S'mores Bars

From Taste of Home



Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
5 milk chocolate candy bars (1.55 ounces each)
1 cup marshmallow creme

Directions:
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla; beat well. Combine the flour, cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture. Set aside 1/2 cup for topping.

Press remaining mixture into a greased 9-in. square baking pan. Place candy bars over crust; spread with marshmallow creme. Crumble remaining graham cracker mixture over top.

Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. Cut into bars. Store in an airtight container.

Comments:
I could not get a decent picture of just one bar so all you get is the whole pan. These are wonderful! But who would think something like this would be terrible? Chocolate, marshmallows, and graham crackers? Yum.

Korean-Style Beef Skewers with Rice Noodles

From Cooking Light



Ingredients:
6 tablespoons less-sodium soy sauce
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons sambal oelek (chile paste, such as Huy Fong)
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 (1-pound) top sirloin steak, sliced against the grain into thin strips
1/2 cup water
8 ounces wide rice sticks
3 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions

Directions:
1. Prepare grill to medium-high heat.

2. Combine first 6 ingredients in a zip-top bag. Add beef to bag; seal. Marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes, turning once. Remove steak from bag; reserve marinade. Thread steak evenly onto 8 (8-inch) skewers. Grill 2 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Combine reserved marinade and water in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute.

3. Soak noodles in boiling water until tender; drain. Place noodles in a large bowl. Pour reserved marinade mixture over noodles; sprinkle with onions; toss. Serve with skewers.

Comments:
Pretty easy to make (especially when Adam takes over for the grilling steps.) I couldn't find "wide" noodles, so we ended up with regular rice noodles. The marinade/sauce is surprisingly sweet. Although, perhaps not since there IS 1/3 cup of sugar in it. But I wasn't expecting that so it was interesting. Adam says it's a keeper as well.

Pepper Jack, Chicken, and Peach Quesadillas

From Cooking Light



Ingredients:
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon fresh lime juice
1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
4 (8-inch) flour tortillas
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeño peppers
1 cup chopped skinless, boneless rotisserie chicken breast
1 cup thinly sliced peeled firm ripe peaches
4 teaspoons chopped fresh cilantro
Cooking spray

Directions:
1. Combine honey and lime juice in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Stir sour cream into honey mixture; cover and chill until ready to serve.

2. Place tortillas flat on a work surface. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons cheese over half of each tortilla; top each tortilla with 1/4 cup chicken, 1/4 cup peaches, and 1 teaspoon cilantro. Fold tortillas in half.

3. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Place 2 quesadillas in the pan, and top quesadillas with a cast-iron or other heavy skillet. Cook 1 1/2 minutes on each side or until tortillas are crisp and lightly browned (leave cast-iron skillet on quesadillas as they cook). Remove quesadillas from pan; set aside, and keep warm. Repeat procedure with the remaining quesadillas. Cut each quesadilla into wedges. Serve with sauce.

Comments:
I always make my quesadillas on my large griddle. It's so much easier. I also usually use two tortillas instead of trying to fold them over.

These were really good. I think I put lemon juice in the sour cream instead of lime because I was kind of on auto-pilot and the lemon juice bottle is taller than the lime. But I'm not 100% on that. I ended up using about half monterey jack and half pepper jack cheese because that's what I had in the fridge.

And I left out the cilantro. But you already knew that. :-)

In any case, very good.

Weekly Menu 8/28 through 9/3

Holy crap, September already. That's just nuts... Where did the summer go? *sob*

Saturday 8/28 - Bacon Cheeseburger Buns

Sunday 8/29 - We're going to a Brewer game (gasp, I know) so we'll probably either pick something up on the way or eat leftovers here when we get home.

Monday 8/30 - Mozzarella, Ham, & Basil Paninis

Tuesday 8/31 - Southwest Turkey Burgers

Wednesday 9/1 - Leftovers

Thursday 9/2 - Spicy Honey-Brushed Chicken

Friday 9/3 - Chunky Fish Fingers (Rachael Ray, but not on the site)

Cream Puff Cake

From Taste of Home



Ingredients:
CRUST:
1 cup water
1/2 cup butter, cubed
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 eggs

FILLING:
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
2-1/2 cups 2% milk
3 packages (3.3 ounces each) instant white chocolate or vanilla pudding mix
1 carton (8 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed

Directions:
In a large saucepan, bring water and butter to a boil. Add flour all at once and stir until a smooth ball forms. Remove from the heat; let stand for 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Continue beating until smooth and shiny.

Transfer to a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Bake at 400° for 22-26 minutes or until puffed and golden brown. Cool completely on a wire rack.

For filling, in a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, milk and pudding mixes until smooth. Spread over the crust; refrigerate for 20 minutes. Spread with whipped topping. Chill until serving.

Comments:
Doesn't this look delicious?



And it is. The crust is light, the filling is creamy and sweet. Amazingly just like a cream puff. The prep is pretty easy, although the stirring with the eggs almost made my arm fall off. This is why I don't bake... But this kind of success almost makes it worth the effort.

The Lure Burger

From Everyday with Rachael Ray



Ingredients:
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper
6 slices bacon
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 large white onion, chopped (2 cups)
1 1/2 pounds ground beef chuck
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
4 slices American cheese
4 crusty rolls, split and toasted
4 dill pickles, shaved into ribbons

Directions:
1. In a small bowl, combine the ketchup, mayonnaise, vinegar and Worcestershire sauce; season with salt and pepper.

2. Preheat a grill pan to high. Preheat the oven to 375°. Arrange the bacon on a parchment-paper-lined rimmed baking sheet and bake in the oven until crisp, 30 to 35 minutes; drain. Finely chop, then transfer to a medium bowl.

3. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and golden-brown, 15 to 20 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Add to the bacon.

4. In a large bowl, combine the ground beef and mustard; season with salt and pepper. Shape into 4 patties. Grill, turning once, for about 10 minutes for medium; during the last 2 minutes of cooking, top each patty with a cheese slice. Place each patty on a roll bottom, then top with some of the onion-and-bacon jam, ketchup-mayo sauce, pickles and a roll top.

Comments:
Changed the prep on this a bit - I cooked the bacon in a pan and then used those drippings to cook the onions. Yum, grease! This burger has a lot of stuff going on with it, but it's very good. That onion-bacon jam is amazing. Like you can eat it with a spoon right out of the pan. Not that I did that. Just saying you could.

Anywho. Nothing too complicated - just a lot of parts that take a juggling act to have done at the same time. But totally worth the effort.

Spicy Pecan-Crusted Chicken

From Delish.com



Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup pecan halves
1/4 cup plain dry breadcrumbs
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly grated orange zest
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper
1 large egg white
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon canola oil

Directions:
1. Working with one piece of chicken at a time, place between sheets of plastic wrap and pound with a meat mallet or heavy skillet until flattened to an even 1/4-inch thickness.

2. Place pecans, breadcrumbs, orange zest, salt and ground chipotle in a food processor and pulse until the pecans are finely ground. Transfer the mixture to a shallow dish. Whisk egg white and water in a shallow dish until combined. Dip each chicken breast in the egg white mixture, then dredge both sides in the pecan mixture.

3. Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add half the chicken and cook until browned on the outside and no longer pink in the middle, 2 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and cover to keep warm. Carefully wipe out the pan with a paper towel and add the remaining oil. Cook the remaining chicken, adjusting the heat as needed to prevent scorching. Serve immediately.

Comments:
These were very easy to make. I actually pulled the food processor out to get the pecans ground up decently. I think this contributed to my first non-burned attempt at this kind of thing. That and I kept the heat lower than usual. These were spicy, not surprisingly, given the name of the recipe, and Adam was pleased by that.

Weekly Menu 8/21 through 8/27

Saturday 8/21 - Pasta Carbonara

Sunday 8/22 - Out with Dad & Cheryl

Monday 8/23 - Pepper Jack, Chicken, and Peach Quesadilla

Tuesday 8/24 - French Onion Grilled Pizzas

Wednesday 8/25 - Leftovers

Thursday 8/26 - Korean Beef Skewers with Rice Noodles

Friday 8/27 - New Orleans Fishwiches

Weekly Menu 8/14 through 8/20

Saturday 8/14 - Out to celebrate our anniversary (which is Tuesday)

Sunday 8/15 - Southwestern Salmon

Monday 8/16 - Spicy Pecan-Crusted Chicken

Tuesday 8/17 - Lure Burger (I've planned this one A LOT and I swear I'll really make it eventually!)

Wednesday 8/18 - Leftovers

Thursday 8/19 - Spicy Turkey Jack Flats

Friday 8/20 - Pasta Carbonara

Sausage & Pepper Sub

From Everyday with Rachael Ray



Ingredients:
3 bell peppers (yellow, orange and green), sliced
1 large red onion, sliced
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and black pepper
One 1 1/3-pound piece boneless pork loin, well chilled
1 1/2 teaspoons fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Four 6-inch whole wheat hoagie rolls, split and toasted

Directions:
1.Preheat a grill to medium. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the bell peppers, onion, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.

2.Cut the pork into 1/3-inch-thick slices, then into quarters, trimming any excess fat. Transfer the meat to a food processor and pulse 5 times to grind the meat. Add the fennel seeds, crushed red pepper and 3/4 teaspoon salt and pulse 2 more times. Divide the mixture into quarters; form each mound into a 5-inch sausage link, then flatten into an oval patty about 1/3 inch thick.

3.Place a cooling rack on one side of the grill grate and lightly oil. Scatter the vegetables on the rack (saving any oil in the bowl); cover and cook for 5 minutes. Turn the vegetables with a spatula and tongs. Rub the sausage patties with the oil left in the bowl and add to the other side of the grill. Cover and cook, turning the patties about halfway through, until grill marks appear, the meat is cooked through and the vegetables are tender, about 7 minutes.

4.Transfer the patties to a plate. Transfer the vegetables to a large bowl and add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and the vinegar; season to taste with salt and black pepper. Arrange half of the vegetables in the rolls and top each with a sausage patty and the remaining vegetables.

Comments:
I cheated and bought pre-made sausage so I could skip over some of the directions. I also made it indoors in a skillet rather than on the grill. That worked just fine. They're good, but really messy to eat. We ended up eating most of the pepper and onion with a fork.

Pasta with Edamame and Arugula

From Cooking Light



Ingredients:
8 ounces uncooked whole-wheat penne (tube-shaped pasta)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
2 cups frozen shelled edamame (green soybeans), thawed
2 cups loosely packed baby arugula
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 ounces fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, shaved

Directions:
1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain.

2. Heat oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add edamame to pan; cook 2 minutes or until edamame are thoroughly heated, stirring occasionally. Combine pasta and edamame in a large bowl. Stir in arugula and next 6 ingredients (through salt), tossing well. Sprinkle each serving with cheese.

Comments:
This was very easy to make - cook pasta, heat edamame, chop tomatoes. But it was gross. Maybe it was the arugula - I didn't think Adam would like it but he wanted to try it. Maybe it was the whole-wheat pasta. I don't know. But we won't make this one again.

Weekly Menu 8/7 through 8/13

Saturday 8/7 - Beef Bulgogi

Sunday 8/8 - Grilling out brats

Monday 8/9 - Apple Cheddar Turkey Burgers

Tuesday 8/10 - Pasta with Edamame and Arugula

Wednesday 8/11 - Leftovers

Thursday 8/12 - Sausage and Pepper Subs

Friday 8/13 - Southwestern Salmon

Broiled Tandoori Chicken

From Cooking Light



Ingredients:
1 (8-ounce) carton plain low-fat yogurt
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
Cooking spray

Directions:
1. Combine first 9 ingredients in a bowl. Stir in chicken; cover and marinate in refrigerator 30 minutes.

2. Preheat broiler.

3. Remove chicken from marinade, discarding marinade. Thread chicken evenly onto 4 (8-inch) skewers. Place chicken on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Broil 6 minutes; turn skewers, and broil 6 minutes or until done.

Comments:
Pretty simple recipe. I used Greek yogurt to make the marinade a little thicker. They cooked up relatively quickly without a whole lot of burnage. We'd probably try them again - although Adam wants them spicier next time...

Greek Chicken Pasta

From Taste of Home



Ingredients:
2 cups uncooked penne pasta
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1 large onion, chopped
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) reduced-sodium chicken broth
3 cups cubed rotisserie chicken
1 jar (7-1/2 ounces) marinated quartered artichoke hearts, drained
1 cup (4 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
1/3 cup sliced pitted Greek olives
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Directions:
Cook pasta according to package directions.

Meanwhile, in a large ovenproof skillet, melt butter. Add onion; saute until tender. Stir in flour until blended; gradually add broth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in the chicken, artichoke hearts, cheese, tomatoes and olives.

Drain pasta; stir into the pan. Broil 3-4 in. from the heat for 5-7 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown. Sprinkle with parsley.

Comments:
I omitted the olives since Adam doesn't like them and used a drained can of diced tomatoes rather than sun-dried. I also used plain artichoke hearts instead of marinated ones. Overall this was very good. I think it would have been even better with the olives, so if I make it again I might add them to my bowl. I added some salt and a lot of pepper to my dish because without something else it was pretty bland.

Hamburger Noodle Bake

From Taste of Home



Ingredients:
2 cups uncooked egg noodles
1/2 pound lean ground beef (90% lean)
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon garlic salt
Dash pepper
1/4 cup cream-style cottage cheese
2 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon thinly sliced green onion
1 tablespoon chopped green pepper
1 tablespoon sour cream
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Cook noodles according to package directions.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook beef and onion until meat is no longer pink; drain. Remove from the heat; stir in the tomato sauce, sugar, salt, garlic salt and pepper. In a small bowl, combine the cottage cheese, cream cheese, green onion, green pepper and sour cream.

Drain noodles; place half of noodles in a greased 1-qt. baking dish. Spoon half of beef mixture over the top. Layer with cottage cheese mixture and remaining noodles. Top with remaining beef mixture; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Cover and bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until heated through.

Comments:
This was ok. The mixture of cottage cheese and the noodles and beef was kind of weird. Maybe it's just that I don't like cottage cheese that much in the first place. The scallions really added a good secondary layer of flavor though. I don't know that I'd make this again.