Polenta Cakes with Caramelized Onions, Goat Cheese, and Honey

This recipe was really great! We're don't eat alot of polenta...we like it okay, but in this dish it was awesome. So yummy! I used store bought polenta instead of mixing up my own the first time...either way its good!

Serves 8

For the Polenta:

• 2 cups whole milk
• 2 cups water
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup polenta
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

For the Topping:

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 yellow onion, halved and sliced in 1/4" slices
• 2 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
• honey, to drizzle

1. Bring the water, milk, and salt to a boil. Slowly whisk in the polenta. Turn heat to low, and continue whisking for 5 minutes, or until polenta is smooth and creamy. Spread the polenta in a 9x9 baking dish, and set aside to cool.
2. While the polenta is setting up, add the butter and olive oil to a heavy-bottomed skillet set to medium-low heat. Add the sliced onions and a sprinkle of kosher salt, and cook, stirring occasionally until soft, golden, and caramelized- about 20-25 minutes.
3. Pour 1 tablespoon olive oil into another skillet, set over medium heat. Using a 3" round cookie cutter, cut out circles of the firm polenta, and place in the heated skillet. Cook until slightly browned and crusty on one side, about 2 minutes, then flip and cook the other sides another two minutes.
4. To assemble the polenta cakes, place on a plate, add one tablespoon of caramelized onions to each cake, top each with about a teaspoon of crumbled goat cheese, and drizzle with honey. Enjoy!

Macaroni and Cheese With Cauliflower

Not your everyday mac-n-cheese!
Thanks again Real Simple.
Even the kids love this one. :)

Ingredients:

• 12 ounces multigrain elbow macaroni
• 1 head cauliflower, roughly chopped
• 4 slices multigrain bread, torn
• 1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 cups grated extra-sharp Cheddar (6 ounces)
• 1 1/2 cups reduced-fat sour cream
• 1/2 cup 1 percent milk
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 400° F. Cook the pasta according to the package directions, adding the cauliflower during the last 3 minutes of cooking time; drain.
2. Meanwhile, pulse the bread in a food processor until coarse crumbs form. Add the parsley, 2 tablespoons of the oil, and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper and pulse to combine; set aside.
3. Return the pasta pot to medium heat and add the remaining tablespoon of oil. Add the onion, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, just until soft, 5 to 7 minutes. Mix in the pasta, cauliflower, cheese, sour cream, milk, and mustard.
4. Transfer to a shallow 3-quart baking dish, sprinkle with the bread crumbs, and bake until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes.

Butternut Squash Soup

Another scrumptious recipe from one of my favorite food blogs: Our Best Bites.
Soooo good. I served it with a grilled cheese.



1/2 T olive oil
1 T butter
1/2 C sliced carrots (abt 1 med carrot or 12 baby ones)
2 stalks celery, diced
1 C diced onion
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1 medium butternut squash, (abt 4 cups diced)
1 medium potato, diced (about 2 C diced)
32 oz chicken broth (that's one box/carton) (also...I used vegetable broth for Riley...I think it has better flavor anyway)
1 T brown sugar
1 1/2 t kosher salt
3/4 t dried sage
1 pinch cayenne pepper or a douse of hot sauce

In a large stock pot, heat olive oil and butter. When butter is melted add onions, carrots, celery, and garlic.

Saute for 2-3 minutes or until onion is tender. Add the squash.

Then add potato, sage, salt, red pepper, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer. Simmer with the lid on for 30-40 minutes or until everything is tender. Check a piece of squash and also a piece of celery and potato to make sure they area fork tender. Stir in 1 T brown sugar.

Use an immersion blender, or transfer soup to a regular blender and puree until smooth.

I topped mine with a little parsley so it didn't look so plain! A small drizzle of heavy cream or sour cream is also tasty.

Spinach Enchiladas

Tecia...here is the recipe you requested. Hope you like it as much as we do!! :)

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 cup sour cream

1 cup ricotta cheese

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup sliced green onions

1-2 (19 ounce) cans green enchilada sauce (you can substitute a little green salsa for some of the sauce if you like it a bit more spicy...we do. :)

10 (6 inch) corn tortillas

1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach , thawed, drained and squeezed dry (I like fresh spinach more...but either way tastes great)

2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

• 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Added To Shopping List!

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

2. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and onion; cook for a few minutes until fragrant, but not brown. Stir in spinach, and cook for about 5 more minutes. Remove from the heat, and mix in ricotta cheese, sour cream, and 1 cup of Monterey Jack cheese.

3. In a skillet over medium heat, warm tortillas one at a time until flexible, about 15 seconds. Spoon about 1/4 cup of the spinach mixture onto the center of each tortilla. Roll up, and place seam side down in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Pour enchilada sauce over the top, and sprinkle with the remaining cup of Monterey Jack.

4. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until sauce is bubbling and cheese is lightly browned at the edges.

Serve with rice and beans (optional).

Asparagus Lasagna 1

I have a few of Asparagus Lasagna recipes we love...this one being the easiest. I'll post the others as I make them...this one really is so simple and yummy!! You can assemble the lasagna the night before and refrigerate. Just remove it from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking!

Ingredients:

3 pounds fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut

into 1 inch pieces

1/3 cup butter or margarine

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

5 cups milk

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, cubed

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

12 lasagna noodles, cooked and drained (we use whole wheat noodles)

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1.	In a large saucepan, cook asparagus in a small amount of water until crisp-tender, about 7 minutes; drain and set aside. In another large saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour , salt and pepper until smooth. Gradually stir in milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in cream cheese, lemon juice, peel and nutmeg until cheese is melted.
2.	Spread about 3/4 cup sauce in a greased 13-in. x 9-in.-2-in. baking dish. Layer with three noodles, a fourth of the sauce and a third of the asparagus and mozzarella. Repeat layers twice. Top with remaining noodles and sauce (dish will be full). Sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake, uncovered, at 375 degrees F for 45-50 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown. Let stand for 15 minutes before cutting.

White Chicken Chili

This is one of our very favorites!! Delicious!

1 lb. chicken, cubed
1 med onion chopped
1/2 t. garlic powder
1 T. vegetable oil
3 cans great northern beans
1 can chicken broth
1-2 small cans diced green chilis
1 t. salt
1/2 t. ground cumin
1/2 t. oregano
1/2 t. black pepper
1 c. sour cream
1/2 c. whipping cream

Place vegetable oil in cooking pot.  Add chicken and chopped onion and cook
until chicken is no longer pink.  Drain and rinse beans and add to pot.  Add all
other ingredients to pan except for sour cream and whipping cream.  Bring to
boil and simmer for 15 minutes.  Add sour cream and whipping cream and serve.

(Can use canned chicken for the chicken and omit the first step.)

*Top with cheese, tortilla chips and avocado...YUMMY!!

Creamy Bowtie and Asparagus Pasta

I made this on Sunday ...and substituted the chicken bouillon for vegetable bouillon cubes (for Riley of course!) :) Everyone LOVED it. SO good!



1 pkg. bow tie pasta
1/2 c. butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1-2 chicken bouillon cubes
1 pint heavy cream
salt & pepper to taste
10-15 spears asparagus, blanched
1/2 c. bacon, crumbled
1/4 c. toasted pinenuts (or to taste)
Fresh parsley, to taste
Parmesan cheese, to taste

Boil bow tie pasta in salted water until al dente. Do NOT over cook.In wok or heavy skillet melt butter. Add minced garlic and saute a minute or so. Add Parmesan Cheese and bouillon cube(s). When the bouillon cube is dissolved, slowly stir in heavy cream and salt & pepper. Add cooked pasta to cream sauce and toss until pasta is well covered. Add blanched asparagus. Sprinkle with crumbled bacon, toasted pinenuts, parsley & Parmesan cheese and toss together. Serve immediately.

Creamy Spinach & Tortellini

Thanks Melissa for this yummy recipe!

1 lb. fresh or frozen tortellini, uncooked
2 T. olive oil
½ c. onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 pkg. spinach (fresh is best)
1 c. tomato, cubed
¼ c. fresh basil, chopped –OR-
1 ½ tsp. dried basil
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
1 c. whipping cream
¼ c. Parmesan cheese, grated
½ tsp. red pepper flakes (optional, if you like it spicy)
Chicken breast, cooked, cubed (optional)

Cook tortellini according to package direction; drain. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet. When hot add onion and garlic; cook until brown and tender, about 4 minutes. Add spinach, tomato, basil, salt and pepper and pepper flakes. Cook 5 minutes. Stir in whipping cream and Parmesan cheese. Cook until just boiling. Reduce heat to low, add tortellini and chicken breast. Cook additional 4-5 minutes. Served topped with more Parmesan cheese if desired.

My Favorite Potato Soup

Ingredients:

* 4 cups chicken broth (I use vegetable broth)
* 6-7 cups potatoes, peeled and cubed
* 1/4 cup onion, minced
* 1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt
* 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
* 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper (leave this out if your kids are spice whiney's like mine!)
* 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, cut into chunks

Directions:

1. Combine broth, potatoes, onion, and spices.
2. Boil on medium heat until potatoes are tender.
3. Smash a few of the potatoes to release their starch for thickening.
4. Reduce to low heat.
5. Add cream cheese.
6. Heat, stirring frequently, until cheese melts.

*also some good add-ins are cheddar cheese and scallions on top, a mild Italian sausage mixed in, corn, bacon, chives or carrots.
*Extra good served in a bread bowl!

Sauteed Chicken Paillards w/Cranberry-orange salsa

This is my current FAVE chicken recipe. The salsa is so yummy. Ty likes rice with everything so I made some rice on the side for him to put the extra salsa on.

Cranberry-Orange Salsa
1 can (16 ounces) whole-berry cranberry sauce
1 can (11 ounces) mandarin orange sections, drained
pinch of ground cinnamon

Chicken Paillards
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (1 lb), rinsed and patted dry
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt (I actually use Creole seasoning salt for this and really prefer the flavor...it's a little spicier)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons dry white wine ( I always use white grape juice in place of this, but I'm sure you could use chicken broth as well)

1. Place the cranberry sauce, mandarin oranges, and cinnamon in a food processor or blender and pulse until well combined, 30 seconds. Set the salsa aside.

2. Make the chicken paillards: Place the chicken breast halves between 2 sheets of waxed paper on a work surface and pound them to a 1/3 inch thickness with a meat pounder or the bottom of a heavy skillet. Season on both sides with the salt.

3. Place the oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the butter has just melted, add the pounded chicken and cook until lightly browned, 2 minutes. Turn the chicken over and cook the second side for 1 minute. Add the wine, cover the skillet, reduce the heat to medium-low, and let the chicken simmer until cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes longer.
*you could grill the pounded chicken if you prefer...about 3-4 minutes per side*

4. To serve, place a paillard on plate and garnish with salsa....ENJOY!

Serves 4

---recipe courtesy The Dinner Doctor---

Four Cheese Bow Ties

So...ghetto sideways pic-but really good food (I CANNOT figure out how to use this mac..it is driving me crazy)

2 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) diced tomatoes (I like to use the roasted garlic kind)
1 package (16 ounces) bow tie pasta
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1& 1/2 cups milk
1 &1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese
1 &1/3 cups grated Romano cheese
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup crumbled blue or Gorgonzola cheese
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley

1. Drain tomatoes, reserving 1&1/4 cups juice; set aside. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain

2. In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in the flour, salt and pepper until smooth; gradually add milk and reserved tomato juice. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat.

3. In a large bowl, combine the pasta, sauce, and reserved tomoatoes. Stir in the cheeses & parsley; toss gently. Place in a greased 31/2 qt baking dish. Bake, uncovered, at 375 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until golden and bubbly.

Yield: 12 servings

---recipe courtesy Taste of Home The New Potluck---

HOMEMADE MACARONI & CHEESE

I've been playing with homemade mac n cheese for awhile and here is the best by far...It's so good....although far from healthy I'm sure. :) I'm pretty sure I found this one at allrecipes.com


HOMEMADE MACARONI & CHEESE

3 tbsp. butter
1/4 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 1/2 c. milk
2 c. Cheddar cheese, grated
1/2 lb. Velveeta cheese
1 c. Mozzarella cheese
1 (16 oz.) box elbow macaroni

In large saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Stir in flour, salt, mustard and pepper until smooth; take off heat. Little by little, stir in milk until smooth. Stir constantly for 10 minutes on heat until thick; take off heat. Stir in 1 1/2 cups Cheddar cheese, Velveeta cheese and Mozzarella cheese until melted. Put cooked macaroni in a greased casserole dish, pour cheese mixture over and mix well. Sprinkle paprika and leftover Cheddar cheese on top. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.
Recipe can be halved.

Delicious Black Bean Burritos

Delicious Black Bean Burritos

***I originally found this recipe on allrecipes.com. I did make some minor changes--I added 1/2 can of mild green chilies instead of the jalapeño peppers, added more garlic,some chili powder, and canned diced tomatoes (it makes it not as dry). I also added some extra cheddar cheese when rolling them in the tortillas. I served along with Spanish rice and it sure was yummy! It helps to have great flour tortillas too...We had some awesome tortillas brought up by Craig's parents. As my meat loving husband pointed out, this would also be great with pulled pork.:)***

INGREDIENTS
4 (10 inch) flour tortillas
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 small onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
2 teaspoons minced jalapeño peppers
6 ounces cream cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
DIRECTIONS
Wrap tortillas in foil and place in oven heated to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bake for 15 minutes or until heated through. Heat oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Place onion, bell pepper, garlic and jalapenos in skillet, cook for 2 minutes stirring occasionally. Pour beans into skillet, cook 3 minutes stirring.
Cut cream cheese into cubes and add to skillet with salt. Cook for 2 minutes stirring occasionally. Stir cilantro into mixture. Spoon mixture evenly down center of warmed tortilla and roll tortillas up. Serve immediately.

Sausage and Spinach Stuffed Shells

1 (12 oz) box uncooked jumbo pasta shells
1 lb Italian sausage, cooked and crumbled (or 2 cups cooked chicken or omit for a vegetarian version)
1 small onion, chopped
2 C fresh chopped spinach
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (15 oz) container ricotta cheese
2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, softened
1 (5 oz) package shredded Parmesan cheese
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 TB dried parsley flakes
1 tsp Italian seasoning½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
2 C (8 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
32-36 oz prepared spaghetti sauce (depends on how saucy you want it!)

Cook shells according to package directions; drain and set aside.Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease (cooking spray) two 13x9x2-inchbaking dishes.Brown sausage and onion together in a skillet. Drain and set aside.In a large bowl, combine sausage/onion mixture and next 10ingredients. Stir in 1 cup shredded mozzarella. Spread half of thespaghetti sauce into prepared baking dishes.

Spoon mixture into shells and arrange them over sauce in the dishes. Top with remaining sauce. Cover tightly with aluminum foil.Bake, covered, for 40 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with remaining 1 C mozzarella. Bake for 5-10 more minutes.

Makes 8-10 servings

Chicken Supreme

OK, this is my absolute favorite baked chicken recipe. You’ve got to try it!

1 cup fat-free sour cream
¼ cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon celery salt
1 teaspoon paprika
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
¾ cup dry breadcrumbs
3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted (I didn’t use this; I just sprayed with Pam if the crumbs looked a little dry while cooking.)
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley ( I omitted this, because I never have fresh parsley.)

Combine the first 8 ingredients in a Ziploc bag. Add chicken and marinate overnight. Remove chicken from bag; discard marinade.

Reheat oven to 325. Dredge the chicken in breadcrumbs. Place the chicken in a baking dish coated with Pam. Drizzle 1 ½ tablespoons butter over chicken and bake at 325 for 30 minutes. Pour 1 ½ tablespoons additional butter over chicken and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until done. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Made this yummy tex-mex dish the other night...I absolutely LOVE this...it is especially perfect for chilly winter days!!

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 Tbs margarine or oil of choice

3 14 oz. chicken broth or bullion

1 can cream of chicken

1 can cream corn

2 t. cumin

3 Tbs cilantro

1 chopped onion

2 Tbs flour

4 cups half & half or milk

1 cup salsa

6 chicken breasts, cooked

1 pkg. taco seasoning

Tortilla chips

(Cheese, Avocado, Tomato, etc)

In a large pot, saute the garlic and onions in the margarine or oil for 5 minutes. Add flour and stir well one minute. Add broth and milk. Return to boil and then cool. Add cream of chicken, corn, salsa, chicken, cumin, seasoning, cilantro. Stir and heat for 15 minutes.

Serve by putting chips, cheese, avocado, tomatoes, etc in a bowl and serve soup over the top...(or put them all on top of the soup).

YUM!!!

Easy Chicken Curry

I never liked curry until we went to dinner at a friend's house and she served this recipe for chicken curry. I love it. I hope you like it too! Curry powder is a blend of spices, not just one spice, so curry powders of different brands can vary quite a bit. Try different powders for a different balance of flavors. I like the Archer Farms curry powder from Super Target... Thanks for the recipe, Katie!


One 1" piece of fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
(Or 1 heaping teaspoon ground ginger)
5 shallots, coarsely chopped (you could easily substitute onion if you need to)
3 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon olive oil
4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces (or leftover roast chicken)
salt to taste
1/2 cinnamon stick
2 or 3 whole cloves
2-3 tablespoons curry powder
1 can coconut milk


Combine ginger, shallots, and garlic in food processor and puree to a coarse paste. Set aside. Heat the oil over medium-high heat and cook chicken until no longer pink. (If you use leftover chicken, skip this step.) Add the ginger paste and cook for about 4 minutes. Add the cinnamon stick, cloves, curry powder and salt. Add the cocnut milk to the pan and stir. Lower the heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. (If you use leftover chicken, add it at the end and just allow it to get hot.) Serve over rice with green peas on the side. Yummy!

Ravioli cheese bake

Ravioli cheese bake

This is an easy delicious meal.


1 jar (16 oz.) spaghetti sauce
1 can (14-1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (10 oz.) reduced sodium beef broth
1/4 cup KRAFT Zesty Italian Dressing
2 pkg. (9 oz. each) refrigerated cheese-filled ravioli
1 cup KRAFT Shredded Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese



PREHEAT oven to 375°F. Combine spaghetti sauce, tomatoes with their liquid, broth and dressing in 13x9-inch baking dish. Add ravioli; mix lightly. Cover with foil.
BAKE 50 min. or until ravioli are tender.
REMOVE foil; stir. Sprinkle with cheese. Let stand 5 min. or until cheese melts.

source: kraft foods

Crock-pot Sesame Chicken

We had this a few Sundays ago with steamed rice and broccoli and it is SO good. If you like the chicken from teriyaki stix, you should totally try this recipe!

Crockpot Sesame Seed Chicken

2 1bs. skinless, boneless chicken thighs.
1/2 c. low sodium soy sauce
1/3 c. packed brown sugar
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1 Tbsp. ketchup
2 Tbsp. toasted sesame seeds

Place chicken thighs in the slow cooker. Whisk together remaining ingredients in a bowl and pour over chicken.Cover and cook on low 6 to 8 hours or on high 3 or 4. Serves 4 - 6.

Chilis Monterrey Chicken

Chili’s Monterey Chicken

Boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 tsp. BBQ sauce (Bulls Eye is good)
4 slices well crisped bacon
¼ c. Monterey jack and cheddar cheese blend

Pound chicken breast until somewhat flattened and season with salt and pepper. Spray pam or use olive oil in skillet to cook chicken until done. Transfer chicken to serving plate. Top chicken breasts with BBQ sauce, bacon, and cheese. Broil chicken breast in over or melt cheese in microwave. Sprinkle with small amount of cold chopped tomatoes and chives.