Clam Chowder

This is the one Alicia sent me. I need it somewhere where I can always find it so I'm posting it here.

Mom Morgan Boston Clam Chowda

2 cans chopped clams
1 cup onions, chopped fine
1 cup diced celery
2 cups diced potatoes
3/4 cup flour
1 cube butter
1 quart 1/2 and 1/2
1 1/2 tsp. Salt
Pepper
1/2 tsp sugar

Drain juice from clams and pour over veggies in medium saucepan. Add enough water to barely cover and summer until veggies are tender- about 20 min.

In the meantime melt butter; add flour and cook for a minute or two. Add cream and cook and stir until smooth and thick using a wire whisk to blend.

Add cooked veggies and clams and heat through. Season with salt, pepper and sugar. Optional: add thyme and marjoram to taste.

Roasted Cauliflower Soup

(I would double it next time for my family--as is it only makes about 3-4 good sized servings)

1 head cauliflower, cut into small florets
2 Tbsp. roasted garlic olive oil
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 Tbsp. butter
1 onion, finely chopped
3 Tbsp. flour
14 oz. chicken broth
1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 450 degrees
Place cauliflower in small roasting pan, drizzle with oil and season with garlic powder, salt & pepper, toss to coat
Roast the cauliflower, stirring frequently until golden brown and tender (20 min or so)
Melt butter in saucepan, add onion and brown (about 10 min.). Sprinkle with flour and add liquid, bringing to a boil while it thickens.
Turn down heat and add the roasted cauliflower. Blend half and add back in for thicker consistency.

So yummy!!

Pizza Wheels

I made these the other day just to mix it up a little bit and I was so happy I did. These were delicious.

1 recipe pizza dough (below)
1/2 cup pizza sauce
1 pkg pepperoni (I use turkey pepperoni)
1-2 cups mozzarella cheese
1 tbs. Johnny's Garlic seasoning (You can get this at Costco and will be glad you did, so good!)
1/4 cup grated parmesan.

Make pizza dough and let it raise for 30 minutes. Roll it out into a long rectangle, like cinnamon rolls. Spread sauce (you want the sauce to be thin), layer pepperoni, and cheeses, then sprinkle with Johnny's. Roll it up lengthwise, so you have a long roll, again just like cinnamon rolls. Cut into 1 1/2-2 inch slices and lay on a greased cookie sheet. Let them raise for about 45 minutes, sprinkle with a little extra parmesan cheese, back at 375 for about 20-30 minutes or until it looks cooked and golden brown.

Serve with marinara or ranch. So good!

Flaxseed Apple Muffins

Sorry! It's me again. I made these muffins this morning. So healthy and really yummy (just don't overcook them like I did - totally forgot they were in the oven). I am big fan of flaxseed and throw it in where I can. Give them a try!

1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour

3/4 c ground flax seed

2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 large egg

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/2 cup plain nonfat yogurt

1/2 tsp vanilla

2 apples, peeled and cored

STEP 1: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl combine the dry ingredients (flour, ground flax seed, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon).

STEP 2: In a medium bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients (egg, brown sugar, yogurt, apple sauce, and vanilla). Core and chop the apples into small pieces.

STEP 3: Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients. Stir just until combined. Fold in the chopped apples just until they are evenly distributed. Try not to over stir the mixture or else the muffins may become tough or rubbery.

STEP 4: Spray a muffin tin with non-stick spray or line with paper cups. Evenly distribute the muffin batter between 12 muffin cups. Bake in the preheated 400 degree oven until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (about 20-25 minutes). Remove the muffins from the tin and let cool on a wire rack.

Originally posted here.

Meal Planning

I'm sure no one else has a problem with meal planning (wink, wink) but it's something I dread and avoid. However, I need a schedule and I need to stop making quick trips to the grocery store. So I started thinking of ways to encourage meal planning. And I decided to do theme nights. Every week, each day has a theme and I try to find meals to fit that theme. I have all of September planned out - and I am super excited about it. Here are the themes for us for September (I may change them up in October - we'll see):

Meatless Monday

Taco (or any Mexican) Tuesday

World (different ethnic foods) Wednesday

Throwaway (leftovers) Thursday

Italian (usually a carbo load) Friday

Soup/Salad Saturday

Home Cooked Sunday

Of course you could change it up to meet your family's tastes, but so far, I really love the theme idea. I use foodgawker and pinterest for a lot of my ideas. Let me know what you think and what themes you come up with. Also if you are interested in any of the meals I have planned for the various nights, let me know and I'll send you my calendar.

Chicken Gyros

photo from Handle the Heat

{I wish I had taken a picture of mine because they really did look this good!}

I am so excited about tonight's dinner that I couldn't wait to post. Seriously, so yummy! I also found a new food blog that L.O.V.E. It's could Handle the Heat and it's definitely worth looking into. So onto tonight's meal...

For the tzatziki sauce:

• 16 oz. greek yogurt or plain yogurt
• 1/2 hothouse cucumber or 1 regular cucumber, peeled and seeded
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced {I used the jar minced garlic and only did 1 tsp instead of 2}
• 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
• Salt and pepper
• Squeeze of fresh lemon juice
• Extra virgin olive oil

For the chicken:

• 4 cloves garlic, smashed {Again the jar garlic and only did 3 tsps instead of 4}
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 2 tsp. red wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 2 heaping tbsp. plain yogurt
• 1 tbsp. dried oregano
• Salt and pepper
• 1 1/4 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips or bite sized chunks

To assemble:

• Pita bread, whole wheat if possible
• Fresh tomatoes, seeded and diced
• Red onion, sliced thin (I skipped this because I don't like raw onion) {so did I}

To make the tzatziki sauce:
If using plain yogurt, strain the yogurt using cheesecloth over a bowl. Let strain for several hours or overnight, if possible, to remove as much moisture as possible. Note, if using lower fat yogurt there will be more liquid strained. If using Greek yogurt, skip this step.

Shred the cucumber. Wrap in a towel and squeeze to remove as much water as possible. Mix together the yogurt, shredded cucumber, garlic, white wine vinegar, salt and pepper to taste, and lemon juice. Drizzle lightly with olive oil. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld.

To prepare the chicken:
Combine the garlic, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, olive oil, yogurt, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste in a medium bowl. Whisk together until mixed well. Add the chicken pieces to the bowl and mix well to coat. Cover and refrigerate for about 1 hour.

Preheat broiler. Cook chicken under broiler for about 2-4 minutes per side, depending on size of pieces. Once the chicken is completely cooked through, transfer to a plate and let rest for 5 minutes.

Warm pitas. Top with chicken, tzatziki sauce, diced tomatoes and sliced onions. Serve immediately.

Copied from here.

Fruit and Spinach Salad

This has become my FAVORITE salad. I really love it. I try to have everything on hand so I can make it anytime. I don't use spinach (Matt can't eat it) so I used red and green baby romaine instead. Give it a try. So good!

1 head red leaf lettuce

1 bunch spinach

2 Johnny smith apples

2 cans mandarin oranges

1/4 red onion slices {I leave these out}

1/2 c sugared almonds (see recipe below)

feta cheese to taste

poppy seed dressing {I either make my own - Alicia's recipe - or use Brianna brand}

Sugared almonds

1 C chopped raw almonds

3 T sugar

1. For the salad, just chop all the ingredients and toss together.

2. For the Sugared Almonds, place the nuts in a small skillet and sprinkle with sugar. As the sugar melts, stir the contents of the pan and let the sugar turn brown, being careful to not let it burn. When the sugar has reached the color of a paper sack place the nuts on a cookie sheet to cool. That's it!

Chicken, Corn and Black Bean Quesadillas

I made these tonight. I wasn't sure if my kids would eat it and Matt was still at work, so I invited some friends over. They were a hit! Everyone (except Ethan because he doesn't like anything!) loved it. And it was super fast. Probably 30 minutes start to finish...maybe less. I did a little less garlic and I used half pepper jack and half mild cheddar cheese. I also did butter instead of oil when cooking the quesadillas. I would really recommend these!

Photo by sugaredwhisk.

2 tablespoon canola oil, divided
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups corn kernels
1 large chicken breast, cooked and shredded or cubed*
1/3 cup water or broth
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 can black beans
2 ounces cream cheese
2 cups Mexican blend cheese (PepperJack would be great too)
4 large (burrito sized) flour tortillas

* I seasoned my chicken with salt, pepper, garlic powder, oregano, and chili powder and cooked it stove top.

Directions
Heat 1 tablespoon of the canola oil in a large skillet, stir in the garlic and corn and cook until the garlic is fragrant. Add the chicken, water (or broth), cumin, chili powder, oregano, and black beans and bring to a light boil. Simmer for 5-10 minutes to let the flavors meld. Remove pan from the heat and stir in the cream cheese.

Heat another large pan (grill pan, or cast iron skillet) over medium-high heat, brush pan surface with canola oil. Place a flour tortilla onto the hot pan. Build a quesadilla by layering a handful of cheese, 1/4 of the chicken mixture and another handful of cheese on one half of the tortilla. Fold tortilla in half and apply pressure to top to create a sear on the bottom of the tortilla and to make everything stick together. Once the bottom of the tortilla is browned flip over and brown the other side, once again applying pressure to the top to help the browning process. When both sides are browned remove quesadilla from pan and cut into 4 even triangles with a sharp knife or pizza cutter. Repeat process with remaining tortillas, brushing pan with canola oil before each quesadilla.

Originally posted here: http://www.sugaredwhisk.com/2011/chicken-corn-and-black-bean-quesadillas/

Chicken Cordon Bleu Bites

It has been a while since anyone posted and I am making this tonight so I thought I would share it. So good and so rich! I want to say Rachel gave me this recipe but now I can't remember.

Ingredients:

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

Mix these two together and set aside

4-6 oz cubed swiss cheese (I buy slices and it does not make any difference)

8 oz cubed ham

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 cup milk

Mix these two things together and set aside

Bread crumbs

2 lbs chicken

Drop bite size raw cubed chicken into milk and egg mixture. Roll in bread crumbs. Brown in a oil on stove. Place chicken in a baking dish with ham and cheese mixed throughout. Pour milk and soup mixture over chicken

Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Very creamy and very delicious.

Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup

I got this from http://sisterscafe.blogspot.com/ and LOVED it. We all did. Enjoy!

2 (14oz) cans diced tomatoes, with juice
1 cup finely diced celery
1 cup finely diced carrots
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup finely diced onions
1/2 bay leaf
1 tsp dried oregano or 1 Tbsp fresh oregano
1 Tbsp dried basil or 1/4 cup fresh basil
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
1 cup Parmesan cheese
2 cups half and half, warmed
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

In a large slow cooker, combine tomatoes, celery, carrots, chicken broth, onions, bay leaf, oregano, and basil (if using fresh oregano and basil; if using dried oregano and basil add those two ingredients in the last hour of cook time). Cover and cook on low for 5 to 7 hours, until flavors are blended and vegetables are soft.

About an hour before serving prepare a roux: Melt butter over low heat in a skillet and add flour; stir constantly with a whisk for 5 to 7 minutes. Slowly stir in 1 cup hot soup from the slow cooker. Add another 3 cups soup and stir until smooth.

Add all back into the slow cooker. Stir and add Parmesan cheese, warmed half and half, salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low for another hour until ready to serve. Garnish with Parmesan cheese and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Boursin Chicken

This recipe it so yummy! I thought I had posted it here, but alas I have not, so here it goes.

1 small onion diced
1 pkg mushrooms sliced
4 chicken breasts, sliced in strips (like for stir fry)
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 cup cream (or you can use milk or 1/2 and 1/2 or a combination of them all)
2 Tbs. sour cream
1 pkg Boursin Cheese

Saute the mushrooms and onions in the oil. (You can of course, leave these out if you are not big fans, I however, love them in it.) Once the onions are translucent, add the chicken and cook over low heat until it is cooked through. Add the milk and sour cream and season with salt and pepper to taste. Crumble the Boursin into the sauce and slowly stir it in until melted and smooth. Bring to a low boil for just a second and then serve over rice, mashed potatoes, egg noodles or just eat it plain.

Fish Tacos

Took some of the ingredients from another recipe and made them my way...EASY. Used fish sticks that I already had. This was really good its what we had for dinner tonight.

Yummy white fish sticks
1 orange peeled and seperated
2 avocados
1 oz Lime juice
green onions (I used yellow because that is what I had)
salt and pepper
red pepper flakes
lemon pepper to taste
tortillas

Cut up oranges and avocados into cubes. Mix in a bowl with lime juice, onions, and seasonings for salsa.

Bake the fish sticks. And then put it all in a tortilla and eat....yummo and super easy.

Chicken Stir Fry

I do not contribute very often, and I am sick and tired of the same old foods and having stuff in my freezer that I never know what to do with. So, when I find a recipe, then I want to put it on here so that I can go back to it often. I really wish cooking was one of "my" things.

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 3/4 cups Swanson® Chicken Broth or Swanson® Chicken Stock

1 tablespoon soy sauce or low-sodium soy sauce

Vegetable cooking spray

1 1/4 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into strips

5 cups cut-up fresh vegetables (broccoli florets, green or red pepper strips, sliced mushrooms, carrots, celery and green onions)

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder or 1 clove garlic, minced

1 cup regular long-grain white rice, prepared according to package directions (about 3 cups)

• Stir the cornstarch, broth and soy sauce in a small bowl until the mixture is smooth.
• Spray a 12-inch skillet with the cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat for 1 minute. Add the chicken and stir-fry until well browned. Remove the chicken from the skillet.
• Add the vegetables, ginger and garlic powder to the skillet. Stir-fry until the vegetables are tender-crisp.
• Stir the cornstarch mixture in the skillet. Cook and stir until the mixture boils and thickens. Return the chicken to the skillet and cook until the chicken is cooked through. Serve the chicken mixture over the rice.

Berry Quinoa Salad

This can be for breakfast or a side salad, or lunch or just a midnight snack.

2 cups dry quinoa
4 cups water
1/2 tsp. salt
3 cups berries (any combination)
1/2 cup sour cream (can use fat free) or plain Greek yogurt
3-4 tbs. brown sugar

Rinse dry quinoa, then add to salted water and cook until liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Allow quinoa to cool completely. Add sour cream and sugar and mix thoroughly then toss in berries. You can always adjust amounts on everything to suit your liking.

Quinoa Chicken Stew

Found this here and made it tonight for dinner. So good! I didn't have any peppers so I omitted those, but everything else was in there. However, if you don't love it all, you could just use the veggies you like. I think next time I would cut out the zucchini because no one (but me) in my family likes it. You could really vary this however you want. Definitely worth a try.

Oh and it makes a TON! It fed my little family, plus my friend's family (4 people) and I still have at least two servings leftover. Not sure how well it freezes, so you might want to half the recipe.

Also, Alicia, would you post some of your other Quinoa recipes on here? Jacque made a request for Quinoa yummies. Thanks!

2 T extra virgin olive oil (I always skimp on this just a little)
1 large onion, chopped
5 stalks celery, chopped
4 large carrots, peeled and sliced
2 Cups sweet pepper, chopped
1 large zucchini, quartered and sliced
64 oz chicken broth
15 oz can diced tomatoes
5 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed and cubed into 1" pieces (get the Yukon potatoes, it's worth the extra few dollars)
3 cups cooked quinoa
4 medium boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked, shredded and lightly seasoned with salt and pepper
2 T Dijon Mustard
1 T Hot Sauce (Cholula brand is good)
Kosher Salt, fresh cracked black pepper, Garlic Salt (Lawry's is good), and Parsley to taste
1 1/2 cups fresh parsley chopped

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Saute onion, celery, carrots, peppers, and zucchini until softened. This takes about 5 minutes. Stir in chicken broth, tomatoes, and potatoes. Increase heat to high just until broth starts to boil Reduce to medium high and cook potatoes for 10 minutes or until fork tender. Reduce heat to low and stir in quinoa, chicken, dijon mustard, hot sauce. Season to taste with kosher salt, pepper, garlic salt. Stir in fresh parsley and simmer until ready to serve.