Love to Cook

Monday, January 9, 2012

Crescent Chicken Bundles (Taste of Home)

Thanks Aimee for sharing this recipe. I can't wait to try it. :)

Ingredients

2 packages (3 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
4 tablespoons butter, melted, divided
2 tablespoons minced chives
2 tablespoons whole milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 cups cubed cooked chicken
2 tubes (8 ounces each) refrigerated crescent rolls
1 cup crushed seasoned stuffing

Directions

In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, 2 tablespoons butter, chives, milk, salt and pepper until blended. Stir in chicken.
Unroll crescent roll dough and separate into eight rectangles; press perforations together. Spoon about 1/2 cup chicken mixture in the center of each rectangle. Bring edges up to the center and pinch to seal. Brush with remaining butter. Sprinkle with crushed croutons, lightly pressing down.
Transfer to two ungreased baking sheets. Cover one baking sheet and freeze until firm; transfer squares to a covered freezer container. May be frozen for up to 2 months. Bake remaining squares at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
To use frozen squares: Thaw in the refrigerator and bake as directed. Yield: 8 servings.

Nutritional Facts1 serving (1 each) equals 363 calories, 21 g fat (9 g saturated fat), 90 mg cholesterol, 622 mg sodium, 17 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 24 g protein.

Monday, January 2, 2012

Taco Cups (This Lunch Rox)

I just found this on Pinterest. Love this idea for school lunches!!! I am going to add chicken to this.

1) Use tortilla of choice (I prefer Joseph’s Flax, Oat Bran & Wheat Flour Tortillas)

2) Use a circle cookie cutter or biscuit cutter to cut the tortilla

3) Place the circles into a mini muffin tin and spritz with olive oil and sea salt

4) Bake for 7-9 minutes at 350 or until cups are crispy

Menu Plan 1/2/12 - 1/14/12

To Die for Blueberry Muffins (All Recipes)

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup white sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 egg

1/3 cup milk

1 cup fresh blueberries

Topping

1/2 cup white sugar

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup butter, cubed

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions

Preheat oven to 400. Grease muffin cups or line with muffin liners.

Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 3/4 cup sugar, salt and baking powder. Place vegetable oil into a 1 cup measuring cup; add the egg and enough milk to fill the cup. Mix this with flour mixture.

Fold in blueberries.

Fill muffin cups right to the top, and sprinkle with crumb topping mixture.

To Make Crumb Topping:

Mix together 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, 1/4 cup butter, and 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon. Mix with fork, and sprinkle over muffins before baking.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until done.

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Oatmeal Cookie (Cleverly Inspired)

My friend made these cookies and shared them with us at the park. So delicious AND healthy. The kids loved them. She didn't add chocolate chips but added almonds. So good and can't wait to make these.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar

1 cup butter or margarine, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg

2 cups quick-cooking oats

1 1/2 cups Gold Medal® all-purpose or unbleached flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (6 oz)

1 cup chopped nuts, if desired (I didn't)

Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, stir brown sugar and butter until blended. Stir in vanilla and egg until light and fluffy. Stir in oats, flour, baking soda and salt; stir in chocolate chips and nuts.

2 Onto ungreased cookie sheet, drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart.

3 Bake 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.

Sweet & Tangy Brisket (Our Best Bites)

Yum! This sounds so good!!! I can't wait to try this. Even better that it is a crockpot recipe. :)

This will be a nice Sunday lunch.

Recipe lightly adapted from Smitten Kitchen who adapted it from Emeril Lagasse

1 4-5 pound brisket
2 medium yellow or white onions, sliced
3-4 cloves garlic, smashed
1/2 teaspoon paprika (regular or smoked)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoons garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1 cup low-sodium beef broth
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup chili sauce (like Heinz chili sauce, not like Sriracha)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon prepared yellow mustard

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and 1 tablespoon of butter until melted and bubbly. Add the sliced onions and cook for about 10-15 minutes or until they’re tender and caramelizing. Add the smashed garlic cloves to the onions and saute until they soften and become fragrant, about 3-5 minutes. Add the herbs and spices and then remove from heat.

Rinse the brisket, pat it dry, and sprinkle it with salt and pepper. Place the brisket in a large slow cooker (fat side up) and spread the onion mixture over the roast.

In a medium bowl, combine the ketchup, chili sauce, brown sugar, beef broth, and mustard.Whisk it together and spread it over the onions.

Cook the brisket on low for 9-10 hours.

After the brisket has cooked in the crockpot, remove the brisket from the slow cooker and scrape off any fat. Place the brisket in an oven-safe baking dish and transfer the sauce to cover the brisket. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and refrigerate the brisket for several hours (up to a whole day).

An hour (more or less) before serving, remove the foil and remove any solidified fat. Carefully remove the brisket from the pan and place it on a large cutting board. Slice the roast into 1/2″ slices and then carefully (with the help of a long, heavy-duty spatula) return the sliced brisket to the pan. Re-cover the pan and place it in a cold oven and heat the oven to 300. Cook until the meat is heated through and the sauce is bubbling around the edges (30-45 minutes). Serve with mashed or roasted potatoes or these latkes and a green salad or your favorite vegetable. Serves 6-8.

Crispy Honey Nut Granola Bars (Once Upon a Chef)

I am still looking for a good granola bar recipe. I am going to give this one a try. I will let you know how it turns out!

Makes 12-16 granola bars

Ingredients

1½ cups old fashioned rolled oats
1 cup chopped walnuts
½ cup sliced almonds
⅔ cup shredded unsweetened coconut (available at Whole Foods or natural food markets)
½ cup honey
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup crisp rice cereal, such as Rice Krispies

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with heavy duty aluminum foil.

2. Spread the oats, walnuts and almonds onto prepared baking sheet. Place in the oven and toast for 7 minutes. Add coconut and toss well, then place back in the oven to cook about 6-8 minutes more. Keep an eye on it towards the end; you want the coconut to turn golden but not burn.

3. In the meantime, combine the honey, brown sugar, butter, vanilla extract and salt in a small saucepan and place over medium heat. Stir with a whisk until the brown sugar is completely dissolved. Turn off heat and set aside.

4. Once the oat mixture is done, remove it from the oven and reduce heat to 300 degrees. Combine the the oat mixture, honey mixture and rice cereal in a large bowl and toss well. (Reserve aluminum foil.)

5. Use the reserved foil to line a 9 x 13-inch baking dish, then spray foil with nonstick cooking spray. Turn granola bar mixture out into the prepared baking dish and spread evenly, being careful not to press down too hard. Bake for 20 minutes (be sure heat is reduced to 300 degrees). Remove from the oven and cool completely, about 1-1½ hours. Use the foil overhang to tranfer bars to cutting board, then use a large knife to cut into rectangles. Store in a single layer in an airtight container for up to a week (do not stack the bars or they will stick together and fall apart).