Avocado "Pesto" Sauce

This might be the EASIEST recipe I have ever made in my entire life.  Seriously.  I think it took me less than five minutes to make.

I can't decide what I think of the taste.  It was good, but I don't think it was great.  I know that's not the best way to "sell" the recipe, but I do want everyone to try it because I want to know what people think.  And it won't cost you much time, so do it and leave a comment with your thoughts!!  I think the recipe could be modified to temper the taste of the avocado a bit...maybe add more garlic or more lemon.  Anyway, I'll post the recipe as I got it (from a friend who got it from pinterest), and then you can modify it if you want to.

Ingredients:

• 1 medium sized ripe Avocado, pitted
• 1/2 lemon, juiced + lemon zest to garnish
• 2-3 garlic cloves, to taste (I used two)
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt, or to taste
• 1/4 cup fresh basil
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 servings/6 oz of your choice of pasta 
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 
  

Directions:

1. Bring several cups of water to a boil in a medium sized pot. Add in your pasta, reduce heat to medium, and cook until Al Dente, about 8-10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, make the sauce by placing the garlic cloves, lemon juice, and olive oil into a food processor. Process until smooth. Now add in the pitted avocado, basil, and salt. Process until smooth and creamy.  The sauce will be thick, almost like guacamole.

3. When pasta is done cooking, drain and rinse in a strainer and place pasta into a large bowl. Pour on sauce and toss until fully combined. The warmth of the pasta will thin the sauce.  Garnish with lemon zest and black pepper. Serve immediately. (Don't try to save any of the sauce because it will go brown due to the avocado.)  Makes 2-3 servings.

Cranberry Chicken

Rachel keeps telling me over and over that she's the only person ever to post on this blog anymore, so I decided to contribute something new.  If you think about it, our lack of posts should just serve to reassure you that we truly ARE lazy chefs!  We are never going to be like Rachel Ray, whose recipes in her "30 Minute Meal" cookbook take me hours to make!  Sheesh!  No experimenting in the kitchen around here!

This recipe was my favorite of the loads of freezer meals that my awesome mother-in-law made for us when my son was born.  I love my meat a little sweet.  I haven't really made it a ton since then, but last month Rachel and I did a big cooking day when we made several freezer meals in one day---once again, so we could avoid cooking for a while---and we made this meal.  It reminded me of how crazy-easy it is.  You can throw all of the ingredients in a ziploc bag or a small foil pan in the freezer, or you could make it fresh.  Either way, it's yummy and great served over rice.

Cranberry Chicken

Chicken Breasts (4 - 6 or more....depends on how much sauce you want)

1 can whole cranberry sauce
1 package dry onion soup mix
8 ounces catalina dressing

Mix ingredients together.  Pour over chicken.  Bake for 1 - 1 1/2 hours at 350 degrees.  (Depending on whether or not it's totally thawed.  I usually bake it for an hour.)  Serve over rice.

Cream Pie (Coconut, Banana, Chocolate)

Recipe Contributed by Rachel Nielson

First of all, why am I the only person who ever posts anymore?  Since when did I become the domestic sister??

My husband and I recently moved from Buffalo, New York, and anyone who is familiar with western New York knows about the grocery store called Wegmans.  It is amazing.  Truly.  We miss it daily.  One of the many amazing things about Wegmans is the phenomenal in-store bakery.  Over the four years that we lived in Buffalo, I became addicted to their cream pies.  They sell small "personal" size ones for $4 (I put personal in quotes because these little pies should probably feed two, but I could easily eat one by myself), and I often found myself eating one after a long grocery trip.  Mmmmm.  Heaven.  My personal favorite was their banana cream, and I've been craving it ever since we moved.  Well, over Thanksgiving weekend, my mother-in-law made a bunch of cream pies, and I think hers are almost as good as Wegmans!!  And guess what??  They're super easy!  You basically make the same "base" (a creamy custard) for all of the pies, but you add different ingredients at the end to make the pies different flavors.  I love them all!

Sally's Cream Pies


5 Tbsp cornstarch
1 cup sugar*
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups milk
3/4 cup half-n-half
3 egg yolks (beaten)
2 Tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
Baked 9-inch pie shell (this can be homemade or storebought)

*For a chocolate cream pie, reduce the sugar to 3/4 cup.

1. Mix cornstarch, sugar, and salt in 3 quart saucepan.
2. Add milk and cream and cook over medium heat until smooth and think, stirring constantly.
3. Pour small amount of hot mixture into beaten egg yolks; blend, then pour back into saucepan.
4. Cook another 2-3 minutes.  (I do a full three minutes because when I've done two minutes, the pies didn't ever set up.)
5. Remove from heat and add butter and vanilla.
6.  Mix in flavoring:

       Coconut Cream: Add 1/2 cup coconut to pie filling.

       Banana Cream: Slice two bananas into the pie shell and pour filling over the bananas.

       Chocolate Cream: Don't forget to decrease sugar when making the filling!  Add 1/2 cup chocolate    syrup to the cooked filling.

7.  Pour filling into baked pie shell and refrigerate at least 3-4 hours or overnight.  Top with whipped cream!

"Guiltless" Alfredo Sauce (Our Best Bites)

This recipe was shared by Rachel Nielson

This is another recipe that I found in the Our Best Bites cookbook. It's very easy and fast.  I love fettuccine alfredo from the Olive Garden, so I was skeptical of this recipe which is a lower-fat version of the old classic.  I was so pleasantly surprised that it tasted so yummy!  (It's not Olive Garden good, but really, what can you expect??  I still thought it was delicious.)

You can serve it over pasta or on a pizza.

Check it out:  http://www.ourbestbites.com/2008/08/guiltless-alfredo-sauce/

French Dip Sandwiches (Our Best Bites)

This recipe was shared by Rachel Nielson

I consider this blog to be a repository of EASY recipes, no matter where they come from.   None of the recipes is original (we are, after all, NOT chefs).  I recently got the Our Best Bites cookbook, and I have been trying several recipes each week (remember, I just became a stay-at-home mom for the first time).  I still hate cooking, but it's a little more fun when I have more time to do it.  Anyway...I tried this recipe from Our Best Bites last week, and my husband and I thought it was really tasty, and it was so easy.  

Give it a try:  http://www.ourbestbites.com/2008/03/french-dip-sandwiches/

P.S.  Since it's just the two of us (plus our baby who doesn't eat anything but formula right now), I cut the roast in half, put the portion that I would not be using in a tupperware, added one of the packets of dry onion soup mix and one of the cans of beef broth, and froze it.  When I am ready to use it, I will dump it in a crock pot, add a cup of water, and add 1-2 hours on the cooking time.  (By the way, these were the freezer directions provided in the cookbook.  I am not smart enough to figure this out on my own.)

Poppyseed Spread for Hot Sandwiches

My mother-in-law recently made sandwiches using this spread for a wedding reception.  They turned out so delicious!  You can use any combination of deli meat and cheese that you would like.  I love ham and swiss or turkey and provolone.  Make a basic sandwich on a yummy soft roll (it doesn't matter what kind or what size--you decide).  Then spread some of this poppyseed mixture on the top of the sandwich (yes, on the outside).  Bake at 350 degrees just until the cheese is melted (5-10 minutes).  You want the spread on top of the sandwich to be moist, melty, and delicious.

Okay, and now for the recipe.

Mix together:

1 T poppyseeds
1 1/2 T yellow mustard
1 stick butter, melted
1 T minced onion
1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

This spread is enough for at least 10 sandwiches, I'd say.  So you can half the recipe, or you can store the extra spread in your refrigerator for a quick lunch or dinner any time.  It will be good for a few weeks.

Pumpkin Waffles

I looove these waffles!  They scream fall, and they are a quick, easy, and cheap meal.  The recipe looks a little complicated, but it comes together very quickly.  To really do them justice you should serve them with the Magelby's Fresh Copycat Buttermilk Syrup.  Yummmmm......

Pumpkin Waffles

2 cups flour
2 Tablespoons baking powder
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
1 Tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt

Mix and set aside.

4 eggs (Separate the yolks and whites!)

Beat egg yolks with a mixer, save the whites.

Add to the beaten egg yolks:

1/2 cup milk
1 cup pumpkin
3/4 cup margarine or butter (softened)
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix well.  Add dry ingredients and mix well.

Beat egg whites to stiff peaks and fold into mixture.

Cook and enjoy!  Don't forget the Magelby's Fresh Copycat Buttermilk Syrup!

Caprese Salad

If a caprese salad doesn't say summer then I don't know what does!  I love this salad because it just tastes so FRESH!  You do have to splurge for fresh mozzarella and basil, but it is so worth it!  As long as you like tomatoes you will love this perfect combination of flavors!

Caprese Salad

Really good tomatoes, sliced
Fresh mozzarella, sliced
Fresh basil, chopped
Olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
Salt

Chop everything up and either lay it out on a plate or throw it in a bowl.  Sprinkle with salt to taste.  Drizzle a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar over the top to taste.

Sally Nielson Chicken

We got this recipe from Rachel's mother-in-law, Sally, so we just call it Sally Nielson chicken.  I'll never know what it's truly called.  But it is YUMMY!  I have served it to company and they always ask for the recipe, especially once I mention how easy it is!  Enjoy!

Sally Nielson Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts  (cut in 1/2)
Swiss cheese
1 can cream of chicken soup, mixed with 1/4 cup water
1 cup herb-seasoned stuffing, crushed
1/4 cup melted butter or margarine

Rice

Place chicken breasts in greased baking dish.  Place one big slice of swiss cheese over each piece of chicken.  Mix the cream of chicken soup with 1/4 cup water and pour over the top of the chicken.  Crush the croutons and spread over the top.  Melt butter or margarine and drizzle over the top.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and serve over rice.

Lime Dill Butter Sauce on Tilapia or Chicken

My husband got some pots of fresh herbs for the backyard this year (Yes, HE is the one who cares about such things!) and the dill is flourishing a bit too much, so this has become a regular, delicious staple in our home.  It is so quick and fresh tasting!  We have been having it on fish lately because it is lower fat than chicken, but it is amazing on chicken as well.  It has become one of our family's staples.  I originally got the recipe from a friend, Sarah Jacobs Huff.  We "eye" EVERYTHING and do approximate amounts on this recipe.  It's not an exact science.

Lime Dill Butter Sauce for Chicken or Fish

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
~OR~
4 tilapia fillets (We use the frozen ones from Sam's Club.  Good and WAY cheaper than fresh fish!)

Salt
Pepper
Vegetable Oil (for cooking)
1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick)
1 Tablespoon lime (or lemon) juice
1/2 teaspoon dill weed, chopped up

Dry off the meat with a paper towel.  (This is an essential step in "browning!)  Salt and pepper the meat.  Use a bit of vegetable oil to brown the meat in a skillet.  Remove browned meat and keep warm.  Add butter and lime juice (or lemon juice if you're in a pinch) to the skillet; cook and stir until butter is melted.  It tastes even better if you brown the BUTTER a bit.  Cook until just brown but not burned.  Stir in the dill weed and drizzle over the meat.  YUM!!!

Spinach and Artichoke Dip

This recipe was created by Alton Brown of the Food Network.  Find the original here, along with a video tutorial.  It was a piece of cake and soooo yummy!  We served it with torn up bread, but you could also use crackers or pita chips.

Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip

• 1 cup thawed, chopped frozen spinach
• 11/2 cups thawed, chopped frozen artichoke hearts  (We couldn't find them frozen, so we used canned.)
• 6 ounces cream cheese
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Boil spinach and artichokes in 1 cup of water until tender and drain. Discard liquid. Heat cream cheese in microwave for 1 minute or until hot and soft. Stir in rest of ingredients and serve hot.

Decadent Dipped Pretzel Rods

I have had these before and seen them around, but we were reminded of the idea while browsing our favorite recipe website, Our Best Bites, for shower food ideas.  They have a very detailed post about dipping pretzels, if you'd like more info.  It is pretty self explanatory, though.  Here's what we did....

Decadent Dipped Pretzel Rods

Pretzel Rods (We used Snyder's brand....apparently the Walmart brand break easily, so avoid those.)

Caramel (The melting bits that come in the baking section are great....no unwrapping!)

Chocolate (Either chocolate chips combined with shortening to thin it out or "bark," which is made for melting.)

Candy or other coatings (crushed candy bars, graham crackers, coconut flakes, etc.)

Melt the chocolate (we did milk chocolate, white chocolate, and mint chocolate) and caramel in MUGS. Mugs are easy to tip up and manipulate.  Dip the pretzel, let the excess run back into the mug, and lay on wax paper or a cooling rack.  (Note: If you use a cooling rack---like we did---then remember to put wax paper UNDER it---like we did not---so that you won't have a huge mess stuck to your counter.  Ugh.)  We loved the combo of dipping in caramel, letting it cool, and then dipping it in chocolate.  A yummy surprise!  You can roll them in toppings or drizzle other chocolates on top.  Our favorite combination, for both taste and appearance, was caramel with a layer of milk chocolate on top, drizzled for effect with white chocolate.  We put them in cups and they were both tasty and cute!

Yet Another Banana Bread Recipe

I feel like we have a lot of bread up here: zucchini bread, pumpkin bread, easy homemade bread, two versions of corn bread, and now two versions of banana bread!  What can I say?  I guess we're just a bunch of carb junkies!

This is a recipe for banana bread that I got from a friend of a friend.  It is this woman's family's banana bread recipe that has been passed through the generations.  It is so moist....YUM!  Even though we already have one great banana bread recipe up here, I thought this one was worth sharing as well.

Banana Bread

1 stick butter

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

3 Tablespoons sour cream

2-3 ripe bananas

1 1/2 cups white flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

Combine all ingredients and pour into a greased and floured pan.  (BAKING PAM!)  Bake for about 1 hour at 350 degrees.

Cheesecake Brownies

Remember us?  We're alive!  We've just been busy moving!  Rachel and I (Sarah) both just moved home to Denver for the next stage of our husbands' training.  We will try to make up for our absence with some new recipes to share soon!

Last night we had a baby shower for....RACHEL!  That's right!  Remember that "Hoping to Adopt" button?  Did you notice that it disappeared?  Well it did, and there's a reason!  Rachel and her hubby will be adopting a baby boy in August, and we threw her a baby shower to prepare last night.  It was a great success---lots of gifts and good food!  Over the next couple of days I will post a few of the recipes that we used to prepare food for the shower, starting with a surefire hit, which I often use for events where I need something easy to bring that will still impress:  Cheesecake Brownies!  Enjoy!

Cheesecake Brownies*

One Brownie Mix of your choice (and the ingredients that you will need to make it)

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Make brownie mix and pour into a greased pan.  Whisk together cream cheese, sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla extract.  Drop small dollops of the cream cheese mixture over the brownie batter in the baking pan, then run a butter knife through the batter to create swirls.  Bake as directed.

*The cheesecake portion of this recipe came from The America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book.

This isn't Rachel's baby, but he sure is a cutie!  She's going to be an AWESOME mom!!!

CONGRATULATIONS, RACHEL!!!

Pizza Pasta

This recipe was contributed by Tori Cox via Sarah McKenna.

Our friend Jessica calls this "the ultimate college recipe."  Translation: The easiest recipe in the world.  I agree wholeheartedly.  So easy and my little boy LOVES it!

Pizza Pasta

1 lb. penne noodles, cooked and drained
Pepperoni  (I used the minis, but Tori uses the big ones and cuts them up.)
A jar of your favorite store-bought pasta sauce (I use Classico brand.)
Shredded mozzarella cheese  (As much as you'd like.  I like a LOT.)

Boil noodles.  Drain and return to pot.  Dump jar of sauce and pepperonis into the pot and stir.  Dump the mixture into a greased casserole dish.  Top with shredded mozzarella cheese.  Bake at about 325 until warm and the cheese is melted.  (30 mins?)  We put foil over the top for the first 20 minutes so the cheese wouldn't get too crusty.