Recipes Archives - Page 43 of 45

Kiddie Cheese Square

July 19, 2011 ·

All right folks, here is a tasty treat for your little ones. Now Adam is not a picky eater per se, but he will not eat plain cottage cheese, and he will not eat plain eggs (no matter how much cheese is added). Put the 2 together, along with some flour and shredded cheese and voila! Kiddie Cheese Square is delicious, protein-packed, and one of Adam’s favorite lunches!

Making Kiddie Cheese Square could not be any easier – just mix everything together and bake. I typically cut the square in quarters and then wrap each quarter in cling wrap to store (and refrigerate after a couple days). I have also stored cheese square in the pan, but fridge space is a premium in our house, so storing them as quarters is easier. Do what works best for you.

To serve, I cut 1-2 strips from the square and heat in the microwave for about 5 seconds (enough to heat and soften the square). I then cut the strips into bite-sized pieces for Adam. At 16 months, he averages about 4 strips per sitting, and at 12 months, he ate 1-2 strips.

I think cheese square tastes like a cheesy pie crust. Others have remarked it is like kiddie pizza without the sauce. Regardless of what we think, Adam just thinks it’s great! Who would have thought that 4 simple ingredients mixed together could turn into something so tasty!

Kiddie Cheese Square
Yields one 9 x 9 square, serving size varies

3/4 cup all-purpose flour (see note)
1 egg, lightly beaten
3 ounces cheese, shredded (any cheese, such as cheddar, colby jack, mozzarella)
1 cup cottage cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9 x 9 inch baking pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine cheese, egg and cottage cheese. Add flour and mix until combined. Be careful not to over mix. (Note: mixture will be stiff to stir, yet sticky to the touch).
Pour mixture in baking pan. Using waxed paper, press mixture to spread out and fill the pan.
Bake for about 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick in the middle comes out clean. Be careful not to over bake. Cool and cut into squares.

Note: I have tried using whole wheat flour and whole wheat pastry flour, and this definitely works best with all-purpose flour. Whole wheat flours made the square too dense for Adam to “chew” but might work for a child with molars.

Adapted from The Everything Cooking for Baby and Toddler Book

Filed Under: Recipes, vegetarian Tagged With: baby/toddler, cheese, cottage cheese

Blueberry Lemon Muffins

July 15, 2011 ·

Have I told you lately that I love summer produce? Because I do! This weekend we are planning a visit to our local farm to pick up several pounds of blueberries. I am so excited! While we love to eat plain blueberries by the handful, I have a long list of great recipes using blueberries that I can’t wait to share with you!

So in honor, and anticipation, of our future blueberry windfall, I would like to share with you my favorite blueberry muffin recipe.

Years ago, I was flipping through a Bon Apetit magazine, and this recipe for blueberry muffins caught my eye. It just so happened to be an advertisement for Pam Cooking Spray – go figure!

Now I know that I promised you a break from yogurt recipes, and well…I stuck to that for over a week. It would simply not be fair to keep this recipe from you any longer. These muffins rock!

The beauty of using yogurt in baked goods means that you can use less oil/butter, which makes them a healthier option. These muffins also contain oats, which provide a little texture that goes well with the juicy blueberries. And what more can I say about the blueberry-lemon combination – it just works.

Over the years, I have made these muffins using different types of flours and yogurts. This time, I made them using whole wheat pastry flour and Greek yogurt. These muffins are just as delicious using all-purpose flour and/or regular yogurt, so use what you have or go crazy and try something different!

Blueberry Lemon Muffins

Author: Alida Fischbach

Yields: 12 muffins

Ingredients

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or all-purpose flour)
1 cup quick-cooking oats, uncooked
½ cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt (or regular plain nonfat yogurt)
¼ cup canola oil
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup blueberries
zest of 1 lemon

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Prepare 12-cup regular muffin pan with cooking spray or liners.
Whisk together flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda in a large bowl. In a small bowl, mix together yogurt, oil, egg and vanilla.
Pour yogurt mixture into center of dry ingredients; stir until just blended. Do not over mix. Fold in blueberries and lemon zest. (Note: batter is thick)
Divide batter evenly between prepared muffin cups. Bake 12-14 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes in pan, then remove from muffin pan and cool completely on wire rack.

Notes

Adapted from a Pam Cooking Spray Advertisement found in Bon Apetit magazine

Filed Under: bread, breakfast, Recipes Tagged With: blueberries, lemon, muffins, oats, yogurt

Herbed-Grilled Tomatoes

July 13, 2011 ·

Growing up, I remember summer was filled with an abundance of zucchini, rhubarb and tomatoes. According to me, zucchini was best served as bread, rhubarb was best served as crisp and tomatoes were best served to someone else. I was not a fan of tomatoes.

Actually, I still do not care for plain tomatoes, unless they are in a salad. I like my tomatoes made into something. And I must say, these Herbed-Grilled Tomatoes are definintely something!

Of course you can’t go wrong with balsamic vinegar, fresh basil and garlic. In fact, that makes for a pretty common (and tasty) vinaigrette. The role of the marinade in this dish is perfectly subtle.

What takes these tomatoes from ordinary to extraordinary is in the grilling. The charring from the grill, combined with the marinade, results in tomatoes literally bursting with fresh flavor. Topped with Parmesan cheese, Herbed-Grilled Tomatoes are an easy, healthy, and delicious side dish made on grill.

Herbed-Grilled Tomatoes
Yields 4 servings (2 tomato halves per serving)

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon minced fresh basil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
4 medium tomatoes, halved
1 tablespoon grated fresh Parmesan cheese

In a wide shallow bowl (13 x 9 baking dish works well) mix together the olive oil, vinegar, garlic, basil, salt and pepper.
Add tomatoes, and turn to coat them on all sides.
Prepare grill: brush grates with oil or spray with cooking spray, and preheat to medium high.
Place tomatoes, cut sides down, on the grill rack. Brush once with remaining marinade, and then discard marinade. Grill about 5-7 minutes on each side, or until tomatoes begin to blister, soften and brown. (Note: They can burn easily so keep an eye on them.)
Remove the tomatoes from grill and top with parmesan cheese. Garnish with fresh basil leaves, if desired. Serve immediately.

Adapted from Health, June, 2007

Filed Under: healthy, Recipes, sides, vegetarian Tagged With: easy, grilled

Grilled Peanut Butter Chicken

July 11, 2011 ·

If I had to pick my all time favorite food, it would be peanut butter (although cheese is a very close second). I love peanut butter sandwiches, cookies, bars, on apples, plain, ice cream…*sigh* I could go on and on.

So one day when I was opening my lovely jar of peanut butter, this chicken recipe caught my eye. Peanut butter? Chicken? Mmm… I do not often stumble upon many savory peanut butter dishes, so I was eager to give this a try.

As with most of my chicken recipes for the grill, I adapted this recipe to be quick and easy – mix the marinade, put marinade and chicken in Ziploc bag, let sit in the refrigerator for about 2 hours, grill, eat. It’s that simple.

The peanut butter, soy sauce and ginger combination give this chicken dish a Thai-inspired flavor. It is really quite tasty AND another way to eat more peanut butter. Yum!

Grilled Peanut Butter Chicken
Yields 4 servings

1/2 cup natural peanut butter
2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon ginger, grated or finely chopped
1 pound chicken tenders or chicken breast cut into 1 1/2 inch strips

In a bowl, prepare the marinade by mixing all of the ingredients except the chicken.
Put chicken in a Ziploc bag and pour marinade over chicken. Make sure chicken gets completely coated. Set in refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
Lightly oil grates on grill OR use a foil tray to cook chicken.
Place chicken on grill (or foil tray) and cook for 3-5 minutes per side, until chicken is cooked thoroughly.

Adapted from Smuckers Peanut Butter Jar Lid

Filed Under: Recipes Tagged With: chicken, easy, grilled, peanut butter

Grilled Portobello Mushroom Salad

July 9, 2011 ·

Filed Under: Recipes, Uncategorized Tagged With: Uncategorized

Garlic Beef Enchiladas

July 8, 2011 ·

My husband has been wondering ‘where’s the beef?’ Well here you go, Mike!

This week I am participating in an online recipe swap hosted by Sarah of A Taste of Home Cooking, and the theme is Mexican. I received Garlic Beef Enchiladas courtesy of Heather Lynne of Hezzi D’s Books and Cooks. This is not necessarily a recipe I would have selected on my own, simply because I do not eat a lot of meat. But that’s the whole point of the recipe swap – try something different. I was looking forward to making these enchiladas! (and Mike was very excited about meat!)

In order to give the enchiladas a bit more veggie-flair, I used the entire onion and entire bell pepper. I also used vegetable broth, simply because that was what I had on hand, corn tortillas instead of flour, and made a few adjustments to the garlic and spices. In lieu of stewed tomatoes, I used diced tomatoes with chiles to give it an extra kick, and they worked great. This recipe ended up a combination of Heather Lynne’s adaptation, the original recipe and some of my own recipes.

These enchiladas were a bit more labor intensive than most weeknight meals, but in end it was worth it. They were phenomenal! I savored every last bite – meat ‘n all. I will definitely be making this recipe again, though next time I plan to try substituting black beans for the beef.

Be sure to check out the round up of the recipe exchange at A Taste of Home Cooking. A big thank you to Sarah for hosting the recipe swap and a big thank you to Heather Lynne for the great recipe (and Mike thanks you for meat)!

Have a great weekend!

Garlic Beef Enchiladas
Yields 6 servings (2 enchiladas per serving)
FILLING:
1 pound lean ground beef
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 bell pepper (red or green), chopped
1 teaspoon salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes with chilis

SAUCE:
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 all purpose flour
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) vegetable or beef broth
1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin

12 corn tortillas (6 inches) warmed
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheese (cheddar or colby jack)

In a large skillet, heat beef, onion, pepper and garlic over medium heat until the beef is no longer pink. Add seasonings and stir well. Stir in tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring periodically.
Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan heat oil over medium heat. Saute garlic 2-3 minutes or until fragrant. Stir in flour until blended (making a roux). Gradually stir in the broth and bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2-3 minutes or until thickened. Stir in the tomato sauce and seasonings. Cook for an additional 5 minutes, then remove from heat.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 13 x 9 pan with cooking spray. Pour 1 1/2 cups of the sauce into the bottom of pan.
Stack tortillas and wrap in damp paper towel and microwave for 45-60 seconds. Top each tortilla with 1/4 cup filling, top with 1 tablespoon cheese and roll up tightly Place in baking dish seam-side down. Continue with remaining tortillas.
Top the enchiladas with the remaining sauce. Cover with non-stick foil (or spray regular foil with cooking spray) and cook for 30 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake for 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Adapted from Hezzi D’s Books and Cooks and from Taste of Home

Filed Under: main dishes, Recipes Tagged With: beef, dinner, Mexican

Blueberry Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

July 6, 2011 ·

Blueberry Lemon Ricotta Pancakes are made with whole wheat flour, studded with blueberries and a bright flavor from the lemon. These are a wonderful breakfast treat!

Recently, my favorite (well,…only) pancake turner met an early and unfortunate demise. Let’s just say the combination of a very hot pan, quesadillas sticking to said pan and a non-silicone turner resulted in a slightly melted pancake turner (and a slightly not pleased Alida). Now I am armed and dangerous with a fancy silicone pancake turner, ready to take on the world…of pancakes!

What better way to christen this handy new tool than by making ricotta pancakes. Ricotta pancakes are delicate to flip, so they’re sure to put this new device to the test.

Not just any ricotta pancake recipe would do, however. It was time to liven up my go-to ricotta pancake recipe from Everyday Food. First I swapped lemon zest for the orange zest, and whole wheat pastry flour for the all-purpose flour. I then decided to add vanilla and blueberries to the recipe.

The result was fabulous! We thought they were perfect without any topping, though you could add a little confectioners’ sugar or maple syrup, if desired. While these pancakes are easy to make, the batter is quite thick, thus requiring a few extra minutes to cook and extra care when flipping. In the end, it is all worth it – trust me!

Whole Wheat Blueberry Lemon-Ricotta Pancakes

Author: Alida Fischbach

Yields: 4 servings

Ingredients

15 ounces low fat ricotta cheese
⅓ cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
zest of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
⅔ cup whole wheat pastry flour (or all-purpose flour)
1 cup blueberries
cooking spray
confectioners' sugar or maple syrup, for serving (optional)

Instructions

In a medium bowl. whisk together ricotta cheese, sugar, eggs, grated lemon zest and vanilla extract.
Fold in flour until just combined; add blueberries, gently mixing until combined.
Spray large non-stick skillet with cooking spray and heat to medium-low heat. Add batter, using a scant ¼ cup for each pancake. Cook until browned, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer pancakes to a paper towel-lined plate.
Serve hot, with confectioners' sugar or maple syrup, if desired.

Adapted from Everyday Food

Filed Under: breakfast, healthy, kid-friendly, Recipes Tagged With: blueberries, blueberry, brunch, lemon, pancakes, ricotta

Banana Split Cupcakes

July 5, 2011 ·

For my husband’s birthday, I asked what he wanted for his treat. He said ‘whatever you want to make for the blog.’ Aww shucks… Well I was not about to choose his birthday treat. So after some pressing (and dropping subtle hints that we had nice overripe bananas to use) he asked for Banana Split Cupcakes. I was very excited about his choice because they are fun to make and just so gosh darn cute!

These are a family favorite, and we just happened to be visiting both of our families for a birthday celebration. When my mom saw them, she exclaimed ‘Are those Banana Split Cupcakes? Oh my! Those are my favorite!’ I’m sure Mike knew that…scoring points with the mother-in-law again.

These cupcakes are truly easy. The cake is quick to whip together, and using the chocolate square makes for a simple surprise filling inside the banana cake. With the smooth frosting, decorating is a cinch, and they look just like a mini sundae. You could certainly add any other sundae-inspired toppings you like (i.e. sprinkles, nuts, etc.) or stick with the classic chocolate drizzle topped with a cherry.

Banana Split Cupcakes
Yields 12 cupcakes

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
1/2 cup mashed banana (about 1 medium)
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 chocolate bars, such as Hershey’s Special Dark*, separated, broken into squares

FROSTING:
1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon milk

12 maraschino cherries with stems

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda and salt.
In another bowl, combine the banana, butter, buttermilk, egg and vanilla. Add to the dry ingredients; stir just until combined.
Spoon 1 tablespoon of batter into each paper-lined muffin cup. Top with one candy bar square. Divide remaining batter amongst the muffin cups (approximately two-thirds full).
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely.
In a bowl, combine the confectioners’ sugar, butter, vanilla and milk. The frosting will be smooth – if too stiff, add more milk, if too runny, add more sugar. Frost the cupcakes.
In a microwave, melt the remaining chocolate candy and drizzle over frosting. Top each cupcake with a cherry.

Tip: In order to get the cherry to stick, it helps to drizzle a little extra chocolate in the center of the cupcake prior to topping with the cherry.

*Note: I have used both dark and milk chocolate in this recipe, and either one is delicious.

Adapted from Taste of Home: Cupcakes and Muffins

This post is linked to Sweet as Sugar Cookies: Sweets for a Saturday, Screaming Sardine: Cupcake Party, A Well-Seasoned Life’s Sweet Indulgences Sunday

Filed Under: dessert, Recipes Tagged With: banana, cake, chocolate, cupcakes

Happy 4th of July!

July 4, 2011 ·

Happy 4th of July everyone! I wish you all a wonderful holiday with good food and sunshine.  Have a great day and there will be a new recipe posted tomorrow.


How are you celebrating the 4th? I will be chasing after the little guy pictured below. 🙂

Be safe and have fun everyone!

Filed Under: Recipes, Uncategorized Tagged With: Uncategorized

Fresh Strawberry Pie ~ Lightened up!

July 1, 2011 ·

Let’s just get this out in the open. Yes, I am doing another strawberry recipe. And yes, I am doing another strawberry recipe with yogurt. Every year around the Fourth of July, I look forward to making this healthy version of a strawberry pie. It just so happens to coincide my Strawberry Yogurt Muffins post from Wednesday. I promise you a break from strawberry and yogurt recipes in the coming weeks. In fact, there are even some indulgent recipes on the horizon!

There are 3 parts to making this pie. The first step is making yogurt cheese, which is draining plain yogurt through cheesecloth. This step needs to be done a day in advance, as the yogurt needs at least 16 hours to drain.

Part 2 is making the crust. This crust is a simple stir and roll crust which uses oil instead of shortening. It is nice and thin, and serves as the perfect vehicle for the rest of the pie.

The last step involves mixing the yogurt cheese with sugar, vanilla and chopped strawberries; then pouring that mixture in the crust and topping/decorating with strawberry halves. It is all very easy.

Now I do not want to mislead you into believing this pie is a replica of its sugary, fat-laden counterpart because it is not. It is, however, delicious, light and healthy! It’s a wonderful summer dessert!

Happy pre-Fourth of July and have a great weekend!

Fresh Strawberry Pie ~ Lightened up!
Yields 8 servings

16 oz plain yogurt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons powdered sugar (adjust amount to taste and the sweetness of your berries)
1 cup diced strawberries
approximately 1/2-1 pound strawberries, halved (the amount depends on the size of your berries)
1 tablespoon strawberry preserves (optional) – amount many vary depending on size of strawberries
1 Stir ‘n Roll Pie Crust (recipe below)

Make yogurt cheese: Arrange wire strainer lined with double thickness cheesecloth (or coffee filters) over bowl. Spoon yogurt into lined strainer; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until liquid has drained from yogurt and yogurt is very thick (16-24 hours). Discard liquid.
Combine yogurt cheese, vanilla extract, powdered sugar, and diced strawberries.
Pour yogurt mixture in cool pie crust, spreading evenly. Top with strawberry halves.
Optional (see note below): Microwave strawberry preserves for 5-10 seconds, just to melt it. Then with a spoon or silicone pastry brush, brush the strawberries with preserves.
Refrigerate for 2 hours, or until serving.

Note: If you do not plan on serving this immediately, I highly recommend using the preserves in order to seal and preserve the appearance of the berries. It gives them a little shine as well, which can be nice.

Stir ‘n Roll Pie Crust
Yields 1 9″ pie crust

1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
1/4 cup canola oil
3 tablespoons cold skim milk

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
In medium bowl, combine flour and salt; stir in oil and milk just until blended. Form dough into a smooth ball.
Dampen counter top. Place 12 x 15 inch sheet of waxed paper on dampened counter. Place pastry on paper; cover with another sheet of waxed paper. Roll dough into a 12 inch circle, turning dough and paper over once to roll evenly.
Peel off top paper. Lift dough and paper, and place dough-side down in pie plate, fitting dough to the plate. Carefully peel off the remaining paper.
Trim edge so it fits evenly with the pie plate. Prick dough with fork, and press edges with tines of fork.
Bake until golden brown (12 to15 minutes). Remove to wire rack to cool.

Adapted from The Best of Byerly’s Cookbook