (8 3/4-ounce) can no salt-added whole-kernel corn, drained
Chipotle Mayonnaise:
1/4 cup low-fat mayonnaise
1 teaspoon canned minced chipotle chile in adobo sauce

Remaining ingredients:
1 tablespoon canola oil
4 (1 1/2-ounce) whole wheat hamburger buns, toasted
4 romaine lettuce leaves

--- To prepare burgers, combine the first 10 ingredients in a large bowl. Add pinto beans and corn; partially mash with a fork. Divide bean mixture into 4 equal portions, shaping each portion into a 3 1/2-inch patty, and refrigerate for 10 minutes.
To prepare chipotle mayonnaise, combine mayonnaise and 1 teaspoon chipotle in a small bowl; set aside. Heat canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add patties to pan, and cook 4 minutes on each side or until thoroughly heated. Assemble burgers.

Wild Mushroom and Greens Soup

This is a simple mushroom soup that is great if you need to use up some greens. I had a bunch of chard from my CSA that needed a home, and this is where it went! I was able to find each type of mushroom needed at Meijer. The different mushrooms add such nice texture. I halved the recipe and froze portions for myself for lunches, because although I find it filling and good, my family is not crazy for greens in their soup. One of these days I WILL convert them!

WILD MUSHROOM, WHITE BEAN AND GREENS SOUP

Souper Jenny

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 large yellow onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

4 cups shiitake mushrooms, cleaned and quartered

4 cups oyster mushrooms, cleaned and quartered

8 ounces button mushrooms, cleaned and sliced

1 cup dry sherry

4 cups white beans (canned), rinsed

2 bunches of your favorite winter greens, chopped (kale, Swiss chard or broccoli leaves)

4 quarts low-sodium vegetable broth

Preparation

Heat olive oil in soup pot. On medium heat saute onion and garlic until soft. Add all mushrooms and saute until soft. Add sherry and broth and bring to a boil. Lower heat, add greens and white beans and simmer 45 minutes. With a hand blender, pulse soup a few times. If too thick for your taste, add more broth.

Crispy Southwest Chicken Wraps

These wraps are so delicious! The tortillas had a nice crisp on the outside, and the filling tastes wonderful. I use shredded rotisserie chicken, but I think this would be good even without meat. The recipe says to spray with cooking spray, but this is a recipe where my olive oil mister comes in handy. I use my favorite base rice, which is almost always on hand in the fridge. Everyone in the family loves these!

Crispy Southwest Chicken Wraps
CallMeLou

*Makes 6 wraps*

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup cooked rice, warm or at room temperature
1 cup cooked, shredded chicken
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 green onion, finely sliced (white and green parts)
1/2 red or green pepper, diced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
juice of 1 lime
1/2 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
2 cups shredded cheese (I used a combination of monterey jack and sharp cheddar)
Sour cream (optional)

6 burrito-sized flour tortillas

DIRECTIONS:
Mix rice together with chili powder, cumin and garlic salt. Add remaining ingredients except for cheese and sour cream. Sprinkle cheese over tortillas, leaving 1/2-inch border around edges, then arrange chicken and rice mixture down the center of each tortilla. (Optional: on some of the wraps, I dotted the cheese with about 1-2 tablespoons of reduced fat sour cream before arranging chicken and rice mixture down the center (it made the wraps delightfully creamy.) Roll stuffed tortillas, leaving edges open. Spray the tortillas all over with cooking spray.

Heat a large non-stick skillet (or griddle) over medium heat for 1 minute. Arrange 2 wraps, seam-side down, in pan and cook until golden brown and crisp, about 2-3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining wraps. Serve.

My Favorite Base Rice

This is the base rice I use for most dishes that call for cooked rice. I learned the method from someone on the babycenter cooking board (as soon as I remember, I'll give you credit, promise!) The barley adds awesome texture and flavor! Tastes wonderful on its own too.

Put into rice cooker:

1 1/3 c. brown rice
1/2 c. pearl barley
4 c. chicken or veggie broth, or 4 c. water with 2 bullion cubes

Cook per directions on your rice cooker. My rice cooker likes to burn things, so I watch for the 'fish eyes' to appear (little holes all across the surface), telling me the rice is ready.

Crash Hot Potatoes

I'm pretty sure these potatoes are not supposed to actually LOOK like they survived a horrible crash. But hey, they taste absolutely fantastic, and for that reason, I'm keeping this recipe and will make it often. I sprinkled dried thyme over the top instead of using fresh. The salt, pepper and herbs on top give a perfect flavor that makes it unnecessary to dress them up at all. The olive oil gives the skin on all sides a mouth-watering crisp. Yum, yum, yummmm!

Crash Hot Potatoes
josiahsmomm via The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients

• 12 whole New Potatoes (or Other Small Round Potatoes)
• 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• Kosher Salt To Taste
• Black Pepper To Taste
• Rosemary (or Other Herbs Of Choice) To Taste

Preparation Instructions

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add in as many potatoes as you wish to make and cook them until they are fork-tender.

On a sheet pan, generously drizzle olive oil. Place tender potatoes on the cookie sheet leaving plenty of room between each potato.

With a potato masher, gently press down each potato until it slightly mashes, rotate the potato masher 90 degrees and mash again. Brush the tops of each crushed potato generously with more olive oil.

Sprinkle potatoes with kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper and fresh chopped rosemary (or chives or thyme or whatever herb you have available.)

Bake in a 450 degree oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown

Whisk Burger Buns

Another recipe I made when I was out of something in the kitchen (this has been happening more and more--and I have been learning to make a lot of things from scratch out of necessity!). We needed buns for sandwiches, and I had forgotten them on my grocery trip. So I thought I'd try out this recipe I had bookmarked in "Wildly Affordable Organic".  It does take time, but not a ton of effort. I used a bread machine to mix the dough because it is pretty sticky--you could use a food processor with the dough hook, too.


Whisk Burger Buns

Active time: 30 minutes
Total time: 3 hours
Makes 12 buns

1 1/2 c. warm water
3 T. butter, melted
1 egg plus 1 egg white (save extra yolk for glaze)
3 1/3 c. plus 2 t. all purpose flour
1 1/2 c. white whole wheat flour
1/4 c. sugar
1 T. salt
1 T. plus 1 1/2 t. rapid rise yeast (2 packets)
2 t. oil for plastic wrap

Glaze
1 egg yolk
1 T. water
2 T. sesame seeds, optional

1. Combine all dough ingredients in a big bowl and stir to mix. Put extra egg yolk in a small bowl and refrigerate until needed for the glaze.
2. Knead dough using a bread machine or a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook for about 8 minutes or knead by hand for about 10 minutes. Dough will be very soft, sticky, and smooth.
3. Oil a big clean bowl and put dough in to rise. Cover with a plate or lid so it doesn't dry out. Let dough rise for an hour or so until it has doubled in size.
4. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or grease the sheets. Oil or flour your hands just enough to keep dough from sticking. (Too much flour will make the buns tough). Put dough on a floured surface and cut into 12 even pieces. Shape each piece into a ball and then flatten. Space dough disks evenly on cookie sheets, 6 buns to a sheet..
5. Oil plastic wrap and cover each cookie sheet, stretching it barely tight to keep the buns from rising too high. Let rise for 30 to 40 minutes, until they have doubled in size.
6. Position two oven racks in the middle of the oven with enough room to put one set of buns on the lower rack without touching the rack above. Preheat oven to 375.
7. Carefully remove plastic wrap. Add water to egg yolk and whisk until smooth. Use your fingers or a brush to coat buns gently with glaze. Sprinkle glazed buns with sesame seeds if desired. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until golden brown.
8. Remove buns from the oven. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Slice crossways with a serrated bread knife before serving. Keep extra in container at room temperature or wrap well and freeze.

Source: Wildly Affordable Organic by Linda Watson

Died and Went to Heaven Chocolate Cake

Wow! This cake is truly unbelievable! I cheated and used store-bought chocolate frosting, spread on while still warm so it would melt all over. The batter of the cake is VERY runny, and I thought for sure it would not turn out. But wow, that runny dough baked into something moist, rich and perfect. I did not use the dutch process cocoa, just regular unsweetened cocoa powder, and I baked the cake in a regular 9 x 13 cake pan instead of a bundt pan. I can't wait to have an excuse to bake this cake again! Then again--does chocolate cake need a reason???

Died-and-Went-to-Heaven Chocolate Cake

Source: www.eatingwell.com

16 Servings | Active Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 1 1/4 hours

Ingredients

Cake

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose white flour
• 1 cup white sugar
• 3/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup hot strong black coffee

Icing

• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1-2 tablespoons buttermilk, or low-fat milk

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly oil a 12-cup Bundt pan or coat it with nonstick cooking spray. Dust the pan with flour, invert and shake out the excess.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, white sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add buttermilk, brown sugar, eggs, oil and vanilla; beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes. Whisk in hot coffee until completely incorporated. (The batter will be quite thin.)
3. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes; remove from the pan and let cool completely.
4. To make icing: In a small bowl, whisk together confectioners' sugar, vanilla and enough of the buttermilk or milk to make a thick but pourable icing. Set the cake on a serving plate and drizzle the icing over the top.

Nutrition

Per serving : 222 Calories; 5 g Fat; 1 g Sat; 3 g Mono; 27 mg Cholesterol; 44 g Carbohydrates; 3 g Protein; 2 g Fiber; 340 mg Sodium; 142 mg Potassium

3 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 3 other carbohydrate, 1 fat

Fake Frosty

I found this ingenious little recipe from a few different sources, and I modified it to my own taste. It has the consistency of a frosty! My youngest son can't get ENOUGH of this...he has had 'ice cream' daily since I first tried making it. I use my Magic Bullet, but I think a food processor (still on my want list) would do a better job. I can't get over how much the texture and taste reminds me of soft-serve chocolate ice cream--and every day when Noah asks for his ice cream, I really don't mind him having it. :)

Fake Frosty
1 banana, frozen, cut into slices
1 t. milk
1 t. cocoa powder
1 squirt of honey

Put everything in the Magic Bullet and blend until smooth. Sometimes I microwave the banana for just 10 or 15 seconds before making recipe, so it's not hard as a rock.

Chocolate & Peanut Butter Chip Pretzel Cookies

I have made these at least 3 times in 2 weeks. My youngest son adores them. I like using pretzel rods (4 will make 1/2 c. once broken up) so that there are big chunks of visible pretzel. The combo of salty and sweet is awesome--though I like it without salt sprinkled on top, too. Either way, this is a great cookie recipe!

Chocolate & Peanut Butter Chip Pretzel Cookies
Michelle (MMmom)

Makes 24 cookies

1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. of salt
1/4 tsp. of baking soda
1/2 cup of butter at room temperature
1/2 cup of tightly packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup of granulated sugar
1 egg (beaten)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter chips
1/2 cup broken up pretzel pieces
Pretzel Salt or Sea Salt

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

In a larger bowl, beat the butter and sugars together on medium speed until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes). On low speed, slowly add the beaten egg and vanilla extract. Beat to combine, scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Add the flour mixture and beat just until there are no more streaks of flour. Stir in the chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, and pretzels. Cover and refrigerate for an hour.

Preheat the oven to 350F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop out well rounded tablespoonfuls of the dough and sprinkle with pretzel salt. Leave about 2 inches between each ball. Bake for 10 minutes. If you prefer crispier cookies increase the baking time by 1-2 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before removing.