Zucchini Cakes

I am talking Zuchinni Cakes like crab cakes, not zuchinni cake like carrot cake. You know what I'm saying? I know a lot of us follow P-Dub's blog, so some of you maybe have already tried these...but, if you haven't, give them a try. This recipe is so easy to make and really good! There are step-by-step instructions and photos on P-Dub's blog, so I am going to have you click over there rather than type it out. Here's the link--try them out!

White Chicken Chili--Review

The White Chicken Chili recipe posted by "JackJen" is so delicious. And totally easy. I used the pre-cooked chicken breast strips by Kirkland Signature (Costco refrig. section) instead of cooking up the chicken myself. So much of the recipe is open up a can and dump it in. For next time, I would maybe not add the cayenne or as much as the chilies. It wasn't too hot for me (and I am a total wuss), but my two year old thought it was a little spicy.
And the best part of any recipe--there are leftovers and I thought the chili was better a few days later. Oh, and I dumped in some leftover corn after the first night--still delish!
Yummy! Thanks for sharing.

Broccoli Salad

This salad is yummy! My kids didn't like it much, but I think it's because of the onion. This is a great salad for potlucks.

1 pound Broccoli
1/3 cup Red onion chopped
1/2 cup Monterey jack cheese grated or Swiss Cheese
3 strips Bacon cooked and crumbled
Dressing:
4 tablespoons Lite Miracle Whip or Mayonnasie
1/2 cup Skim milk
2 tablespoons Vinegar

Chop broccoli into small, bitesize pieces. Combine broccoli, onion, bacon, and cheese in a large bowl. Mix dressing separately. Pour dressing over broccoli mixture. Let salad chill for at least 1 hour before serving so flavors will blend.

Chocolate Caramel Bars

I got this recipe from The Essential Mormon Cookbook, which is a veritable treasure trove of deliciousness. Truth be told, the next time I make this recipe, I might try cutting the sugar in half, but other than that, it's the perfect recipe for a sweets fix.

1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons melted butter

1 (14oz) bag of caramels (about 48)
1/2 cup whipping cream (I used half-and-half)
1 (12oz) pkg chocolate chips (I only used 1/3 bag, because we're not huge chocolate chip fans at our house)

In large bowl, combine first six ingredients to form a crumbly mixture. Unwrap caramels and put them in saucepan with whipping cream over low heat. Sprinkle half of crumbly mixture into 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes. Sprinkle chocolate chips over baked mixture and top with melted caramel mixture. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes. Make a day ahead or several hours ahead to allow time for caramel to set. Makes 2 dozen bars. (I put mine in the fridge...I think they're best cold).

cafe rio-ish chicken salad and burrito

Ingredients:
- 4 chicken breasts
- 1 can coke
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 small cans of diced green chiles
- 1 8oz can of tomato sauce
- 1 tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp cumin

Put everything in crock-pot. Cook on high for 2 hours, and then cook on low for 2 hours. I usually turn off the crock pot and let it sit for 2 hours, and then shred the chicken. My crock pot cooks things fast, so you might need to adjust cooking time.

Burritos:

Ingredients:
- burrito size tortillas
- black beans
- cheddar cheese
- green chile enchilada sauce (if you want it “enchilada style”)
- tomatoes diced
- avocado

Heat the black beans. Put the chicken, black beans, and cheese in the tortilla. Roll it up and heat for 30 seconds in microwave. Top with enchilada sauce, more cheese, avocado, and tomato.

Salad:
- burrito size tortillas
- black beans
- frozen corn or canned corn
- lettuce
- bell pepper (red or green)
- tomatoes
- avocado
- salsa
- cheddar cheese
- sour cream
- ranch dressing or Cafe Rio Creamy Tomatillo Dressing*

Preheat oven to 425°F. Crumple four large sheets of foil to make four 3-inch balls; place on baking sheet. Place 1 tortilla on top of each ball; spray tortilla with cooking spray. Bake 6 min. or until tortillas are golden brown. (Tortillas will drape over balls as they bake.) If you have tortilla molds you can use them instead of the foil balls (duh).

Heat black beans and corn.

Create your salad: I usually put the hot stuff on bottom (chicken, beans, corn), and then all the veggies topped with the salsa, cheese, sour cream, and dressing.

*Cafe Rio Creamy Tomatillo Dressing (one of the many recipes circulating):
- 1 c mayo (full fat not light)
- 1 c cilantro
- 1/2 t cayenne pepper
- 1 pkg Hidden Valley Ranch Buttermilk Recipe Dressing Mix
- 1/2 c buttermilk
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 3 tomatillos (quartered)

Mix all ingredients in blender until well blended. Chill before serving.

lemon drop cupcakes

Got this one from kraftfoods. I made two changes: I only added 2/3 of the powdered sugar to the frosting. 16oz was way too much. I just tasted the frosting and stopped adding powdered sugar when I liked it. I topped them with Lemon Heads instead of lemon zest.

Prep Time:
10 min

Total Time:
1 hr 34 min

Makes:
24 servings, one cupcake each

1 pkg. (2-layer size) white cake mix

1 pkg. (4-serving) JELL-O Lemon Flavor Instant Pudding & Pie Filling

1 cup water

4 egg whites

2 Tbsp. oil

1 pkg. (16 oz.) powdered sugar (way too much, only add a little more than a cup - my opinion)

1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened

2 Tbsp. lemon juice

PREHEAT oven to 350ºF. Beat cake mix, dry pudding mix, water, egg whites and oil in large bowl with electric mixer on low speed until moistened. (Batter will be thick.) Beat on medium speed 2 min. Spoon batter evenly into 24 paper-lined 2-1/2-inch muffin cups.

BAKE 21 to 24 min. or until wooden toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 min.; remove to wire racks. Cool completely.

MEANWHILE, beat sugar, cream cheese, butter and juice with electric mixer on low speed until well blended. Frost cupcakes.

Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies

I got this recipe from some magazine, but I can't remember which. I doubled it to use up some oats and it fit just fine in my KitchenAid mixer, even though it seems like it might not.

1 stick butter

1 cup dark brown sugar (regular worked fine for me)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 cup pureed fresh or canned pumpkin

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1 cup flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

3 cups rolled oats (I used the quick-cooking kind)

6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips (not in the original recipe, but I think it makes them even better)

Heat oven to 350. Beat together butter and sugars. Add pumpkin, eggs, and vanilla; beat. Mix in combined flours, baking soda, and spices, then stir in oats. Drop rounded tablespoonfuls onto greased cookie sheets. Bake 10-12 minutes. Let cool.

I was out of butter, so I used the vegetable shortening substitution (1 cup butter or margarine = 1 cup shortening + 6 teaspoons water). I couldn't tell a major difference in the cookies compared to the first time I made them. I think they could use a little bit more spice, but they definitely have a pumpkin flavor. And I prefer the chocolate chips in them because they compliment the pumpkin and spice flavor so nicely.

Chicken Gyros

I really can't remember where I got this recipe, I think it was from here. They are Delicious and very easy!!

Chicken Gyros

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/4" strips
2 Tbsp. finely chopped dill
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 large onion, thinly sliced
a few tablespoons olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
salt and pepper

For serving:
Tzatziki (recipe follows)
8-10 small pitas
fresh lemon juice

(I place everything in a gallon-size freezer bag to let it marinate.)

Let the chicken marinate anywhere from 1/2 hour to overnight. (I usually let it marinate for 2-3 hours.)

Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add a little olive oil. Saute the chicken and onions until chicken is cooked through. (I sometimes remove the chicken pieces and let the onions cook a little longer.)

To serve--place some of the chicken on the pita, top with tzatziki and a little fresh lemon juice. Fold up and enjoy!

Tzatziki (Yogurt Dill Sauce)

1 large container Greek Yogurt
1/2 seedless cucumber, grated and drained (see note and picture below)
2-3 Tbsp. fresh dill, finely chopped
4 scallions, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press
1-2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
a drizzle of olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper--to taste

Combine all the ingredients and chill for several hours to allow flavors to meld. Yields about 2 1/2 cups.

(I prepare it at the same time as the chicken marinade.)

Note: Cucumbers are so full of water that it is necessary to let them drain in a sieve before using in the yogurt sauce. You may even notice up to 1/4 cup liquid in the bowl after draining.

Ham and Potato Bake

{courtesy of Betty Crocker's Good And Easy Cookbook}

I have spent a long time mocking recipes like these...{classic toddler-esque reaction of "I don't like it" without even trying it}...but you know what? I tried it and I'M SOLD. Couldn't get enough of this one. Yum Yum Yum. I'll never mock a recipe again.

1 package (1 lb 4 ounces) shredded or cubed hash browns
1 cup fully cooked ham, diced
1 can (11 oz) condensed cheddar cheese soup
4 eggs
1/2 cup milk

1. Grease 9x13 casserole dish
2. in large bowl, mix soup, eggs and milk. Add potatoes and mix well. Optional: add a handful or two of shredded cheddar. I thought what the hay and threw it in.
3. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until top is light brown and center is set.

EXCELLENT for a brunch, I think. I threw in a bag of frozen broccoli so I wouldn't feel guilty about feeding this to my family for dinner. I'm sure you could add ANY vegetable.......

Virgin Mint Julep

My sister in-law, Shara, gave me her AMAZING recipe for this drink. And not only is she a real born-and-bred Southern girl, but she's also a KENTUCKY girl--so she knows her mint juleps. I personally tasted this when I was down there two weeks ago, and I can attest: it'll brighten up ANY party!

Virgin Mint Julep

4-5 mint sprigs
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 cups cold water
3/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup pineapple juice
1 1/2 qt ginger ale
Thinly-sliced lemon slices (for garnish)

Rinse the mint and discard the stems. Place sugar, water lemon juice, pineapple juice in a medium-sized bowl, mix, and stir in the mint leaves. Allow to stand for 30 minutes.

Fill a large pitcher with ice cubes. Strain the liquid over the ice. Add the ginger ale and lemon slices and serve. Definitely a Southern party favorite! Thanks, Shara!