Fettucini Alfredo with Chicken

My family tends to love pasta, especially creamy pasta. My kiddos go crazy for it, and I always know when I serve pasta that they will eat their fill. I have spent a long time looking for the perfect alfredo sauce recipe. I have tried so many different ones, and some are too greasy, some don't have enough sauce for the specified amount of pasta, some are too thick, some are too thin. I think I finally have the perfect recipe. This recipe for alfredo sauce is a very creamy sauce, and it's thick enough to stick to the pasta, but not so thick that it's globby. And it has great flavor! And last (but definitely not least) it is a little lower in calories than some of the other recipes I have found. Still not what I would call a "healthy recipe" but I guess you have to sacrifice a little extra calorie intake for some good flavor!

Creamy Fettucini Alfredo with Chicken (and broccoli)
1/2 C (4 oz) cream cheese
1/2 C butter
1/2 C heavy cream
3/4 C milk
1/2 C grated parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
1 pound of chicken (I like to grill it, slice it, and put it on top of the pasta)
1/2 pound of fettucini pasta
1 C broccoli florets, steamed

1. Cook chicken however you desire. We like to have the chicken grilled and placed on top of the pasta, so I usually do it in advance and let it set while I'm making the pasta.
2. Bring a pot of water to a boil. If you haven't already cooked the broccoli, put the broccoli in the boiling water for about 4-5 minutes, until crisp-tender. Remove the broccoli using a spider spoon.
3. Add the pasta to the boiling water, cook according to package directions.
4. Melt the butter and cream cheese over medium-low heat, whisking until fairly smooth and completely melted. Add garlic powder. Add milk and cream slowly, whisking to remove any lumps. Bring to a simmer, and simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring often, until it reaches your desired consistency.
5. Remove pasta from boiling water, and add to sauce pan. Add broccoli to sauce pan. Stir together, and place sliced chicken on top.
6. Enjoy!

Cream Cheese Pound Cake

During the summer, one of my favorite desserts to eat is Strawberry Shortcake. I love love love it! However, I can't stand those greasy pound cakes that you buy at the grocery store. My favorite way to have strawberry shortcake is either with yummy fluffy biscuits, or this delicious pound cake. This pound cake is so moist and delicious, with a perfect crunchy top crust. I started making it to enjoy with strawberry shortcake, but I now often make it just to eat by itself! Although if you are looking for a low calorie treat, this is definitely not it!

Ingredients:
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese
1 1/2 cups butter
3 cups sugar
6 eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (160 degrees C) grease and flour a 10 inch tube pan (I like to use two loaf pans sometimes, too).
2. In a large bowl, cream butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add sugar gradually and beat until fluffy.
3. Add eggs two at a time, beating well with each addition. Add the flour all at once and mix in. Add vanilla.
4. Pour into a 10 inch tube pan. Bake at 325 degrees F (160 degrees C) for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Check for doneness at 1 hour. A toothpick inserted into center of cake will come out clean.

Tips for the best pound cake:

1. Make sure ALL your ingredients are at room temperature when you start.
   
2. When you add the sugar to the creamed butter and cream cheese mixture, add it very slowly. I usually put the sugar in a liquid measuring cup with a pour spout, and pour it into the mixture very slowly as it is mixing.
   
3. When I use the loaf pan, I like to put a piece of wax paper in the bottom, to prevent it from sticking. When the pound cake is cool, it peels right off
   
4. When checking the pound cake for readiness, insert a toothpick into the center. It must come out completely clean. If it is "almost clean" and you're not quite sure, leave it in for a few more minutes, or it will be doughy in the middle.
   

Crockpot Chicken Tortilla Soup

I seem to spend a lot of time looking for recipes that I can use my crock pot for that I actually like. I'm not really a big fan of most meats cooked in the crock pot, except for maybe barbecue. So I tend to go with soups and chilis in the crockpot. This recipe is extremely delicious, and one of my favorite soup recipes I've made. Even my husband, who is not a huge fan of soup, said it was great!

Ingredients:
1 lb shredded cooked chicken
1 (15 oz) can peeled whole tomatoes, mashed
1 (10 oz) can enchilada sauce
1 medium onion, chopped
1 (4 oz) can chopped green chiles
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups water
1 (14.5 oz) can chicken broth
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 bay leaf
1 (10 oz) package frozen corn
1 Tbsp chopped cilantro
7 corn tortillas
vegetable oil
sour cream
cheese

Directions:

1. Place chicken, tomatoes, enchilada sauce, onion, green chiles, and garlic into a slow cooker. Pour in water and chicken broth, and season with cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Stir in corn and cilantro. Cover, and cook on Low setting for 6 to 8 hours or on High setting for 3 to 4 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
3. Lightly brush both sides of tortillas with oil. Cut tortillas into strips, then spread on a baking sheet.
4. Bake in preheated oven until crisp, about 10 to 15 minutes. To serve, sprinkle tortilla strips over soup.

Chicken Piccata with Angel Hair

This is one of my favorite things to make because it is super simple, but it feels like a gourmet meal. It started out as a recipe from Giada De Laurentis, whose food I love, but I modified it to make it my own.

Chicken Piccatta with Angel Hair

Ingredients

2 skinless and boneless chicken breasts, butterflied and then cut in half (or 4 chicken tenderloins pounded to 1/4 inch thickness)

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

All-purpose flour, for dredging

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup chicken stock

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 cup thinly sliced onions

1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped

8 oz angel hair pasta

Directions

Start a pot of water to boil for pasta.

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour and shake off excess.

In a large skillet over medium high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter with 3 tablespoons olive oil. When butter and oil start to sizzle, add 2 pieces of chicken and cook for 3 minutes. When chicken is browned, flip and cook other side for 3 minutes. Remove and transfer to plate. Melt 2 more tablespoons butter and add another 2 tablespoons olive oil. When butter and oil start to sizzle, add the other 2 pieces of chicken and brown both sides in same manner. Remove chicken from the pan, and place on a plate.

Into the pan add the garlic and onions and let cook on medium heat for about 2 minutes, until soft. Add the lemon juice and stock. Bring to boil, scraping up brown bits from the pan for extra flavor. Check for seasoning. Simmer for 5 minutes.

While sauce is simmering, add angel hair to boiling water, and cook for 4 minutes.

Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter to sauce and whisk vigorously. When pasta is cooked, add it to the pan with the sauce, and stir to coat. Place chicken on top of pasta. Serve and enjoy!

Baked Macaroni and cheese

Having two small children, we eat a lot of macaroni and cheese. I am not a big fan of the boxed macaroni and cheese myself, so I usually make it from scratch. I typically use my mother-in-law's recipe (using Velveeta), which is fairly simple and really takes no more time than making it out of a box. But since I find myself making this so often, usually about once a week, I started the search for a different way of making it that would be a little more enjoyable on the culinary scale. I came across this recipe for Baked Macaroni and Cheese from Alton Brown. It has much more flavor, since it calls for REAL cheese, and it has a crunchy topping that gives it a very appealing texture. On the down side, it takes much longer and is more difficult to prepare, but in my opinion it is worth it every once in a while. I forgot to take a picture of this one, but will include it the next time I make it!

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

1/2 pound elbow macaroni
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon powdered mustard
3 cups milk
1/2 cup yellow onion, finely diced
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 large egg
12 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Fresh black pepper

Topping:
3 Tbsp butter
1 cup panko bread crumbs

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. In a large pot of boiling, salted water cook the pasta to al dente.

3. While the pasta is cooking, in a separate pot, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and mustard and keep it moving for about five minutes. Make sure it's free of lumps. Stir in the milk, onion, bay leaf, and paprika. Simmer for ten minutes and remove the bay leaf.

4. Temper in the egg. Stir in 3/4 of the cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Fold the macaroni into the mix and pour into a 2-quart casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese.

5. Melt the butter in a saute pan and toss the bread crumbs to coat. Top the macaroni with the bread crumbs. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and rest for five minutes before serving.

White Chocolate Cranberry Blondies

My husband is not a big fan of chocolate, but he loves white chocolate. So when my friends and I got together for our monthly bake-fest, where the theme was "brownies" we decided to do one that wasn't chocolate, but white chocolate instead. I found this recipe in my Taste of Home - Fall Baking magazine. Even though it would be great for fall, it was also perfect for Valentine's Day because of the colors. It is a dense, moist, and chewy brownie, with great white chocolate flavor, and a hint of tanginess from the cranberries. Yum!

White chocolate Cranberry Blondies

3/4 cup butter, cubed
1-1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
2 eggs
3/4 tsp vanilla extract
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup dried cranberries
6 ounces white baking chocolate, coarsely chopped (I used white chocolate chips)

Frosting:
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon grated orange peel, optional
6 ounces white baking chocolate melted
1/2 cup dried cranberries, chopped

Directions:
1. In a microwave, melt butter; stir in brown sugar. Transfer to a large bowl; cool to room temperature. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon; gradually add to butter mixture. Stir in cranberries and chopped chocolate (batter will be thick).
2. Spread into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees F for 18-21 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean (do not overbake). Cool on a wire rack.
3. For the frosting, in a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, and the orange peel if desired until blended. Gradually add half of the melted white chocolate; beat until blended. Frost brownies. Sprinkle with cranberries. Drizzle with remaining melted white chocolate. Cut into bars. Store in the refrigerator.

Wild Rice Stuffing (with mushrooms)

So I found this recipe actually under "stuffings", you know, like to go inside your turkey? Well, there was a picture that accompanied the recipe, and it looked so tasty by itself, that I just decided to try it out. I just made it as a side dish with dinner, and it worked out perfectly! I especially love the flavor from the green onions, and the crunch from the almonds!

Wild Rice Stuffing

1/4 cup wild rice
1 3/4 cups water
1/4 cup brown rice
1 tsp instant chicken bouillon granules
1/8 to 1/4 tsp thyme (dried)
2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 cup sliced celery
3 green onions, sliced
1/4 cup sliced almonds or pine nuts, toasted

Directions:

1. Rinse uncooked wild rice in a strainer under cold water about 1 minute. In a medium saucepan combine wild rice, the 1 3/4 cups water, uncooked brown rice, bouillon granules, and thyme. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. (I actually used a pre-mixed wild rice mixture, and I had to cook it for about 45 minutes before it was tender.)
2. Add mushrooms and celery. Cook, covered, over medium-low heat for about 5-10 minutes more, stirring frequently, until vegetables are tender. Stir in green onions and almonds.
3. Serve and enjoy!

Scrumptiously Soft Sugar Cookies

This is my new favorite recipe for sugar cookies. They are so deliciously soft. I like to keep them fairly thick when I roll them out, and they turn out tasting like those huge sugar cookies that you see at every store with half inch of frosting on them, only these ones are homemade and much better! My husband likes the cookies by themselves, without the frosting, so I usually end up leaving a few un-frosted for him.

Soft sugar cookies

4 C All purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 C butter, softened
1 1/2 C white sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 C sour cream

1. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon; set aside. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg, vanilla, and sour cream until well blended. Stir in the sifted ingredients. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill, for at least 1 hour, but preferably overnight.
2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/4 inch in thickness. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters. Place cookies 1 1/2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.
3. Bake for 7-9 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.


Sugar Cookie Icing

2 C confectioners sugar
4 tsp milk
4 tsp light corn syrup
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Assorted food coloring

1. In a small bowl, stir together confectioner's sugar and milk until smooth. Beat in corn syrup and vanilla extract until icing is smooth and glossy. If icing is too thick, add more corn syrup. (Make sure to get in the corn syrup, or your icing will get hard and crunchy. The corn syrup keeps the icing soft.)
2. Divide into separate bowls, and add food colorings to each to desired intensity. Dip cookies, or drizzle frosting over cookies, or paint the frosting on with a brush.

Asian Chicken Salad Wraps

This was kind of an inspiration from some oriental chicken salad that I had one time at a pot luck. I asked my friend for her recipe, but she never got around to sending it, so I decided to make up my own! This isn't the same as hers, but very tasty. I like to scoop it into wraps and eat it that way, but it's just as good eating it by itself with a fork! The best part about it is it's a quick, easy, healthy meal. I use pre-cooked chicken, either from my freezer or a rotisserie chicken from the store.

Asian Chicken Salad Wraps

2 C pre-cooked chicken, cut into small pieces
2 C Romaine lettuce, cut or torn into small pieces
3 green onions, chopped
1/2 bell pepper, chopped
1/4 C sunflower seeds
1/2 C crunchy chow mein noodles, or toasted ramen noodles
4-6 tortillas for wrapping (optional)

Dressing:
1/4 C vegetable oil
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp sugar
Salt and pepper to taste (optional)

1. Mix all ingredients, except for the wraps and the dressing, in a large bowl.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together all ingredients for the dressing.
3. Pour the dressing over the salad, and toss together until evenly coated.
4. Scoop about 1 C of mixture into a wrap, and enjoy!

Shrimp Scampi Pasta

This is one of my favorites, and it is super easy and quick! This recipe is from epicurious.com

Shrimp Scampi Pasta

1/4 cup olive oil
1 lb peeled and deveined large shrimp (raw; 20 to 25 per lb)
4 large garlic cloves, left unpeeled and forced through a garlic press
1/2 teaspoon dried hot red-pepper flakes
1/2 cup dry white wine (I used chicken broth instead, because I didn't have any wine)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 lb capellini (angel-hair pasta)
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Bring a 6- to 8-quart pot of salted water to a boil.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté shrimp, turning over once, until just cooked through, about 2 minutes, and transfer with a slotted spoon to a large bowl. Add garlic to oil remaining in skillet along with red pepper flakes, wine, salt, and pepper and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, 1 minute. Add butter to skillet, stirring until melted, and stir in shrimp. Remove skillet from heat.

Cook pasta in boiling water until just tender, about 3 minutes. Reserve 1 cup pasta-cooking water, then drain pasta in a colander. Toss pasta well with shrimp mixture and parsley in large bowl, adding some of reserved cooking water if necessary to keep moist.

Giant Cocoa Krispie treats

So I decided to make rice krispie treats, but wanted them to be chocolaty. I also remembered that every time I make them and press them into my 9x13 pan, they end up as little tiny1/2 inch thick treats. I love the ones that I can get at the cafeteria where I work that are about 2 inches thick and have non-melted mini marshmallows thrown into the mix, too. SO here's what I came up with:

4 C Cocoa krispies (I actually used the off-brand...just as good)
4 C regular rice krispies
1 package (16 oz) large marshmallows
6 Tbsp butter
1 C mini marshmallows

Place large marshmallows and butter in a large bowl. Melt in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds, until you have a smooth, melted mixture. Stir in remaining ingredients. Dump it all into a greased 9x13 pan. Use a silicon spatula, or a greased spoon to press the mixture down into the pan. Let cool, cut and enjoy!

Broccoli Cheese soup

The other night on the way home I asked my son what he wanted for dinner. He excitedly claimed "Waffles!" So I promised him waffles for dinner. Little did I know, that my lovely husband would be home before me and already cooking dinner. Well, I couldn't bring myself to disappoint my little boy and not give him his waffles, could I? So, we had an interesting combination of dishes for dinner last night....waffles and broccoli cheese soup! Despite my initial lack of excitement, they actually complemented each other rather well. Anyway, here is the recipe for the Broccoli cheese soup.

Broccoli Cheese Soup (feeds 4-6)

1/4 c butter
1/2 medium onion (chopped)
2 carrots (peeled and shredded)
1 c fresh or frozen broccoli (chopped)
1 clove garlic (minced)
1-1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 c chicken broth
1 c velveeta (cubed)
2 c cheddar (shredded)
1/4 c cream
salt (to taste)
1/4 tsp cayenne

Melt butter in pan on medium heat. Add onions and cook until translucent. Add carrots, broccoli, and garlics and cook for 2 min. Add broth and cover. Boil for 5-10 min or until vegetables are cooked to your liking. Slowly add cheeses until melted. Add cream, salt, and cayenne. If soup is too runny you can add some cornstarch mixed with cold water. Slowly add the small bit of cornstarch and let soup return to boil until soup reaches the desired consistency.

Smothered chicken

When Cody and I were in college, we actually did quite a bit of cooking together, which usually consisted of him cooking and me watching. This was one of the things that he made for me that I loved, but we hadn't had it for several years, until recently. I was looking for some new recipes, and came across this one. I made it for my family, and everyone loved it! My father-in-law ate it and told me that he felt like he was eating at a fancy restaurant the whole time he was visiting. What a compliment! This recipe is from the trusty Betty Crocker cookbook.

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (about 1 1/4 pounds)
1 tsp dried oregano leaves
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp ground red pepper (cayenne)
1 Tbsp butter or stick margarine
1 medium bell pepper, thinly sliced (I like to use red, because Cody doesn't like green peppers)
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 cup sliced mushrooms (4 oz)
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Spray 12-inch non-stick skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium heat. Sprinkle both sides of chicken with oregano, salt, garlic powder, pepper, and red pepper. Cook in skillet 8-10 minutes, turning once, until juice is no longer pink when centers of thickest pieces are cut. Remove chicken from skillet; keep warm.

Melt butter in skillet over medium heat. Cook bell pepper and onion in butter about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender. Stir in mushrooms. Cook 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender.

Place chicken in skillet; spoon vegetables over chicken. Sprinkle cheeses over chicken and vegetables; remove from heat. Cover and let stand until cheese is melted.

Saturday Morning banana nut muffins

So banana breads and muffins are hard, because in my opinion they usually either have too much oil and they turn out greasy, or they are too dry. On Saturday my husband tried a new recipe for banana nut muffins, and they turned out so delicious. They are extremely moist, and have a nice crusty top on them, that makes them the perfect muffin! They are more dense than the typical muffin, but so tasty!

2 1/4 cups all purpose or white whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup melted butter
2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 large extra ripe bananas (peeled and mashed)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped

In a large bow,l sift together the flour, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon. In a separate bowl, mix the butter and brown sugar. Stir in the eggs, then add the bananas. Stir in the vanilla.
Combine the liquid mixture with the dry ingredients, stirring together only until mixed. Stir in chopped nuts.
Transfer the batter into greased muffin cups, filling 2/3 full.
Bake in a 350°F oven for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in a center comes out clean.
Makes 18 to 20 muffins.