Mocha Frappuccino

I'm back!  Did you miss me??  I spent most of the month of May without internet.  Then the beginning part of June, adjusting to Summer Vacation.  Today was a particularly hot day, so I decided to whip up a blender of Mocha Frappuccino's.

Mocha Frappuccino


2/3 cup strong coffee; chilled
1 cup milk
2 Tbls sugar
4 Tbls chocolate syrup

2 cups ice

Blend all ingredients except for ice.  Add ice and blend until smooth.  Pour in your favorite cup.  This step is crucial.  Serve with whipped cream, if desired.

You can substitute carmel, chocolate chips, or peppermint syrup to change the flavor!

Enjoy!

~M

Homemade Macaroni and Cheese

I love this recipe because it doesn't involve a roux.  And it definitely beats the blue box!

Homemade Macaroni and Cheese


1 lb. elbow or shells pasta
1 Tbls butter or margarine
1 cup milk
1 8oz. block of cream cheese
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar
1/2 cup bread crumbs (if baking)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook pasta al dente.  While pasta is cooking, prepare cheese sauce.  Over medium heat, melt butter.  Add milk and bring to a light boil.  Be careful because milk can boil over quickly!  Add cream cheese and stir until melted.  Turn off heat and add spices, parmesan cheese, and sharp cheddar cheese.  Pour cheese sauce over pasta.  At this point, you can serve as is.  Or pour into a 9x13 greased casserole dish; top with bread crumbs and maybe some more parmesan cheese and bake at 375 for about 30 minutes.

Tips:  This recipe is very flexible.  Most of the time, I make mine with whole grain blend pasta.  I also usually use the 1/3 reduced fat cream cheese.  I've used anywhere between skim to 2% milk with success.

Enjoy!

~M

Egg Roll Soup

Egg Roll Soup


extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 bunch of green onions, chopped
2 carrots, diced
1 lb. boneless chicken breast, diced
1 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp ginger powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 - 15 oz. cans chicken broth
1 small head of cabbage, sliced

Drizzle a little olive oil in a large stockpot over medium heat.  Add onions and carrots and saute until they begin to soften.  Add chicken and continue sauteing until chicken is no longer pink.  Add garlic, ginger, pepper, soy sauce, and chicken broth and bring to a boil.  Once soup is at a boil, add cabbage, lower heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

~M

Sesame Noodles

Chris and I love chinese take out.  When we were living in TX the take out places around us didn't hold a candle to the Emerald Garden, so I started making my own.  And now we live in the middle of nowhere, so I have too!

Sesame Noodles

1 - 13.25 package of whole wheat blend thin spaghetti noodles

2 tsp minced garlic (4 cloves)

1/4 cup oil

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup white wine

1/4 cup sugar

1 Tbls sesame oil

1 1/2 tsp tabasco sauce

2 Tbls sesame seeds

4 green onions, chopped

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook noodles al dente.  While noodles are cooking, prepare sauce.  I used to make this recipe by sauteing the garlic and oil in a skillet, then adding the remaining ingredients (except for sesame seeds and green onions) and bringing it to just before a boil.  Then one night I was in a hurry, so I added all the ingredients (except for sesame seeds and green onions) to a large pyrex measuring cup and microwaved it for 5 minutes (or however long your microwave takes to heat to just before a boil).  The taste was identical, so that's how I make it now.  Either way will work, though!  Pour sauce over noodles and top with green onions and sesame seeds.  I like to serve these noodles with stir fry.

Enjoy!

~M

Thanksgiving Meatloaf

Meatloaf gets a bad rap.  This one is delicious; I promise!

Thanksgiving Meatloaf


Extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, finely diced
1 carrot, shredded
1 zucchini, shredded
2 celery stalks, finely diced
1 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 - 1.25 lb package lean ground turkey
1 - 5 oz. package stove top brand stuffing
1 egg
2 Tbls milk

Drizzle a little olive oil into a skillet.  Add veggies and cook until softened.  Add thyme, pepper, and garlic and allow to cool completely.  While veggies cool, preheat oven to 375.  Once veggies cool, mix all ingredients and form into a loaf.  Bake for 1 hour or until cooked through.  Serve with gravy.

Enjoy!

~M

Skillet Chicken Fajitas with Refried Beans

It wasn't until about a year or two ago that I actually liked refried beans.  To be fair, the first time I had them was on a Mexican pizza from Taco Bell!  Gross!!  That scared me for life.  Here's how I make mine:

Refried Beans

extra virgin olive oil
1/2 onion, finely diced
1 tsp minced garlic
2 - 15 oz. cans of pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 tsp chicken bullion
2 tsp Fiesta brand pinto bean seasoning
2/3 - 1 cup water
black pepper
cilantro

Drizzle a little oil in a pan over medium heat and saute onion and garlic until they begin to soften.  Add remaining ingredients and simmer on low for 10 minutes.  Remove from heat and use a potato masher to mash beans.  Before serving, add a couple dashes of pepper and cilantro, if desired.  You can also add some shredded cheese.

Skillet Chicken Fajitas

extra virgin olive oil

1 onion, sliced

1 red bell pepper, sliced

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips

2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

pinch of sugar

shredded Mexican cheese

Drizzle olive oil in a extra large skillet and saute onion and peppers over medium heat until they begin to soften.  Add chicken and spices and lower heat.  Continue to saute until chicken is done.   Serve with shredded mexican cheese blend.

Yo No Quiero Taco Bell!

~M

French Onion Pasta

Do you love French Onion Soup!?  What about pasta!?  Then this recipe is for you!  When made with whole wheat pasta this is the perfect meatless main dish.  Or serve it as a side dish with a steak for a change from the usual meat & potatoes night.

French Onion Pasta

1 - 13.25 oz. box of whole wheat blend (such as barilla or ronzoni) penne pasta
3 Tbls extra virgin olive oil
3 Tbls butter or margarine
3 white onions, sliced
2 glugs (about 2 Tbls) red wine
3/4 cup beef broth
3/4 tsp thyme
black pepper
garlic powder
shredded Swiss, Gruyere, or Parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook pasta al dente.  While pasta is cooking, melt butter and oil over medium heat in a extra large skillet.  Add onions and saute over medium heat for 5 minutes.  Lower the heat to low and saute for another 10 minutes.  During this time the onions should begin to caramelize.

Add thyme, and a couple dashes of pepper and garlic powder.  Deglaze onions with red wine.  Reduce wine for 5 minutes.  Add beef broth and reduce again for 5 minutes.

Add pasta to skillet of onions and toss to coat.  Serve with shredded Swiss and Gruyere cheese (Sargento makes a blend) or Parmesan cheese.

 

 

Enjoy!

~M