Cream Puffs

How is it that something so simple can be so beautiful, creamy and perfect for any occasion? Breading and cream - it honestly can't get any better than that. I received a Better Homes and Gardens cookbook when I got married that was made specifically for newlyweds. I l.o.v.e it. Every recipe I have made has turned out fabulous, and I love all of the tips and fun ideas for making meals festive and special for any occasion. This cream puffs dessert is yet another tried-and-true recipe that I absolutely love. I literally threw this dish together in less than an hour for our Sunday dessert. The breading turned out perfectly soft and had a fabulous flavor. And the cream... Well, let's just say I ate the leftovers with a spoon until it was gone. The other wonderful thing about this recipe is you can make it as simple or as fancy as you want! The cream puffs are beautiful drizzled with chocolate and sprinkled with powdered sugar on top, but taste just as wonderful with the simplicity of the bread and the cream. If you like cream puffs at all, you will love this recipe. (Picture courtesy of Deaf Lion)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 eggs
• 1 box vanilla pudding (3/4 oz.)
• 1 cup whipped cream

In a medium saucepan, combine water, butter and salt. Bring to boiling. Add flour all at once, stirring vigorously until mixture forms a ball and sticks together. Remove from heat and cool for 10 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, stirring with a wooden spoon after each addition. Stir each egg until completely combined before adding the next one.

Drop 12 heaping tablespoons of dough on to a greased baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes until they are firm and a light golden color. Transfer puffs to a wire rack and cool. Cut tops from puffs and remove the soft dough from the inside.

Make up the vanilla pudding according to package directions. Once set, stir in the whipped cream until completely combined. Fill the puffs with the whipped cream and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Keep in fridge until ready to serve.

Tip: These also make a wonderful summer dessert served with ice cream and caramel sauce rather than the pudding mixture.

Red Chile Chicken and Rice

I am a big fan of the classic red beans and rice dish but I've never liked the acidity caused by the meat and the spices. This recipe has officially solved all of those problems! Hearty, comforting, and full of fiber, this dish is yet another one-pot-wonder recipe that only dirties one pan! It's made up of fluffy rice, red chile chicken, hearty black beans, and a punch of flavor from onions, cheese and tomatoes. It has a wonderful creamy flavor and is perfect for a weeknight meal when time is short and everyone is hungry. And don't worry about the exorbitant amount of chili powder - it's not spicy at all and creates a wonderful flavor (and an amazing red color). (Picture and recipe adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe.)

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp. canola oil, divided


• 2 large chicken breasts, cut into small 1-inch pieces


• 1 1/2 Tbsp. chili powder, divided


• 1 tsp. salt


• 1/2 medium onion, diced


• 3 cloves garlic, minced


• 1 1/2 cups rice


• 2 1/2 cups chicken broth


• 1 can red beans (can also use black or pinto)


• 1 can diced tomatoes (optional)


• Sour cream, cheese, green onions and cilantro for garnish

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a medium-large pot over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with 1/2 Tbsp. chili powder and salt. Place chicken in the pot, stirring occasionally until it is browned and cooked through (about 2-3 minutes). Remove the chicken to a plate. Add the second tablespoon of oil to the pot and saute the onion, garlic and rice. Cook on medium-low, stirring for several minutes until the rice begins to brown. Add the remaining 1 Tbsp. chili powder and the chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and cover, cooking for 10 minutes.

Add the chicken, beans and tomatoes to the pot and stir everything to combine. Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream, green onions and cilantro on top.

BBQ Chicken Salad with Creamy BBQ Dressing

BBQ Dressing? I know it sounds weird, right? Wrong! This dressing seriously made this salad. I'm a huge fan of anything southwestern - particularly when it's loaded with black beans, corn, tomatoes, avocado and cilantro. The ingredients in this recipe are the basic necessities for a good southwestern salad with a smooth, creamy bbq dressing loaded with flavors including cilantro and lime juice. Simple, refreshing, and healthy describe this dish perfectly. If you like filling and zesty dinner salads, you'll love this one! (Picture and recipe adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe)

Ingredients:

Salad:

• 2 cups cooked chicken, diced or shredded
• 1 cup bbq sauce
• 1/2 head iceburg lettuce, chopped (or favorite kind of lettuce)
• 1/2 cup onion, diced
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup frozen corn, thawed
• 1 medium tomato, diced
• 1/2 avocado, sliced
• handful cilantro
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Dressing:

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1/3 cup buttermilk*
• handful fresh cilantro
• 1 Tbsp. lime juice
• 1 tsp. white vinegar
• 1 tsp. granulated sugar
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 1/4 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/3 cup bbq sauce
• 1/4 cup ranch dressing

Salad: Mix chicken and bbq sauce together in a medium bowl. Layer lettuce and other salad ingredients in a large bowl or plate.

Dressing: Put everything in a blender and mix until fully combined. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

*If you don't have buttermilk on-hand, simply put a little less then 1/3 cup of milk in a bowl with 1 Tbsp. lemon juice or white vinegar. Mix together and let sit at room temperature for 5 minutes or until slightly curdled.

Baked Chicken Sandwiches with Caramelized Onions

One of my husband's favorite all-time meals is chicken sandwiches with french fries. In all honestly, it's been great to have something so simple and quick to rely on that I know he'll always like. I love this particular recipe because it has all the goodness and flavor of a fried chicken sandwich, but with the healthy and juicy benefits of a baked dish! I used a simple "shake-and-bake" seasoning packet that I bought at the store for mine, but seasoned breadcrumbs would work just as well. I also love the addition of the caramelized onions. They add just a hint of sweetness without overpowering the spices of the chicken, and make for a very delicious and healthy meal! We had this last night on toasted dinner rolls with a side of baked fries and freshly cut pineapple. (Photo courtesy of Anne Strawberry)

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into medium pieces
• 1/2 package shake-and-bake seasonings
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 4 slices cheddar cheese
• 1 cup onions, cut into long strips
• 1 Tbsp. butter
• 5-6 small sandwich buns/rolls
• fresh lettuce leaves
• freshly cut tomatoes

Pour the chicken, shake-and-bake seasoning and garlic powder into a large ziploc bag and shake thoroughly until all pieces are coated. Place on greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, or until cooked through and crispy on the outside. While the chicken is baking, place the onions and butter into a medium skillet and cook over medium heat for 8-10 minutes, stirring frequently. Onions will become soft and will have a light caramel color to them. After chicken is cooked, place cheese slices on top of the chicken. Place back in the oven for 1-2 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Layer chicken, onions, lettuce tomatoes, and other condiments onto sandwiches and eat warm.

Tip: For toasted bread, simply slice open the buns and lay them cut-side down onto the greased cookie sheet. Place under broiler for 1-2 minutes or until warm and slightly toasted. Remove from oven and top with butter or mayonnaise before adding the sandwich ingredients.

Sausage Quiche Lorraine

I'm one of those girls who loves breakfast for dinner: waffles, pancakes, omelettes, biscuits and gravy... I'm game for any of these on any given night. This quiche fits right in with my breakfast cravings and makes for a delicious and easy meal. I always make my pie crust from scratch using the basic Taste of Home recipe. It is very light and flaky and has a wonderful flavor. But if you are short on time, a pre-made pie crust from the store will work just fine. This recipe is extremely versatile because you can put any ingredients in that you have at home to make a variety of quiche flavors. This particular version is my favorite (and my husband's favorite) because it is hearty and comforting. (Picture courtesy of The Perfect Pantry)

Ingredients:

Crust:

• 1 1/4 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/3 cup shortening (I use softened butter)
• 5-6 Tbsp. water

Mix the flour and salt together. Cut in the shortening or butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the water in one tablespoon at a time and toss with a fork until it begins to stick together. (I usually use around 7-8 tablespoons before it starts to stick together. The dough will not be sticky like a bread dough. As soon as you can pick it up and mold it into a slightly-crumbly ball, stop adding water.) Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes so it is easier to handle. Roll out with a floured rolling pin until wide enough to easily fit inside a pie pan. Spray pie pan with cooking spray and lay the dough inside, fluting the edges around the edge of the pan.

Tip: Spray your rolling pin with cooking spray to reduce the stickiness of the dough. It makes a huge different and allows the dough to spread a lot easier!

Quiche:

• 1/2 lb. sausage
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• handful spinach (optional)
• 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup heavy cream or milk
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
• dash of pepper

Cook the sausage in a large saucepan until cooked through. Reserve 1 tsp. of the grease and lightly saute the onion over medium heat for 2-3 minutes or until slightly softened. Layer the sauge, onion, mushrooms, spinach and cheese on the bottom of the pie crust. In a separate bowl mix together the eggs, cream, salt, nutmeg and pepper until combined. Pour over the top of the quiche. Bake at 375 for 40 minutes or until eggs are set. Serve with salsa and ketchup on the side.

Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream

This is by-far my favorite base recipe for ice cream. It came in a small Cuisinart recipe book I got when I purchased my ice cream maker. It is so simple and easy to put together, but I always add different ingredients to it at the end to make a whole new flavor of ice cream! This particular recipe is extremely smooth and creamy (my favorite way to eat ice cream) and has a mouth-watering delicious vanilla flavor that definitely tastes homemade. I love store-bought ice cream, but for me there is nothing better than the classic taste of the homemade kind.




Ingredients:

• 1 cup whole milk (I use whatever is in the fridge - usually 1%)
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• pinch sale
• 2 cups heavy craem
• 1 Tbsp. pure vanilla extract

In a medium bowl, use a hand mixer on low speed or whisk to combine the milk, sugar and salt until the sugar is dissolved and no longer grainy. Stir in the heavy cream and vanilla. Cover and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours, or overnight. Freeze according to ice cream maker directions.

For my particular ice cream maker, I add in the additional ingredients about 5 minutes before the ice cream is done mixing. My favorite varieties are are:

• crushed oreos
• pecans lightly sauteed in butter and brown sugar
• S'mores (crushed graham crackers, melted chocolate at room temperature, 3/4 cup marshmallow cream)
• 1 cup peanut butter and chopped peanut butter cups
• chopped peppermints

Slow Cooker Tex-Mex Chicken

This recipe is pretty similar to my Mexican Chicken Casserole Recipe, except it contains a few different ingredients and it's done in my favorite kitchen appliance: the crock pot. It literally took me less than 10 minutes to throw this dish together. I diced up the vegetables and chicken, poured everything into the crock pot, turned it on high and walked away. 4 hours later I came back, turned it to warm, made up some rice and served it up. Honestly people, it can't get any easier than that! This meal is another one of those one-pot-wonder dishes I love to cook. It can be served by itself or with a small side such as a green salad or fresh fruit. The three main reasons I love this recipe are: 1) It is extremely easy and fast. 2) It is loaded with flavor and it tastes heavenly. And 3) It's a very healthy meal that allows me to get all of my vegetables in one simple dish. (Picture and recipe courtesy of Kraft Recipes.)

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 package reduced-sodium taco seasoning
• 1 green or red pepper, diced
• 1/2 yellow onion, diced
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1 1/2 cups medium salsa (medium gives it a lot more flavor than mild)
• 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

Toss chicken with taco seasoning in slow cooker. Add in everything but the cheese and stir to combine. Cook on low 6-8 hours, or on high 3-4 hours, or until the chicken is cooked through. Serve topped with shredded cheese, cilantro and sour cream. Tastes great by itself, but my favorite way is to serve it over hot cooked rice.

Winger's Sticky Fingers

I have a problem with going to restaurants: I love the food and I begin to crave it. It especially becomes a problem when I move across the country and no longer have specific restaurants available to me such as Cafe Rio, Rumbi or Winger's. So I have made it a goal to find copy-cat recipes of some of my favorite foods. This particular recipe is a copy-cat of Winger's infamous sticky fingers. I crave their amazing sauce and I often find my mouth watering just thinking about it. Lucky for me, I stumbled across a recipe that tastes almost exactly like Winger's original sticky fingers! It's extremely easy to throw together with only 3 common ingredients. I also made my own chicken fingers rather than buying them and baked them in the oven for a healthier dish. (Picture and recipe courtesy of Favorite Family Recipes.)

Ingredients:

Sauce Recipe:

• 3 Tbsp. Frank's Hot Sauce
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp. water

Chicken Recipe:

• 1 lb. chicken breasts, cut into strips
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 tsp. garlic powder

Preset oven to 375 degrees. Pour milk in a small bowl. Mix bread crumbs, flour and garlic powder in a separate small bowl. Coat chicken breasts in milk and then in bread crumb mixture. Lay chicken pieces flat on a baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes or until cooked through. While cooking, mix together the hot sauce, brown sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Toss cooked chicken strips in sauce until coated. Serve with a side of ranch dressing for dipping.

Southwest Chicken Quesadillas

These are definitely my go-to meal when it comes to a quick, easy and delicious dinner. These quesadillas have a perfectly crunchy shell and are stuffed with chicken, rice, black beans, tomatoes, onions, cheese, cilantro and a creamy sour cream sauce that holds everything together. They are also very healthy so I don't feel quite as guilty when I eat 2 or 3.. okay, so maybe 4 - but only on bad days! (Picture and recipe adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe)




Ingredients:

• 1 cup cooked rice (I usually cook my rice in chicken broth rather than water to give it more flavor)
• 1 cup cooked, shredded chicken
• 1 can (15 oz.) black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 medium onion, finely diced
• 1 medium tomato, chopped
• 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tsp. hot sauce
• 1/2 Tbsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 4 burrito-size flour tortillas

Mix together the sour cream, mayonnaise, hot sauce, chili powder, cumin and garlic powder in a small bowl. Spread in a thin layer over tortillas. Arrange the chicken, rice, beans, onion, tomato, and cilantro on half of the tortilla. Sprinkle with the cheese. Fold tortillas in half and spray each side with cooking spray. Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat for 1-minute. Cook each quesadilla 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown and crisp. Be careful not to over-cook or over-heat as tortillas will burn quickly.

Mexican Chicken Casserole

This meal definitely falls into the "comfort food" category. It is a one-pot-wonder meal that is quick to throw together and very filling. It's also very healthy which is a huge bonus when it comes to comfort foods. The chicken is seared in taco seasoning and combined with onions, green peppers, tomatoes, black beans and salsa. Then it's layered with cheese and tortillas and baked to perfection. Honestly, it is simply delicious and deliciously simple. (Picture and recipe courtesty of Kraft Foods)

Ingredients:

• 3/4 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 Tbsp. taco seasoning (about 1/2 of a taco-seasoning packet)
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 green pepper, chopped
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• 1 cup medium-spicy salsa (medium gives it a lot more flavor)
• 1 can (15 oz.) black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 tomato, diced
• 2 tortillas (6-inch)
• 1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Cook and stir chicken, cumin, taco seasoning and water in a large skillet sprayed with cooking spray. Add peppers and onions, stirring for 2 minutes. Stir in salsa, beans and tomato and stir until all ingredients are coated in salsa. Spray an 8x8 baking dish with cooking spray and spoon 1/3 of the chicken mixture onto the bottom of the pan. Cover with one tortilla and half of the remaining chicken mixture. Top with the remaining tortilla and chicken mixture and sprinkle the cheese on top. Cover and bake 20 minutes, or until heated through. Serve warm with extra salsa, cilantro and sour cream.