Maple Roasted Root Vegetables

Elliott came home from work one night and asked me if I had even tried parsnips before. I had about 5 years ago when the Elders Quorm of our ward in St. Louis made dinner for all the women for Mother's Day. They had made a savory roasted root veggi dish and it was delicious. Then Ell handed me this recipe he got from work and told me he was going to make it. The parsnips I had were savory and I questioned this recipe because it was sweet. So in true food network fashion we had a cook off. I made a savory version of roasted root veggies and Ell made this recipe. Clearly you can tell who won since you aren't seeing the savory recipe being posted. These were SOOOO good. Even the kids ate them.

Maple Roasted Root Vegetables

3 large carrots, peeled and cut into bite size pieces
2 large parsnips, peeled and cut into bite sized pieces
2 large sweet potatoes, cut into bite size pieces
1 red onion, diced
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped (or pecans)
1/4 cup dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 400*.

In a medium bowl, toss the vegetables with the olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Place vegetables on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, pour the maple syrup over the vegetables and mix to coat. Continue baking until vegetables are tender and have started to brown. (Approx 10 mins.)

Add chopped nuts and cranberries. Cook 3 minutes more. Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Vegetable Spring Rolls

I absolutely love the Chinese Spring Rolls/Egg Rolls that I have made. When I stumbled upon the Vegetable Spring Rolls at Steamy Kitchen I HAD to try them too. I think the veggie spring rolls are my favorite.

Vegetable Spring Rolls

8 fresh shiitake mushroom caps, julienned
1/2 small cabbage (about 3 cups), shredded (napa or regular cabbage)
2 medium carrots, julienned
8-ounce can bamboo shoots, drained and julienned
cooking oil
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger (I use the stuff in the tube)
1 stalk green onion, finely chopped
2 handfuls of fresh bean sprouts
1 tablespoon sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
1 tablespoon cornstarch
25 spring roll wrappers, defrosted
cooking oil, for frying

1. In a large saute pan or wok, swirl in 1 tablespoon of the cooking oil. Turn on the heat to medium-high and immediately add garlic, ginger and green onion, stirring frequently. By the time the oil is hot, add the mushrooms, cabbage, carrots, and bamboo shoots.
2. Turn heat to high and stir-fry the vegetables for about 2 minutes.Then toss in the bean sprouts. Add in the soy sauce and sesame oil. Cook for another minute. Then spread the filling out onto a large baking sheet. Prop the baking sheet up on one side to allow any sauce or oil to accumulate at the bottom (and discard).
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and 1/4 cup of cool water to form a slurry.
4. Place a spring roll wrapper on a flat surface, add 2 tablespoon of the vegetable mixture into a corner of the wrapper, and then roll the edge of the wrapper tightly around the mixture. Fold the two side corners towards the middle of the wrapper while continuing to roll up. Paint the top edge with the cornstarch slurry mixture and wrap tightly the rest of the way. Make sure all edges are tightly sealed. Place seam side down. Cover with plastic wrap to avoid drying out.
5. In a large wok or saucepan over high heat, add about 1-2 inches of cooking oil
6. Slide several egg rolls into the oil and allow them to cook for 2-3 minutes, turning them over a couple times, or until the wrappers are golden brown. Remove the egg rolls to a cooling rack or paper-towel-covered plate to allow them to drain. Serve hot.

Lemon Blueberry Cake with Whipped Lemon Cream Frosting

I made this Lemon Blueberry Cake from Mel's Kitchen for my little sister's baby shower. It was too good not to share! And if you haven't tried any recipes from Mel's Kitchen, I recommend you look through her recipes. Everything I have tried of hers is fantastic. (Click on link above to get the original recipe or see below.)

Lemon Blueberry Cake

1 cup butter, softened to room temperature
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest
4 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (from about 3 lemons)
2 cups (12 ounces) fresh or frozen blueberries (do not thaw if frozen)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour


Whipped Lemon Cream Frosting

12 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1/2 cup butter, softened to room temperature
4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 to 2 teaspoons fresh lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons heavy cream

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom of two 9-inch round cake pans with at least 2-inch sides, or three 8-inch round cake pans, with parchment paper and coat with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, sugar, and lemon zest until light and fluffy, 4-5 minutes.
3. Add the eggs and vanilla until well-combined, 1-2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, soda and salt. Stir the dry mixture into the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined and a few dry streaks remain.
5. Add the buttermilk and lemon juice to the batter, and stir by hand, folding the batter until just combined.
6. In another bowl, toss the blueberries with the 2 tablespoons flour. Add the blueberries and remnants of flour to the batter and fold in by hand with a spatula or wooden spoon until just-combined. Overmixing may result in a tough, dry cake.
7. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pans and bake for 35-40 minutes until just baked through. The top will spring back lightly to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center should come out with moist crumbs but not wet batter.
8. Let the cakes cool for 5-10 minutes in the pans before turning them out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
9. For the frosting, whip the cream cheese and butter together with a handheld electric mixer or with an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Add the powdered sugar, lemon zest,and lemon juice and mix on low speed until combined. Increase the speed to medium and mix until creamy, 1-2 minutes. Add the heavy cream and whip the frosting until very light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes.
10. When the cake has cooled completely, place one round on a platter or plate and spread the top evenly with frosting. Place the other cake round upside down on the frosting and press just lightly. Continue frosting with a thin spatula or offset spatula until the top and sides of the cake are evenly frosted. Garnish with blueberries and lemon slices, if desired.
11. This cake, once frosted, lasts very well in the refrigerator for several days. Take it out an hour or two before serving or serve chilled, your choice!

Salmon Roasted in Butter

This had 5 stars out of 455 reviews, we loved it! You can mix around the herb and fat combos: parsley, chervil or dill go well with butter; thyme, basil or marjoram with olive oil; or peanut oil with cilantro or mint.

INGREDIENTS

4 Tbsp butter

4 Tbsp minced chervil, parsley or dill

1 salmon fillet, 1 1/2 to 2 pounds

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

lemon wedges

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Place butter and half the herb in a roasting pan just large enough to fit the salmon and place it in the oven. Heat about 5 minutes, until the butter melts and the herb begins to sizzle.

Add the salmon to the pan, skin side up. (Mine didn't have skin) Roast 4 minutes. Remove from the oven, then peel the skin off. (If the skin does not lift right off, cook 2 minutes longer.) Sprinkle with salt and pepper and turn the fillet over. Sprinkle with salt and pepper again.

Roast 3 to 5 minutes more, depending on the thickness of the fillet and the degree of doneness you prefer. Cut into serving portions, spoon a little of the butter over each and garnish with the remaining herb. Serve with lemon wedges.

Thanks to the original recipe found HERE.

Pasta Salad

We threw a baby shower for one of our friends here and the theme was "little man" so I was trying to find a bow tie pasta salad, found this one and loved it!

INGREDIENTS

1 C chopped pecans (I didn't do this, but only because I'm not crazy about nuts)
1/2 (16 oz.) package farfalle (bow-tie) pasta
1 pound fresh broccoli
1 C mayo
1/3 C sugar
1/3 C diced red onion
1/3 C red wine vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar)
1 tsp salt
2 C seedless red grapes, halved
8 cooked bacon slices, crumbled (I forgot this part, but am sure it would've be better)

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan 5-7 minutes or until lightly toasted and fragrant, stir halfway through.
Cook Pasta.
Cut broccoli florets from stems and separate them into smaller pieces. Peel away tough outer layer of stems and finely chop stems.
Whisk together mayo and next 4 ingredients in a large bowl; add broccoli, hot cooked pasta, and grapes, and stir to coat. Cover and chill 3 hours. Stir in bacon and pecans right before serving.

Thanks for the original recipe you can find HERE.

Sausage, Pepper Stuffed Spaghetti Squash

This was delicious! I almost think it was better the second day! I only made 1 spaghetti squash, but I still made all the stuffing for it. Dexter and I really liked it this way! A lot of sauce/meat for the spaghetti squash. But this is the recipe with more than just 1 squash.

2 small spaghetti squash, cut in half and seeded
2 Tbsp oil
salt and pepper
1 lb. Italian sausage (I used sage flavored sausage)
1 onion diced
2 bell peppers (it calls for red, I used green peppers)
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 C marinara sauce
1 C mozzarella shredded

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. After cutting the squash in half, brush the 1 Tbsp oil on the inside flesh of the squash. Season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven placing skin side up for 30 minutes or until tender.
While the squash is cooking, cook the sausage, crumbling as you go. Once cooked set aside. Put 1 Tbsp oil in pan and saute the onions until tender. Add the bell pepper and cook until tender. Then add garlic. Add the sausage back into the pan with the marinara sauce. Heat up all ingredients.
Pull spaghetti squash out of oven. Use a fork to fluff the inside of the squash. Split the sauce mixture between the spaghetti squash equally. Then top with cheese. Broil in the oven until the cheese has melted.

Italian Chicken Smothered with Spinach and Mushrooms

This was way good! You need to marinate the chicken. I just put it in before I went to work and pulled it out at the end of the day. It was delicious!

4-6 oz chicken breast (I just used 4 chicken breasts)
1 (12 oz) prepared Italian salad dressing
16 oz mushrooms sliced
3 green onions sliced
Olive Oil
2 Tbsp butter
salt and pepper
2 cloves garlic minced
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
12 oz spinach
1 C shredded cheese (It calls for Asiago, I used Parmesan and an Italian blend)
Optional Red pepper flakes

Directions:
Put the chicken in a large plastic bag with the Italian dressing marinade overnight (or for 8 hours). Remove chicken and throw away marinade. Season the chicken with salt and pepper (or whatever seasonings you would like). Put olive oil in a large pan and add 2 Tbsp of butter. Sear the chicken on both sides and cook until juices run clear. Remove chicken from heat and keep warm.
In the same pan, saute the mushrooms for 2-3 minutes then add the sliced green onions and garlic. Add extra oil or butter if needed. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the Worcestershire sauce. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the onions are soft.
Add the spinach and cook until it wilts. Place chicken on a pan for the over and put the spinach, mushroom mix on top of the chicken pieces and cover with cheese. Broil for 2 minutes or until cheese melts.

Cream Cheese Crockpot Chicken (w/ Rotel)

Quick, easy dinner. Bo loved it. You can serve over rice or in a tortilla, or eat it as is.

INGREDIENTS

1 bag of frozen chicken breast tenderloins (2.5-3 lb. bag, you can use breasts too)

8 oz block of cream cheese (don't use fat free! 1/3 less fat or regular is best)

1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed

2 C of frozen corn

1 can of Rotel: Diced tomatoes and green Chilies

INSTRUCTIONS

Put frozen chicken in the crock pot. Put cream cheese on top of chicken. Dump in black beans, corn, and can of Rotel. Cover and cook in your crock pot on low 6-8 hours. 

Shred the chicken or just leave it as tenderloins when done. (We shredded) Delicious on top of rice or used as taco meat. 

Makes 6-8 servings.

Thanks to the original recipe found HERE.

Cheesy Hasselback Potato Gratin

Another fun delicious way to eat potatoes. Just an FYI, this has 5 stars out of 511 votes...

INGREDIENTS

*I didn't have these cheeses, so I just used cheddar and parmesan and it was still delicious!

3 ounces finely grated Gruyere or comte cheese
2 ounces finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
2 C heavy cream
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves, roughly chopped
Kosher salt and black pepper
4 to 4 1/2  pounds russet potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/8-in thick on a mandoline slicer
2 Tbsp unsalted butter

INSTRUCTIONS

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Combine cheeses in a large bowl. Transfer 1/3 of cheese mixture to a separate bowl and set aside. Add cream, garlic and thyme to cheese mixture. Season generously with salt and pepper. Add potato slices and toss with cream mixture, making sure o separate any slices that are sticking together to get the cream mixture in between them.

Grease a 2-quart casserole dish with butter. Pick up a handful of potatoes, organizing them into a neat stack, and lay them in the casserole dish with their edges aligned vertically. Continue placing potatoes in the dish, working around the perimeter and into the center until all the potatoes have been added. The potatoes should be very tightly packed. If necessary, slice an additional potato, coat with cream mixture, and add to casserole. Pour the excess cream/cheese mixture evenly over the potatoes until the mixture comes halfway up the sides of the casserole. You may not need all the excess liquid.

Cover dish tightly with foil and transfer to the oven. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking until the top is pale golden brown, about 30 minutes longer. Carefully remove from oven, sprinkle with remaining cheese, and return to oven. Bake until deep golden brown and crisp on top, about 30 minutes longer. Remove from oven, let rest for a few minutes, and serve.

Thanks to the original recipe found HERE.

Party Punch

Such a great drink to have for parties, birthday, showers, etc.

Makes about a gallon.

INGREDIENTS

1 C frozen concentrated lemonade  (thawed)
6 oz frozen concentrated orange juice (thawed)
2 C crandberry juice
3 C water
1/4 C super fine sugar
2 liters lemon-lime soda, chilled
Freshly sliced lemons and oranges

INSTRUCTIONS

Add the lemonade, orange juice, cranberry juice, water and sugar, to a container that has a lid. Stir until all the sugar is dissolved. Cover and chill the mixture for 1-2 hours. When ready to serve add lemon-lim soda, lemons and orgaes mixture to the

Thanks to the original recipe found HERE.

Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

I've posted another chocolate chip cookie recipe that we raved about, but this one beats it. It is soft and gooey in the middle, but had a crisp outer shell. Bo has made them and I've made them, and both times they turned out incredible.

Makes about 12 cookies, we usually double it they're so addicting.

INGREDIENTS

8 Tbsp salted butter
1/2 C white sugar
1/4 C packed light brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
1 1/2 C all purpose flour (more as needed)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt (slightly heaping)
3/4 C chocolate chips

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
   Microwave the butter for about 40 seconds to just barely melt it. It shouldn't be hot - but it should be almost entirely in liquid form.

2. Using a stand mixer or beaters, beat the butter with the sugars until creamy. Add the vanilla and the egg; beat on low speed until just incorporated - 10-15 seconds or so (if you beat the egg for too long, the cookies will be stiff).

3. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix until crumbles form. Use your hands to press the crumbles together into a dough. It should form one large ball that is easy to handle (right at the stage between "wet" dough and "dry" dough). Add the chocolate hips and incorporate with your hands.

4. Roll the dough into 12 large balls (or 9 for hugely awesome cookies) and place on a cookie sheet. Bake for 9-11 minutes until the cookies look puffy and dry and just barely golden. DO NOT OVERBAKE. This is essential for keeping the cookies soft. Take them out even if they look like they aren't done yet. They will be pale and puffy.

5. Let them cool on the pan for a good 30 minutes or so. They will sink down and turn into these dense, soft cookies and should stay that way for a couple days if kept in an air tight container.

NOTES - 3 most important things about this recipe: melting the butter, adding enough flour, and not baking for too long. If you find the dough is wet and really sticks to your hands, add a little more flour.

You can find the original recipe HERE. Thanks!

Honey Balsamic Chicken

My husband loves balsamic vinegar so I thought I would try out this recipe. It ended up being a huge hit. My kids, who hardly ever eat chicken, ate all the chicken on their plate and even asked for seconds!! The honey balsamic reduction makes this dish amazing. I made a few minor adjustments to the original recipe found on BudgetBytes.

Honey Balsamic Chicken

2 large chicken breasts, or 1.5 lbs chicken tenders
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
salt and pepper to taste
2 Tablespoons butter
4 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
5-6 Tablespoons honey

If using chicken breasts, slice chicken breasts into thin slices about 1-2 inches thick. In a large ziplock bag combine 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, garlic, 1 Tablespoon oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Add chicken and let marinade for 30 minutes.

In a large skillet cook chicken strips in remaining 1 Tablespoon oil. Move cooked chicken to plate and keep warm. Turn down the heat to medium-low and add butter and remaining balsamic vinegar. Stir until butter is melted and the sticky bits that were left in the pan are dissolved. Add the honey and increase the heat to medium. Allow to simmer until reduced and thickened. Once sauce has thickened add chicken back into the skillet and toss to coat. Serve immediately with remaining honey balsamic reduction on top.
 

Robyn's Bunch of Beans

My friend out here in New Orleans made our other friend's bean dip recipe. It is divine and addicting! This is great for if you ever need to bring something to a party! It's even better with tortilla chips with a hint of lime. It makes a ton too.

INGREDIENTS

3 cans dark red kidney beans
2 cans black eye peas (or garbanzo beans)
2 cans white beans
2 cans black beans
2 cans sweet corn
1 med purple onion, diced
4 avocados, diced
1 bunch cilantro (remove stems and chop up)
4-5 limes, juiced
1 bottle zesty italian dressing (we usually use fat-free)

INSTRUCTIONS

Combine and eat with tortilla chips, ones with a hint of lime make it even better!

Enjoy!

Thanks to Robyn Loader and Emily Brown for the recipe. :)

Tollhouse Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are our favorite chocolate chip cookies recipe. We use white chocolate chips, heath chips, peanut butter chips, and toffee chips sometimes too.

Prep time 20 min.
Makes 4 dozen

INGREDIENTS

2 1/4 C flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 C butter, softened
3/4 C granulated sugar
3/4 C brown sugar (firmly packed)
1 tsp vanilla
2 C chocolate chips (or any chips you have)
2 large eggs

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit.

Combine flour, baking soda, salt in a bowl and set aside. Beat butter, sugars and vanilla till creamy. Add eggs. Gradually add the flour mixture. Stir in Chocolate chips. Drop by teaspoons onto an UNgreased cookie sheet.

Bake 8- 10 minutes each.

Recipe found somewhere on Cookpad.com.

Missionary Peach Cobbler

I believe our friends called it the missionary peach cobbler, cuz this is just 3 simple ingredients, so cheap and easy. We loved it!

INGREDIENTS

2 cans peaches with juice

1 box yellow cake mix

1/2 C butter

INSTRUCTIONS

Set oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Pour both cans of peaches into a 9x13" baking dish, juice and all. Pour yellow cake mix on top covering all the peaches. Do NOT mix. Then cut up butter into pieces and place evenly/sporadically over the top of the cake mix. Again, do NOT mix. 

Pop in the oven at 350 for 30+ minutes until it is golden on top. 

Enjoy! Thanks to the Hall family for the recipe!

Linguine Alfredo

Linguine Alfredo

1 Tablespoon butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon flour
1 cup milk
1/4 cup grated Asiago or Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup (2 oz) cream cheese
1 cup broccoli
1 red pepper, seeded and cut into bite sized pieces
1 carrot, thinly sliced
1/4 cup mushrooms, sliced
4 cups cooked linguine, 8oz uncooked

In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, melt butter. Sauté garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Whisk in flour, and cook for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk. Cook, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened. Whisk in cream cheese and Asiago or Parmesan cheese. Cook stirring, until smooth. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm.

Meanwhile, steam broccoli, bell peppers, mushrooms and carrots until tender-crisp. In a large bowl combine cooked pasta and steamed veggies. Add the cheese sauce and toss to coat throughly. Serve immediately.

Recipe from weight watchers.

Oven Fried Chicken with Honey Mustard Sauce

Oven Fried Chicken with Honey Mustard Sauce

Chicken:

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Salt and pepper to taste

2 eggs

1/4 cup milk

1 1/2 cups Panko bread crumbs (Japaneese bread crumbs)

1 teaspoon paprika

1/4 cup canola oil

1 cup flour

3/4 teaspoon garlic powder

2 Tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

Sauce:

1/4 cup mayo

2 Tablespoons honey

1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 Tablespoon mustard

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper and place cooking rack, or cookie cooling rack, on top. Set aside.

To make the honey mustard sauce, combine all ingredients and whisk together in a small bowl until smooth. Set aside.

Whisk eggs and milk together in a large shallow bowl. In another shallow bowl combine Panko bread crumbs, paprika, and oil with a fork. Season with salt and pepper to taste. In a third bowl, combine flour and garlic powder.

Working with one piece of chicken at a time, season both sides of chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour mixture, dip in egg mixture, then dredge in bread crumb mixture, pressing to coat. Place chicken on rack on baking sheet. 

Bake at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes, until cooke through and crust is golden brown.

Serve immediately with honey mustard sauce and garnished with fresh parsley.

Recipe adapted from Damn Delicious.

Clotted Cream

When I first heard of clotted cream I had two thoughts. What in the world is clotted cream? And I am pretty sure you aren't supposed to eat cream if it is clotting. My friend introduced me to clotted cream when she held a little tea party at a local tea shop. I was very skeptical, but tried it anyway. It was delicious! It is like cream, but in the form of butter, with a slightly nutty flavor. You can eat it on scones, muffins, English muffins, breads, fresh fruit, etc. It is actually really easy to make. It just takes a lot of time waiting. Just make sure to get a heavy cream that is NOT ultra-pasteurized. Otherwise it will not work. You can eat clotted cream on scones, muffins, English muffins, breads, fresh fruit, etc.

Clotted Cream

1 quart heavy cream (not ultra-pasteurized!)

Pour cream into a medium oven safe dish. The cream should come 1-3 inches up the side of the pan. I used a CorningWear dish. You can also use a shallow Pyrex dish.

Place cream in the oven at your lowest heat setting, but no higher than 180 degrees, for 10-12 hours., until a thick, yellowish layer forms on top.

Gently remove from the oven and allow to cool at room temperature for 8 hours.

Cover and cool in fridge for an additional 8 hours. Then gently scrape off the top layer of thick cream into a small mixing bowl. Stir until smooth. Store in an airtight jar in the fridge for up to 1 week.