Chicken Broccoli Quesadillas

I haven't made these in at least a couple of years- and I used to make them all the time. So, I thought I'd dust this recipe off and make it again. I was reminded of how easy and delicious it is. My kids love this- its pretty healthy too! I cannot remember where I got this recipe, so I'm just going to take all the credit for it! Enjoy!

Chicken Broccoli Quesadillas

1 pouch Lipton Chicken and Broccoli flavored rice
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 chicken breasts, cooked and cut into small pieces
Shredded cheese
Tortillas

Cook the chicken, cut it into small pieces. Cook the rice according to package directions. Drain and rinse beans. Once the rice is done cooking, add the chicken and beans to the rice and mix altogether. Warm up a skillet and place a tortilla on it, then sprinkle cheese, then rice mixture, then more cheese (you can be liberal or stingy with your cheese- its more of a "glue" than a flavor) on tortilla. Top with an additional tortilla. Cook until tortilla is crispy and cheese is melted. Then, flip the quesadilla and cook the other tortilla until its crispy.

Pumpkin Pancakes

photo courtesy of allrecipes.com

These are becoming a tradition in our home at this time of year. I made them this morning and the girls loved them (and they tend to be pretty picky)- both Kate and Taylor had seconds. Lauren even got in on the action and ate an entire one all by herself! I'm going to include a recipe for homemade syrup as well, which is a must! I also think these would taste great with some fresh whipped cream and bananas...

Pumpkin Pancakes
From allrecipes.com

2 cups flour (can use 1 c. white/1 c. wheat)
3 Tbs. brown sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 c. milk (add more for desired consistency)
1 1/3 c. pumpkin puree
2 eggs
2 Tbs. vegetable oil

Mix dry ingredients. In separate bowl, mix wet ingredients. Combine both just until combined together. Add more milk to desired consistency (I added about 1/2-3/4 cup additional, but I like thin pancakes). Heat and grease a griddle over medium-high heat. Pour batter onto griddle, brown on both sides, and serve hot. You might need to use a ladle to smooth out the center of each pancake as you drop batter on the griddle, so the pancakes cook evenly. These pancakes are very hearty.

Homemade Syrup:
1 cup water
2 cups white sugar
1/2 tsp. butter flavor
1/2 tsp. maple flavoring

Bring water to a boil. Add remaining ingredients and stir until sugar is dissolved. Enjoy! You must try this...once you go homemade, you will never go back!

Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

photo courtesy of My Kitchen Cafe

I saw Paula Deen make these on the Food Network and I couldn't resist trying them. I love a good pumpkin recipe and these definitely fit the bill. They are so moist and delicious- definitely a holiday splurge! Enjoy!

Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

Bars:
4 eggs
1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
1 cup vegetable oil (can substitute 1/2 cup applesauce for 1/2 cup oil)
15-ounce can pumpkin
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda

Icing:
8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Using an electric mixer at medium speed, combine the eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin until light and fluffy. Stir together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix at low speed until thoroughly combined and the batter is smooth. Spread the batter into a greased 13 by 10-inch baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool completely before frosting. Cut into bars.

To make the icing: Combine the cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the sugar and mix at low speed until combined. Stir in the vanilla and mix again. Spread on cooled pumpkin bars.

Potato Pepperjack Soup

Pic courtesy of The Sister's Cafe

I hope you guys are prepping for lots of soup recipes because it's that time of year and my all-time favorite meal in the whole world is, yes, you guessed it- soup. No other food, in my opinion, can capture so many flavors in one bite. I just made this one and it's so delish, that I had to post it right away. My non-vegetable-eating husband even loved it. Oh, but you better create some kind of calorie deficit before you embark on this one- it's laden.

Potato PepperJack SoupPo
adapted from The Sister's Cafe

2 T olive oil
1 medium green bell pepper, diced
1 medium red bell pepper, diced
1 yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 carrot, peeled and diced
2 ½ cups chicken broth (I used water and 2 bouillon cubes)
4-5 cups diced potato
3 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled (or use bacon bits)
1/3 c. milk
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. thyme
scant 1 cup shredded pepperjack cheese
1 cup heavy cream (could probably use half milk, half cream on this one)
½ cup butter
½ flour

Boil potatoes in water until tender; about 15 minutes. In the meantime, combine olive oil, peppers, onion, garlic and carrot in a medium sauce pan. Sauté on medium heat until vegetables are soft. Drain all liquid from potatoes and add vegetables and broth to the pot. Add bacon, milk, salt, pepper and thyme. Prepare roux by melting butter in a separate pot and stirring in flour to make a paste. Slowly add cream and allow to bubble, stirring, until roux thickens and comes away from the sides of the pan. Add roux to soup mixture along with the cheese. If necessary, add milk to desired consistency. Serves about 6.

Sweet and Spicy Slow-Cooker Chicken (for tacos)

Pic courtesy of My Kitchen Cafe

This was almost too easy for how delicious it was! I made this last night and I seriously could not stop eating the chicken straight out of the crockpot. The combo of sweet and spicy was Cafe Rio-like.

Sweet and Spicy Slow-Cooker Chicken
adapted from Prudence Pennywise and My Kitchen Cafe

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 (14 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes, undrained
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
optional: sprinkle of taco seasoning to liking

Coat the inside of your crockpot with non-stick cooking spray. Place all ingredients in the crockpot. Cook on high for 4-6 hours or on low for 8-10 hours, or until chicken shreds very easily with a fork. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Chicken will absorb liquid after it is shredded.) Serve in tacos or however your little heart desires.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

I got this picture off the internet because I made this bread a couple of weeks ago and didn't take a picture. But mine looked even better. :) Only because of the glaze on top. It's the best pumpkin bread I've ever had!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

Pam Larson, a friend from my ward

1 cup shortening

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

1 1/2 cups pumpkin

3 cups flour

2 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. cinnamon

3/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. ginger

1/2 tsp. cloves

2 cups chocolate chips

Mix and bake at 350 for 55-60 minutes. (I made mine into muffins, which took less time to bake)

Glaze:

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

add a bit of water

Poppy Seed Bread

I love this bread! I think I got a little too much of the topping in the middle (as you can see), but it's still moist and delicious.

Poppy Seed Bread

Monica Sedgwick

Combine: 3 cups flour (unsifted) 1 ½ tsp. salt 1 ½ tsp. baking powder 2 ¼ cups sugar 1 ½ Tbs. poppy seeds

Mix together, then add to first mixture: 3 eggs 1 ½ cups oil 1 ½ cups milk 1 ½ tsp. almond extract 1 ½ tsp. butter extract 1 ½ tsp. vanilla extract

Bake 1 hour in 2 loaf pans at 350.

Topping:

½ cup orange juice

¾ cup sugar

1 tsp. each of almond butter and vanilla extract

(I didn’t have almond butter, so I substituted almond extract and used powdered sugar instead of white sugar).

Poke holes in top of baked bread. Pour on top. Cool. Take out of pans.

Oriental Green Beans

I almost always cook my green beans this way (if I have a few extra minutes)--so delicious!

Oriental Green Beans

Adrienne Stowell, a friend from my ward

1 1/2 lbs. fresh green beans, trimmed (I buy a big bag at Costco, pre-trimmed)

3 Tbs. soy sauce

1 Tbs. oriental sesame oil (if you don't have this, sub olive oil, but it's better with sesame)

1 tsp. sugar

6 garlic cloves, minced (I also buy a big jar of minced garlic at Costco, refrigerated)

Steam green beans for 3-4 minutes. Combine soy sauce, oil, and sugar in small bowl. Spray wok or 10" skillet with cooking spray, or small amount of oil. Add garlic, cook for one minute. Add green beans, stirring constantly for 2 minutes. Add soy sauce mixture, continue to stir and cook a few more minutes until beans are brown and yummy (but not soggy).

Tex Mex Beef Enchiladas

I made these last night and thought they were great. Madison didn't agree with me, but that's nothing new. :) The Adobo sauce definitely gives it a unique flavor.

Tex-Mex Beef Enchiladas

Cathy Ostergar

2 Tbs. olive oil

1/4 cup flour

1 can chicken broth

1 1/2 Tbs. chili powder

1 small can chipotle chile in adobo, minced, plus 1 Tbs. adobo sauce from the can (I omitted the chili and just used the sauce so it was less spicy)

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

3/4-1 lb. lean ground beef

salt and pepper

corn torillas

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Make the sauce: in a saucepan, heat 1 1/2 Tbs. olive oil over medium. Add flour and cook, whisking for one minute. Add broth, chili powder, chipotle and adobo sauce, and 3/4 cup water; bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Reduce heat and simmer until lightly thickened, about 10 minutes.

Make the filling: In a nonstick skillet, heat remaining 1/2 Tbs. olive oil over medium high. Add onion, garlic, and beef; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring until cooked through, about 8 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350. Spoon 1/4 cup sauce in bottom of an 8 inch square (I used 9x13) baking dish. Set aside. Make enchiladas: Stack tortillas and warm in foil in the oven. Fill each with a heaping 1/4 cup beef mixture and 2 Tbs. cheese; tightly roll up. Raise oven heat to 450. Arrange enchiladas in dish and top with remaining sauce and cheese at the very top. Bake uncovered until hot and bubbly, about 15-20 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes before serving. Serve garnished with cilantro and a green salad (I used corn :)).

Snickerdoodles

Picture courtesy of Stephanie's Kitchen

I love a good sugar cookie and it seems that the king of sugar cookies are snickerdoodles. The first time I made these, I craved them for a week. I made them again last night for a little get-together and they were a huge hit. One self-proclaimed non-sweet-addict even had 3 of them! Next time you're in the mood for cookies, skip the chocolate chip for these- they won't disappoint.

Snickerdoodles
from Stephanie's Kitchen

3 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons cream of tarter
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup butter, softened
2 eggs

1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cream of tarter, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
2. Using a mixer, cream the sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add in eggs. Slowly add the flour mixture and mix until well incorporated.
3. Mix together the 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon. Shape in to 1 1/2 inch balls and dip in the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake at 350 degrees for about 10-12 minutes. Do not over bake or they will be too crispy. Bake just until light and golden.

Strawberry Cream Puff Cake

photo courtesy of My Kitchen Cafe

I made this cake on Tuesday for a friend's birthday and it was divine- almost like a german pancake with cream cheese and strawberries. I didn't put the orange zest in because I didn't have any and I'm not a huge fan of orange flavoring. It tasted great! Make sure you whip the cream cheese mixture til it stiffens, or the cake will be a mess!

Strawberry Cream Puff Cake
from My Kitchen Cafe

Cream Puff Base:
5 tablespoons butter
2/3 cup water
1 tablespoon sugar
2/3 cup flour
3 eggs

Cream Cheese Mixture:
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon fresh orange zest
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2/3 cup powdered sugar

Strawberries, sugar

For the cream puff layer, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Bring the butter, water and sugar to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the flour all at once and stir quickly until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the pan. Remove the pan from the heat and stir the mixture until smooth. Let cool for 5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time and beat until the mixture is shiny with a satiny sheen. Don't overbeat. Lightly grease the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan (or in a pinch, you could use a 9-inch circle cake pan). Using an offset spatula, spread the mixture on the bottom and one inch up the sides of the prepared pan. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and prick pastry with a toothpick 10-12 times. Return to the oven and bake 5-10 minutes more until golden brown but not overbaked (you can insert a toothpick into the center and if it comes out with sticky dough, it still needs longer in the oven). Cool completely.

For the cream cheese mixture, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Gradually add the powdered sugar (if you want to ensure there are no lumps, sift the powdered sugar into the cream cheese) and beat with the cream cheese until mixture is smooth and light. Add the remaining ingredients and beat until stiff peaks form. Spread onto the cooled cream puff shell.

Top with fresh sliced strawberries (I mixed 2 cups of strawberries with 1 teaspoon sugar and let them hang out in the fridge while I was prepping the cake) or you can use a 16-ounce bag of frozen strawberries that have been thawed. Mix the thawed strawberries and juice with 1-2 teaspoons sugar and bring to a simmer in a saucepan. Cook until slightly thickened. Cool completely and use as topping for the cake.

Pork Tenderloin

I forgot to take a picture of this, too, but I made it on Sunday. It's one of my favorite easy, delicious meals, and is perfect for a Sunday dinner along with mashed potatoes (the cooked marinade can be used as gravy)!

Pork Tenderloin (yields 2 logs)

Shera Mae Walker (a friend, who got the recipe from a friend)

Marinade:

1 cup Teriyaki sauce

1 cup prepared Orange Juice

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 Tbs. dried basil

1 tsp. dry ginger

1 tsp. dry mustard

1 tsp. minced garlic

Slit tenderloins and salt and pepper. Marinade overnight and flip in the morning. Broil on low 20 minutes each side.

Black Bean Soup with Sausage

I've been on a soup kick lately, too. This is the second time I've made soup this week. I made the creamy white chicken chili posted below, and it was very yummy. I found this soup in my Better Homes and Gardens cookbook, and my family devoured it. Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture until I noticed the leftovers (not quite enough to save) dumped into the sink. I didn't think that would be too appetizing of a picture, so you'll just have to make it to see how it looks.

Black Bean Soup with Sausage

Better Homes and Gardens Biggest Book of Soups and Stews

2 15-oz cans black beans, drained and rinsed

2 cups water

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup celery

1 tsp. ground coriander (I didn't have this, so I omitted it)

1/4 tsp. salt

1/8 to 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

4 cloves garlic, minced

8 oz. cooked smoked turkey sausage or Polish sausage, chopped (I cooked mine in a little olive oil in the same pan that I later used for making the soup, leaving the drippings in the pan)

Dairy sour cream or shredded Monterey Jack cheese (optional)

Snipped fresh cilantro (optional)

In a large saucepan combine beans, broth, water, onion, celery, coriander, salt, cayenne pepper, and garlic. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, about 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in sausage; heat through.

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

picture courtesy of My Kitchen Cafe

We had a cold, rainy day yesterday and I was feeling soup-y! So, I looked this little number up on my all time favorite recipe blog, My Kitchen Cafe and, let me tell ya, it did not disappoint. In fact, it made so much that we're having it for dinner again tonight and I'm going to freeze the rest (which I'm sure will feed us at least one more time). I love soup season!!!

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
adapted from My Kitchen Cafe

1/4 cup butter
1 finely chopped onion
½ - 1 cup frozen corn (or ½ cup chopped celery, if preferred)
1 cup carrots, sliced
¾ cup all-purpose flour
6 ½ cups chicken broth (can use 7 bouillon cubes plus 6 ½ cups water)
2 cups cooked wild rice
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon curry powder
½ teaspoon mustard powder (didn't have any, so I just used regular old French's mustard)
½ teaspoon dried parsley
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 cup slivered almonds
2 cups nonfat half-and-half

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion, corn, chicken and carrots and sauté for 5 minutes. Then add flour and stir well. Transfer mixture to large pot. Over medium heat, gradually pour in the chicken broth, stirring constantly until all has been added. Bring just to a boil and then reduce heat to low and let simmer.

Next, add the rice, salt, curry powder, mustard powder, parsley, ground black pepper and almonds. Allow to heat through and then pour in the half-and-half. Let simmer 1 to 1 ½ hours. Be careful not to let the soup come to a boil or it won't thicken properly - let it simmer on low heat, stirring occasionally.

Bourbon Chicken

I just made this for dinner last night and it was a nice change in routine (we don't have Chinese-like food very often). It's kind of spicy, but to remedy that, just don't add as much crushed red pepper flakes. Oliver LOVED this meal and had not one, not two, but THREE bowls of it!

Bourbon Chicken
adapted from My Kitchen Cafe


Ingredients:
2lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons oil (for pan-frying)
cornstarch (for dusting, optional)

Sauce:
1 garlic clove (minced)
¼ teaspoon ginger (I used ground ginger)
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to liking
¼ cup apple juice (I used white grape juice and it turned out great)
1/3 cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoon ketchup
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
½ cup water
1/3 cup soy sauce

Cut chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces, and if you choose lightly dust with cornstarch. Heat oil in your wok and fry chicken bits in batches until lightly browned. Drain on paper towels and set aside.

In a bowl combine all sauce ingredients. Pour into wok and bring to a boil. Add chicken bits back to the pan, reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Serve over brown rice.

Creamy White Chicken Chili

I love this soup- its so creamy, delicious, and flavorful- oh, and really easy to make! I usually serve this with a salad and rolls, but a breadbowl would be great too. You're definitely going to love this one, especially as it cools down outside and you want to warm up!

Creamy White Chicken Chili
From My Kitchen Cafe

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 medium onion, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon oil (I use EVOO)
2 cans (15 1/2 ounces each) Great Northern Beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) chicken broth
2 cans (4 ounces each) chopped green chilies (if you like less kick, add just one can)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup whipping cream

In a large saucepan, saute chicken, onion and garlic powder in oil until chicken is no longer pink. Add beans, broth, chilies and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in sour cream and cream. Garnish with fresh cilantro, if desired. Serve immediately. This is especially good served with tortilla chips. Makes about 6 servings.

Yummiest Jam EVER

I have discovered the best way to make jam! It only takes 3 ingredients: Ball Freezer Jam Fruit Pectin (bought mine at WalMart), Splenda, and fruit.

The thing that makes this different is that it only takes 1 1/2 cups of Splenda for the whole batch!! The jam takes on the natural fruit flavor and it is so good! Go ahead, try it, you won't be disappointed!

Buttermilk Biscuit Donuts

We did this for a book project, but they were so good and clever that I'm going to put them here too. I got this recipe from Once Upon a Cookie. They were stupidly easy and delicious!

Buttermilk Biscuit Donuts
from Paula Deen

Ingredients

Peanut oil, for frying (Canola is good too)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup sugar

Icings:

2 cups confectioners' sugar, divided
5 tablespoons milk, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup cocoa powder

Colored sprinkles
Chocolate sprinkles

2 cans buttermilk biscuits (I use the ones that come 10 to a can because they make mini donuts and mini donut holes. But you can also use the larger biscuits if you want bigger donuts.)

Directions:

Heat 2 inches of oil in a large pot or Dutch oven to 350 degrees F.

In a shallow bowl, stir together the ground cinnamon and sugar and set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together 1 cup of confectioners' sugar, 2 tablespoons of milk and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, set aside. This is the vanilla icing. In another bowl, whisk together 1 cup of confectioners' sugar, 1/4 cup of cocoa powder and 3 tablespoons of milk and set aside. This is the chocolate icing.

Lay out the biscuits on a cutting board and with a 1/4 to 1/2-inch round cookie or biscuit cutter (or any small circle you can find), cut out a hole from the middle of each biscuit. Fry them in the oil until just golden and then flip with tongs to fry the other side. Be careful not to cook them to long. You can even fry the donut holes. Drain on paper towels and then toss in the cinnamon-sugar or ice and decorate with sprinkles, as desired.

Cool, Creamy Fruit Salad

I got this yummy recipe from Sister's Stuff. This was good enough to be a dessert.

1 Small Package Orange Jello
1 Small Package Cook and Serve Vanilla Pudding
2 C. Water
Mandarin Oranges
1 Small Cool whip

Mix together jello, pudding and water in saucepan. Cook until it thickens. Boil 1 minute. Set in fridge overnight or until set and cool. Mix with mixer one small bowl of cool whip. Whip until creamy. Stir in oranges.

Cookie Stuffed Cupcakes

I found this recipe on All Recipes. It was really good! I used my co-op cookie dough instead of making their version. It was still delicious. I'd probably just do that again or use pre-packaged cookies. I used Rachel's rich chocolate frosting that she posted about on this blog.

Cookie Stuffed Cupcakes

1 1/2 c flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 c butter, softened
1/4 c white sugar
1/2 c brown sugar
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 c miniature semisweet chocolate chips

1 (18.25 oz) bow yellow cake mix
1 1/3 c water
1/3 c canola oil
3 eggs

1. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and sea salt; set aside. Beat the butter and sugars with a mixer until smooth. Add 1 egg and vanilla and beat until smooth. Mix in the flour mixture until just incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips. Form the dough into tablespoon-sized balls; place on baking sheet, and freeze until solid, about 2 hours.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.

3. Beat 3 eggs in a large bowl with a mixer. Add the cake mix, water, and oil. Spoon into the cupcake liners, filling each 2/3 full. Place a frozen cookie dough ball on the top center of each cupcake.

4. Bake in the oven until a toothpick inserted into the cake portion comes clean, about 20 minutes. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to cool entirely on a wire rack.