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.

Pingel Peanut Butter Cornflake Cookies

If we're going to have Pingel recipes then this recipe is a must. Mom used to make this for the Memorial Day picnic every year.

1 cup peanut butter
1 cup karo syrup (lite)
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
6 cups corn flakes

1. In medium saucepan, combine karo syrup and sugar. Cook on medium heat until sugar is completely dissolved, stir occasionally. Make sure the mixture DOES NOT come to a boil as the syrup will caramelize.
2. Add the peanut butter and stir until mixture has a thick liquid feel. Add the vanilla.
3. In a large bowl, add the corn flakes. Take the peanut butter mixture and add it to the cornflakes. Mix with a large wooden spoon (or anything really). Make sure all of the cornflakes are coated with the peanut butter.
4. Spread out wax paper on a flat surface. Scoop out cornflakes onto wax paper, make as large or small as desired. Let it rest for ten minutes.
5. Enjoy!

Here is my favorite recipe in the whole world! It's for Massaman Curry! This is the only recipe that I've found that is really good and works every time. I've altered it to it's not so spicy, but if you'd like the original recipe, you can find it here:  http://www.realthairecipes.com/recipes/massaman-curry/

Massaman Curry (gaeng matsaman – แกงมัสมั่น) is a Southern Thai curry which has a lot of Indian influence. Massaman is an old way of saying “Muslim”, for many of the dry spices were carried to Thailand by early Muslim traders. Like Indian curries, this curry is heavy on dry spices and very aromatic. 

You'll need:

• Curry paste (recipe below. If you buy Massaman curry pre-made, I cannot guarantee the quality)
• 3 tbsp veggie oil
• Chicken breast- cut into bite-size cubes
• 1 Can coconut milk
• Diced potatoes 
• 1 medium onion- yellow or white, sliced or diced
• 1/4 cup of roasted peanuts OR 1/4 cup of peanut butter
• 1 tbsp palm sugar- or brown sugar if you don't have any
• 1" piece of cinnamon stick- cinnamon powder also works fine (abt 1/2 tsp)
• 2 cassia leaves- minced
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 2 tbsp soy sauce

The Curry Paste:

• 2-4 dried chillies, de-seeded and minced
• 1/2 tsp black peppercorns, roasted
• 1 tsp coriander seeds, roasted
• 1 tsp cumin seeds, roasted
• 2 cloves, roasted
• 2 cardamon pods, roasted (if you dont have this, it's ok, but it def tastes better with it.)
• 1 tsp fish sauce
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp galangal
• 1 tbsp coriander roots
• 1 tbsp lemongrass
• 1/4 cup shallots
• 2 tbsp garlic- not powdered

DIRECTIONS

1. If making your own paste, dry roast the dry spices in a pan on medium heat until fragrant, about 2-4 minutes. It’s best to roast each thing one at a time until fragrant. The chilies should be browned.
2. Soak the dried chilies until soft, then take out the seeds and inner bits and chop fine.
3. Pound the paste in a stone mortar & pestle. Start by grinding up the dried spices until powdered, then set aside. Put the chilies in the mortar and pound until uniformly smashed, then add the rest of the ingredients, starting from hardest and driest and working up to softest at the end. Then add the dried spice powder back in and the shrimp paste. Mix well. If using a food processor, just mix it all in together. If using canned paste, skip these three steps.
4. Cut the potatoes and onions. Cook the potato chunks in the microwave for at least 5 minutes. Saute the onions until slightly brown. Put aside.
5. Add the oil to the pan and turn on to medium high. Fry 4 tablespoons of the paste until fragrant, about 3-4 minutes. Keep stirring so it doesn’t burn. Add the onions and potatoes.
6. Add 1 cup of the coconut cream Simmer until the oil separates, about 2-3 minutes. 
7. Add the cinnamon, cardamom seeds, cassia leaves. Mix well.
8. Simmer (and stir well) until the mixture browns and a good deal of oil comes to the top. About 15-20 minutes. If it gets too dry, add some water. Add the fish sauce, palm sugar and tamarind juice at the end. Taste – you may need to adjust the flavor if it’s not salty or sour enough.
9. FINALLY, add the diced chicken breast. Cook on low heat until chicken is cooked all the way through. Be careful not to overcook. If you add in the beginning, the chicken tends to be overcooked.
10. Serve with rice.

Note:

Pictures of Massaman usually make it look really red. I've never actually gotten it red. It's more a yellow/orange.

Lamb Braised with Tomato

Jaclyn and I love cooking with cast iron. They're versatile enough that you can easily shift from stove-top cooking to the oven without having to worry about anything melting or breaking. They're also great for roasting or braising. The only down side is the clean-up, but that can easily be bypassed by getting something coated in enamel (they can be a little more expensive, but if you catch one on sale, it's worth it). Anyway, I made this for dinner tonight and the meat just fell off the bone.

• Olive oil (or cooking spray)
• 4-6 Lamb Shanks or Chops (something with a bone in it)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 4 garlic cloves
• 3/4 cup red wine or substitute (I use chicken broth)
• 2 (14.5 oz) cans Italian style diced tomatoes
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (optional; I forgot to add it and it still tasted great).

Heat dutch oven over medium-high heat. Coat pan with oil or cooking spray. Sprinkle lamb with salt and pepper. Add lamb to pan and cook 4 mins each side or until browned. Remove lamb and add garlic, sauteing for 15-30 sec. Add wine (or broth) and cook for 2 mins, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Stir in tomatoes and cook for 2 mins. Return lamb to pan. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 1 hour. Turn lamb over and simmer 1 hour or until meat is done and very tender.

Remove lamb. Skim fat from surface of the sauce*. Bring to a boil for 10 mins or until thick. Return lamb to pan and cook 4 mins or until lamb is heated. Stir in parsley.

*To make the fat easier to remove, skim as much off of the top as you can into a bowl; don't worry if you get more than just the fat. Once you've gotten as much of the fat as you can, mix in a little bit of cold water in the bowl. This will make the fat congeal and make it much easier to remove. After the fat is removed, return the tomato mixture to the Dutch oven.

Spicy Sausage Penne

• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 10 ounces sausage, sliced
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 can diced tomatoes with green chilies
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 8 ounces penne, uncooked
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded
• Thinly sliced green onions

Heat oil in an oven-safe skillet on medium-high heat until smoking (I use a regular skillet and transfer to a casserole dish for the last step.) Add sausage and onion, cooking until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook for additional 30 seconds. 

Add broth, tomatoes, heavy cream, penne and black pepper. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Let simmer until pasta is tender, about 15 minutes, stirring once or twice.

Preheat broiler to high. Remove skillet from heat and stir in 1 cup cheese. If not using an oven-safe skillet, transfer to a casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese and green onions. Broil until cheese is melted and lightly browned.

Poached Garlic Soup

This one takes some time, but the end product is well worth it. I like to mix in shrimp into the final product for a little texture, color, and variety. Don't skimp on the garlic, the flavor garlic flavor isn't as overpowering as you'd think. Just be sure to drain the water and start each boiling phase with "fresh" water.

• 2 cups garlic cloves (about 3-5 heads)
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 cup diced onion (1/4-inch dice)
• 1 cup finely chopped leek, white part only
• 1/2 cup diced celery (1/4-inch dice)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 cup diced, peeled, russet potatoes (peeling optional - I rarely do)
• Freshly ground pepper
• 3 cups chicken stock or canned low salt chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon oregano
• 4 cups roughly chopped spinach leaves (Kale might work too, you'd probably have to cook it longer - I've never tried it though)
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 - 1 lb shrimp (optional)

Peel the garlic cloves, cut in half lengthwise, and remove the central greenish core. Put in a pot of salt water (1 Tbsp per quart ought to do it) and bring to a boil. Drain and repeat twice (for a total of three boil-drain phases) to neutralize the garlic's acidity, leaving only the sweetness behind.

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, leek, celery, bay leaf, and a little salt to draw the water out of the onion. Cover and cook until the vegetables are soft but not brown, about 10 minutes. Add the potatoes. Add the blanched garlic and stock. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.

Add the oregano, spinach, and cream and cook 1 minute to wilt the spinach. Transfer to blender and carefully blend until smooth *see note below.

*When blending hot liquids: Remove liquid from the heat and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes. Transfer liquid to a blender or food processor and fill it no more than halfway (I usually blend as much of the solids as I can and then stir it in with the rest of the liquids). If you use a blender, make sure there is an open vent. This will prevent a vacuum effect that can create a heat explosion. Place a towel over the top of the machine, pulse a few times then process on high speed until smooth.

Roasted Red Peppers

Roasted red peppers are one of my favorite ingredients. They're sweet and colorful and add great flavor to a dish. Unfortunately they're overpriced and expensive. Here's how you can make your own - it's crazy easy, all you need are Red Bell Peppers and an oven that has a broiler setting (which is pretty much every oven ever made... except the easy-bake, but I'm sure with a powerful enough light bulb you could do it).

• Cut red bell peppers in half lengthwise (longitudinally); discard seeds and membranes.
• Place pepper halves, skin side up, on a foil-lined baking sheet; flatten with your hand.
• Broil peppers on highest oven rack for 10-12 mins, or until skin is blackened.
• While still hot, place peppers in a zip-lock bag and let stand for at least 15 mins.
• Condensation will form on the inside of the bag - this is good, the high humidity will make peeling them much easier.
• Peel and discard the skins.

Pesto Chicken Salad (For Sandwiches)

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup plain yogurt
• 1/3 cup pesto
• 1 1/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 4 cups chicken breast, cubed
• 1 cup diced celery
• Lettuce

Combine first 6 ingredients in a large bowl, stirring with whisk
Add to chicken and celery
*Let sit 1/2 hour before serving in a pita, tortilla, or bread with lettuce.

*Allows flavors to blend

NOTE: A few add-ins if you like:

1 roasted red pepper, chopped (either as a mix in, or condiment)
1 shallot, diced (added to the mayo/yogurt/pesto)
Cajun seasoning, basil, oregano, or your favorite spice to taste
1/3 cup chopped walnuts - toasted (I've never added these)