Musroom Risotto

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20ish minutes

1 1/2 c Aborio rice
4 c beef, chicken, or veggie stock
1 c white wine
1 c fine diced onion
2 c diced crimini mushrooms
1 c chopped spinach
1 T butter
1/2 c grated parmesan cheese
1/4 c sour cream
salt and pepper to taste
3 T chopped parsley

1. In a medium sauce pan, melt the butter and saute the onions and mushrooms. Heat the stock in a separate sauce pan.

2. Add the rice to the mushroom mix and stir to coat each grain. Add the wine to the rice, stir to combine and until the wine is absorbed.

3. While stirring, add 1 cup of heated stock. Bring to a simmer. Add in spinach, Add additional stock, 1 cup at a time, once the previous cup of stock has been absorbed. Do this for a total of 18 or so minutes or until the rice is soft to the bite but still firm.

4. Add cheese and sour cream. Stir to combine. Serve topped with chopped parsley.

ENJOY!!

Sundried Tomato Alfredo with Grilled Chicken

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes

1 pkg Linguine pasta
2 Chicken breasts
6 T unsalted butter
3 T flour
2 c milk (I used 2%)
1 1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 c finely diced shallot
2 finely diced garlic cloves
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 t nutmeg
1/4 c chopped fresh basil
1/2 c chopped sun dried tomato (I like the kind I rehydrate myself)


1. Put on a pot of salted water for the pasta. Put pasta in water when boiling and cook to package direction.

2. Preheat grill and season chicken breast with salt and pepper. Grill until no longer pink and slice.

3. While chicken is on the grill: in a medium saucepan over medium high heat, melt butter and saute shallot for 2 minutes. Add in garlic and saute another minute.

4. Sprinkle flour over the onion and garlic mixture and stir around for 30 seconds (being careful not to burn the flour).

5. Slowly pour milk into the saucepan while stirring. The flour will thicken the milk as it brings the milk up to temperature. You may need to add more or less milk to desired consistency of sauce.

6. Add cheese to white sauce and stir until melted. DO NOT let the sauce set unattended on the burner so that you don't scorch the milk in the sauce (yucky).

7. Remove sauce from heat and add in the salt, pepper, nutmeg, basil, and sun dried tomato. Stir to combine.

8. Drain the pasta once tender and add to the alfredo sauce and stir to coat all noodles.

9. Serve pasta in a large bowl topped with sliced chicken and more grated parmesan. You can also sprinkle some fresh chopped parsley on top for a hint of freshness.

ENJOY!!

Note: Greg likes it when I mix either red or green chile into the sauce for a hint of southwestern flavor. I also like to make this recipe with steak and add some blue cheese to the sauce. This sauce lends itself well to experimentation to create delicious twists on a classic.

Gettin' a Move On!!!

Sorry I haven't been on in a while. With K's birthday around the corner, I have been working on getting her presents made and sort of putting off my blog. But....I do have a few new recipes in my head that I'm going to be trying out over the next couple of weeks that I will post as soon as I make sure they don't taste like poo ;o) !

Beth

White Chocolate Delight

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cool Time: 15 minutes

2 pkg SF/FF White Chocolate Pudding
3 c FF Milk
1 1/2 c Cool Whip Free
1/2 c Sweetened Coconut Flakes
1/2 c Semi-sweet Chocolate Flakes
1 c Mashed Strawberries

1. Combine pudding powder with milk in a large mixing bowl and whisk for 2 minutes.

2. Add coconut flakes and chocolate flakes and mix to combine.

3. Fold cool whip and strawberries into pudding mixture.

4. Place mixture into 6 small bowls and refrigerate for 15 minutes.

ENJOY!!

Easy Blueberry Cheesecake Pudding

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cool Time: 30 minutes

2 pkg Jell-o sugar free/fat free cheesecake pudding
4 c fat free milk
1 c fat free cool-whip
1 c frozen blueberries

1. Beat the pudding mix into the milk until it begins to thicken (about 2 minutes).

2. Fold in the cool-whip and blueberries.

3. Chill for 30 minutes in the fridge.

ENJOY!!

Note: I got some vanilla beans for Christmas...so I scraped some vanilla bean seeds into the mix as well. This was a good substitution for real cheesecake and only 3 ww points for 1 cup!!!

Lemon and Vanilla Bean Meringue Cookies

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours

4 egg whites
1/2 t cider vinegar
1 c sugar
2 t vanilla extract
1 vanilla bean (optional)
zest from 1 lemon

1. Preheat oven to 225. In a large mixing bowl, beat egg whites until frothy with an electric mixer.

2. Add in the vinegar and continue to beat until soft peaks form.

3. Gradually beat in the sugar and continue beating until firm peaks form and the batter is glossy.

4. With a paring knife, cut vanilla bean pod length wise. With the side of the knife, scrape out the vanilla bean seeds. Add to mixture along with the lemon zest and vanilla extract. Beat thoroughly to combine.

5. On a foil lined baking sheet, place tablespoon size dollops about a inch apart. You will use 2 cookie sheets with about 22 dollops per sheet.

6. Place in middle of the oven and bake for 3 hours or until cookies are no longer gooey in the center. After the 3 hours, turn the oven off and leave cookies in the oven for another hour to cool.

7. Remove cooled cookies from the sheet and store in an airtight container.

ENJOY!!

Note: You can make a chocolate version of these cookies by leaving out the lemon zest and adding in 4 T of unsweetened cocoa powder. You can also make a marbled cookie by making half chocolate and half vanilla bean (again no lemon, and only use 2 T cocoa powder). To marble them together, put a small dollop of vanilla with a small dollop of chocolate on top. Marble each combined dollop with a toothpick while on the sheet.

Honey Mustard

Prep Time: 2 minutes
Cook Time: none

1 C light mayo
1/2 C dijon mustard
1/2 C yellow mustard
1/2 C honey
1 T cayenne powder
1 T white vinegar

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for two weeks.

ENJOY!!

Note: If you want more of a salad dressing, add more vinegar until desired constancy is achieved.

Yummy Chicken Strips

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes

1 large chicken breast
1/2 c lite sour cream
1 t dill
1 t garlic powder
1/2 t cayenne powder
salt and pepper to taste
1 c crushed corn flakes
cooking spray

1. Preheat oven to 400. Slice chi ken breast into 1/2 inch strips.

2. Place chicken in bowl with sour cream, dill, garlic, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Mix to combine and let set while oven gets to temp.

3. Coat chicken strips with crushed corn flakes and place onto a cookie sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Spray the tops of the chicken strips with cooking spray as well.

4. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked and coating is browned.

ENJOY!!

Note: If you put a cookie cooking rack on the cookie sheet and place the chicken on this, the bottoms don't get soggy while it cooks. I like to serve this over a salad with honey mustard dressing. You can change up the seasoning in the sour cream mixture to whatever you like (try some extra spice). I accidentally made this with honey corn flakes once...it was really good with the saltiness of the chicken.

Beef and Veggie Barley Stew

1 lb beef stew meat
2T canola oil
1c yellow onion (diced)
4 cloves of garlic (diced)
1c celery (large chop)
1c carrot (large chop)
1c halved mushroom caps
1c frozen peas
1c frozen sweet corn
8c beef stock
1c red wine
2T dried thyme
2 bay leaves
1c barley pearls
salt and pepper to taste

1. In a large sauce pan, heat oil over medium high heat. Season meat with some salt and pepper. Brown meat.

2. Add onions, celery, and carrots to the meat and saute for 2 minutes. Add in garlic, mushrooms, and thyme. Saute for an additional 2 minutes.

3. Pour stock over meat mixture. Add bay leaves, barley, peas, corn, and salt and pepper. Cover and bring to a boil.

4. Once a hard boil has happened, reduce heat to low and let simmer for 1 hour or until barley is tender.

ENJOY!!

Tarragon Beef

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes

1 lb sirloin (sliced into 1/4" strips)
2 T flour
salt and pepper
1 T garlic powder
1 onion (sliced)
10 button mushrooms (sliced)
4 T canola oil
1 c beef stock
1 8oz pkg sour cream
2 T dijon mustard
1/4 c chopped fresh tarragon
1 pkg extra wide egg noodles

1. In a large sauce pan, put water on to boil for the noodles. After a hard boil starts, cook noodles according to package directions.

2. In a large skillet, heat 2 T of oil over medium high heat. Saute onion slices (should fall apart into rings) until caramelized.

3. Add mushroom slices and saute with the onions until they release their juices. Remove onion and mushroom mixture to a bowl and set aside.

4. In a large zip lock bag, combine flour, salt, pepper, and garlic. Shake the bag to mix it up. Add the beef strips to the flour mixture and shake to coat the strips.

5. Heat the remaining 2 T of oil in the skillet. Add the meat and brown the outside of the meat (try to leave the center of the strips medium to medium rare). Remove the beef strips to the bowl with the onions and mushrooms.

6. Over medium high heat, add 1 T of the flour mixture to the drippings in the skillet. Add a little more oil if the pan is too dry. Stirring constantly, make a rue.

7. Add the beef broth the the flour rue and stir together (be sure to mix well to avoid lumps).

8. Add the mushrooms, onions, and beef to the skillet with the beef broth. Bring to a low simmer and reduce heat to medium low.

9. Stirring constantly, add in the mustard. Let cook for 2 minutes to release the mustard flavor into the dish. DO NOT let this boil. If you stir constantly, this will heat up but not boil. If it boils, the mustard will turn bitter.

10. Remove from heat and add the sour cream and tarragon to the mixture. Stir to combine.

11. Serve over egg noodles with a sprinkle of fresh tarragon.

NOTE: This recipe is very similar to my beef stroganoff recipe, but the mustard and tarragon add an unexpected surprise that is super yummy.

ENJOY!