Fantastic Fruit Dip

This is a simple, delicious dip recipe that uses ingredients usually found in most kitchens.

3/4c brown sugar
1/4c white sugar
8oz cream cheese
1t vanilla

Mix all ingredients together until smooth. Let set 30 minutes in the fridge. Serve with fruit. I especially like eating it with apples.

Crock Pot Chicken Taco Chili

I made this the other week when I was trying to find good crock pot recipes, and I thought this one turned out very tasty!

Ingredients: 

• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 16-oz can black beans
• 1 16-oz can kidney beans
• 1 8-oz can tomato sauce
• 10 oz package frozen corn kernels
• 2 14.5-oz cans diced tomatoes w/chilies
• 1 packet taco seasoning
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 24 oz (3-4) boneless skinless chicken breasts
• chili peppers, chopped (optional)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

Combine beans, onion, chili peppers, corn, tomato sauce, cumin, chili powder and taco seasoning in a slow cooker. Place chicken on top and cover. 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. Top with fresh cilantro, sour cream and cheese! 

Massaged Kale Salad

I made this for our Gospel Community group and everyone loved it!  Health nuts and Blake included :)
One of the girls is even on a gluten-free diet and was able to eat it (first time I unintentionally made a gluten-free dish)

(FoodNetwork.com)
Total Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 bunch kale (black kale is especially good), stalks removed and discarded, leaves thinly sliced
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
• Kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons honey
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 mango, diced small (about 1 cup)
• Small handful toasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds), about 2 rounded tablespoons

Directions

In large serving bowl, add the kale, half of lemon juice, a drizzle of oil and a little kosher salt. Massage until the kale starts to soften and wilt, 2 to 3 minutes. Set aside while you make the dressing.

In a small bowl, whisk remaining lemon juice with the honey and lots of freshly ground black pepper. Stream in the 1/4 cup of oil while whisking until a dressing forms, and you like how it tastes.

Pour the dressing over the kale, and add the mango and pepitas. Toss and serve.

Quinoa Pilaf with Pine Nuts

Made this dish tonight for dinner.  Very yummy grain side to go with chicken and veggies. ~K

Directions

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 large onion, chopped
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
• Salt and pepper

Put the broth and quinoa in a medium sized saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until liquid is absorbed and grain is tender.

Meanwhile, toast the nuts in a large dry skillet over medium-high heat until golden brown and fragrant, about 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove nuts from pan and set aside. Heat the oil in the same skillet over a medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook stirring occasionally, until the onions soften and begin to brown, about 6 minutes.

When the quinoa is done, fluff with a fork and transfer to a large serving bowl. Stir in the pine nuts, onions, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Per Serving:

Calories 180; Total Fat 8 g; (Sat Fat 1 g, Mono Fat 3 g, Poly Fat 3 g) ; Protein 6 g; Carb 23 g; Fiber 2 g; Cholesterol 0 mg; Sodium 30 mg

Upside Down Apple French Toast

Annie made this for our Mother's Day Brunch - easy and yummy!

Ingredients:

·      1 stick butter

·      1 1/4 c. brown sugar

·      1 T. water

·      Combine and heat on medium until bubbly, stirring frequently. 

·      Place in a greased 9 x 13 pan and cool 20-30 minutes.

Directions: 

·      Peel, core and slice 3 Granny Smith apples and place in rows on top of sauce.  Sprinkle with cinnamon to taste.  (Raisins or Craisins optional)

·      Place a loaf of baguette bread in 1/2" slices over apples.

·      Mix: 

o   6 eggs

o   1 t. vanilla

o   1 1/2 cups milk

o   nutmeg to taste

·      Pour over bread. 

·      Cover and refrigerate 3 hours or overnight. 

·      Bake at 350 degrees for 60 minutes or until golden brown and crusty on top. 

·      Invert on large platter or cookie sheet to serve with creme topping (see below). 

·      Can also garnish with slivered or sliced almonds.

Creme topping:

1/2 c. whipping cream

1/2 c. sour cream

1/4 c. white sugar

1/2 t. almond extract

Mix on high with electric mixer until thickened.

Alterations:

·      You may not need 3 apples, depending on size--cut 2 to start.

·      I like using French bread instead of a baguette because there's less crust--you may not use the entire loaf.

·      When placing the bread in the pan I try to push in as many as I can, cutting some in half to get in smaller spaces. 

·      I baked it covered for part of the time and then remove the foil.

Tomato Soup

This is an easy tomato soup recipe that has chunks of vegetables in it. Ryan doesn't typically like tomato soup out of a can, but he loves this one. It's also very economical.

Tomato Soup

Ingredients:
2 (28 ounce) cans crushed tomatoes 1 Tbsp Vegetable oil 1 Cup Onion, chopped 2 Garlic cloves, minced 1/2 Cup Carrot, chopped 1/4 Cup Celery, chopped 3 1/2 Cups Chicken broth 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce 1 tsp Salt 1/2 tsp Dried thyme 1/2 tsp Black pepper, ground 4 drops Hot pepper sauce
Preparation: Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Sauté onion and garlic until onion is tender. Add carrot and celery; cook 7 to 9 minutes until tender, stirring frequently. Stir in tomatoes, broth, Worcestershire sauce, salt, thyme, pepper and hot pepper sauce. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer 20 minutes, stirring frequently. Serves 8

Ipsento's "Jane Austen" Sandwich

After church this morning, a crew went to Ipsento in Bucktown to grab a coffee and sandwich.  Blake and I split the "Jane Austen" sandwich just to tide us over and it was so good!

Ingredients:

• croissant 
• cream cheese
• granny smith apples
• honey

They warmed up the granny smith apples and cream cheese before placing them in the croissant with the honey - so yummy!

Deer Valley Turkey Chili

Dave and I made this the other weekend, and it was delicious! Not the same as eating it at Deer Valley after skiing the slopes, but still a good meal on a cold day :)

Ingredients:

2 cups dried black beans (or can use canned beans)

10 cups water

1 tsp. pepper

1/2 cup unsalted butter

2 medium Anaheim chilies, seeded, chopped

2/3 cup chopped red onion

2/3 cup chopped celery

2/3 cup chopped red bell pepper

1 large leek (white part only)

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons dried oregano, crumbled

1/4 cup corn flour (we used regular flour and it was fine)

1 tsp. cayenne

2 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 tablespoons ground coriander

1 tsp. salt

1/8 cup sugar

4 1/2 cup chicken stock

2 1/4 cup frozen corn, thawed

4 cups diced cooked turkey or chicken

toppings: grated cheddar cheese, red onion, sour cream, fresh cilantro

Prep work:

Soak black beans in large pot overnight. The next day you will drain and cook them. (We didn't do this, and it was still yummy :)

Seed and chop the chilies, chop the onion, celery, red pepper and leek.

Mince the garlic and get the rest of the ingredients ready to cook.

How to make:

Add 10 cups water and pepper to the drained beans. Bring them to a boil, simmer 1 1/2 hours. Drain.

Melt butter in pot; add chilies, onion, celery, bell peppers, leek, garlic and oregano. Cook until soft, about 10 minutes. Reduce to low heat.

Add the flour and spices, cook 5 minutes.

Add the sugar and 4 cups stock and bring to simmer.

Puree 1 1/4 cup of the corn with the remaining 1/2 cup of stock. Add this to chili.

Mix black beans, turkey and remaining cup of corn. Simmer all for 25 minutes.

Garnish with grated cheddar cheese, red onion, sour cream and fresh cilantro.

Enjoy!

Buffalo Chicken Dip

This is a recipe I got from Kendall - so yummy, yet so rich!

Ingredients:

2- 8oz packages cream cheese

20 oz pulled/chopped chicken (I usually boil chicken and pull – this time I had the pre-chopped from Trader Joes to save time)

1 cup ranch dressing (or blue cheese but I HATE blue cheese)

1 cup shredded mozzarella (or cheddar)

1 cup Franks Fred Hot Sauce

Directions:

Mix chicken and hot sauce in deep dish pan.

Simmer cream cheese and ranch in saucepot.

Pour the cheese mixture over the chicken and mix.  Fold in mozzarella.

Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.  (or place in slow cooker for an hour)

Dip w/celery or crackers

Giada's Tilapia with Citrus Bagna Cauda

This is a quick (25 min) tilapia recipe that's really yummy and you probably have nearly all of the ingredients already (except for maybe the anchovies).


http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/tilapia-with-citrus-bagna-cauda-recipe/index.html

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus 2 teaspoons
• 4 anchovy fillets, minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• 2 tablespoon thinly sliced fresh basil leaves
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon orange zest
• 6 (6-ounce) skinless tilapia fillets
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

Cook the butter and 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil in a heavy medium saucepan over low to medium heat just until the butter is melted, stirring frequently. Add the anchovies and stir until the anchovies dissolve, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Remove from the heat. Stir in the orange juice, basil, and lemon and orange zests. Season the sauce, to taste, with salt.

The bagna cauda sauce can be made 1 day ahead. Cool, then cover and refrigerate. Rewarm before using.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 200 degrees F.

Sprinkle the fish with salt and pepper and brush both sides of the fish with remaining 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil. Working in 2 batches, fry the fish until just opaque in center, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer fish to platter. Cover with foil and keep warm in the oven while cooking the second batch of fish. Drizzle the sauce over and around the fish and serve.

Whole Foods' Cranberry Tuna Salad

I've been searching for a good Cranberry Tuna Salad recipe, and found this one for the salad at Whole Foods.

2 cans solid white albacore tuna
6 tablespoons canola mayonnaise
juice from 1 fresh lemon
4 tablespoons finely chopped yellow onion
1/2 teaspoon baker's sugar
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped sun-dried cranberries (not craisins)
kosher salt, to taste
black pepper, to taste

Combine all ingredients except for the tuna. Drain the tuna and add to the other ingredients. Combine gently, making sure to not overmix. (This helps keep the tuna in more solid pieces. Hey you are paying more for the solid pack white albacore.)

Lately I've been spending a small fortune on the tuna salad with cranberries at Whole Foods. I saved on of the lids with the ingredients list and then I searched for a recipe. I found one. I made this for dinner tonight. This is the best tuna salad ever. Even the picky Mr. j* likes it and he is hard to please.

Some ingredients I believe is crucial to purchase at Whole Foods and use their 365 brand. The albacore tuna you can use any brand. I bought it at Whole Foods since I was already there. The Whole Foods canola mayo is not like your Kraft or Best Foods mayo. The consistency is different. A lemon is a lemon and they simply use regular lemons. I picked up a ginormous one. I suppose you can use any type of onion for this. I had some yellow onions at home. Maybe next time I'll make it with a sweet onion. They call for unrefined sugar. I always keep baker's sugar in my pantry so I used that. It is a finer grain so it blends in faster. The salt and pepper is really not that important. The recipe calls for sea salt but I only cook with kosher so it was kosher this time around. I added a couple turns of my pepper mill. I never buy preground black pepper. The most important part - the star of the dish is the cranberries. In the bulk food section of Whole Foods is something called sun-dried unsweetened cranberries. Be careful, they also sell the sweetened cranberries.