Do you like apples?

"Well, I got her number.  How do you like them apples?"  Ahh, Good Will Hunting...such a great flick.

YAY for apple picking!

We took Teaghan apple picking this weekend.  Her first time...and I'm pretty sure she LOVED it.  And, I'm really hoping she likes applesauce, or Houston we have a problem, because I have LOTS of apples to go through! Last night around 8pm, I got a second wind and thought I'll make some apple bread! And I did, and I found it to be pretty tasty.

What I used:
1.5 cups of flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup of chopped candied walnuts
2 apples, peeled, cored and chopped!
1/2 cup of oil (I always use olive oil, bakers out there might think I'm nuts, so go with vegetable oil if you want)
1/2 cup of white sugar
1/2 cup of brown sugar
2 eggs beaten
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
cooking spray

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Using the cooking spray, spray your pan.  I used a 9x5 pan versus a bread pan, mostly because I thought it would cook faster, and let's face it, I was backing up to my bedtime.

In a bowl, mix the flour, salt, baking soda, walnuts, and apples.  In another bowl, whisk together the oil, sugar (both white and brown), eggs, cinnamon and vanilla extract, and then add this to the flour mixture. Mix, mix, mix, and then pour into your pan.

Cook for about an hour.  Check it with a toothpick. Make sure it comes out clean.  Cool and eat til it's all gone.  Or be sensible and eat some for breakfast over a few days...

Happy Fall!

Another freezable dish - My Spinach Stuffed Shells!

Keep on freezing - that's what I always say.

I love pasta, and I love pasta sauce even more.  But clearly this isn't good for me, unless I'm going for a run later and need the carbs for energy.  To justify having pasta, I sometimes throw a bunch of spinach in to make me feel better.  Now, I won't lie this recipe isn't all that good for you, but it tastes good.  So make it, have small portions and get your butt to the gym after so you don't feel bad :-)

In a sauce pan, I combine a moderate amount of jarred spaghetti sauce (clearly this is the lazy man version, I am not making this sauce from scratch!  Who has time for that?  Especially when I'm going to have a newborn!)  Add a bag of frozen chopped spinach and here's the unhealthy part, half a block of cream cheese.  Now, I use the low fat version to make me feel better about it.  The sauce will take on a vodka sauce appearance; light red to orange in color with lots of spinach green!

Cook your Jumbo shells according to the package, and remove when they are al dente!  Before they all start sticking together in your strainer, throw a little sauce in there.

In a bowl combine your fat free ricotta cheese (I get the smaller container) with some mozzarella cheese (about a cup), a beaten egg, and about half your sauce mixture.  Now, start stuff those shells!  Place them in a baking dish, and cover with your remaining sauce.  Cook at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes.  If you are freezing this dish, give it a day to thaw, and cook for about 10 minutes longer.

OH - and don't forget to sprinkle a little mozzarella cheese on top in the last minutes of cooking!

This picture really doesn't do the meal justice.  I was having people over, and wasn't sure of their love for spinach so I did half and half, and then I forgot to take a picture of it when it was actually cooked.  Pregnancy brain strikes again!  It's real.  IT IS.  You have to believe me!

Broccoli Casserole

As you may or may not know, I am expecting my first child in about 23 days give or take...and so I've started the process of making dinners and freezing them for when that precious bundle of joy arrives. I know this Momma will be sleep deprived and won't be able to even fathom making a meal.  

One meal I made this weekend in preparation is this broccoli casserole recipe which I stole from Eating Well Magazine and modified slightly.   We tried it last night and I can say that I will look forward to this meal again  in just a few short weeks.


INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 pounds broccoli, cut into 1-inch florets (about 6 cups)
2 tablespoons Olive oil
1 1/2 pounds ground turkey
1 large onion, chopped
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided
4 cups low-fat milk
1/3 cup cornstarch
2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, preferably orange
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
4 cups frozen hash-brown or precooked shredded potatoes
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Olive oil cooking spray
1/4 teaspoon paprika, preferably hot

Preheat oven to 450°F.
Toss broccoli with 1 tablespoon oil in a large bowl. Spread out on a baking sheet and roast, stirring once halfway though, until just soft and browned in spots, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add turkey and onion and cook, breaking up the beef with a wooden spoon, until the turkey is browned and the onion is softened, 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in Worcestershire, garlic powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Set aside.

Whisk milk and cornstarch in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking often, until bubbling and thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon, 6 to 8 minutes total. Remove from the heat and stir in Cheddar, 3/4 teaspoon salt and turmeric until the cheese is melted.

Spread the beef mixture in a 9-by-13-inch (or similar 3-quart) baking dish. Top with the broccoli and pour the cheese sauce evenly over the top.

Combine potatoes, egg, pepper and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Sprinkle evenly over the casserole. Coat the top with cooking spray.

Bake the casserole until it is bubbling and the potatoes are beginning to brown, about 40 minutes. Sprinkle with paprika. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

If you plan to freeze this dish like I did, after coating the top with cooking spray, freeze the dish.  They recommend eating it within a month, and giving it 2 days to thaw before cooking.  Unfortunately, last night when we tried this dish my pregnancy brain forgot to take a photo. I've included the photo from the magazine, I will post my own the next time, if I can remember in my sleep deprived haze!

My mini Oreo Chocolate Trifle!

I am often asked to make my chocolate trifle for holidays, and I don't mind a bit!  Mostly because when else do I get to use my trifle bowl!!!  I love having reasons to use it, and enough people around to actually consume its contents.

This trifle does not contain meat for those of you who were wondering. (Little inside joke for my Bentley girls).

What you need:

• A box of brownie mix (check the box and make sure you have the ingredients to make the brownies, i.e. oil, eggs, etc)
• 2 boxes of instant pudding mix (you'll need milk for this)
• A large container of fat free Cool Whip
• 2 snack packs of mini oreos

Ready for this super uncomplicated dessert?

Make the brownies according to the package.  Make the pudding according to the package, which consists of adding the pudding milk, whisking with milk, and putting in the fridge for 5 minutes.  I hope you can handle it!

Once your brownies are down, let them cool completely.  Then, cut them into small squares.

Grab that trifle dish you have been dying to use since you got it as a wedding gift, and start the layering process.  I typically do 2 layers of everything, so I use half of each thing for each layer.  First, add a layer of brownies.  Why brownies?  Because they can handle the pudding and cool whip without getting soggy like cake would.  Then add your first layer of pudding, and then your first layer of Cool Whip.  Top the Cool Whip with one of your snack size containers of mini Oreos.  Repeat this process.

Place in the fridge until time to serve.  There won't be many leftovers, if any, so make sure you serve yourself  some before it's all gone!

Kristy's SPICY Cashew Chicken!

My BFF makes a fantabulous cashew chicken meal. And I wanted in on the deal, so I asked for the recipe! Thanks for sharing, Kristy! I believe she stole this recipe from Rachel Ray, so we will give R-squared some props here.

This is one spicy dish, so if you're planning to share with the kiddos, you might want to make their portion sans the pepper in adobo sauce!

Ingredients:

Olive Oil
1 Tbsp Butter
Large Onion - 1/4 of it diced finely, and 3/4 of it sliced
1.5 cups Brown Rice
3 cups Chicken Stock
1.5 - 2 lbs Chicken, cut up into chunks
2 Tbsp Montreal Steak Seasoning
1-2 Red Peppers
4 cloves of garlic, either chopped or minced
1.5 Tbsp Cumin
1 Pepper in Adobo Sauce, chopped up finely plus a little bit of the sauce
1/4 c Maple Syrup
3 Tbsp Honey
Cilantro (dried is fine)
Cashews

In a pot, melt the tablespoon of butter in about a tablespoon of olive oil. Add the diced onions and cook for a minute or two. Add the brown rice and cook for another minute or two. Add the chicken stock, bring it to a boil, and then turn the heat down to low, cover it the pot, and let it simmer until the rice is done cooking.

The second time I made this, I skipped the onion and chicken stock and just made the rice per the regular instructions, which in my world is throwing rice and water into the rice cooker, and walking away.

In a pan, heat up a tbsp of olive oil and add the chicken chunks and sprinkle the Montreal Steak Seasoning on top. Cook for a few minutes and add the onions, red peppers, and garlic. Add the cumin and pepper in adobo sauce, and the adobo sauce and mix. After another minute, mix in the honey and maple syrup. After everything appears to be cooked add in about a tablespoon of dried cilantro and however many cashews you want...I think the recipe calls for a cup.

Note, you can freeze your leftover peppers in adobo sauce for later use. I simply processed them for about 10 seconds in my food processor and put the mixture in ice cube trays and froze them. Now when I want to spice up a dish I just take a cube and throw it in!

Panini Time!

Is there anything better than a tasty panini?  I could probably name a few things, but c'mon a tasty panini is up there!  I went on a slight panini kick for Saturday lunches coupled with some veggie straws (my latest addiction), and a pickle of course!

These two panini recipes are super, crazy easy!

For paninis, I like to use thicker bread

such as the Pepperidge Farm Farmhouse bread.  Throw a light coating of butter on one side of each slice of bread, and on the other side a light coating of pesto spread.  Add a healthy slice of mozzarella cheese. Now comes your options.

One day, I made a meatball panini, so I added sliced cooked meatballs and some sauce.  Another day, I went with breaded eggplant and some sauce.

Meatball Panini

Eggplant Panini

Once you have constructed your panini, place your panini (butter side down) on your grill pan and cover with something heavy!  I have one of those cast iron thingy mabobs.  Cook it until it's nice and toasted, flip, and repeat!  Both sides should be nicely toasted, and your cheese nicely melted.  Time to enjoy.

Plate with your favorite snack on the side.  And maybe even a little extra sauce for dipping :-)