Laura's Pasta Salad

My mother is my hero. Both in life and in cooking:)  She taught me everything I know!

My mother makes this pasta salad, its not complicated or out of the ordinary, its just good. Maybe some of you have had pasta salads like this but if you haven't.. try it. Because it is delicious!!

one of her secrets is to put a little bit of mayo on it to help the dressing stick. (pretty sure this is the only time my mother uses real mayo and not the fat free stuff)

Laura's Pasta Salad

12-14 oz package of Penne or Twirly pasta

1 package of Tortellini (doesn't really matter how big, just add as much as you like... I like a lot :) )

1 cup sugar snap peas cut into small pieces

1/3 cup chopped olives

1/4 of a red onion chopped

1/4 cup mayo 

Zesty Italian dressing (to taste)

1. Cook the pasta and rinse it in cold water (Tortellini and Penne)

2. mix the veggies and pasta together

3. Add mayo and mix it until everything is coated. (you can use more or less mayo depending on preference)

4. dump in the dressing and mix. Use as much as you need to. I really like dressing so I'm not shy about putting it on. 

Enjoy!!

Barbie Cake

My niece just turned 4. I adore this little girl. She is oldest grandchild so naturally she was doted on by her grandparents and aunties and uncles a lot. More than is probably healthy...

For her birthday, she wanted a Barbie Cake.

Now,  making things look cool has never been my forte. I will cook you something that tastes amazing but if you want it to look pretty and perfect... I'm not  your girl...I don't have the "pretty gene"

No one in my family really does, so when my sister created a barbie cake for my niece.. I was pleasantly surprised that it was so gorgeous.

This isn't even the finished version:)

You can make them a couple different ways but the one that consists of the least cutting and smoothing is to cook one round pan of batter and cook the remaining batter in a round oven safe dish. Once they are baked and cooled, put the rounded cake on top of the flat one, stick a barbie in the middle (seriously, just shove her in there) and then frost!

The flat cake may be a little too big. So you can 1) leave it and let it add a little flare to the skirt 2) cut it off or 3) fill in the space with frosting

Its up to you:)

RiceKrispy Banana Pops

My sister is always looking for new and fun things to feed her kids (and herself) that are healthier than most sweets but still taste yummy. One of the solutions she found was to take a banana, cover it in a thin layer of peanut butter and then roll it in rice krispies. Freeze the bananas so they all stick together and become a 'Banana Pop'.

  Pretty simple and the majority of the snack is the banana, so her kids are eating more fruit but its more fun.

Do you guys have any fun and healthy snacks? Sound off in the comments.

Buffalo Wing Cornbread

So, I really don't like spicy things. I think spice covers the taste rather than enhances it. I think I have mutant taste buds... or something. However, there are exceptions to that rule. Some funky dishes are really good and have an element of spice to them.   For this recipe, you can use all the buffalo sauce or half or a quarter. It just depends on how much you like buffalo sauce. 

Try this out:)

Buffalo Wing Cornbread

Ingredients:

• Blue Cheese Mayo Dipping Sauce (see recipe below)
• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken
• 1/3 cup buffalo wing sauce, more or less to taste
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup cornmeal
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 1/3 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• Celery sticks
• Green onion slices, for garnish

Method:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cut chicken into bite size pieces; add buffalo wing sauce and toss to coat. Set aside to marinate for 20-30 minutes.

Over medium heat, melt butter in 9-10 inch fry pan with straight sides (I like #8 cast iron); add chicken and the sauce. Saute until chicken is cooked through and most of the sauce is reduced. Keep chicken and pan warm while preparing cornbread mix. (NOTE: may cook chicken then transfer to a 9x9 square baking pan if needed)

Whisk together flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt and baking powder. In a small bowl whisk together milk and egg; stir milk and cheese into flour. Pour batter over chicken. Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and cornbread is cooked through. Serve with celery sticks and Blue Cheese Mayo Dipping Sauce. Excellent with a tossed salad as an entrée, wonderful as a side bread. Serves 6-8, depending on how it is served.

Bacon Wrapped Cream Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts

So, I really don't like to post recipes that I have not made and enjoy.... however... this looked so good that I wanted to share with you all:) Special thanks to Clean Murphy for sharing this recipe!

Bacon Wrapped Cream Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts

1 boneless skinless chicken breast

2 T cream cheese

1 T green onion, chopped

2 pieces bacon, partially cooked

Directions:

Pound out chicken breast so it is about 1/4 inch thick

Mic together cream cheese and green onions and spread cheese mixture over 1 side of chicken breast

Roll chicken up to conceal cream cheese

Wrap partially cooked bacon around chicken and secure with toothpick

place on baking sheet and bake for about 30 mins at 375 degrees

Broil for about 5 minutes to crisp bacon

You can sub turkey bacon and low fat cream cheese to make it healthier:)

Cheese Ball Appetizer

These are a staple at my house for holidays and any special occasion.  I am the one who always makes them and I also really like them.

We have two different recipes, one for the most of my family and one for me and the rest of my family who are trying to cut calories.

Like most of my favorite recipes, this one can be altered depending on what you like:)  So don't be afraid to throw different things in and get creative.

Calorie-full Cheese Ball

1 8oz block of cream cheese

1 1/2 cup of sharp cheddar cheese

1 T Worcestershire sauce

1-2 t garlic salt

1/2t onion powder

1 t parsley flakes

Mix this all together in a bowl with a wooden spoon and then roll into a ball and serve on a plate with crackers.

Calorie-light Cheese Ball

1 8oz block of cream cheese

1/2 bunch green onions sliced

1/2 t turmeric

1t garlic powder

1/2 cup sliced almonds

Mix together everything but the almonds. Roll into a ball and then roll in the almonds  to create an outer layer of almond slices. I really like this recipe- the turmeric is essential!  

Enjoy guys!

  

Chicken Tortilla Soup

The weather is warming up so soups become less and less popular as BBQs start to take over meal times.

But I live in Utah. Utah's only seasons are Winter and Construction. So there will be one more cold patch before summer really hits and when that time hits I am going to pull out this recipe and eat some delicious soup.

The great thing about this particular recipe is that I can eat it in the summer if I want. Just eat it with tortilla chips and its basically a taco without the tortilla:)

Chicken Tortilla Soup

In a crock pot dump the following ingredients:

3 cans black beans…undrained

3 cans diced tomatoes with chiles….undrained

2 cups frozen corn..16 ounces

1-2 packages of taco seasoning….(Schilling, McCormack envelopes)

2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts…can be frozen, I use 5-6 chicken tenders

Stir to mix ingredients. Cook on low for 6-8 hours….pull out chicken breasts and shred.  Place back in crock pot and keep warm until served.  Can be served with tortilla chips, sour cream, grated cheese, and/or guacamole.  About 10 cups.  

Enjoy!

Neiman Marcus Cookies

There are a gazillion chocolate chip cookie recipes out there and most of them taste the same, or pretty similar at the least. Different recipes may taste slightly different or have a different texture or a different type of chocolate, but for the most part-- nothing too drastically different.

This cookie however is the mother of all cookies. It is to Toll House what Ralph Lauren is to the clothing section at Wal Mart. This is the Neiman Marcus Chocolate Chip Cookie. 

{I feel like I'm writing a really cheesy persuasive essay.... that's what I get for being a comm major :)  }

So for all you chocolate lovers... here you are:  (:

The Neiman Marcus Cookie

Makes about 30

INGREDIENTS:

2½ cups rolled oats
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
4 ounces milk chocolate chips
1½ cups chopped walnuts

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Blend the oats in a food processor or blender to a fine powder. In a medium bowl whisk together the blended oats with the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter and both sugars until light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes. Scrape down the sides and beat in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract. On low speed gradually mix in the flour mixture, beating just until incorporated. With a rubber spatula fold in the chocolate chips and walnuts.

4. Roll the dough into 2-ounce balls (or about 2 heaping tablespoonfuls worth) and place about 2 inches apart on the baking sheets. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Cookies should be lightly brown and set on the outside but still look a little undone in the middle. That's okay - they will finish setting up after you remove them from the oven. Let cool 2-3 minutes on the baking sheet and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

Enjoy!!

Green Drink

This is one of those recipes that everybody reads and thinks that I am insane for drinking it, but its really good.

When I am in the habit of drinking this Green Drink every morning, I feel really good and have a lot more energy. Also, I tend to eat healthier throughout the day and not crave junk food .... which is always a good thing:)

You can really alter this recipe to be however you want it.

The biggest part of the drink is spinach. Usually the drink also has parsley, cucumber and celery.  I would recommend seeding the cucumber first. Unless you have a really good blender, the seeds will stay intact and be an awkward chunk as you drink.

I like to put a little Ginger root in my drink because Ginger is really good for your digestive health.

Fruit is what you want to taste the most. I usually use apples, oranges, and pineapple.

This is my recipe:

Green Drink

2 cups spinach (stems and leaves)
2-3 apples (cored and quartered)
1 1/2 cups chopped pineapple
half of a cucumber (seeded)
half a bunch of parsley
half an orange (separated)
1/4 inch of ginger root. (I don't cut this up into smaller pieces because it is easier for the blender to grab)

Wash all of the ingredients and put them in a blender.
Blend really well and pour into glass. This can serve 2-4 people depending on how much you like to drink.


I also really like carrots but I usually don't use them because my blender doesn't blend them really well and my drink ends up chunky.

Here is a link to the Green Drink by Dr. Oz (I'm not really a fan but I do like this recipe on his website)  figure out what you like and enjoy.
http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/dr-ozs-green-drink

Oven French Toast

Anyone who knows me also knows that my mother and I used to run a cafe.
There were only two of us to take care of the entire cafe. We were lucky and my siblings and father came in to help some of the time, but for the most part it was just me and my mother.

We were faced with the challenge of serving a high volume of people with just the two of us.

We served breakfast five days a week so we had to come up with ways to serve many people a hot breakfast without breaking our necks. We served a version of French Toast and got a great response every time.  Its made the night before and cooked in the oven so the prep time is minimal.

Cranberry-Orange  French Toast 

French Bread (sliced on a diagonal)
4 large eggs
3/4 cup dried cranberries (Craisins)
1 cube butter
1/3-1/2 cup milk
1-2 oranges (for zesting)
1/4 t cinnamon


1. melt the butter in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish.
2. sprinkle the cranberries and 3/4 of orange zest into the butter
3. place bread in a single layer on top of the butter layer
4. whisk together eggs, milk, cinnamon, and remaining orange zest in a separate bowl
5. pour egg mixture on top of bread and cover with foil
6. refrigerate over night, make sure it is level in the fridge
7. pull out of fridge and bake, covered at 375 until bread is no longer soggy... roughly 30 minutes

Making Veggies Fun

I hate vegetable trays. Not because I don't like veggies, I do, I just think they always look shabby when being served at events.

If you are hosting an event and want to make a nice presentation, here are a couple ways to present dip-able veggies in a different and fun way.

Baguette Dip Bowls

Cut off the ends of a baguette loaf so there is a flat edge.
Hollow out the center and put your favorite dip in the center.
Julianne vegetables and place them in the bread bowl with the ends resting in the dip (see picture)





You can do the same thing with hollowed out bell peppers instead of baguettes:) Those make a really pretty presentation!







These are really fun appetizers and really easy.

Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Deli vs packaged lunch meat

So this blog is not necessarily about cooking. But it is about food.

Sandwiches are something that we all eat often and they are a good way to keep the calories down and stay healthy.   However, you might be eating some really awful stuff in your lunch meat. Most packaged lunch meat is riddled with fillers and preservatives. It can contribute to gut problems. So if you are having any kind of GI disorder or discomfort, look at your food especially lunch meat because it could easily be the culprit.

Don't assume that because it comes sliced fresh from a deli that it is good for you.  Much of the common deli meat is just as poor quality as the packaged stuff.  I have found two brands that are really good both in taste and quality: Boars Head and Columbus.

I know this is a really weird post but I just have so many friends and family members with bad guts that I felt like I wanted to share this tid-bit that I have discovered:)

There is nothing wrong with bringing the restaurant home

Wingers is famous for their sauce.

Olive Garden is famous for their salad dressing (and everything else)

Panda Express is known for their tasty Orange Chicken

Many restaurants are known for a certain tasty dish or sauce.  You don't have to go to the restaurant to partake of the deliciousness... its much less expensive (and healthier in the long run) to just go buy the sauce. Most restaurants who have a signature sauce like Wingers or Panda Express sell it. You can get the Panda Sauce in WalMart and many other stores. I have only ever seen Wingers sauces sold on their own property but considering how tasty it is, going to the restaurant is a small price to pay.

Buy the sauce and use it for meal after meal after meal instead of just one expensive night out.

Crazy Sexy Wellness

There is this amazing website that a teacher told me about.

Its pretty awesome! Modern, healthy, trendy, and a lot of good recipes. Check it out. 

http://kriscarr.com/

ENJOY!

Feta Cherry Salad

Summer is coming!  The time of swimming, picnics, and suntanning. Also, really summery food:)
This is one of the best salads I have ever had. It is super low calorie and delicious. I'm pretty sure I ate it every day last summer for lunch.

Chopped romaine lettuce
Dried cherries
Chopped chicken
Feta cheese
Sunflower seeds (optional)
Fat free poppy-seed dressing

This is crazy good! Seriously. Try it:)

Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce

So... we all love Olive Garden.  The best part, in my opinion, is the Alfredo sauce.

Try this and you will never eat that canned milky goo in the Prego bottle.

Olive Garden Alfredo

2 quarts heavy cream
1 lb butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 lb freshly grated parmesan cheese
4 ounces Fontina cheese
3 tablespoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons black pepper

1.  On medium heat, add butter, garlic, and flour until butter is melted. Do not brown garlic.
2.  Whisk in the heavy cream until hot.
3.  Slowly add the freshly grated cheeses into the hot cream mixture. Finally add the salt and pepper. Stir often to make sure no cheese settles at the bottom.
4.  Simmer until all the cheeses are melted and the sauce reaches the desired thickness. Do not let this sauce boil, or it will begin to separate and the cheeses will become grainy.
5.  Serve with pasta and garnish with freshly grated Romano cheese 

No Cheese Allowed....?

My sister is currently in a situation where she cannot consume any dairy. For anyone who knows my family well... that is difficult to do, especially for my sister.   She is one of those people who can eat anything she wants, have three kids, and still looks like she did when she graduated high school at a size 6.

I find her calling me every once in a while because she has ran out of ideas of things to cook without everyone's favorite dairy product: cheese. We didn't realize how many meals have cheese in them. Other dairy can be replaced for a reasonable price such as margarine instead of butter and Lactaid instead of milk. Cheese however is expensive enough normally, try and find a dairy free cheese and the prices are ridiculous.

My sister is a good cook, and pretty creative (she has to be with all of her picky-eater children).  So she and I have come up with several meals that can be made without cheese and are still tasty. I will just talk a little bit about some of the simple ones  today and if you guys want more or want  to know more about any specific ones, feel free to comment :)

6 delicious dairy-free meals

Fajitas: all you need is meat, veggies, and tortillas

Lettuce Wraps:  My sister found the key to making super delicious and traditional lettuce wraps. Its called     Hoisin sauce. 

Grilled chicken or sausages:   Everyone wants to put cheese on hamburgers but a well marinated chicken or a delicious sausage is plenty good on its own. 

Chinese: Lemon Chicken, Orange Chicken, Pot Stickers, Egg Rolls, Low Mien.   All of these dishes can (and generally are) made without dairy.  (Just forget about the won tons)

Chicken Fingers: This is especially great if you have kids, like my sister. The little ones usually like chicken fingers or chicken nuggets and you can either grill some un-breaded chicken or fry/bake some breaded strips.  You can always put these with finger foods such as dip-able veggies, fries, tater-tots, or corn on the cob. 

Meatloaf: As long as you don't pair it with mashed potatoes loaded with cream and butter, this is a great meal that can be made dairy-free!

The Problem with Seasoning

I have had a lot of people ask for my advice on seasoning things. It can be really hard to figure out what to use and the majority of the time people stick to their three "go-to" seasonings and the other bottles just sit in the back of the cupboard.

I just have one piece of advice: smell it

Smell the food you have cooking and then smell the herb or spice. If it smells good together then it will taste good together.  This works for multiple seasonings as well. Smell them one after the other to see if they will work together in a recipe.

And if all else fails, do what I do. Garlic Salt.  Of course, I LOVE garlic. I think it goes well with nearly everything (just don't over use it).

Fondue: the dippings!

Without a table full of delicious things to dip into Fonue... its really just a big bowl of boiling cheese.

My favorite things to dip are vegetables, french bread, and sausage balls.

Vegetables:
olives
baby carrots
broccoli florets
cauliflower florets
mushrooms


French Bread:
get a fresh loaf and cut it into large-bites sized cubes.

Sausage Balls: these are my absolute favorite
take a lb of sausage, 3/4 cup of Bisquick and a cup of shredded cheese ( I like sharp cheddar)
 mix it all together and shape into bite sized balls
place on a cookie sheet and bake at 375 for about a half hour (the time depends on how big you have made them)
when they are done, cut one in half to check that they have been cooked thoroughly

Cheese Fondue!!

Growing up, my mother always allowed us to pick the meal we wanted for the birthday dinner we had with our family.  My mother could make so many good things but the most common meals that me and my siblings requested were homemade pizza and cheese fondue.

My personal favorite was cheese fondue. I'm going to do this post on the actual molten cheese and then I will do a post on all of the different things that I like to dip into the fondue.


Fondue is one of those dishes that you can really make however you want depending on what taste you like.

So, the way that I see it is that if I am going to dip food in a high cal  cheese sauce then it better be dang good.

So I will give you the basic recipe that I use but don't be afraid to get creative and make it your own.

Cheese Fondue

1/2 lb Velveeta Cheese

1/2 c milk

4 oz cream cheese

1/8 c Worcestershire Sauce (use less if you don't like the bite that it has)

2 c sharp cheddar cheese

1/2 t  garlic powder

1: combine the milk, cream cheese, and Velveeta in a medium pot

2: cook on low heat stirring often

3: add everything else in and adjust amounts to your liking.

note: if it's too thick, add milk; if it's too strong, add cream cheese; if its too bland add more seasoning, if it's too thin and milky add more cheese (Velveeta and cheese)

I never really like Fondue recipes from a book, they just aren't very good.  

I know that this recipe is a bit vague but if you have questions please comment and I will answer :)