Pumpkin Cheesecake

This recipe is all the genius of Pioneer Woman. with Halloween and Thanksgiving coming up I have had pumpkins on my mind. This treat is absolutely delectable and would be perfect for parties or even Thanksgiving dessert. You have to try it!

I am not even going to try to r-write it, just click here.

Bacon, Chicken, Ranch Pizza

I love to try new things with pizza. For about the last year I have been bored with tomato sauce and have been experimenting with new things. This one was very good!


Bacon, Chicken, Ranch Pizza
1 recipe Carla’s pizza dough
1 recipe Buttermilk Ranch dressing (you could use store bought but it is not as good)
1 chicken breast
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
2 tablespoons butter
3 strips of bacon cooked
1 red bell pepper sliced into strips or chopped up into small pieces (whichever you prefer)
1 cup shredded mozzarella
Salt, pepper and paprika to taste
Place pizza stone in oven and pre-heat to 475. If you don’t have a pizza stone go get one, then read previous. (Pizza stones really make the best crispy pizza crust.) Have your dough rising while you assemble the ingredients. Assemble the ranch dressing. Or if you are a very organized person who knew what they were going to eat a day before making it, take your premade dressing out of the fridge. I clearly have been on a last minute dinner spree and so had to make the dressing today. Mix together panko bread crumbs, salt pepper and any other spice you desire. Today I decided that paprika sounded good. It also gives the coating a nice orange red color. Festive, ya know?
Taking some of it aside (about 1/4 cup) slather it onto your chicken breast until fully coated. Then dip chicken into bread crumbs making sure to coat all sides.
Put 1 tbsp of butter into a frying pan, place chicken over it and fry on medium to medium low heat till it is good and brown, it should also cook about halfway through the chicken. You don’t want the heat to be too high because then your chicken will burn on the outside before it is cooked in the middle. Flip the chicken placing another tablespoon of butter in the pan and cook until it is done. Slice into thin strips.
The purpose of this is to make the chicken moist on the inside and crunchy on the outside. Flipping it to many times will take off the crunchy shell so try to only flip it once.
Cook bacon, if you don’t know how to do that check the package.
Carla’s recipe makes two pizzas so you can either double this recipe or use the extra dough for something else. I made garlic-cheese spirals with the extra dough; the original recipe was from Our Best Bites. Roll out one pizza crust. I always roll mine onto parchment paper so that I can easily transfer it to the pizza stone. Spread about1/4 - 1/3 cup ranch on it. You can really use as much as you want, that is just what I did. (I think, I don’t actually measure these kinds of things.)
Cover ranch with mozzarella then crumbled bacon, red pepper and sliced chicken. Slide pizza onto hot stone. Bake for 10 min or until the cheese looks bubbly and the crust is browned.

Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

There are many different versions of this recipe. Here is mine,just tweak it to suit your taste.

1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp pepper

Mix all ingredients in food processor or blender. Store in the refrigerator till ready to use.

Whole Wheat Sourdough Waffles

I LOVE these waffles. They are so delicious and pretty easy to make. Having the levian soak overnight helps to break down the phytic acid in the whole wheat flour making it much easier for you body to digest it nutrients. My favorite way to eat these is with sliced bananas and blueberries with just a sprinkle of demerara. Yum!

Levian
1 tablespoon sourdough starter
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup buttermilk

Batter
2 eggs
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

The night before you want to eat the waffles make the levain. Mix well. Then cover the bowl and let sit at room temperature for at least 8 hours. (Do Not let it sit in a metal bowl. Metal bowls and sourdough do not go together)

In the morning beat eggs, juice, milk and melted butter together then stir them into the sponge. Blend sugar, baking powder and salt then incorporate into sponge. As the sponge interacts with the baking soda bubbles will form.

Bake waffles in preheated iron until browned.

Enjoy!

Hearty Beef Stew

This is a favorite around here when the snow starts to fall. I love it because it is so easy to make. The key to a good stew is not to rush things. Get started early so you can let the meat simmer for awhile.



1-2 lbs beef cut into 1 inch cubes (I use whatever I can get that is cheap,chuck, or any pot roast type of cut)
1/2 medium onion diced
3 cloves of garlic crushed
1 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
2-3 Tablespoons of flour
4-6 cups of water
2-3 good size potatoes peeled and cubed
4-6 carrots
1/4 cup barbecue sauce
1-2tsp salt
3-4 drops Worcestershire sauce

In a large heavy pot saute on medium heat onion with oil and butter for about 3-4 min. Add crushed garlic. Saute for one more minute. Turn up your heat to med high add the cubed beef and sear. Turn heat down and brown for about 3-4 more min. Add your flour and mix until it coats the beef, this will work as a thickening agent for the stew. Add 4 cups of water. Cover pot and let meat simmer for 2-3 hours. Keep checking it periodically to make sure that you have plenty of water and that it is at a simmer, not boiling.

Sometimes I let it simmer for more than 3hours, just depends on how much time I have. An hour before you are planning to eat add potatoes and carrots. If you add them to soon then they will be very mushy. Use the amount of veggies that you like, I use more vegetables than meat because it saves money. You may need to add more water. It all depends on how much evaporated while simmering and how thick or thin you like your stew. I like thick stew so I don't add as much water.

Once the potatoes and carrots are cooked add your spices. This is a hard recipe for me to give measurements. I always make this to taste and have no set measurement for any of the spices. I do put in about a 1/4 cup barbecue sauce because it adds a nice smoky flavor. I also like adding a good bit of Worcestershire sauce. Tailor it to what your family likes. Then dish it up and serve! I like making things look pretty so I add a touch of green with parsley on top. I also usually serve this with warm wheat bread or rolls.

Easy Black Bean Wraps

Lately I have been trying make every other night a meatless dinner. This is what we had tonight, they were very good. These are so easy to put together as they do not require any actual cooking. It would be great for using in the summertime. (I also got this recipe form my cousin. Did I mention it tastes really good with lime??)



3 green onions
1/2 large red bell pepper, diced
1/2 tomato diced
1/2 c. fresh cilantro
1 15 oz. cans black beans
1 15 oz. can whole kernel corn
1 4 oz. can diced green chilies
3 T olive oil
1 T red wine vinegar
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/4 t. black pepper
8 8-inch flour tortillas
grated cheddar cheese

Rinse and trim the green onions and cut them into 1/4-inch pieces. Rinse the bell pepper, cut it in half, remove and discard the stem and seeds and then dice it into tiny bits. Rinse tomato, cut in half and dice. Rinse and pat dry the cilantro. Cut off and discard the stems and cut the leafy parts into 1/2-inch pieces. drain the beans and rinse them under cold running water. Drain the corn and green chilies.

Put the green onions, bell pepper, tomato cilantro, beans, corn and green chilies into a large bowl. Add the oil, vinegar, salt, garlic powder, and black pepper and mix well and then set aside. I used it immediately but i think it would be even more delicious if it had sat to let the flavors marry.

Spoon 1/2 to 2/3 cup of the bean mixture into the center of each tortilla. Sprinkle with cheese, if using. Wrap each tortilla, folding it at the bottom.

Lime Chicken Taquitos

Have I ever mentioned how much I LOVE lime? Really, it is an obsession. Lately I have been putting it on everything. These taquitos are fairly easy to make a DELICIOUS. This is a new favorite for both Charles and myself. I made them for Ella's birthday and again last night. I started with a recipe form my cousins blog and made a few minor changes. It originally called for two cups of shredded chicken and no rice. Rice is cheaper than chicken so I cut out one cup of chicken and replaced it with 1 cup of rice. Just as good. This recipe includes all of my changes.

INGREDIENTS:
1/3 cup (3 oz) cream cheese
1/4 cup green salsa
juice of 1 fresh lime
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp granulated garlic
3 TB chopped cilantro
2 TB sliced green onions
1 cup shredded cooked chicken
1cup brown rice
1 cup grated pepperjack cheese

small corn tortillas
kosher salt
cooking spray

DIRECTIONS:
Cook ½ cup brown rice in 2 cups chicken stock. Make sure to leave plenty of time for the rice to cook. It usually takes 45-55 min.
Heat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.
Heat cream cheese in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds so it's soft and easy to stir. Add green salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder and granulated garlic. Stir to combine and then add cilantro and green onions. Add chicken and cheese and combine well.
(You can prepare up to this step ahead of time. Just keep the mixture in the fridge.)

There are two ways in which to prepare the tortillas, I have done both. Placing them in oil first makes them crunchier but both ways taste really good.

Method 1:
Place about 1-2 inches of oil in a pan and heat. When hot place tortillas in one at a time for about 5-10 flip and heat other side. Take out of pan and place on paper towels to help absorb extra grease. Repeat for the rest of tortillas. (I used about twenty.)

Method 2:
Work with a few tortillas at a time and heat in the microwave until they are soft enough to roll without cracking. It helps to place them between damp paper towels. Usually 20-30 seconds will do it.

Place 2-3 TB of chicken mixture on the lower third of a tortilla, keeping it about 1/2 inch from the edges.
Then roll them as tight as you can.
Place seam side down on the baking sheet. Lay all of the taquitos on the baking sheet and make sure they are not touching each other.
Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray or an oil mister (You don’t need to do this is you use method 1) and sprinkle some kosher salt on top.
Place pan in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and the ends start to get golden brown.

Spinach Pie

So good! Maybe not the healthiest with all that cheese but totally worth it. Charles even loved it even though it was meatless! This recipe was given to me by my mom.


Yield: Serves 6


Recipe for one pie crust (or buy one from the store)

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 10-ounce package fresh, washed baby spinach chopped up.
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 15-ounce container ricotta cheese
8 ounce mozzarella cheese, grated
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 large eggs, beaten to blend



preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F. Make pie crust, bake for 8-10 min at 450 degrees. Take out and set aside.

Pour olive oil into a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until tender, about 8 minutes. Mix in spinach, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Sauté until it cooks down a bit




Combine ricotta, mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses in large bowl. Mix in eggs. Add spinach mixture; blend well.



Spoon cheese mixture into pie crust.



Bake until filling is set in center and brown on top, about 40-50 minutes.




Let stand 10 minutes. Cut pie into wedges and enjoy!

Wholesome Oat Rolls

I love whole grain foods. Really it is true. None of that all white bread refined flour stuff for me. (OK maybe sometimes, like in cupcakes :) But I really LOVE to make bread and its even better when it has whole grains in it. Tonight I tried a new recipe for Oat rolls. So good! The were craggy on the outside, moist on the inside and slightly chewy. I originally used a recipe from my whole grain baking cookbook but I never follow recipes to the letter so here is my version.

Oat Rolls

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons lukewarm water
2 tablespoons orange juice
4 tablespoons mostly melted butter (please do NOT use margarine. I will tell you why in a later post but TRUST me, it's is not pretty and definitely not healthier.)
3 tablespoons honey
1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup oat bran
1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
1- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Heaping 1/2 cup dried potato flakes or 3 tablespoons potato flour
1/4 cup nonfat dry milk
2- 1/4 teaspoons yeast
1 teaspoon white sugar

Proof yeast in water with 1 teaspoon of sugar. Watch it bubble and foam. Combine all of the ingredients into mixer (kitchen aid, bread machine, or mix by hand. Whatever works for you.)Mix until you have a medium soft, smooth dough. I add my flour last because you can always put more flour in if it is to sticky but you cannot take it out once it is mixed in and way to dry. Place dough in a greased bowl, cover and let rise till double in bulk, 1-2 hours.

Lightly grease a 9x13 inch pan

Deflate roll dough and divide into equal portions of however large you want your rolls. I did about 16 rolls. Shape dough by pulling it into a small knot at bottom and smoothing out the top. Place them in the pan so they do not touch each other. Cover and let rise another hour. They probably wont rise till double in size, don't worry it's OK.

Preheat oven to 350.

Uncover rolls until they are lightly golden brown. That took about 12 minutes for me but my oven has issues with overheating so keep checking your till they look done.
Remove from pan and serve!

Helpful Hints
If you lightly spray the tablespoon with Pam before measuring the honey then the honey will slide out like a hot knife through butter instead of making a sticky mess all over.
Using a tablespoon or two if butter brush the top of the rolls when they are hot. This gives them a soft satiny crust and makes them taste so good. Plus, you use less butter than you would to butter them while eating.

Enjoy!

Roasted Vegetables

Roasting vegetables is my new favorite pastime. So good! The outside of the vegetables become slightly crunchy while heating them this way caramelizes the sugar letting the flavors sing in your mouth.

I used beets, carrots (my favorite), yams, and potatoes (The Husbands favorite) dashed some extra virgin olive oil on it (err 2-3 tablespoons, I just go by what looks good)and sprinkled with sea salt and pepper. You could also use garlic salt or seasoned salt, just depends on how your taste buds are feeling. I roasted in a 400 degree oven for about 20-30 min. I ct up the veggies into about 1 inch cubes so it didn't take to long. The larger you cut the veggies the longer it will take to cook. I also take them out and stir it around halfway through cooking. (This is because we have a very cheap oven which does not cook evenly. If you have a lovely expensive oven than you may omit this step.) I also separated the potatoes from the carrots and the beets. Partly because they can cook differently and also because I had lots of vegetables and I didn't want them to fight over pan space. You can tell when they are done because they will be browned and fork tender. Enjoy!

I should really note here that most of my recipe ideas come from others. What can I say, I know a lot of really good cooks! The inspiration for this came from my mother in law. Check out her cooking blog here