Magic's Green and White Chicken Soup

Here is another recipe from Allrecipes.com that uses both cilantro and spinach. It turned out pretty good but needed some extra salt and pepper. I guess the recipe says use it "to taste" and I guess my taste needs a lot for this recipe. It smelled so good but then you took a taste of it and the flavor just wasn't there till you added a little more salt. Anyway, still good and I do recommend it. The only thing is I didn't make the noodles by hand since we have an egg allergy so I just substitued packaged noodles. I also didn't use kale, I just used more spinach. I give the recipe a 4.5! Sorry no picture this time...

INGREDIENTS

1 (4 pound) whole chicken, cut into pieces (I used about 4 chicken breasts)
2 medium heads garlic, chopped
(if you're not making homemade noodles skip the next 5 ingredients)
3 tablespoons butter
2 1/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
4 egg yolks
1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped
1 bunch kale, torn into small pieces (or just use more spinach instead)
1 bunch fresh spinach, stems removed, torn into small pieces
2 bunches green onions, chopped
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon curry powder
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
salt and cracked black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

Place chicken and garlic in a large pot and with water to cover. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, until meat is very tender, 30 minutes to 1 hour. Remove chicken from pot and let rest until cool enough to handle. Remove skin and bone and tear or chop meat into bite-size pieces.

(If you're not making homemade noodles skip this next step)

In a large bowl, beat together butter, flour and salt to form a mealy mixture. Beat in eggs and egg yolks to form a stiff dough. Divide dough into thirds and roll each third out onto a floured surface to 1/8 inch (3 mm) thickness. Let rolled pieces of dough rest on racks for 20 minutes.

While dough is resting, stir chicken meat, cilantro, parsley, kale, spinach and green onions into broth. Season with Italian seasoning, curry powder and balsamic vinegar. Simmer over low heat, adding more water if necessary. Slice the noodle dough into 1/2-inch (1.2 cm) widths. Bring the soup to a light boil and drop noodles into the soup a few at a time. Cook until noodles are tender, 5 minutes. (If using prepackaged noodles cook them on the stove until almost done, drain, then add them to the soup to cook the extra 5 minutes). Season soup with salt and pepper and serve.

Black Bean Spinach Pizza

I found this recipe at Allrecipes.com because I was looking for a recipe that specifically had both spinach and cilantro in it. My in laws gave us a bunch of both from their garden and I didn't want it to go to waste! It was supposed to be a vegetarian pizza but I added chicken to it as well. It turned out so good! Tim said it was his favorite pizza I've ever made. So I definitely had to share! I of course give it a 5!

INGREDIENTS

1 (10 ounce) package prebaked Italian bread shell crust (I used Pillsbury's pizza dough)
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed, drained, and mashed
1/3 cup chopped onion (I used green onion)
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 cup salsa (I used salsa verde)
1/2 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry (I used fresh spinach)
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1 chicken breast cut up

DIRECTIONS

Place the crust on an ungreased 12-in. pizza pan (I prebaked the pizza dough I used). Combine the beans, onion, chili powder, cumin and garlic; spread over crust. Layer with salsa, spinach and cilantro. Sprinkle with hot pepper sauce and cheeses. Bake at 450 degrees F for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown (I baked it at 400 degrees for 8 minutes according to the dough package).

The Ultimate Test

Using the Orange Puree I tested the secrets of the sneaky chef to see if it was possible to hide vegetables in Macaroni and Cheese. I of course tested this out on my 2 1/2 year old. I also added some diced ham because it was for Sunday night dinner.....don't judge me......I am pleased to say that it worked pretty well all except for that one chunk of carrot that must not have been chopped well enough but I quickly scooped it out and no one knew. The only thing I would say if you're going to just do straight up macaroni and cheese is to add a little salt. The blandness of the puree transfers to the macaroni a little. You could also add some extra shredded cheese and be fine as well. I give this recipe a 5 just for the pure sneakiness of it!

So it's not much of a recipe:

1 box of Macaroni and Cheese (follow directions on package)
1/4 cup Orange Puree
salt to taste

optional: cooked, diced meat of your choice; shredded cheese

Pesto Lasagna Rolls

This is a Taste of Home recipe I used in conjunction with the White Puree recipe. It turned out great and no one could tell there was zucchini and cauliflower in it. The recipe actually did call for some zucchini in it which is why I thought this puree would work well mixed in with the cheese mixture. So instead of the zucchini I added 1 cup of White Puree. Instead of the first 4 ingredients I just used already made pesto sauce. One other thing I added was some chicken to the cheese mixture...just to give us some meat :) Oh and I give this recipe 4.5 stars (I needed more pesto sauce).

Ingredients

2 cups Fresh basil leaves
2 cloves Garlic
1 cup(3oz) shredded Parmesan Cheese, divided
3/4 cup Olive oil
15 oz Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
1 Egg, beaten
1 cup Diced zucchini
16 Lasagna noodles, cooked drained and cooled

Preparation

Prepare pesto sauce in covered blender or food processor by processing basil with garlic until chopped. Add 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese; process until well mixed. With machine running, slowly add oil and coninue processing until smooth. Set aside. In medium bowl, combine ricotta and mozzarella cheese, remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese and egg; blend well. Fold in zucchini (or fold in White Puree).

Spread 2 heaping Tablespoons cheese mixture on each lasagna noodle.
Roll up each noodle length wise and stand vertically in greased 11x7-inch baking
dish. Pour pesto sauce over lasagna rolls; cover and bake in preheated 350* F.
oven 40 minutes or until bubbly and heated through.

.

Can you be a sneaky chef?

Yes you can! So I checked out from the library, The Sneaky Chef and Deceptively Delicious. Both cook books talk about hiding fruits and vegetables in puree form in almost any recipe you can think of even desserts! So I had to try it out since we've been lacking in the fruit/vegetable department as of late. Both books are doing the same thing but they are going about it just a little differently than the other. In Deceptively Delicious you basically take a single vegetable or fruit and puree it in a blender/food processor until it's smooth and then either use it right away in a recipe or store it in the fridge for a few days or the freezer for 3 months. You can use any vegetable but you only use one vegetable in each puree (if that makes sense).

In The Sneaky Chef you have 6 different purees that are categorized by their color, a couple of juice recipes, a better breading recipe and a healthier flour blend to use in any baked good you make. With these color organized purees you put in at least 2 different vegetables/fruits in it together. For me, this way was easier so I only had a few different purees in my freezer but those purees could be used in a number of different recipes depending on the color of the food in the recipe I was making.

But both books have great recipes and ideas for making any recipe you already have or any boxed item (ie: macaroni and cheese) be better for you just by adding a puree you made ahead of time and are storing in your freezer.

I decided to make 4 of the purees just to start out and see if it was something I could do easily and something that wouldn't be too much of a hassle. It took me about 2 1/2 hours for the 4 purees and I made double batches of each and that's start to freezer time. That wasn't too bad but we'll see how long these purees last me and how often I'll actually have to set aside that 2 1/2 hours to make more.

After reading through the books I got a pretty good idea of how to tell what puree I would add to whatever recipe I was using. Meaning, I didn't have to just use the recipes in their books. Which makes this entire process a lot more appealing so that I'm not just confined to one set of recipes for it.

Ok I know this is long and according to Tim it's legal to post these recipes so I'm going to give you the 4 puree recipes I made and see for yourself if it's something you want/need in your food. The 4 I chose were used in the majority of the recipes in the book.

Purple Puree

- 3 cups raw baby spinach leaves (1 cup frozen chopped spinach, or frozen chopped collard
greens)
- 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries (no syrup or sugar added)
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/2 tablespoons water

> If using raw spinach, thoroughly wash it, even if the package says "prewashed." Bring spinach or collards and water to boil in a medium pot. Turn heat to low and allow to simmer for 10 minutes. If using frozen blueberries, quickly rinse them under cold water to thaw a little, and then drain.

> Fill the bowl of your food processor with the blueberries and cooked spinach, (or collards) along with the lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of water, and puree on high until as smooth as possible. Stop occasionally to push top contents to bottom. If necessary, use a second tablespoon of water to make a fairly smooth puree.

> This amount of spinach and blueberries makes only about 1 cup of puree. Double the recipe if you want to store another cup of the puree. It will store in the refrigerator up to 2 days, or you can freeze 1/4 cup portions in sealed plastic bags or small plastic containers.

Orange Puree

This makes about 2 cups of puree. Double the recipe if you want to store another cup of puree. Store in refrigerator up to 3 days, or freeze one-quarter cup portions in sealed baggies or small plastic containers.

- 1 medium sweet potato or yam, peeled and rough chopped;
- 3 medium to large carrots, peeled and sliced into thick chunks;
- 2-3 tablespoons water

> In a medium pot, cover carrots and potatoes with cold water and boil for about 20 minutes until yams, and especially the carrots, are very tender. If the carrots aren't thoroughly cooked, they'll leave telltale little nuggets of vegetables, which will reveal their presence (a gigantic NO-NO for the sneaky chef).

> Drain the potatoes and carrots and put them in the bowl of food processor with two tablespoons of water. Puree on high until smooth; no pieces of carrots or potatoes should remain. Stop occasionally to push the contents from the top to the bottom. If necessary, use the third tablespoon of water to make a smooth puree, but the less water the better.

White Puree

Makes about 2 cups of puree. Double recipe if you want to store even more, which can be done in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or freeze 1/4 cup portions in sealed plastic bags or the small plastic containers.

- 2 cups cauliflower, cut into florets
- 2 small to medium zucchini, peeled and rough chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1-2 tablespoons water, if necessary

> Steam cauliflower in a vegetable steamer over 2 inches of water, using a tightly-covered pot, for about 10 to 12 minutes until very tender. Alternatively, place cauliflower in a microwave-safe bowl , cover with water, and microwave on high for 8 to 10 minutes until very tender.

> While waiting for the cauliflower to finish steaming, start to pulse the raw peeled zucchini with the lemon juice only (no water at this point). Drain the cooked cauliflower. Working in batches if necessary, add it to the pulsed zucchini in the bowl of the food processor with one tablespoon of water. Puree on high until smooth. Stop occasionally and push contents from the top to the bottom. If necessary, use the second tablespoon of water to make a smooth (but not wet) puree.

White Bean Puree

1 15-ounce can white beans (great northern, navy, butter or cannellini)
- (If you are starting with dry beans, soak 1 cup for an hour, then cook according to instructions.) - 1 to 2 tablespoons water

> Rinse and drain the beans and put in the bowl of your food processor. Pulsing in on/off turns, puree the drained beans with just 1 tablespoon of water in processor until smooth, stopping occasionally to scrape down sides of bowl. The goal is a smooth, but not wet, puree. (You are aiming for the consistency of peanut butter.) If necessary, thin with a little more water by one teaspoonful at a time until there are no flecks of whole beans visible.

> Store in the refrigerator up to 3 days, or freeze 1/4 cup portions in sealed plastic bags or small plastic containers. Makes about 1 cup of puree. Double this recipe if you want to store another cup of puree.

Pineapple Ham Bake

Another good recipe from the Taste of Home cookbooks! I made up some rice and green beans to go along with this and it was great! I give this recipe a 5!

SERVINGS: 8
CATEGORY: Main Dish
METHOD: Baked
TIME: Prep: 10 min. Bake: 30 min.

Ingredients:

2 cans (8 ounces each) unsweetened crushed pineapple
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon vinegar
2 teaspoons ground mustard (I used regular yellow mustard and eliminated the vinegar)
1 pound fully cooked ham, cut into 1/4-ince pieces

Directions:

Combine the first four ingredients in an ungreased 2-qt. baking dish; mix well. Stir in ham. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 30-40 minutes or until heated through. Serve with a slotted spoon. Yield: 8 servings.

Cayenne-Rubbed Chicken with Avocado Salsa

Ok so after a long hiatus I'm back! I have plenty of recipes to share but don't have time to blog them all so I thought I'd start with this one that I made just the other day. It comes from the Everyday Food magazine which I just started subscribing to. A lot of the recipes in there are a lot more time intensive than I would like but this one was quick and easy and really light tasting. I served it with rice and steamed vegetables. I loved it! I give it a 5!

Coarse salt and ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (6 to 8 ounces each)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium red onion, finely diced
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 Hass avocado, pitted and cut into chunks (I just used a regular avocado)

1. In a small bowl, combine 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and cayenne; rub all over chicken.

2. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium. Add chicken, and cook until browned on the outside and opaque throughout, 8 to 10 minutes per side.

3. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine onion and lime juice; set aside. Just before serving, fold avocado chunks into onion mixture; season with salt and pepper. Serve chicken topped with salsa.

Pasta with Pumpkin and Sausage

For all of you who have leftover pumpkin after the Thanksgiving holidays, I thought I'd share this recipe I found from Rachael Ray's 30 Minute meals cookbook. We all loved it! The leftovers were gone in 2 days! It sounded weird at first but I thought I'd try it out and was very pleased! I went a little easy on the nutmeg with this dish since the last dish I used it on turned out nasty! I give this recipe a 5!

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon
1 pound bulk sweet Italian sausage
4 cloves garlic, cracked and chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 bay leaf, fresh or dried
4 to 6 sprigs sage leaves, cut into chiffonade, about 2 tablespoons
1 cup dry white wine (I used more chicken broth)
1 cup chicken stock, canned or paper container
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup (3 turns around the pan) heavy cream
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, ground or freshly grated
Coarse salt and black pepper
1 pound penne rigate, cooked to al dente
Romano or Parmigiano, for grating

Heat a large, deep nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and brown the sausage in it. Transfer sausage to paper towel lined plate. Drain fat from skillet and return pan to the stove. Add the remaining tablespoon oil, and then the garlic and onion. Saute 3 to 5 minutes until the onions are tender.

Add bay leaf, sage, and wine to the pan. Reduce wine by half, about 2 minutes. Add stock and pumpkin and stir to combine, stirring sauce until it comes to a bubble. Return sausage to pan, reduce heat, and stir in cream. Season the sauce with the cinnamon and nutmeg, and salt and pepper, to taste. Simmer mixture 5 to 10 minutes to thicken sauce.

Return drained pasta to the pot you cooked it in. Remove the bay leaf from sauce and pour the sausage pumpkin sauce over pasta. Combine sauce and pasta and toss over low heat for 1 minute. Garnish the pasta with lots of shaved cheese and sage leaves.

Southwestern Chicken and Black Bean Burritos

This is also from Rachael Ray's 30 minute all occasion cookbook. We had this one tonight and it turned out great! I added cilantro to it because I need to get rid of it and it gave it added flavor. I also added cheese because what burrito is complete without cheese? I give this recipe a 5! (again sorry no picture)

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
a couple shakes cayenne pepper sauce, such as Frank's Red Hot or Tabasco
1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil (I used pam cooking spray)
1/2 medium spanish onion chopped (I just used regular yellow onion)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (15 oz.) black beans, drained and rinsed
3 Tbsp smoky barbecue sauce
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 heart of romaine, shredded
6 scallions, thinly sliced
2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
4 large flour tortillas, flavored or plain

Rub chicken with cumin, chili powder, and cayenne sauce. Heat a griddle pan to high. Cook chicken breasts 4 minutes on each side and remove from heat.

While chicken is cooking, heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Go once around the pan with oil. Cook onions and garlic until onions are soft, about 5 minutes. Add beans and barbecue sauce. Chop cooked chicken breasts and drop into barbecued beans. Heat mixture through. Season with salt and pepper.

Place a tortilla on a plate and pile chicken and beans in center. Top with lettuce, scallions, and tomatoes. Wrap, roll, and repeat with remaining tortillas and filling. Serve with chips and salsa.

Sausage, Beans, and Broccoli Rabe "Stoup"

I recently picked up the Rachael Ray 30 minute meal cookbook for all occasions and have been trying out some of the recipes. This one was the first I tried and it turned out amazingly good! I didn't use broccoli rabe because I figured Wal-Mart wouldn't have it and I didn't want to take the time to search for it so I just used regular broccoli. I also added freshly chopped mushrooms since we had a bunch to get rid of. Hope you enjoy it! I give it a 5! (Sorry no picture this time!)

2 Tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil (I just spray the pan with Pam cooking spray)
1 lb bulk Italian sweet sausage (just used regular Jimmy Dean sausage)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 starchy potato, peeled and chopped into small dice (I used red potatoes)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 bay leaf
1 can (15 oz.) white beans, drained (I used Great Northern beans)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 bunch broccoli rabe, chopped (3 cups) (I used regular broccoli)
1 quart chicken broth
Grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Romano cheese, for serving

Heat a medium pot or a deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and sausage and brown, crumbling with a spatula. Add onions, carrots, potatoes, garlic, bay leaf, and beans. Season with salt and pepper. Cook to begin to soften the vegetables, 5 minutes. Add broccoli rabe and cook just until wilted. Add chicken broth and cover pot. Raise heat and bring stoup to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook 15 minutes. Remove bay leaf, adjust seasonings, and serve stoup with grated cheese for topping.

Creamy Chicken Macaroni

Tonight's meal was again from the newest Kraft Food and Family magazine and was one of my favorite types of meals, a one pot dish! Love it! Less mess and only one pot to clean afterward. I didn't have any paprika in the house....among all my thousands of spices so I used Old Bay seasoning instead....didn't do much for the chicken so I give this recipe a 4.5!

1 Tbsp. oil
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
1/4 cup chopped onions
1 tsp. paprika
2 cups water
2 cups small broccoli florets
1 pkg. (7-1/4 oz.) KRAFT Macaroni & Cheese Dinner
1/2 cup BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream

HEAT oil in large skillet on medium-high heat. Add chicken and onions; cook and stir 5 min. Add paprika; cook and stir 1 min.

STIR in water, broccoli and Macaroni; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover. Simmer 10 min. or until macaroni is tender and chicken is cooked through, stirring occasionally.

ADD Cheese Sauce Mix and sour cream; stir until well blended. Cook 2 min. or until heated through, stirring occasionally.

Speedy Chicken Stirfry

It's that time again, when Kraft Food and Family sends me another magazine and I use it A LOT! I loved this recipe and there are no leftovers since those were eaten today so you know it was good when the leftovers are no longer around. My favorite part of this recipe is the Kraft Asian dressing, I love all the flavors they have that help make a dish wonderful! I give it a 5!

8 oz. angel hair pasta (capellini), uncooked
2 cups small broccoli florets
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
1/2 cup KRAFT Asian Toasted Sesame Dressing
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1/4 tsp. each: ground ginger, garlic powder, crushed red pepper
1/3 cup chopped PLANTERS Dry Roasted Peanuts

COOK pasta as directed on package, adding broccoli to the boiling water for the last 3 min. of the pasta cooking time.

MEANWHILE, spray large nonstick skillet with cooking spray; heat on medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 6 to 8 min. or until cooked through, stirring occasionally. Stir in dressing, soy sauce, ginger, garlic and crushed red pepper; cook 1 min., stirring occasionally.

DRAIN pasta mixture; place in large bowl. Add chicken mixture; mix lightly. Spoon evenly into four serving bowls; sprinkle with the peanuts.

Chicken Waikiki Beach

Doesn't the recipe name just sound so exotic? Well now that I'm back to actually cooking meals instead of take out or frozen meal stuff I thought I'd post one of the new things I tried. This recipe came from a Fundcraft Cookbook Sampler and it's by someone named Sue Dowell. It was great and we're working on downing the leftovers! I give this recipe a 5!

1 chicken cup up (I used 2 chicken breasts cut into bite size pieces)
1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup oil
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Heat oven to 350. Coat chicken with flour. Heat oil (I just use cooking spray) in a large frying pan and brown chicken on all sides. Remove to a shallow roasting pan; arrange pieces, skin side up. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Prepare sauce.

Sauce:

1 (1lb. 4oz.) can sliced pineapple
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup cider vinegar
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1/4 tsp ginger
1 chicken bouillon cube
1 large green pepper, sliced (I used orange)

Drain pineapple syrup into a 2-cup measure. Add water to make 1 1/4 cups. Mix in cornstarch to dissolve. In medium saucepan, combine sugar, syrup with cornstarch, vinegar, soy sauce, ginger and bouillon cube. Bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes. Pour over chicken. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes. Add pineapple slices and pepper slices. Back 30 more minutes. Serve with rice and enjoy! (Now I thought that was quite a bit of cooking time an hour after you've already browned the chicken? So I did 15 minutes and 15 minutes and it was fine....I had a starving family waiting for dinner!)

Black Beans and Cheese Enchiladas

So it's been forever since I posted a new recipe, but after I made this really easy recipe I knew I had to post it. I found this recipe on the Betty Crocker website. I was looking for a recipe to use the rest of a steak that I had already cooked up. This recipe doesn't call for meat but I added the steak and also a can of green chiles before putting the bean mixture into the tortillas. This was so easy I'm sure without adding those 2 things it would be even easier for those of you who don't want to add any meat to it. I give this recipe a 4.5!

1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped (1/2 cup)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 can (15 oz) Progress® black beans, drained, rinsed
1 package (11.5 oz) Old El Paso® flour tortillas for burritos (8 tortillas), heated
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese (8 oz)
1 can (10 oz) Old El Paso® enchilada sauce
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (2 oz)Old El Paso® Thick 'n Chunky salsa, if desired

1.Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray 11x7-inch (2-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. Heat oil in 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cumin; cook and stir until onion is tender. Stir in beans.

2.Place about 3 tablespoons bean mixture in center of each warm tortilla. Top each with 1/4 cup Monterey Jack cheese. Roll up tightly; place, seam side down, in baking dish. Spoon enchilada sauce over tortillas. Spray sheet of foil with cooking spray; cover baking dish with foil, sprayed side down.

3.Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Sprinkle with Cheddar cheese. Serve enchiladas with salsa.

Cheesy Stuffed Shells

Tonight's recipe was a lot easier than the last one. It came from (of course) the Kraft Food and Family magazine. Usually when I see italian meals with something stuffed it takes forever or it's just complicated to make. But this was a breeze. No meat in this recipe just some spinach and cheese. I added a can of mushrooms since Aiden is a huge fan of mushrooms and I know I can get him to eat longer if they're in there. Otherwise, I just made the recipe as is. I give it a 5!

1 container (16 oz.) BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN Low Fat Cottage Cheese
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, well drained
1 cup KRAFT 2% Milk Shredded Reduced Fat Mozzarella Cheese, divided
1/4 cup KRAFT 100% Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
20 jumbo pasta shells, cooked, drained
1 jar (26 oz.) spaghetti sauce
1 large tomato, chopped

PREHEAT oven to 400°F. Mix cottage cheese, spinach, 1/2 cup of the mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning until well blended. Spoon 1 heaping Tbsp. of the cheese mixture evenly into each pasta shell.

COMBINE spaghetti sauce and tomatoes; spoon half of the sauce mixture into 13x9-inch baking dish. Place shells, filled sides up, in baking dish. Spoon remaining sauce mixture over shells. Cover with foil.

BAKE 25 min. or until heated through. Uncover; top with remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese. Bake, uncovered, an additional 2 min. or until cheese is melted.

Green Chili Chicken Enchilada Casserole

I have officially become a magazine mom. I subscribed to Family Fun magazine and just love it. That is where last night's recipe came from. I looked at it last week before I needed to go grocery shopping because there were things in this recipe that I have never bought before but have always wanted to cook with like tomatillos. Some of the mexican restaurants around here have great salads with this tomatillo ranch dressing that is amazing! If I find a good recipe for it I'll let you know. Anyway this was an amazing dish! We just had leftovers for lunch and there is only one enchilada left so you know this was good. Tim raved about all night! That always makes you feel good. Even Aiden gobbled it down. I do have to say that this wasn't an easy recipe meaning it took longer than my normal 30 minute meals since you have to prepare the sauce and then the enchiladas. But it was worth it. This recipe is a lot easier if you own a food processor of some sort or a blender. I give this recipe a 5!

RECIPE INGREDIENTS:

For the Sauce:
2 pounds tomatillos
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup chopped white onion
1/3 cup chopped cilantro, lightly packed
1 (4-ounce) can diced green chilies, drained
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup whipping cream

For the Enchiladas:
12 (6-inch) corn tortillas (I used burrito size flour tortillas)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 1/2 cups grated Cheddar
1 1/2 cups grated Monterey Jack
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon salt

1. To make the sauce, husk the tomatillos, and rinse them under warm water to remove any stickiness and dirt. Broil the tomatillos on a foil-lined baking sheet 1-2 inches from the heat, turning them once, until they are softened and slightly charred, about 7-9 minutes.

2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the white onions and saute until golden brown about 5 minutes.

3. Transfer the tomatillos to a blender and add the sauteed onions, cilantro, green chilies, cumin, sugar, and salt and puree until smooth.

4. Return the tomatillo sauce to the skillet and cook it over medium heat until thickened, about 5 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent sticking. Add the broth and cream and continue cooking until the sauce is slightly thickened and not watery, about 5-8 minutes. Add more salt if desired. (This sauce has more of a sweet taste to it).

(I skipped this next step since I used flour tortillas instead of corn)
5. To make th eenchiladas, brush both sides of the tortillas lightly with oil and lay them on a cookie sheet in stacks of two. Heat them in a 375 oven just until they're soft and pliable, about 3 minutes.

6. In a large bowl, combine the chicken, half of the cheddar, half of the monterey jack, the chopped onion, and the salt. Add 1/2 cup of the sauce to the chicken mixture and toss to combine.

7. Spread a third of the remaining sauce in the bottom of a 9X13 inch baking dish. Place 1/4 cup of the chicken mixture in the center of a tortilla. Roll up the tortilla and place it seam side down in the baking dish. Repeat with the other tortillas. Pour the rest of the sauce over the enchiladas. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top of the casserole.

8. Bake the casserole at 375 until the enchiladas are heated through and the cheese is bubbly and starting to brown, about 20-30 minutes. Severs 6-8 people.

Creamy Lemon Squares

Since I've gone through all the dinner recipes I wanted to use from this issue of Kraft Food and Family, I decided to make some of the desserts from it. I was craving sugar like mad since I had to sort of fast for some physical...so I made a dessert to take my mind off food. Sounds nuts right? Well it helped a little because I knew I'd be able to eat it later. So anyway, I love lemon bars (especially from a box) but when I saw this recipe and saw that I had all the ingredients on hand I decided to give it a try. It was great! Never have I had lemon bars come out so good! I definitely give this dessert a 5!

20 Reduced Fat NILLA Wafers, finely crushed
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) cold margarine
1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Neufchatel Cheese, 1/3 Less Fat than Cream Cheese, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 Tbsp. flour
3 Tbsp. grated lemon peel, divided
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp. CALUMET Baking Powder
2 tsp. powdered sugar

PREHEAT oven to 350ºF. Line 8-inch square baking pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides of pan; set aside. Combine wafer crumbs, 1/2 cup flour and the brown sugar in medium bowl. Cut in margarine with pastry blender or two knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs; press firmly onto bottom of prepared pan. Bake 15 min.

MEANWHILE, beat Neufchatel cheese and granulated sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs and 2 Tbsp. flour; mix well. Blend in 1 Tbsp. lemon peel, lemon juice and baking powder; pour over crust.

BAKE 25 to 28 min. or until center is set. Cool completely. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and remaining 2 Tbsp. grated lemon peel just before cutting into squares to serve. Store leftover squares in
refrigerator.

All in one pot saucy pasta

That's quite a long name for quite a tasty dish. Tonight's meal came from the Kraft Foods website (I already exhausted the dinner recipes from the magazine). And I finally got to use my brand new pan! It turned out great and my pan was fantastic (although I did have to use a cookie sheet as a lid). There were plenty of leftovers, not because we didn't like it but because the one pot meals usually make a ton of food! Aiden liked it because it had mushrooms in it and then decided the wall needed a new coat of paint....spaghetti sauce red. Nice... I give this recipe a 4.5!

1 lb. extra lean ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cups rotini pasta, uncooked (any pasta would work here)
3-1/2 cups water
1 jar (26 oz.) spaghetti sauce (about 3 cups)
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 cup chopped red peppers
1 cup KRAFT Shredded Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese

BROWN meat large deep skillet; drain. Add onions; cook until tender.

ADD pasta, water and spaghetti sauce. Bring to boil; cover Reduce heat to low; simmer 15 min., stirring occasionally. Add mushrooms and red peppers; cook 5 min.

SPRINKLE with cheese.

Crustless Bacon and Cheese Quiche

Tonight's meal was again from the Kraft Food and Family magazine, Spring 2007 issue. I have always loved breakfast foods for any time of day....I'm weird like that...but Tim doesn't like to eat pancakes, waffles or french toast for any time other than breakfast. So I compromise by making things with eggs so I can get my breakfast fix whenever I want....maybe it's the pregnancy. Anyway, this quiche was great! My tweaks: I don't ever buy green onions so I never have them on hand. I just sprinkled the mushrooms with onion powder while I cooked them. I also added 1 can of diced green chiles for a little more flavor. Again, Aiden just picked out the mushrooms and got one bite of eggs in there but Tim and I ate to our hearts content...ok so maybe just Tim did. It was a great dish though for any meal. I give this recipe a 4.5!

1 cup sliced green onions (about 5 medium)
1 cup chopped tomatoes (about 1 medium)
12 slices OSCAR MAYER Bacon
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms (4 oz.)
12 eggs
1/3 cup BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream
1 cup KRAFT Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1 cup KRAFT Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

PREHEAT oven to 325ºF. Reserve 2 Tbsp. each onions and tomatoes; set aside. Cook bacon in large skillet until crisp. Remove bacon with slotted spoon to paper towel-covered plate, reserving 1 Tbsp. of the bacon drippings in skillet. Add mushrooms to skillet; cook and stir 2 min. or until tender. Remove from heat. Chop bacon. Add to mushrooms along with the onions and tomatoes; mix well.

BEAT eggs and sour cream with wire whisk until well blended. Pour into greased 13x9-inch baking dish; top with bacon mixture and cheeses.

BAKE 30 min. or until center is set. Sprinkle with reserved onions and tomatoes. Let stand 5 min. before cutting into pieces to serve.

Lemon Shrimp Pasta Salad

Tonight's meal came from the Kraft Food and Family magazine, Spring 2007 issue. I of course tweaked it a bit to my liking but it turned out great and had amazing flavor. Now I think this is supposed to be served lukewarm to cold (like most pasta salads) but I really wanted something hot for dinner so I thawed my frozen shrimp in a collander and when it was time to drain the noodles and asparagus, I drained them over the cold thawed shrimp, thus making everything warm and toasty! The cheese melted into it too making it extra good. The only thing that wasn't cooked or warmed were the tomatoes that were mixed in after. The only downside is that Aiden wouldn't eat more that 3 noodles out of it....too much flavor for him I guess. Tim and I loved it though and there were plenty of leftovers to go around. I give this recipe a 4.5!

3 cups (8 oz.) farfalle (bow-tie pasta), uncooked (I used garden rotini)
1 lb. fresh asparagus spears, cut into 2-inch lengths
1 cup KRAFT Light Zesty Italian Reduced Fat Dressing
1 tsp. dried oregano leaves
1 tsp. grated lemon peel
1 lb. cooked large shrimp (20 to 25 count) (I used a lb. of the small shrimp)
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes (I used regular tomatoes)
1 pkg. (8 oz.) KRAFT Natural 2% Milk Reduced Fat Colby & Monterey Jack Cheese Crumbles (I used regular shredded cheese)

COOK pasta as directed on package, adding asparagus to the cooking water for the last 3 min. of the pasta cooking time; drain. Rinse with cold water; drain well.

MEANWHILE, mix dressing, oregano and lemon peel.

PLACE pasta mixture in large bowl. Add dressing mixture, shrimp, tomatoes and cheese; mix lightly. Serve immediately. Or, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.