Whole Wheat Flax and Apple Muffins

 

I few weeks ago a tried a new recipe for these whole wheat and apple muffins. They were very yummy and good for you too. My kids loved them! They make the perfect breakfast muffin.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup ground flax seeds

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

3/4 cup white flour

1/2 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

(I added 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon)

1 egg, beaten

1 & 1/2 cups finely chopped apples

3 tablespoons oil

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup chopped nuts(I used pecans)

Directions:

Combine dry ingredients together. In a separate bowl mix egg, oil, milk and sugar. Blend dry and wet ingredients together. Fold in apples and nuts. Fill greased muffin pans 2/3 full. Bake at 400 for 17-20 minutes.

Recipe courtesy, Barb Gertz, originally posted on Recipe Zaar.

Apple Cranberry Bread

I just wanted to post a picture of the ROTW, this week it was an apple cranberry bread and it was delicious. The cranberries were sweet, tart and chewy and the pecans (yeap I replaced the walnuts) were perfectly crunchy and nutty and complimented the cranberries so well. I just wished there was more of an apple flavor, maybe I should have added a little more. The sugar and cinnamon all over the top was just perfect. Overall, great bread!

Sweet Potato Bread

 

I'm so glad I found this recipe for sweet potato bread. It was really good and it's packed with vitamins from the sweet potatoes. I also like the addition of flax seed. This would make a perfect fall time bread, but is delicious anytime of year. I made a couple of small changes to the recipe and I also decided to add a glaze to the top of it which added the perfect amount of sweetness. 

I found flax seed in the bulk grain section of my store.

Ingredients

• 1/3  cup  flaxseed
• 2  cups  all-purpose flour
• 1  teaspoon  baking powder
• 1/2  teaspoon  baking soda
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt
• (I added 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon)
• 1/4  cup  (2 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened(I used full fat cream cheese)
• 3  tablespoons  butter, softened
• 1/2  cup  packed brown sugar(I used 3/4 cup brown sugar and no honey)
• 1/4  cup  honey(I decided not to use honey)
• 1  large egg
• 1  large egg white
• 1  cup  mashed cooked sweet potato
• Cooking spray

Glaze:

• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon water(after mixing glaze you can add more water a tiny bit at a time, if you want a thinner consistency)
• 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract

Mix together glaze ingredients and drizzle on top of bread, once it is cooled.

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.
Place flaxseed in a clean coffee grinder or blender; process until coarsely ground. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flaxseed, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl; make a well in center of mixture. Beat cream cheese and the next 5 ingredients (cream cheese through egg white); stir in sweet potato. Add to the flour mixture, stirring just until moist.
Spoon batter into an 8 x 4-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 50 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

Turkey Chili

I am not a big chili eater but my husband loves it and I was reading somewhere that one cup in a restaurant can have upwards of 600 calories. I decided to see if I could create one with alot less calories and have it be just as good. Well the result was a low calorie chili that he loved enough to eat three nights in a row (I am proud of myself). I made cornbread with honey butter and the meal was complete.

Turkey Chili

1 tsp veggie oil

1 large white onion, chopped

3 cloves of garlic, shredded or finely chopped

2 tsp of cumin

1/2 tsp dried oregano

2 TBL chili powder

2 bay leaves

2 lbs ground turkey

2 TBL tomato paste

1 oz bittersweet chocolate

1 can low sodium chicken broth

1 chipotle pepper, cut up small

1 can chopped tomatoes

1 can chopped tomatoes with garlic

1 can white beans, drained and rinsed

Heat oil in large pot on medium heat. Add onions and cook until tender, add garlic. Add spices and bay leaves and cook for 2 more minutes. It will seem like it is burning (it is not). Add turkey and tomato paste and cook until turkey is no longer pink. Stir with a wooden spoon. Add chocolate, broth, chipotle, & tomatoes to the pot. Turn down to low and simmer for 45 minutes. Add the beans and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with hot sauces, raw white onions, lime, cheese, sour cream if you desire.

Chocolate Chip Shortbread

This is a simple chocolate shortbread recipe that I have been keeping for some time just waiting for a little time to make it. I added the chocolate chips as a way of adding some creaminess. It turned out rich and chocolatey. YUM! This would be perfect served with vanilla ice cream or a side of sweet cream.

Chocolate Shortbread

1 cup dark chocolate chips (though peanut butter might be good too)

1 cup of flour

3 TBL dark cocoa

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

6 TBL butter, softened

1/4 cup canola oil

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl (except granulated sugar).

Mix sugar, butter and oil in a medium bowl until combined (works best if you mix with your hands) Add flour mixture and mix with hands until combine. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in fridge for 30 minutes or until cool.

Preheat oven to 325〫

Unwrap dough and place in a greased tart pan (you can use a baking sheet for this too) press dough down until 3/8" thick. Pierce liberally with a fork. Sprinkle chocolate chips all over the shortbread.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until just set, remember you can overcook without knowing it because you cannot see browning. Do not overcook.

Menu Plan Monday

 

Here is my list of meals for the week!

Monday-Baked chicken thighs, steamed asparagus, baked potatoes and biscuits

Tuesday-taco soup (didn't get a chance to make this last week)

Wednesday-Chicken tortellini soup (I'm going to use my chicken noodle soup recipe and add cheese filled tortellini in place of egg noodles. I will post the recipe if I like how it turns out.)

Thursday-Beef stew and biscuits

Friday-Korean BBQ beef (new recipe) with white rice

Saturday-Chicken fajitas

Don't forget to check out all of the other great menu ideas this week at I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Chocolate Chip Cookies II

I know that Amber already posted her family's favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe so I thought I would post mine. These are the cookies that my family cannot get enough of and if my husband has had a bad day he knows these are waiting at home for him. They are easy to make, have a wonderful vanilla flavor and are just sweet enough to offset the semisweet or bittersweet chocolate perfectly.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 1/4 cup AP flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1 3.4 ounce package of instant vanilla pudding mix

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups high quality semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips

1 cup walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350〫Cream butter until light in color. Add both sugars and mix until creamy. Beat in instant pudding mix until blended. Stir in eggs and vanilla until just blended. Mix in flour and baking soda just until blended, do not over mix. Add chocolate chips (and walnuts) but hand. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto an ungreased baking sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes or until the edges are brown, center will not brown... if it does you overcooked. Serve warm or cool on wire rack.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Ravioli

I was talking the other day with my little sister about getting a pasta maker. I would love to make homemade raviolis stuffed with veggies and cheese or this great sausage stuffing that I found for mushrooms. I told her, wouldn't it be great if they made the wrappers and all you needed to do was stuff them, seal them and cook them (if anyone knows where I can get these please let me know). My sister smiled at me and said, "Kim, they already make those, I saw them at the grocery store yesterday". Of course I was skeptical and a little excited at possibilities. The next day she comes by with my "ravioli" dough, all ready for stuffing... they were wonton wrappers. Poor thing, I couldn't break it to her but when she left I had a great laugh. So now I had 50 wrappers and do not know what to do with them. Got online and found a recipe from Giada that calls for wontons and chocolate, YUM! So I changed it to fit my tastes and tried it. It was really good and great for a party where you need finger food for the dessert table.

Chocolate Peanut Butter filling

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate

1/4 cup butter

2 TBL peanut butter (chunky works best but use whatever you want)

Microwave chocolate and PB about 1-2 minutes until chocolate is almost melted, stir to melt. To a seperate bowl add Peanut butter and 1/2 of chocolate mixer, should be thick.

Ingredients

• 16 wonton wrappers
• 1 egg, beaten to blend
• 1 cup chocolate peanut butter mixture from above
• Vegetable oil, for frying (you need very little)
• Nonstick vegetable oil spray
• Powdered sugar, for dusting

Directions

Line a baking sheet with plastic wrap. Place 1 wonton wrapper on the work surface. Brush the edges of the wrapper lightly with egg. Spoon 1 tablespoon of chocolate-peanut butter mixture into the center of the wrapper. Fold the wrapper diagonally in half over the filling and press the edges of the wrapper to seal. Place the ravioli on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining wonton wrappers, egg, and chocolate-peanut butter mixture.

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Add enough oil to a heavy large frying pan to reach a depth of 1inch. Heat the oil over medium heat to 350 degrees F.

Working in batches, carefully add the ravioli to the hot oil and cook until they are golden brown, about 45 seconds per side. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the ravioli to a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Then, transfer the cooked ravioli to another baking sheet and keep them warm in the oven while frying the remaining ravioli. (The fried ravioli can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cool them completely, then cover and refrigerate. Before serving, place them on a baking sheet and rewarm in a preheated 375 degrees F oven just until they are heated through, about 7 minutes.)

Arrange 2 fried ravioli on each plate. Dust the ravioli with powdered sugar.

Cheese and Beef Filled Manicotti

 

I love love love pasta, and I love cheese even more! That's why I can never get enough of ravioli, stuffed shells and manicotti, the perfect combination of the two. My husband does not, however, share my same love for cheese, so this time I decided to stuff my manicotti with half cheese and half ground beef. Not my preference, but surprisingly good. Here is the simple recipe that came right off the back of the Ronzoni pasta box.

Ingredients:

14 pieces (8 oz.) manicotti pasta
4 cups (2 lb.) ricotta cheese (I substituted 1lb of cooked ground beef for 1lb ricotta)
2 cups (8 oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese, divided(I put all of the mozzarella and parmesan cheese in the manicotti, instead of saving half to top)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
2 eggs
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)(I did not use nutmeg)
2 cups spaghetti sauce

Directions:
Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Cool. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. In large bowl, stir together ricotta cheese, 1-1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, eggs, parsley, pepper, salt and nutmeg; spoon into cooled pasta tubes. Arrange filled pasta in single layer in prepared dish. Pour spaghetti sauce over pasta. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Bake 35 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Shredded BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

 

I love bbq shredded meat sandwiches. It doesn't matter to me if it's pork, chicken, or beef. I usually buy the pre-made shredded meat that comes in the little tubs at the store. This time I decided to just make my own shredded chicken in the slow cooker. It wasn't difficult at all. It turned out really delicious and it ends up being much cheaper than the store bought meat. 

Ingredients:

1-2 lbs of boneless, skinless chicken breasts(I used frozen)

1 bottle of your favorite bbq sauce

1 medium onion, sliced(I don't put them on my sandwich, I just like it cooked with it for flavor)

2 cloves of garlic, minced

garlic powder

onion powder

pepper

Directions:

Put the chicken in the slow cooker. Cover with onions and minced garlic. Sprinkle with garlic powder, onion powder and pepper. Cover with entire bottle of bbq sauce. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. 1 hour before you eat, take chicken out, shred it, put it back in the slow cooker and mix. You can remove onions before serving if you like. Serve on toasted hamburger buns or sandwich rolls.

 

Oatmeal Craisin Cookies "husband's favorite"

 

My husband has 2 favorite cookies. Chocolate chip and these oatmeal craisin cookies. My list of cookies that I love is much, MUCH longer....however...these are definitely high up there. They are, I must say, quite addicting. It's the same oatmeal cookie recipe I have made for a long time(I believe the vanishing oatmeal cookie recipe from Quaker)but it was the addition of dried cranberries in place of raisins that make these cookies sooo delicious.

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened(I like using salted for these)

1 cup brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup white sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 & 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 cups oatmeal(I usually use quick oats)

1 cup dried cranberries(or raisins)

Mix butter, sugars, eggs and vanilla together. In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt together. Combine the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients. Mix until just blended. Add oats about 1 cup at a time and mix until blended. Fold in dried cranberries. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 9-11 minutes. Just until edges start to turn golden.

 

Shrimp "Tacos"

Hello everyone, I have been M.I.A lately and send my apologies but Amber has been on such a roll and her dishes look so great I thought I should keep my distance. I eat some type of fish for almost every meal and limit carbs, well except for every chocolate recipe I have to try that comes across these pages. It has been raining non-stop in Cali lately and today we had such a beautiful, crisp day that it just begged for me to light the bbq. I made these up in about 15 minutes (plus 15 for marinade), they are fresh, light and can be made indoors also.

1 Butter lettuce package (they make the perfect little cups for tacos)

Marinade

12 deveined shrimp per person (makes 3-4 tacos)

2 limes, zest and juiced

1 TBL Rice vinegar

1/2 orange juiced

1 TBL of honey (I used orange but any will work)

1/2 tsp salt

1-2 garlic cloves, minced

Place all ingredients in a large plastic zipper topped bag, place in refrigerator to marinade for no more than 30 minutes

Slaw

1 10 oz bag of Eat Smart California Slaw or any broccoli slaw bag (they sell these in the produce section of most grocery stores)

*** You can make your own but cutting up fresh broccoli, shredded red cabbage, and shredded carrots***

1/3 Cup Mayo (fat free works but leave out the sugar)

1/8 Cup sugar or 1-2 packs of sugar substitue (such as sweet n low or splenda)

2 TBL Red Wine Vinegar

1/8 cup chopped walnuts or sunflower seed kernels

1/4 cup raisins (I used dried cranberries)

Add all ingredients to a large bowl and mix, set aside.

Cook:

Heat bbq or indoor grill to 350〫place shrimp in a thin layer on the grill and cook for 2-3 minutes per side, shrimp will turn pink and no longer be translucent inside. Do not overcook. Remove from grill to a plate, if necessary remove shell, legs, tail of shrimp and discard.

Assemble:

Take one leaf of lettuce, top with 1 large spoonful of slaw, top with 3-4 cooked shrimp, fold into a taco shape and take a bite. Serve with Sarachi sauce or Asian chili sauce if you like things spicy.

Menu Plan Monday

 

Here is my list of planned meals for the week. Some of these recipes are new to me. If they are successful I will post them in the upcoming weeks. Have a wonderful week!

Monday-I'm hosting a pampered Chef Party. For the party we'll be making mexican lasagna. This time I'm going to try it with green sauce.

Tuesday-Spaghetti in a creamy tomato sauce(new to me recipe), garlic bread and salad

Wednesday-Beef bourguignon(new to me  recipe), noodles and biscuits

Thursday-Sweet and sour chicken with white rice

Friday-Taco soup 

Saturday-Pasta with ricotta pesto(new to me), garlic bread and salad.

Sunday-Burritos with pinto bean and ground beed filling

View lots of other great meal ideas from other blogs at I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Hearts

Last Christmas I had bought some cookie cutters that included heart shaped cutters to make sandwich style cookies. I had never made that type of  cookie before, but I always love the way they look with the smaller shaped cut out in the top layer. Since my daughter was going to a Valentine's Day party this week, I decided to try and figure out a recipe that I could use with these new cookie cutters. I looked online at a lot of different Linzer cookie recipes. They sounded wonderful, but I started to think about other ideas and flavors that I could use. Then I thought...chocolate and peanut butter...I love that combination! I started searching for a peanut butter cut-out cookie recipe. I found one that was simple to make. It ended up being a nice dough to work with also. For the filling I chose to use a  pre-made frosting from a tub(keepin' it easy). My daughter and I both thought they were fun and easy to make. Yummy too!  For another idea, try using sugar cookie dough with vanilla frosting and sprinkles. My changes/additions are in bold italic.

 

 

 

 

 

 Ingredients

• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup 2% milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• I added 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tub of chocolate frosting(I used chocolate fudge)

Directions

• In a large bowl, cream peanut butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Beat in the eggs, milk and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder and baking soda; add to creamed mixture and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or until easy to handle.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4-in. thickness. Cut with 2-in. to 4-in. cookie cutters. Place 2 in. apart in ungreased baking sheets.
• Bake at 375° for 7-9 minutes or until edges are browned. Cool for 1 minute before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.
• I used a big heart cutter for the bottom layer and a big heart and a smaller heart cutter to make the top layer.
• I sprinkled the top layer with a little bit of white sugar before baking.
• For best results bake the top layer and bottom layer separately. The top layer bakes much faster. I baked the top layer for 5 minutes and the bottom layer for 7 minutes.
• Once cooled, assemble the cookies by spreading a thin layer of frosting between the two layers.

peanut butter dough recipe courtesy of Taste of Home

Garlic Cheese Biscuits

 

We almost always have some sort of bread with our dinner. Sometimes I'm good and try to avoid eating it myself, but when I make these garlic cheese biscuits, I usually have to have at least one. The recipes I have found before never seem to have NEARLY enough garlic for my taste. What I've done is just take the recipe on the back of the Bisquick box and up the garlic amount by quite a bit.(Sometimes a lot more cheese too)

2 & 1/4 cups Bisquick

2/3 cup milk

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 & 1/2 teas. garlic powder

2 Tablespoons butter

1/2 teas. garlic powder

Mix Bisquick, and 1 & 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder together. Mix in cheese, then milk.  Drop big spoonfuls onto a lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake at 400 for 10-15 minutes. Melt butter and mix with 1/2 teas. garlic powder. Brush generously on top of biscuits when they come out of the oven. Makes 6 nice size biscuits.

 

Slow Cooker "Ribs"

 

When making my grocery list the other day I asked my husband if he had any dinner requests. He suggested these "ribs" which are one of his favorite recipes of mine that I make. My mom used to make them while I was still at home. I always loved the smell of them cooking all day in the slow cooker. Anyone who has read this blog before may already know that I LOVE using a slow cooker! They make getting dinner ready so easy!  This recipe is also incredibly simple. I always call these ribs, but they are really pork strips. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

Pork strips, with or without bone(adjust the amount depending on the size of your family. I often make a small amount)

1 bottle of your favorite bbq sauce

1 onion, sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

garlic powder

pepper

salt

onion powder

2 tablespoons oil

Heat up oil in a pan. Add pork and sprinkle(to your liking)with garlic powder, salt, pepper and onion powder. Lightly brown for a few minutes. Add pork to your slow cooker. Cover with onions, minced garlic and bbq sauce.Sometimes I'll add some additional garlic and onion powder to the slow cooker. Cook on low for approx. 8 hours(time may vary depending on slow cooker and amount of pork).

Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins

 

My kids LOVE muffins for breakfast(I do to)! I had the urge to make some blueberry muffins today. I don't have a go to blueberry muffin recipe. A blueberry muffin with oats in them sounded yummy so I grabbed my Taste of Home Quick Cooking cookbook and sure enough, there was on in there. We all loved these little muffins. I must add a disclaimer though...I don't really care for overly sweet blueberry muffins, you know, like the ones you find in the bakery section at the store, covered in 1lb of sugar each? My husband on the other hand loves those kinds of muffins. I like more of a simple and sweet muffin packed with blueberries. These, to me, are the perfect breakfast muffin for that reason. You could make these healthier by adding some whole wheat flour in place of some or all of the white flour. You could also use half oil and half applesauce. I, for the most part, stuck to the original recipe.

Ingredients:

1 & 1/4 cups white flour

1 cup quick oats

1 teas. baking powder

1/2 teas. baking soda

1/4 teas. salt (I used 1/2 teas)

(I added 1/2 teas. cinnamon in the dry mix)

1/2 cup sugar

2 egg whites ( I used 1 whole egg)

1/2 cup water ( I used 1/2 cup milk)

1/3 cup oil

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries(I used frozen and I mixed them in a little flour first to help keep them from bleeding into the batter)(I also used a little more than 1 cup)

2 tablespoons sugar

1/4 teas. cinnamon

Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt together. Mix sugar, eggs, water and oil together. Mix dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Add oats and mix. Fold in blueberries. Mix 2 tablespoons of sugar with cinnamon and set aside. Scoop into a greased muffin pan. Fill about 2/3 full. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture(I left this part out, but I'm sure it would be delicious)Bake at 400 for 18-22 minutes. Makes about 12 muffins.

 

Our New Facebook Page

The Lonely Baker now has a facebook page ! Keep up-to-date on all of our recipes. We try and post, on average, one recipe a day. Enjoy!

Meal Plan Mondays!

 

The Lonely Baker is going to add a new feature, "Menu Plan Monday". There are already a lot of other great blogs posting their menus at "I'm an Organizing Junkie" . We'll have a week's worth of meals planned out and posted on Mondays(or Sunday).  Hopefully it will help those of you struggling to come up with meal ideas for the week. Nothing is more frustrating then going to the store everyday to grab something for dinner. It's so nice to have it planned out ahead of time and, ideally, go to the store one time! I will try and post links to the recipes if available.

Day one-Baked chicken thighs, roasted potatoes and steamed asparagus(originally this was planned for last week)

Day two-Grilled steak, baked potatoes and broccoli

Day three-Braised short ribs(if these turn out good, I'll post the recipe)with noodles and biscuits

Day four-Burritos(You'll see this pop up in most of my menus as it is easy and we all like it!)

Day five-BBQ Pork Strips in the Slow Cooker rice and a vegetable

Day six-Grilled hamburgers and baked fries

Day seven-Manicotti with garlic bread

You can view other great meal plans on I'm an Organizing Junkie

Lemon Tart

Here is a great light recipe with just the perfect tartness of lemons. While it would be great for a summer night recipe, lemons are in season and so cheap that I bought a 2 pound bag for $1. Can you believe that? Thank goodness for our citrus industry here in my home town. I hope, even if you don't try this recipe right away, that you will keep this and make it for some warm summer evening. The original recipe calls for more whipped cream but I wanted you to see the actual tart, so feel free to add as much as you like. I think I will go have another piece right now ;)

The Tart

CRUST:

1 1/2 cup (130 grams) all purpose flour

2/3 cup (36 grams) confectioners (powdered or icing)sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) (114 grams) cold unsaltedbutter, cut into pieces

FILLING:

5 ounces (140 grams) cream cheese, room temperature.

1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated white sugar

1/2 cup (120 ml) fresh lemon juice(approximately two large lemons)

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon (5 grams) grated lemon zest

TOPPING:

Whipped cream, top with grated lemon zest

Grease with butter, or a cooking spray, an 8 inch (20 cm) or 9 inch (23 cm) tart pan with a removable bottom. Set aside. FOR CRUST: In your food processor, place the flour, sugar, and salt and process to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the pastry starts to come together and form clumps. Place the pastry in the prepared tart pan and, using your fingertips, evenly press the pastry onto the bottom and up the sides of the pan. (Can use the back of a spoon to smooth the surface of the pastry.) Pierce the bottom of the crust with the tines of a fork. (This will prevent the pastry crust from puffing up while it bakes.) Cover and place the pastry crust in the freezer for 15 minutes to chill. (This will help prevent the crust from shrinking while it bakes.) Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. When the pastry is completely chilled, place the tart pan on a larger baking pan and bake until the crust is golden brown, about 13 - 15 minutes. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool while you make the filling. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees (177 degrees C). FOR FILLING: In a food processor or electric mixer place the cream cheese and process until smooth. Add sugar and process until incorporated. Add eggs, one at a time, and process until thoroughly combined. Add remaining ingredients and process until well blended and smooth. Pour filling into pre baked tart shell and bake for approximately 25 - 30 minutes or until filling is set. Transfer tart to a wire rack to cool and then cover and refrigerate until well chilled, at least an hour. Refrigerate until serving time. Makes one - 8 inch (20 cm) or 9 inch (23 cm) tart. Courtesy of Joy of Baking.com

Mexican Chicken Lasagna

A few days ago I went to a Pampered Chef party where they served Mexican Chicken Lasagna as the recipe for the night. It is basically just a enchilada casserole(which I've made before) but one of the ingredients was cream cheese which I have never put in my enchiladas. I thought they were great! I very nice twist to a basic enchilada recipe. I searched for and found the actual recipe on recipezaar.com. The original is made in the microwave using one of their special microwavable dishes(a deep ceramic oblong dish with a lid). I baked mine in the oven using a standard 9X13 pan. This is a very rich and cheesy recipe, which I love, but I know not everyone has the same love for cheese that I do. You can always cut the cream cheese and shredded cheese amounts in half.

SERVES 8 , 1 lasagna

• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, lightly packed(I left the cilantro out)
  
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
• 2 cups monterey jack cheese, shredded, divided(I like using half cheddar, half jack)
  
• 1 medium onion (about 2/3 cup chopped)(I used half this much)
  
• 1 (28 ounce) can enchilada sauce
• 12 (6 inch)  corn tortillas
• 3 cups cooked chicken (diced or shredded)
• fresh cilantro leaves, chopped (optional) 

These directions use Pampered Chef tools, but you can use any knife, bowl, etc...that you have at home.

1. Chop cilantro with Chef’s Knife. Place cream cheese in Classic Batter Bowl. Microwave on HIGH 30-45 seconds or until very soft. Add cilantro and 1½ cups of the Monterey Jack cheese; mix well using Small Mix ‘N Scraper®. Chop onion using Food Chopper; set aside. Spread 2/3 cup of the enchilada sauce over bottom of Deep Covered Baker. Pour remaining enchilada sauce into Stainless (4-qt.) Mixing Bowl; set aside.
2. To assemble lasagna, using Sauté Tongs, dip four tortillas into enchilada sauce in mixing bowl and arrange over sauce in baker overlapping as necessary. Scoop half of the cream cheese mixture over tortillas using Small Scoop; spread using Small Spreader. Top with 1 cup of the chicken and one-third of the onion. Repeat layers one time. Dip remaining four tortillas into sauce and arrange over second layer. Top with remaining chicken and onion. Pour remaining enchilada sauce over lasagna and sprinkle with remaining ½ cup Monterey Jack cheese.
3. Microwave, covered, on HIGH 12-15 minutes or until center is hot. Let stand 10 minutes. Sprinkle with additional chopped cilantro. Cut into squares using Utility Knife; serve using Mini-Serving Spatula.(I baked mine at 375 for 35 minutes, using a glass 9X13 pan)

Easy Cheesy Taco Cups

I found this recipe last summer in a magazine (which one? I do not know as I just tore it out and stuck it on my fridge). It was presented by a gentleman named Byron Kasper. It originally called out for bbq sauce and I will give that variation at the bottom but I changed it to fit my family's tastes and they love tacos. You can make this from start to finish in less than 30 minutes and your family will love it, especially the kids. It is great for a quick weekday dinner and you may already have the ingredients on hand. To make it lighter just substitute lean meat of your choice, light cheese and reduced fat biscuits. The picture does not show the true way I serve this to my family because when I added the tomatoes and hot sauce it looked like I had murdered someone in the kitchen. Sometimes red photographs a little gruesome, but please feel free to add salsa, tomatoes, cilantro, or anything else you would add to your taco, just remember to add it after it comes out of the oven. Oh I forgot to add, it is made with only 5 ingredients!

Ingredients:

3/4- 1 lb ground beef, turkey, chicken (your choice)

1/4 cup taco seasoning or 1 packet of the prepackaged kind

1 16.3 ounce can of refrigerated biscuits (use reduced fat, you cannot tell a difference)

3/4 cup shredded cheese of your choice, I use the mexican blend if I make tacos and jack if I do the bbq style.

1 tsp sour cream (or what ever extra you like on your taco)

Preheat oven to 400〫In a skillet, brown the meat over medium heat, drain. Pour drained meat back in pan and heat over medium heat, add taco seasoning and 1/2 cup water. Stir until mixed. Grease a 6 jumbo muffin pan and place a piece of each biscuit dough in each cup, stretching the dough up the sides. Divide the meat mixture among the biscuit cups, sprinkle each with cheese and bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes.

Various: 3/4 cup beef, 1/2 cup bbq sauce of your choice, 1 TBL brown sugar, and cheese of your choice.