Aloo Gobi

This recipe from my Mom is Jack's favorite.
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Aloo Gobi (Potato & Cauliflower Curry)

2.5 T Vegetable Oil
1 t Mustard Seed
1 t Cumin Seed
1/2 Onion, diced
2 Potatoes, peeled and diced
2 Tomatoes, diced - optional
1 t Turmeric
2 t Cumin
2 t Coriander
1 t Chili powder
1.5 t Salt
1/4 - 1/2 C Water
1/2 Cauliflower, cut into florets
1/2 C Peas, rinsed & drained - optional
1 t Lemon or Lime Juice
1/4 C Cilantro, chopped

Heat oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add mustard and cumin seeds & onion. Cook, stirring occasionally until the onion is tender. Then add the potatoes & tomatoes. Mix in the turmeric, cumin, coriander, chili powder, and salt. Cover & cook 10 min, stirring occasionally. Add water as needed to ensure the potatoes continue cooking. When the potatoes are almost cooked through, add peas & cauliflower. Stir and cover again to allow the cauliflower to cook for another minute or two. When vegetables are done cooking, add lime juice & top with cilantro.

Curry Puffs

Curry Puffs:

2 Packages Peppridge Farms Puff Pastry Sheets (found in the refrigerated section of regular grocery stores)
1 Recipe Potato Curry


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut pastry sheets into squares and fill each square with a spoonful of curry. Fold in half, making a triangle and use your fingers to pinch the edges shut. Bake on a baking sheet for 7-10 minutes, checking for a golden brown color before flipping over and baking for another 3-6 minutes until golden brown on that side as well. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving warm with tamarind chutney.

Sambar

Sambar

Ingredients:

Chinta Pulusu
1/2 C Tamarind
Water

Dahl
1/2 C Toor Dahl
2 T Channa Dahl
2 Cloves Garlic
1/2 t Cumin Seed
Water

2 T Vegetable Oil
1/4 Cinnamon Stick
1 t Mustard Seed
1/2 t Cumin Seed
2 Red Chilies
1/2 Onion, Chopped
3-4 C Vegetables, Chopped (examples: carrots, celery, tomato, squash, cucumber, potatoes, apples, etc)
1 t Turmeric
1 t Cumin Powder
1 t Coriander Powder
1/2 t Salt
1/2 Cube Bellam* (AKA "Goods" in Hindi, found in Indian Stores)
3/4 C Water
1/4 C Cilantro, chopped
1 t Coconut Powder (found in Indian Stores)

*2 t of Brown Sugar can be substituted for Bellam in a pinch, but it won't have the smoky molasses flavor

Directions:
In a small bowl, place tamarind in enough warm water to submerge completely. Allow tamarind to soak for at least 10 minutes.

To make Dahl: Bring 3 Cups of water and toor dahl and channa dahl to a boil in a saucepan. Once boiling, add 2 whole cloves of garlic and cumin seed. Simmer for about 10 minutes until dahl is tender and mushy, stirring to smash the lentils.

Meanwhile, in a medium pot heat the vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the POPU (cinnamon stick, mustard seed, 1/2 t cumin seed, chilies, and onion) and cook, stirring occasionally until the onions are tender. Then add the vegetables, turmeric, cumin, coriander, salt, bellam, and water. Cover and simmer about 10 minutes until the vegetables are tender, checking often to make sure there is enough water (if not, add 1/4 cup more) and that the bellam is not caramelizing on the bottom of the pot.

While the vegetables are cooking, make the Chinta Pulusu by squeezing the tamarind in the bowl of water so the juice is released. Pour the tamarind juice mixture (Chinta Pulusu) into another small bowl and set aside. Fill the tamarind bowl again with more warm water to submerge the tamarind and squeeze again, releasing the juice. Pour the juice-water mixture into the Chinta Pulusu bowl again, and repeat the process one last time, soaking the tamarind a total of 3 times. Set aside the Chinta Pulusu and dispose of the used tamarind.

When the vegetables in the pot are tender, add the Chinta Pulusu and cook a few more minutes. Then add the dahl and stir well, simmering until the sambar is heated throughout. Add cilantro and coconut powder at the very end and stir again to ensure the dahl is evenly distributed. Serve warm over rice or with Idlis.

Mom's Potato Curry

Mom's Potato Curry

*4 Potatoes, diced into 1.5 in. cubes

*1/2 C Diced Carrots (optional)

*2.5 T Vegetable Oil

*1/2 t Mustard Seed

*1/2 t Cumin Seed

*2 Dried Red Chili Peppers, broken by hand into large pieces (Can be found in Indian or Mexican stores)

*1/2 Onion, Diced

*1/2 C Frozen Peas, rinsed and drained (optional)

*1/2 t Turmeric

*1/2 t Coriander

*1/2 t Cumin

*1 t Salt (Mom says to add salt "andaza" or to taste)

*2/3 C Cilantro, chopped

(Defrost puff pastry sheets if making curry puffs) 

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil, add diced potatoes and boil about 10 minutes until fork tender, being careful not to overcook.  When the potatoes are about halfway done, add the diced carrots. When vegetables are done cooking, drain and set aside. In a large skillet, heat vegetable oil over medium heat. Add mustard seed, cumin seed, red peppers, and onion. This is known as Popu [pronounced as poh-pooh]. Cook until onions are tender.  Add peas and stir. Add turmeric (for color), coriander, cumin, and salt and mix to coat onions and peas.  Add potatoes to onion and pea mixture and smash about half the potatoes lightly with the back of the spoon while stirring. Add cilantro and mix well. Enjoy!

Sweet Potato & Black Bean Tacos

During residency Jack was lucky enough to work with a few other podiatry residents who were LDS and we arranged dinners from time to time so our families could spend time together. One night we were at Keith & Paige Murdock's home and Paige made these tacos. I had never tasted sweet potatoes like this! They were amazing! Not only are they healthy and vegetarian, but they are packed with tons of yummy flavor. When I brought the recipe home, I tinkered with it a bit and came up with my own version. Here they are!

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Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tacos

2 Sweet potatoes or yams, peeled and cut into small cubes

1 T Olive oil

1/2 t Salt

1/8 t Chili flakes

2 T Lime juice

2 C Shredded cabbage (green, purple, or both)

2 Green onions, sliced

1 Lime, zested and juiced

1/4 t Salt

1 Can Black Beans, drained and rinsed 

1 t olive oil 1/3 C diced onion 1-2 garlic cloves, pressed or finely minced 1/3 C chicken broth 1/8 t cumin 1/8 t coriander1/8 t oregano 1/4 t salt 1/8 t pepper 1/2 lime

Corn or flour tortillas

Cubed avocado

Sweet Potatoes:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place cut sweet potatoes in a large bowl. Mix together olive oil, salt, chili flakes, and lime juice in a small bowl and pour over the sweet potatoes. Toss to coat. Spread potatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast 40 minutes turning once at 20 minutes. Cook until golden brown.

Cabbage Salad: 

Place cabbage and green onions in a bowl, toss with lime zest and juice and salt. Stir all together. 

Beans:

In a saucepan on the stove, heat the olive oil to med-high heat. Saute onions for about 3 minutes or until they just start to become translucent. Add garlic and saute abut 30 seconds more. Add beans, broth, and remaining seasonings and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a low simmer and simmer for about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. When they are done cooking, remove from heat and add in a few squeezes of fresh lime juice. Then use the back of a spoon or rubber spatula so mash some of the beans. 

Assemble tacos by placing sweet potatoes, cabbage salad, beans, and avovados in a tortilla and enjoy!

Tony's Walnut Crescents

One of my most favorite cookies EVER are Tony Ferriera's walnut crescent cookies. He knows how much I like them & I think he bakes a special batch around the holidays when he knows we'll be around so I can gorge myself on these little delights! I asked him for the recipe, assuming it was some generations-old Ferriera family secret, and I couldn't believe it was one he found on cooks.com! Here it is for our cookie making enjoyment...

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Tony's Walnut Crescent Cookies
Recipe adapted from Cooks.com

1/2 lb butter
1/2 C powdered sugar
1 t vanilla
2 C flour
1/2 C walnuts, chopped in small pieces

Cream butter, then work in sugar until well blended. Add vanilla, nuts, and flour. Place in the refrigerator for 1 hour (Tony sometimes skips this step if he's in a hurry and the results are fine). Shape dough into small crescents and place onto an ungreased cookie sheet. bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. While still warm, generously roll in powdered sugar to form a coating. Tony says if you're not choking on powdered sugar, you haven't put enough on. ;)

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookies (AKA Copy Cat Doug's Moon Cakes)

***This week I had a random craving for an oatmeal and peanut butter combo cookie so I searched the web a bit until I found one I thought might be decent. Today when I mentioned it to Jack, he said his Dad made oatmeal peanut butter cookies a few times when he was young and called them "Moon Cakes." This stuck out to me for a few reasons. First, I've never seen my father-in-law cook anything except for scrambled eggs. I'm sure he CAN cook, I've just never really seen it. So I was intrigued that he felt motivated enough to make this recipe. Second, I thought the name "Moon Cakes" sounded pretty cool. I googled it, hoping for an awesome cookie recipe and instead found thousands of recipes for a Chinese bakery product. I imagined our posterity reading through a Harvey Recipebox Cookbook some day and having the mental image of Doug Harvey as being someone who baked Chinese treats for his kids. I literally laughed out loud. I still am actually.

Jack said his Dad made these cookies a couple of times but that despite his kids' requests for it afterward, he never made them again. I felt like I owed it to Jack to recreate something that could fill this decades-old-hankering. Or maybe my week-old-craving. Either way, here they are:

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Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookies

(AKA Copy Cat Doug's "Moon Cakes")

Ingredients

1 C peanut butter (chunky or creamy)

1 C butter

1 C granulated sugar

1 C firmly packed brown sugar

2 eggs

2 t vanilla

2 C quick-cooking oats

2 C all purpose flour

1 t baking powder

1 t baking soda

¼ t salt

1- 12 oz package semi-sweet chocolate chips, if desired

1.       Heat oven to 350 degrees.

3.       Beat peanut butter and butter with electric mixer until smooth. Beat in sugars, eggs, & vanilla until blended.

4.       In a medium bowl combine oats, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Beat flour mixture into peanut butter mixture just until blended. Stir in chocolate chips, if desired.

5.       Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake 11-13 minutes.

Best Florek Rolls

This recipe is from a friend, Angel Florek, who lived in our ward while we were in podiatry school. Angel made these rolls along with a curried chicken salad for a friend's baby shower and I seriously thought she bought the rolls somewhere from a bakery. I was stunned to find out she had made them from scratch! They are sweet & remind me of hawaiian bread or milk-and-honey rolls. They are great as sandwich rolls (like for pulled pork or curried chicken salad!) or stand alone (like for Thanksgiving!). Love these!

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2 Tbsp dry yeast
1 Tbsp sugar
1/2 C. warm water

1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 C sugar
1/2 shortening
1 C hot milk
4.5 C flour, divided
2 eggs

In a small bowl, combine yeast, 1 Tbsp sugar, and warm water and set aside for 5 minutes or until bubbly. In a stand mixer bowl combine salt, 1/2 C sugar, and shortening. Mix on low with the whisk attachment until combined then add the hot milk, mixing slowly so as not to spill. Once incorporated, add 2 cups of flour. Then add the yeast mixture and mix well. Then add eggs.

Replace the whisk attachment with the dough hook and add remaining 2.5 cups of flour. Mix on high for 5 minutes. Remove the hook and set aside for 15 minutes to allow rising.

Flour the counter and divide the dough into 3 equal parts. Roll out each piece into a circle and cut it into 8 pieces, like a pie. Place rolls on a cookie sheet.

For quick rise: set oven to 170 then turn off. Place rolls in the off-but-warm oven for 30 minutes.

Bake at 400 for 9 minutes. Watch the first batch CLOSELY so they don't burn. Times can vary by oven anywhere from 7-10 minutes.

Ratatouille

***My wonderful friend Severine Germer from France made this traditional dish for us and I practically licked the bowl clean afterwards. This recipe is great the day its prepared, but as the flavors are given time to meld together, the leftovers are almost better the next day! That's saying something from a girl who isn't all the fond of leftovers! I also love her little quips throughout the recipe, it really shows her personality & why I think she's so fun!***

RATATOUILLE

(because you can't call yourself French if you don't know how to make this -or at the very least know about it-). This dish comes from the South of France and is very tasty with almost no fat. I usually make it with rice and sausages.

Ingredients:
-2 small yellow onions, cut "julienne" (you cut it in half and then in half again and take the inside slices apart)
-1 medium eggplant: cut in half lengthwise and then in thin slices. Put some in a strainer, add salt, then more + salt and so on in layers. This will take the bitterness out of the eggplant. Leave for 30 min and then pat the eggplants slices with paper towel to absorb the "juice."
-4 medium zucchinis, small slices
-about 5-7 medium tomatoes.
-1 Tbsp herbs de Provence
-olive oil
-1/2 stick of butter if you're not on Weight Watchers. It's not absolutely necessary though, I rarely use butter in ratatouille except to brown the onions.

Now that you've done all the slicing/getting ready, it's super easy and you can almost feel like you're in a Pixar movie:

1. Warm a big pot on the stove with a bit of butter, add onions when hot. Brown for about 5 mins, making sure they don't burn (it's been known to happen even to yours truly)

2. If need be, add some olive oil and then the eggplant, cook for 3-4 more mins.

3. Add zucchinis, plus a glass of water and cover. While it cooks, I usually cut the tomatoes in 8 and add them when I'm done. Add salt to taste and herbs. Add butter if you like.

4. Let simmer on low for one hour, adding some water if needed.

5. If too watery, uncover while simmering.

Chocolate Chip Bran Muffins

***I know bran muffins aren't all that glamorous a thing to bake, but after having my third child, I needed a little help in the fiber department... and these muffins adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe, which I have made over and over until the recipe is now perfect, were a godsend. A delicious godsend. From now on, I plan on making & delivering these with dinner for moms who've just had babies. And, I plan to continue making & eating these just as a healthy treat myself!***

Chocolate Chip Bran Muffins

YIELD: 

MAKES 24 MUFFINS

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups wheat bran flakes or plain wheat bran cereal (I like to use Trader Joe's brand-only $1.99 for the box!-but Kelloggs has one or in a pinch I've used raisin bran with the raisins plucked out)
• 1 cups Kellogg's All Bran cereal (look like little twigs)
• 1 cup boiling water
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) butter, melted
• 1/4 cup (no-added sugar) applesauce
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS

1. Place the wheat bran flakes and all-bran in the bowl of a stand mixer. Pour the boiling water over the bran and mix well. Mix every couple of minutes while the mixture cools to room temperature. The mixture will become very thick and sticky.
2. After the mixture cools, add the buttermilk in a slow steady stream pausing occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl before adding more. Then add the melted butter, applesauce, sugar, eggs and vanilla, mixing well after each addition. Add the flour, baking soda and salt. Mix well to combine all the ingredients together.
3. Scoop the batter into greased or lined muffin tins. Fill 3/4 full. Bake at 375 degrees as directed below, until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.

• Regular Muffin Tins (2 cookie scoops per cup): bake 14-16 min
• Jumbo Muffin Tins (4 cookie scoops per cup): bake 20-23 min

Crunchy Black Bean Tacos

I saw a similar recipe to this on Pinterest, but felt like the filling on these could use a little extra kick, so I added a few little twists inspired by Our Best Bites' version of "Quick and Easy Black Beans" and here is my new crunchy black bean taco!

Crunchy Black Bean Tacos

Makes 12-16 tacos (serves 8).
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
2 Cans Black Beans, drained and rinsed 
1/2 T olive oil 
2/3 C diced onion 
2-3 garlic cloves, pressed or finely minced 
2/3 C chicken broth
1/4 t cumin 
1/4 t coriander
1/4 t oregano 
1/2 t salt 
1/4 t pepper 
1 lime
2 Tbsp. cilantro, chopped
4-6 ounces pepper jack cheese, grated
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 avocado, sliced
Pinch of salt and pepper
12-16 corn tortillas
Hot sauce
Salsa
Sour cream

Directions:
1) In a saucepan on the stove, heat the olive oil to med-high heat. Saute onions for about 3 minutes or until they just start to become translucent. Add garlic and saute abut 30 seconds more. Add beans, broth, and remaining seasonings and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a low simmer and simmer for about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. When they are done cooking, remove from heat and add in a few squeezes of fresh lime juice. Then use the back of a spoon or rubber spatula so smoosh some of the beans. You don’t want to pulverize them, but you want to take a bunch of good smooshes so that some of the beans are smashed, which will thicken the sauce. Add in the cilantro. Grate the cheese and have it ready.

2) In a large, non-stick skillet or cast iron skillet, add a few tablespoons of oil and heat over medium-high heat.

3) Add one corn tortilla at a time and let each get hot in the oil for a few seconds. Then add about 1?4 cup of the bean filling to one half of the tortilla. Top with a sprinkle of grated cheese.

4) Using tongs, carefully fold the tortilla over so it forms a shell. Press down lightly on the tortilla so it holds its shape.

5) As the first tortilla cooks, move it to the side and do a second one. Depending on the size of your pan, you should be able to get 2 or 3 tacos at once. If you have a griddle you can do even more at once.

6) Cook each taco for about 3 minutes per side until they are nicely browned and crispy.

7) When flipping the taco to cook on the other side, use tongs and flip the taco toward the fold so the filling doesn’t fall out.

8) Serve tacos with toppings like hot sauce, salsa, avocados, and sour cream.Note: Corn tortillas are resilent to heat. Don’t worry about burning them. They are very flexible. Just be sure to cook them on each side long enough to get them really crispy.

OBB Tutorial for Oven Roasted Chicken

OVEN ROASTING CHICKEN BREAST

1. Defrosting. If you’re using frozen chicken, it’s best to defrost it first. If you’re really on top of it, you can defrost it a few days ahead of time in the refrigerator. I can guarantee you 100% that I am never that on top of things. This leaves the microwave defrost setting or placing it in a Ziploc bag in cool water, changing the water regularly. I prefer the cool water method because I almost always end up accidentally cooking at least part of the chicken in the microwave and unseasoned, microwaved chicken is not good.

2.  Rinse the chicken breast in cool water. Especially if you’re buying it non-frozen. Especially if it’s non-frozen with skin and bones. Even if your chicken is well before its expiration date, those liquids it’s sitting in don’t smell good and if you don’t rinse the liquid off, it will affect the flavor of your chicken after it’s been cooked.

3. Pat the chicken dry. Unless you’re poaching the chicken, it’s not a bad idea to dry it off, even if it’s going straight into a marinade. Just grab a few paper towels and blot the water off the chicken.

4. Marinating. If you’re after a particular flavor, marinating is a great way to go. However, if you’re after a more neutral flavor for something like chicken salad or a casserole, rub the chicken with a little extra-virgin olive olive oil and sprinkle with coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper. If you want to meet somewhere in the middle, you could go the salt-based seasoning route from the Fauxtisserie Chicken method again–just sprinkle it on there.I almost always marinate chicken breasts because it’s a great, cheap way to get some flavor into the chicken. You can use anything that has a little bit of acid (not the drug…we’re not that kind of blog…) in it–your favorite salad dressing, lemon, lime, orange juice, etc. One of my favorites is just juice from a few limes, a splash of red wine vinegar, and a few cloves of garlic. It works great on fish, too, but that’s another post.

Generally, you want to marinate chicken in the fridge for 4-8 hours or overnight. If you go for longer than 24 hours, things might start getting a little weird.

5. Oven Roasting. Preheat oven to 350.  If you’re using boneless skinless chicken breasts it will take less time.  Depending on the size, about 20-30 minutes.  Again, the juices running clear and the internal temperature are the best ways to be sure!

Whether you use boneless or bone-in chicken, remove from oven and allow to stand about 5 minutes before serving. This keeps the meat juicy and flavorful (and hey, not burning yourself is a positive side benefit).  You can just toss the skin from the bone-in chicken.

Marcia's Chicken Divan

***When I served in the RS Presidency of the Oakland 9th ward, Marcia Storm was one of my counselors. When we were all released we had a little farewell dinner at her place and she made this to-die-for dish. I told her I had to have the recipe on the spot. She said it came from a ward cookbook from the "old" Orinda ward. The original recipe is credited to Kay Merrill & Mildred Lindley. Thanks Kay & Mildred--and to Marcia for this go-to recipe!***

2 - 10 oz packages frozen broccoli
2 Cups Cooked Chicken (4 Chicken Breasts), Chopped
1 Can Cream of Chicken Soup
1 Can Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 Cup Mayo
1 tsp Lemon Juice
1/2 tsp Curry Powder
1/2 Cup Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese
1/2 Cup Panko Bread Crumbs
1 Tbsp Melted Butter

Cook broccoli and drain. Arrange in a greased 9x13 pan. Place chicken on top of broccoli. Combine soup, mayo, lemon juice, and curry powder. Pour mixture over chicken. Sprinkle with cheese, then the bread crumbs, then sprinkle melted butter over all. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Creamy Lemon Tortellini Spinach Bake

Tortellini Spinach Bake in Creamy Lemon Sauce
Recipe by Our Best Bites

12 oz bag Barilla Cheese & Spinach Tortelini (find them in the dry pasta aisle)
4 oz bacon or pancetta, (about 4 strips bacon)*
3 cloves garlic, pressed in garlic press or finely minced
2 Tbs flour
2 C milk
¾ tsp kosher salt
⅛ tsp black pepper
1 1/2 tsp dry basil
¼ tsp red pepper flakes (1/2 tsp or more if you like spicy)
1 medium lemon
2 C loosely packed fresh spinach, roughly chopped
¾ C grated mozzarella cheese, divided
¾ C grated Parmesan cheese, divided

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Fill a large stock pot with water and bring to a boil.  Add tortellini and cook according to package instructions.

Place bacon in a medium sized skillet on the stove-top at medium-high heat.  Cook until crisp.  Remove bacon from pan with slotted spoon and set on paper towels to drain.  Reserve two tablespoons bacon drippings in pan and discard the rest.  Add garlic to pan and cook until fragrant and tender, about 1 minute.  Add flour to pan and stir with a whisk for about 1 minute. Slowly add milk and continue to stir with whisk until smooth.  Add salt, pepper, basil, and red pepper flakes and bring sauce to a simmer.

While sauce is heating, use a microplane grater or a fine-holed cheese grater to zest lemon.  Then cut lemon in half and remove juice.  Add 2 teaspoons zest and 1 tablespoon lemon juice to sauce.  (Note:  I really love lemon so I added this to my tastes.  If you don’t want as strong of a lemon flavor, I suggest cutting it down to 1 teaspoon zest and 2 teaspoons lemon juice) .  Continue to stir until thickened, 2-3 minutes.  Remove from heat.

Drain tortellini and place back in stock pot.  Reserve 1 tablespoon of the cooked bacon and add the rest to the pasta mixture.  Add spinach, 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese.  Add sauce and gently stir to combine.  Place pasta mixture in an 8×8 or 9×9 baking dish and top with remaining 1/4 cup mozarella and 1/4 cup parmesan and also crumbled bacon.

Cover pan with foil and bake for 20 minutes.  Remove foil and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes, until cheese on top is melted and pasta is bubbly throughout.  Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes before serving.

* For a vegetarian meal, omit bacon.

Serves 4-6

Cowboy Quesadillas

Cowboy Quesadillas
Recipe by Our Best Bites

1/2 C white rice
1/3 C black beans
1 cup diced cooked chicken
1/3 C fresh frozen corn kernels (no need to thaw)
2/3 C diced tomato
3 Tbs sliced green onion
1 1/2 C shredded cheese (any type or combo you like)
1/4 C bbq sauce
6 small tortillas (fajita size, about 6″)

Dipping Sauce
equal parts bbq sauce and ranch dressing (here’s our favorite)

Combine rice, beans, chicken, corn, tomato, green onion and shredded cheese.  Add bbq sauce and stir to combine.  Place about 1/3 C of mixture on half of each tortilla and fold over to close.

Heat a skillet to medium heat on the stove top.  When hot, spray lightly with cooking spray, or drizzle with canola or olive oil.  Place quesadillas in pan and cook for 2-4 minutes or until golden brown and slightly crisp.  Flip and repeat on opposite side.  Cool for a few minutes and then serve with BBQ-Ranch dipping sauce.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie

Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie
Recipe from Nestle

1 unbaked 9-inch pie crust, homemade or store-bought.
2 large eggs
1/2 C flour
1/2 C white granulated sugar
1/2 C packed brown sugar
3/4 C real butter, softened (1 1/2 sticks)
1 C chocolate chips (semi-sweet or dark works best, you might find milk too sweet)
1 C chopped pecans (you are welcome to make it without nuts)

Vanilla ice cream, or sweetened whipped cream for serving (a must!  I prefer ice cream)

optional: chocolate sauce (honestly, doesn’t really need chocolate sauce, but it looks pretty!)

Preheat oven to 325° F.

Beat eggs in large mixer bowl on high speed until foamy. Beat in flour, granulated sugar and brown sugar. Beat in butter. Stir in morsels and nuts. Spoon into pie shell.

Bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until knife inserted halfway between edge and center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack or serve slightly warmed.  Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.

Colorburst Cupcakes

Colorburst Cupcakes

1 white cake mix
2 eggs
1 C yogurt (any smooth textured fruit flavor is fine!) or sour cream
1/2 C milk
1/3 C vegetable oil

Combine all ingredients until incorporated (about 30 seconds). Scrape sides of bowl and then beat on med-high speed for 2 minutes.

Divide batter according to how many colors you are using. I used 5 colors and it worked out to a little over 1 cup for each color, but each cake brand will be slightly different.

Use food coloring to color batter to desired intensity.

To get a layered stripe like I used, you’ll want to put a spoonful of each color in the cupcake one at a time. The batter is thick, so it won’t spread on it’s own. A great tip is to set out a little bowl of water where you’re working. Dip your finger in the water and then gently spread the batter out. The water will make it so the batter doesn’t stick to your fingers.

Another tip is to use a measuring spoon and some water to measure out how many teaspoons/tablespoons are going to fit in your cupcake. Then divide that by how many colors you have so you know how much of each color to use for each cupcake. For my 5 colors, it worked out perfectly with 2 t of each color in each cupcake. So I put in 2 t of blue in the bottom of each cupcake and spread it out with my finger. Then I put in 2 t of green on top of that, then yellow, etc.

Bake them according to the package directions, until a toothpick comes out dry.