Olive Cheese Bread

Last week I brought this Olive Cheese Bread to a party.  It was SO good….rave reviews!  Want to impress your friends?  Make this at your next get together!

OLIVE CHEESE BREAD….via Pioneer Woman Cooks

1 (14.5oz) can black olives, drained

1 (6oz) jar pimiento olives, drained

2 green onions, sliced

1 stick butter

½ cup real mayo

1 lb Monterey Jack cheese, grated

1 loaf crusty French bread

Preheat oven to 325.

Chop the green and black olives.

Slice and chop the green onions.

In a large bowl, combine the olives, green onion, mayo, cheese and butter.

Stir until thoroughly combined.

Slice the French bread.   Spread the cheese mixture in an even layer on each half.

Bake for 20-25 minutes.  I broiled it the last few minutes to get a nice brown, finish on the cheese. 

Cut and serve.

Week of May 7

Salmon Salad

Monday – Salmon Salad (recipe under pages)    

Tuesday – Homemade Mac & Cheese with Asian Shrimp Salad

Wednesday – Italian Baked Chicken

Thursday – Baking Lasagna that was put in the freezer a few weeks back!

Friday – Santa Fe Chicken (recipe under pages)  



Santa Fe Chicken...Crockpot Style



ALTON BROWN’S MACARONI & CHEESE….you are going to LOVE this!

• 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 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup panko bread crumbs

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

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

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.

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.

Melt the butter in a sauté 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.

ITALAIN BAKED CHICKEN….Giada De Laurentilis Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 cup pastina pasta (or any small pasta)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup cubed chicken breast (1-inch cubes)
• 1/2 cup diced onion (about 1/2 a small onion)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
• 1 tablespoon butter, plus more for buttering the baking dish

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until just tender, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Drain pasta into a large mixing bowl.

Meanwhile, put the olive oil in a medium sauté pan over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook for 3 minutes. Add the onions and garlic, stirring to combine, and cook until the onions are soft and the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes more. Put the chicken mixture into the bowl with the cooked pasta. Add the canned tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, parsley, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Place the mixture in a buttered 8 by 8 by 2-inch baking dish. In a small bowl mix together the bread crumbs and the Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle over the top of the pasta mixture. Dot the top with small bits of butter. Bake until the top is golden brown, about 30 minutes.

Week of April 30

One new recipe this week….Crunchy Chicken.  I printed this off another blog weeks ago, but can’t remember from where.  I like to give credit where credit is due!

Salmon Salad

MONDAY – Salmon Salad   

TUESDAY – Homemade Pizza

WEDNESDAY – Crunchy Chicken, Twice Baked Potatoes, and Broccoli

THURSDAY – Veggei Ratatouille

FRIDAY – Crock Pot is my friend:  Santa Fe Chicken




Veggie Ratatouille

 

Salmon Salad, Veggie Ratatouille, and Santa Fe Chicken recipes are all under the “Pages” section of this blog.  Below is the recipe for Crunchy Chicken

Santa Fe Chicken - Crock Pot

CRUNCHY CHICKEN





Crunchy Chicken



Sift together:
2 cup flour
4 tsp salt
4 tsp black pepper
3 tbsp ground ginger
1 tsp cayenne pepper
Make an egg wash by whisking together:
4 eggs
8 tbsp water
Season four boneless/skinless chicken breasts with salt and pepper, then dip the meat in the flour and spice mixture. Dip the breast into the egg wash and then a final time into the flour and spice mix, pressing the mix into the meat to get good contact.



Heat a skillet on the stove with about a half inch of canola oil covering the bottom



Pan-fry them gently for about 4 or 5 minutes per side until golden brown and crispy.



Drain on a wire rack for a couple of minutes before dipping the cooked breasts into the Honey Garlic Sauce.
Honey Garlic Sauce
In a medium saucepan add:
2 tbsp olive oil
3 – 4 cloves minced garlic
Cook over medium heat to soften the garlic but do not let it brown. Add:
1 cup honey
¼ cup soya sauce (low sodium soya sauce is best)
1 tsp ground black pepper

Simmer together for 5-10 minutes, remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes. Watch this carefully as it simmers because it can foam up over the pot very easily.

Week of April 23

I can’t help but try more new recipes this week.  I love Salmon and I found a new recipe that will allow me to use up some of my pistachios I have leftover from Easter.

Monday – Pistachio Salmon Nuggets and Spring Chopped Salad

Tuesday – Santé Fe Chicken

Wednesday – Invited to be a guest at dinner and a basketball game!

Thursday – Cauliflower Soup

Friday – Lasagna

PISTACHIO SALMON NUGGETS 

1 lb fresh or frozen skinless salmon fillets

2 T water

2 T soy sauce

1 T grated fresh ginger

2 t sesame oil (or EVOO)

1 T EVOO

2 T finely chopped pistachio nuts

Cut fish into 1 inch chunks.  Place fish in a resalable plastic bag.

Marinade:  Combine water, soy sauce, ginger, and the 2 t sesame oil.  Pour marinade over salmon chunks in bag.  Seal bag; turn to coat salmon.  Marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Drain salmon, discarding marinade.  In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 T EVOO over medium-high heat.  Add half of the salmon chunks to skillet; cook and gently stir for 6-8 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Remove from skillet.  Cook remaining fish.  Sprinkle with pistachio nuts.

CHOPPED SALAD

From Food Network Magazine

1/3 cup feta

2 T olive oil

1 T lemon juice

1 T water

1 T dill

1 small grated garlic clove

Salt and pepper, to taste

Blend all of above in a food processor.

Toss with:

1 chopped romaine heart

1 small chopped cucumber

5 chopped radishes

1 drained can chickpeas

2 chopped celery stalks

1/3 cup thawed frozen peas

1/3 cup toasted sliced almonds

CROCK POT SANTA FE CHICKEN
Skinnytaste.com

·         24 oz (1 1/2) lbs chicken breast

·         14.4 oz can diced tomatoes with mild green chilies

·         15 oz can black beans

·         8 oz frozen corn

·         1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

·         14.4 oz can fat free chicken broth

·         3 scallions, chopped

·         1 tsp garlic powder

·         1 tsp onion powder

·         1 tsp cumin

·         1 tsp cayenne pepper (to taste)….1/4 t is plenty for me!

·         salt to taste

Directions:

Combine chicken broth, beans, corn, tomatoes, cilantro, scallions, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, cayenne pepper and salt in the crock pot . Season chicken breast with salt and lay on top. Cook on low for 10 hours or on high for 6 hours. Half hour before serving, remove chicken and shred. Return chicken to slow cooker and stir in. Adjust salt and seasoning.  I serve it over brown rice.

CAULIFLOWER SOUP

 From:  Pioneer Woman Cooks

·         1 stick Butter, Divided

·         1/2 whole Onion, Finely Diced

·         1 whole Carrot Finely Diced

·         1 stalk Celery, Finely Diced

·         1 whole (to 2 Whole) Cauliflower Heads (roughly Chopped)

·         2 Tablespoons Fresh Or Dried Parsley (chopped)

·         2 quarts Low-sodium Chicken Broth Or Stock

·         6 Tablespoons All-purpose Flour

·         2 cups Whole Milk

·         1 cup Half-and-half

·         2 teaspoons To 4 Teaspoons Salt, To Taste

·         1 cup (heaping) Sour Cream, Room Temperature

Preparation Instructions

In a large soup pot or dutch oven, melt 4 tablespoons butter. Add the onion and cook for a few minutes, or until it starts to turn brown.

Add the carrots and celery and cook an additional couple of minutes. Add cauliflower and parsley and stir to combine.

Cover and cook over very low heat for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, pour in chicken stock or broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and allow simmering.

In a medium saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons butter. Mix the flour with the milk and whisk to combine. Add flour-milk mixture slowly to the butter, whisking constantly.

Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup half-and-half. Add mixture to the simmering soup. Allow to simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Check seasoning and add more salt or pepper if necessary.

Just before serving, place the sour cream in a serving bowl or soup tureen. Add two to three ladles of hot soup into the tureen and stir to combine with the sour cream. Pour in remaining soup and stir.

Chocolate Chip Scones

It’s no secret that I LOVE chocolate, and I LOVE scones.  Not something my body can afford to eat every day, so I appreciate this somewhat healthy version of CHOCOLATE CHIP SCONES!  It uses yogurt instead of oil.  It also has whole wheat flour and oats!

CHOCOLATE CHIP SCONES      

½ cup whole wheat flour

½ cup all purpose flour

½ cup old fashioned oats

3 T sugar …. I use raw sugar

1 t baking powder

¼ t baking soda

½ t ground cinnamon

2 T unsalted cold butter

¼ c plain low fat yogurt…Greek yogurt is great!

1 egg

¼ t vanilla extract

¼ cup (or more) mini chocolate chips.

Mix together the flours, oats, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon in a food processor.  While the food processor runs, add small cubes of butter, one at a time.

Process until crumbly.  Add the yogurt, egg, and vanilla.  Process until well mixed.  Add the chocolate chips, process until combined.

Place the dough on a lightly floured cutting board.  Knead to finish combining all the ingredients.  Form into a ball; flatten into an 8 inch circle with your hands or a rolling pin.  Using a pizza cutter, cut into 8 wedges.  Place wedges on baking sheet coated with cooking spray.

Bake at 400 for 15 minutes.

Sunday Night Dinner

I usually don’t cook on Sundays, but I did tonight!  And it was worth it!  YUM!  I tried a new recipe for a pizza….it’s very different, but the combination of flavors is like a party in your mouth!    

I also made up a quick Caprese Salad to go with it.  Does this picture make your mouth water?

POTATO LEEK PIZZA

Adapted from Ree Drummond

Pizza crust – homemade or store bought

EVOO

Kosher salt

6 slices bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces (I make it easy, use the pre cooked refrigerated kind)

3 leeks, rinsed and thinly sliced

5 small Yukon Gold potatoes, sliced paper thin

1 pound fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced thin

4 oz goat cheese, crumbled

Grated Parmesan cheese

Freshly ground black pepper

Spread the pizza crust out in your pan, drizzle lightly with EVOO and sprinkle lightly with salt. 

Drizzle 1 T EVOO in a skillet; add the leeks and sauté over medium heat until soft. 

Slice the potatoes very thin and arrange in a single layer all over the crust. 

Sprinkle the potatoes with salt and pepper.  Lay the mozzarella slices in a single layer on top of the potatoes.  Place the leeks on top of the cheese.

Next, sprinkle the bacon over top.  Followed by the goat cheese, grated Parmesan and a sprinkle of freshly ground black pepper.

Bake 10-12 minutes, until the edges of the crust are golden brown and the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Week of April 16

Trying some new and throwing in a few old recipes this week:
Monday – Shrimp and Tomato Pasta
Tuesday – Chicken Pot Pie
Wednesday – Santa Fe Chicken (crock pot) http://www.skinnytaste.com/2009/02/crock-pot-santa-fe-chicken-425-pts.html
Thursday –DIY
Friday – BBQ Chicken Pizza

Shrimp and Tomato Pasta    
1 lb penne pasta, cooked
1 lb shrimp
1 T butter
2 T EVOO
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup + dry white wine
1 large can tomato sauce
1 cup half N half
1/3 cup chopped parsley
6 + basil leaves

In skillet, over medium heat, melt 1 T butter and 1 T EVOO. Add shrimp. Stir and cook until shrimp is just opaque. Remove shrimp to a plate.
In a large skillet, add 1 T EVOO. Add the garlic and onion. Stir until onion is translucent. Add wine to the skillet. Stir and allow to evaporate. Pour in the tomato sauce and stir to combine. Reduce heat to low. Pour in the half N half. Stir and simmer.
Add shrimp, parsley, and basil. Add cooked and drained pasta.
Stir to combine.
Add salt and pepper to taste.

Chicken Pot Pie     
3 celery stalks, diced
3 medium carrots, peeled, diced
1 onion, diced
2 T butter
2 T EVOO
½ cup peas
2 cups cooked chicken
1 cup flour
2 cups chicken broth
¼ cup white wine
1 cup half N half
1 t ground thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
Prepared pie crust or Phyllo dough sheets, thawed

Melt butter and EVOO in large pot over medium heat. Add the celery, carrots, onion, and peas. Sauté until the vegetables are translucent.
Add cooked chicken and stir. Sprinkle flour over vegetables. Cook for a couple of minutes.
Pour in the chicken broth. Stir in the wine. Pour in the half N half.
Cook the mixture over low heat. Season with thyme, salt, and pepper. Pour the chicken mixture into a deep pie pan. Top with crust or phyllo dough.
Bake for 30 minutes at 400 or until the crust is golden brown. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

BBQ Chicken Pizza


Begin with prepared pizza dough….or make you own….if you are really crunched for time, use a prepared crust like Boboli.
Season boneless, skinless chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Spread with 2 T BBQ sauce. Bake at 425 for 20 minutes. Let cool and cut into ½ inch pieces, or slice.
Lay dough out in pan. Spread with ½ cup BBQ sauce. Top with cooked chicken, 2/3 cup grated Gouda, 2/3 cup grated mozzarella, ½ of a small red onion, thinly sliced. Bake 20-25 minutes.
Top with chopped cilantro.