Cheese Tortellini with Pumpkin Alfredo Sauce

Every weekday morning the ladies on my cooking board post blog updates. One morning last week Coleen over at Does Not Cook Well With Others posted these Cheese Tortellini with Pumpkin Alfredo Sauce. It looked absolutely delicious and I immediately printed out the recipe.

Then I had second thoughts. Even though Coleen said the pumpkin flavor was very mild I couldn't imagine how it would taste. Sweet? Savory? I wasn't sure. Despite those misgiving I put it on the menu. I even bought fresh tortellini since our store had a coupon. I told myself I'd make the sauce, toss just one tortellini in it to see how it tasted and if it wasn't good I'd open a jar of sauce and call it dinner.

Thankfully the jar of sauce stayed in the pantry for another day. This was fantastic. The pumpkin flavor is very mild, just like Coleen said, and the cheese and onion help keep it savory. Even Baby Girl loved this. She's a pasta fiend so I wasn't worried, but she practically inhaled her serving and asked for more.

Cheese Tortellini with Pumpkin Alfredo Sauce
From Food Network, as seen on Does Not Cook Well with Others

2 (9-ounce) packages of fresh cheese tortellini
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 small shallot, finely minced
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
Pinch of nutmeg (ground or fresh)
3/4 cup half and half
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
Salt and pepper

Bring a pot of generously-salted water to boil. Add the tortellini and cook according to package directions. Reserve one cup of cooking water before draining. Set aside.

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallot and sauté, stirring often, until the shallot begins to soften, about 2 minutes. Add the pumpkin and the nutmeg, and cook for a minute, stirring constantly.

Stir in the cream, and bring the mixture to a slow (not rolling) boil. Immediately reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Stir in the cheese, and cook until the cheese melts and thickens the sauce, about another minute. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Add the tortellini to the skillet, and toss with the pumpkin alfredo sauce, adding some of the reserved cooking water to thin the sauce.

Divide among 4 plates and grate some Parmesan cheese over top.

Onion Ring Topped BBQ Bacon Cheeseburgers

It's been awhile since we've had beef burgers but as soon as I saw these Onion Ring Topped BBQ Bacon Cheeseburgers over at Lauren's Latest I had to put them on the menu. SP is a big onion ring fan and he also enjoys BBQ sauce on his burger.

I forgot to buy a slicing tomato at the supermarket so I opted to leave off the lettuce and tomato. Big mistake. These burgers were good, don't get me wrong, but I was missing something green. A side salad or something to cut the richness of the beef and onion rings. I've also decided I don't like pieces of onion in my burgers since they don't have a chance to fully cook on the grill.

Once again I was blown away by an Alexia product. We've been enjoying their shoestring fries for some time now but the onion rings were a new purchase. Delicious and crispy in the oven - you can't beat that.

Onion Ring Topped BBQ Bacon Cheeseburgers
Slightly modified from Lauren’s Latest

1 13.5 oz. package frozen onion rings, such as Alexia brand
4 slices thick cut bacon
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 cup BBQ sauce + more for the burgers
Salt & pepper, to taste
4 slices cheese
4 hamburger buns, toasted
Mayo, lettuce, tomato, pickles, etc.

Cook onion rings according to package directions. While those are in the oven, cook your bacon to desired doneness and drain on paper towels.

For the burger patties, in a small bowl, stir ground beef, BBQ sauce, salt and pepper together until combined. Divide into two equal patties. Spray a nonstick skillet with cooking spray and cook patties on medium heat for approximately 7 minutes per side. Alternatively you can use a grill. In the last few minutes of cooking add the cheese and melt.

To assemble burgers, place cooked patty onto hamburger buns and top with more BBQ sauce, cooked bacon, onion rings and any other desired toppings. Serve immediately with any remaining onion rings and/or fries.

Recipe Swap - Fried Green Tomato BLTs

As much as I enjoy the Blogger's Choice recipe swaps, they are definitely more difficult than the themed swaps. Having to actually pick a recipe is tough. For this installment of Blogger's Choice I was given Kim's blog, Feed Me Seymour. I love the name and had a tough time picking a recipe. I had it narrowed down to four choices and ultimately gave SP final say. It wasn't a shock when he chose Fried Green Tomato BLTs. The man loves a good BLT.


The sandwiches sounded delicious but I was concerned about my ability to find green tomatoes in the supermarket. I've never noticed them before and, as suspected, they didn't have any. I chose a firmer red tomato and hoped for the best.

These were absolutely delicious, if messy. The tomatoes held together pretty well during the frying process but didn't get crispy or golden brown like I hoped they would. I wonder if Panko would be a better choice, if not exactly authentic. The sweet basil mayo was positively addicting and I was sad that there wasn't more of it (the recipe below makes just enough for two sandwiches). I hope I can find green tomatoes at some point so I can make these properly.

As an aside, I wish I could take better pictures of sandwiches. I haven't been able to figure out how to get a good inside shot while still showing the whole sandwich.

Fried Green Tomato BLTs
As seen on Feed Me Seymour
Makes 2 sandwiches

Fried Green Tomatoes
1 large green tomato (or firm red tomato)
1 cup flour
1 cup breadcrumbs (or Panko)
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 eggs
salt and pepper to taste

Slice the tomato into thick slices.

Put the flour on one plate. Put your eggs, beaten, in a shallow bowl. Combine chili powder, salt and pepper and breadcrumbs on a third plate. One at a time, dip the tomato slices in the flour to coat. Tap off the excess flour. Put them next in the egg, coating them, then in the breadcrumb mix and fully coat.

Heat a sauce pan with about an inch of oil over medium high heat. Once the oil is hot, place the tomato slices in the pan. Cook them on one side until golden brown, about a minute. Gently flip them to the other side and cook until golden brown. Remove from the pan and place on a paper towel to drain. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Sweet Basil Mayo
1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper

In a food processor, combine basil, mayo, lemon juice and mustard. Pulse a few times until combined. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Sandwiches
4 slices thick sandwich bread, toasted
4 fried green tomatoes
Lettuce
8 to 12 slices crispy bacon
Sweet basil mayo

Slather one slice of bread with sweet basil mayo. Be generous. Layer on two fried green tomatoes. Next, add 4 slices bacon. Top with lettuce and the other slice of bread.

Chicken Florentine Pasta

I love a good chicken and pasta dish. This Chicken Florentine Pasta from Ali over at Sparks from the Kitchen sounded like a great weeknight meal.


After reading the ingredient list I decided to add a pint of roasted grape tomatoes since they needed to be used up and I knew the flavors would go well together. This was a delicious, creamy pasta with great bursts of flavor from the tomatoes.

Chicken Florentine Pasta
Slightly adapted from Sparks from the Kitchen

1 pint grape tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into small bite-sized pieces
1 tablespoon butter
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
3/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided
Cooking spray
1 lb uncooked capellini
2 tablespoons canola oil
3 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons chopped fresh garlic
1 cup whole milk
1 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
3 ounces freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about 3/4 cup) plus extra for sprinkling
1 bag baby spinach leaves

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss tomatoes with oil, salt and pepper on a baking sheet. Roast for 30 minutes, or until tomatoes start to burst. Remove from the oven, allow to cool slightly, then mash with a potato masher to make it easier to remove the skin (optional).

Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat and melt butter. Add the chicken to the pan and cook until cooked through and browned. Set aside and wipe pan clean.

Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain well; keep warm.

In the same skillet over medium-high heat add the oil; swirl to coat. Add flour and garlic; cook until garlic is browned (about 2 minutes), stirring constantly. Add milk and broth, stirring with a whisk; bring to a simmer, and cook 2 minutes or until thickened.

Add cheese, stirring until cheese melts. Add remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and spinach; stir until spinach wilts. Add pasta, tomatoes, and chicken; toss to combine. Serve sprinkled with remaining parmesan.

Philly Cheesesteaks for Jey's Virtual Baby Shower

Another one of my dear friends, Jey from The Jey of Cooking, is expecting a baby girl in October, right around Baby Girl's birthday, actually. You might remember her as one of my guest posters for my sixth blogiversary. We met on my cooking board and someday we'll actually meet in person on one of our family trips to Chicago.

In the meantime, a group of us got together to celebrate Jey's impending arrival with a baby shower. But not just any baby shower, an All-Star Virtual Baby Shower. The World Series is scheduled around the time Jey is due (October 17th) and since she and her family are such avid Cubs fan, a baseball theme was the perfect idea for her. Everyone was asked to make some sort of ballpark favorite like a jazzed up hot dog, home-run hamburger, peanut-packed dessert or anything inspired by common ballpark fare.


Being from the Philly area and growing up eating lots of cheesesteaks they seemed like a natural choice for me. I toyed with the idea of doing a chicken cheesesteak to be a bit healthier but in the end I settled for a good old beefy cheesesteak. While I love a good cheesesteak with lots of caramelized onions, these days I'm partial to the cheesesteak hoagie, which adds mayo, oil and vinegar with lots of spices, lettuce, tomato and sliced raw onion (which I didn't use since I wanted the caramelized onions in the beef) to the beef and cheese. I decided to tackle the cheesesteak hoagie for Jey's shower and I'm happy to report that they were sensational. A real home run.


I started with Katie's recipe for Cheesesteaks and then modified it, swapping the green pepper for caramelized onion and adding the necessary ingredients to make it into a hoagie. Aside from the steak being in larger pieces than we're used to (most cheesesteak meat around here in more thinly shredded, something I'm trying to figure out how to replicate at home) these were spot on. Absolutely delicious, just like the cheesesteak hoagie from my favorite local spot (shhh...I may or may not admit to getting a cheesesteak hoagie and fries for dinner every Friday before hitting the grocery store. At least I always bring half the sandwich home for lunch, right?)


If you're looking for a true taste of Philly, try this recipe. I can't wait to make these again the next time we have a craving.

Be sure to stop over to Jey's blog to wish her well, and check out Joelen's blog for a roundup of all the delicious dishes prepared for the virtual shower.

Cheesesteaks
Inspired by So Tasty So Yummy

4 hoagie rolls
1 pound NY Strip steak
1 tablespoon butter
1 large onion, thinly sliced
12 slices provolone or American cheese

Slice the hoagie rolls in half. Wrap in foil and warm through in a 350-degree oven.

Place the steak in the freezer for 15 minutes. Remove the steak and slice into 1/4” strips.

In a sauté pan, heat the butter over medium high heat. Add the onions and sauté until tender. This should take about 30 minutes. Either cover the pan to trap some moisture or add a splash of water as needed to keep the onions cooking evenly. Once the onions are done to your liking, push them to one side. Add the steak slices and sauté for 3 to 5 minutes more. Salt and pepper to taste, then toss with the onions.

Place 3 slices of cheese in the center of each hoagie roll, overlapping slightly. Divide the steak into four equal portions and place on the rolls. The heat from the steak will melt the cheese.

To turn into a cheesesteak hoagie: Slice 1 Romaine heart into thin strips. Slice 1 tomato in half, then into slices. Mix 1/4 cup mayo with some red wine vinegar and a dash of dried Italian seasoning, to taste. Before adding the cheese to the bread, spread some of the mayo mixture on the bread. Add the cheese and meat as stated above. Stuff the lettuce and tomato into the sandwich on either side of the meat.

Bacon Corn Hash with Fried Eggs

I had some leftover corn on the cob and about half a 5-lb bag of Yukon gold potatoes from vacation that weren't getting any younger. Not wanting to waste food I was thinking about making some sort of hash with the potatoes when I remembered this post from Smitten Kitchen for Bacon Corn Hash with Fried Eggs. Sold!

I made a few changes to her recipe, the main one being adding some onion in addition to the scallions. I love onions and potatoes together and knew this would be a great addition. I also used the Yukon golds since that's what I needed to use up. This was delicious, especially with the fried eggs on top. The bacon and eggs made it hearty enough to enjoy for dinner. I had the leftovers for brunch the next day and added some salsa and a dollop of sour cream, which made this even better, so much better that I'm modifying the directions below to include them as optional (but I highly recommend it).

Bacon Corn Hash
Modified from Smitten Kitchen

1/2 pound thick-cut bacon, cut into small dice
1 pound potatoes, peeled, scrubbed and diced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 medium onion, diced
4 medium-large ears corn, kernels cut from the cob (2 1/2 to 3 cups)
1 bundle scallions, thinly sliced
4 eggs
Sour cream (optional)
Salsa (optional)

Add bacon to a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until they brown evenly, about 10 minutes. Remove the bacon bits with a slotted spoon, leaving the drippings in the pan, and transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain.

Heat the pan to medium/medium-high, making sure the bacon fat is sizzling, then add the potatoes in a single layer. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and several grinds of black pepper. Let them cook for a few minutes in one place and get a bit golden underneath before turning them over and moving them around. Cook, stirring every so often, until the potatoes are browned and cooked through, about 20 minutes.

Add the diced onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the corn to the skillet. Saute the potatoes and corn together until the corn gets a bit brown but stays fairly crisp, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the drained bacon, and stir the mixture together until it’s evenly warm, about 1 more minute. Remove the skillet from the burner and sprinkle the scallions (reserving a couple spoonfuls if you’d like to use them as fried egg garnish) over the hash. Season with more salt or pepper to taste, if needed.

Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat and melt about 1 tablespoon butter. Crack the eggs into the skillet and reduce heat to medium. Cook to desired doneness. Season with salt and pepper, serve on top of a pile of bacon corn hash. Add a dollop of sour cream and a spoonful of salsa to the plate for dipping.

Pizza Quesadillas

These Pizza Quesadillas were an incredibly simple meal to put together. It's almost not worth writing up a recipe but I had to share it with you all. I made these quesadillas Saturday night, after a long day of swim lessons for Baby Girl, running errands and getting things done around the house. SP was lobbying for us to go out to eat but I really want to save money and knew eating at home would be better for us all. The most time-consuming part of this meal was cutting up the ingredients for the antipasto salad (sans meat and cheese) that I served alongside the quesadillas.


Full disclosure - the pizza sauce is store-bought. I wanted to keep these simple and since I don't have any pizza sauce in my freezer in the summer (I'm not keen on preheating my oven to 550 degrees when it's 90+ outside), I took the easy way out. SP has always wanted to try Don Pepino's pizza sauce so we bought a can. All I can say is wow. No artificial ingredients and less than 5 ingredients total, none of them unpronounceable. Nice.


These are a great, simple dinner or a quick throw-together lunch on a busy weekend. We will definitely be enjoying these again soon.

Pizza Quesadillas
As seen on The Girl Who Ate Everything

6 ounces sliced pepperoni
8 flour tortillas
16 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
1 small can sliced black olives
1 (16-ounce) jar of pizza sauce
Cooking spray

Place three sheets of paper towels on a plate. Add pepperoni, using a triple layer of paper towels in the middle if necessary. Top with 3 more sheets. Microwave for 1 minute. Check pepperoni and if not crisp, microwave another 30 seconds. Pat off any excess fat with more paper towels.

Brush each tortilla with a thin layer of pizza sauce. Sprinkle 1/8 of the cheese on top of the sauce on the bottom tortilla. Repeat for remaining 3 tortillas. Top with pepperoni and other toppings, if desired. Sprinkle with another 1/8 of the cheese and place the other tortilla on top (sauce side in).

Preheat a medium skillet over medium heat. Spray with cooking spray. Gently place quesadilla in the pan and cook for 3-5 minutes on each side, until cheese is melted and tortillas are crispy. Slice into quarters and serve with a little bowl of warm pizza sauce for dipping.

One-Pot Creamy Taco Mac

The night I made this for dinner the original plan had been to make Swedish Meatballs with Egg Noodles. But that morning I just couldn't stand the thought of rolling out all the meatballs, not to mention I wasn't in the mood for those flavors. At all. I asked the ladies on my cooking board for inspiration and Creamy Taco Mac way, which I made back in 2010, was mentioned. While we enjoyed it, I haven't made it since, but I remembered that Elly had turned it into a One-Pot Creamy Taco Mac, cooking the pasta with the rest of the ingredients they way I do for my Skillet Beef Stroganoff. Perfect.

Since I had half a large zucchini in the fridge I decided to sub that for the green pepper. Since I didn't have cream cheese I simply left it out and I didn't miss it. The starch from the pasta acted as a binder and brought the whole dish together, especially since I let it sit for about 10 minutes before serving so it could cool slightly. I added sliced scallions as a garnish for some bright onion flavor and I also left the tomatoes with their juice instead of draining them. For a meal that I decided to make only a few hours before dinnertime, this came together surprisingly well.

Creamy Taco Mac
Slightly adapted from Elly Says Opa!

1 lb. ground beef or sirloin
1 onion, diced
1 small zucchini, diced
1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes
3 to 3 1/4 cups low-sodium beef broth
4 tablespoons taco seasoning (recipe below, or use a low-sodium store-bought mix)
8 oz. small pasta shapes, like elbows or small shells
1/2 cup sour cream (low fat is fine)
Shredded cheddar
2-3 scallions, sliced (garnish)

Heat a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the ground beef. Do not stir. Once browned on the bottom, flip the beef, breaking it up, and stir in the onion and zucchini. Cook until onion is translucent and beef is browned. (Drain fat, if necessary.)

Stir in the undrained diced tomatoes, broth, and taco seasoning. Season to taste with salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Stir in the pasta. Cover, reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is tender, about 10 minutes.

Off the heat, add the sour cream and cheddar. Re-season to taste, if necessary. Garnish with sliced scallions.

Taco Seasoning

2 tablespoons mild chili powder
1 tablespoons cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon oregano
3/4 teaspoon paprika

Mix all the spices together. This makes enough seasoning for the 4 tablespoons needed in this recipe.

Italian Burger (aka Chicken Pesto Burger)

I love a good burger. They're just so versatile. You can use any type of meat or even a portabello mushroom to make a tasty burger and the topping possibilities are endless. Just check out Shawnda's blog, Confections of a Foodie Bride, for tons of awesome burgers including this one, the Italian Burger.

We both loved this burger. I love grinding my own chicken in the food processor and being able to use pesto from my freezer. Melty mozzarella cheese is always a plus, as are perfectly juicy and ripe tomatoes. Instead of making a pesto mayo I opted to make a balsamic mayo since these burgers were already quite the messy mouthful. Thanks for an awesome recipe, Shawnda!

The Italian Burger
As seen on Confections of a Foodie Bride

For the burgers:
1 1/2 lbs ground chicken (I grind it myself)
4-6 tablespoons pesto (purchased or homemade)
Salt
Pepper

For serving:
4 slices of fresh mozzarella
4 Burger buns, toasted
Balsamic mayo (stir together 1/2 cup mayo and balsamic to taste)
Tomato slices
Basil leaves

Prepare your grill.

Break apart the ground chicken into a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add pesto and mix well. If your pesto is very thin, consider using the low end of the range. If it's thick, you can add more. Form into 4 patties.

Cook ~4 minutes each side (to desired doneness or internal temp) and then top with slices of cheese during the last minute so it has time to melt.

Serve the burgers on buns with balsamic mayo, fresh basil leaves, and sliced tomato.

Recipe Swap - Homemade Oreos

The theme for the latest recipe swap was dessert and I was lucky enough to receive Homemade Oreos from Jey over at The Jey of Cooking. I got my recipe the day before we left for vacation and must have had Oreos on the brain because we ended up buying not one but TWO packages of Oreos while we were away. Oops. Both packages are still more than half full, but after making this recipe there are plenty of Oreos in my house. Methinks I'll be sending these homemade ones to work with SP.

Like Jey, I opted to make two sizes - small and large. OK, full disclosure: I was fully intending to make these all small since Jey said they were closer in size to true Oreos. Then I was standing there, rolling ball after ball of dough, and I just didn't feel like doing it anymore. So, I upped the amount and made both small and large cookies. Just keepin' it real, folks.

Truth be told, these are good in any size but the small ones are definitely more like an Oreo. The cookies is chewier than an Oreo, but the flavors are pretty spot on. Plus, making them at home you know exactly what's going into them. Speaking of which, this was my first time buying or cooking with vegetable shortening. That stuff is bizarre. I only needed 1/4 cup for this recipe and was wondering if I could freeze it when I looked at the package and saw I have a full YEAR before it will go bad. Once it's opened. And they recommend not refrigerating it. Alrighty then.

I'm also happy to announce that the recipe swaps now have their very own badge, designed by Coleen from Does Not Cook Well With Others, a regular swap participant. Thanks, Coleen! We're also trying something new this time with a link-up. Right now it's text-only as we see how it works for our group but if it goes well hopefully we'll be upgrading to the thumbnail photo version soon.

Thanks for turning me on to these, Jey. And SP's office thanks you, too.

Homemade Oreos
As seen on The Jey of Cooking

For the Cookies:
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 Egg

For the Filling:
1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
2 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 375. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl), combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt and sugar. Add the butter, stir, then add the egg. Mix until a dough forms.

Using a cookie scoop (I used a 1 tablespoon for the large cookies and a 1 teaspoon for the small), scoop out the dough. Roll into a ball then flatten slightly between your palms. Place on baking sheet, about an inch or two apart (you will need two baking sheets) and repeat with remaining dough, making sure you have an even number of cookies.

Bake for 11 minutes if making small cookies, 15 if making large ones, or until cookies are set.

While the cookies are baking, cream together the butter and shortening. Gradually add the powdered sugar and mix until smooth. Stir in the vanilla and beat until light and fluffy.

Remove cookies from the oven and allow to cool on a rack. When the cookies have cooled, frost one cookie then sandwich with another similar sized cookie (bottom to bottom). Repeat until all cookies have been sandwiched together.

Recipe Swap Roundup - Blogger's Choice Part 6

Time for another Recipe Swap Roundup. This was another Blogger's Choice Swap and it was another huge hit. Check out the dishes everyone chose below. A big thanks to Jaida from Sweet Beginnings for putting this together for me. 

Coleen from Does Not Cook Well With Others took these Baked Cheeseburger Egg Rolls to a party she was invited to, and they were a big hit!

Kate from Kate's Recipe Box decided to branch out and try green sauce on these Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas.

I made these Blueberry and Lemon Muffins that were a delicious and easy breakfast while on vacation.


Melissa from I Was Born to Cook took a chance on this Parmesan Tilapia and loved it!

Dawn from Simple Gourmet Cooking was excited to bake, and chose these Lemon Crinkle Cookies - which have become her current favorite cookie!

Jenna from Jenna's Cooking  Journey endulged her dessert-making spree and love of German chocolate cake with these German Chocolate Cake Brownies!

Jessican from Sunny Side Up was more than happy to feed her sauce addiction with this Copycat Jack Daniels Glaze.

Nichole from The Cookaholic Wife let her husband take part in the recipe selection, and he chose these Pot Roast Sliders, which they enjoyed as leftovers all week! 


Christine from Christine's Kitchen Chronicles was able to make use of her CSA box with these Zucchini Brownies.

Lisa from Tastetastic Voyage was able to fill her side dish void with these amazing Southwestern Stuffed Sweet Potatoes.


Mary Ellen from Mary Ellen's Cooking Creations was intrigued by the use of soy sauce for these Soy Cilantro Roasted Potatoes.

Melissa from Delicious Meliscious loved these Strawberry & Cream Cheese Muffins.


Eva from Eva Bakes made these S'mores Bars for a co-workers birthday.

Catherine from A Seasoned  Greeting stepped out of her cooking comfort zone with this savory Roasted Red Pepper Pasta.

Stefanie from Kickin It in the Kitch chose this Mexican Sour Cream Rice as a side to go with a Mexican meal she had planned.

 


Ashley from Cheese Curd in Paradise knew as soon as she saw these Apple Strudel Muffins, that she had found her recipe!

Katie from So Tasty, So Yummy made a crowd pleaser with this Penne with Chicken and Vegetables in a Roasted Garlic Cream Sauce.

Carrie from Carrie's Sweet Life satisfied her Chinese food craving with this Honey and  Sesame Teriyaki Chicken.


Jaida from Sweet Beginnings was excited to try a meatloaf in mini size, with these Mini Turkey Meatloaves.


Jessica from The Jey of  Cooking loves root beer, so this Root Beer Float Ice Cream was perfect for her!

Nicole from Cookies on Friday loved this Chai Tea Bread so much, she made it twice!


Jen from Becoming Pigzilla got to make a recipe she's had in waiting, with this Santa Fe Chicken Salad.


Lindsay from Peace, Love, and  French Fries was able to keep this Creamy Artichoke Lemon Chicken Pasta all to herself, which was just fine by her!

Chrissy from Stick a Fork in it found a new favorite potato side dish with these Crispy Smashed Potatoes. 


Kristina from Tasty Treats by Tina found a new dish to add to her rotation with this Chicken in Mustard Cream Sauce.

And finally, Heather from Hezzi D's Books and Cooks was excited to make homemade pasta for this Homemade Fettuccinie with Vodka Sauce.

Ravioli with Tomato, Corn and Pesto

This was a Friday night dinner that I threw together after looking through the fridge and freezer for inspiration. We always have cheese ravioli in the freezer for Baby Girl, so that was my first stop. We also had some tomatoes a friend of mine gave me from her garden, as well as one ear of corn. I'd recently made pesto so I decided that would be the sauce.

Ravioli with Tomato, Corn and Pesto

1 ear of corn
2 ripe tomatoes, diced
Pesto
1 lb cheese ravioli, cooked according to package directions

Microwave the corn, 4 minutes per ear, inside the husk. Carefully remove from the microwave (it will be hot). Cut off the stem end and hold by the top, shaking to loosen the corn. Or just peel off the husks. Cut the kernels off the cob and place in a bowl. Add the diced tomatoes.

Add the cooked and drained ravioli to the bowl with the corn and tomatoes. Toss to combine, then add pesto starting with 1 tablespoon, tossing to coat each time until there's enough sauce.

Roti de Porc au Lait

It's been awhile since I cooked pork. While we haven't gone completely vegetarian, we are eating way less meat these days. I wanted a little variety and Katie has had this Roti de Porc au Lait on her weekly menu a few times since she made it for one of the recipe swaps so I figured I needed to give it a try.

This was definitely a fall meal, what with the mashed potatoes and green beans alongside the pork. I couldn't tell you the last time I bought potatoes - I feel like it's been ages since we've eaten them. Baby Girl was thrilled to see them on our plates - she loves mashed potatoes. We both enjoyed the pork but the sauce, which Katie complained was too thin when she made it, was too thick. I wish it had been a little thinner so it could have soaked into the meat and potatoes.

I really enjoyed the cooking method of slowly simmering the meat in the milk sauce, but my sauce was starting to burn so I had to check on it often, making this less of a "set it and forget it" meal than I'd hoped. Still delicious, though.



Roti de Porc au Lait
From Anthony Bourdain, as seen on So Tasty, So Yummy

3 pound boneless pork loin roast
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 leek, white part only, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups whole milk (important not to "skim" on this)
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf

Season the pork with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven. When the oil is hot, swirl in the butter. Brown the roast on all sides, 6 to 7 minutes total. Remove the roast from the pan and set aside on the large plate.

Add the onion, carrot, leek, and garlic and stir over high heat until soft and caramelized, about 10 minutes. Stirring constantly, add the flour and cook for 2 minutes, then add milk, parsley, thyme and the bay leaf. Bring to a boil and cook over high heat for 5 minutes.

Add the pork and any juices that have collected on the plate. Reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook over low heat for 1 hour, making sure to periodically rotate the pork (the sugars in the milk can cause sticking and scorching). Remove the pork and allow to rest for 15 minutes.

Remove the bay leaf from the sauce. Using a hand blender, purée the sauce until foamy. Adjust the seasoning as needed. Carve the pork and arrange on a serving platter. Spoon the sauce over and serve immediately.

Kung Pao Tofu

I'm actually surprised by how much we both love tofu. I know it's good for us and it's a great substitute for meat, but I didn't think we would both be head over heels for it. So far I've made 4 different tofu dishes and we've loved them all. This is shocking to me since my husband had always been a meat and potatoes kind of guy. If I served him a meatless meal the first thing he'd ask is, "where's the meat?" quickly followed by, "you know, some bacon would make this better."

This Kung Pao Tofu is another take-out fake-out (to quote Rachael Ray) that is actually better than anything we could get at a local Chinese restaurant. The flavors were outstanding and the fresh veggies and crispy tofu rounded out the meal. I made a few modifications to the original recipe, adding some chicken broth (or you could use vegetable to keep it vegetarian) and a few splashed of fish sauce to bump up the amount of sauce. We like our stir-fries saucy, what can I say. I don't have coconut oil so I cooked everything in canola oil and it worked just fine.

Between the 30 minutes to bake the tofu and the actual cooking time of the dish, this is not exactly a weeknight-friendly meal unless you get home from work early. Unfortunately we think Baby Girl might have a mild peanut allergy so she didn't get to sample this meal. I took these pictures before I remembered the green onion garnish, which I added before we ate and definitely helped brighten up the dish.



Kung Pao Tofu
Modified from Prevention RD

Cooking spray
2 blocks extra firm tofu, pressed and drained, then cubed
2/3 cup roasted peanuts
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or more to taste
1 large red bell pepper, sliced into strips
12 oz mushrooms, sliced
4 green onions, sliced and divided
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
4 tablespoons soy sauce
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 inch piece fresh ginger, grated
1 cup chicken (or vegetable) broth
A couple shakes of fish sauce, optional

Preheat oven to 425 F. Line a baking sheet with tin foil and spray well with non-stick cooking spray. Arrange tofu on the baking sheet and lightly mist with oil. Bake for 30 minutes, turning the cubes after 15 minutes.

Heat canola oil in a wok over medium-high heat. Add peanuts and red pepper flakes and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add tofu and stir. Add bell pepper and mushrooms and cook another 1 -2 minutes.

Add half of the green onions, vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, chicken/vegetable broth and fish sauce. Reduce heat and allow sauce to thicken for 2-3 minutes. Serve over cooked rice topped with remaining green onions.

Crispy Baked Zucchini Fries

I love fried zucchini but I don't like the grease or the calories that come along with the traditional breaded variety. As soon as Tara posted these Crispy Baked Zucchini Fries I knew I needed to try them. For one thing, there's NO oil in this recipe. None. The only fat comes from the egg and the seasoned panko gives these a deliciously crunchy bite.

When I weighed the zucchini at the store I was surprised to see that two small zucchini = slightly over 1 lb. It didn't seem like it would be enough but I had more than enough to cover my baking sheet. I'm glad I didn't cut the recipe in half because we inhaled these. My mom and I enjoyed 3/4 of the tray ourselves and SP finished them off when he got home from work. Baby Girl loved the raw zucchini (with the green skin, please), but wouldn't touch them breaded and baked. Go figure. I served them with ranch dressing for dipping, which was perfect.

I loved these so much I put zucchini on the shopping list so we could have them again the following week. It's a great guilt-free way to enjoy zucchini. Make them soon!

Crispy Baked Zucchini Fries
From Confections of a Foodie Bride, as seen on Smells Like Home

2 eggs
2 cups Panko breadcrumbs
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 cup flour
1 lb zucchini, cut into 4-5-inch long sticks, about 1/2-inch wide

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a 12×18-inch baking sheet with parchment paper.

Whisk the eggs together until bubbly in a shallow pie dish or bowl. In another shallow pie dish or bowl (glass baking dishes work great too), stir the breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper together until well-blended. Set both dishes aside.

Place the flour in a large zipper bag (gallon-size works best) and toss in all of the zucchini sticks. Seal the bag well and shake up the zucchini until all of the sticks are coated with flour.

Taking a few sticks at a time, roll them around in the beaten egg then coat them in the breadcrumbs, lightly patting the breadcrumbs onto the zucchini if needed. Try to not to handle the zucchini too much at this point or the breading with fall off. Carefully transfer the sticks to the baking sheet, spacing them about 1/2-inch apart. You’ll be able to fit the entire pound of zucchini on a 12×18-inch baking sheet, so push them close together if needed. Repeat with remaining zucchini sticks.

Bake for 18-22 minutes until golden brown and delicious-looking. Serve with ranch dressing or marinara sauce.

The best way would be to reheat these is in a 375 degree oven for 5-7 minutes until they are heated through.

Recipe Swap - Blueberry and Lemon Muffins

When I received Jessica's blog for the Blogger's Choice swap I knew I was in trouble. There are just way too many delicious recipes to make. How was I going to choose? We are going on vacation soon and after last year we realized the area where we're staying isn't exactly good in the breakfast department. This year I thought I'd make some breakfast foods at home (muffins and breakfast burritos) and freeze them so we could eat breakfast at the condo instead. I decided to pick one of her many delicious-looking muffin recipes to make and freeze and after much deliberation I settled on Blackberry and Lemon Muffins, subbing blueberries for blackberries simply because we like them better and they're easier to find.


These were incredibly easy to make - mix dry ingredients in one bowl, wet ingredients in another then combine. Easy peasy. I ate one before freezing the rest and it was yummy. I wished it was a tad bit sweeter (UPDATE - after eating more than my fair share of muffins while on vacation I've decided the mild sweetness is perfect) but otherwise they were delicious. I'm planning to toast them for breakfast a few times while we're away and serve with plenty of butter (what, we'll be on vacation).

Blueberry and Lemon Muffins
Slightly adapted from Sunny Side Up in San Diego

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Grated zest of 1 small lemon, about a heaping tablespoon
2 large eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 cup sugar
8 tablespoons warm melted butter (1 stick)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups (about 6 oz) chopped fresh or frozen blueberries, if frozen defrost and drain liquid

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare 2 muffin tins with 18 liners.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and lemon zest. Set aside

In a large glass measuring cup, whisk together the eggs, sour cream, sugar, lemon juice, butter and vanilla.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and, using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, mix together just until evenly combined. Add the blueberries and gently fold into the batter. Careful not to over mix, that can cause tough muffins.

Divide the batter into the muffin cups, filling each about 2/3 full. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool in pan for just a few minutes, until the muffins are cool enough to handle and transfer to a wire rack.

To freeze - Cool muffins completely. Wrap each muffin in a piece of plastic wrap. Place in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 1 month.