Tag Archives: recipe

12 February 2012

A Chicken Recipe

By Nicki

I was doing work from home one day this week – instead of at a coffee shop or Barnes & Noble – and had the television on for background noise. Rachael Ray was on and was making this delicious looking stuffed, wrapped chicken breast so I put aside my work for five minutes (on TV cooking time is like on TV sports time – never true minutes). While I did not write down quantities, you can see the original recipe here.

Friday, which was one of the few days this week that my youngest had nothing going on, I made chicken breasts stuffed with herbed ricotta and wrapped in prosciutto. I am not a huge stuff the chicken breast fan as I usually make a mess that I am then left cleaning up. As a mother I question why, when my kids make dinner, they tell me it is my turn to do clean-up, yet I never see them do clean-up when I make dinner. One of the great mysteries of life, I guess.

Start with boneless, skinless chicken breasts. The ones I bought happened to be well-trimmed but if yours aren’t, trim any excess skin or fat off them. Slice them to open up the breast but not all the way through. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Take a half cup of ricotta cheese (for four chicken breasts). Mix thyme, basil and parsley in with the ricotta. Add some grated parmesan cheese. I do this to taste as I like to taste the herbs more than additional cheese. Place a quarter of this inside each seasoned chicken breast as shown and close.

Wrap each chicken breast with two thin slices – not shaved – of prosciutto. Place in a pan on the stovetop with a tiny bit of olive oil in the pan and brown the pieces on both sides. Place in an oven for 20 minutes.

Yum!!

1 comment   |  tags: , , | posted in Food and Recipes, Just my Thoughts

20 December 2011

Spicy Almonds

By Nicki

Do you always wonder what you are going to give those “hard to give to” people? Here is a quick last minute gift or a great hostess gift. You can either reuse a container you have – I will explain how to decoupage a container later – or buy a cute holiday container at the dollar store.

Spicy Almonds

INGREDIENTS
1 cup almonds
1 ½ teaspoons canola oil
½ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon garlic salt
Dash fresh ground pepper

DIRECTIONS
1. Roast almonds in oil, stirring frequently in a skillet over medium low heat until slightly browned and crispy. You will be able to hear the nuts hissing.


2. Toss nuts with spices until evenly coated.


3. Spread out on aluminum foil to cool completely and then store in an airtight container.

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , | posted in Food and Recipes, Just my Thoughts

14 December 2011

Two Flavored Fudge

By Nicki

I am posting several of my favorite holiday recipes. Once you see what is in this recipe, you will understand why I only  make it at the holidays.

With us in the grasps of the holiday season, I know, as well as you all do, that a lot of celebrations center around food. In that vain, I am going to share several of my family holiday recipes over the next few days.

My grandmother always made a lot of goodies for the holidays. My favorite recipe is the one for Two Flavored Fudge. I have to admit that fudge is hard to make. I will also admit that I have made this one time when it did not set and we sat at my other grandmother’s table and at the soupy mess with spoons.

Two Flavored Fudge

2 c. firmly packed brown sugar

1 c. granulated sugar

1 c. evaporated milk

½ cup butter

1 7-oz. jar marshmallow cream

1 6-oz. pkg. butterscotch morsels

1 6-oz. pkg. semisweet chocolate morsels

1 c. walnuts, chopped

1 t. vanilla

Preparation Instructions

In a saucepan combine the first four ingredients.

Bring to a full boil over moderate heat, stirring frequently. Boil 15 minutes over moderate heat, stirring occasionally.

Remove from heat. Add marshmallow cream, butterscotch morsels and chocolate morsels. Stir until morsels are melted and mixture is smooth. Blend in walnuts and vanilla. Pour onto a greased 9x 9 inch pan. Chill until firm. Makes about 2 ½ pounds.

1 comment   |  tags: , , | posted in Family, Food and Recipes, Just my Thoughts

24 November 2010

Cranberry Sauce

By Nicki

While my children are huge fans of that gelatinous mess that comes out of a can and looks nothing like cranberries – other than the color, of course, I prefer my cranberries fresh and cooked by me.  Because I am all about getting the cooking done as far in advance as I can of the holiday – I like to socialize with my guests and watch football and get in a good run, too – I did my cranberry sauce yesterday.

I promise it will go in a nice serving dish once the big day arrives.

Cranberry Sauce

1 bag (12 ounces) whole, fresh cranberries

2 teaspoons lemon zest

Juice of one lemon

1 cup water

1/3 cup sugar

1 packet Stevia

1 teaspoon ground ginger or freshly ground ginger root (half that if fresh)

Bring water and sugar and Stevia to a boil in a medium pot.  Add rinsed cranberries.  Allow to reach a boil again, then turn down to a simmer.  Do not cover.  Add lemon zest and juice.   Simmer for approximately 15 minutes.  Remove to a bowl and allow to cool completely before refrigerating.

As always, I attempted to make this recipe a bit more healthy as I made it.  The original recipe I found called for a cup of sugar.  I used 1/3 cup and Stevia.  I love orange instead of lemon with my cranberry also but I had lemon on hand so that is what I made this year.  To top it all off, I was drinking a Bigelow tea called Ginger Snappish which is ginger tea with lemon so I added a bit of that to the water once the sugar had dissolved.

Enjoy!!

2 comments   |  tags: , , , | posted in Food and Recipes, Just my Thoughts

24 November 2010

Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes

By Nicki

Make ahead mashed potatoes are a staple on my holiday tables.  My children love potatoes and this recipe means I do not have to be making the potatoes the day of the big event.  I will admit I sometimes have issues getting them in the oven for reheating in time but this year, that will not be a problem.  I did post this recipe about two years ago but have tweaked it a bit so here you all go again.

Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes

INGREDIENTS

5 pounds good baking potatoes, peeled and chopped to small pieces

1 – 8 ounce package 1/3 fat cream cheese (neufchatel)

8 ounces plain Greek yogurt

1/2 cup skim milk

1 stick margarine

1 onion, peeled and quartered

salt to taste

 

 

DIRECTIONS

Place potatoes in a large pot of lightly salted water.  Place quarter onion in water also. Bring to a boil, and cook until tender, about 15 minutes.

Drain, and mash.

In a large bowl, mix mashed potatoes, cream cheese, sour cream, milk, , and pepper. Transfer to a large casserole dish.   Can refrigerate up to five days in advance.  If refrigerating, let cool before covering and placing in refrigerator.

 

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).

Cover, and bake for 50 minutes in the preheated oven.

 

I, after mashing by hand, use a hand held mixer to blend in all the creamy items.

 

2 comments   |  tags: , , , | posted in Family, Food and Recipes, Just my Thoughts

2 November 2010

Salmon

By Nicki

For those of you who do not know, my oldest is 26 this month.  He moved home a little over a year ago and was laid off from his auditing position at a CPA firm in April of this year.  He has a lot of free time on his hands these days, or so it seems.  Consequently, he has been heading up north with my sister’s significant other to fish.  For about a month, they were either on Lake Ontario or the Salmon River twice a week.  The result is I have no room in my freezer at the moment.  It is full of salmon.

 

One thing that my son wanted to try was smoking the salmon.  I have a charcoal grill.  He bought some chips of hickory – first try, he used cherry from a friend – and got to work on smoking some of the fish.  This does not help in the freezer area as it means that there is now smoked salmon in the freezer also.  I did try a smoked salmon dip that my mom sent me and he loved it.  He ate it on toast tips for quite some time.  The recipe is below.

 

Smoked Salmon Dip
8 ounces of cream cheese
6-8 ounces of smoked salmon
4 green onions, chopped with some of the green
2 tablespoons capers (I didn’t have any on hand so added a pinch of salt)
½ cup mayonnaise or sour cream (more or less, to taste) – Always the rebel, I used Chobani Vanilla Greek Yogurt.
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
Juice of a lemon
Bring Cream Cheese to room temperature. Remove skin from salmon and flake with a fork. Mix all ingredients except lemon juice in a blender, food processor or with a fork if you want it lumpy. If you mix with a fork, chop the onion fine and also chop the capers. After it is well mixed, add lemon juice to taste. The lemon juice will cut the heavy taste of the salmon and cream cheese.
Notes:  From my mom:  I use Neufchatel cheese (I did too) but if you want, I am sure that fat free cream cheese might work as well. I have used regular minced onion but the flavor isn’t as good. I use Miracle Whip Free instead of mayo (as I said, I used Greek yogurt).
I serve with mini toasts or if you have some white bread, toast your own. It is very good with Champagne.

2 comments   |  tags: , , , | posted in Family, Food and Recipes, Just my Thoughts

20 January 2010

Salmon Patties

By Nicki

I am a huge salmon fan.  Like my fanaticism surrounding the sport of hockey, I find new and delicious ways to serve salmon all the time.  My favorite is simple and grilled on cedar planks.

I have also done salmon with lentils in a crock pot.  The lentils cook all day and the salmon goes in on top of parchment paper to steam when you get home from work for 25 minutes.  It is a wonderful recipe and tastes delicious.

This past week I wanted salmon and just couldn’t justify the current market price for fresh salmon.  I always keep a can of salmon available, just in case of power outages and such in the winter months.  So, I went in search of a salmon patty recipe that I had all the ingredients on hand.  This in itself is no easy task.

As I do with many recipes, I modified this one I found on AllRecipes.com slightly as I did not have dill weed or celery salt available.  My version is below.

Ingredients

  • 1 (14.75 ounce) can salmon, drained and flaked
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 1/4 cup garlic and herb seasoned dry bread crumbs
  • 1/4 cup dry potato flakes
  • 1 medium onion, minced
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

In a medium bowl, mix salmon, eggs, garlic and herb seasoned dry bread crumbs, dry potato flakes, onion, garlic, salt, and pepper. Form the mixture into 2 inch balls, and flatten into patties about 1/2 inch thick.

Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. In batches, cook patties about 5 minutes on each side, until lightly browned.

And the final product

6 comments   |  tags: , , , , , | posted in Food and Recipes, Just my Thoughts

31 January 2009

White Bean Tapenade

By Nicki

In an effort to make my Super Bowl spread a bit more healthy, I have discovered a great cracker topping.  You could also use this on crustini.

White Bean Tapenade

Great on whole-wheat crackers or even toast.

INGREDIENTS
2 garlic cloves, unpeeled
1/2 teaspoon olive oil
1 (15-oz.) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
2 teaspoons lemon juice
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 fresh sage leaves

DIRECTIONS
1. Wrap garlic cloves, drizzled with 1/2 teaspoon olive oil, in aluminum foil and place in a 350 degree F. oven until garlic is soft, about 30 minutes. Cool and squeeze garlic from clove, discarding skin.
2. Combine garlic paste, beans, lemon juice, salt, pepper and 2 tablespoons olive oil in food processor or blender. Process until smooth.
3. Thinly slice or mince sage leaves; fold into tapanade.
4. Taste to adjust seasonings, add salt or pepper as needed.

Recipe courtesy of National Pork Board.

NUTRITION INFO
Calories: 50
Fat: 2.6 g
Carbohydrates: 5.1 g
Protein: 2 g

1 comment   |  tags: , , | posted in Food and Recipes, Just my Thoughts

4 January 2009

Three Bean Soup

By Nicki

It is winter in upstate NY and I am in soup making mode.  Number one, I have more mouths to feed during college breaks.  Number two, nothing warms the body and the soul like homemade soup.  Number three, I love to make soup.

I cannot take full credit for the recipe below.  I swear I saw one similar to it somewhere, meant to be made in a slow cooker.  I should see if I emailed it to any of my kids who are big on using their slow cookers.  This is the way I made Three Bean Soup on January 1, 2009.

Three Bean Soup

Three Bean Soup

Three Bean Soup

 

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 onion, sliced thin

2 bay leaves

5 cups vegetable broth (mine was made a week prior)

1 can (approx 15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can (approx 15 ounces) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1 can (approx 15 ounces) pinto beans, drained and rinsed

2 cups pre-cooked (according to packaging directions) brown basmati rice

2 tablespoons tumeric

Salt and Pepper, to taste

 

Coat bottom of dutch oven or stock pot (depending on what you have on hand to make soup in) with olive oil.  Place onion in and sauté until translucent.  Pour in broth and add bay leaves.  As liquid and onion are heating, open and drain the three cans of beans.  Add beans to pot.  Stir to combine.  Add turmeric to pot.  Stir.  Bring soup to boil and turn back heat to simmer.  Remove bay leaves, or leave in and be sure to not serve in a bowl of soup.  Before removing from heat to serve, add rice.  Let simmer so rice heats up.  Taste soup and season with salt and pepper.  Serve with a hearty bread.

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , , | posted in Food and Recipes, Just my Thoughts

21 December 2008

Another Last Minute Gift

By Nicki

I know, I am the only one in the area, or within reading distance of my blog, that is not ready with all their gifts.  Well, here is another last minute gift you can make for someone on your list.

Spicy Almonds

Spicy Almonds

Spicy Almonds

Serves: 4

If you’re looking for a unique snack for work or in front of the TV, these almonds make a perfect portable alternative.  My picture is of a double batch. 

INGREDIENTS
1 cup almonds
1-1/2 teaspoons canola oil
1/2 tablespoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon garlic salt
Dash fresh ground pepper

DIRECTIONS
1. Roast almonds in oil, stirring frequently in a skillet over medium low heat until slightly browned and crispy.
2. Toss nuts with spices until evenly covered.
3. Spread out on aluminum foil to cool completely and then store in an airtight container.

NUTRITION INFO (per serving)
Calories: 223.9
Fat: 19.9 g
Carbohydrates: 7.5 g
Protein: 7.7 g

1 comment   |  tags: , , , | posted in Food and Recipes, Just my Thoughts

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 1,870 other followers