Pioneer Woman is a blog I’ve been following for a few years. Ree Drummond has exploded in popularity, written a cookbook and has thousands and thousands of followers. I love the food part of her blog the best. I am incredibly jealous of her photography. And I am amazed that she has the time to home school her kiddos.
Anyway, this recipe for chicken spaghetti comes from her. I changed a few things; omitted the pimientos, added red bell pepper, more onion, more green bell pepper, less cheese and added the Panko bread crumbs for a nice crunchy topping.
Ben and I both really enjoyed this. Ben said it “tasted healthy” and I think he meant that in a good way! While it is not terrible for you, you could make it healthier by using fat-free, reduced sodium cream of mushroom soup, using even less cheese, whole wheat spaghetti noodles, skip the cheese on top and instead top with whole wheat bread crumbs mixed with a teensy bit of butter.
This casserole seems like it would be pretty kid-friendly, but I have not tried it out on any kids so don’t take my word for it! I did not freeze this dish, but baked it right away. Pioneer Woman gives instructions for freezing, which would make this such a great meal to freeze and have on hand for a busy weeknight. If you’re like me and only feeding a household of 2, then this meal could be split between two smaller dishes; one to eat that night and the other to freeze and eat later. I like having stuff like that to use when I have a crazy week.
Chicken Spaghetti
Courtesy of The Pioneer Woman
Ingredients
3 – 4 chicken breasts (about 1 ½ pounds)
3 cups Dry Spaghetti, Broken Into Two Inch Pieces
2 cans Cream Of Mushroom Soup
1 ½ cups Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese
½ cup Finely Diced Green Pepper
½ cup Finely Diced Red Pepper
½ cup Finely Diced Onion
1 ½ – 2 cups Reserved Chicken Broth From Pot
1 teaspoon Lawry’s Seasoned Salt
⅛ teaspoons (to 1/4 Teaspoon) Cayenne Pepper
Salt And Pepper, to taste
1 cup Additional Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese
½ cup Panko Bread Crumbs
Directions
Bring a pot of water to a boil along with some whole peppercorns& kosher salt. If you have some carrot, celery, and onion, add them to the pot as well to make a more flavorful broth.
Add in chicken breasts and cook for 20 minutes, or until cooked through. Remove from water and transfer to a plate to cool.
If you added veggies to your broth, strain the broth, and add the broth back to the pot and heat to a boil.
Cook spaghetti in same chicken broth until al dente. Do not overcook.
Shred or chop the chicken into small pieces.
When spaghetti is cooked, combine with remaining ingredients except additional 1 cup sharp cheddar.
Place mixture in casserole pan and top with remaining sharp cheddar and Panko crumbs.
Cover and freeze up to six months, cover and refrigerate up to two days, or bake immediately: 350 degrees for 45 minutes until bubbly. (If the cheese on top starts to get too cooked, cover with foil).
Bethenny Frankel was on the Today Show yesterday talking about her cookbook, The Skinny Girl Dish, and I was inspired to search for a healthy dessert recipe to try out. I found a recipe for banana oatmeal cookies that sounded very tasty. To my dismay, I did not have all the ingredients. So I searched a bit more, and saw some other tasty sounding banana cookie recipes, but none were exactly what I wanted, so I made my own.
These are definitely not the original healthy banana oat cookie that inspired me, but they are yummy and at least a bit healthy thanks to the bananas, oats and protein packed walnuts!
I love the coconut and the dark chocolate chips. You could easily omit the coconut if you’re not a fan, or substitute the walnuts for pecans, or go nut free if you must. Milk chocolate chips would be good, and peanut butter chips would also be terrific.
My only complaint with these cookies is that the banana makes them very moist and they become soft when stored in an airtight container, and they will stick together. Make sure to cook them so that there isn’t a gooey center, and don’t store them on top of each other. Another way to avoid stickiness is to eat them all, but I wouldn’t recommend that unless you have some help. Here is the original healthy recipe, and here is my version.
Banana Oatmeal Cookies with Coconut, Walnuts & Chocolate Chips
Ingredients
¾ cup butter
¼ cup shortening
½ cup sugar
½ cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
2 ripe bananas, smooshed up good
2 cups oats
¾ cup coconut
¾ cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
¾ cup chocolate chips, dark or milk
Directions
Cream together butter, shortening and sugars. Add in egg and vanilla and mix well.
Stir in bananas, then stir in flour, baking soda, and salt until well combined.
Mix in oats, coconut, walnuts and chocolate chips.
Drop by tablespoons onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, and baker for 10-11 minutes until browned lightly on top.
A while back I lost my Canon camera in a horrific flood. A water bottle mysteriously opened in my purse, drowning and destroying my camera. Anyway, for a while I took pictures with my iPhone. Not spectacular, but sufficient photos. Then, Ben bought me a Sony camera that has served me well for the last 4 months. Two days ago the screen went bright white resulting in a visit to Best Buy where they told me there was nothing they could do, and that I would have to send it in for repair.
I can still take pictures, but just can’t see what the pictures looks like until I load them onto my computer. The photo below is the result of such a photo session. Two usable photos out of about 25 total taken. Not a great ratio. I could not tell what was in the shot, how the lighting was, if I needed flash, if the zoom was too much, or how the focus turned out. This is just not a way to take pictures!
Despite my camera woes, this cake was fun to make, not too terribly complicated, a great presentation cake, and quite delicious. The marshmallows dusted with cocoa make the cake look like an actual mug of hot chocolate.
I absolutely love Fine Cooking magazine. I have yet to make something from it that I haven’t liked. This cake is on the cover of the current issue, and I could not resist its rich chocolate-y layers and fluffy white marshmallows. I made it for Christmas dinner. Here is the link to the recipe.
The cake is moist, the frosting is rich and creamy, and the marshmallows are heavenly, ooey-gooey goodness. This is a rich and decadent cake.
The marshmallows are the most time consuming aspect of this dessert, but well worth the time and effort. I considered buying pre-packaged mallows, but my wise mother-in-law convinced me to make the real thing. It does make a difference, and the marshmallows are a lovely contrast to the rich chocolate cake and frosting.
Hot Chocolate Layer Cake
(courtesy of Fine Cooking magazine and Rebecca Rather)
For the cake
6 oz. (3/4 cup) unsalted butter; more for the pans
13-1/2 oz. (3 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour; more for the pans
3/4 cup canola oil
4-1/2 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
3 cups granulated sugar
2-1/4 oz. (3/4 cup) natural unsweetened cocoa powder
3 large eggs, at room temperature
3/4 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
2 Tbs. pure vanilla extract
2-1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
For the frosting
2-1/2 cups heavy cream
3 oz. (6 Tbs.) unsalted butter
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped out
6 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
2 cups granulated sugar
6 oz. (2 cups) natural unsweetened cocoa powder; more for decorating
1/2 cup Lyle’s Golden Syrup
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
For the marshmallows
Three 1/4-oz. envelopes unflavored powdered gelatin
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 cup plus 2 Tbs. confectioners’ sugar; more as needed
Make the cake
Position racks in the bottom and top thirds of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Butter three 9×2-inch round cake pans and line each with a parchment round. Butter the parchment, then dust with flour and knock out the excess.
In a 3-quart saucepan, combine the butter, oil, chopped chocolate, and 1 cup water. Heat over medium heat until melted.
In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, and cocoa powder. Pour the hot chocolate mixture into the sugar mixture and whisk until combined.
Whisk in the eggs, one at a time, then whisk in the buttermilk, vanilla, baking soda, and salt. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans.
Set two pans on the top rack and the third on the lower rack. Stagger the pans on the oven racks so that no pan is directly over another. Bake, swapping and rotating the pans’ positions after 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool on racks for 10 minutes. Invert the cakes onto the racks, remove the parchment, and cool completely.
Make the frosting
In a 4-quart saucepan over low heat, combine the cream, butter, and vanilla bean and seeds and stir until the butter is melted.
Remove the vanilla bean and whisk in the chopped chocolate until melted.
Whisk in the sugar, cocoa powder, syrup, and salt until smooth—be sure the cocoa powder dissolves completely.
Pour into a 9×13-inch pan and freeze until firm, about 2 hours, or refrigerate overnight.
Make the marshmallows
Pour 3/4 cup cold water into the bowl of a stand mixer. Sprinkle the gelatin over the water. Attach the bowl to the mixer and fit it with the whisk attachment.
Clip a candy thermometer to a 3-quart saucepan; don’t let the tip of the thermometer touch the bottom of the pan. In the saucepan, boil the sugar, corn syrup, salt, and 3/4 cup water over medium heat without stirring until it reaches 234°F to 235°F, about 10 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, pour the hot sugar mixture into the gelatin in a slow, thin stream.
Add the vanilla, carefully increase the speed to high, and beat until the mixture has thickened and cooled, about 5 minutes (the bottom of the bowl should be just warm to the touch). Line a 9×13-inch pan with foil, leaving an overhang on 2 sides. Sift 1 Tbs. of the confectioners’ sugar into the bottom of the pan, then pour the marshmallow mixture into the pan and sift another 1 Tbs. confectioners’ sugar on top. Let sit at room temperature until set, at least 2 hours.
Assemble the cake
Remove the frosting from the freezer or refrigerator. Transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes to soften. Change to a whisk attachment and beat at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Put a cake layer on a flat serving platter or a cake stand lined with strips of waxed paper to keep it clean while icing. Top the layer with 1-1/2 cups of the frosting, spreading it evenly with an offset spatula to the cake’s edge. Repeat with another cake layer and 1-1/2 cups frosting. Top with the last cake layer.
Put 1-1/2 cups of the frosting in a small bowl. With an offset spatula, spread this frosting in a thin layer over the top and sides of the cake. Refrigerate the cake until the frosting firms enough to seal in the crumbs, 20 to 30 minutes.
Spread the remaining frosting in a smooth layer over the top and sides of the cake. If necessary, you can rewhip the remaining frosting to loosen and lighten it. Remove the waxed paper strips.
Use the foil overhang to lift the marshmallow from the pan. Using a knife that has been dipped in cold water, cut along the edge of the marshmallow to release it from the foil. Transfer to a cutting board and remove the foil.
Put the remaining 1 cup confectioners’ sugar in a medium bowl.
Cut the marshmallow into cubes of different sizes, from 1/4 to 3/4 inch (you will need to continue to dip the knife in cold water as you cut the marshmallows). The marshmallows will be very sticky—dip the cut edges in the confectioners’ sugar to make them easier to handle. As you work, toss a few cubes at a time in the sugar to coat, then shake in a strainer to remove the excess.
Mound the marshmallows on top of the cake (you’ll need only a third to half of them). Sift some cocoa powder over the marshmallows.
This has absolutely nothing to do with food, but my dad sent it to me, and I think it’s worthy of sharing on this lovely Christmas morning. The Messiah is something my family would listen to, and even sing along with, every Christmas. I know that seems a bit hokey, but how can you not sing along with Handel’s Messiah? It’s an incredible work, I love it, and it speaks the true meaning of what we celebrate this time of year. Hope y’all have a very merry Christmas!
This is a yummy, comforting and spicy soup that is similar to chicken tortilla soup, but with more substance and kick. The hominy provides the substance, and the roasted poblanos give a smoky, spiciness that increases as it sits. So be prepared for a spicier soup if you have any leftovers that you eat the next day. The avocado and sour cream contrast the spice nicely.
This is not “traditional” New Mexican posole/pozole, which is usually made with pork. So, I guess this is kind of a cheater, short cut recipe, but it is delicious, quick and easy. We ate this with a green salad and cornbread. Corn tortillas would also be great with this soup.
The recipe came from Sunset magazine, and we made a few changes. Some of the methods for putting the soup together didn’t make a whole lot of sense to me, and seemed to be a bit tedious. I am sure that if you followed the directions step-by-step from the magazine you would end up with a great pot of soup.
Chicken Posole with Avocado and Lime
(Adapted from Sunset Magazine)
3 large poblano chiles
6 garlic cloves
1 large onion
2 cans (14 1/2 oz. each) white hominy
1 ½ pounds boned, skinned chicken thighs
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 ½ teaspoons dried Mexican oregano
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons ground red New Mexico chiles
Garnishes: sliced avocado, lime wedges, cilantro sprigs, and sour cream
Preheat broiler. When hot, broil poblanos on a baking sheet until blackened, turning as needed, about 15 minutes.
Finely chop garlic and onion. Drain hominy; set aside.
Boil chicken in water with salt and pepper for 15-20 minutes. Remove chicken, let cool, then shred.
Heat oil in a large saucepan or soup pot over medium heat. Add onion mixture and oregano to pan and sauté until onion is softened, 3 minutes. Add ground chiles to pan and cook, stirring, about 30 seconds.
Add broth, hominy, and chicken to pan. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer to blend flavors, 10 minutes.
Remove stems, skins, and seeds from poblanos and discard; chop poblanos.
Stir poblanos into posole and cook 1 minute. Ladle into bowls; top with garnishes.
For years before my sisters starting getting married, having babies and spending Christmas with their in-laws, we made gingerbread houses together. We did all of it: made the gingerbread dough, baked all the pieces, assembled the house, and decorated the house using nothing but edible candies, chocolate, etc. We would spend the days before Christmas, and sometimes a day or two afterward, perfecting the house and adding more detail. It was so much fun.
So, I was pretty excited about this challenge. When I really started to think about it, I got a little sad. I had no one to help me! No one to stay up til 2 am with, piping icing on gingerbread cars to put in the gingerbread carport. No one to spend hours with, piping icicles on the eaves. To make things even more difficult, we’re going out of town for the holidays so no one is really going to see it. My great excitement for my gingerbread house was dwindling.
Despite my negativity toward this challenge, I was determined to complete it. I am glad I did, because I ended up having a fun time despite the fact that my house looks like a bunch of 3-year olds decorated it for me. Merry Christmas!
The December 2009 Daring Bakers’ challenge was brought to you by Anna of Very Small Anna and Y of Lemonpi. They chose to challenge Daring Bakers’ everywhere to bake and assemble a gingerbread house from scratch. They chose recipes from Good Housekeeping and from The Great Scandinavian Baking Book as the challenge recipes.
These are lovely and delicious. Fresh flavors with just enough sweetness. Fall apart goodness with pieces of spicy, sweet ginger.
I found the recipe on Epicurious. It is a basic scone recipe consisting of simple and pure ingredients: chilled butter, flour, cream, salt, sugar and baking powder. They stray from the basic scone with the addition of lemon zest and chopped candied ginger. The only problem I had with these was that the dough seemed a little too crumbly, so I added a bit more cream. Be careful not to over-mix the dough, or the scones will end up a little tough. Other than that, this is an easy recipe that produces great results.
Candied Ginger Scones
(courtesy of epicurious.com)
Ingredients
2 1/4 cups unbleached pastry flour or unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 sticks (6 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes and frozen
4 1/2 ounces candied ginger, finely chopped into 1/4-inch pieces to equal 2/3 cup
¾ – 1 cup heavy cream, plus extra for brushing the tops of the scones
Directions
Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 400°F.
In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade or in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, sugar, and baking powder, and pulse or mix on low to incorporate. Add the lemon zest and butter, and pulse on and off, or mix on low, until the mixture is pale yellow and the consistency of fine meal.
Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and stir in the ginger. Make a well in the center and pour in the cream. Using one hand, draw in the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined.
Wash and dry your hands and dust them with flour. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and gently knead a few times to gather it into a ball. Roll or pat the dough into a circle about 3/4 inch thick. Cut out the circles, cutting as closely together as possible and keeping the trimmings intact.
Gather the scraps, pat and press the pieces back together, and cut out the remaining dough. Place the scones 1 inch apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Brush the tops with the remaining cream.
Bake for 12 to 16 minutes, until the surface cracks and they are slightly browned.
These little, unassuming bite-size goodies made quite an impression last weekend. I brought them to a Christmas party where they were completely devoured and raved about. I saw one of the party guests 2 days later and she asked me for the recipe. I hadn’t had such a great response to a dessert in, well…ever! I wish I could say they were my own creation, but alas, they were not. I got the recipe in my 12 Days of Cookies email from the Food Network. This was Day 10: Sunny’s Crunchy Peanut Butter S’more Bites.
If you go to the Food Network site and read the review on these cookies, you will wonder why I made them. Bad reviews on taste and preparation. What was I thinking? Well, I wasn’t. However, with a few modifications to the recipe, they taste yummy (still very sweet of course) but still make quite a mess of your kitchen. Sometimes you have to take the bad with the good!
This past Saturday I hosted and attended my first cookie exchange! It was a really fun afternoon of visiting with friends, and snacking on delicious cookies. I ended up with more than 4 dozen of eight different types of cookies, and I only had to make one kind. This is a pretty sweet deal. Get it? Sweet? Anyway…
I had a fun time decorating and getting everything ready for the party. I think I could be very happy as a party planner. Aside from the tiny breakdown I had on the living room floor when I had yet to take a shower, still had more things to prep and set up, and it was only an hour till the party started, I did an OK job! Well, if you want the real story, ask Ben. Or just let me know and I will fill you in on all the nitty gritty details that made my day so horrifically hilarious.
Along with the cookies, we had veggies and a creamy dill dip, crackers and cheese. To drink I made apple cider and got a Starbucks traveler coffee box, which I highly recommend when you have other things to do for a party, and making coffee isn’t something you want to spend time doing. Ben bought some very nice carafes to store the coffee, and I am so glad. I think they will come in handy in my future as a hostess.
These cute little cupcakes were for a December birthday lunch at work. I really over-committed myself this week. We attended Ben’s office party on Tuesday night, I volunteered to make a dessert for the birthday lunch, I’m bringing Swedish meatballs and a very time consuming little cookie to a Christmas party tonight, and I’m hosting a cookie swap tomorrow that I have yet to bake cookies for. Yikes! Needless to say, I did not want to make something complicated or too terribly time-consuming. So, I made spice cupcakes…from a box!
I wasn’t lazy enough to use canned frosting, so I made a basic cream cheese frosting and added a few tablespoons of maple syrup. It was a bit of a stretch for me as a recipe follower, but it turned out to be a nice frosting for the spice cupcakes.
Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
1 stick butter
1 8-ounce package cream cheese
2-3 cups powdered sugar
1-2 tablespoons maple syrup
Cream together butter and cream cheese.
Mix in powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time until it is a bit thicker than your desired consistency.
