Summer Eats

I've tried a few new recipes lately that I wanted to share. Most of them are from a blog I discovered called Small Time Cooks and from emails I receive from EatBetterAmerica. A lot of them are great little Summertime treasures. What are all of you eating during the Summer? I'm hungry.

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Caprese Sandwiches

Recipe from Small Time Cooks; serves 4

1 fresh baguette (*we just used some fresh hoagie buns)

1 bunch fresh basil

2 roma tomatoes, seeded and thinly sliced lengthwise

8 0z. fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

- Slice the baguette crosswise into 4 pieces as evenly as possible. Slice each piece in half lengthwise. Brush each slice lightly with olive oil; season with salt and pepper.

- Starting with the bottom slice of baguette, layer fresh basil leaves, tomato slices, and mozzarella. Top with additional basil leaves and second baguette slice.

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Fresh-Peach Drop Cookies

Recipe and Photo from Small Time Cooks; Makes approx. 4 dozen

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus 2 Tbsp

3/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature

1 c. sugar

1 large egg

1/2 tsp. vanilla

2 large ripe peaches, peeled, pitted, and cut into 1/4 inch deces

1/3 c. peach jam or preserves

2 Tbsp. fine sugar (for sprinkling)

1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon (for sprinkling)

-Preheat oven to 375. Whisk together flour, salt, and baking soda. 

-In separate bowl, beat butter and 1 c. sugar with a mixer on med-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Reduce speed to low. Beat in egg and vanilla. Add flour mixture, and beat until just combined. Add peaches and jam, and beat until just combined.

-Drop doguh onto greased baking sheets, spaced about 2 inches apart. (If not baking all of the cookies at once, refrigerate dough between batches; dough can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 days.) Combine sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle on each cookie.

-Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, until golden brown and just set, 11 to 13 minutes. Let cool on sheets for 5 minutes and then transfer cookies to wire racks to cool completely. 

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Southwest Turkety BLTs

Recipe from Small Time Cooks; Serves 2

4 slices whole wheat bread

1 avacado, pitted and peeled

2 Tbsp fresh lime juice

1 to 2 Tbsp pickled jalapeno (*we used some canned green chiles)

Salt and pepper

4 slices bacon

4 slices peppered turkey breast

1 Roma tomato, thinly sliced

Lettuce leaves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheet with aluminum foil. Bake bacon for 20 minutes, turning slices halfway through cooking time. Remove from baking sheet and place on paper towels to drain. While bacon is cooking, mash avacado, jalapeno and lime juice together in small bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Toast bread. Spread one slice with avacado mixture. Top with lettuce, tomatoes, 2 slices bacon, 2 slices turkey and second piece of bread. Repeat for second sandwich.

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Oatmeal Pancakes 

Recipe from EatBetterAmerica

3/4 c. quick-cooking oats

3/4 c. whole wheat flour

1 c. skim milk

1 Tbsp. sugar

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1 egg

In medium bowl, beat pancake ingredients with wire whisk until blended. Spray griddle or skillet with cooking spray. Heat griddle to 375 degrees or heat skillet over medium heat. For each pancake, pour slightly less than 1/4 c. batter from cup or pitcher onto hot griddle. Cook pancakes until puffed and dry around edges. Turn; cook other sides until golden brown. Serve with fresh fruit topping and syrup. 

[Idea for topping: 1-10 oz bag frozen mixed berries, thawed and drained + 3/4 c. maple syrup. Cook ingredients in saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture just begins to simmer. Set aside until ready to serve.]

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Oven Fries

Recipe from EatBetterAmerica

2 Large russet potatoes, sliced into 1/4-inch-thick lengthwise strips

1 Egg white, lightly beaten

1/4 tsp. Paprika

1/8 tsp. Salt

1/8 tsp. Pepper

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Coat baking sheet with tin foil and cooking spray. Brush potatoes with egg white. Sprinkle with paprika. Bake about 20 minutes, or until fries are nicely browned. Season with salt and pepper. 

Cherry Delight Dessert

1 can cherry pie filling 2 bananas, sliced or diced
1 c. coconut 1 can pineapple chunks

Spoon in graham cracker (or granola) crust in 9" square or pie dish. Top with whipped cream.

Quite easy and recieved requests for recipe at last social gathering.

Whole wheat what?

Ok. So I got this recipe from my friend and these cookies are DE-lish! AND guilt-free. Well...any good cookie has got to have butter and sugar in it right? Let me know if you have any ideas to make them even healthier (but let's keep them tasty ok).

Kristin’s Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies

¾ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup packed brown sugar
1 stick of butter (1/2cup)

1/2 cup Crisco
1 large egg
1 ¾ cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup oatmeal
*1/3 cup wheat germ
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups milk chocolate chips or chunks
½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 375 F
Mix sugars, butter/crisco and egg in large bowl. Stir in flour, oatmeal, wheat germ, baking soda and salt (dough will be stiff). Stir in chocolate chips.
Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake 8-10 minutes or until light brown (centers will be soft). Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet. Cool on a wire rack.
*If you don’t have wheat germ change wheat flour to 2 cups.

Note: My friend actually does 2 sticks of butter (instead of crisco) but dividing the butter with crisco makes a better cookie texture/less greasy for me. So it's whatever you like.

Chicken Pockets

I found this recipe at Cooking with Hilary. We have made these twice already. We bake half of the recipe and freeze the other half for later. We also tried baking all of them, them freezing them once they're baked to take in lunches. Check out the blog link above to find other great freezable meals.

Chicken Pockets

1 8 oz. Pkg. cream cheese (softened)
1/4 Cup chopped green onions
3 Cups chicken pieces
1 Can cream of chicken soup
Bread Crumbs
2 Cans Refrigerator crescent rolls

Combine chicken, cream cheese, and onions. Pinch together two rolls and a spoonful of chicken mixture. Seal edges tightly. Brush with melted margarine and roll in bread crumbs. Put into bag and freeze.

When thawed, bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes (until golden brown). Heat cream of chicken soup and enough milk for desired consistency for gravy. Pour gravy over each roll.

Yum Yum for Your Tum Tum

Chenae asked me to put a recipe for my favorite food, chicken enciladas, on here. They are so scrumptious and I grew up eating these. My mom made them for me all the time. They are great, and relatively easy to make. Plus as long as you use all of the suggested ingredients, they turn out good no matter how you put it together. Enjoy!! I tried to decide how much would be necessary for a 9x13 pan but I had no idea. I don't use a recipe ever I just make it and then add more if I need more so I tried to just guess what would be necessary. I usually make a 9x9 so if you don't like the flavor, or there isn't enough of any of the ingredients, try to tweek it a bit to make it work for the size you are making.

SOUR CREAM CHICKEN ENCHILADAS
15 corn tortillas
1.5 C sour cream
2 small cans Cream of Chix soup
3 boneless, skinless chix breasts
lots of cheese
small can diced chiles if desired
salt and pepper to taste
Begin by mixing the sour cream and the soup. Spoon some of the mixture into the bottom of the pan so that it is just a thin layer. Cut the tortillas into fourths. (I just do a cut down the middle and then the other way. Or you can just tear the tortillas into pieces.) Then lay down a layer of tortilla pieces, covering the entire pan. Then dice or shred the chicken into pieces. Place a layer of chicken over the tortillas. The chicken doesn't need to be covering the entire pan, just use about 1.5 chicken breasts. Then spoon more of the soup mixture, covering the whole pan. Use more than you did on the bottom of the pan to be sure that it gets between all of the chicken pieces and then to the tortilla layer. Then cover generously with cheese. Then cover that with another layer of tortillas, chicken, soup mixture and cheese. For the final layer, just spread the remaining soup mixture and lots of cheese. Bake @ 350 for 40-60 minutes until liquids are bubbling.
*Just use your judgement to decide how much of the ingredients you will need to use. Its a super easy recipe and sooo yummy.*

The Best Salad Ever!!

So this is my first time posting a recipe. I am pretty excited, although it is not my recipe. Michelle made it last night for dinner and it was the best thing I have ever tasted mixing some of my favorite veggies. It is from Rachel Ray and Ace wanted her to make it, but I honestly think I ate more than half and then Michelle even let me take the left overs. It is soooo good. And really healthy!

TOMATO ONION AND CUCUMBER SALAD
5 tomatoes, chopped
1/4 red onion, peeled, diced
1 cucumber, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
1 green bell pepper
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
2 splashes red wine vinegar
Coarse salt and black pepper
*I wonder what it would taste like to add a little avacado or feta to this? Maybe I will try it and let you all know.*

Okay so I made this, it did not last long. It was good the first night, but got progressively more oddly textured. Ace and Mich made it and intead of using EVOO and vinegar, they just used Balsamic Vinaigrette with EVOO already in it. It lasted longer, plus tasted way way better. Make it that way. It tastes so much more amazing.

Chocolatiest Chocolate Cake

Does anybody else (in my family) remember when Jill made this for us when she lived with us in the Burg?
Jill's Hershey Chocolate Cake

2 cup sugar
1 3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup cocoa
1 1/2 tsp bkg soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt

2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup oil
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup boiling water

Combine dry ingredients and set aside. Mix eggs, milk, oil and vanilla. Add dry ingredients to wet mixture and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.
Bake 4350 for 30-35 minutes.

Hershey Frosting:
1/2 cup butter or marg
2/3 cup cocoa
3 cup powder sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spread consistency. Add more powdered sugar to thicken frosting if needed. Stir in vanilla.