3 Bean Chili

I just got back from an awesome vacation in the Florida Keys! It was so sunny and beautiful but then I came back to cold weather! Boo!

This 3 bean chili is so easy and so tasty! I actually forgot that I made it until yesterday when I found left overs in the freezer! So if you need something to eat in a pinch this is it!!!


3 Bean Chili
Recipe by Jamie

2 – 15 oz can of stewed tomatoes
1 – 15 oz can black beans
1 -15 oz can kidney beans
1- 15 oz can chili beans with seasoning mix
½ onion, cut small pieces
1 green pepper, cut small pieces
Chili seasoning


Sautee chopped onion and green pepper in a bit of olive oil. Mix stewed tomatoes with all 3 types of beans in heated pan on medium heat. Add chili seasoning to taste.

Yummy!

Potato Perogies

I have always loved perogies since I was a kid. I have always wanted to try to make my own but I have heard stories from others that it takes all day long. I don't have that kind of time to spend in the kitchen. So I was really wanting to make my own perogies so I searched for an easy recipe and here I found it. These perogies turned out so flavorful! They were easy to make as well. It only took me about 1 hour to make the perogies!!!

Potato Perogies
Adapted From All Recipes

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
2/3 cup cold water
5 pounds baking potatoes
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons sour cream
salt and pepper to taste


To Make Dough: In a medium bowl combine the flour, salt, egg and water. Mix all together to form dough; cover bowl and set aside.

To Make Potato Filling: Place potatoes in a large pot. Add water to cover, bring to a boil, and boil for 25 to 35 minutes or until tender. Remove potatoes from water and mash. Stir in cheese, sour cream, and season with salt and pepper.

Roll reserved dough out on a floured surface. Cut circles out of dough, using a small round container. Place a spoonful of potato filling in the center of each circle and fold over, pinching edges together to seal. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil; drop perogies in boiling water and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until they float.

After boiling the potatoes saute in a pan with light oil until browned. Then serve with vegetables, sour cream, or alone!

Portabella Mushroom Sandwich

Here is an awesome quick sandwich I made the other day. It was very simple to make and tasted great! The mushroom marinated quite well in the red wine sauce. It was juicy and delicious! I will definitely be making this again!

Grilled Portobello Mushroom Sandwich with Roasted Red Pepper
From hubpages.com

Ingredients:
portobello mushroom cap
1/4 large red bell pepper
extra virgin olive oil
red wine
salt
freshly ground black pepper
pepper jack cheese
baby spinach leaves
fresh tomato slice (preferably heirloom)
pesto
hamburger bun or Kaiser roll

Preparation Instructions:
1. First of course, start the fire in your grill. We usually use wood for the wonderful wood smoke flavor. Let the fire burn down some.

2. In the meantime, wash all of your veggies. Remove the stem from the portobello mushroom cap, and cut your bell pepper, removing the stem and seeds. Wash the spinach and set it aside, and slice the cheese.

3. Place the portobello mushroom cap upside down on a plate and sprinkle it liberally with extra virgin olive oil, red wine, and a little salt and pepper. Make sure it's nice and wet, so that it can soak up all of that juice as it cooks.

4. When the fire has burned down some and the coals are really hot, carefully transfer the portobello mushroom cap to the grill without spilling its contents. If you are also cooking any hamburgers, you will probably want to put them on first to cook a little longer, because the mushroom cap does not take long.

5. Watch the mushroom cap carefully. When it starts to blacken and wrinkle around the outside, check the middle with a fork. If the cap is very soft and pliant, and the fork sinks in without any resistance, it is done. Take it off of the grill.

6. At the same time as the mushroom cap is cooking, put the quarter of the red pepper on the grill, skin side down. When it starts to blacken, lay the pepper jack cheese all over it to melt. When the cheese is melted, remove the pepper from the grill.
7. Meanwhile, right before the pepper and mushroom get done, toast the bun or Kaiser roll on the grill.

8. When everything is done, spread some pesto on both sides of the bun. Assemble the sandwich with the mushroom, pepper and cheese, and the baby spinach leaves. Add a little salt and pepper if needed. Enjoy!

Hot Chocolate with Nutella

This hot chocolate Nutella has become my winter favorite. We have had some pretty cold days here and there is nothing better than coming home to some hot chocolate. But forget about those powder packets of Swiss Miss…once you try this hot chocolate you won’t be able to drink it from a powder packet!


Hot Chocolate with Nutella
Recipe by Jamie

1 cup Milk
2 tsp Nutella
Cinnamon to taste


Heat milk in a sauce pan over medium-low heat and add Nutella. Continue to heat and stir for about 7 minutes. Make sure the Nutella is broken up in the milk before serving.

Serve with cinnamon to taste.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies

I know I have been horrible with posting the past few months but I promise that I will post more regularly now!

Here are some really great brownie cookies that I made for a friend’s Superbowl party. These brownies are so yummy! Usually brownies are very fudgy and sweet but these are different with the cookies inside them. I found them to have the perfect amount of sweetness which completely hit the spot!

I took the leftovers to work the following Monday and it definitely was at hit at work!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies

From Betty Crocker

1 box Betty Crocker® Original Supreme brownie mix (with chocolate syrup pouch)
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup water
2 eggs
1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® chocolate chip cookie mix
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 egg
1 container Betty Crocker® Rich & Creamy chocolate frosting

1. Heat oven to 350ºF. Grease bottom only of 13x9-inch pan. Make brownie mix as directed on box, using oil, water and 2 eggs. Spread in pan.
2. Make cookie mix as directed on pouch, using butter and 1 egg. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls evenly onto brownie batter; press down lightly.
3. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted 2 inches from side of pan comes out almost clean. Cool completely, about 1 hour. Frost with frosting. For brownies, cut into 8 rows by 6 rows.

Chicken Pot Pie

Last month I was in San Fran visiting my sister and brother-in-law. We all LOVE LOVE LOVE chicken pot pie but it is sooo bad for you! My sister and brother-in-law had tried this recipe before and raved about it. So when I was there last month we all made this chicken pot pie and oh was it tasty!

It definitely takes sometime to make but is so worth it!

Chicken Pot Pie
by Tyler Florence

Ingredients
Pastry:
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 tablespoon salt
2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, cold and cut into small chunks
3/4 cup ice water, plus more if needed
Chicken Broth:
1 (4 to 5 pound) free range whole chicken
3 carrots, cut in 2-inch pieces
3 celery stalks, cut in 2-inch pieces
1 onion, halved
1 head garlic, halved horizontally
2 turnips, halved
Bouquet garni: 4 fresh thyme sprigs, 2 fresh rosemary sprigs, 1 bay leaf - all tied together with
kitchen string

Pot Pie
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 carrots, cut in 1/2-inch circles
1 cup pearl onions, peeled, about 3/4 pound
1 cup fresh sweet peas, about 1 pound
1 garlic clove, chopped
Leaves from 8 fresh thyme sprigs
Needles from 1 fresh rosemary sprig, chopped
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 egg mixed with 3 tablespoons of water, for egg wash
Coarse salt

Directions
To make the pastry: Combine the flour and salt in a very large mixing bowl. Add the butter and mix with a pastry blender or your hands until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Pour in the ice water and work it in to bind the dough until it holds together without being too wet or sticky. Squeeze a small amount together, if it is crumbly, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Wrap the large ball of dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate while preparing the rest of the recipe (feel free to make the dough the night before if you prefer.)

To make the chicken broth:
Put the chicken in a large stockpot and cover with 3 quarts of cool water. Add the vegetables and herbs and bring it up to a boil over medium-high heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour; skimming frequently as the oil rises to the surface. What we're doing here is not only cooking the chicken but also creating the base sauce for the pot pie. It's the old trick of killing two birds with one stone -- or one pot as the case may be. Remove the chicken to a platter to cool. When it's cool enough to handle shred the chicken meat, discarding the skin and bones, and set aside. Using a colander, strain the chicken broth into another pot and discard the solids; you should have about 2 quarts when you're done.

To make the pot pie filling:
Wipe out the stockpot and put it back on the stovetop over medium-low heat. Melt the butter and just as the foam subsides, add the flour, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or whisk to prevent lumps. This is a roux, which will act as a thickener. Cook and stir the roux until it's the color of a California blonde. Now, gradually pour in the reserved chicken broth, whisking the entire time to prevent lumps. Whisk and simmer for 10 minutes to cook out the starchy taste of the flour and thicken the broth; it should look like cream of chicken soup. Fold in the carrots, pearl onions, peas, garlic, rosemary, thyme, and lemon juice; stir to combine. Simmer for 10 minutes to soften the vegetables a bit; season the mixture with salt and pepper. Stir in the shredded chicken until incorporated, remove from the heat and cool to room temperature; it will get quite thick as it cools down.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Take the dough out of the refrigerator and set it out on the counter for 5 minutes to warm up a bit, making it easier to roll out.

Sprinkle the counter and a rolling pin lightly with flour. Roll the dough out into a big 14 by 20-inch rectangle. Carefully transfer the dough to a large rectangular pizza stone or standard sheet pan, leaving about 1 foot of the pastry hanging off 1 end. Spoon the cooled chicken filling on the pastry that is on the pizza stone, leaving a border around the sides. Lightly beat the egg with 3 tablespoons of water to make an egg wash and brush it on the dough border. Fold the "free" dough over the filling like a blanket and crimp the ends with a fork to form a tight seal; it should look like a big pillow. Brush the top of the giant chicken pie with the remaining egg wash, sprinkle with the coarse salt, and cut tiny slashes in the top so steam can escape. Place the chicken pie in the oven and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour until puffed and golden. Let the chicken pie rest for 10 minutes before moving it. Run a spatula underneath the pot pie to loosen it from the pizza stone. Scoop out the chicken pie with a large serving spoon.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Happy Chinese New Year! 2009 is the year of the OX. Not sure what that all means but horraay! This is a great and easy recipe if you are in the mood for sweet and sour chicken! Definitely try it out!


Sweet and Sour Chicken
From My Kitchen Cafe


3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper
1 cup cornstarch
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup canola oil
Cut boneless chicken breasts into chunks.

Season with salt and pepper. Dip chicken in cornstarch and then in egg. Fry in a little oil until brown but not cooked through. Place in a single layer in a baking dish. Mix sauce ingredients (below) together and pour over chicken.


Sauce:
¾ cup sugar
4 tablespoons ketchup
½ cup vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon garlic salt

Bake for one hour at 325 degrees. Turn chicken every 15 minutes. If you like extra sauce, make another batch of sauce and bring it to a boil on the stovetop. Stir constantly and let cook over medium heat until thickened and reduced - about 6-8 minutes.

Old Fashion Chicken Noodle Soup

It that time of year here in Ohio for some soup! Soup is always such a wonderful winter meal because it keeps you warm and makes you smile even though it is cold and snowy outside.


I can never resist a great chicken noodle soup. It is soo satisfying for lunch or dinner!

Old Fashion Chicken Noodle Soup

From William Sonoma

Ingredients:
1 Tbs. canola oil
1 chicken, 3 1/2 to 4 lb., quartered
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 large yellow onions, cut into 1/2-inch rounds
4 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch rounds
1 bunch celery, tops and bottoms trimmed, cut into 1-inch chunks
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 quarts water
1 bay leaf
2 fresh thyme sprigs
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 lb. dried fettuccine, broken into 2-inch pieces
1 Tbs. finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions:
In a large stockpot over medium-high heat, warm the canola oil. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. When the oil is hot, add the chicken pieces, skin side down, and cook until well browned, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Add the onions, carrots, celery, chicken broth, water, bay leaf, thyme sprigs and coriander. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer gently until the meat is nearly falling off the bones, about 1 1/2 hours. Discard the bay leaf and thyme sprigs, transfer the chicken to a colander and let cool to the touch.

Meanwhile, in a large pot two-thirds full of boiling salted water, add the pasta and cook according to the package instructions. Drain the noodles in a colander and cool under cold running water; set aside.

Remove the chicken meat from the bones, discarding the skin and bones, and cut the chicken into 1/2-inch pieces. Skim the fat from the broth and return the chicken to the pot along with the pasta, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until the pasta is heated through, 3 to 4 minutes. Adjust seasonings as needed, stir in the parsley and serve immediately. Serves 6.

Loaded Baked Potato Pizza

If I saw this pizza recipe anywhere I would not have even thought twice of making it. This past spring we watched the Pillsbury Bake Off on the Food Network and someone made this pizza for the contest. Right away I looked up the recipe and printed it out to make someday. I finally came across the recipe this week and decided to make it since I had all the ingredients. It was sooo delicious! When I was assembling the pizza, it definitely began to smell like a baked potato. My mouth was salivating from the moment I took the pizza out of the oven and I took my first bite!

This pizza is not as unhealthy as you would think; it is loaded with healthy vegetables which you can’t even taste! Even my husband didn’t mind eating the broccoli on the pizza!




Loaded Baked Potato Pizza
Adapted from Pillsbury


1 can (13.8 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated classic pizza crust
1 medium white potato
1 tablespoon CRISCO® Pure Olive Oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 box (10 oz) frozen broccoli (I used only 1/2 of the box)
2/3 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon ranch dressing
1 cup shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese blend (4 oz)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
5 slices cooked bacon, coarsely chopped (I did not add bacon)
1 small tomato, seeded, chopped (1/2 cup)
2 medium green onions, chopped (2 tablespoons)


1. Heat oven to 375°F. Spray large cookie sheet with CRISCO® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray. Unroll pizza crust dough on cookie sheet; press dough into 13x9-inch rectangle. Bake 10 to 13 minutes or until crust is light golden brown. Remove from oven; set aside.

2. Meanwhile, pierce potato with fork; place on microwavable paper towel in microwave oven. Microwave 4 to 5 minutes, turning once, until tender. Cover; let stand 5 minutes. When potato is cool enough to handle, peel potato and cut into 1/4-inch cubes (1 cup). In small bowl, mix potato, oil, salt and pepper; set aside.

3. Thaw broccoli in microwave as directed on box.

4. In another small bowl, mix sour cream and ranch dressing. Spread mixture over pizza crust to within 1/2 inch of edges of crust. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of Cheddar cheese and ½ cup of Colby Monterey Jack Cheese evenly over sour cream mixture. Sprinkle with bacon.

5. Spread broccoli and potato mixture evenly over bacon. Sprinkle tomato, onions and remaining 1/2 cup cheese evenly over potato mixture.

6. Bake 15 to 22 minutes longer or until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted. Let stand 5 minutes before cutting.

Pear Salad with Gorgonzola Dressing

I am back! Things have gotten a little busy here on my end and now I am back to posting on my blog. I have not forgotten about this blog at all and I have felt bad that I have not posted in such a long time. I even have a library of recipes that I had made which I did not have time to post since work has been crazy. Things have slowed down a bit so now stay tuned to my recipes!

As I said before that I do most of my postings at work, I simply did not have the time! By the time I would get home I would be sick of the computer to post anything. Then Christmas came and then we went on vacation for a little over a week. We just got back and it’s a great time to cook since it is cold and snowy in Cleveland!

I made this salad for some friends that came over for dinner. I would not say that this Gorgonzola dressing is my favorite. It’s not bad but it is not the greatest. I definitely think that it can be modified a bit and made much better. So if you have any ideas on how you can modify it, let me know!



Pear Salad with Gorgonzola Dressing
by Sandra Lee, Food Network

4 cups baby spinach, washed
1 fresh pair, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup plain yogurt
3/4 cup crumbled Gorgonzola
3 tablespoons walnuts


Divide spinach between 4 plates and top with pears.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine vinegar, oil, honey, sour cream and yogurt. Fold in Gorgonzola. Drizzle dressing over salad. Garnish each plate with walnuts and serve.

Cheddar Soup with Granny Smith Apples

Oh my gosh, its been forever since I have posted anything on here. I really haven't forgotten about this blog...I just have been so busy at work that I don't have time to write anything up. Then when I get home I have become pretty lazy lately!

So I thought it was time for me to start posting more as I usually do.

Here is a great soup that I made not too long ago which had such a great apple and cheddar cheese flavor. My husband ate this soup up so quickly!


Cheddar Soup with Granny Smith Apples
From Cosco Favorite Recipes 2007

3 tbsp unsalted butter
1 larger onion, diced
1/3 cup all purpose flour
2 tsp dry mustard
4 cups chicken broth
2 Granny Smith apples
1 cup apple cider or apple juice
10 oz sharp cheddar cheese, grated (about 3 cups)
Hot pepper sauce
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and saute until tender and aromatic, 5-7 minutes.

2. Sprinkle flour and dry mustard over onion and stire to evenly coat. Continue cooking, stirring often, for 1-2 minutes.

3. Add broth, stirring until well blended

4. Peel, quarter and core 1 of the apple and finely chop it. Add apple to the soup, cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the soup is thickened and the apple is tender, about 10 minutes.

5. Stire in cider and grated cheese and cook a few minutes longer, sitrring constanly, until the cheese is fully melted.

6. Puree the soup in a blender. Stire in a few drops of hot pepper sauce and salt and pepper to taste

7. Ladle the soup into warmed bowls, sprinkle with diced apple and serve immediately. Makes 4-6 servings.

Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Maple Cinnamon Brown Butter Sauce

Last weekend I had a few girlfriends over to cook dinner together and chow down and eat! We all thought it would be a fun idea to do it all together! We all had a blast cooking, chatting, and eating away.

I have never made gnocchi before and either had any of my friends. I was so surprise that gnocchi is really easy to make and did not take much time at all!

This dish had really tasty fall flavors which were perfect for a breezy fall night!

Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Maple Cinnamon Brown Butter Sauce

Recipe by Giada De Laurentiis

For the Gnocchi:
2 pounds sweet potatoes
2/3 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus 1/3 cup for the work surface

For the Maple Cinnamon Sage Brown Butter:
1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
20 fresh sage leaves
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions
For the Gnocchi: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Pierce the sweet potato with a fork. Bake the sweet potatoes until tender and fully cooked, between 40 to 55 minutes depending on size. Cool slightly. Cut in half and scoop the flesh into a large bowl. Mash the sweet potatoes and transfer to a large measuring cup to make sure the sweet potatoes measure about 2 cups. Transfer the mashed sweet potatoes back to the large bowl. Add the ricotta cheese, salt, cinnamon, and pepper and blend until well mixed. Add the flour, 1/2 cup at a time until a soft dough forms. Lightly flour a work surface and place the dough in a ball on the work surface. Divide the dough into 6 equal balls. Roll out each ball into a 1-inch wide rope. Cut each rope into 1-inch pieces. Roll the gnocchi over the tines of a fork. Transfer the formed gnocchi to a large baking sheet. Continue with the remaining gnocchi.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the gnocchi in 3 batches and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 5 to 6 minutes. Drain the gnocchi using a slotted spoon onto a baking sheet. Tent with foil to keep warm and continue with the remaining gnocchi.

For the Brown Butter sauce: While the gnocchi are cooking melt the butter in a large saute pan over medium heat. When the butter has melted add the sage leaves. Continue to cook, swirling the butter occasionally, until the foam subsides and the milk solids begin to brown. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the cinnamon, maple syrup, salt, and pepper. Careful, the mixture will bubble up. Gently stir the mixture. When the bubbles subside, toss the cooked gnocchi in the brown butter. Transfer the gnocchi to a serving dish and serve immediately.