Reverse Chicken Chili Rellenos and Creamy Corn Cassarole

Good morning!! I didn't make it to the store the day before yesterday, so we just did leftovers. Last night, I made inside-out chicken chilies rellenos with a creamy corn cassarole! It was super yummy!! Hubby has duty today, so I won't be cooking tonight, either. My son ate everything on his plate!!



Look at all that gooey, yummy cheese!! If you want this on your taste buds;
This recipe takes about 45 minutes to prep and cook.

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, halved crosswise in a diagonal
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
3 tablespoons cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 egg, slightly beaten with 1 tablespoon water in a shallow dish
1 4-ounce can whole green chili peppers, rinsed, halved lengthwise, and seeded
2 ounces Monterrey Jack cheese, sliced into four thin sticks
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
salt
pepper
butter flavored cooking spray

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Butterfly chicken breast halves. Cover with plastic wrap and pound out until thin enough to roll, about 1/8 inch. Place a chili pepper half on each piece of chicken near the edge. Place a stick of cheese on top, sprinkle with cilantro, season the entire inside of the breast with salt and pepper, and roll up.

In a shallow bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, and cayenne pepper, stir to combine. Set up an assembly line with egg, flour mixtire, and a foil lined baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray.

Dip chicken into egg, then coat in flour mixture and lay on baking sheet, seam side down. Spray the tops of the chicken with cooking spray. Bake, uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes, until chicken is no longer pink. Let stand a couple of minutes before serving.

This recipe serves 4

For the awesome corn cassarole;
This recipe takes about 60 minutes to prep and cook.

Nonstick cooking spray
16 oz frozen corn
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
salt
pepper
1/2 can cream of celery soup
4 oz cream cheese with chives and onions
1/4 cup milk
2 chipotle peppers in adobo, minced

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Coat a cassarole with cooking spray and set aside. Place corn in a colander. Run it under cold water to thaw, and allow to drain.

In a large bowl, whisk together salt and pepper, soup, cheese, milk, and chipotle peppers. Set aside.

In a large saucepan, cook bell pepper and onion in cooking spray until tender. Add them and the corn to the soup mixture and toss well to combine. Transfer to prepaired cassarole.

Bake, uncovered, for 50 minutes, until heated through. Let stand a couple of miutes before serving.

This recipe serves 6.

As I said, we really enjoyed it! The baby seemed to love it, especially!! I hope you all enjoy!!!

Happy Independence Day!!! Pasta Primavera, Cookies, and Coconut Shrimp

How was your holiday? We had a pretty laid back day. The weather wasn't terribly great, it teetered between hot and rainy, so we stuck around the house all day. We still had a fun day, though! My son helped me make cookies, and really enjoyed watching the fireworks from our balcony! I wasn't in the mood for the usual Fourth fare, so we had a pasta primavera for lunch and coconut shrimp for dinner. I had planned on making a Thai style cucumber salad, but my cucumbers were starting to turn (I had originally planned to make it as a side a week ago and forgot to make it, so I was going to do it today, oh well.), so I heated up some frozen corn I had in my freezer, since Husband said he was in the mood for corn, anyway.



For the pasta primavera;
This recipe takes around 40 minutes to prep and cook.

2 heads broccoli floretts
salt
pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 3/4 cups whole wheat penne rigate pasta
4 carrots, peeled and thinly slliced on a bias
cooking spray
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons chicken stock
8 ounces fresh green beans, ends trimmed and cut in half on a sharp bias
3 or 4 green onions, thinly sliced on the bias (How many depends on how thick they are. Mine were pretty thin today, so I used 4.)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium zucchini, thinly sliced on the bias
2 tablespoons snipped fresh basil
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted
4 ounces goat cheese
freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

On a foil lined sheet pan, season broccoli with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Toss until all of the broccoli is coated with oil and roast for 30 minutes, stirring halfway through.

Cook pasta according to package directions and drain. Return to pot and cover to keep warm.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet coated with cooking spray, cook and stir carrots seasoned with salt and pepper in 2 tablespoons chicken stock for 5 minutes. Add green beans, onion, remaining stock, and garlic. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in zucchini and simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes until crisp-tender, stirring occasionally.

In a large bowl, toss pasta, vegetable mixture, roasted broccoli, basil, salt and pepper together. Crumble the goat cheese with your fingers while adding to the bowl. Toss until the cheese is melted and has created a creamy sauce. Plate the pasta and top with Parmesan and toasted almonds.

This recipe serves 4.

Little man and I made some really yummy cookies! The plan was to drizzle them with red, white, and blue icing, but I didn't think about the fact that food coloring contains water, which hot chocolate doesn't like, so it got all clumpy and gummy, so I sprinkled the red chocolaty crumbles over the chocolate chip ones, and the blue chocolate over the Andes chip cookies. It wasn't too pretty, but super yummy!!




For the cookies;

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, softened butter
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup Andes chips
1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. In a large bowl, beat butter, granulated and brown sugars, and vanilla until creamy. Add egg, beating well. Slowly add flour and beat until completely combined before adding more.

Divide the dough in half and remove one half into another bowl. In one bowl, add the chocolate chips, and in the other, add the Andes chips. Stir both to combined. Drop cookie dough by the tablespoon onto two foil lined cookie sheets, coated in butter flavored cooking spray. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, until browned. I like mine gooey, so I just did 9 minutes.

While the cookies are baking, put white chocolate in a microwavable bowl and zap for 30 seconds. Stir well. If the chocolate isn't melted. microwave another 10 seconds, and stir again. Continue microwaving for 10 seconds and stirring until the chocolate is melted and glossy.

Remove cookies from pan and place on wire racks. Set racks over the cookie sheets. With a fork, drizzle the melted white chocolate over the top of the cookies. Enjoy, they're super yummy!!

This made 18 cookies for me, but may make more or less depending on how big you want them.

For dinner, we had coconut shrimp with a curried apricot sauce. It was super yummy!!! I prefer unsweetened coconut flakes, but I couldn't find any, so I used the sweetened kind and omitted the sugar. It didn't really want to toast, though, for some bizarre reason. My stove plays games with me sometimes, like when mypot of water didn't want to boil the other day... Sigh. The dipping sauce is also super yummy as a crudite dip!



To put this in your belly;
This takes about 40 minutes to prep and cook.

24 jumbo shrimp, peeled with tails till on and deveined
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar free apricot preserves
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
cooking spray
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 1/2 cups shredded sunswearened coconut, toasted
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 egg whites, slightly beaten

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

For dipping sauce, stir togethet mayo, preserves, and curry powder. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Spray a foil lined baking sheet with cooking spray, add oil, and spread it around.

In a shallow dish, combine coconut, cornstarch, sugar, and salt. Season shrimp with salt and pepper, dip in egg, then then coat with coconut, pressing the mixture firmly onto the shrimp. Arrange the shrimp on the prepaired pan and bake for 10 minutes, or until shrimp is cooked through, turning once. Serve with sauce for dipping.

This recipe serves 4.

I hope everyone had a great Independence Day, and that you all took some time to think about all of out heros who have fought for this phenominal country of ours.

Peppered Beef Stir-Fry

Today, I mad a super delicious beef stir fry! When I was a kid, I LOVED baby corn! When I wrote up our meal plan for this pay period, I was craving some baby corn, so decided to throw in a stir fry so I could have an excuse to make something with baby corn! I kind of wish I had thought to buy some water chestnuts, too. I have always loved water chestnuts, too! Next time I make a stir fry, you can bet there will be baby corn and water chestnuts in it!! :) I made this a bit peppery on purpose, but if you don't love peppery foods, cut back on how often you season.



If you, too, have a hankering for some baby corn;
This takes roughly 40 minutes to prep and cook.

1 pound boneless beef top round steak
salt
pepper
3 tablespoons orange juice
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 cup beef stock, divided
2 tablespoons Hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
cooking spray
1 cup carrot, thinly sliced on the bias (This took 4 small to medium ones for me.)
1 14-ounce can whole baby corn, drained
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch thin slices
2 cups hot cooked brown rice
2 green onions, thinly sliced on a bias

Partially freeze beef for about 5 or 10 minutes to firm it up so it slices easily. Trim visible fat from meat, and thinly slice meat across the grain into bite sized strips. Season with salt and pepper on both sides and set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together juice, soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of the beef stock, hoisin sauce, ginger, cornstarch, sugar, garlic, and crushed red pepper. Set aside.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, coat with cooking spray and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of beef stock. Add carrot, season with salt and pepper, and stir for 2 minutes. Add corn and bell pepper, season with more pepper, and cook, tossing gently so to not break the corn, for 2 more minutes until the vegetables are crisp tender. Remove from skillet.

Add beef strips to the hot pot. Cook and stir for 2 minutes until meat is just slightly pink. Push meat from center of skillet, making a well.

Whisk sauce again and add to the center of the pan. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly, no more than 1 minute. Return vegetables to the pan, toss to coat all components with sauce and cook 2 minutes more until heated through. Serve on a bed of cooked rice, and garnish with green onion.

This recipe serves 4.

We love stir frys in our family! I hope y'all really enjoy this, yourselves!!

Thai Pork and Vegetable Curry

Today, I made a Thai style pork and vegetable curry. It was very good!! I know some people equate curry with heat, but this isn't hot at all. It's very flavorful and a pretty light meal, which is great for how suffocatingly hot it is here!!



I took a far better picture, but my memory card apparently didn't save it correctly. When I uploaded my pictures to my computer, it came through as an empty file. So, this is what you get. HA!! When I make it again, which I'm certain I will, since I have made this a few times before, I'll try to remember to take a better picture!

This is how to prepare it for your gustatory pleasure;
This recipe takes about 30 minutes to prep and cook.

1 1/2 cups dried orzo (I couldn't find it in whole wheat.)
1 pound pork tenderloin, thinly sliced into bite-sized pieces
salt
pepper
cooking spray
8 ounces green beans, ends trimmed and halved on a bias
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced into bite-sized pieces
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
2 green onions, thinly sliced on the bias
1 14-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk
4 teaspoons curry paste (Use whichever you like, I chose green, but I also have really enjoyed this made with yellow. I haven't made this with red, but it would probably be very good, too!)
2 teaspoons sugar
juice from 1 lime

Cook orzo according to the instructions on the box. Drain, return to the pot, cover, and set aside to keep warm.

Season pork with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and coat with cooking spray. Add pork and cook until fully cooked, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from skillet.

Spray the pan again, add the green beans, and season with salt and pepper. Cook and stir for 3 minutes. Add the garlic, pepper, and onion, season, and cook 2 more minutes, until the vegetables are crisp-tender. Add coconut milk, curry paste, and sugar. Reduce heat to low, stirring until combined. Stir in lime juice and add pork. Heat through. Serve over hot orzo.

This recipe serves 4.

We always really like this!! I hope you do, too!!

Seared Pineapple

Husband had duty today, so I didn't cook. I did, however, sear a hunk of pineapple up for dessert, and it was so pretty and yummy, I thought I'd share! I had 3/4 of a pineapple left from when I made the hot pineapple slaw, and was reminicing about when my husband and I were dating and living in California. We went to Disney Land and he got me a pineapple sorbet and, later, a big piece of pineapple! I love love pineapples and pineapple juice!! I tried to find cinnamon ice cream, but I couldn't find any. :(



All I did was sprinkle it with cinamon and nutmeg on all sides and sear each side for 2 minutes to caramelize it and slightly soften the surface. When it was done, I drizzled it with some honey. It was very super yummy!!

Pinot Noir Steaks, Blue Cheese and Caramelized Onion Macaroni, and Roasted Asparagus with Gruyere

For dinner tonight, we had steaks with a Pinot Noir reduction with macaroni and cheese with caramelized onions and roasted asparagus with gruyere. Super super yummy!!



For the awesome steak;
This recipe takes about 30 minutes to prep and cook.
freshly cracked black pepper
4 beef tenderloin steaks
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup red wine (I love Pinot Noir, so I used that. Use what you like to drink.)
1/4 cup beef broth
2 teaspoons spicy brown mustard

Use your fingers to press the pepper into the steak, coating both sides well. In a large skillet, cook the steaks in the butter and oil over medium to medium-high heat, turning once. For medium rare, cook 10 minutes, 12 for medium, and 13 for medium well. Remove steaks from heat, reserving drippings, and keep warm.

Remove skillet from heat and add wine and beef broth. Add back to heat and gently scrape the delicious browned bits off the bottom. Whisk in mustard, bring to boiling and boil gently for 5 to 6 minutes, until reduced, stirring occasionally. Stir in 1 tablespoon of butter at the very end, and spoon over steaks.

This recipe serves 4

For the macaroni;
This recipe takes about 55 minutes to prep and cook, and 10 minutes to stand.

4 strips bacon
1 large Vidalia onion, thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups whole wheat elbow macaroni
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella
4 ounces blue cheese (If you don't like blue cheese, use Swiss)
1 cup evaporated skim milk
black pepper
1/4 cup Swiss cheese
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large pot of salted, boiling water, cook pasta according to package directions, drain, return to pot, and set aside.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp, turning once. Blot grease well from bacon on both sides of bacon and crumble. Cook onion in bacon drippings over medium heat for 5 to 8 minutes until tender and golden brown.

Add the caramelized onions to the macaroni in the pot, and and stir in the bacon, mozzarella and blue cheese, evaporated milk and pepper, toss to combine. Spoon into a 1 1/2 quart cassarole.

Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Top with Swiss and Parmesan cheese and bake 10 more minutes, until the top is browned and bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
This recipe serves 4 to 6.

The asparagus was also very delicious. Here is how to make it;
This takes about 35 minutes to prep and roast.

2 pounds aparagus spears
1 small red onion, cut into thin wedges
1 small red or yellow bell pepper (This is what I REALLY wanted to use, but I only had green on hand.)
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt
pepper
1/4 cup shredded Gruyere or Swiss cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Snap off woody bases from asparagus and reserve to make stock with. (To do this, hold each in in each hand and bend until it snaps.) Toss asparagus, onion, and pepper with oil and spread in a single layer on a foil lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste. Roast, uncovered, for 20 minutes, until asparagus is crisp-tender. Plate and sprinkle with cheese.

This recipe serves 6

Seared Tuna with Mango Salsa and Glazed Parsnips and Carrots

I'm sorry I haven't updated this in a few days. I finally drug myself to the doctor agter a few days of feeling pretty terrible, so now that I'm feeling better, I'm finally updating! My husband had duty on Monday, so I didn't cook, but on Tuesday I made a couple of tuna steaks with a mango and jicima salsa and glazed parsnips and carrots. It was very yummy!


I like my tuna rare, but if you like it cooked a little more, then add another minute or two on each side. Please don't cook it well done. Tuna gets very dry and rather tasteless when cooked all the way through, so make sure you leave some pink.

If you feel you must have the tuna and salsa on your table, here is what you should do;
This recipe takes about 30 minutes to prep and cook, and 2 hours to chill the salsa.

1 mango, peeled, seeded, and chopped
1/2 cup chopped peeled jicama (depending on size, it will be 1/4 to 1/2 of one)
1/2 red onion, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup)
1/4 cup snipped fresh mint
1 teaspoon finely chopped chipotle pepper in adobo (It isn't very spicy, but if you want less heat, use 1/2 teaspoon.)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
4 6-ounce tuna steaks, 1 inch thick
cumin
salt
pepper
olive oil cooking spray

In a medium bowl, stir together the mango, jicima, onion, mint, and chipotle pepper. Add extra virgin olive oil and honey, stir to combine, and chill for 2 to 24 hours.

Rinse tuna and pat dry. Season with cumin, salt, and pepper. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and coat with cooking spray. Cook for 2 minutes on each side for rare (4 minutes for medium)and serve with salsa.

This recipe serves 4

For the glazed veggies;
This recipe takes about 20 minutes to prep and cook.

8 ounces parsnips, peeled and very thinly sliced
8 ounces carrots, peeled and very thinly sliced
3/4 cup orange juice
1/3 cup dried cherries
1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
2 firm pears, sliced thick
1/3 cup pecan halves
3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon butter

In a large skillet, combine parsnips, carrots, juice, cherries, and ginger. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and cook, uncovered, for 7-8 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender and most of the liquid has evaporated, stirring occasionally.

Stir butter and brown sugar into skillet until butter is melted, and toss in pears and pecans. Cook, uncovered, 2 to 3 minutes until vegetables are glazed. Garnish with a mint leaf.

This recipe serves 6

I hope you find this super delicious!!