The Skinny on Alfredo Sauce

Ok...ok...I'm boring I guess. But, I can't say enough about Our Best Bites and the quality of their recipes!

Another "keeper" came out of my cookbook...and off their website, too!

I have put this over pasta and gnocchi (made even more delicious with chunks of cooked chicken seasoned w/ garlic salt or your favorite seasonings).  I have also used it as a dip for eggplant parmesan.  My husband LOVES LOVES LOVES alfredo sauce. And, what's not to love about a skinnier version that doesn't taste skinnier?

Brought to you from Our Best Bites:

Guiltless Alfredo Sauce2 C low-fat milk
1/3 C (3 oz) low fat cream cheese
2 T flour
1 t salt
1 T butter
3 garlic cloves
1 C grated Parmesan cheese (I used the pre-grated variety!)

Toss the milk, cream cheese, flour, and salt in a blender. Process until smooth and set aside.

In a non-stick sauce pan, melt butter on med-high heat and add garlic. Let the garlic saute for about 30 seconds, you don’t want to burn it.

Then add milk mixture to the pan. Stir constantly for about 3 or 4 minutes or until it just comes to a simmer. Keep stirring and let it cook for a few minutes more. It should be much thicker now.

When it’s nice and thickened remove the pan from the heat. Add the cheese, stir it up and then cover immediately. Let stand for at least 10 minutes before using. It will continue to thicken upon standing.

Also, if you have leftovers in the fridge, the sauce will thicken almost into a solid. Just re-heat and add a little milk and it will be back to normal again.

Pizza

Ok. I must say that I already knew how to make good pizza, so I was skeptical.  I have always wanted a pizza stone though, so on Monday I made a trip to Bed, Bath, & Beyond (with a 20% off coupon I might add) and bought myself one.  YAY!

A little note though: this recipe was SO DELICIOUS the night I made it.  I was so excited to eat the leftovers the next day.  So, much to my disappointment, the leftovers were pretty nasty--like throw away and don't eat--nasty. 

Lesson learned: Eat it ALL the first night :)!

Thanks again to Our Best Bites.  Those ladies really know how to cook!


I'm not going to type the whole recipe.  Sorry to disappoint, but I followed the recipe word for word.  You should, too!

Asian BBQ Chicken

I'm always up for a good Asian-ish tasting recipe...aren't you?

This was amazing.

Thank you Our Best Bites for supplying the marinade recipe!

No picture again...but you can check out their website for a picture if you want!

Asian BBQ Chicken

1/4 C packed brown sugar1/4 C soy sauce (I used low-sodium)
2 T lime juice (about 1 lime)
1/4 t cayenne pepper
1/4 t curry powder
3-4 garlic cloves, minced (I used the pre-minced kind that you can buy in the jar)
1 t grated fresh ginger
8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

Combine everything but the chicken in a small bowl. Whisk to dissolve brown sugar. Place marinade and chicken in a zip-lock bag. Pop that bag in the fridge for a minimum of 4 hours, or longer if you have it (even overnight)---Side note: Mine marinated for about 36 hours...AMAZING! Preheat a grill (or an indoor grill pan or broiler). Spray cooking surface with cooking spray and place chicken on it to cook. Cook for 5-10 minutes on each side depending on the thickness.  Optional:  garnish with sliced green onions

*Tip:  When I made this I made 2 times the marinade.  I reserved some (about 1/2 C.) of the marinade before adding the chicken and then used it to brush on the chicken while grilling to add more flavor & keep the chicken juicy.

Crock Pot Mac n' Cheese

I had previously tried a baked Mac n' Cheese recipe.  It was OK, but nothing more than that.  It was a make once and then never make it again kind of recipe.

But THIS...this was a make again recipe. 

Thank you A Whisk & a Prayer for your delicious idea.   And...you're picture.  I was too lazy to take my own.  Mine looked a bit different, but who's judging? Also, mine was made slightly different than the one on her site. Oh well.

1/2 cup milk

One 12 oz can evaporated milk

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) salted butter, melted, cooled to room temp

3 large eggs

1/2 tsp salt

3 cups (12 oz) shredded cheese (I used some sharp cheddar, some mild cheddar, some parmigiano reggiano, and some asiago)

1/2 pound elbow macaroni or mini penne tubes, par cooked and drained (this means cook them for about three minutes until slightly tender but not completely cooked)

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Spray the inside of your slow-cooker with cooking spray or grease it with olive oil. Combine milk, evaporated milk, eggs, butter, and salt in slow-cooker and whisk until until smooth.

Add the shredded cheese (not the Parmesan) and macaroni, sprinkle with black pepper. Stir gently with a spatula to coat evenly.

Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese on top. Cover and cook on HIGH for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, reduce the temperature to LOW and cook for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, until custard is set in the center and the pasta is tender. The macaroni and cheese may sit in the cooker on the KEEP WARM setting for 30 minutes before serving.

Honey Wheat (but mostly white) Bread

A little something about my husband.  He HATES wheat bread.  He'll eat it to be polite...if it's absolutely necessary and there's no white bread available...anywhere...ever.

So, I have been trying to solve this dilemma by finding a good recipe that incorporates at least a small amount of wheat.  I mean for heaven's sakes, I got a wheat grinder for Christmas last year.  What good does it do me if I can't make wheat bread??? 

Besides, fresh ground wheat flour is SO much better for you than white. 

I made this bread last night.  I personally think it's DELICIOUS! I don't think it tastes like wheat bread at all.

My husband, however, told me that it's only OK for me to make this bread "occasionally" and that he still wants me to make my white bread most of the time. {It's a start, I guess.}  It is an improvement.  He doesn't really like touching the stuff usually...at least he's eating it!



Thank you Meghan Monahan and allrecipes.com for the great recipe.  And Meghan, don't listen to my husband.  He hears the word wheat and starts gagging.

Here's the recipe:


Honey Wheat Bread:

Ingredients:
2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)

2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup vegetable oil
5 cups all-purpose flour

Directions:

1. Dissolve yeast in warm water. Add honey, and stir well. Mix in whole wheat flour, salt, and vegetable oil. Work all-purpose flour in gradually. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead for at least 10 to 15 minutes. When dough is smooth and elastic, place it in a well oiled bowl. Turn it several times in the bowl to coat the surface of the dough, and cover with a damp cloth. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes.
2. Punch down the dough. Shape into two loaves, and place into two well greased 9 x 5 inch loaf pans. Allow to rise until dough is 1 to 1 1/2 inches above pans.
3. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 25 to 30 minutes.

Lemon Blueberry {cheesecake} Bars

I originally tried this recipe (titled Lemon Blueberry Bars on http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/lemon-blueberry-bars/) in search of the BEST lemon bars with strawberries or blueberries added.  Much to my surprise, they ended up tasting closer to cheesecake than actual lemon bars {thus the addition of the word cheesecake in the title}! My husband wasn't disappointed that I tried 3 different recipes that week.  He's just tortured by my love of cooking.  Poor guy!

For the crust:
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
6 tablespoons butter, melted
1/4 cup granulated sugar
Zest of one lemon

For the filling:
2 large egg yolks
1 (14 ounce can) sweetened condensed milk (fat free works well)
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 cup fresh blueberries

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8x8 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, sugar, and lemon zest. Stir until graham cracker crumbs are moist. Press crumbs firmly into prepared pan. Bake the graham cracker crust for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool to room temperature.
3. To make the filling, combine the egg yolks and condensed milk in a medium bowl. Stir in the lemon juice and lemon zest. Stir until mixture is smooth and begins to slightly thicken. Gently fold in the blueberries.
4. Pour the lemon blueberry filling evenly over the graham cracker crust. Bake for 15 minutes, or until just set.
5. Cool to room temperature, then chill in the refrigeratorfor at least one hour before serving. Cut into bars and serve.

Note: Bars will keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

Pineapple Grilled Pork Chops -AND- Sweet & Savory Coconut Rice

 

This meal will definitely be eaten at our house MANY times from now on.  My husband and I couldn't quit eating even after we were full!  The pork chops got a little over done (Oops!), but were still DELICIOUS! The rice was PERFECT with the meat and the grilled pineapple just topped it off!

Pineapple Grilled Pork Chops

Thank you jhopkins from allrecipes.com for your excellent marinade!

1 (8 ounce) can pineapple rings, juice drained and reserved

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

4 pork chops

1 pinch ground black pepper

1. Mix together the drained pineapple juice, brown sugar, soy sauce, and garlic powder together in a large plastic zipper bag, and smush the bag a few times with your hands to mix the marinade and dissolve the sugar. Place the pork chops into the marinade, squeeze out any air in the bag, seal it, and refrigerate overnight. Reserve the pineapple rings.
2. Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat, and lightly oil the grate.
3. Remove the chops from the marinade, shaking off excess, and grill until browned, the meat is no longer pink inside, and the meat shows good grill marks, 5 to 8 minutes per side. Brush several times with marinade and let the marinade cook onto the surface of the meat. Discard excess marinade. While the meat is grilling, place 4 pineapple rings onto the grill, and allow to cook until hot and the slices show grill marks; serve the chops topped with the grilled pineapple rings.

I know it's hard to tell from that picture up there, but there IS rice on that plate! Some of the tastiest rice you've ever had! Thank you ladies over at Our Best Bites for the awesome recipe!


Sweet & Savory Coconut Rice 
2 c. white rice
1 can coconut milk
2 c. water
1 tsp. Kosher salt
Splash of white vinegar (optional, but it helps with the texture--you can't taste it in the final product)
2 1/2 tsp. white sugar
Handful of chopped green onions, plus chopped green onion tops for garnish (optional!--My husband hates onions of any variety)
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine rice, coconut milk, water, salt, vinegar, and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil Turn heat to low and cover for 20 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed. Allow to stand 5 minutes. Add green onions, black pepper (if desired), and additional salt if necessary.

Broccoli Cheddar Rolls

These rolls are especially great for a make ahead lunch! We enjoy them sliced in half with deli meats (we use ham) in the middle!

Filling:

2 (10 oz.) bags of frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and drained
2 C. grated cheddar cheese
1/2 C. dried minced onions (optional!--these get left out at my house)
2 eggs
2 tsp. onion salt
1/4 C. grated Parmesan cheese
2 tsp. Lawry's Seasoned Salt

Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside.  


Dough:

1 Tbsp. yeast
1/4 C. warm water
2 eggs
1/2 C. butter melted
1 2/3 C. warm milk
1/2 C. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
approx. 6 C. flour

1/4 C. melted butter (to spread over dough before spreading the filling)

Put yeast in a bowl.  Add warm water.  Stir until dissolved.  Mix in milk, butter, eggs, salt, and sugar.  Add 5 cups of flour gradually.  Knead in the last cup of flour until the dough is smooth (you may need more than 6 cups of flour). Roll out the dough  into a large rectangle .  Spread 1/4 C.  melted butter over the dough.  Spread the broccoli/cheese filling evenly and roll the dough up (like you would with cinnamon rolls) and slice in 1 1/2 inch pieces.  Place in a large greased pan or on a greased cookie sheet.  Rise until they are doubled in size.  Bake at 375 degrees F for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.