Lentil Tacos

These lentil tacos are a great meatless substitute for the real thing. Just be sure you cook the lentils long enough. The original recipe said 20-30 minutes, which might work well at low altitudes but I had much better success cooking them for 45-55 minutes.

 

Recipe and Photo Source

Ingredients:
1 tsp oil
2/3 C finely chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
2/3 C of lentils, rinsed
1 Tbs taco seasoning
1 2/3 C of chicken or vegetable broth
2/3 C salsa

Directions:
 Heat oil in a skillet. Cook and stir onion and garlic until tender, about 5 minutes. Add lentils and taco seasoning. Stir and let cook for about 1 minute. Cover lentils with broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover. Simmer until the lentils are fully cooked, about 45 minutes.

Uncover and cook until the mixture is slightly thickened; about 6-8 minutes. Gently mash the lentils and stir in salsa. Serve with all your favorite taco fixings.

Italian Dressing Mix

I wanted to make my Italian Chicken in the Crockpot for dinner yesterday. I didn't have any Italian dressing mix and didn't want to make a trip out to the store for it.

With a little internet search I came across this recipe for the mix using ingredients I already had. Our dinner turned out delicious!

Ingredients:
 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 Tbs onion powder
2 Tbs oregano
1 Tbs dried parsley
1 Tbs Sugar
2 Tbs salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp basil
1/4 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp dried celery leaves or flakes (I substituted 1/4 tsp celery seed)

Instructions:
Mix all ingredients together and store. I used 2 Tbs for a packet of dressing mix.

For Italian Salad Dressing: Mix 2 Tbs of mix with 1/4 C vinegar, 2 Tbs water, and 1/2 to 2/3 cup of oil. Shake well.

1½ teaspoons garlic powder

1 tablespoon onion powder

2 tablespoons oregano, ground or leaves

1 tablespoon dried parsley

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

2 tablespoons salt or substitute

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon ground basil or leaves

¼ teaspoon ground thyme or leaves

½ teaspoon dried celery leaves or flakes

- See more at: http://afewshortcuts.com/2012/01/tide-you-over-tuesday-homemade-italian-dressing-mix/#sthash.MNZdGmhN.dpuf

White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

I made this cheesecake for Valentine's Day and absolutely love the way it turned out. It looked great and tasted wonderful. I can't wait to try it again and make my decorative hearts look even better.

This cheesecake only uses 12 oz of cream cheese as opposed to other recipes that use up to 32 ounces. It doesn't sacrifice any flavor but is great for smaller groups/occasions because you can eat a large wedge of the cake without it being too much.

Recipe Source

Ingredients:
1 pre-made Oreo crust (really just easier than homemade if you ask me)
1 Tbs sugar
1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
1/3 C cold water
1 1/2 cup raspberries, fresh or frozen
12 oz (1 1/2 bars) cream cheese, softened
1/3 C sugar
1 egg
1 egg white
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
1 C white chocolate chips (or 6 oz chopped white chocolate)
1/4 C heavy whipping cream

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350.

Start by making the raspberry sauce. Mix 1 Tbs sugar and 1 1/2 tsp cornstarch in a small saucepan. Add water and raspberries and bring to a low boil, stirring frequently. Allow mixture to boil for about 5 minutes, whisking constantly until sauce thickens. Remove from heat and put sauce through a fine mesh strainer to remove seeds. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, combine cream cheese and 1/3 C sugar. Beat until fluffy. Add egg, egg white, vanilla, and lemon juice. Mix well and set aside.

Melt the chocolate chips (30 second intervals in the microwave at 50% power). When smooth, stir in the heavy cream. Add to the cream cheese mixture and blend until smooth.

Pour 2/3 C of batter into prepared crust and spread evenly. Then spoon on 2 Tbs of the raspberry sauce. Using a knife or toothpick, swirl the raspberry sauce into the cheesecake. Spoon on remaining batter and smooth with a spatula. Be careful to not let any of the raspberry layer show through.

Fill a clean medicine syringe with raspberry sauce. Starting in the center, squeeze out small drops of sauce, creating a spiral pattern as you move out. Start with small drops and gradually increase the size. I thought I had mine packed together pretty tight but next time I will make the drops smaller and closer together.

Grab a toothpick and starting in the center, run the toothpick through the center of each drop, following the spiral. Don't lift the toothpick until the very end. This will create the heart shapes.

Bake for 40 minutes or until center is still just a bit jiggly. Then turn oven off but leave the cheesecake in for another 5 minutes. Remove and cool completely. Refrigerate at least 6 hours before serving. Top slices with remaining raspberry sauce if desired.

Chicken Ranch Pizza

I love pizza. I rarely digress from the red-sauce pepperoni type because why change something that is perfect? But here was a rare occasion where I decided to test out a ranch chicken pizza. I thought it looked beautiful but I have a cold and couldn't really taste it very well. However, my husband says it is the first white-sauce pizza he has ever liked and he ate 5 slices so it must be tasty, right?

I doubled this recipe to get two medium sized pizzas. I was in the mood for a thinner crust than usual so I only made 3/4 of the dough recipe.

Doesn't it look so colorful?

Ingredients:
Ranch dressing
1/2 batch of pizza crust
3/4  C shredded mozzarella cheese
½ grilled chicken breast, chopped into bite-sized pieces
1/2 tomato, seeded and diced
2-3 green onions, chopped
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:
Preheat your oven and pizza stone to 450. Roll out the pizza dough onto a sheet of parchment paper (if you don't have a pizza peel this is the best method. You can just slide the pizza and parchment onto the pizza stone then slide it back off when it is done). Spread a layer of ranch dressing on your dough. Sprinkle on mozzarella cheese, chicken, tomato, and green onions. Top with the shredded cheddar. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

Makes 1 medium-to-large pizza
Recipe Source

Best Pizza Crust

My family has used this pizza crust recipe for years. Every time I branch out and try something different, I end up returning to this recipe for several reasons. First, it is quick. The dough only has to rise for 30 minutes. Most other crust recipes that actually taste good require hours of rising (some even 24 hours of slow rising in the fridge!). Those are yummy crusts but a whole lot more work for not so much extra taste. This dough is delicious. And easy. Thus a staple.

Ingredients:
4 C flour
2 C warm water
2 Tbs instant yeast
1/3 C sugar
1 tsp salt

Directions:
Mix all ingredients until a sticky dough is formed. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise for about 30 minutes. Working with 1/2 the dough at a time, turn out onto a floured area and knead (it is usually pretty sticky so I sometimes sprinkle enough extra flour on top to make it workable). Roll the dough to desired size depending on your preferred crust thickness (dough will rise a bit in the oven). Bake 15 to 18 minutes at 375 or for an even better pizza use a pizza stone at 450-500 and bake for 8-10 minutes.


Makes 2 large thick crust pizzas

Chicken Teriyaki

This is a simple but tasty recipe for chicken teriyaki.

Ingredients:
3/4 C sugar
3/4 C soy sauce
6 Tbs apple cider vinegar
3/4 tsp ginger
3/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp pepper
Chicken
4 1/2 tsp cornstarch
4 1/2 tsp water

Directions:
Mix first 6 ingredients together and pour over chicken breast you have placed in a crock pot. Cook until chicken is done. Remove chicken and shred. Pour sauce into medium pot and bring to boil. Add cornstarch and water. Bring to a boil and stir until thickened. Serve chicken over rice and pour sauce on top.

Cinnamon Scones

I finally bought some cinnamon chips. I have been tempted ever since my cinnamon muffin recipe, which called for them (I used a substitute). I almost never see cinnamon chips at the store but during the holiday season I saw them often. I have been trying to avoid unnecessary grocery expenses but I decided if I didn't buy a bag of them now, I would have to wait until Christmas 2013.

I am glad bought them! Now the only problem is I want another bag because I have so many recipes I want to try out. But I am super glad I started with this recipe for cinnamon scones. It was amazing! The recipe made more than I anticipated so I gave some away to friends but now I am almost wishing I had saved them all for myself! Eating one of these is like eating a thick muffin top of a cinnamon streusel muffin - the best part.

And you bet I actually used heavy cream when it called for it. I was lucky enough to have some left over from my amazing chocolate bundt cake. I suppose next time I make this, I will try substituting milk and see how it turns out.

Recipe Source

Ingredients:
 3 C flour
1/3 C sugar
5 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 C unsalted butter (2 sticks)
3/4 C heavy cream
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 C cinnamon chips
Topping:
1/2 C sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp heavy cream

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Mix together flour, 1/3 C sugar, baking powder, and cinnamon. Cut butter into tablespoon sized pieces and then cut it into the flour mixture as you would in a pie or biscuit dough until mixture resembles course crumbs. Fold in cinnamon chips. 

In separate bowl mix heavy cream, egg, and vanilla. Add to the main mixture, stirring until combined. Place dough on a piece of parchment paper and shape as desired. You can roll it out with a rolling pin or just use your hands to flatten it to 1/2 inch thick. Shape it into a rectangle or circle.

Combine the topping ingredients and then sprinkle over dough, pressing lightly. Cut dough into desired piece sizes. I made mine into about 10 squares and then cut them in half for 20 triangles. If you press it in a circle you can cut pizza-like wedges.

Place parchment paper on a baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes. Enjoy while they are warm!

1 batch makes 8-10 servings