Mottsy's Kitchen

Ranch Chicken

2011-10-01T12:33:00.000-07:00

So I liked this.

My weird salad concoction that is surprisingly good.

2010-03-03T22:09:00.000-08:00

Last night I had an accidental food success.

You see I made pesto pasta with a side of spinach salad.

Miss Chloe slept through dinner and when she awoke, the pasta was cold.

So I put the pasta and the spinach salad in a bowl, and by nature of bowl behavior, the two things mixed, and I said, by golly! That is a terrific salad!

You know, I had never thought of putting pasta in a spinach salad before. But then my friend (Heather) told me about this Asian salad recipe that had...pasta!...in it.

And whoa. Last night I realized spinach and pasta is a stellar combo. That is a a duh statement (hello spinach ravioli) but I never thought about them being served cold!

I think I might start making this as a side salad for family get togethers.

Anyway.
Make some pasta. I used whole wheat linguine.
And then add some pesto sauce.
You can make your own, but I bought some in a jar at Wal Mart and...that is easier than buying your own basil leaves and pine nuts. In my opinion.
Perhaps you could go search the forest for pine nuts. I am assuming that is where they are.
Perhaps you will run into Little Red Riding Hood or Goldilocks, or Hansel and Gretal.
Sorry, I just had those mental images as I pictured you all with a little basket picking up pine nuts and berries in the forest.
.....
Anyway, let the pasta cool off, cause this is a cold salad.

Then make your spinach salad.
you need:
spinach
dried cranberries
mozzarella cheese
bacon

and dressing (see recipe for basic sweet salad dressing)

Then smash those babies together.
I am telling you, it is good.

Excuse me.
I am calling "Souper Salad."
They might want to trademark this, and I will soon be very, VERY rich.

Balsamic Chicken

2010-03-03T14:48:00.000-08:00

Have I mentioned I love Balsamic vinegar?

Well here is some really easy chicken.
I do give myself props for this one, because I made it up myself.
Not that it is that impressive.
I couldn't win "Top Chef" or anything.
But I am a star in my own mind.

You need:
frozen chicken
Balsamic Vinegar
Honey
Dried onions
Garlic (fresh or powder)
Butter

Put your chicken in a baking dish and basically put the other stuff on it. I can't tell you the measurements because I just poured it on. But make sure you have a good amount of honey. It makes a really sweet and carmely (not a word, I know) sauce.

Bake at 375 degrees until chicken is done.

Orange Beef Stir Fry

2009-10-29T08:04:00.000-07:00

12 ounces stir fry meat
1/2 c. orange juice
1 tbsp corn starch
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp beef bouillon granules
4 green onions, sliced
1 clove of garlic
Broccoli heads (I like to use fresh)

For sauce stir together in bowl the juice, cornstarch, soy sauce, sugar, and bouillon. Set aside.

Heat 1 tbs of oil in a pan. Add green onions and garlic. Cook for about a minute.
Take the onions out of the pan and set aside, and then cook your meat in the same pan.
Add your broccoli and let that get soft, but not too soft. You might need to add some more oil.

Add the sauce you set aside to the meat and broccoli mixture and cook until it thickens. Add the green onions.

Serve over rice.

Scalloped Potatoes

2009-10-29T07:48:00.000-07:00

It seems lately I have been making a lot of comfort foods. Must be the Fall. I have been cooking more too because I got a job cooking for my Dad. It is a pretty sweet arrangement. The other night I made him a beef roast cooked in BBQ sauce and then we served it like sandwiches with some wheat rolls. It was delicious. I served it will scallop potatoes. It was a great combo.

6 large potatoes
2 cans evaporated milk
4 tbsp flour
shredded cheese
chopped onion
LOTS of pepper, salt, and garlic powder to season

Peel and cut potatoes in half. Boil in salted water until soft, but still a little firm.
After the Potatoes are cooked, slice them into smaller pieces.
Put a layer down of potatoes and a handful of the diced onions in a 9 by 13 pan.
Pour some evaporated milk on them, season with pepper, salt and garlic powder. Sprinkle some flour over the top and make sure it is absorbed into the milk (the flour is what will thicken the milk).
Add cheese on top of the layer if you like a lot of cheese, or you can just wait until the end to sprinkle it on top.
Repeat this process of layering until you run out of potatoes.
Make sure the milk is up to the same level as the potatoes.
End with a layer of cheese on the top.
Bake at 375 degrees until it is bubbly and the onions are soft.
Let it stand for a few minutes to cool off and to let the sauce thicken some more.

Cafe Rio Salad

2009-10-28T19:52:00.000-07:00

I am too lazy to write this one down so I will just give you the link. It is my favorite recipe right now. I have yet to meet someone who is not crazy about it.

I adjust the recipe a little bit, but you can follow it ver batum if you are so inclined.

*I use a beef roast instead of pork
*I don't dump out the juices after the meat is cooked like the recipe says. It is perfectly good juice! I just add a can of enchilada sauce while it is cooking, instead of dumping out all the stuff and putting it in at the end.
*The dressing is divine but if you are lazy, buy some ranch dressing and dress it up with the other add ins that make it a not so typical ranch.

You will find some other great recipes on this site as well!
www.sisterscafe.blogspot.com

Dinner in a Pumpkin

2009-10-28T19:45:00.000-07:00

It was cold today and boy was I in the mood for some autumnal goodness. Enter pumpkin. My friend told me about this (thanks Rachelle). And it was a smashing success. And come on, how fun is it to eat out of a pumpkin!

1 small to medium pumpkin (pumpkin pie pumpkin)
2 tbsp. soy sauce
1 (4oz) can sliced mushrooms, drained
1 1/2 cups cooked rice
1 onion, chopped
1 1/2 - 2 lbs. ground beef
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 (10 3/4 oz) can cream of mushroom soup

1 chopped green bell pepper

Cut open your pumpkin from the top and scoop out all the icky stuff.

Brown your meat with the onions and bell pepper.

Add all the other stuff.

Put it in your pumpkin and replace the pumpkin lid and bake at 350 degrees for about an hour.

Potato Salad

2009-07-15T13:45:00.000-07:00

I went to a friend's party and had this delicious potato salad. I am normally not a fan of potato salad at all but this one was fantastic. I asked the girl who brought it for the recipe, she said she didn't have the specific measurements as it is a family recipe that has never been written down. So I have yet to play with the measurements, but for those who like to taste test their way to the right flavoring, here are the ingredients:

Potatoes (cooked, cooled and cubed)
eggs, diced
relish
green bell pepper, diced
red bell pepper, diced
red onion, diced
carrots, sliced
mayo
mustard
sugar
salt and pepper

When I figure out the quantities of each, I'll let you know. I am assuming it is mostly a mayo based dressing with a good amount of relish, a smaller amount of mustard, and just a little sugar. The salad had more of a sweet and tangy taste which is what made it different and good to me.

Cabbage Rolls (Or lettuce wraps)

2009-06-06T16:48:00.000-07:00

I got this from my friend Robyn.

1/2 head cabbage
1 pound ground beef (you can substitute whatever meat you would like)
1/4 cup diced onion
1/4 cup diced green pepper
1/4 cup shredded carrots
1 cup cooked rice

2 tsp worchester sauce
1 TBSP soy sauce
1 TBSP sugar
1/2 stp. salt
dash of pepper

Steam cabbage until tender.
Brown beef and onion, add bell pepper, carrots, cook a little longer, then add rice and worchester sauce.
Season with salt and pepper.
Mix soy sauce and sugar and then pour over beef mixture.
Serve in cabbage leaves (or lettuce)

Spaghetti With a Twist

2009-06-06T16:41:00.000-07:00

Spaghetti used to be my all time favorite food. I remember getting Spaghetti at IHOP once. Bad idea. I still love spaghetti because it is so easy, but I have realized there is a lot of delicious food out there to be tried! This recipe mixes the same old spaghetti up just a little bit. It's really fast and easy as well.

1 small onion chopped
1/4 cup Italian Salad Dressing
1 pound ground beef
1 can (15 ounce) tomato sauce
1 can (14 ounce) diced tomatoes, undrained
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 TBSP cream cheese
12 ounce spaghetti

Cook onions in a little olive oil until translucent. Add meat, cook until browned. Stir in tomatoes and garlic. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add cream cheese until well blended
Serve with cooked spaghetti and Parmesan cheese.

Salsa

2009-06-06T16:35:00.000-07:00

I got this from my friend Charlotte. It makes a really good salsa.

2 - 14.5 ounce stewed tomatoes (Mexican)
1/2 of an onion (finely diced)
1 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 of a lime juiced
1 tsp. salt
1/4 c. jalepinos (a little less if you don't want it too spicy)
3 TBSP chopped fresh cilantro

Mix ingredients in blender on low for a few seconds.

Tips:
-drain tomatoes well
-don't blend too long

Alternatives:
-more lime, bit of salt, splash of vinegar and a little extra cilantro

Poppyseed Bundt Cake

2009-06-05T20:12:00.000-07:00

I have been on an eating extravaganza this weekend, and boy has it been good. I am sharing a recipe for the most fantastic, moist, easiest, delectable, can't stop eating it, cake in the entire world. Trust me on this one. You shall love.

Poppyseed Bundt ("It's a bunt cake." Name the movie!)

Cake1 yellow cake mix w/pudding
3.5 oz box of vanilla pudding
1 TB poppyseeds
1/2 c. oj
1/2 c. oil
1 c. sour cream
4 eggs
Mix.

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.When cake is about 10 minutes from being done, make the glaze.

1 cup sugar
1/4 c. OJ
1/2 cup butter (thus the secret to its goodness)

Boil the sauce. Pour over the finished cake when it is nice and bubbly. Let it soak in, then turn it over on a cake plate, and then...devour. Trust me, you will.

Honey-Lime Chicken Smothered Burritos

2009-06-05T20:10:00.001-07:00

Cook some chicken. I baked mine, then I cut it up.

Then marinate for like a half hour if you've got the time, in this little diddy:
6 TB Honey
4.5 TB lime juice
1 TB chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Then, take your flour tortillas, put some chicken and some cheese (jack or colby) in the middle, roll them up and put them in a pan.Bake them at 375 for a few minutes, make sure you watch them so they don't burn, and make sure the cheese melts.
THEN, add the Green Enchilada sauce (I used and liked Las Palmas brand) on top. I warmed the sauce up and added after I got enchiladas sort of crispy and the cheese melted because if you cook the enchiladas with the sauce, the flour tortillas get all mushy and nasty. And thus, this is why I call them a burrito instead of an enchilada. If you like mushy flour tortillas feel free to cook the enchiladas in the sauce. Garnish with sour cream, lettuce, tomatoes, and cheese for the full on burrito-enchilada style effect.

Easy Oreo Truffles

2009-06-05T19:24:00.001-07:00

We got these in a Christmas Cookie plate one year, they were the best thing on the plate, and then I made them for a cookie exchange another year. They are fabulous and really easy.

1 (16 ounce) package OREO cookies
1 (8 ounce) package of cream cheese
2 (8 ounce) packages Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate, melted

Crush 9 cookies into crumbs in a food processor (if you have one). Or you can crush them in a ziplock bag with a rolling pin. Set aside.

Crush remaining cookies. Place in bowl, add cream cheese and mix until blended. Roll into little balls, about 42.

Dip balls in melted chocolate, place on wax paper. Sprinkle with reserved cookie crumbs.

Refrigerate until firm, about an hour. Keep leftovers stored in the refrigerator.

Old Spaghetti Factory Creamy Pesto Dressing

2009-06-05T19:16:00.000-07:00

We went out to dinner with our friends a few months ago and the other wife really talked up the salad dressing. She stated she wished she could bottle it up and take it home. And I thought, hey, I bet I could google that. So I did. And I made it. And I think it worked. I actually put the dressing on a pasta salad and people seemed to like it. It is a little fancier than the usual ranch. It also could make a great marinade for chicken.

3/4 cup oil
1 cup mayo (uh...light mayo, check out how much oil is in it too)
3/4 c. buttermilk
2 tbsp grated romano cheese
2 tbsp dried basil
1/2 tsp salt
1 clove garlic (minced) (maybe more, the garlic is really key in this recipe)
1/4 tsp paprika

Whisk together oil and mayo.
Add other ingredients.
Cover and let flavors meld overnight in the refrigerator.

Lasagna Rolls

2009-06-05T19:04:00.001-07:00

These look really pretty and are a different version of the usual lasagna. I got the recipe from Giada Laurentiis, the chef from "Everyday Italian." She's the really pretty/skinny lady, which I am always wondering how a pasta ched is so darn skinny.

6 Servings

Sauce:
2 TBSP butter
4 tsp. flour
1 1/4 c. whole milk
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
pinch of ground nutmeg

Lasagna:
1 (15 ounce) container of whole milk ricotta cheese (which I am not a huge fan, you could sub. cottage cheese)
1 (10 ounce) package frozen spinach, thawed, squeezed dry
1 Cup plus 2 TBSP grated parmesan
3 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto (fancy ham), chopped
1 egg, beaten
3/4 tsp salt, plus more for salting water
1/2 tsp pepper
1-2 tbsp olive oil
12 uncooked lasagna noodles
2 cups marinara sauce (your favorite brand)
1 cup shredded mozzarella (about 4 ounces)

Directions
To make the sauce: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the flour and whisk for 3 minutes. Whisk in the milk. Increase the heat to medium-high. Whisk the sauce until it comes to a simmer and is thick and smooth, about 3 minutes. Whisk the salt, pepper, and nutmeg into the bechamel sauce.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
Whisk the ricotta, spinach, 1 cup Parmesan, prosciutto, egg, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl to blend.
Add a tablespoon or 2 of oil to a large pot of boiling salted water. Boil the noodles until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain. Arrange the noodles in a single layer on a baking sheet to prevent them from sticking.
Butter a 13-by-9-by-2-inch glass baking dish. Pour the bechamel sauce over the bottom of the prepared dish. Lay out 4 lasagna noodles on a work surface, then spread about 3 tablespoons of ricotta mixture evenly over each noodle. Starting at 1 end, roll each noodle like a jelly roll. Lay the lasagna rolls seam side down, without touching, atop the bechamelsauce in the dish. Repeat with the remaining noodles and ricotta mixture. Spoon 1 cup of marinara sauce over the lasagna rolls. Sprinkle the mozzarella and remaining 2 tablespoons of Parmesan over the lasagna rolls. Cover tightly with foil. Bake until heated through and the sauce bubbles, about 20 minutes. Uncover and bake until the cheese on top becomes golden, about 15 minutes longer. Let stand for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the remaining marinara sauce in a heavy small saucepan over medium heat until hot, and serve alongside.

Apple Dumplings

2009-06-05T08:45:00.000-07:00

I remember my mom making these when I was a kid. They are a fun take on apple pie. I have them a couple times. Don thought they were awesome.

Rome Beauty, or other cooking apple are suggested for this.

1 (15 ounce) refrigerated pie dough
4 apples, peeled and cored
Butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup sugar

serve with ice cream for maximum goodness

unfold crust on cutting board. Cut each crust in half. With a rolling pin, roll each piece to make square large enough to wrap apple.
Place apple on a square of the dough. Sprinkle the apple with 1 tbsp of brown sugar and sprinkle evenly with cinnamon. Take a little slice of butter and put it on top (maybe a little less than a tablespoon. You can leave the butter out, I just think it makes it better)
Wrap crust around apple and pinch sides together. Place apples in baking dish. Sprinkle each apple with additional cinnamon and sugar.

In a small pan, combine the water and 1 cup sugar. Stir together and pour into baking dish. Bake at 375 for an hour or until apples are tender and crust is golden brown.

Fajitas

2009-06-04T08:52:00.000-07:00

This is one of my no brainers, but I have found an especially helpful tip in making these.

Did you know you can buy frozen, already cut up bell peppers and onions?
You can. And it is pretty cheap! Red, yellow, and green bell peppers, and onions already sliced and ready to go! Dinner is halfway done!

-sautee your peppers and onions in olive oil until they are starting to get caramelized
-cook your chicken (or beef) any which way you like. Season with salt and pepper and cumin and seasoning salt. Sometimes I like to cook my chicken in the oven and then cut it up if I am not feeling like dealing with raw meat. Or you can take your uncooked, diced chicken and cook it on the stovetop in some olive oil.
-Add your chicken and veggies together and you are done! Make sure it is well salted and well seasoned. Lots of pepper and cumin will give it that Mexican flavor.

serve with warm tortillas, sour cream, cheese, and salsa.

Basic Poppyseed Dressing

2009-06-04T08:45:00.001-07:00

This dressing can work on any salad. It has a sweet and tangy flavor. I used to think that making my own dressing sounded like too much work, but really if you have the basics stocked in your kitchen, you can always whip up this dressing, and it is cheaper and better than the fancy ones sold in the stores.

If you have a hand blender, they make making salad dressing a cinch. you just put all the ingredients in a cup, blend and you are done! No messy clean up! I sound like an infomercial!

1 C sugar
1/2 C apple cider vinegar
1 C salad oil
1 Tbsp poppy seeds (these are not necessary if you don't have them)
1 tsp dry mustard
1 garlic clove

You can substitute red wine vinegar for a little different flavor too.

Cracker's Spinach-Apple Salad

2009-06-04T08:35:00.000-07:00

There is a popular little breakfast/lunch joint down here called "Crackers."
I had this salad there and it is really easy to copy.

-Chicken, seasoned and cooked, but into strips
-package of fresh spinach
-2-3 Granny Smith Apples cut in small slices, make sure you sprinkle them with lemon juice to keep them from getting brown
-about 3/4 cup of cumbled feta cheese (be careful not to put too much feta in it, feta has a really strong taste and can overpower the salad)
-crumbled bacon
-sliced almonds ( I usually leave the nuts out because I am cheap)

Poppyseed Dressing:
1 C sugar
1/2 C apple cider vinegar
1 C salad oil
1 Tbsp poppy seeds
1 tsp dry mustard
1 garlic clove

Blend all ingredients together.

Strawberry Spinach Salad

2009-06-04T08:27:00.000-07:00

This is not a revolutionary recipe, but I have to say, I make this for company all the time, and most people really like it.

-package of fresh spinach
-about 1 1/2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese
-about 1 package of sliced fresh strawberries
-cooked bacon (look at my link for a tip on cooking bacon, or just buy it already cooked and shredded for you in the salad isle of the grocery store)

Assemble salad, pour dressing just a couple minutes before serving.

Poppyseed Dressing:
1 C sugar
1/2 C apple cider vinegar
1 C salad oil
1 Tbsp poppy seeds
1 tsp dry mustard
1 garlic clove

Blend ingredients.

The Salad

2009-06-04T08:18:00.000-07:00

I had this salad at a baby shower. My friend Maggie brought it. She is an amazing cook. I have not ever had anything that wasn't delicious if she made it. Wow, there were a lot of double negatives in that last sentence. Check out her food blog-she has a lot of great recipes.

Salad
1 head red leaf lettuce torn in bite sized pieces
1 pkg baby spinach leafs
2 gala apples chopped
2 C red grapes cut in half
1 C grated mozzarella cheese
1 lb bacon cooked crisp drained well and crumbled (look in the salad isle for already cooked, shredded bacon if you don't want to cook bacon)
1/2 C sunflower seeds shelled roasted and salted ( I usually leave this out because I am cheap)

Dressing
1 C sugar
1/2 C apple cider vinegar
1 C salad oil
1 Tbsp poppy seeds
1 tsp dry mustard
1 garlic clove (I added this, I think garlic makes everything better)

Blend them all together.
I have one of those hand held blenders and it makes it so much easier.
If you don't have one and make salad dressing a lot, I would suggest investing in one. They are not that expensive and very handy.

You will probably have extra salad dressing leftover.

Martha Stewart Macaroni and Cheese

2009-06-04T08:13:00.000-07:00

I found this recipe in a Martha Stewart magazine awhile back. Since then I have seen it on other blogs, so apparantly this recipe gets around.
It is THE BEST, hands down macaroni and cheese in the entire world. I say that with complete confidence. Try it at least once in your life, it is a little work, but the outcome is worth it.

Ingredients
Serves 12
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for dish
6 slices good white bread, crusts removed, torn into 1/4- to 1/2-inch pieces
5 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
4 1/2 cups grated sharp white cheddar cheese (about 18 ounces)
2 cups grated Gruyere cheese (about 8 ounces) or 1 1/4 cups grated Pecorino Romano cheese (about 5 ounces) (you find this in the specialty cheese section in the grocery store)
1 pound elbow macaroni

Directions
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish; set aside. Place bread in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Pour butter into bowl with bread, and toss. Set breadcrumbs aside.
In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, heat milk. Melt remaining 6 tablespoons butter in a high-sided skillet over medium heat. When butter bubbles, add flour. Cook, whisking, 1 minute.
While whisking, slowly pour in hot milk. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick.
Remove pan from heat. Stir in salt, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper, 3 cups cheddar cheese, and 1 1/2 cups Gruyere or 1 cup Pecorino Romano; set cheese sauce aside.
Fill a large saucepan with water; bring to a boil. Add macaroni; cook 2 to 3 minutes less than manufacturer's directions, until the outside of pasta is cooked and the inside is underdone. (Different brands of macaroni cook at different rates; be sure to read the instructions.) Transfer macaroni to a colander, rinse under cold running water, and drain well. Stir macaroni into the reserved cheese sauce
Pour mixture into prepared dish. Sprinkle remaining 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup Gruyere or 1/4 cup Pecorino Romano, and breadcrumbs over top. Bake until browned on top, about 30 minutes. Transfer dish to a wire rack to cool 5 minutes; serve hot.

Macaroni Grill Balsamic Bread Dip

2009-06-03T12:09:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had the fresh bread and dip at Macaroni Grill? It makes a great appetizer and it is really easy to make.

All you need is:

-Balsamic vinegar
-Olive Oil
-Salt and pepper
-Italian Seasoning (or dried basil and oregano)
-fresh minced garlic

Do about half oil, half vinegar and then add the other stuff to taste.
Serve with a loaf of warm french bread. (wrap the bread in tin foil and place in your oven to warm, if you want the outside crispy, take the tin foil off)

Seasoning Tip

2009-06-03T12:06:00.000-07:00

These are some of my favorite seasonings:
-FRESH garlic.
-Balsamic vinegar
-sauteed onions pretty much improves anything.
That's all I can think of right now.

Cutting chicken tip

2009-06-03T12:04:00.000-07:00

I hate cutting meat. It almost makes me lose my appetite. But it can be less disgusting.
Did you know it is easier to cut partially frozen chicken?
Well it is.
Maybe you already knew that, but if you didn't, this tip will greatly improve your life.

German Pancakes

2009-06-03T09:57:00.000-07:00

If you have never made German Pancakes, you really should. They are easy, cheap, and different. The sky is the limit with toppings. Whatever you like on your pancakes easily applies. I think the best is strawberries and powdered sugar.
Here are just some ideas:
strawberries and powdered sugar and sour cream, bananas and powdered sugar, lemon juice and powdered sugar, fresh peaches, blueberries, whipped cream, syrup, jam, and by the way, they are tasty just plain. The possibilities are endless.

1/4 cup butter (I split that in half)
1 1/2 cups milk
3/4 c. flour
1/3 c. sugar
3 eggs
1/4 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Put butter in square baking dish. Place in oven for about 5 minutes or until melted. Blend all the other ingredients until smooth. Pour batter immediately into pan with the melted butter. Adjust heat t0 450. Put pan back in the oven and cook for about 20 minutes. Reduce temp. to 350 and bake for another 8-10 minutes. I find the cooking time is very variable. Make sure you watch. If you can watch without opening your oven that's the best way to go. You don't want to open up an oven when something is baking and rising. Same applies to cakes. When it is really puffy and a fork comes out clean, it is done. The puffiness goes down quickly, which I actually like. The texture actually reminds me a lot of flan, only better.

Best Egg Casserole I have ever had.

2009-06-03T09:39:00.000-07:00

Seriously, if you are ever asked to bring an egg casserole to something...cause that happens ALL THE TIME...uh....well anyway, IF you ever do, you must bring this. Your praises will be sung.

Peggy's Quiche

32 oz. cubed frozen potatoes (try the ones with bell pepper and onion for extra flavor)
1 Cup melted butter (you can reduce to 1/2- 3/4 if that just made you faint)
2 cups diced ham, you know, cubed.
2 cups grated chedder cheese (I recommend sharp or medium)
2 cups grated monterey jack cheese
1 cup evaporated milk
6 eggs
1/2 tsp seasoning salt
black pepper

Spray 9x13 baking pan with cooking spray. Press potatoes in pan to form crust. Pour melted butter over potatoes. I would salt and pepper the potatoes too. Bake at 425 for 20 minutes. Remove pan from oven and make alternate layers of cheese and ham. Reduce heat to 350. Beat eggs, milk, and seasoning salt. Pour egg mixture over cheese and ham. Bake for 30-45 minutes until knife comes out clean.

Yaki Tacos

2009-06-03T09:12:00.000-07:00

"The Islands" is a restaurant that serves these tacos. They sound strange, but they are my favorite menu item. I realized they are also really easy to make.

-About a pound of cut up chicken
-Bottled Terryaki sauce (it should have a sweet flavor and be on the thicker side, if you happen to buy one that is not sweet and really salty, add some brown sugar to sweeten it up, and cornstarch to thicken it up)
-shredded Jack cheese
-green, leafy lettuce, cut up in small pieces
-pineapple tidbits
-diced roma tomatoes
-green onions, chopped
-soft taco sized tortillas

1. Heat some olive oil in a frying pan and then cook the chicken until it is nice and golden brown.
2. Add the sauce to the chicken.
3. Warm your tortillas by stovetop (I never learned the proper way to heat tortillas until watching Don's mom. My mom always warmed them up in the microwave. They are much better on the stovetop)
4. Assemble your tacos:
Chicken, lettuce, cheese, pineapple, green onions, tomatoes
5. Eat.

Philly Cheesesteak Sandwhiches

2009-06-03T08:58:00.000-07:00

I stole this from my friends, the Mumfords. They made these sandwiches and I thought, what a fantastic idea!

-About a pound of Chopped stir fry meat (you want a beef that is meant to be cooked fast, so as not to be tough as a cowboys leather leg things)
-2 Green Bell Peppers cut in strips
-one onion cut in strips
-bread made for subs, you can find this in the bread section
-cream cheese
-provolone

Sautee the Bell Peppers and the onion in olive oil until the onion gets nice and sort of caramelized. Make sure you salt and pepper the veggies while they are cooking.
Remove the veggies, and add the meat.
Cook the meat, then add the veggies back in.
Flavor the meat with some worchestire (uh how do you spell that) sauce, garlic powder, balsamic vinegar, lots of salt and pepper, and a little bit of beef broth so that there is some juice with the meat. You don't want the meat mixture to be dry.

To assemble your sandwiches, Split your bread and place the cheese on the bread. Broil it in the oven for just a few minutes until the cheese is melted and the bread is just sort of crispy on the outside but still soft on the inside.
Once you get the bread out, spread cream cheese on the bread and then add the meat. If you want to keep the sandwiches warm, wrap them in foil and put them back in the oven until you are ready to eat.

PF Changs Orange Chicken

2009-06-03T08:49:00.000-07:00

I lllllloooooovvve Pf Changs infamous orange chicken. I have actually never tried this recipe before, but I am going to-I will let you know. It looks like it has the right ingredients. I think the key is the chili garlic sauce which I am assuming is somewhat pricey and located in the ethnic isle in the grocery store.

Sauce:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoons minced garlic
4 green onions, sliced
1 cup tomato sauce
1/2 cup water (I actually would replace the water with orange juice)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons chili garlic sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
1 egg, beaten
1 cup milk
1 cup flour
peel from 1/4 orange, julienned (into 1/8″ thick strips)

1. Make the sauce: In a medium saucepan, heat oil; add garlic and onions; do not let the garlic burn; add tomato sauce; bring to boil.
2. Add sugar, chili sauce and soy sauce; bring to boil; simmer five to six minutes or until sauce thickens; remove from heat.
3. Prepare chicken: In wok or large skillet, heat oil. Meanwhilecut chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces.
4. In medium bowl combine egg and milk; mix well. Place flour inshallow dish.
5. Coat chicken pieces - first in the flour, then the egg wash andback into the flour. Cook in 2 or 3 batches until all chicken is cooked.
6. When chicken is done, remove oil and rinse out wok or pan with water;reheat pan. When hot, add orange peel and chicken; heat through -about a minute - stirring gently. Add sauce.

A Bacon Tip

2009-06-02T23:33:00.000-07:00

So you all probably figured this out long before I did, but I have figured out the best way to cook bacon. Bacon is stinky and greasy. One day I noticed that my throw pillows smelled like bacon, and I said to myself, there must be another way.

There is.
Broil it.
In your oven.
Line a cookie sheet with tin foil and when it is done, you just throw away the foil.
Less stinky and less messy.
You have to watch it carefully though. If you broil it on high it will be obliterated very quickly. One minute it is nicely crackling, and the next minute you have unrecognizable charred remains.

Sorry if I just shared the obvious with you all.

Almond Cake

2009-06-02T23:07:00.000-07:00

I had this cake at a baby shower a long, long time ago and I fell in love. Probably because of the large amounts of butter.

Boil
1 c. butter
1 c. water

add to:
2 c. flour
2 c. sugar
2 eggs
1/2 c. sour cream
1 tsp almond flavor
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder

Pour batter onto a greased sheetcake pan (basically a deep dished cookie sheet)
Bake 350 for 20 minutes.

While warm, frost:
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup milk
4-5 cups powder sugar
1 tsp. almond flavoring

Sprinkle Cake with slivered almonds.

Best BBQ Beans in the West

2009-06-02T22:59:00.000-07:00

As my cousin Erin knows, AZ has a lot of BBQ. So I know BBQ when I taste it. Okay, I am joking, but seriously these are the best BBQ beans I have ever had. I had them the night before I got married (dangerous to eat beans before a wedding, I know...) and I liked them so much I actually took the time to get the recipe that night, which is saying something, because there were about a billion other things I could have been worrying about...like picking up my wedding dress before midnight...But man, I sure liked the beans.

Calico Beans:

1/2 pound hamburger
1/2 pound bacon
1 large chopped onion
1/2 cup ketchup
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. dry mustard
4 tsp. vinegar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 30 ounce pork and beans
1 15 ounce chick peas drained
1 15 ounce kidney beans drained
1 10 ounce lima beans

Cook hamburger, bacon and onion.
Stir in all the other stuff.
cover and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.
Or this is great in the crock pot.

Low Fat Fettucini Alfredo

2009-06-02T22:53:00.000-07:00

I make this all the time because it is so easy and I love pasta. And it is even a low fat version of a favorite American comfort food.

16 ounce fettuccine
1/2 cup sour cream
1 can evaporated milk
6 taplespoons of freshly grated parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons parsley
1/2 tsp. dried basil
dash of red pepper flakes
dash of black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced (key ingredient)
(I also add just a little chicken bouillon flavoring to give it more taste)

Cook pasta and drain. Add sour cream and then everything else and cook until it gets thick.

Mandarin Orange Cake

2009-06-02T22:46:00.000-07:00

This is a really refreshing and pretty cake. And it is so easy to frost, which I think is the best part. I have gotten a lot of requests for this cake recipe. Too bad I didn't make it up.

1 butter-recipe yellow cake mix
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 tbsp water
3 eggs
1 small can of mandarin oranges with juice
( I have never tried it, but my friend Maggie says you can improve any cake by substituting milk for the water and adding a box of pudding to the cake. This cake is already really good but next time I make it I am going to try Maggie's suggestion)

filling:
12 ounces whipped topping
1 large box vanilla pudding
1 can crushed pineapple

Blend cake ingredients. Pour into 2 cake pans and bake at 350 until fork comes out clean.
let cake cool.

Frost with the combined filling ingredients.
Refrigerate and serve cold.

Apple Pudding Pie

2009-06-02T22:44:00.001-07:00

I was looking for a non-traditional apple pie for Thanksgiving a few years back and I stumbled upon this one. It is now requested every Thanksgiving. If you like bread pudding, you will love this pie.

The Recipe for: APPLE PUDDING PIE

1 unbaked 9 inch pastry shell (you probably want to do deep dish, there is a lot of filling to be used up)
3 eggs
1 c. applesauce
½ cup fat free vanilla yogurt
½ c. sugar
½ c packed brown sugar
1/3 c. rolled oats
1 tsp. cinnamon
4 slices of bread, cut up (about 3 cups, use stale bread or toast it a little to dry it up)
2 medium cooking apples such as jonathan, rome beauty, or winesap
¼ c packed brown sugar
¼ c flour
2 tbsp butter
½ c nuts (optional)

Directions:
For crust, line the unbaked pastry shell with double thickness of foil. bake in 450 degrees oven for 8 minutes. Remove foil. Bake for 4 minutes more. Remove from oven. Reduce oven temp. to 350 degrees.
For filling, peel, core and slice apples. In a medium mixing bowl stir together eggs, applesauce, yogurt, sugar, ½ c. brown sugar, oats, and cinnamon. stir in bread and apples. set aside.
For topping, in another bowl stir together ¼ c brown sugar and flour. cut in butter until mixture becomes course crumbs. (it is really easy to do in the food processor) Stir in nuts. pour filling into prepared pie crust. sprinkle topping over the filling. cover edge of crust with foil. bake for 30 minutes. remove foil, bake another 30 minutes until top is golden and fruit is tender. makes 8 servings.
hint: Don’t make apples too big or this pie will take forever to cook.

Chicken Broccoli Ring

2009-06-02T22:32:00.001-07:00

I learned how to make this at a Pampered Chef Party. It looks pretty fancy. Cook it on a circular pan if you have one.

2 cups cooked chicken (canned is okay)

1 cup broccoli (frozen okay)

1/2 cup red bell pepper

1 garlic clove (fresh garlic makes all the difference in the world)

4 ounces sharp chedder cheese, shredded

1/2 cup mayo

2 tsp. Dill seasoning

1/4 tsp salt

2 packages refrigerated crescent rolls

Combine all the filling ingredients. Then assemble your ring. Okay so how do I explain this.

Your cresents come in triangles. you want to take the base of the triangles and arrange them in a circle, overlapping eachother on the side. This should leave the one point, or top of the triangle facing outwards. Then take the filling and spoon closer to the base of the triangle. Then take the top of the triange and fold it over.

Bake at 375 for about 20 minutes or until crescents are completely cooked.

Tres Leches

2009-06-02T22:22:00.001-07:00

A milky Mexican cake. Don's favorite. You can serve it with fresh strawberries. It is divine. I think altitude affects this cake...not sure how to exactly fix it. My friend lives in the mountains and apparantly the cake never rose. I would google how to adjust to elevation. Robyn, what did you do?

5 eggs
1tsp. baking powder
2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup unsalted butter

Milks:
2 cups milk
1 14ounce sweetened condensed milk
1 12ounce evaporated milk
1 1/2 cup whipping cream
1 tsp. vanilla

Grease and flour a 9x13 pan.
Sift flour and baking powder together.
cream butter and 1 cup of the sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, 1/2 tsp. of vanilla. Beat.
Add flour mixture to butter mixture slowly.
pour into pan.
Bake ar 350 for 30 minutes.
Pierce cake several time with fork.
let cool before pouring the milk over the cake.
combine milks and the pour over cooled cake. The milks should completely soak in the cake and the cake will become like a filled sponge.
Whip whipping cream, 1 tsp vanilla and 1 cup of sugar. Top the cake with the whipping cream.
Refrigerate the cake and serve it nice and cold.

Sun Dried Tomato Pasta Salad

2009-06-02T22:19:00.000-07:00

I stole this from the Barefoot Contessa. It is my favorite pasta salad ever.

Serves 6 to 8
1/2 pound fusilli (spirals) pasta
Kosher salt
Olive oil
1 pound ripe tomatoes, medium-diced
3/4 cup good black olives, such as kalamata, pitted and diced (I leave these out)
1 pound fresh mozzarella, medium-diced
6 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped
FOR THE DRESSING
5 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
6 tablespoons good olive oil
1 garlic clove, diced
1 teaspoon capers, drained (I leave this out too, they are kind of hard to find and I am not a fan of their taste)
2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup packed basil leaves, julienned
Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water with a splash of oil to keep it from sticking together. Boil for 12 minutes, or according to the directions on the package. Drain well and allow to cool. Place the pasta in a bowl and add the tomatoes, olives, mozzarella, and chopped sun-dried tomatoes.
For the dressing: combine the sun-dried tomatoes, vinegar, olive oil, garlic, capers, salt, and pepper in a food processor until almost smooth.
Pour the dressing over the pasta, sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese and basil, and toss well.
This salad sits well, so you can make it early in the day. Add the Parmesan and basil just before serving.

Easy Pasta Salad

2009-06-02T22:06:00.000-07:00

I make this for a lot of family functions. It feeds a lot of people for pretty cheap.

1 package of colored pasta
1 bottle of Italian Dressing (NOT Kraft brand. Yuck. Kraft-barf)
1 cucumber
1 head of broccoli
1 Red Bell pepper
2-3 Roma tomatoes
Cubed mozzarella cheese
parmasen to taste
salt and pepper to taste

Self explanatory I hope. Add the dressing just a little prior to serving. You don't want the dressing to make the pasta all soggy.

Olive Garden's 5 Cheese Ziti

2009-06-02T15:39:00.000-07:00

The 5 Cheese Ziti is my all time favorite Olive Garden dish. I discovered that the sauce listed below makes a fabulous base. I would double it if you are planning on making it in a 9 by 13 pan. To make it 5 cheese, you basically have to add cheese!

Let me tell you how.
So make the pasta and sauce as described below.
Or if you are lazy, you can just do 2 parts alfredo sauce, 1 part spaghetti sauce for the sauce. I have never tried it that way, but I am sure it would work. I think finding a good bottled alfredo sauce is hard. Anyway...

To the sauce, add some:
ricotta, mozzarella, and fontini cheese (look in the specialty cheese section for this cheese)
You decide how cheesy you want it to be.
I would say about 1/2 c. ricotta, 1/4 c. mozzarella, and 3 tbsp. of fontini cheese.

The topping:
3 tablespoons grated Romano cheese
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

To assemble, put the pasta and sauce in a 9 by 13 pan, sprinkle with mozzarella cheese, then add the topping. Bake for about 20 minutes at 375 until it gets bubbly and the top looks glorious and sort of toasty with cheesy goodness.

And you probably should wait a couple days to weigh yourself after you eat this. But it is so worth it.

Penne with Tomato Cream

2009-06-02T15:32:00.001-07:00

This makes a nice low fat pink sauce for pasta.

So this sauce is also a good base for my imitation of Olive Garden's 5 Cheese Ziti. I will post that too.

Serves 4
6 oz. uncooked penne
1 large red bell pepper, chopped (newsflash, I love red peppers)
1 small onion, chopped
1 garlic clove pressed
1 can diced tomatoes with liquid (14.5) (you can even get the can of tomatoes listed as Italian Style)
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 tsp. flour
1/4 cup evaporated milk

Cook pasta.

Make Sauce:
1. saute onion and red pepper in olive oil. Add garlic. Add tomatoes, sugar, basil, salt, and pepper. Bring to boil. Cover and reduce heat and let simmer for 10 minutes.
2. whisk flour into milk until smooth.
3Add to tomato mixture.
4.Cook and stir until sauce is slightly thickened.
5. Add pasta.

Welcome and Tropical Chicken with Mango Salsa and Coconut Rice

2009-06-02T14:31:00.001-07:00

So I started a food blog. Just for kicks. It is named "Mottsy's Kitchen" because this is the name of the restaurant I started when I was a kid. It was open once a year. On Mother's Day. I made a menu and gave it to my mom to pick something off of. Of course I had only one real option to choose from- I think I called it the Mother's Day Special. My mom was smart. She always picked the Mother's Day Special. I think one year I made her a BLT and one year was French toast. That's all I can remember. I told Don this story and he started calling me Mottsy while we were dating. If I ever start a restaurant, it will be named "Mottsy's." Catchy, don't you think?

I have to apologize in advance, I don't know if you have noticed, I am wordy. Too wordy. But I figure I will share with you what I have learned through trial and error with these recipes. Then maybe you won't make the same mistakes. And sometimes I am not good with exact measurements, because with recipes I have noticed sometimes they are off. Sometimes you have to adjust to make it work. I think that is what cooking is all about.

So for my first entree, and entry (little play on words there) I bring you:

Tropical Chicken with Mango Salsa and Coconut Rice
Background: I took a cooking class over at the community college almost 4 years ago. I was hoping to learn how to be a fancy chef, but basically I learned variations on the basics. I learned some things, but overall, I was a little disappointed to tell you the truth. I know how to make a white sauce, and just because I learned it's french name did not fool me into thinking I was learning something revolutionary.
Anyway, the last class we had to cook something that could use up all the ingredients the kitchen already had. And so my little group made this. It was awesome and seriously is one of my favorite things to eat.

To live up to its awesomeness, these must be obtained
*The main tip is to get good mangos. You HAVE to wait for them to ripen and be soft otherwise it will be he** trying to get the fruit from them, and it will taste blah as well. You have no idea how many times I have learned this lesson.
*Rice must be moist and have a good amount of coconut milk in it.
*Plenty of extra marinade to spoon over rice and chicken.
*Mango salsa must be juicy.

Chicken:
1 lb. chicken
Marinate the chicken in 1/4c. soy sauce and some ginger. It is best with fresh ginger, I squeeze the juice out with a garlic press. You can also add some terryaki sauce for extra flavor. If you are really lazy, just get a bottle of terryaki marinade, there are a ton to chose from. Give it 30 min. to 2 hrs.

Cook the meat. If you really want to impress, grill it so it gets those nice grill marks. Did you know you can even by a frying pan will grilling ridges to give you the same look? When cooking chicken, it is best to sear the outside to lock in the juices. For example, heat some olive oil in a pan, and just brown both sides of the meat, and then let it cook in the oven for the rest of the time.
Make sure you save some of the marinade to spoon over the chicken and rice when it is finished.

Rice:
So depending on how much rice you want to make...
Basically you want to cook the rice according to the directions on the box, but substitute half of the water with coconut milk. Watch the rice and make sure it has enough water. Actually the best it ever turned out was when I used a coconut milk that was more like a goopy consistency. Then I just added some after the rice was cooked and it made the rice really moist and all around delectable.

Mango Salsa (did you hear a chorus of heavenly angels singing when you read that? Because I did.)
3-4 ripe mangos
1/2 chopped red onion
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
lime juice to taste
minced fresh ginger to taste
salt to taste