Cranberry Nut Bread

I was trying to decide what to give the helpers at B's after school care for Christmas.  There are 6 of them so I needed something that wouldn't break the budget!  I decided to make them a gift this year and came upon this recipe.  I tripled the recipe to make the right amount.  This recipe will make 1 regular size loaf pan or 2 mini pans.  I ended up with 7 mini loaves.  The house smelled amazing while they were cooking!  We'll have to try some tomorrow for breakfast!

Here's the batter, cranberries and pecans

Here are my 7 loaves cooling

The loaves are packaged and ready to be delivered

Ingredients:
1/3 cup orange juice
2 teaspoons grated orange zest, from one orange
2/3 cup buttermilk
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 large egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries, chopped coarse
1/2 cup walnuts or pecans (I used pecans)

Directions

Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray bottom of 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray.

In a small bowl, stir together orange juice, orange zest, buttermilk, butter and egg. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon, baking powder and baking soda. Stir liquid ingredients into dry with rubber spatula until just moistened. Gently stir in cranberries and nuts. Do not overmix.

Scrape batter into prepared loaf pan and spread evenly with a rubber spatula. Bake for 20 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees. Continue to bake until golden brown and toothpick inserted into center of loaf comes out clean, about 45 minutes longer. Cool loaf in pan for about 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire rack and cool at least one hour before serving.

Pan Seared Chicken in a Mushroom Mustard Sauce

I'm always looking for different ways to make chicken because we have so much of it!  I saw 2 recipes that looked good and ended up making this one on Friday night.  It's an easy weeknight dinner (another plus in my book!) that tastes great!  I served M's and mine over brown rice and put B's with some white rice.  The original recipe calls for tarragon but I used thyme just because I prefer it.  I was skeptical about cooking the chicken on the stove top because we had the thicker Costco chicken breasts.  I was able to pound them pretty thin and it worked out just fine.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon oil
• 4 small chicken breasts, pounded thin and seasoned with salt and pepper
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
• 1 medium shallot, finely diced
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons grainy mustard
• 2 tablespoons dried thyme
• salt and pepper

Directions:

Heat the oil in a large pan over medium-high heat, season the chicken with salt and pepper, add it to the pan and cook until browned, about 2-3 minutes per side and set aside.

Add the oil and mushrooms and saute until browned on both sides, about 7-8 minutes

Add the shallot and saute for 1 minute.

Add the garlic and saute for half a minute.

Add the wine, deglaze the pan, add the chicken broth and cream, bring to a boil and let simmer until reduced by half, about 5-7 minutes.

Mix in the mustard and tarragon, season with salt and pepper, return the chicken to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes.

Italian Chicken Skillet

I saw this recipe and it looked pretty easy to throw together on a weeknight.  I made B's with regular thin chicken breasts but used chicken sausage for M's and mine.  The original recipe calls to marinade the chicken breasts first but since I was in a rush, I just did salt & pepper on the chicken breasts.   It also calls for chicken broth but I must have used all of mine.  I subbed a dry white wine and it turned out fine.  The skim evaporated milk makes it a little less calorie filled - which is always a plus too!

Ingredients:
8oz penne pasta
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 small onion, minced
salt & pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup chicken broth (I used dry white wine)
8oz tomato sauce (I used marinara sauce because I had it already opened in the 'fridge)
1 cup evaporated skim milk
1 teaspoon flour
4 teaspoons prepared pesto

Directions:
Saute marinated chicken in a large skillet sprayed well with non-stick spray over medium heat for 5-6 minutes a side, or until no longer pink in the center. Remove to a plate then cover loosely with foil to stay warm and set aside. Carefully wipe out skillet with a spatula or wet paper towel. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil then season with salt and add penne. Cook until al dente then drain and set aside.

Still over medium heat, add oil to the skillet then add onions and season with salt and pepper. Saute for 3-4 minutes, or until tender, then add garlic and saute, stirring constantly, for 30 more seconds. Carefully add chicken broth then let simmer until reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Add tomato sauce and evaporated milk then whisk in flour and pesto. Simmer until thick and bubbly, about 2-3 minutes. Add cooked and drained pasta then toss to combine. Portion out to plates then top with cooked chicken.

Assorted Bagels

I struggle with what to give B every morning for breakfast.  She likes bagels but I always forget to pick them up.  I thought I'd try making them yesterday.  I was surprised that they really aren't that tough to make.  The dough takes some time to rise but aside from that, they were a breeze!  We did plain, poppy seed, sesame seed and everything bagels.  We had them this morning for breakfast and loved them!

I'm guessing that using "bread flour" is part of the trick to this recipe!  The last few times I've tried making dough for pizza, it hasn't turned out well at all!  I will definitely use bread flour for that next time because this dough was very easy!  I found the recipe here.

Here's the dough after an hour of resting & rising

Here's the 10 "mini" balls of dough

Here they are getting ready for the simmering water

Here's the final product

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons of active dry yeast
1 1/2 teaspoon of granulated sugar
1 /1/4 cup of warm water (avoid hot but warm)
3.5 cups of high gluten flour (or bread flour if you can’t locate it.)
1.5 teaspoon of salt
Egg, whisked for egg wash

Toppings for everything bagels:  In a bowl I mixed 1 tsp of each: caraway seeds, coarse salt, fennel seeds, cracked pepper corns, poppy seeds, toasted sesame seeds.

Directions:
In a measuring cup, add 1/2 cup of warm water and add the sugar.  Stir to dissolve then add the yeast on top and let it sit (don’t mix).  Let this sit for 5 minutes.  Then stir the yeast to blend.

In a stand mixer bowl, add the flour and salt.  Make a well in the center of the mixture and the pour the yeast/sugar mixture (after it’s complete) into the center.  Also, add the 3/4 cup water.  With the dough hook, mix to combine for about 6 -8 minutes.  If the dough is still dry, add a tablespoon of water at a time to add additional moisture.

Onto a floured countertop, remove the dough from the stand mixer and knead it by hand for about 8 minutes or until elastic.

Take a large bowl and oil the interior.  Add the dough and cover with a damp towel.  Set in a draft-free location.  I typically place it in the microwave.  Do this for one hour.  Punch down the dough after one hour and let rest for an additional 10 minutes.

Remove the dough and divide into 10 smaller round balls.  Place on a baking sheet and cover with a damp towel.  After an additional 10 minutes remove each ball. Lay it flat and press with the heel of your hand to flatten the bagel a big (don’t crush it) on the floured countertop and press your index finger in the center and exaggerate the hole size.  Repeat.

Preheat your oven to 425.  On the stove top, fill a saucepan with water and bring to a boil.  Once boiling, turn the water down to a simmer.  Working in batches, add one or two bagels to the water and let it cook for one minute on one side then repeat on the other side.  Remove with a slotted spoon and place on the baking sheet with a Silpat.  Repeat until each bagel has been boiled on each side.  Take your egg wash and brush on the top of each bagel. Sprinkle your topping on each bagel.  Place in the oven and bake for 22-24 minutes.  Remove and let cool. Store in ziploc baggies.

Chicken & Broccoli Casserole

I needed a quick, easy weeknight dinner last week.  I saw this recipe and gave it a whirl.  It's nothing fancy but it was tasty.  I called it my one dish wonder!

Ingredients:
4 ounces dried medium noodles
2 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken 
1 10 ounce package frozen chopped broccoli, thawed
1 10 3/4 ounce can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup skim milk
1/2 cup shredded Mozzerella cheese (2 ounces)
1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
Salt & Pepper

Directions:
Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain well.
2. 
In a 2-quart casserole stir together noodles, chicken, broccoli

In a medium mixing bowl stir together soup, milk, cheese, Italian Seasoning, Salt & Pepper.  Stir into noodle mixture.

Bake, covered, in a 350 degree F oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until heated through.  Makes 6 servings.

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Reindeer Cupcakes

We aren't original for doing this but we definitely had fun making them!  B had a "cupcake wars" with her Brownie troop and we decided to make reindeer cupcakes.  We used our vanilla cupcake recipe and then decorated them.  They turned out so cute!

Here's B decorating them

Her finished product - Rudolph up front and some "snow" in the back

Ingredients:
1 ¼ cups (lightly spooned in the measuring cup and levelled with a knife) flour
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 tsps baking powder
½ tsp salt
6 Tbs (3 oz) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
½ cup water
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 yolk from a large egg, at room temperature
1 Tbs vanilla extract
2 tsp Plain Greek Yogurt

For the decorations: Mini pretzels broken at the top for the antlers, mini Nilla wafers for the mouth, M&M's (a red one and whatever other color you want for the nose, candy eyes, black icing for lips, brown frosting

Directions:
Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 375°F (190°C) – I have an unusually hot oven so I set mine to 180°C). Line 12 regular-sized (2 ¾-inch diameter) muffin cups with paper or foil liners (I used silicone cupcake cups).

Put the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a medium or large mixing bowl and whisk to combine.

Put the melted butter, water, egg and yolk, vanilla and Greek yogurt in a small bowl and whisk until well blended. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry and whisk until well blended and smooth, about 1 minute.

Portion the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling each about 2/3 full. (I poured the batter into a large measuring cup with a spout, which makes pouring easier and neater.) Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 14 to 16 minutes. Move to a wire rack and let cool for 15 minutes. Carefully remove the cupcakes from the pan, set them on a wire rack and let cool completely.

Sausage & Spinach Stuffed Shells

I'm a bit behind on updating the blog!  M spent most of his week home working on the plane last week.  It was pretty cold out and I was trying to make nice dinners for him so he could warm up!  I found this recipe for stuffed shells.  I wanted something that wasn't the normal all cheese stuffed shell.   I used fresh spinach and just chopped it up.  I also threw in about 1/2 lb of ground beef.  The recipe didn't call for putting sauce on the shells while they cooked, but I added some marinara sauce to it.  This was delicious and even better left over!

Here are the shells ready for the oven

Here's one of the dishes

Ingredients:
16-18 jumbo pasta shells
1 pound fresh pork sausage links, casing removed
1/2 lb ground beef
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes - I used the basil and oregano one
1 cup fresh spinach, chopped
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
salt and freshly ground pepper
Marinara sauce

Directions:
Fill a large bowl with cold water and ice, set aside.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta shells and cook according to package directions. Drain well then add to ice water until ready to stuff.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork sausage & beef  then use a wooden spoon to break up the sausage, cook 5-6 minutes until browned.
Add garlic and cook 30 seconds then add tomatoes and spinach; cook 1 minute. Remove pan from heat and stir in ricotta cheese
Pour a light coating of marinara sauce in the bottom of a baking pan (9x9 or 9x13).  Using a spoon, fill pasta shells with filling and arrange in a baking dish. Sprinkle tops with shredded cheese and drizzle more marinara sauce on top then bake in the oven 25-30 minutes until cheese has melted and tips of shells begin to crisp and brown.

Enjoy!

Au Gratin Potatoes (Weight Watchers)

I made these to accompany the Peppercorn Crusted Beef Tenderloin.  I wanted a comfort food but didn't want all the calories.  I think these are great and would prefer them over the super heavy version of Au Gratin potatoes.  I found this recipe by just Googling for a light recipe.

Not the prettiest picture but the taste was really good!

Our full meal

Ingredients:
1 spray of cooking spray
1 tbsp salted butter
1 medium uncooked onion, diced
2 tbsp all purpose flour
2 cups fat free skim milk
2 lbs uncooked Yukon potatoes, thinly sliced
1 cup low fat shredded cheddar cheese
Salt & Pepper

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat a 2-quart covered baking dish with cooking spray.
  
• Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in flour; add milk slowly, stirring. Add potatoes and stir to mix. Bring to a boil. Stir in 3/4 cup of cheese, salt and pepper.
  
• Pour mixture into prepared baking dish and level out surface. Bake for 1 hour, uncovered. Cover and bake until potatoes are fork-tender, about 20 minutes more.
  
• Change oven temperature to broil. Sprinkle remaining cheese over potatoes. Broil 6 inches from the heating element until the cheese is golden brown, about 1 to 2 minutes. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before slicing into 8 pieces.

Peppercorn Crusted Beef Tenderloin

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I had some time to look through the latest Cooking Light Magazine on my travels for Thanksgiving.  I thought this one sounded really good and went to Costco to find a nice tenderloin.  I enjoy my beef at a medium rare temperature and these came out perfectly!  The flavor is really nice!

The beef as I started to cook it

The beef resting

Our meal (with Weight Watchers Au Gratin Potatoes)

Ingredients:
4 (4oz) beef tenderloin steaks
2 tsp cracked black pepper
1/2 tsp kosher salt, divided
4 tsp olive oil, divided
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley (I used dried and less)
3 tbsp cilantro (I omitted because I don't like it)
1-1/2 tsp fresh garlic, chopped
1 tsp fresh oregano (I used dried)
1/2 tsp grated lemon rind
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Directions:
Drizzle a little olive oil on each side of the steaks.  Sprinkle evenly with pepper and 1/4 tsp salt.

Heat oven proof skillet over medium high heat.  Add 1 tsp oil & swirl to coat.  Add steaks to pan and cook for 3 minutes per side, or until desired temperature.  Set aside to rest.

Combine remaining oil, remaining 1/4 tsp salt, parsley & remaining ingredients in a small bowl.  Whisk to combine.  Drizzle over each steak and serve.

Enjoy!

Braised (Bone In) Short Ribs

M has been working on the plane all week in these cold temps.  I've been trying to have a warm / nice meal ready when he gets home.  If you haven't checked it out, I made a chicken pot pie earlier this week.  I posted a new picture to show that it actually turned out this time!  (Small wins!!)
This recipe is for bone in short ribs.  I always worry when I make something that M has made...and well!  He hasn't tried the bone in type though so I thought I'd give it a try.  These were fall off the bone tender and just so flavorful!  They take hours to roast so, it's a good weekend meal!

Ingredients: (4-5 servings)
8 whole Beef Short RibsKosher Salt and Pepper To Taste
1/4 cup All-purpose Flour
6 pieces Pancetta, Diced (I used bacon because I couldn't find pancetta)
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 whole Medium Onion, Diced
3 whole Carrots, Diced
2 whole Shallots, Peeled And Finely Minced
2 cups Red Or White Wine
2 cups Beef Or Chicken Broth (enough To Almost Cover Ribs)
2 sprigs Thyme
2 sprigs Rosemary

Directions:
Salt and pepper ribs, then dredge in flour. Set aside.

In a large dutch oven, cook pancetta over medium heat until complete crispy and all fat is rendered. Remove pancetta and set aside. Do not discard grease.

Add olive oil to pan with the pancetta grease, and raise heat to high. Brown ribs on all sides, about 45 seconds per side. Remove ribs and set aside. Turn heat to medium.

Add onions, carrots, and shallots to pan and cook for 2 minutes. Pour in wine and scrape bottom of pan to release all the flavorful bits of glory. Bring to a boil and cook 2 minutes.

Add broth, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Taste and add more salt if needed. Add ribs to the liquid; they should be almost completely submerged. Add thyme and rosemary sprigs (whole) to the liquid.

Put on the lid and place into the oven. Cook at 350 for 2 hours, then reduce heat to 325 and cook for an additional 30 to 45 minutes. Ribs should be fork-tender and falling off the bone. Remove pan from oven and allow to sit for at least 20 minutes, lid on, before serving. At the last minute, skim fat off the top of the liquid. (Can also refrigerate mixture, then remove solid fat from the top.)

Sour Cream Pork Chops with Vidalia Onion

I fully intended to get take out the night I made these but when I saw the recipe, I thought it sounded really good!  The meal comes together pretty easily and can be done on a weeknight - another plus for me!  I would shorten the cook time just a little as I thought the chops were slightly over-done but aside from that, a good pork recipe!  I added a few things to the recipe based on reviews on the original recipe.  I'll notate them below.

Ingredients:

• Three 1 1/2 to 2-inch thick boneless pork chops
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups sliced Vidalia onion, separated into rings
• 1 cup beef stock
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley - I used a few dashes of dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• One 8-ounce container sour cream (I used low fat)
• 1/2 package baby bella mushrooms
• A few dashes of Worcestershire Sauce
• A few dashes Crushed Red Pepper Flakes

Directions:

Sprinkle the pork chops with salt and pepper.

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the pork chops and cook until browned, 4 to 5 minutes per side.  Set chops aside & put the onions in the skillets to brown them a little.  Put chops back in pan and arrange onions on top / around chops.  

In a small bowl, combine the stock, parsley, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, red pepper flakes and paprika, and season with salt and pepper. Pour the broth mixture over the pork chops. Return the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. About 10 minutes before the pork is done, add in mushrooms and stir to combine.  Stir in the sour cream until blended and cook until heated through, 4 to 5 minutes; do not boil. 

Enjoy!

Pork Tenderloin with an Orange Glaze

I took advantage of the short flight home from our Thanksgiving holiday to glance through the latest Cooking Light magazine.  I found 2 meals that I wanted to try and made one of them last night.  It was very flavorful but took longer than the recipe called for in cooking time to reach the internal temperature.  I was so tired from the travel that I forgot to buy honey (which the recipe called for) but I think it turned out well regardless.  It's a light and tasty dinner!

The cook times below are from the original recipe.  I ended up increasing the temperature to 375 degrees and cooking for an additional 10 minutes.  

The pork when it came out of the oven

Our meal

Ingredients:
1/3 c orange marmalade
3 tbsp cider vinegar
3 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
1-1/2 tbsp minced garlic
1-1/2 tsp honey
2 tbsp canola oil (I used olive oil)
1 (1 lb) pork tenderloin
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper

Directions:
Combine first 5 ingredients and whisk together.  Reserve 2 tbsp of mixture
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Heat oven proof skillet over medium high heat.  Add oil; swirl to coat
Salt & Pepper each side of the tenderloin and place in pan
Cook 5 minutes, until browned.  Turn pork over and brush 1/4 cup of orange sauce on top
Place in oven and cook for 10 minutes.
Turn pork over and brush with 1/4 cup of orange sauce & cook another 10 minutes - or until internal temperature reaches 150 degrees
Remove from oven and place pork on cutting board to rest.  Brush with reserved 2 tbsp orange sauce.
After the pork rests about 10 minutes, cut and serve.

Enjoy!

Skillet Mac & Cheese

As I was preparing the chicken dish (recipe here), B asked what we were having for sides.  I told her I was planning on corn and buttered noodles (both of which she loves).  She then announces that she wants Mac & Cheese.  What?!  This is the girl who I couldn't get to eat mac & cheese - ever!  I knew I had all sorts of cheese in the 'fridge and a variety of pasta in the cupboard so I quickly went to Epicurious and tried to find a recipe that looked appealing.  I found this one and it turned out really delicious!!  I didn't have dry mustard and after digging through the spices, I decided to sub in Cajun seasoning.  I loved the way that tasted and would make it that way again!  This side isn't hard but there's a lot going on at the end of the preparation (aka - I was a bit stressed that it wouldn't all come together well).  Thankfully, this one turned out and will be made again!  I added some Panko breadcrumbs to the top of the mac & cheese before broiling it too.

Ingredients:
3/4 package elbow macaroni (any pasta works)
1 tbsp butter
1-1/2 c milk (I used 1%)
1 tsp Cajun seasoning
1/2 tsp Paprika
1/2 tsp Salt
2 to 2-1/2 c grated cheese - I used Locatelli; Parmesan and Mozzarella
4-5 tbsp all purpose flour
Panko bread crumbs

Directions:
Cook pasta according to package instructions
Meanwhile, heat cast iron skillet over high heat.  Once it's hot, add butter.  It should melt quickly and start foaming.  Add in milk and stir.  Then add in the Cajun seasoning, Paprika & Salt.  Stir to mix well.
Set aside 1/2 of the grated cheese for topping.  Begin to add the rest of the cheese, 1 handful at a time, to the skillet.  Whisk to mix & melt the cheese.  After you've added the cheese and it's melted, add in 1 tbsp of flour at a time and whisk.  Continue adding flour until the consistency of the mix is pretty thick.
When pasta is done, drain well.
Turn your broiler on low.
Add pasta to the cheese mixture and stir to mix.  Top with remaining grated cheese and sprinkle Panko bread crumbs (a very thin layer) on top.
Place in broiler and cook for about 4-6 minutes, until bubbly.  Be careful when removing the skillet from the broiler (I put a pot holder on the side of the oven to remind me to use it!).
Let the mac & cheese sit for about a minute and serve.

Enjoy!

Stuffed Chicken Breasts Sauteed in Balsamic

I pulled out 2 chicken breasts before heading out to work yesterday and figured I'd come up with something to do with them.  I found a recipe that called for stuffing them with all sorts of things (very few of which I had & things I didn't think B would like).  I was going to try to get to the store but ran out of time - so, I figured I could just wing it and stuff them with whatever was in the 'fridge!  Thankfully, it turned out really well and is something I'd make again!  It's an easy weeknight dinner too since the cooking time is under 30 minutes!

This isn't the best pic because the steam is shown in the picture - but here's the chicken all rolled up

 Here's how the chicken looks when you cut into it

Ingredients:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts - pounded thin

1 slice of Virginia baked ham (deli meat)

4 slices of Oven Roasted Turkey (deli meat)

Shredded Mozzarella cheese

Italian Seasoning

Balsamic Vinegar

Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper

Directions:

After you pound the chicken breasts, lay them flat on a cutting board

Place 1 slice of turkey in each; then layer 1/2 slice of ham on top; then the other piece of turkey; then a little Mozzarella and sprinkle some Italian seasoning in.

Roll each chicken breast, starting with the smallest end, into a jelly roll

Secure with 1 toothpick

Salt & Pepper the outside of the chicken 

Brush a little Balsamic vinegar on all sides of the chicken

Heat olive oil in skillet on medium high heat and place chicken in skillet.  Sear all sides of the chicken, about 1-2 minutes.

Add 1 tablespoon of water to the pan, reduce heat to medium-low and cover.  Cook for about 15 minutes, turning a couple of times.  

Slice chicken and serve.  

Enjoy!

Costco Marinated Rack of Pork

I won't take credit for any of the rub on this pork but it's really good!  It's stuffed with shallots and garlic too - just adding to it's amazing flavor!  I bought it at Costco and made it for friends on Friday night.  We had 10 people over and still had left overs!  I'm not sure how long Costco will have these but they are definitely guest worthy and serve the masses!  If I were going to be cooking Thanksgiving, I'd give this serious consideration over the traditional turkey!
The cooking method was shared by a friend that made this for me and B last weekend (we had to have it again - that's how good it is!).  It's one of those easy - pop it in the oven & let it go type of meals!
If you can't find a pre-marinated one, try drizzling the pork with olive oil and Montreal steak spice.

Ready for the oven on it's bed of veggies

Resting after cooking

Ingredients (for already pre-marinated pork):
1 onion, rough chopped
Several carrots, chopped
4-5 celery sticks, chopped
1/2 - 1 cup water

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425
Bring pork out and get to room temperature
Place veggies in bottom of roasting pan and add 1/2- 1 cup of water (depending on how big pan is).  Place pork on top of veggies (fat side up) & roast for 10-15 minutes - until slightly golden.
Back temperature down to 325 and cook for 2 hours.  I roasted mine in a darker pan so the cook time was a little faster.

Mushroom & Lemon Orzo "Risotto"

I was looking for a side dish to accompany my whole roasted chicken.  I found this recipe and thought it sounded good and slightly less time consuming than actual risotto.  I added about 1/2 cup of baby bella mushrooms to mine since I had some on hand.  The lemon and thyme make this dish so light and tasty!  This would be a great side for many dishes!

The recipe below is for 8 servings.  I cut the amounts substantially since I was only cooking for 2.  

The mushroom orzo - along with the chicken and broccolini

Ingredients:
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter
3/4 cup minced shallots
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
6 cups boiling water
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme (I used dried thyme & it was just fine)
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon peel
6 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley

Directions:
Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic. Sauté until shallots are tender, about 5 minutes. Add orzo; sauté 5 minutes. Mix in 6 cups boiling water and salt. Simmer uncovered until orzo is tender, liquid is absorbed, and risotto is creamy, stirring often, about 18 minutes. Remove from heat. Mix in thyme and peel, then parsley.

Amazing Roasted Chicken

I was looking for an easy dinner to serve that I could put in the oven and let it go.  I found this recipe and after reading the reviews decided to try it.  Unfortunately, I could only find an almost 7lb chicken so the cooking time took a bit longer but aside from that, it was delicious!  If you get a bigger chicken, use a 15-16 minute per pound rule to adjust the cooking time.  The meat was so moist and tender.  This is worthy to serve to guests - and I guarantee they'll ask for the recipe!
You make the chicken in an oven safe skillet and the real trick (as I found out after reading the reviews) is to thoroughly dry the chicken - inside and out - with paper towels.
The recipe called for unsalted butter to be rubbed on the chicken after it comes out - but I didn't do that.  I'm not sure I'd add that step in next time either since we don't eat the skin.

Here's the chicken when it came out of the oven - perfectly golden!

Here's our meal - with mushroom lemon orzo (I'll post that separate); broccolini

Ingredients:
One 2-3lb whole chicken
Kosher Salt & Fresh Ground Pepper
2 tsp minced thyme (optional)
Unsalted Butter

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Rinse the chicken, then dry it very well with paper towels, inside and out. The less it steams, the drier the heat, the better.

Salt and pepper the cavity, then truss the bird. When you truss a bird, the wings and legs stay close to the body; the ends of the drumsticks cover the top of the breast and keep it from drying out. Trussing helps the chicken to cook evenly, and it also makes for a more beautiful roasted bird.

Now, salt the chicken—"rain" the salt over the bird so that it has a nice uniform coating that will result in a crisp, salty, flavorful skin (about 1 tablespoon). When it's cooked, you should still be able to make out the salt baked onto the crisp skin. Season to taste with pepper.

Place the chicken in a sauté pan or roasting pan and, when the oven is up to temperature, put the chicken in the oven.  Leave it alone—don't baste it, don't add butter; you can if you wish, but it creates steam, which I don't want. 

Roast it until it's done, 50 to 60 minutes. Remove it from the oven and add the thyme, if using, to the pan. Baste the chicken with the juices and thyme and let it rest for 15 minutes on a cutting board.

Serve after it's cooled 15 minutes.  

Vanilla Cupcakes

B watches Cupcake Wars all the time and always says she wants to open her own shop someday.  We had some time this afternoon, so we decided to make cupcakes.  She wanted vanilla ones (seemed easy enough!) and we had most of the ingredients already.  A quick trip to the store for a couple things and we were baking!  She whipped the batter, filled the muffin tins; frosted them and decorated them!  A fun afternoon!  I found the recipe here for the cupcakes.

Edited to add - We made these again today and added 2 tsp of plain Greek yogurt to the batter.  They are so moist and much better with that in them.  The recipe below reflects that change.    

Here's B mixing the batter

B filling the muffin tins

Decorating the cakes

Her finished product

Ingredients:
1 ¼ cups (lightly spooned in the measuring cup and levelled with a knife) flour
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 tsps baking powder
½ tsp salt
6 Tbs (3 oz) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
½ cup water
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 yolk from a large egg, at room temperature
1 Tbs vanilla extract
2 tsp Plain Greek Yogurt

Directions:
Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 375°F (190°C) – I have an unusually hot oven so I set mine to 180°C). Line 12 regular-sized (2 ¾-inch diameter) muffin cups with paper or foil liners (I used silicone cupcake cups).

Put the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a medium or large mixing bowl and whisk to combine.

Put the melted butter, water, egg and yolk, vanilla and Greek yogurt in a small bowl and whisk until well blended. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry and whisk until well blended and smooth, about 1 minute.

Portion the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling each about 2/3 full. (I poured the batter into a large measuring cup with a spout, which makes pouring easier and neater.) Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 14 to 16 minutes. Move to a wire rack and let cool for 15 minutes. Carefully remove the cupcakes from the pan, set them on a wire rack and let cool completely.

Stuffed Pork Chops

I was in the Acme and saw their version of stuffed pork chops and thought, "I can do that...and better!".  So, I bought thick chops and the rest I already had at the house.  I searched online for how long to cook them and as I suspected, the recipe I found was way too short of cook time for these.  It originally called for browning the chops on the stove for 4 minutes per side then in the over for 7 minutes more.  It ended up being more like 12 minutes in the oven.  All in all, this was a tasty meal though!

Here are my "fillers" - Parmesan, spinach, roasted walnuts and mushrooms

I put a little olive oil and panko on the outside after stuffing them

Here's our meal - stuffed chops, Parmesan Rosemary potatoes and corn

Ingredients:
1/4 c walnuts
1/2 c mixed mushrooms
A few handfuls of spinach
Fresh shaved Parmesan cheese
1/2 c Panko breadcrumbs
2 tbsp margarine
3 tbsp olive oil
2 thick cut pork chops

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375.  Once preheated, put walnuts on a cookie sheet (line with parchment paper for easy clean up) and roast in oven for 4-5 minutes.

Meanwhile, put 1 tbsp margarine in a skillet and saute spinach.  Once wilted, set aside.  In the same skillet, add 1 tbsp margarine (if needed) and saute mushrooms until done, about 5 minutes.

Make a slit in each pork chop, making sure not to cut all the way through.

Combine ingredients and stuff into each chop evenly.

Carefully coat outside of chops with a drizzle of olive oil.  Put panko in a shallow dish and roll chops around to coat.  

In a cast iron skillet (or one that can go in the oven), heat olive oil.  Place chops in the skillet and brown each side for 4 minutes.  Transfer skillet to the oven and cook for another 10-12 minutes, or until done.  Let the chops rest for about 5 minutes before cutting into them.  

Meatloaf "Muffins"

I have been wanting to make meatloaf in a muffin tin for a while.  Since it's so cold out, that seemed like a fun dinner for last night.  I used my usual meatloaf recipe and added French's French Fried Onions (crushed up) to it.  I'm not sure if I just cooked it a little too long or if I need the fattier beef, but this turned out a little dry for me.  The spice was really good and I'll make it again but play with ingredients / cook time. 

Ready to put in the oven 

Our Dinner

Meatloaf Muffins

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef (I used the 96% lean)
1 egg, beaten
A few dashes of Worcestershire Sauce
1-2 tbsp dijon mustard
A few dashes of onion powder
20 saltine crackers, crushed up (I usually use 20 but probably had half last night which is why I added the French's Onions)
1/3 c crushed up French's French Fried Onions
A few dashes of Montreal Steak Spice

For the topping:
1/3 c ketchup
A few dashes of Worcestershire Sauce
2-3 tsp brown sugar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Combine all ingredients for the meatloaf and mix well
In a separate bowl, combine ingredients for topping, mix well
Scoop meat mixture into 12 muffin tins (spray with Pam first).  Distribute evenly
Place topping evenly on each "meatloaf muffin"
Bake for 30 minutes & serve