Curry in a Pumpkin

A twist on dinner in a pumpkin that my minis gobbled like little turkeys :)

1 medium pumpkin

3/4 lb ground beef

3 celery stalks

1/2 onion minced

a couple handfuls of craisins

1/3 cup brown sugar

2 Tablespoons curry powder

1 1/2 teaspoon ginger

1 teaspoon cinnamon

a dash or two of soy sauce

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 1/2 cups cooked rice

1. cut and clean pumpkin just as you would a jack-o-lantern.  Go ahead and draw (or let you toddler draw) a face w/ a Sharpie!  rub inside with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Bake on a foiled, greased cookie sheet for 40 min. at 350.
2. while pumpkin bakes, brown beef.  Add minced onion and celery, saute until tender.  I add a little splash of apple cider plus the craisins to sweeten the deal here.  Add in sugar, curry powder, ginger, cinnamon, soy sauce and cream of chicken soup.  Mix and remove from heat, then add in rice.
3. after 40 min. remove pumpkin but keep your oven going.  fill pumpkin with beef and rice and put back in for another 30 min or until pumpkin is fork tender. 
4. Enjoy!

got crab?

i guess i've been ambitious lately because i've been cooking a lot and trying out new recipes, too. anyone else have the cooking bug? one of our hygienists at the office caught some crab over the weekend and gave us 3 crabs! so i had a lot of fresh crab to make something but no recipes! i went searching on the internet and found this crab imperial recipe. we all liked it but thought it was probably more of a side or appetizer rather than a main dish. BUT calvin and miles both had 3rd's! it would definitely be faster to make this with canned crab meat but i kind of enjoyed hacking away at the crab shell to get to the meat. any pent-up aggression? find a crab. so i guess you know what i'll be making next time i get my hands on some fresh crab...

crab imperial

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 heaping tablespoons flour
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1 teaspoon vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 heaping tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 slice bread, torn
• 1 pound crab meat

Melt butter; stir in flour. Add 1/2 cup milk gradually, stirring. Add salt, mustard, vinegar and Worcestershire sauce; cook until thickened. Cool. Add mayonnaise to sauce. Moisten crumbs with remaining milk; add to crab. Mix crab mixture with sauce mixture. Spoon into 8 ramekins. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes.
Serves 8.

**i didn't have any ramekins (fyi, i didn't even know what ramekins were until i saw this recipe and had to look it up on wikipedia) so i just put it all in an 8 inch pie plate and cooked it for about 25 minutes. i also cooked it at 400 degrees which gave it a nice crispy edge and top.

stacks of chili

thanks to my cute cousin michelle and her blog i found a great, QUICK and delicious dinner for tonight. i think i will definitely add it to my staples right along with sloppy joes, pizza and shepherd's pie. although it ended in an hour long stand-off with miles to eat 2 more bites, the boys really did love it. and so did we.

Using a baking Sheet layer the following...

1 large tortilla

1/2 can of chili ( I love the stagg chili brand)

1/2 can kidney beans, drained **i used black beans because that's all i had. still good.

1/2 can of corn, drained

Grated Cheddar Cheese

Sliced Olives

Repeat those layers.

Loosely cover with Foil and Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Serve with Salsa and Sour Cream.

crockpot barbecue chicken

liz texted me this morning for a good crockpot recipe so i decided to share the wealth on here. i recently read this, this, and this and it pretty much changed the way i think about a crockpot now. i love all of her ideas... you better check out the second link if any.

then i found A Year of Slow Cooking blog and it looks pretty good too. i have two crockpots so i have no more excuses!

crockpot barbecue chicken
adapted from here

4-6 pieces boneless skinless chicken breasts (i threw them in frozen... even easier!)
1 bottle BBQ sauce (sweet baby ray's all the way!)
1/4 c vinegar
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/4 c brown sugar
1/2 - 1 tsp. garlic powder

mix BBQ sauce with all ingredients listed under it. place chicken in crockpot. pour sauce over it and cook on LOW for 4-6 hours. you pretty much don't even have to stir it... how easy is that!? and please eat it with these.

the perfect pizza dough

i'm on a quest each week to find the perfect pizza crust. and so far this is the winner. you see... we have "pizza friday" every friday night. yes, when you have little kids it's something to look forward to. sophie *loves* to help me make pizza, all day: "i help make a pizza!" and i love trying to per-fect my pizza crust, and landen? well he just loves eating it. so it's a win-win-win.

i think i'm finally getting the hang of it thanks to this website. the trick to the perfectly crispy-on-the-outside and soft-on-the-inside crust happens to be using a pizza stone. sure you can still use this recipe on a good old cookie sheet (i've done it and it's still yummy), but if you're looking for that perfect restaurant crisp than use the stone! my definition of the perfect crust is one that i'm not overly noticing, it just blends into the yummy sauce and toppings. here we go.

ingredients:
2 cups flour
1 tsp active dry yeast
4 tsp sugar (about 1/8 cup)
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp olive oil
3/4 cup warm water

directions: (i usually start the whole process at 3pm to let rise in time for dinner)
in a glass measuring cup filled with the sugar & water (water should feel very warm against wrist but not hot) i let my yeast activate for 5-10 minutes until bubbly on top. then i mix the oil in with a spoon. while yeast is activating i add the dry ingredients together in my mixer for about 15 seconds (flour & salt). while the mixer is running, pour the yeast mixture in slowly and process the dough for about 60 seconds, a dough ball should begin forming. if the dough is sticky, add flour one tablespoon at a time to dry the dough and allow a ball to form. if the dough is dry, add water one tablespoon at a time to moisten the dough. you want the dough slightly sticky and soft. you don't want to overprocess the dough, you just want to combine the ingredients to form a loose ball. the dough will be soft to the touch and there will be a small amount of residual dough left along the bottom and sides of the bowl.

once finished, place the ball on a floured surface and knead by hand for several minutes. (this is how i take my aggression out after a week of dealing with kids). use flour on your hands to prevent sticking. the dough should feel smooth and silky when ready for use. (you might be able to let your mixer do all the work, but i love kneading dough and i like how i do it better.)

shape dough into a ball and place in a bowl coated with olive oil. brush a light coating of oil on the top of the dough ball as well so it doesn't dry out. cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and then with a kitchen towel. i warm my oven up to 300 or so while i'm kneading, and then turn it off and place the bowl on top of the oven so it's nice and warm for rising. the volume should double depending on the warmth of the kitchen but usually takes 45-90 minutes.

after the dough has doubled, punch it down. turn out onto your board and knead it for a minute or two to get rid of any bubbles. let it rest in the bowl for another 45-90 minutes. i know this seems like a lot of rising, but i have noticed my doughs are much softer and easier to form if i do a double rise.

rolling out your dough:
place the dough ball on a lightly floured work surface. using your fingertips push down on the center of the dough applying outward pressure. you want to flatten out the dough ball and increase the diameter, once you have your intial shape, use a rolling pin to continue flattening the dough. roll in one direction, rotate 90 degrees and roll in the same direction. continue until you achieve your desired thickness and dimaeter.

i need a wooden paddle, but for now i just put my rolled out dough on some parchment on the backside of a cookie sheet so i can easily slide it onto my stone. you want to heat your stone for at least 45-60 minutes before you place your pizza on it. heat oven to 450 degrees (i think i change it every time). decorate your pizza and slide onto stone. i remove the parchment after it's cooked for about 5-10 minutes so it won't stick. cook until crust is just turning crispy golden and cheese is bubbly. about 15 minutes i think? just watch it.

easy sauce:
1 can of tomato sauce
mrs. dash "italian medly"

mix in a bowl until it tastes right! super easy and yummy.

Burger and Fries Casserole

I have to admit I haven't tried this one yet but its on the menu for this week, so I thought I would share. Cause really who doesn't like burger and fires?

(I think this makes a lot so i would probably cut it in half)

2 pound lean ground beef

1 10 ounce can condensed golden mushroom soup

1 10 ounce can condensed cheddar cheese soup

1 20 ounce package frozen french fried crinkle cut fries

1 teaspoon season salt

any toppings like pickles tomatoes, ketchup or mustard

preheat oven to 350degrees. In a large skillet cook beef and drain fat. transfer beef into a baking dish (casserole dish). in a medium bowl combine mushroom and cheese soups then spread over beef. top with the frozen potatoes and sprinkle with season salt.

bake for 45 minutes to 55 minutes or until potatoes are golden brown. if you want put your toppings on and eat! SO EASY

( so i got this from a meals on a budget recipe book it says this meal should only cost you 12$ to make and if you don't make it as big it should be less. We will find out good experiment though!)

crockpot sweet & sour chicken

so i've been trying lots of new recipes... just not posting them! i am the worst, i know. it took another sinus infection to get me on here posting.

this recipe comes from taste of home here. but for you liz, i'll post the whole recipe.

ingredients:
1-1/4 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch strips
1 Tbs. canola oil
salt & pepper to taste
1 can (15 oz.) pineapple chunks (i omitted the water chestnuts...bleh, and added a whole can of pineapple)
2 medium carrots, sliced
2 Tbs. soy sauce
4 tsp. cornstarch
1 cup sweet-and-sour sauce (i used this kind, but i'd be willing to experiment with others)
1/4 cup water
(i omitted the ginger because that sounded weird to me)
3 green onions, cut into 1-inch pieces
1-1/2 cups fresh or frozen snow peas (i used fresh and it was sophie's favorite part)
hot cooked rice

directions:
in a large skillet, saute chicken in oil for 4-5 minutes; drain. sprinkle with salt and pepper. drain pineapple, reserving juice; set pineapple aside. in a 5-qt. slow cooker, combine the chicken, carrots, soy sauce and pineapple juice. cover and cook on low for 3 hours or until chicken juices run clear.

in a small bowl, combine the cornstarch, sweet-and-sour sauce, and ginger until smooth. stir into the slow cooker. add onions, peas and reserved pineapple; cover and cook on high for 15 minutes or until thickened. serve with rice.

Veggie Burger Heaven

I'm a veggie burger fan, but never thought to make my own until I found this recipe from the food network,Guy Fieri. I'm hooked. These patties are packed with fiber (8g each) and loaded with flavor! One of the things I love about this recipe is that you can add a little corn, brown rice or whatever you can come up with, just compensate by adding a little egg white if you put more dry ingredients in. Freeze individual patties for dinners later in the month. By the time you put on lettuce and tomato you'll never miss the meat. Promise, try them!

2 ounces olive oil
3 tablespoons diced red onion
2 tablespoons diced black olives
2 tablespoons diced red bell peppers
1 teaspoon diced jalapeno (I didn't use this)
1 1/2 tablespoons diced garlic
1 tablespoon diced artichoke
4 ounces black beans, drained
4 ounces chickpeas, drained
4 ounces white beans, drained
6 ounces rolled oats
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley leaves
1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
1/4 teaspoon ground sage
2 tablespoons seasoned bread crumbs
1 egg

Directions
In a medium saute pan over medium heat, add 1-ounce olive oil and all raw vegetables except beans. Saute until translucent. Remove and cool.

Add veggies to beans and mix thoroughly. Add all dry ingredients along with the egg. Thoroughly mix all ingredients by 'gushing and squishing' between your fingers. The beans help make it all stick together, form into 4 patties, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. (I doubled it and used each of the three cans of beans)

In saute pan add 1-ounce olive oil, and cook patties 2 to 3 minutes per side.

baked potato soup

this is another yummy stolen and adapted recipe from liz's family cookbook.

ingredients:
4 large baking potatoes
2/3 cup flour
6 cups milk
2/3 cup butter
8 oz. sour cream
3/4 tsp. salt
4 green onions, chopped
12 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
1 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp pepper

directions:
wash and poke potatoes with a fork. place directly on oven rack and bake until done (400 degrees for about an hour). cool and cut in half lengthwise and scoop out pulp. set aside.
melt butter in heavy saucepan over low heat; add flour, stirring until smooth. cook 1 minute, STIRRING CONSTANTLY. gradually add milk, stirring over medium heat until thick and bubbly. add potato pulp, salt and pepper, 2 TBS. of the green onions, 1/2 cup bacon and 1 cup cheese. cook until heated thoroughly and stir in sour cream. add more milk if necessary, but it should be served thick. serve with the remaining green onions, bacon and cheese on top. and of course you need some crusy white bread to dip!

Pineapple Beef

 

Couldn't find a picture of my dish, too hungry to take a one while it was still sizzling delish :)

Ingredients:

15 oz can coconut milk

1 biggish can pineapple tidbits, juice reserved

1/2 package frozen broccoli

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1-2 cups shredded beef (I used left over potroast)

1/2 forkful minced garlic

3-4 tablespoons soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1 shake hot sauce

4 cups cooked rice

Marinate meat, veggies and pineapple in a mix of coconut milk, pineapple juice, garlic, soy sauce, paprika and hot sauce.  Dump it all in screaming hot wok (or skillet), saute and simmer until sauce thickens.  Serve over rice

spinach tortellini

so, i didn't make it this week. i made it when kristen and landen were supposed to come eat dinner with us but got stuck because of the snow. you guys totally missed out--oh, and you still owe us...

this is from my family cookbook, too. i agree, my sisters and sisters-in-law are great cooks. thanks lizzie.

• 1 (9 ounce) package refrigerated cheese tortellini
• 2 tablespoons Butter
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup milk
• fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
• cherry tomatoes, halved

1. Cook tortellini according to package directions.
2. Heat butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in onion; cook until soft and translucent. Mix in cream cheese, parmesan, milk, mushrooms, and spinach.
3. Gently mix in tortellini and cherry tomatoes with skillet contents; warm through, and serve.

mexican lasagna

this recipe was stolen and adapted straight from liz's "christensen family cook book" so i hope her and her sister don't mind me posting! i give all the credit to alisa. i've been trying a bunch of their recipes and they are good cooks... i have more to share... or so do you liz!

ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
1 large onion
2 cups chunky salsa (i used the costco brand and it was delish)
1 can black beans, drained
1/4 cup zesty italian dressing
2 T. taco seasoning mix
4 flour tortillas (medium size)
1-2 cups sour cream
1 pkg. mexican style shredded four cheese (i only had cheddar and it was good)

directions:
brown meat with onions in large skillet; drain. add salsa, beans, dressing, taco seasoning; mix well. arrange 2 of the tortillas in a single layer on bottom of a 9x13 baking dish; cover with layers of half each of the meat mixture, sour cream, and cheese. (i just kept adding sour cream until it covered in a thin layer). repeat all layers: tortillas, meat mixture, sour cream, and cheese. cover with foil. preheat oven to 400 degrees and bake, covered, 30 min. remove foil and bake an additional 10 min. or until casserole is heated through and cheese is melted. let stand 5 minutes before cutting into.
top individually with tomatoes, lettuce, olives, and cilantro.

"healthy" fried rice

this recipe comes straight out of parents magazine, so you know it's easy! and sophie loves the scrambled eggs in this one which makes me happy.

ingredients:

1 8.8-oz. uncle ben's package cooked brown rice (see picture)

1 16-oz. pkg. mixed frozen vegetables (peas, corn, green beans, carrots)

1 cup frozen peppers-and-onion stir-fry vegetables

4 tsp. canola oil, divided

3 eggs

3 Tbs. stir-fry sauce (i like the kikkoman brand)

1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper (optional)

lime wedges (i didn't like this though)

directions:

heat 2 tsp. canola oil in a large nonstick skillet on medium. whisk eggs and add to the skillet. cook, stirring occasionally to break up eggs, until set. remove from pan. add remaning 2 tsp. oil to the skillet and then increase the heat to medium-high. stir in the frozen vegetables; cook for 5 minutes or until tender.

add stir-fry sauce and crushed red pepper to the skillet. stir in rice and heat through, then mix in the cooked eggs. squeeze lime juice on for extra flavor (like i said, i didn't really get this flavor with everything else, but you might like it).

yum. yum. yum.

chicken veggie pasta

{these are the veggies we used and the red onions were our fav!}

i'm linking this from my friend kami's blog. we tried this a few weeks ago and it was SO yummy. fresh and full of yummy veggies!

she explains it much better than i could...

click HERE

White Chicken Chili

Ok, I know, I know, it's just like me to decide I'm playing at the last possible second :) Just try the recipe and I promise you'll forgive me!

White Chicken Chili

Saute these together:

2 tsp olive oil

1 lg. onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

2 chicken breasts, cut into small pieces

Add these, and simmer 5-10 minutes:

2 cans chicken broth

1 pkg. frozen white corn

2 cans diced green chilis

1 tsp cumin

2 cans great northern beans

juice of 1 lime

cilantro

Serve with tortilla chips, grated cheese, green onions, chopped cilantro, salsa, sour cream, and lime wedges.

loaded "baked potato" soup

ok girls. i'm completely going out on a limb here. i've never tried this recipe so don't hate me if you hate IT! but come on... microwaved soup? i said easy, but i guess we'll see! yum. i'm just ready for soup. it's legal in september right!?

2 medium baking potatoes, unpeeled
1 can (14 1/2 oz.) fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 cup milk
3 slices bacon, cooked, crumbled, and divided
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
2 Tbsp. sliced green onions, divided
1/4 cup sour cream

pierce potatoes; microwave on HIGH 5 min., turning over after 2 1/2 min. cut potatoes into chunks. combine potatoes, broth and milk in large microwaveable bowl. microwave on HIGH 6 min., stirring after 3 min. Slightly crush potatoes with a potato masher.

reserve 2 Tbsp. each of the bacon and cheese and 1 Tbsp. of the onions for topping; set aside. add remaining bacon, cheese and onions to soup.

serve topped with reserved bacon, cheese, onions and sour cream.

Makes 4, 1 cup servings.

shepherd's pie

this is definitely a staple in our house. i realize that this is a classic mormon dish but we love classics! and, like meredith's recipe, you usually have most of the ingredients on hand. i made this for landen one night when kristen was out of town and he loved it. so you better make this one soon, kristen (and everyone else too!)

brown 2 lbs of hamburger

add 1 chopped onion

put in a bowl and add salt and pepper to taste, 1/2 tsp chili powder, 1 can tomato soup, 1 can cream of mushroom soup, and 1 can green beans (you can add any veggie you like).

pour in a large baking dish. top with mashed potatoes and sprinkle cheddar cheese on top. bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Potato-Crusted Baked Chicken

I got this recipe from a cookbook on my shelf called, 'Great Chicken Dishes'. I was in need of a chicken recipe with only the ingredients I had in my pantry and fridge. I am excited to share a recipe that includes ingredients most of us have on hand. I am all about using everything I have in the cupboard before taking yet another trip to the grocery store. It went over really well and tastes best with ranch dressing, then again most things do!

1/3 cup grated Parmesean cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried sage (didn't have it, I used some Mrs. Dash seasoning)
2 large eggs
4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves ( about 1 1/2 lbs.)
2/3 cup dried instant mashed potatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil

1.)Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a shallow bowl or pie plate mix parm cheese, salt, pepper and sage. In another bowl beat eggs w/ 1 tablespoon of water. Dip your chix into parmesean mixture and press into chicken. Dip chix in egg mixture then into potatoes, pressing them into chicken.

2.)Lightly grease baking sheet. Place baking sheet in over for 5 min. Place chicken on preheated baking sheet; drizzle olive oil over chicken. Bake for 10 min, turn chix and bake for 10-15 min longer or until crusty and golden and chix is done.

3.) All out of instant mashed potatoes? Use crushed potato chips or Cheez-its. Both taste yummy!

crispy coconut chicken

this one and the previous one are both new recipes that i tried last night and tonight. i liked them both and had to share. although, this one is a lot more involved. yes, i was actually good and made two "real" meals two nights in a row! i have one happy husband. enjoy!

chicken:

1 C flaked coconut

1/2 C flour

1/2 t. salt

1/4 t. black pepper

1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast halves (however much chicken the mixture will allow)

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/3 C butter or margerine melted on bottom of pan.

heat oven to 400 F. mix coconut, flour, salt, and pepper in medium bowl. dip chicken into egg, then coat with coconut mixture. place in buttered pan. bake 25 minutes or until chicken is browned and cooked through. serve with rice and...

red lobster pina colada dipping sauce:

1/2 C coco lopez cream of coconut (found in the grocery store by the daiquiri and colada mixes)

1/2 C pineapple juice

1/4 C water

2 T crushed pineapple (drained)

1 T sweetened coconut flakes

3 T + 1 t. powder sugar

1 1/2 t. corn starch

3 t. cold water

mix coco lopez, pineapple juice, water, crushed pineapple, coconut, and powder sugar in a sauce pan. heat on medium low temperature until sauce begins to simmer, stirring frequently. let mixture simmer slowly 10-12 minutes. mix corn starch and water together, add to sauce and blend well. let mixture simmer for 3-5 minutes longer while stirring during and after adding cornstarch. remove from heat and bring to room temperature.

this dinner is also really good with these rolls!

samoan sweet rolls:

1 12 oz package frozen dinner rolls, thawed

1 10 oz can coconut milk

3 T sweetened condensed milk

3/4 C white sugar

coat a 9x13 pan with cooking spray. coat your hands with cooking spray or shortening, and roll the dough balls in your hands so that they have a light coating. place in a prepared dish. set aside and let rise until doubled. (i used pillsbury frozen rolls and didn't have to let them rise at all, fyi). preheat oven to 350 F. in a small bowl, stir together the coconut milk, sweetened condensed milk and sugar. pour this mixture over the top of the rolls as evenly as you can. bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown. let cool for a few minutes before separating and serving.

whew, that's all, i promise!

quick king ranch chicken

we ate this tonight. it really is so good and so easy.

1/4 cup margarine

1 medium green bell pepper, diced fine

1 medium yellow onion, diced fine

1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup

1 can condensed cream of chicken soup

2 cans Milder Rotel diced tomatoes and green chiles

2 cups cooked chicken, cubed (i use the canned chicken)

12 corn tortillas, torn into bite-sized pieces

2 cups shredded cheddar or velveeta cheese

preheat oven to 325 degrees. in a large saucepan, saute the bell pepper and onion in the margerine until tender (about 5 minutes). add both soups, the rotel and chicken pieces and stir until the mixture is well-blended. in a 10x10 lightly oiled casserole dish, start making thin layers with the corn tortillas first, then the cooked chicken mixture and last the cheese. repeat about 3 times with the cheese on top. bake for 40 minutes, covered, or until hot and bubbly.

serve over rice with sour cream on top.