Chicken Fajitas

Open-faced fajita

I consistently salivate over one of my student's lunches each day. While all their lunches are made with love - and hunger-inducing! - Ellis's lunch is usually leftovers from delicious dinners that make my mouth water.  Ellis often bring's his mom's chicken fajitas for lunch, and one day I broke. I told him I would come to his house for dinner to taste them and told him he had to have his mom give me the recipe. My little Ellis did not disappoint. The next morning I had a sweet email from his wonderful mother, who gave me the recipe for her awesome - and healthy! - chicken fajitas. I made a few modifications for our lifestyle, but let me tell you, these were awesome. After having two huge fajitas John declared he was too full for more. Within 30 seconds he declared they were too good to not have one more. :)

Ingredients:
*whole wheat tortillas (or regular flour tortillas will work fine)
*2 (or more) chicken breasts
*low sodium chicken broth (or regular)
*seasoning (I used Montreal because it's what I had but you can use cajun or whatever you like!)
*fajita filling: I used...
-1/2 onion chopped roughly
-1 can diced tomatoes (I didn't have any to use the second time I made these so I just skipped it!)
-1 zuchinni, chopped
-1 red bell pepper, jullianed (aka sliced thinly)
-1 green bell pepper, jullianed
-1 yellow bell pepper, jullianed
-1/2 bag frozen corn, defrosted/cooked in microwave
*shredded cheddar cheese (optional filling)
*light sour cream (optional filling)
*guacamole (optional filling, click for recipe)
*queso (optional filling, click for recipe -- 1 can Campbell's nacho fiesta soup, 1/4 can filled with milk, 1/4 can filled with heavy cream - for extra thick queso - and shredded cheddar cheese)

Preparation:
*In the morning, place chicken in a slow cooker. Fill with chicken broth, about halfway up chicken breasts. Season with your preferred seasoning. It will be SO juicy when it is done! (Original recipe calls for doing this but cooking in oven on 200 degrees all day. Since I work I didn't want to leave the oven on while I was gone, but I'm sure this way is great too.) Set on low for 6-7 hours, depending on how well you like your chicken cooked. (I cooked them for 7 hours the first time and only 6 the second time.)

*When you're ready to prepare dinner...Pour some olive oil on a skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Combine vegetables (peppers, corn, zuchinni, onion and diced tomatoes) and pour onto skillet. Allow them to cook for as long as you'd like. I left mine on for about 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally and covering occasionally. It all depends on how you like your vegetables.

*If you're making queso, put it on the stove.

*Take the chicken out of the slow cooker (or oven). Slice it and shred it to your preference. Place it in a glass bowl, and place the bowl back in the slow cooker (on warm) to keep it warm. For extra juicy chicken, spoon some of the broth into the bowl with the chicken.

*If you're making guacamole, prepare it now.

*When the vegetables are done, spoon them into a bowl or serving dish. Warm tortillas and place sides (queso, guacamole, vegetables, cheese, sour cream) and chicken on a serving dish and enjoy your easy, yummy meal!

Right in the slow cooker

After slow cooking 7 hours on low

Yummy filling!

Chicken ready for fajitas!

Presentation...guacamole and sour cream on the side

Close up of the veggies

View from the inside :)

Meat and Cheese Lasagna

As a gift from my dad and Peggy, John received a beautiful lasagna dish that was from our everyday china collection. Now, I love my husband dearly, but the only thing he cooks are mac 'n cheese and cereal (though he does them quite well!). I've used the dish many time for casseroles or just baking chicken, but never for lasagna itself. This week I decided it was finally time to change that.

I thought it would be so simple to find a lasagna recipe. Turns out, there are SO many lasagna recipes that I thought my head was spinning. I felt overwhelmed and almost gave up my pursuit. However, after looking at many (at least 20) different recipes, and thinking about how far I've come as a cook, I decided I was skilled enough to make up my own lasagna recipe...! I was very nervous, but it turned out so well, that I am so excited to share it with all of you. If I can make up a decent recipe so can you!! I'd love to hear your thoughts on this one since I've had zero feedback besides John and myself - we are a little biased. :)

Ingredients:
*lasagna noodles
*sauce (click to use my meat sauce recipe; or use a jar of store-bought sauce plus some ground meat mixed in; or use a jar of store-bought sauce, plus maybe some spinach or other veggies, for you vegetarians out there)
*15 oz. low fat ricotta cheese
*1 egg, beaten
*1 teaspoon salt
*1/2 teaspoon pepper
*1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (included in almost every spice rack!)
*2 cups parmesan cheese
*2 cups mozzarella cheese (I used low fat part skim)

Preparation:
*Preheat oven to 350 degrees.


*Cook noodles according to package directions (about 8 are needed). *Tip: To keep noodles from sticking to each other, add a little olive oil to the pot when you add the noodles.

*Cook meat sauce while you cook pasta. If you're not using meat sauce recipe, heat store-bought sauce in a saucepan and cook meat or vegetables on a skillet. Add cooked meat to saucepan to simmer and absorb flavors.

*In a small-medium sized bowl, combine beaten egg and ricotta cheese with salt, pepper and Italian seasoning. Mix well.

*In another bowl, combine 2 cups mozzarella cheese (I used shredded, which was an entire bag) and 1 cup parmesan cheese (again, I used shredded).

*In a lasagna dish, or 13x9 inch dish, begin layers: 2 cups meat sauce, 4 noodles, 1/2 ricotta cheese mixture, 1/2 shredded cheese mixture; (repeat) 2 cups meat sauce, 4 noodles, 1/2 ricotta cheese mixture, 1/2 shredded cheese mixture; remaining sauce plus 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese.

*Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes. After 40 minutes, uncover and bake for an additional 20 minutes, until cheese and sauce bubble. Enjoy! :)

First layer: 2 cups meat sauce

Second layer: 4 cooked lasagna noodles

Third layer: ricotta cheese mixture

Final layer: shredded cheese mixture

Top layer: sauce covered by about a cup of parmesan cheese

Right out of the oven - yum!

All those tasty layers :)

Golden Vanilla Butter Cake

I am excited to say that this is one of my recipes, and probably one of my best experiments. I've gotten so many compliments on this cake - it smells delicious, it's so moist, it tastes amazing...the best compliment I got was from my good friend Ally's boyfriend Wes, who asked if it was our wedding cake the first time he tasted it! (Our wedding cake was fantastic!! Heavenly Sweets in Noblesville!) Did I mention this is John's favorite cake?

However, I can't take full credit for this recipe. I combined and mixed a recipe from John's wonderful mother Leslie and his grandmother Mimi. I've done a lot of experimenting with this recipe to make it a bit healthier. I'm not a nutritionist so I'm not on a soapbox touting the nutritional value. But, for a cake, this is definitely healthier than many. I'd love to hear what you think! :)

Golden Vanilla Butter Cake
Recipe by Call Me Mrs. Rapp
Yields 1 cake 

Ingredients:
*1 package sugar-free vanilla instant pudding (plus 2 cups skim milk and 1 teaspoon vanilla)
*1 box butter golden cake
*4 eggs
*14 cup vegetable oil
*1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce (you can skip applesauce and use total 3/4 cup vegetable oil)
*1 tsp. vanilla
*1/4 cup sugar
*1/4 cup splenda (you can skip splenda and use total 1/2 cup sugar)


Preparation:
*Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

*Mix instant pudding dry mix with milk and vanilla. Use a whisk or an electric mixer with an attached whisk (my preferred method). Whisk for about 2 minutes and place in refrigerator for at least 5 minutes to chill and thicken.

*Combine cake mix, oil, applesauce, splenda and sugar in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer.

*Add eggs one at a time, beating well. Spend extra time beating the mixture after you add the last egg, starting on low speed moving to medium speed. The more you mix it the fluffier it will get. (Don't go overboard or it will be more like meringue!)

*Add 1 cup of the pudding chilling in the refrigerator and the vanilla. Beat well.

*Pour batter into a well greased pan and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour. (I usually go for 50 minutes so it stays moist).

*When cake is done let it set and cool before removing it from the pan. Cover with frosting, or for something lighter, sprinkle with powdered sugar. :)

Mixing in the last bit - pudding and vanilla.

Batter is ready for the oven!

I used a bundt pan, as I do for most cakes. John just loves the shape!

Right out of the oven

Side view

From the top

Iced and ready to go to my friends' Lindsey and Swade's birthday party! :)

Zucchini Pancakes with Hollandaise Sauce

If you're anything like John you saw the heading for zuchinni pancakes and thought "umm...no thanks."  If you're a good sport, like John, you'll be happy you kept a smile on your face and tried these delicious veggie pancakes. John admitted to being less than thrilled about this dish, but when I was done making the first batch he said, "Can you make like 20 more?" Pairing them with the hollandaise sauce made it extra yummy and added some great creaminess and flavor to the dish. I'd serve these for breakfast (Saturday breakfast in our case) or as a side to some chicken or other light entree. Let me know what you think!

PS: Again, these came from Barefoot Contessa At Home. I'm trying to make the most of this great cookbook my Aunt Em gave me! The recipe didn't call for or recommend the hollandaise sauce, but I think it's an excellent addition - though certainly not required! :)

Zucchini Pancakes with Hollandaise Sauce
Recipe by Ina Garten (Barefoot Contessa)
Yields about 12 pancakes  
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Ingredients:

Zuchinni pancakes:
*2 medium zuchinni
*2 tablespoons grated red onion
*2 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
*6-8 tablespoons all-purpose flour (note: I ended up using 10)
*1 teaspoon baking powder
*1 teaspoon salt
*1/2 teaspoon pepper
*unsalted butter and vegetable oil

Hollandaise sauce:
*1 1/2 sticks butter
*4 egg yolks at room temperature (you can put them out for a whole 24 hours before they'll go bad)
*1 1/2 teaspoons salt, if using unsalted butter
*3/4 teaspoon pepper
*3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Preparation:

Zuchninni Pancakes:
*Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

*Grate the zuchinni into a bowl using the large grating side of a box grater. Immediately stir in the onion and eggs.

*Stir in 6 tablespoons of the flour, the baking powder, salt and pepper. (If the batter gets too thin from the liquid in the zuchinni, add the remaining 2 - or more - tablespoons of flour). 

*Heat a large (10 to 12-inch) saute pan over medium heat (*for our electric stove medium-high was required) and melt 1/2 tablespoon butter and 1/2 tablespoon oil together in the pan. When the butter is hot, but not smoking, lower the heat to medium-low (*medium for our electric stove).

*Drop heaping spoons of batter into the pan. Cook the pancakes about 2 minutes on each side, or until browned and crisp (see pictures).

*Place the pancakes on a sheet pan and keep warm in the oven. Wipe out the pan and continue to fry the pancakes until all the batter is used. The pancakes can stay warm in the oven up to 30 minutes.

Hollandaise sauce:
*Melt butter in a small saucepan. Heat until butter is hot! (I decided my butter was hot enough just as it started to bubble and steam a bit.)

*Place the egg yolks, lemon juice, salt and pepper in the jar of a blender. Blend for 15 seconds.

*With the blender running, slowly pour the hot butter into the blender and blend for 30 seconds until sauce is thick.

I mixed the egg and onion before grating the zuchinni.

Grated zuchinni

Last of the ingredients. You can see the juice from the zuchinnis starting to pool.

Batter all ready to go.

Looking and smelling great!

Thick, creamy, EASY hollandaise sauce

A little glance of the inside of the pancake.

Apple Turnovers

Apple pie is one of my favorite desserts. However, with only two of us, it seems a little excessive to make an entire pie. After making the Brie En Croute, I had an extra puff pastry to use.  I remembered taking a cooking class with my aunts once where we used puff pastry to make some apple turnovers.  I got hungry just thinking of it, and I was not disappointed with my results. These are perfect for a light dessert or even a special breakfast. Let me know what you think! :)

Ingredients:
*2 tablespoons orange juice
*1 1/2 tart apples (I used granny smith)
*2 tablespoons splenda (or regular sugar), plus extra to sprinkle on top
*1/2 tablespoon flour
*1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
*slightly less than 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
*pinch of slat
*1 sheet of puff pastry, defrosted
*1 egg, beaten

Preparation:
*Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

*Peel and quarter the apples. Slice them into thin pieces (about 8 per apple) and then cut the slices into halves or thirds. Place the apples in a bowl and pour the orange juice over it to prevent the apples from browning. Be sure to mix it well.

*Add splenda, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt to bowl. Mix well with a spatula or spoon.

*Flour a board and lightly roll the puff pastry to a 12x12 inch square. (Just eyeball it!) Cut the sheet into 4 smaller squares, and keep chilled until ready to use.

*Place 1/3 cup of apple mixture on half the square. Brush the edges of each square with egg wash (beaten egg). Fold the pastry diagonally and seal it by crimping the edges with a fork. Transfer to a pan (you can line it with parchment paper to make it less messy, or just spray the pan with Pam or a nonstick spray).

*Brush the tops of the turnovers with the egg wash. Sprinkle the tops with splenda and a dash of cinnamon. Make 2 small slits in each turnover.

*Bake for 20 minutes until browned and puffed! :)

My apple mixture

Time to egg wash and crimp before going in the oven!

Ready for the oven

A view of the inside - cooked! Yum :)

Brie En Croute

John and I just love Brie cheese (honestly we love most all cheese). I spent a few weeks in France after my sophomore year of high school, and I developed a love for all French food, especially the cheese!  I saw some Brie on sale at the store and decided I wanted to do something a little special for a mid-week appetizer. John was a little skeptical of me playing around with his Brie, but he absolutely loved the end result. This recipe comes from Paula Deen's The Lady & Sons Savannah Country Cookbook. I made a few modifications based on John's preference (the original called for nuts, which John isn't too fond of when mixed in dishes).  I think you'll find this is great for a weeknight appetizer or for hosting a party. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
*1 sheet frozen puff pastry
*1 small wheel of Brie (7-8 ounces, I used the "light" Brie)
*1/2 cup raspberry jam (honestly I didn't measure, I just spread!)
*1 egg, beaten

Preparation:
*Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

 *Defrost one sheet of puff pastry for about 20-40 minutes and unfold.

*Gently roll pastry with a rolling pan to increase size by about 1-2 inches. Be sure to flour surface and rolling pan! Brush both sides of the sheet with beaten egg.

*Center the wheel of Brie on top of the pastry sheet. Spread jam on top of cheese, more or less depending on your preference. Bring all four corners of the sheet together above Brie and twist slightly to form a "bundle."

*Place "bundle" on cookie sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes until pastry is golden brown. Serve with crackers.

Brie wheel on the pastry.

Egg wash - pictures are out of order, sorry!

My "bundle" before going in the oven.

Voila! So simple!

Stuffed Pizza Pockets

One of my dearest and oldest friends, Megan, is getting married this June. I've been working with some of the other bridesmaids to plan and execute her bachelorette party, which will be at the beginning of May. I'm in charge or bringing one - or maybe more! - appetizers to the bachelorette party. I spent some time today watching cooking shows and looking up recipes for some delicious appetizers, and I found so many yummy things to try. Luckily, John loves being a guinea pig to my cooking, and I've started a bonanza of appetizers in our house. This recipe, by Giada de Laurentis, also known as the cook from Everyday Italian, was the first I tried and it was delicious.

I've gotten a few requests for vegetarian dishes and I've been really thinking about how to modify my non-vegetarian dishes or fun neutral ones to make (John loves his meat, sorry!). This recipe calls for Italian sausage, but I really think that you could substitute the sausage for mushrooms, peppers, or other veggie pizza toppings. If any of you try some substitutions, I'd love to ear how they work out for you. Happy hosting! :)

Stuffed Pizza Pockets
Recipe by Giada de Laurentis
Yields about 16 pizza pockets
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Ingredients:
*13.5 oz can of pizza dough (I found it by the juice and biscuits in the refrigerated section)
*8 oz Italian turkey sausage (or regular Italian sausage)
*1 cup packed arugula, chopped
*1/2 package or 4 oz cream cheese (I used the light cream cheese and it tasted great!)
*1/3 cup parmesan cheese (plus more to sprinkle over pizza pockets)
*1 egg, beaten
*1 1/2 cups marinara sauce (can or homemade - my Simple Tomato Sauce recipe is here)

Preparation:
*Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

*Cook sausage in olive oil until crumbled and golden, about 5 minutes depending on how hot your skillet was to start. Add arugula and cook  until it is wilted. Turn off heat and cool for 10 minutes.

*Mix cream cheese, parmesan cheese and pinch of salt and pepper in a bowl. Add sausage and arugula. Stir to combine.

*Roll out pizza dough (labeled "pizza crust" in the grocery store) on a floured surface to a 20x12 inch rectangle (I say eyeball it). Cut in half lengthwise. Cut each half into 8 equal rectangles (as you'll see below, mine were not all equal).

*Spoon mixture onto 1 side of each rectangle. Brush the edges of the rectangle with egg wash (aka beaten egg). Close dough and use a fork to crimp and seal the dough (Warning: this process, while easy, is a bit tedious. See pictures below if wording is confusing!).

*Place pockets on parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush each top with egg wash and sprinkle with parmesan cheese (your preference!). Bake until golden, about 12-17 minutes. (Recipe called for 15-17, but mine were done closer to 12).

*Serve with warm marinara. (Or, if you're like John, serve with marinara, cheese and ranch dressing!)

Ground sausage and arugula, off heat

My rolled and cut pizza crust

I started filling each pocket so I could assess which needed more/less filling

Fresh out of the oven. Thanks to the parchment paper - no mess on the pan!

Close up

Served with marinara

Lemon Garlic Chicken Breasts

This is a new recipe for me and I found it super, super easy. I'm sure if I could easily make it any new cook could as well. This was on an episode of Barefoot Contessa (are you guys sick of me posting Ina's recipes yet??), which I've been watching all spring break. I'm excited to have another simple recipe in my back pocket that I can whip up any time. I hope you have fun with it too!

Ingredients:
*4 chicken breasts (I used 3 because it's all I had. Bonus, John had a nice lunch the next day.)
*2 lemons
*1/3 cup dry white wine
*1/4 cup olive oil
*9 cloves (3 tablespoons) garlic, diced
*1 teaspoon fresh thyme (I used dried, but it was a little strong, so I'd use about 1/4 tsp. if you go the dried route)
*1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
*1 teaspoon salt

Preparation:
*Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

*Heat olive oil in a saucepan, but don't let the oil get too hot. Add garlic and cook for about 60 seconds. (You want the garlic to cook but not burn. Add other ingredients before it starts to brown.)

*Zest one lemon so you have about 1 tablespoon (or more depending on your lemon preference) of zest.

*Add white wine, lemon zest, and juice of the zested lemon (about 2 tablespoons) to the saucepan. Add the oregano, grinding it between your hands to release the oils, and then add the thyme and salt. Stir.

*Pour the contents of the saucepan into a 9x12 inch baking dish. Place the chicken breasts in the dish. (*Note: You want the chicken on top of the marinade, don't pour the marinade over the chicken.) Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Use a spatula to lightly coat the top of the chicken with the marinade.

*Cut the remaining lemon into eight pieces. Place the wedges around the chicken.

*Place in the oven and cook for 30-40 minutes. (I flipped the breasts about 20 minutes into cooking, and cooked them for the full 40 minutes.)

*When the chicken is done, remove it from the oven and cover it with tin foil to rest for 10 minutes. Serve with your choice of sides. I went for Uncle Ben's Long Grain and Wild Rice and broccoli (frozen, cooked in the microwave - told you it was a quick dinner!).

As I put the chicken into the oven

After flipping the chicken breasts