White Enchiladas

eatathomecooks.com

Ingredients 

10 flour tortillas
2 c. cheese
2 c. cooked chicken
2 c. black beans ( I added this)
1/2 c. diced onion
3 T butter
3 T flour
1 can chicken broth
1 c. sour cream
1 can diced green chilies (7 oz)

Mix together 1 cup of the cheese, the chicken, beans and the onion.  Put some of this mixture into each tortilla, roll and place seam side down in a 9×13 casserole dish. In a skillet, melt the butter. Stir in the flour and cook for a minute. Add the chicken broth, whisking till smooth. Cook this over medium heat until it thickens and bubbles. Stir in the sour cream and green chilis. Pour over the top of the enchiladas. Top with the remaining cheese and bake at 425 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Chocolate Chip Cookies (melted butter)

taken from thebakerupstairs

12 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled (or brown the butter and add an ice cube when melted)
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg plus 1 egg yolk
2 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons flour (or 1 3/4 c. flour and 1 c. quick oats)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips (I just use 1 c.)

Preheat oven to 325. In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine butter and sugars and mix until combined. Add egg and egg yolk and vanilla, and mix until combined. Add flour, baking soda, and salt, and mix until just combined (be careful not to over mix). Gently fold chocolate chips into the dough. Divide dough into eighteen large balls. Pull each ball into two pieces using your hands. Place one half, rough side down, on a lightly greased baking sheet, then place the other half, rough side up, on top of the first half. Bake 12-15 minutes, or until very lightly browned around the edges. The middles of the cookies should still be soft. Let cool on baking sheet for 5-10 minutes, then remove to cooling rack. Enjoy!

Cashew Chicken Lettuce Wraps

taken from melskitchencafe

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup finely diced yellow or white onion

1 cup finely diced (or shredded) carrots

3-4 cloves garlic, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs, cut into small pieces (I’ve used rotisserie chicken)

3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

2 tablespoon pure maple syrup

1/2 cup chopped raw cashews (lightly toasted, if desired)

Bibb or green leaf lettuce leaves for wrapping

Chopped cucumbers and tomatoes for serving

In a large 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium heat and add the onion and carrots. Add the garlic, salt and pepper and cook for 2-3 minutes, until the vegetables start to soften.

Season the chicken pieces lightly with salt and pepper and add to the skillet with the onions and carrots. Cook, stirring often, until the chicken pieces are cooked through, 4-5 minutes.

Stir in the soy sauce and maple syrup and cook over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, letting the soy sauce and maple syrup bubble and simmer.

Stir in the cashews, cooking until they are just heated through. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper, if needed.

Serve in lettuce leaves topped with tomatoes and cucumbers (the freshness adds a delicious element to the flavors!).

Whole Wheat Bread

adapted slightly from melskitchencafe

1 or 2 c. cracked 9 grain cereal (I added this)
12+ c. whole wheat flour
2 T Saf yeast
1/2 c. vital wheat gluten
1000 mg vit. C crushed
6 1/2 c. warm water
2/3 c. oil (I've reduced this to 1/3-1/2)
2/3 c. honey (I've reduced this too)
2 T salt

Mix 9 grain cereal with 4 c. wheat flour, water, yeast, vit. C.  Mix well.  Add oil and honey and mix again.  Let sit for 10-15 min to sponge.  Add the salt and mix in the rest of the flour until it pulls away from the side of bowl.  Knead for 7 minutes.  It will be sticky-ish.  Form 5 loaves (about 1 lb 10 oz each).  Spray the counter before you roll it out.  Don't roll it up too tight or it will blow out the side while baking.  Let rise until an inch above the pan.  Put in cold oven and set temp to 350 and bake for 33 minutes.  (or let rise 2 inches above and put in pre-heated oven for 26-ish minutes.)

Whole Wheat Buttermilk Pancakes

taken from tasty kitchen 

-these really are so good.  Sometimes I don't use the full amount of butter and reduce it to a couple tablespoons and they still turn out great.  I'll sub regular or brown sugar for the honey sometimes or leave it out all together and they're still great.    

4 cups Stone Ground Whole Wheat Flour
1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Salt
4-½ cups Buttermilk (I'll add some milk if I don't have this much buttermilk)
½ cups Melted Butter
¼ cups Honey
4 whole Eggs

In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients, making a well in the center.  In a small bowl, beat buttermilk, melted butter, honey and eggs. Pour wet ingredients into dry mixture and beat thoroughly. Make sure you are vigorous and you may even take a spatula around the edges to make sure you have no flour clumps. If you need to, you can add more flour or buttermilk to get the right consistency.

Pour the batter onto a hot griddle and do your thing. Just pour a pancake sized amount of batter onto the griddle and cook the bottom side until lightly browned, then flip and do the same on the other side. This makes about 25 pancakes, depending on how big you make them

Vegan Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

adapted from Oh She Glows

1 flax egg (1 T ground flax + 3 T water)
1 1/4 c. shredded zucchini (about 1 med)
1 1/4 c. soy or almond milk
2 tsp lemon juice or vinegar
3 T maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla
2 c. whole wheat flour
1/3 c. cocoa powder
1 T baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 c. sugar (sometimes I'll reduce to 2 T)
1/3 c. choc. chips

Preheat oven to 350.  Mix flax egg and set aside.  Mix milk with lemon juice and let sit.  Mix dry ingredients together.  Add wet ingredients and mix just until combined.  Fold in the shredded zucchini and chocolate chips.  Spoon into greased muffin tin and bake for 15-17 min. 

Pesto Pizza with Dried Cranberries and Goat Cheese

adapted from my sister-in-law Afton

pizza dough
basil pesto
mozzarella cheese
goat cheese
craisins
zucchini
red peppers

Preheat pizza stone in 500 degree oven.  Roll out dough and spread pesto to cover.  Layer thinly sliced zucchini over surface. Spread mozzarella cheese over top and crumble on goat cheese and sprinkle the craisins.  Put sliced red pepper over top.  Bake in oven for 8-10 min.

(could be good with sliced red onion, chicken or chicken sausage)

Lemon Chicken Soup with Orzo

from Ellie Krieger


4 tsp olive oil
8 oz chicken breast cut into small chunks
pinch of salt
1 med onion diced
2 stalks celery diced
1 med carrot diced
2 tsp fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp dried
6 c. broth
1 c. orzo
2 large eggs
3 T fresh lemon juice
black pepper to taste

Heat 2 tsp oil over med-high heat.  Season the chicken with the salt and add it to the pot and cook until just cooked through.  Transfer the chicken to a dish and set aside.
Add the remaining 2 tsp oil to the pot.  Add the onion, celery, carrot, and thyme and cook over med-high heat until the vegetables are tender.  Add 5 cups of the broth and bring to a boil.  Add the orzo and let simmer until tender, about 8 min.  Turn the heat down to low to keep the soup hot but not boiling.
Warm the remaining 1 c. broth in small saucepan until it is hot but not boiling.  in a med bowl, beat the eggs.  Gradually whisk the lemon juice into the eggs.  Then gradually add the hot broth to the egg-lemon mixture, whisking all the while.  Add the mixture to the soup, stirring well until the soup is thickened.  Do not let the soup come to a boil.  Add the cooked chicken to the soup.  Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Serves 4,  1 1/2 c. serving
280 cal, 10g fat, 26g protein, 22g carb

Spaghetti aglio e olio (with garlic and olive oil)

from Ina Garten
1 lb dried spaghetti
1/3 c. olive oil
8 large garlic cloves, cut into thin slivers
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 c. minced fresh parsley
1 c. freshly grated Parmesan

Cook the pasta setting aside 1 1/2 c. cooking water.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil over med heat in a pot large enough to hold the pasta.  Add the garlic and cook for 2 min, stirring frequently, until it just begins to turn golden on the edges - don't overcook it!  Add the red pepper flakes and cook for 30 sec more.  Carefully add the reserved pasta-cooking water to the garlic and oil and bring to a boil.  Lower the heat, add 1 tsp salt and simmer about 5 min, until the liquid is reduced by about a third.
Add the drained pasta to the garlic sauce and toss.  off the heat, add the parsley and Parmesan and toss well.  Allow the pasta to rest off the heat for 5 min for the sauce to be absorbed.  Taste for seasoning and serve warm with extra Parmesan on the side.

Whole Wheat Artisan Bread

Link to site with pictures
Watch a video from their site.

Sweet Potato Crescent Rolls

from Simply in Season (FABULOUS book! Just make sure you read the whole recipe so you know what ingredients you need since they are added as you go along)

Combine in a large bowl: (easy to make in a Bosch mixer or KitchenAid)
1 1/2 c. whole wheat bread flour (I've used just regular whole wheat)
1/4 c. sugar
1 T active dry yeast
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground allspice

In large saucepan, combine:
1 c. sweet potatoes (cooked and mashed)
1 c. milk
1/4 c. butter

Cook over medium heat, stirring until butter is melted and mixture is warm. Add to flour mixture. Beat with mixer set on low speed, scraping bowl often, until mixture is all moistened, 1-2 min.

Add:
1 large egg beaten

mix at medium speed for 3 minutes.

Add:
2-2 1/2 c. bread flour (I've used all whole wheat flour or thrown in a mixture of that and all-purpose)

Stir in enough flour by hand to make dough easy to handle. Turn onto floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 7-9 minutes. Place in greased bowl, turn to grease both sides, cover with a damp cloth, and let rise until doubled in bulk. Punch down dough and divide it in half. Roll each half of dough on lightly floured surface into a 12-inch circle.

Brush each circle with 1 T melted butter. Cut into 12 wedges and tightly roll up each wedge from wide end to point. Place crescent rolls, point-side down, on greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise until doubled. Bake in preheated oven at 375 degrees until golden brown, 12-15 min.

Monster Cookies

Paula Deen

Ingredients

* 3 eggs
* 1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
* 1 cup granulated sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1 1/2 c. crunchy peanut butter
* 1 stick butter, softened
* 1/2 cup multi-colored chocolate candies
* 1/2 cup chocolate chips
* 1/4 cup raisins, optional
* 2 teaspoons baking soda
* 4 1/2 cups quick-cooking oatmeal (not instant)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats.

In a very large mixing bowl, combine the eggs and sugars. Mix well. Add the salt, vanilla, peanut butter, and butter. Mix well. Stir in the chocolate candies, chocolate chips, raisins, if using, baking soda, and oatmeal. Drop by tablespoons 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Do not overbake. Let stand for about 3 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool. When cool, store in large resealable plastic bags.

Chocolate Pumpkin Muffin Cupcakes

1 box cake mix (chocolate, spice, etc.)
1 can pumpkin

Blend both together (will be really thick!) and spoon into greased muffin tin. Bake at 400 for 15 min.

*Can add some chocolate chips to batter if wanted. 

Garden Minestrone

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups chopped yellow squash
3 cups chopped zucchini
1 cup chopped carrot
1 cup fresh corn kernels (about 2 ears)
4 cups chopped tomato, divided
3 (14-ounce) cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth, divided
1/2 cup uncooked ditalini pasta (very short tube-shaped macaroni)
1 (15.5-ounce) can Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
1 (6-ounce) package fresh baby spinach
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup (4 ounces) grated Asiago cheese
Coarsely ground black pepper (optional)

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion to pan; sauté 3 minutes or until softened. Add oregano and garlic; sauté 1 minute. Stir in squash, zucchini, carrot, and corn; sauté 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Remove from heat.

Place 3 cups tomato and 1 can broth in a blender; process until smooth. Add tomato mixture to pan; return pan to heat. Stir in remaining 1 cup tomato and remaining 2 cans broth; bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes.

Add pasta and beans to pan; cook 10 minutes or until pasta is tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Stir in spinach, salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Ladle soup into individual bowls; top with cheese. Garnish with coarsely ground black pepper, if desired.


Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups soup and 2 tablespoons cheese)

CALORIES 217 (25% from fat); FAT 6.1g (sat 2.7g,mono 2g,poly 0.6g); PROTEIN 12.6g
CookingLight

Hearty Lentil and Pasta Soup

2 T oil
4 oz bacon chopped
1 onion chopped
4 celery stalks chopped
5 carrots diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp oregano
1 bay leaf
1 lb dried lentils (2 1/3 c.)
1 can pureed tomatoes
5 c. water
2 c. beef broth
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
8 oz small pasta

Heat oil and add bacon and cook until crisp. Pour out all but 2 T fat and add onion, celery, carrot and garlic and cook until veg begin to soften. Stir in thyme, oregano and bay leaf. Add the lentils and stir well. Stir in the tomatoes, then water and broth. Season with salt and pepper. Lock lid and and cook 8 min. Release pressure. Check lentils for doneness. Stir in bacon. Cook pasta and add to the soup.

White Chicken Chili

2 med onions chopped
4 cloves garlic minced
2 cans chopped green chiles
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp oregano
¼ tsp cayenne
¼ tsp ground cloves
2 cans chicken broth
4 c. cooked chicken
3 cans great northern beans (or any beans)
2 c. Monterey jack cheese

Saute onions until tender. Stir in garlic, chilies, cumin, oregano, cayenne and cloves. Cook 2-3 minutes. Add broth, chicken and beans. Simmer 15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cheese. (or each person can add their own cheese to their bowl)

Vegetarian Pizza

Sauce:
1 8 oz tomato sauce
2 T Shirley J’s pizza spice mix
2 cloves garlic pressed
½ onion finely chopped

Toppings: sliced tomatoes, green peppers, zucchini, grated carrots, yellow squash, cheese. Bake on preheated stone at 500 degrees for 7 min.

Macaroni and Cheese

1 7oz pkg macaroni
6 T butter divided
3 T flour
2 c. milk
1 pkg cream cheese
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
¾ c. bread crumbs
2 T fresh parsley

Cook macaroni. Melt 4 T butter in pan. Stir in flour. Gradually whisk in milk. Bring to a boil. Cook and stir 2 min. Reduce heat. Add cheeses, salt and pepper. Stir until melted and smooth. Add mac to sauce. Transfer to a 3 qt dish. Melt remaining butter and toss with bread crumbs and parsley. Sprinkle over macaroni. Bake at 400 for 15-20 min.

Chicken Soft Tacos with Onions and Apples

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon butter
2 cups thinly sliced onion
2 cups thinly sliced peeled Granny Smith apple (about 2 apples)
2 garlic cloves, minced
8 (6-inch) flour tortillas

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the chicken evenly with salt, nutmeg, and pepper. Add chicken to pan; sauté 7 minutes or until golden. Remove the chicken from pan; keep warm.
Melt butter in pan over medium heat. Add onion; cook 4 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Add apple; cook 6 minutes or until golden, stirring frequently. Add garlic; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Return chicken to pan; cook 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring frequently.
Heat tortillas according to package directions. Arrange 1/2 cup chicken mixture evenly over each tortilla.
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 2 tacos)
CALORIES 454 (25% from fat); FAT 12.6g, PROTEIN 32.9g;
CookingLight

Three Pepper Beef

2 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch, divided
1 teaspoon sugar, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pound flank steak, trimmed and thinly sliced across the grain
1/4 cup low-salt beef broth
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
1 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup sugar snap peas, trimmed
1 1/4 cups cubed red bell pepper
1 1/4 cups cubed yellow bell pepper
1 1/4 cups cubed green bell pepper

Combine 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch, 1/2 teaspoon sugar, salt, and flank steak in a medium bowl; toss to coat. Set aside.
Combine 2 teaspoons cornstarch, 1/2 teaspoon sugar, broth, soy sauce, and black pepper, stirring with a whisk until sugar dissolves; set aside.
Heat oil in a wok or large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the green onions, ginger, and garlic; stir-fry 10 seconds. Add beef mixture; stir-fry 3 minutes or until done. Remove the beef mixture from pan; cover and keep warm. Add peas and bell peppers to pan; stir-fry 4 minutes or until crisp-tender. Add beef and broth mixture to pan; cook 2 minutes or until thickened, stirring constantly.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: about 1 3/4 cups)
CALORIES 326 (36% from fat); FAT 13g, PROTEIN 34.1g