Saturday, June 29

Ice Cream Sandwiches

Ice Cream Sandwiches. I mentioned this idea in passing before... but it was so darn good I thought maybe it should have its own entry. Just for the record since it is summer (even in Washington State) where it rains 6 months out of the year and is cloudy for 4 months, its quite necessary to encourage some ice cream eating. I don't live in Washington, but I grew up there, and just had some lovely visitors from there. Washington is on my mind. My house is so quiet now. I miss them.

Back to this super simple dessert sandwich. Its not even a recipe. But its fun. The kiddos can even help too. Mine (my son & niece) didn't help this time, they were too busy with the sprinklers outside. Takes like 15-20 minutes to make a fresh batch of yummy cookies. 5-10 minutes to let them cool. 5 minutes to make a large batch of ice cream treats. 1 batch of a dozen cookies yields 6 ice cream sandwiches.

Grab your fav cookie recipe and a frozen yogurt or ice cream that would pair nicely with it. There are tons of cookie recipes online if you don't have one. Also, most choc chip bags have the brand cookie recipe too. The hardest part is making sure you have butter that has been softened. LOL at least in my house. This isn't supposed to be complicated or hard. Here are some cookie recipes from my blog. I haven't tried all of them with this idea yet. But I could see it working well and being really fun. Especially if you played with the ice cream or frozen yogurt flavors. Like using pumpkin ice cream in the Autumn Choc chip cookies, strawberry ice cream in the pb & j cookies, and/or chocolate in the Triple Choc Irish Coffee cookies. This is making me hungry. I am sure you can think of some awesome creations yourself.

Autumn Chocolate Chip Cookies
Triple Chocolate Irish Coffee Cookies (for adults only)
PB & Strawberry Jelly Cookies 

So make a batch of cookies, let them cool, so they can get firm. If you have kids in your house, make sure you separate the ones you are using for ice cream sandwiches with the ones they can snack on - so you don't end up with an odd number of cookies. This principle applies to husbands as well.

Tear off a bunch of plastic wrap pieces about double the size of the cookie. Put one cookie on top of each square. Top it with one modest scoop of ice cream probably 1/4 cup or so. Then put the second cookie on top and wrap it up securely. Hopefully better than than I did (hahaha). See the picture below.

Put the wrapped sandwich dessert cookies in the freezer to get firm about 4-5 hours. Mine were in there overnight and did very well. After they have been in the freezer for awhile transfer them to a freezer bag to protect them and also so they don't get pushed back to the back and get lost.

Vanilla Bean Froz Yogurt with PB & Strawberry Jelly Cookie


There a perfect treat. WAY better than those store bought ice cream sandwiches and way more personalized with your fav cookie recipe and possible exotic flavor combos. Looking fwd to the rest of the summer and trying out some more of these with my family. If you try this I would love to hear about the flavors you tried/used.

Enjoy summer time with ice cream sandwiches
From my kitchen to yours!

Monday, June 24

Peanut Butter & Strawberry Jelly Cookies

Pb and jelly is a well known children's lunch favorite. This recipe I found uses those same flavors but not to make lunch, to make dessert. This would be fun with company, play dates with friends, or coffee & tea, or just keeping your kids busy on a hot arizona afternoon. I would also suggest that you make sure that no one is allergic to pb as this kind of allergy is becoming more common. There are many other tasty nut butters that would be good substitutes in this (sunflower, almond, ect). Safety first. I am a mom I have to say that.

My niece is having a great time at our house on vacation. Unfortunately there time is almost up here. Its been a fast and furious week. I would somewhat like to take credit for all of her fun adventure, but I have to acknowledge the amazing role of fun treats and desserts. Desserts like popsicles and these cookies are the top of the list.  Pb cookies are wonderful because they don't require as many ingredients as other kinds of cookies. Less ingredients the better, when you have 4 little hands, that all want to help. My son and niece had a grand time making these. I used the rest of the cookies to make ice cream sandwiches. Some good ideas just come in pairs.... like eating two cookies after the kids go to bed one in each hand. Just kidding. Of course I would never do that.  Did I tell you pb cookies are my favorite kind of cookie? What is your favorite kind of cookie? Feel free to comment and leave links to your fav recipes in the comments below.

PB & Strawberry Jelly Cookies 
adapted from: Everyday April 2006
This recipe made 15 or 16 large cookies.
You probably could get 20-24 normal size cookies out of one batch. 


  

1/2 cup whole wheat white flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 cup creamy peanut butter, preferably something natural

1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 large egg

1/2 tsp strawberry jelly for each cookie

1/4 cup confectioners sugar

1 1/2 Tbs milk, I used 1%



1. Preheat the oven 350

2. In a small bowl combine the powdered sugar, the milk, and 1/4 cup of pb to make the frosting. Whisk it for a couple minutes until there is no clumps.

3. Stir together all the wet ingredients with a spoon or a mixer.

4. Add in the dry ingredients

5. Using a small spoon make even sized cookie dough balls and put them on an ungreased baking sheet.

6. Use a tsp measuring spoon to create creators in the center of each cookie. Fill each cookie dough with jelly.

7. Bake for 12-15 minutes depending the size of cookie you make.  Cookies should be golden in color. Cookies will be soft upon pulling them out of the oven. They will harden up after a few minutes of cooling on a cooling rack. For crisper cookies add 1-2 minutes to the baking time.

8. Spread frosting over the top of each cookie or in lines around the edges to emphasize the sweet jelly.

9. If you like ice cream cookies, grab a couple pairs of leftover cookies, if there is such a thing, and put frozen yogurt or vanilla ice cream in between them. Wrap them in plastic and freeze them at least for 3-4 hrs until firm.


Its almost like a peanut butter sandwich except you don't have to cut the crust off your bread.  Bookmark this for when those lunch bag, fall, school filled days begin.... or now if you want something fun and sweet. 

Enjoy this fun creative reminder of childhood 
From my kitchen to yours. 













Friday, June 21

Breakfast: Brown Sugar Bacon Waffles

I love breakfast foods.... If I could get away with it (via the scale) I would eat breakfast foods for breakfast and lunch every single day. I would eat burritos, waffles, egg sandwiches, bagels & cream cheese, gallons of coffee with silky half and half, bacon, sausage, delish chorizo egg dishes, pan fried pork chops, fried eggs, english muffins, chocolate chip muffins, breakfast breads/sweet breads/coffee cakes (banana/ chocolate walnut banana/apple/pear), cinnamon rolls, pumpkin donuts, 3 grain walnut pumpkin pancakes (Yum!), pumpkin french toast, delish whole grain berry french toast, breakfast pizza, cheesy bacon pull apart bread, or more exotic pastries.... and I would probably weigh a hundred pounds more. Seeing all the links above, you probably see my problem. I have quite a breakfast section here on my blog. This infatuation with breakfast might also be the reason why I go to the gym. Is there a 12 step program for this? Although, not sure I would go if there was a program for my slightly obsessive bacon carbs fun exciting breakfast driven addiction. My family is visiting from the beautiful rainy state of Washington, which is a perfect time to splurge and exericise later, right? Yes. I agree.


Here's where I introduce you to the best waffles I have ever had. They aren't usual incredibly healthy multi grain ones that I usually make... these have tons of milk, bacon, salt, sugar, and are forever going to be my favorite waffle. That being said. I did tweak the original a bit to make it a tiny bit more healthy..... I cut the oil in half, added a banana, cut the brown sugar just a little, and only used 4 pieces of bacon. I  have trouble following directions. Its a fact. Ask my husband.




Bacon Brown Sugar Waffles 

4 pieces of bacon raw
1 Tb brown sugar (for the bacon) 
2 eggs
2 cups whole wheat white flour
1 3/4 cup 1% milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil or melted butter 
4 tsp baking powder
1 really ripe mushy black banana
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract or  2 tsp maple extract for maple flavored waffles
2 Tbs brown sugar or equal parts maple syrup for a fall taste

possible toppings: butter, fresh sliced strawberries, syrup, powdered sugar, 
chopped nuts, and/or whipped cream + whatever sounds good


1. Mix together the eggs, milk, vanilla, and vegetable oil. Whisk until fluffy. 

2. Cook the bacon until almost crisp on one side on the stove. Flip it. Sprinkle 1 Tb brown sugar over the top of the bacon. Keep it on this side until the bacon is done. Let it cool and then break into small pieces. Or do it in the oven at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes and sprinkle the brown sugar on 3/4ths way through. Just keep an eye on it. 

3. Add in the rest of the ingredients to the batter. Stir until combined. Will be thick batter. Fold in the bacon and some of the bacon drippings (wink). Its okay. Just go with it. 

4. Heat up your waffle maker. One of these days I need to buy a cute one that makes heart shapes something fun instead of my single two square one that I bought for $5 someplace when I was 18. Yikes over a decade ago. Yeah thats lets not talk about that. 

5. Cook your waffles and enjoy with your fav toppings. Then make a tent in your living room to burn off the fat and sugar. It will all even out.










Store any leftovers in fridge or in a freezer bag in the freezer. 
Enjoy your next breakfast!
From my kitchen to yours



Tuesday, June 11

Roasted Herb Chicken with Maple Mustard Sauce


Similar to my last fun "cook once eat twice" adventure, making chipotle black bean zucchini chili and then using the leftovers inside colorful bell peppers the next night in this dish, I have another new meal to makes eating leftovers just as exciting. 

The first meal in the "cook once eat twice" is the major time consuming mouthwatering meal that you expect from a roasted chicken. But the meals you can get from the leftovers are all done in 20 minutes or less. I knew I had found a delicious elegant chicken dinner but stretching and transforming it 3 other ways was stunning. So this really should be called "cook once eat four times!". 

I didn't know a chicken meal could go that far. We only have 3 in my family but everything can be easily doubled to fit the size of your family as well. Just one glitch... talking about 4 different meals in one blog entry is a bit much. So I will just include the links at the bottom of the page for the other meals.

I love finding these types of meals that transform leftovers and I am sure part of it is from my years being a navy wife with a deployed husband. We had back to back sea duty tours, and lots of deployments and "workups" getting ready for deployments. I would either have an entire fridge worth of leftovers if i cooked or end up going out to eat. I am forever thankful to the people who created freezer storage bags so I at least I could freeze some of it. 

Repurposing leftovers also saves time for more important things. The NBA playoffs are going on.... baseball season is in full swing... summer movies are out... Yeah standing in 100 degree weather in my hot Az kitchen isn't such a priority.

So listed below is 2 of the 4 ways I cooked/used up delicous roasted chicken and condiments. It was never the plan to make so meals out of this chicken dinner nor to have extra maple mustard sauce. But wow I was so glad I did. It turned out to make some incredible salad dressing, similar taste to honey mustard dressing.


1st Meal: Roasted Herb Chicken & Root Vegetables 
w/Mustard Maple Sauce 

Dinner #2 : 
Chef Salad with Maple Mustard Dressing  

Serves 3 or 4 each meal (doubles easily for larger families)
Recipe comes from Real Simple. Salad idea with the leftover dressing is my idea. 


Ingredients for both meals: 

1 raw whole chicken 3-4 lbs
6 sprigs fresh thyme
1 & 1/2 lbs red potatoes (was 6 for me)
1/4 cup fresh parsley*( the orginal recipe included this - I did not)
6 stalks of celery, sliced into large 2 inch pieces
2 lbs of carrots, sliced into large 2 inch pieces
1 onion, thick wedges 
1 Tbs oil  + 1/2 Tbs + 1 Tbs (divided)
1/2 tsp salt + 1/4 tsp + 1/2 tsp (divided) 
1/4 tsp pepper + 1/4 tsp +1/4 tsp (divided)
1/2 tsp herbs de provence + 1/4 tsp (divided)
1/8 cup dijon mustard
1/8 cup really good pure maple syrup
tin foil to cover baking sheets
salad fixin's: lettuce, spinach, or green of choice, cherry tomatoes, sliced deli cheese(s) and/or meats (ham/turkey), crutons, little sliced green onion or red onion, peas, brocoli, and or califlower - all your fav veggies whatever they are on a chef salad


Directions for meal 1: 
Roasted Herb Chicken & Root Vegetables 
w/Mustard Maple Sauce 

Preheat your oven to 425.

For easier clean up put tin foil down on a very large baking sheet. Then combine potatoes, onions, 1/4 tsp herbs de provence (salt free), 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, with 1 Tbs oil or butter. Use your hands to make everything is coated.

Rub the chicken (make sure to remove giblets ect from inside) with  1/2 Tbs oil, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, and 1/2 tsp herbs de provence. The original recipe says to tie chicken up. Not a bad idea. I didn't but would look pretty for guests. I did however make sure I loosened up the skin and really massaged those yummy herbs into and under the chicken skin to flavor the meat.

Nestle the whole chicken around the potatoes and onions on the baking sheet.

On another large baking sheet lined with tin foil (optional but good idea) toss the celery, carrots, thyme, 1 Tbs oil, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper. Use fingers to make sure veggies are coated.



Roast the veggies for 1 - 1/4 hrs. Shake the veggies half way through and checking the temp of the chicken at the one hr mark. Temp for a done chicken is 165 degrees f.

Once veggies are roasted dump into a serving dish and toss with parsley.

Let the chicken rest on a cutting board for approx 10 minutes.

In a small bowl mix the mustard and maple.

Slice up half of the chicken or divide the white and dark meat up among those with preferences. 


Dig into this great "sunday dinner" with those lovely favors only found when you slow roast your veggies. Drizzle the chicken with some maple mustard sauce.  Reserve half of the chicken, veggies, and sauce for another meal. 




Directions for Meal 2:
Chef Salad with Maple Mustard dressing


Create a yummy salad with your choices of veggies. 
I used a mix of baby spinach blend, cherry tomatoes, sliced deli turkey and/or  ham, peas, 1/4th avocado sliced per person, 1 slice of cheese per person sliced. I didn't use crutons but those would be a good chrunchy addition and texture to this summery light dish. I included some lightly roasted nuts (since I like that sort of thing), and sunflower seeds. 

Mix the leftover mustard maple sauce with some olive oil (1/4-1/2 cup approx). 
Whisk very well.

Taste and add 1/8 tsp salt and pepper to taste. 
Drizzle over each person's salad. 

Enjoy the fact that you have TWO healthy veggie filled meals done and ready for the week. Time to enjoy summer. 

Take Care
From my Az kitchen to yours





Elegant Chicken Melts & Vegetable Soup + Cheesy Biscuits ( Dinner x 2)

I just roasted a chicken that I found in a old magazine called Real Simple. I know I heated up my house in southern Az I must be crazy. But it was so beautiful and so good. It was kinda a throw back to the days in which my mom made enormous sunday dinners that everyone ooohed and awwed over. You know what I am talking about right? As a kid having to wait for impossibly long time as the smells waffled through each room, and being shooed from the kitchen anytime I tried to steal a sample. 



Using the leftover chicken & veggies and sauce from Roasted Herb Chicken & Root Veggies with Maple Mustard Sauce I recreated two other meals. Yay. Dinner is already mostly done for two other nights in the busy week. I hope this doesn't make me sound lazy. Cooking once eating but making three dinners. One chicken stretched it several ways. 

Each meal serves 3 or 4. Easily doubled based on leftovers + staples in your pantry.  


Meal 1:  Elegant Chicken Melt Sandwiches

Ingredients: 

1 cup leftover cooked/roasted chicken cut or shredded
2-3 Tbs leftover maple mustard sauce
3 or 4 sourdough english muffins (1 per person) 
tin foil to cover baking sheet 
1/8- 1/4 red onion thinly sliced 
3/4 - 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese or your fav kind of cheese (pile it up high if you're cheese lover)
1 cup of chopped baby spinach blend

Directions:


Heat the oven to 400. Line a baking sheet with tin foil. 

Top the open face english muffins with a spread of the mustard maple sauce instead of the usual mayo. 



Start cooking any additional sides. 

Slice your red onion, shred the cheese, and cut the spinach*

On each muffin layer the chicken, and top with the cheese. 
No green healthy stuff on this one... my man's plate

Bake for approx 10 minutes or until all the cheese is melted. 

Top each muffin with the fresh spinach blend 


Serve each elegant open faced chicken melt with a fun summer side dish. I served my fav vegetable, corn on the cob (which is on sale everywhere), and some store bought potato salad. 

Optional additional ideas include adding one thick beefsteak tomato slice on top of the melted cheese under the fresh spinach blend, and topping it all with some mustard maple sauce.
 Enjoy this fabulous meal!!! 



Meal 2: Vegetable Soup + Cheddar Biscuits

note: The veggie soup wasn't a huge hit in my house but the biscuits were. Considering I got them to eat veggie soup I am pretty happy about that. LOL I knew going into this one, wasn't going to be the top of my picky family's list. Maybe you'll have more luck at your house. I thought it tasted great :) 

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups of leftover cooked veggies (such as potatoes, carrots, onion, celery- or any combo of root veggies roasted with olive oil). 

5 cups of chicken broth
2 1/2 cup all purpose flour, 
1/8 cup baking powder
1 Tbs sugar, 
1/2 tsp salt, 
1/2 cup of really cold butter 
2/3 cup milk
3/4 cup cheddar cheese
1/2 cup of OJ ( I used v8 tropical orange juice - just what i had on hand)

Directions: 

1. Make these awesome biscuits. You can make them small or large as previously described in the link below. 

2.  Make this soup: 

 Heat chicken broth, roasted vegetables, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp pepper - bring to a boil and simmer stirring occasionally for 10-15 minutes.

Stir in the orange juice. Using an immersion blender or a blender - transfer the vegetable mixture and puree until smooth.

Serve the yummy delicious vegetable soup with the biscuits, butter, honey, jam, or cheese, on/with your biscuits. The soup is thick but tasty and healthy. The bright orange color (due to the carrots) is like summer time in a bowl. 

Two meals done all with leftovers & staples from your pantries! Amazing. Yes you are. Happy Summer eating :) Now go start roasting your chicken(s) so you can get to using up the leftovers in creative ways. 


From my kitchen to yours. 

Thursday, June 6

Chipotle Black Bean Zucchini Chili Stuffed Peppers

(Discussion overheard) 

Man, "What are we having for dinner tonight?''


Woman, "Not sure yet. What do you want to eat?"


Man, "Like a burgers, pizza, or should we go out to eat? " He pauses, and thinks about another possible dinner choice.  A millisecond goes by, the additional thought is disregarded, and he is smiling. By the sound of his voice and energy you can tell he thinks going out to eat is the best option. 


Woman, "Welllll", she drags out the syllables as she gains momentum in her thoughts. "We do have a lot of food in the fridge so let's have leftovers tonight." Man utters a barely audible sigh, knows his wife has a point, and the discussion is over. After all if she cooks tonight, even leftovers, maybe she'll give in to going to out eat tomorrow because she is tired. Woman isn't too excited about the leftovers either, but at least she knows it is something healthy for her family, and they aren't wasting food.  

Face it leftovers aren't exciting. Its not like heating up the grill with corn on the cob or mouthwatering grilled, juicy burgers or steaks. Nor do leftovers have that tantalizing slow cooked smell of a roast filling every place in your house. Leftovers are the food castoffs that didn't make the varsity football team of dinner. These were the benched entrees that were just okay or were just extras that got encased and pushed to the back of the fridge. 



After making my crockpot Chipotle Black Bean Zucchini Chili and transforming it into Chipotle Chili Stuffed Peppers & Cabbage Celery Slaw tonight, I changed my thoughts about leftovers. The flavor was amazing! The heat of the cheese on the chili, the creamy avocado on top, and the fresh crisp salad worked almost like a palate cleanser. So leftovers were transformed.... thankfully! More time to play in the sprinkler with my son, and eat more of those addicting frozen yogurt dots. I did say it was over 100 degrees today? It was. Another great reason for using up leftovers - less time with a hot stove/oven.  


Chipotle Black Bean Zucchini Chili 
Stuffed Peppers  
with Cabbage Celery Slaw

So make the chili and use the leftovers the next night to make this amazing dish. This meal is also perfect for potlucks, giving to friends, or sharing with friends - Stuffed Peppers travel really well.

This recipe is also from Sept 2012 issue of Real Simple Page 180

Click on the link to see the original recipe. Although I do like the additions/changes of mine a bit better. This is salad is a keeper. Eat it with burgers or whatever. I can't wait to modify it with some grilled chicken and throw in some nuts or dried cranberries - completely tasty!!

Here's the list ingredients you need:

Cooking Time 25 minutes
Prep time: 5 minutes
Serves 3 people
Serving size: 1 pepper (2 halves) + 3/4 cup of salad each per person. It is easily doubled.


1 cup of pepper jack cheese, divided
3 peppers, halved and seeds removed (I used 1 green, 1 red, and 1 orange) 
1 Tbs lime juice
1Tbs olive oil
1/2 tsp salt 
1/2 tsp honey
1/4 tsp pepper
1/8-1/4th of a cabbage, shredded or thinly sliced into ribbons
1 stalk of celery
1 scallion or green onion
1/2 cup water (eyeball it)
Toppings: sliced avocado (optional) , 1/4-1/2 cup chopped cilantro (to taste - optional), greek yogurt or sour cream would also be good on this.

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400.
2. Put 1/2 cup  - 1 cup of water in a casserole dish.
3. Cut your peppers in half and take the seeds out.
4. Mix half of the cheese with the chili.
5. Put the peppers cut side up in the dish and fill them with the leftover chili
6. Put foil over the peppers and chili and bake for 20 minutes for tender crisp peppers - 25 for more softer fully cooked texture 
7. Pull the peppers out and top them with the remaining cheese and return to the oven for 5-7 minutes or until all the cheese is melted and slightly golden brown
8. While peppers are baking, in a large bowl mix the dressing together first. Put the olive oil, honey, lime juice, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Whisk for about a minute until well combined.
9. Taste the dressing and add more honey for more sweetness, more oil, or seasonings if needed.
10. Chop the celery and cabbage and add them to the bowl. Toss until well coated. Set aside until peppers are finished.

Serve the peppers with chopped avocado and cilantro sprinkled over the tops, and salad on the side. Perfect make ahead meal or transformation of those pesky leftovers.... whatever you want to call it. Another meal is done and was a success. Enjoy! 



Wednesday, June 5

Strawberry Frozen Yogurt Popsicles & Dots

What does summer look like at your house? You heard me. What are the signs that everyone sees, who knows you, on your counter, on your walls, in your freezer or fridge that means summer is "officially" here?

Corn on the cob, watermelon, and popsicles are totally summer at our house. My son has been talking about popsicles since January. So I bought some at the store a few weeks ago. It was fun wellll eating them was fun. Buying frozen stuff like that is kinda risky in 100 degree weather here in southern Az. For example I just had a chocolate mint melt in the purse - fun. LOL. My poor purse puts up with a lot of abuse... spilled drinks, my son driving over it with his trucks, melted candy... Anyways if chocolate can melt in my car while I am driving with the a.c on, you can imagine what kind of mess or shapes popsicles can turn into during the 5-10 minute drive home.


It is over 100 degrees today. It is definitely summer now. We went to the park today but even that was a stretch after an hr and half because we didn't have any water - spontaneous trip. You wouldn't believe how awesome and grassy some of the parks are here. Anyways... so as I am enjoying all the great summer veggies, daydreaming about grilling corn on the cob, I am finding it is a pain in the butt to find healthy popsicles at the store. I spent 10 minutes in the grocery store looking at labels on boxes just trying to find one that listed fruit as the first ingredient. I found one. Wow it was a pain. So when I came across some websites that reminded me how easy they are to make at home, I was smiling from ear to ear. Summer time corn on the cob is best - super sweet. Yeah I am one of those people who will even eat leftover corn on the cob the next day cold straight out of the fridge in my jammies, but you didn't hear that from me. There is no evidence.


Strawberry Popsicles & Dots 
Adapted from Sisters Playing House - Treats on a Stick  -
Great place for other ideas too








This made alot of popsicle filling. Made: 8 popsicle molds 2 oz each, plus a tray full (30+) of dots So if you have the larger size popsicles you should be good. Before I tasted the dots tonight I was thinking I should've halved the recipe. No way.

I loved eating the dots. Amazing flavor!
My son enjoyed eating them outside too then I told him I needed to water the grass and turned on the sprinkler. Pretty soon he was soaked from head to toe and no longer had any sticky pink on his hands.... easy clean up. 


1 lb (16oz package) fresh rinsed, hulled strawberries
1 &1/2 cups of plain yogurt (I used organic) 
2 tsp of honey or to taste
2 tsp of lemon juice
2 tsp of v8 juice (orange tropical) just adds more nutrients

Making Popsicles: 
There are two ways to do this.... the easy way or the hard way. The pretty way or yeah I am making homemade Popsicles and that needs to be good enough way.  

First way: put everything above in a food processor or blender and puree until smooth. Fill your popsicle containers and freezer for approx 4-6 hrs plus or minus some - depending on size of your containers. 

Second way: Now if you want to be extra creative and cool. Blend up everything except the creamy white yogurt. Then will you go to fill the Popsicle containers alternative between layers of strawberry puree and yogurt and you will get extremely cool looking treats.  This way isn't too much harder takes probably about the same amount of time but just sayin'. 

Making Dots:
Use the leftover yogurt mix to make fun discs. If you decided to make pretty popsicles then go ahead and mix the rest of the plain yogurt in with the rest of the strawberry puree. Use a spoon, turkey baster (yeah I have too much time on my hands), or even a plastic bag to pipe out small or medium sized circles onto a wax paper lined cookie sheet. Totally easy. Look they don't even have to be the same size. Look at the picture. Freeze for them for approxiately an hr or longer. Eat them outside. Trust me. Messy but totally fun. 


Enjoy something cold. Make a fun dessert with your kids. Start summer off right... I remember running barefoot down the street to get a popsicle from the ice cream man when I was a kid. Good times. These you don't have to chase down the street. Share good times with others. 
From my a.c. filled glorious kitchen to yours. 



Related Link:
Chocolate Pumpkin Donuts (cold & chocolate - Yum!)


Monday, June 3

Chipotle Black Bean Zucchini Chili (Slow Cooker)

Confession: I used to use my slow cooker ALL of the time when I was in college. I loved my classes. I enjoyed most of my teachers, but by the time I got home each day, I was exhausted. Messy freeway clogged commutes (approx 100 miles each day through Los Angeles) doesn't grant well to standing and cooking incredible meals. Being home was about eating, sleeping, trying to not have pizza every night of the week, and finishing homework. So I admired and thoroughly appreciated my crock pot. BUT, every since those fun paper filled years, this wonderful appliance has just collected dust majority of the time. Ugh... time to pull it out and re-invent some healthy, flavorful, and easy recipes - like this one! This recipe is so good.....



Its Monday and I know how rough Mondays can be. So this is a perfect Tuesday meal to help you relax after your crazy Monday, beginning of the week craziness. You can skip the first step its not necessary. Its a textural thing for me. I love the texture of meat cooked on the stove versus solely in the crock pot.

Chipotle Black Bean Zucchini Chili 
Makes 9 1/2 cups
Serves 4-6 people
Freezable or use in another meal like this one
Recipe adapted from: Real Simple (Sept 2012 magazine)


Ingredients:
1 Tbs olive oil
1 lb lean ground beef
Two 14.5oz or One 28 oz. can diced fire roasted tomatoes
Two 15.5 oz cans black beans, rinsed
3 zucchini, sliced down the middle and then diced again (small triangle shapes)
6oz can of tomato paste
1 medium onion chopped
1 cup frozen corn
1 oz green chilies chopped*
1 chipotle pepper chopped (approx 1/4 oz)*
1 heaping Tbs minced garlic
1 Tbs chili powder
1 tsp dried oregano
salt & pepper (I did 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper)
Toppings such as: chips, chopped avocado, shredded cheese, chopped cilantro, sour cream or Greek yogurt, fresh spinach, sprouts - whatever you like on your chili

* These were previously frozen staples that I had used for another recipe and threw the extras into a freezer bag and just chopped a chunk off of for this recipe.


Directions: (the night before)
1. Double check to make sure you have your meat pulled out of your freezer and starting to defrost in your fridge. 


Directions: (the morning of)
1. Saute the zucchini and onion with olive oil with salt and pepper for 5 minutes in a skillet. Add beef to the skillet and brown until done. (probably another 5-10 minutes) Don't stir too much to create those brown caramelized pieces.


2. Put the chipotle, tomato paste, chili powder, oregano, minced garlic, black beans, and tomatoes in a crock pot. Add into the onion/beef mixture.

3. Cook on low for 7 hours.


4. Taste it and adjust any seasonings to your taste (add salt or pepper or red pepper flakes if it needs heat). Stir in the frozen corn right before serving so it retains its shape and color.


5. Serve with your choice of toppings (see list above) & if you are really on your game serve it with cornbread.


Wow this meal was awesome! It makes me want football season to start right now. This might be a first... making chili in 100 degree weather (hahah). Yes there is something wrong with my head but my mouth is singing a very happy tune. Excellent flavors all in one easy pot . Try it. Tell yourself you are practicing for a chili cook off and/or football season. Because most good food is eaten in front of a sports game anyways, right?  Take care. The NBA playoffs are still going on. Chili could be a playoff food sort of, maybe with the a.c. really cranked :)  
From my kitchen to yours. 

Related Links of Stews/Soups/Bean Recipes:
Steak Potato Stew 
Crock Pot Chipotle Apple Turkey Chili 
Honey Cornbread
Smashed Black Bean & Butternut Squash Burritos 
Veggie Tamale Pie