Mom's Buttermilk Pancakes

This is Mom's recipe. She got it from Aunt Freddie's ward cookbook, the actual recipe is by Judy Potter. Anyhow, these are AMAZING!! This is mom's new guests breakfast. You know, the one she always makes when people are visiting. I don't mind, they are divine!

Buttermilk Pancakes and Syrup

1 1/2 c. flour
3 T sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 c buttermilk
1/2 c milk
1/8 c oil

Mix dry ingredients. Add and mix remaining ingredients, leaving a little lumpy. Cook on griddle at about 350 degrees.

Syrup:
1/2 c buttermilk
1 c sugar
1/2 cube butter or margarine
1/2 tsp soda

Cook on high. Boil 1 minute. Turn off and add 1 tsp vanilla. Cook in a large saucepan because it will boil over easily. Two times this syrup recipe for 3 times batch of pancakes.

Pumpkin Pie Milkshakes

Okay, I don't eat pumpkin pie, don't really like it. However, this was really good! I was totally surprised at it's yumminess...
Pumpkin Pie Milkshake
Recipe by Our Best Bites

1/3 C pumpkin, canned or homemade
1/4 - 1/2 C milk
1/2 t cinnamon
1/16 t cloves (just use a 1/8 t measure and fill it half way, or do a pinch)
1/16 t nutmeg
2 T brown sugar
2 C vanilla ice cream
a few graham crackers

Pop it all in a blender. Start with 1/4 C milk and then slowly add more if needed to make the blender process it all. I used somewhere between 1/4-1/2 C.

A note about blenders: Here's the problem with making thick, diner style milkshakes at home: A lot of times you have to add so much milk to the thing to get the blender to process that it turns into a milk-slushie instead. Or you have to blend and plunge, blend and plunge, etc. You know the drill, right? So if you have any trouble with your blender, I would recommend blending everything but the ice cream first and then mashing it into the ice cream by hand (well, with a hand. Holding a fork or spoon :) If your scooped ice cream sits out at room temp while you measure the other things and get them all ready, then by the time you mash it all together it should be a good consistency.

Sprinkle with crushed graham cracker crumbs before serving.

Skillet Penne with Chicken and Broccoli

I love this recipe...I craved it the entire time I was in Spain so I made it right when I got home and it was just as delicious as I'd hoped it would be. It really tastes like candy to me. I'm sure you could use milk instead of cream and still get a delicious result. Enjoy!



Skillet Penne with Chicken and Broccoli
adapted from America's Test Kitchen

1 lb. chicken breasts, sliced into 1 inch pieces
Salt and Pepper
3 Tbs. butter
1 onion, minced
¼ tsp. red pepper flakes
¼ tsp. dried oregano
3 garlic cloves, minced
8 oz. penne- or favorite pasta (2 ½ cups)
2 ½ c. chicken broth
½ c. heavy cream
1 bunch broccoli (1 ½ lbs.), stems discarded and florets cut into 1 inch pieces
1 12-oz. jar roasted red peppers, rinsed and chopped as fine as desired
½ c. parmesan cheese

1. Pat chicken dry, season with salt and pepper. Melt 1 Tbs. of butter in 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and cook until its lightly browned but not fully cooked, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
2. Add 1 more Tbs. butter, onion, red pepper flakes, oregano, and ½ tsp. salt to skillet. Cook until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 15 seconds.
3. Sprinkle penne evenly into skillet. Pour the broth and cream over it. Cover and bring to boil, about 5 minutes.
4. Reduce the heat to med-low and stir in the broccoli and roasted peppers. Cover and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally until the pasta begins to soften and the broccoli turns bright green, about 8 minutes.
5. Stir in the chicken and any accumulated juice. Cover and continue to simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 3 minutes longer.
6. Stir in remaining butter and Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Pasta, Pesto, and Peas

You wouldn't think that kids would eat this, but mine all loved it tonight. I'm carbo-loading this week, so I tried this recipe as an alternative to spaghetti. Yum Yum if you like pesto (so Mom probably wouldn't go for this one). Tips: I used one type of pasta, halved everything in the recipe, and it still made a lot (with sauce to spare). Don't forget to marinate the chicken early...it does take some planning ahead.

Pasta, Pesto, and Peas

from Sisters Cafe blog

¾ lb. fusilli pasta

¾ lb. bow-tie pasta

¼ cup olive oil

1 ½ cups homemade pesto (I used prepared pesto from Costco)

1 10-oz package frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry

3 Tbs freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 ¼ cup good mayonnaise

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 ½ cups frozen peas, defrosted

1/3 cup pignolis, toasted (To toast pignolis [pine nuts] place them in a dry sauté pan and cook over medium heat for about 4 minutes, until evenly browned, tossing frequently.)

¾ tsp salt

¾ tsp black pepper

Lemon Grilled Chicken pieces, cooked (recipe below)

Cook the fusilli and bow ties separately in a large pot of boiling salted water for 10-12 minutes, until each pasta is al dente. Drain and toss into a bowl with the olive oil. Cool to room temperature. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, puree the pesto, spinach, and lemon juice. Add the mayonnaise and continue to puree. Add the pesto mixture to the cooled pasta, then add the cooked chicken pieces, Parmesan cheese, peas, pine nuts, salt and pepper. Mix well and season to taste. DELICIOUS.

Lemon Grilled Chicken

Juice of one lemon (~3 Tb lemon juice)
3 Tb oil
1 tsp minced garlic (~ 2 medium or 1 large clove)
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
½ tsp oregano
1 lb chicken breasts

Marinate chicken overnight. Usually, if I plan on using this for a pasta dish or pizza, where the chicken needs to be cut up, I cut up the raw chicken before I add it to the marinade. Then after it marinades overnight I cook the pieces in a pan on the stove and drain off the juices/marinade.

Green Chile and Cilantro Enchiladas Topped with Special Sour Cream Sauce

(Picture courtesy of closetcooking.blogspot.com. I forgot to take a pic of the last batch I made on Wednesday.)

My friend Tara made this recipe for a lunch group probably like 6 months ago and every time I have these, they get more and more yummy to me and they are definitely Christian and my favorite enchilada recipe. This has become my official "if guests are coming to dinner" entree. It's so easy, it's a little New Mexican, and it is oh, so delicious.

Green Chile and Cilantro Enchiladas Topped with Special Sour Cream Sauce

3 C. chopped cooked chicken

2 C. Pepper Jack Cheese (the kind with the jalapeno peppers in it)

1/2 C. Sour Cream

1 (4 oz.) can chopped green chiles

1/3 C. chopped cilantro

8-10 flour tortillas

Sour Cream Sauce Mix:

1-8oz. sour cream

1 8oz. green taco sauce (I prefer La Victoria brand, you can find it at any grocery store.)

Instructions:

Mix Enchilada filling ingredients, spoon and spread over tortillas and roll up. Arrange in 9x13 baking pan and coat with cooking spray. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes. Optional: For the last 10 minutes of baking take out and put some of the sour cream sauce and some extra pepper jack or Mexican blend cheese on top. Serve with sour cream sauce and your favorite salsa.

Grilled Chicken Poppy Seed Salad

This salad is so yummy and fresh. I love it! It's super easy too.


Grilled Chicken Poppy Seed Salad

This is from my good friend Michelle. She served this salad at a baby shower and I made it for my family last night and it was a HUGE hit.

Mix the following ingredients in a large bowl:
3 hearts of Romaine lettuce
1 bag of baby spinach
6 grilled and chopped chicken breasts
Medium bag of Mozzarella cheese
1 small bag of Craisins
toasted slivered almonds to taste

Mix the following ingredients for the poppy seed dressing:
1 1/2 c. mayo
2/3 c. sugar
4 T apple cider vinegar
4 t. poppy seeds
*This dressing does not taste like Mayo! :)

Honey Lime Enchiladas

I always forget to take a pic before we eat. This was the lone leftover guy. That speaks for itself, right?

Honey Lime Enchiladas

submitted by Brittany, Our Best Bites

1.5 lbs pork or chicken, cooked and shredded

Sauce:

1/3 c honey

1/4 c lime juice

1 Tb chili powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

2 (10 oz) cans green enchilada sauce

equal parts mixed together of:

mozzarella cheese, shredded

cheddar cheese, shredded

flour tortillas

Mix together sauce ingredients then add to shredded pork or chicken. Let the sauce soak into the meat for about 30 minutes.

Lightly spray 2 pans with non-stick baking spray. (I usually use one 9x13 and one 9x9 but it may vary with how thick you stuff your enchiladas) Pour green enchilada sauce into pans to coat the entire bottom. Fill tortillas with shredded meat and desired amount of cheese. Roll and place in dish.

Pour remainder of sauce over enchiladas and sprinkle more cheese on top - don't be stingy! (I sometimes use more like 1 1/2 cans- you can freeze left over enchilada sauce in a baggy.) Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Then turn on broiler and place enchiladas nearer the top of oven. Let it broil until cheese is slightly brown and crispy. It is now time to WOW your family!!

Chicken Tostados with Cilantro Lime Drizzle

This dressing is done in about 30 seconds and it tastes almost exactly like Cafe Rio. Yum. I love tostados and you can't go wrong with this one.

Chicken Tostadas with Cilantro Lime Drizzle
adapted from You're Gonna Bake it After All

For the Tostadas:
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, shredded (see below)
6-inch corn or flour tortillas
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
14-oz. can chicken broth
Cumin, Chili Powder, Pepper

For the Cilantro Lime Drizzle:
1/2 cup light ranch salad dressing
juice of one lime
handful of cilantro

Directions:
1. Prepare shredded chicken by cutting it into three chunks, put these into a medium saucepan, then top with 1 14-oz. can chicken broth, 1/4 can of water, sprinkle of cumin and chili powder, and some fresh ground pepper. Bring this to a boil, uncovered, then reduce heat to simmer, partially covered, for 7 minutes. Then, covered completely, remove pan from heat and let sit for 30 minutes. I removed the chicken from the broth and shred it with two forks.
2. Prepare Cilantro Lime Drizzle by adding all ingredients to a blender or food processor and blend well.
3. Lay tortillas on a warm skillet and add cheese on top. Allow them to crisp up and the cheese to melt.
4. Top tortillas with black beans, chicken, and cilantro lime drizzle. Additional topping options: mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, guacamole, salsa, sour cream.

Good Old Fashioned Chocolate Chip Cookies

I know the world doesn't need another chocolate chip cookie recipe, but I made these yesterday for a dinner party we were having. Dave had a bunch of work friends over, and I felt like I should do something home-made to go with the burgers and chips. They were a hit, so I will definitely use this recipe again! Today they are not as moist as I would like, and I'm not sure if it's because I left them sitting out for too long last night, or if there's something more I can add to the recipe to make them moister. Let me know if you have any ideas on that!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

from Allison Weenig in the Capistrano 2nd Ward cookbook

1 1/2 cups shortening (I used 1 cup butter flavored shortening, plus 1/2 cup unsalted butter)

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/2 cups brown sugar (don't pack)

3 eggs

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 1/2 tsp. salt

3 1/2 cups flour

1 bag of chocolate chips (I added more, and mixed milk and semi-sweet)

Cream shortening and sugars, add eggs and beat. Stir in dry ingredients and bake at 375 for 8 minutes. They will look slightly under-baked when you take them out, with some of the peaks slightly browning.

Rich Chocolate Frosting

I used this recipe to make cupcake frosting for Taylor's birthday and it was amazing. I never use the store-bought stuff (yuck!) so I'm always on the lookout for great frosting recipes and this one was a winner. I'll definitely be using it again.

Rich Chocolate Frosting
From allrecipes.com

1 cups butter (no substitutes), softened
4 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 1/4 cups baking cocoa
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk

In large mixing bowl, cream butter. Add remaining ingredients and beat until thoroughly mixed. Add more milk, if needed, until you reach your desired consistency.

Fresh Tomato and Basil Pasta

This one was refreshing and filling. I used the Barilla Plus Pasta and served it as a main dish. It is a fabulous way to use up your garden tomatoes. And....it tastes even better the next day!

Fresh Tomato and Basil Pasta

from Sister's Cafe

2 large ripe, firm tomatoes, diced (about 2 cups)
1 Tb fresh chopped basil or 1 tsp dried basil
1-2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
½ tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp fresh ground pepper
Shredded Parmesan cheese
6-8 oz angel hair pasta ( we prefer whole wheat)

Mix together the diced tomatoes, chopped basil, minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Let "marinate" on counter for 30 minutes. Cook the pasta al dente. Drain and toss with the tomato mixture. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan. Mmmmmm

Molten Chocolate Cake

A friend made this after I had Izzy---so YUMMY...and naughty! The most moist, rich cake ever!

Molten Chocolate Cake
Veronica Hunter

1 pkg. Devil's Food Cake Mix
4 eggs
1/2 c. oil
1 1/4 c. water
1 lg. pkg. instant chocolate pudding mix

Beat all ingred. for 2 minutes; Add 2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips. Grease and flour bundt pan; Bake 350 for 50-55 min.; Cool on rack 5-10 minutes and take out of pan. Place on serving platter and prepare topping.

Topping:

1 c. heavy cream
2 c. semi-sweet chips

Melt in double broiler on low. Melt but don't let it bubble. Let sit for 10 min. then pour over center and top of cake. Serve warm with a dopple of fresh whipped cream!

Whole Wheat Ricotta Pancakes

(I stole this pic off of My Sister's Cafe Blog, but these were how yummy these looked- promise.)

I made these pancakes this morning and they were so good that I thought I'd better post them right away- they're that yummy. I might add a tiny pinch of salt to the the batter next time, but they were really good without too. Enjoy!

Whole Wheat Ricotta Pancakes
Adapted from recipe in October 2009 Parents magazine

6 Tbs. whole-wheat flour
4 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
2 large beaten eggs
1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1Tbs. milk
(recipe also calls for frozen berries to fold in, but Oliver doesn't like "stuff" in his pancakes, so I omitted them)

In medium bowl, mix dry ingredients. Stir in beaten eggs, ricotta cheese, and milk. Fold in berries, if desired. Cook on hot griddle. Top with syrup or powdered sugar and berries. Makes approx. 6 pancakes.

Thai Peanut Noodles

Thai Peanut Noodles

The recipe & picture is from Our Best Bites

1/2 c. chicken broth
3 Tbsp. creamy peanut butter
1-2 tsp. Sriracha chili sauce
1 1/2 Tbsp. honey
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 1/2 Tbsp. fresh minced ginger
2-3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
8 oz. linguine noodles
Chopped green onions (optional)
Chopped cilantro (optional)
2 limes, cut into quarters (optional)
Chopped peanuts

Cook noodles in salted water. In the meantime, combine chicken broth, peanut butter, chili sauce, honey, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk until smooth and remove from heat. Toss cooked noodles with sauce and divide among 4 bowls. Sprinkle with green onions, cilantro, chopped peanuts, and garnish each serving with 2 lime quarters. Before eating, squeeze lime juice over noodles and stir to combine.

*You can add meat to this dish by stir-frying shrimp or very thinly-sliced chicken (partially freeze it first) in some olive oil with a couple cloves of garlic, some fresh ginger, some green onions, soy sauce, and a small squirt or two of Sriracha chili sauce.

Chicken Parmigiana

1 pound chicken breasts, pounded thin

3 Tbs. olive oil

3 cloves garlic, finely minced

1 onion, minced

1 1 lb.-4 oz. can tomatoes (2 1/2 cups)

1 1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1 8 oz. can tomato sauce

1/4 tsp. dried thyme

1 egg

1/4 cup dried bread crumbs

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

3 Tbs. olive oil

1/2 pound mozzarella cheese

Oven at 350.

In 3 Tbs. hot olive oil, in saucepan, saute garlic and onion until golden. Add tomatoes, salt, pepper; break up tomatoes with spoon; simmer, uncovered, 10 min. Add tomato sauce, thyme; simmer, uncovered, 20 min.

Beat egg well with fork. Combine crumbs, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Dip each chicken piece into egg, then into crumbs; saute in hot olive oil in skillet, turning once, until golden brown on both sides. Set slices side by side in baking dish.

Pour 2/3 of tomato mixture over chicken, straining it, if desired. Arrange mozzarella on top; spoon on rest of tomato mixture. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup parmesan. Bake, uncovered, 30 minutes. Serve with pasta.

OR to make it quick and easy--use a jar of spaghetti sauce. I need healthy recipes from you all!!! I can't use heavy cream, white rolls, and junk. :)

Ham and Swiss Sliders

Okay, these sound really weird but they were so, so good. They have also been officially declared as the perfect baby/wedding shower food. I highly recommend them!

24 good white rolls, if you are in utah we like shirley's or judy's
24 pieces good honey ham
24 small slices swiss cheese
1/3 mayo
1/3 cup miracle whip


{poppy seed sauce}

1 1/2 TBSP poppy seeds
1 1/2 TBSP yellow mustard
1 stick butter, melted
1 TBSP minced onion
1/2 tsp. worschestershire sauce

in a small bowl, mix together mayo & miracle whip. spread into both sides of the center of each roll. place a slice of ham & a slice of swiss inside of each roll. close rolls & place into a large baking dish or heavy cookie sheet. place very close together.
in a medium bowl, whisk together all of the poppy seed sauce ingredients. pour evenly over all of the sandwiches. let sit 10 minutes, or until butter sets slightly. cover with foil & bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes or until cheese is melted. uncover & cook for 2 additional minutes. serve warm.
** sandwiches can me assembled a day ahead & kept in the fridge ready to bake.

Chicken Florentine

(adapted from Blogging-Its Whats for Dinner)


6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 jar Classico Traditional Sweet Basil spaghetti sauce
1 cup cream, 1 cup milk
1/2 pkg frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
Mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 box/pkg of your favorite noodle

Preheat oven to 375*. Place chicken breasts in Ziploc bag and flatten with a meat mallet. Place flattened chicken breasts in a greased 9x13 baking dish. Sprinkle chicken liberally with garlic salt and pepper.

In a separate dish, combine sauce, cream, and spinach. If you can't find the Classico sauce, just use your favorite spaghetti sauce. No sweat. Pour entire mixture over the chicken, which will be crammed into the 9x13 baking dish. Don't stress because the chicken is squished. It's okay. Once you've poured the sauce over the chicken and finished stressing about how the chicken is squished in the pan, bake it uncovered at 375* for about 35 minutes. When it comes out of the oven, stir the sauce around as best as you can to incorporate everything again, and then dump your grated cheese all over the top and allow the cheese to melt before serving. Serve over your favorite noodle.

This is definitely one of my favorite go-to recipes...its the easiest thing you'll ever make, so delicious, and pretty healthy.

Chicken Bacon Stuffed Pizza Rolls

These are hard to stuff if you don't allow enough room. I would err on the side of too big because it can get frustrating!

1 roll refrigerated pizza dough* (or make your own)
1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing mix
2 T grated Parmesan cheese
1 T olive oil or melted butter
sharp cheddar cheese (I used 75% sharp cheddar and 25% mozzarella)
8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
about 1 C shredded, cooked chicken.
3/4 C mayo
3/4 C milk

First take 1 teaspoon of your ranch dressing mix and combine it with 1 1/2 T parmesan cheese. Set aside. Combine the remaining ranch mix with 3/4 C mayo and 3/4 C milk and place in the fridge to chill.

Preheat oven to heat specified on pizza dough package. Usually it's 400-425 degrees.

Unroll your pizza dough onto a lightly floured surface. Pat or roll the dough so it's about 12" by 8". You're going to want to cut it into 24 squares, so just eyeball it if you need to. Use a pizza cutter to slice the dough into 24 squares.

Place cheese and desired toppings on each square.

When all of your dough squares have cheese and toppings on them, carefully lift up each square and wrap the dough around the toppings. Then place them seam side down in a lightly sprayed pie pan (or similar sized dish). Brush with melted butter or olive oil and sprinkle with the parmesan-ranch mixture.

Time out for a sec. I tried a few new things this time around. One was to cook some of my rolls in a mini-muffin pan. This might work better for serving depending on the situation. They turned out great. You're making 24 rolls, so it fills up the pan perfectly. They cook quicker this way than in a pie pan so keep an eye on them. Mine only took about 8 minutes whereas the ones in the pan took about 13-15.

Place your rolls in the oven. I've noticed baking time really depends on the type of dough I'm using. Whether it's different brands from the store, or homemade dough, they all take different amounts of time. Set your timer for 10 minutes and check on them after that. They may take up to 15 or 20 to be done. Take them out when they're lightly golden on top.

Serve them warm with a side of freshly made ranch dressing for dipping.

Chili's Fajita Marinade

I don't think I'll ever make fajitas any other way! This marinade is delicious!! I've used it on steak and chicken and it is equally good. To die for!

Marinade:
¼ c. fresh lime juice
1/3 c. water
2 Tb vegetable oil
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
3 tsp vinegar
2 tsp soy sauce
½ tsp chili powder
½ tsp cayenne pepper
½ tsp liquid smoke
¼ tsp black pepper
dash onion powder

1 to 1 ½ lbs chicken slices or top sirloin
1 yellow onion
1-2 red, yellow or green bell peppers
1 tsp soy sauce
2 Tb water
½ tsp lime juice
dash of salt and pepper

Combine all marinade ingredients. Marinate chicken (at least 2 hours) or beef (overnight). Grill 4-5 minutes per side. Slice onion and peppers. Fry in a preheated fry pan at medium high heat until softened but still crisp (important! there is nothing worse than soggy fajita vegetables). Add soy sauce, water, lime juice and salt & pepper. Cook another 3-4 minutes. Slice meat thinly. Serve with onion and peppers and salsa in a tortilla. May also serve with sour cream, cheese, guacamole...the options are endless.

Chicken Pesto Strombolli

I used pizza dough instead and it still tasted great! Plus, this looks super fancy--definitely an impressive meal.

1 Rhodes Rolls Frozen bread Loaf
1/2 cup Pesto Sauce
2 cups Spinach
2 cups Cooked Shredded Chicken
2 cups Shredded Mozzarella
1/2 cups Grated Parmesan Cheese, divided
1 tsp. Garlic Salt
1 egg, lightly beaten


Thaw bread according to package.
On greased counter roll out to a rectangle about the size of a cookie sheet
Spread Pesto all over leaving a 1 inch space from edge
Sprinkle 1/4 cup Parmesan on top of pesto. Sprinkle Mozzarella the layer of spinach, last your shredded Chicken.
Now roll, jelly roll style, starting at the long end.
Roll it all the way so it makes a long tube.
Place on a greased cookie sheet, make sure seam is on the bottom. Tuck ends under.
Brush with egg. Sprinkle with Parmesan and Garlic Salt.
Cut slits along the top to vent
Let Rise 30 minutes. Bake @350 until golden brown, 20-30 minutes.