Cajun Chicken Pasta

8 ounces uncooked linguine
1 pound chicken breast strips
1-2 tsp Cajun seasoning (or to taste)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 medium yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/2 red onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1 cup chicken broth
1/3 cup milk
1 Tbsp flour
3 Tbsp cream cheese
2 green onions, chopped
Garlic powder, to taste
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Prepare pasta in salted water according to package directions. In a small blender, combine milk, flour and cream cheese. Set aside. Season chicken generously with Cajun seasoning, garlic powder and salt.  Heat a large heavy nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; spray with cooking spray and add chicken. Sauté 5 to 6 minutes or until done. Set aside. Add olive oil to the skillet and reduce to medium; add bell peppers, onions, and garlic to skillet, sauté 3-4 minutes. Add mushrooms and tomatoes and sauté 3-4 more minutes or until vegetables are tender. Season with 1/4 tsp salt, garlic powder and pepper to taste. Reduce heat to medium-low; add chicken broth and pour in cream cheese mixture stirring about 2 minutes. Return chicken to skillet; adjust salt and Cajun seasoning to taste, cook another minute or two until hot, then add linguine; toss well to coat. Top with chopped green onions and enjoy!

Homemade Thin Mints

Homemade Thin Mints

For the cookies: 
8 ounces butter
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
¾ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

For the coating:
2 bags semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 Tablespoon peppermint extract

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Cream butter until light and fluffy, then add the powdered sugar and mix until combined. Stir in the salt, vanilla and cocoa powder. Mix until the cocoa powder is integrated and the batter resembles a thick frosting. Add the flour and mix just until the flour is combined, making sure to not over mix. Add water if needed.
• Form dough into a ball. Knead a few times to bring together, then flatten into a disk between half an inch and one inch thick, cover in plastic wrap then place in freezer for 15 minutes.
• Remove dough from the freezer and roll it out really thin on a floured surface, about 1/8-inch. Cut cookies using 1 1/2-inch cutter.
• Place cookies on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool completely on a wire rack. After the cookies have cooled, place 1 bag chocolate chips in a glass measuring cup or similar container and microwave in short 15-20 second bursts. Stir in 1 ½ tsp peppermint extract. Repeat when you run out of chocolate.
• Gently drop the cookies, one at a time, into the coating. Turn to coat entirely, then lift the cookie out of the chocolate with the fork and bang the fork on the side of the pan until the extra coating drips off. Place on a parchment or plastic wrap-lined baking sheet, and repeat for the rest of the cookies. Place the cookies in the refrigerator or freezer to set.

German Pancakes

Hey guys! We made these Father's Day breakfast, and we loved it!

Super easy!

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Butter (or margarine)
• 2 cups Milk
• 4 Eggs
• 1 1/3 cup Flour
• 4 tbsp Sugar (I would add more if you're only gonna put fruit on top- otherwise, great and not overpowering with sugary toppings)
• 1 tsp Cinnamon

Toppings

• Powdered sugar
• Nutella
• Assorted fruit
• Pie filling
• Whipped cream
• ANYTHING!!!

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Melt Butter in 9 inch pie plate or brownie pan
3. Mix milk, eggs, flour, sugar, and cinnamon
4. pour mixture on top of melted butter and put in oven
5. Bake for 30 min or until it looks done
6. Add toppings!
7. ENJOY!!!!

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Hummus is Yummus! Hummus is ridiculously easy to make, and pretty cheap too. The most expensive ingredient is the Tahini. You can always freeze what you don't use (I put it in ice trays so it freezes into ~1Tbsp units). Since each batch of hummus only calls for a couple of tablespoons of tahini, it stretches out.

Ingredients:

1 red pepper - roasted and peeled
1 15 oz can of garbanzo beans (chick peas)
2 Tbsp tahini (toasted sesame paste)
1 large clove of garlic - crushed*
Juice from one lemon
1-2 tsp salt
1-2 Tbsp olive oil

Directions:

In blender or food processor, combine, red pepper, garbanzo beans, tahini, lemon juice, and salt - blend. Add olive oil and blend until smooth.

*Garlic has to be crushed, or smashed (you can do it with the flat side of a knife, or with a spatula); if you try to put in a whole clove, the garlic flavor will be too strong and it will overpower your hummus.

Lemon Meringue Pie

I borrowed this one from Alton Brown, but changed a few things to make it mine. It can be a little tricky. You're going to need to measure all of the ingredients out beforehand (because you won't have time to do so while you're cooking). Also, you're going to need a stopwatch or a timer.

Lemon custard:
4 egg yolks (reserve whites for meringue)
1/3 cup cornstarch
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup lemon juice (fresh squeezed)
1 tablespoon lemon zest (about 1 lemon)
Baked pie crust

Meringue:
4 egg whites
1 pinch cream of tartar
2 tablespoons sugar


Preheat oven to 375, adjust oven rack to middle position.
;
Whisk egg yolks in medium mixing bowl and set aside.

In a medium saucepan, combine cornstarch, water, sugar, and salt. Whisk to combine.
Turn heat on medium and, stirring frequently, slowly bring mixture to a boil.
Boil for 2 minutes. It should be thick.
Remove from heat and temper* in egg yolks.

*How to temper:
Scoop up a little of the cornstarch mixture up with the whisk. Mix in with the egg yolks until well incorporated. Repeat process, adding a little of the mixture at a time until you've added about half of the cornstarch mixture. Add yolk-cornstarch mixture to the rest of the cornstarch. This step is important; it slowly brings the temperature of the egg yolks to the same temperature as the cornstarch mixture without cooking them. If you add the egg yolks to the hot cornstarch, it will cause them to curdle and your custard will not set.

Return to heat and cook, bringing to a boil, for exactly 2 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in butter and lemon zest until well incorporated.
Stir in lemon juice a little at a time until it is well incorporated.
Pour custard into pie shell

Meringue topping:
Place egg whites and cream of tartar in bowl (or in a stand mixer bowl). Beat eggs with whisk attachment of a hand or stand mixer until soft peaks form and gradually add sugar and continue beating until soft peaks form (approx 1-2 minutes)

Cover pie filling completely with meringue. Bake 10-12 minutes or until meringue is golden.
Cool on wire rack.
Let pie sit for at least an hour to allow filling to set.

Variation:
Strawberry Lemon Meringue Pie

Prepare as above, except fold in 1/2 pint of diced strawberries into lemon filling before pouring into pie shell.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is a secret family recipe. But since it's not my family's secret, I have no problem sharing it.

This really is my favorite cookie recipe though. It makes a lot of cookies, so I usually just throw the dough in the freezer and have cookies (or cookie dough) whenever I want.

Preheat oven to 375

Ingredients:

• 2 cups shortening (or 50:50 butter/shortening)
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 4 eggs
• 4 teaspoon vanilla
• 4 cups flour
• 3 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoon baking soda
• chocolate chips (I usually do 2 bags, or one bag of chocolate chips and one bag of Andes mints chips*)
• chopped nuts (if desired)

Directions:

Beat shortening, sugars, eggs, and vanilla until light and fluffy.

Mix together dry ingredients in a separate bowl and slowly add to creamed mixture.

Blend well.

Bake 10-12 minutes.

Garden Patch Pie

For Benjamin this week. :)

1 lb. ground beef
1/3 c. dry bread crumbs
1/4 c. ketchup
1/4 c. chopped onion
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 c. frozen mixed vegetables, thawed

TOPPING:

1 c. water
3 tbsp. butter
1 1/2 c. Hungry Jack mashed potato flakes
1/2 c. milk
2 oz. shredded cheddar cheese (1/2 c.)
1 egg, slightly beaten
Paprika

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In large bowl, combine ground beef, bread crumbs, ketchup, onion, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, and egg; mix well. Add vegetables; mix lightly. Pat mixture into 9 or 10 inch pie pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until center is thoroughly cooked; drain.

In medium saucepan, heat water and butter to a rolling boil; remove from heat. Stir in potato flakes, milk, cheese and egg; mix well. Spoon or pipe hot potato mixture on top. 

e hot potato mixture on top.