FREEZING COOKIES

When I make cookies I like to make double batches so I can have some to freeze. Only I hate having to thaw it out so you can scoop it. I started to think about how Pillsbury does their break apart cookies, so all you ahv to do is place them on a cookie sheet & decided to recreate. Here's what I did. I made a quadruple batch this time & them laid out some Glad Press n Seal on my counter. Then, using my trusty Pampered Chef (Thanks Ruth) scooper, I scooped a dozen balls close together & then sealed them up. Place in your freezer & VIOLA!! You have cookies ready to be baked at any time!

No-Cook Fresh Tomato Sauce with Pasta

tonight's dinna'




cook 1lb of your favorite pasta as directed on package
{i used al dente fiesta fettuccine}



meanwhile, combine the following:

8 chopped plum tomatoes
1/4 Cup of chopped fresh basil leaves
2 TBSP of chopped red onion
1/2 Cup Kraft Light Done Right! Italian Reduced Fat Dressing
{i used Kraft Light House Italian, and it turned out good}
1/4 Cup of Grated Parmesan cheese
Add drained pasta; toss to coat.*

makes 8 servings, 1 1/4 cups each.


*if storing leftovers, don't toss the ingredients together with the pasta. refrigerate separately so the noodles can be warmed up, but leave the dressing cold.

we didn't have any type of french bread, so i served the pasta with a piece of toast-alpine valley organic multi grain with omega-3....YUM!

jackson was quite impressed; he said it tasted like something from a restaurant. score!

Stuffed Peppers

*09/08/08* update~when eating as a leftover, heat up in toaster oven vs. microwave. it may take longer, but the wait is worth it.....the top was nice and toasty :)


mmmm.....yum, tonight i made these...and they did not dissapoint!





Step 1
mix the following ingredients in a skillet:

2 pouches of Boca Meatless Ground Burger
10 oz. of frozen corn
1 1/2 cups of your favorite salsa

cook on medium heat for 5 minutes, or until heated through, stirring frequently.
remove from heat.


add the following ingredients and mix well:

1 1/2 cups of cooked brown rice
1/2 cup of colby/monterey jack shredded cheese mix

Step 2
cut 4 peppers in half lengthwise and clean out seeds {use whichever you like best: red, yellow, green}
pour 1/2 cup of water into a 13x9 baking dish.
place peppers in dish.
spoon the burger mixture evenly into the pepper halves
cover with foil.

Step 3
bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.
uncover; sprinkle with 1/2 cup of shredded cheese
bake for 10 minutes.


i served these with a side of rice.

after my 1/2 pepper...i was one stuffed pepper myself! they are filling!
enjoy!

hawaiian haystack or chicken sundae

OR Chicken on a haystack!

SO EASY

amounts of the following filled my family.

4 Chicken breast

1 can of Cream of Chicken

3 cups of Rice

toppings

(one or all of these)

1 can Pineapple (tidbits/crushed)

almonds

1 stalk celery

1/2 tomato

1 pkg. ramen noodle (crushed) or chow mein

Cook your chicken and cut up into bite size pieces.

Cook your rice

Heat up Cream of Chicken soup as instructed on can

Start with a bed of rice, top with chicken and Soup....this is yum by itself.

But top with some of the other stuff and it's even better.

It's YUM-O and Super EASY!

MEXICAN LASAGNA

1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
4 scallions, coarsely chopped
Coarse salt and ground pepper
10 ounces fresh baby spinach
Nonstick cooking spray
8 (6-inch) corn tortillas
2 (15.5 ounces) pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup prepared salsa (mild or medium)
8 ounces pepper Jack cheese, grated (about 2 cups)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a food processor, combine cilantro, scallions, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper with as much spinach as will fit; pulse, adding remaining spinach in batches, until coarsely chopped.

Coat an 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray. Lay 4 tortillas in bottom of dish (they will overlap slightly). Layer with half of beans, salsa, spinach mixture, and cheese; repeat with remaining ingredients, ending with cheese and pressing in gently.

Cover dish with foil; place on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until bubbling, 25 to 30 minutes; remove foil, and continue baking until golden, 15 to 20 minutes more. Cool 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

**This can be a little spicy. I'd use 1/2 pepper jack cheese & 1/2 cheddar if you don't like things "HOT 'n' SPICY".**

Beef Fajitas

Because I love yummy food. And this is easy, too! When you are cutting the steak, after it has rested, be sure to reserve the juices for serving.

Ingredients
1 flank steak (about 2 1/2 pounds)
1 large onion, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch thick rounds (do not separate into rings)
1 green bell pepper, prepared as below
1 red bell pepper, prepared as below
1 yellow or orange bell pepper, prepared as below
1 lime, halved (one have juiced and one half cut into wedges and reserved for serving)
salt and pepper

Accompaniments:
Tortillas
Crema Agria (or traditional sour cream)
Salsa
Guacamole (or chopped avocado)

1. Preheat gas grill on high for 15 minutes.

2. Generously sprinkle both sides of steak with lime juice and salt and pepper to taste. Grill steak, covered, until well seared and dark brown on one side, 5 to 7 minutes. Using tongs, flip steak; continue grilling until interior of meat is slightly less done than you want it to be when you eat it, 2 to 5 minutes more for rare or medium-rare (depending on thickness of steak).

3. Transfer meat to cutting board; cover loosely with foil and let rest for 10 minutes.

4. While meat rests, turn burners to medium. Grill onions and peppers, covered, turning occasionally, until onions are lightly charred, about 6 minutes, and peppers are streaked with dark grill marks, about 10 minutes. Remove vegetables from grill and cut into long, thin strips; set aside.

5. Slice steak very thin on bias against grain; adjust seasonings with additional salt and pepper. Arrange sliced meat and vegetables on large platter; serve immediately with tortillas, passing salsa, guacamole and sour cream separately.


STEP BY STEP: Cutting Peppers For the Grill


Remove and discard a thin slice from the top and bottom of each pepper. Pull out the seeds. Slice down one side of the pepper, then lay it flat, skin side down. Slide a sharp knife along the inside of the pepper to remove the ribs.

Oatmeal Cake with Broiled Icing

Because it is so good. And because I already blogged about it. I cut and pasted from Cooks Illustrated. Awesome snack cake for after school or just because.

Do not use old-fashioned or instant oats for this recipe. Be sure to use a metal baking dish; glass pans are not recommended when broiling. If you have a drawer-style broiler (underneath the oven), position the rack as far as possible from the broiler element and monitor the icing carefully as it cooks in step 5. A vertical sawing motion with a serrated knife works best for cutting through the crunchy icing and tender crumb.

See Illustrations Below: Double-Foil Sling

INGREDIENTS
Cake
1 cup (3 ounces) quick-cooking oats (see note)
3/4 cup water , room temperature
3/4 cup (3 3/4 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter , softened
1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed (3 1/2 ounces) light brown sugar
1 large egg , room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Broiled Icing
1/4 cup packed (1 3/4 ounces) light brown sugar
3 tablespoons unsalted butter , melted and cooled
3 tablespoons milk
3/4 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup (2 1/2 ounces) pecans , chopped

1. FOR THE CAKE: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Cut two 16-inch lengths aluminum foil and fold both lengthwise to 5-inch widths. Spray 8- by 8-inch metal baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Following illustration 1 below, fit foil pieces into baking dish, one overlapping the other, pushing them into corners and up sides of pan; allow excess to overhang pan edges. Spray foil lightly with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Combine oats and water in medium bowl and let sit until water is absorbed, about 5 minutes. In another medium bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg together.
3. In bowl of standing mixer, beat butter and sugars on medium speed until combined and mixture has consistency of damp sand, 2 to 4 minutes, scraping down bowl with rubber spatula halfway through mixing. Add egg and vanilla; beat until combined, about 30 seconds. Add flour mixture in 2 additions and mix until just incorporated, about 30 seconds. Add soaked oats and mix until combined, about 15 seconds.
4. Give batter final stir with rubber spatula to make sure thoroughly combined. Transfer batter to prepared pan and lightly tap against counter 3 or 4 times to dislodge any large air bubbles; smooth surface with spatula. Bake cake until toothpick inserted into center comes out with few crumbs attached, 30 to 35 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking. Let cake cool slightly in pan, at least 10 minutes.
5. FOR THE BROILED ICING: While cake cools, adjust oven rack about 9 inches from broiler element and heat broiler. In medium bowl, whisk brown sugar, melted butter, and milk together; stir in coconut and pecans. Spread mixture evenly over warm cake. Broil until topping is bubbling and golden, 3 to 5 minutes.
6. Let cake cool in pan 1 hour. Following illustration 2, transfer cake to serving platter, then discard foil. Cut cake into squares and serve.

STEP BY STEP: Double-Foil Sling

1. To transfer our exceptionally tender cake to a platter without it crumbling, we devised a novel solution. Cut two 16-inch pieces aluminum foil and fold into 5-inch widths. Press one piece of foil into pan. Repeat with second piece, overlapping pieces by about 1 inch.

2. Once cake has cooled, pick up overhanging edges of foil and transfer cake to flat surface or platter. Gently push side of cake with knife and remove foil, one piece at a time.