Category: Recipes

Queso Blanco Dip


When I lived in Atlanta, I used to frequent a restaurant called La Fonda, that served a lick-the-bowl-clean queso dip which honestly, is one of the main reasons I would go there. I’ve yet to find a restaurant here in LA that comes remotely close, so I decided to try to duplicate it at home. Since it’s been about ten years since I’ve had that incredible dip, it’s hard for me to compare, but I can tell you this one is truly yummy!

Queso Dip

Ingredients

  • 8 oz. White American cheese, cubed or broken into pieces (can be found behind the deli counter at most grocery stores)
  • 2 tbsp. diced green chiles
  • 1 pickled jalapeño, chopped
  • 1 tbsp. pickled jalapeño juice
  • 1/3 cup milk
  • 1/4 cup cold water
  • Pinch of ground cumin, optional

Directions

  1. Toss all ingredients into a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high for 4 minutes, stirring every minute. This will start out watery, but will form into a nice, runny dip. Be careful… the bowl will get hot.
  2. Serve immediately with chips.

Note: Microwave ovens vary, so this may take less or more than four minutes – mine took a little over three. 

Tip: The dip will thicken as it cools, so if you want to maintain the thinner consistency, keep it warm in a small crock pot on low.

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Beer-Battered Fish Tacos With Chipolte Sauce and Salsa


Image

I receive numerous emails containing recipes, and got one yesterday from Kitchen Daily for this recipe, which originally came from Eating Well. As always, I modified it and came up with the chipolte white sauce to accompany the tacos. I like this because it’s not deep-fried and is really yummy. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love me some deep-fried food, but prefer to eat healthier… most of the time 😉

If you want to skip the sauce and make this even lighter, you can top the tacos off with a little plain greek yogurt with the salsa.

Ingredients

Fish Tacos

  • 3 tbsp. all-purpose flour
  • 1/8 tsp. ground cumin
  • 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper, or more for additional heat
  • 1/8 tsp. salt
  • 1/3 cup beer
  • 8 oz. tilapia filet, cut crosswise into 1-inch wide strips
  • 1 tbsp. canola oil
  • 4 corn tortillas, warmed
  • 1 cup shredded cabbage
  • Fresh salsa

Chipolte Sauce

  • 1/4 cup light mayo
  • 1 tbsp. low-fat milk
  • 2 tbsp. lime juice
  • 1/4 tsp. garlic salt
  • 1/4 tsp. chipolte seasoning

Directions

Chipolte Sauce

  1. Mix all of the ingredients together and put in fridge while preparing the fish.

Fish Tacos

  1. Combine flour, cumin, garlic, salt and cayenne in a medium bowl. Whisk in beer to create a batter.
  2. Coat tilapia pieces in the batter.
  3. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
  4. Add the fish to the pan, letting excess batter drip back into the bowl.
  5. Cook until crispy and golden, 2 to 4 minutes per side.
  6. Serve fish with tortillas, cabbage, chipolte sauce and salsa.
With guacamole on a flour tortilla
With guacamole on a flour tortilla

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Chocolate Chip Cookie Reese’s Brownies


CC Cookie PB Brownie

What do you get when you combine chocolate chip cookie dough, Reese’s peanut butter cups and brownie mix??? I call it a little slice of heaven! If you’re a fan of these three things as much as I am, then you will fall in love with this amazing concoction. For real. And when I  tell you they’re super easy to make, I kid you not.

Ingredients
Ingredients

  • 1 package of break-apart cookie dough
  • 24 regular or snack size Reese’s peanut butter cups
  • 1 box of brownie mix

Assembly

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. Flatten a square of the chocolate chip cookie dough into the wells of a muffin tin (or in cupcake liners).
  3. Place a Reese’s, upside down, on top of the cookie dough.
  4. Prepare brownie batter as directed on the box, and spoon over Reese’s-cookie dough, 3/4 full.
  5. Bake for 20 minutes.
  6. Let cool on wire rack.
  7. Enjoy the deliciousness!

Fresh out of the oven

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Baked Kale Chips


Baked Kale Chips

In keeping with the theme of my last post, I’m sharing this tasty little snack I made for a second time yesterday. I love that the kale gets crispy like potato chips, yet are so much healthier. There are numerous things you can add to them… lemon juice, paprika, parmesan cheese, red pepper flakes, garlic, etc., so go ahead and experiment!

Ingredients

  • 1 bunch (about 6 oz.) kale
  • 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Kale before baking

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 300°F.
  2. Rinse and dry the kale, then remove the stems and tough center ribs.
  3. Cut into large pieces, toss with olive oil and apple cider vinegar in a bowl then sprinkle with salt and pepper.
  4. Arrange leaves in a single layer on a large baking sheet (I lined mine with parchment paper for easier clean up).
  5. Bake for approximately 15 minutes, or until crisp.
  6. Place baking sheet on a rack to cool.

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Sautéed Kale


I realize this recipe may not be as exciting as some of my others, but knowing that it is a superfood, should entice you to try it (if you already haven’t). The skinny on this leafy green is that Kale, also known as borecole, is one of the healthiest vegetables on the planet. It’s available in curly, ornamental, or dinosaur varieties. It belongs to the Brassica family that includes cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage, collards, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts. One cup of kale contains 36 calories, 5 grams of fiber, and 15% of the daily requirement of calcium and vitamin B6, 40% of magnesium, 180% of vitamin A, 200% of vitamin C, and 1,020% of vitamin K. It is also a good source of minerals copper, potassium, iron, manganese, and phosphorus. So… with all that being said, eat your Kale!

This recipe is super easy to prepare and adds some really nice flavor.

Sauteed Kale

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 lbs. kale, stems removed and leaves coarsely chopped
  • 2 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/2 cup vegetable or chicken stock (can use 1/2 cup water if desired)
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 2 tsp. red wine vinegar (can substitute balsamic)

Directions

  1. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.
  2. Add crushed red pepper flakes, if using, and let them sizzle a bit in the oil.
  3. Add the garlic and cook until soft, but not colored.
  4. Add the stock and kale, and toss to combine.
  5. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.
  6. Remove cover and continue to cook, stirring until all (most) of the liquid has evaporated.
  7. Season with salt and pepper and add vinegar.

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Pub-Style Chicken and Caramelized Onions with Spinach


I am always on the lookout for new recipes which are both easy and delicious, and this one definitely fits the bill. I have to thank my Mom for sharing it with me, as it has quickly become my favorite chicken dish. And when I tell you it’s delicious, that’s really an understatement. Seriously, it is the bomb! This recipe calls for fresh spinach, but I opted to go with creamed spinach simply because I love it.

Pub-Style Chicken with Caramelized Onions

Ingredients

Chicken

  • 3 oz. reduced-fat Mexican cheese blend
  • 1/4 cup light soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp. molasses
  • 1 tbsp. garlic powder
  • 3/4 tsp. pepper, divided
  • large zip-top bag
  • 1 1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 4 cups sliced sweet yellow or white onions
  • 1 tbsp. canola oil
  • 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
  • 2/3 cup french-fried onions
  • 1/4 cup refrigerated Caesar dressing
  • 1/4 cup light honey mustard dressingDean-Jacobs-Blend-Parmesan-Stackable-r

Spinach

  • 1 bag fresh spinach (6–9 oz)
  • 1 tbsp. garlic herb butter
  • 1/2 tsp. Bakery bread-dip seasoning (Parmesan blend)

I had a hard time finding the bread-dip seasoning so I made my own using 1 tsp. Parmesan, 1/2 tsp. each: oregano, garlic powder, and kosher salt, 1/4 tsp. each: dried basil, parsley flakes and onion powder,  and 1/8 tsp. each: thyme and tarragon. Grind spices until fine, then add the Parmesan to spices and mix well. Store in container until ready to use. 

Directions

Chicken

  1. Preheat oven to 425°F.

  2. Combine soy sauce, molasses, garlic powder, and 1/2 tsp. pepper.

  3. Place mixture in bag and add chicken, turning to coat. Let stand at least 10 minutes (the longer, the better) or overnight in the fridge to marinate.

  4. Toss fresh onions with oil, salt, and remaining 1/4 tsp. pepper.

  5. Place onions in 13 x 9-inch baking dish; top with chicken.

  6. Bake 20–25 minutes or until chicken reaches 165°F.

  7. Top chicken with crispy onions and cheese; bake 2–3 more minutes or until cheese melts.

  8. Combine both dressings; microwave on HIGH 20–30 seconds or until hot. Drizzle sauce over chicken and serve.

Spinach

  1. Place spinach in microwave-safe bowl and cover; microwave on HIGH 4–5 minutes or until tender. Drain, if needed.
  2. Stir in butter and seasoning, and serve.

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Homemade Version of Outback’s Alice Springs Chicken


While I was searching for honey mustard dressing recipes a couple of weeks ago, I kept seeing Alice Springs chicken in the results, and had no idea what that was all about. Obviously, I had to check it out, and discovered it’s a “famous” dish served at Outback Steakhouse. I mean, I know all about the Bloomin’ Onion, but hadn’t heard of this before, but am SOOO glad that I stumbled upon it! It definitely packs a bunch with amazing flavor!!

Homemade Alice Springs Chicken

Ingredients

Honey Mustard Marinade

  • 1/2 cup Grey Poupon Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 1 tsp. Canola oil
  • 1/2 tsp. lemon juice
  • 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
  • 1 tbsp. Canola oil
  • 2 cups sliced mushrooms
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Paprika
  • 8 slices of bacon, cooked
  • 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
  • 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions

  1. Combine mustard, honey, 1 tsp. oil and lemon juice in a bowl using an electric mixer. Mix for about 30 seconds.
  2. Place chicken in a large ziploc bag and pour about 2/3 of marinade over chicken. Marinate in fridge for about 2 hours (or longer, if desired). Chill remaining marinade for later use.
  3. After chicken has marinated, preheat over to 375° F.
  4. Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a large skillet over medium heat, remove chicken from bag and sear on each side for 3-4 minutes until golden brown. Throw away bag with marinade in it. Remove from heat, and place chicken into a baking dish.
  5. In a small frying pan, sauté the mushrooms in a little butter.
  6. Brush each of the chicken breasts with the reserved honey mustard marinade, saving a little to serve on the side when the dish is finished.
  7. Season chicken with some salt, pepper and a dash of paprika.
  8. Place two pieces of cooked bacon crosswise on top of each chicken breast.
  9. Spoon 1/4 of the mushrooms on top of the bacon.
  10. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of the Monterey Jack cheese, then 1/4 cup of Mozzarella on top of each piece of chicken.
  11. Bake for 7-10 minutes, or until cheese is thoroughly melted and bubbly.

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Artichoke, Mushroom and Spinach Lasagna


I woke up yesterday, yearning to make a meatless/veggie lasagna. I have no idea why this particular dish was pinpointed as the object of my affection, but knew I HAD to make it. I perused some of my saved recipes, and came across a few that looked delicious. So, I took one, altered it quite a bit and came up with this one, which I thought was amazingly scrumptious. I tried to be conscientious of the exact measurements I used… hopefully, that’s the case 😉

Artichoke, Mushroom & Spinach Lasagna

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp. butter or olive oil
  • 9 no-boil lasagna noodles
  • 1/2 onion, chopped
  • 1/2 cup fresh mushrooms, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 (14.5 oz.) can vegetable broth
  • 1 tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped
  • 2 tbsp. fresh basil, chopped
  • 1 (14 oz.) can marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
  • 1 (10 oz.) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained and squeezed dry
  • 1 (28 oz.) jar tomato pasta sauce
  • 1 (15 oz.) container Ricotta cheese
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. fresh ground pepper
  • 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
  • 1 (4 oz.) package herb and garlic feta, crumbled

Veggie Lasagna

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
  2. Put butter or olive oil in a large skillet and heat on medium-high.
  3. Sauté onion, garlic and mushrooms for 5 minutes, or until onion is tender-crisp.
  4. Stir in broth, rosemary and basil, and bring to a boil.
  5. Stir in artichoke hearts and spinach; reduce heat, cover and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in pasta sauce.
  6. Mix together, ricotta, egg, 2 cups of mozzarella cheese, salt and pepper in a bowl.
  7. Spread 1/4 of the sauce mixture in the bottom of the prepared baking dish; top with 3 cooked noodles.
  8. Add some big dollops of the ricotta/mozzarella mixture (using half) on top of the noodles, then more of the sauce.
  9. Repeat layers 2 more times, ending with sauce mixture and remaining mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle crumbled feta on top.
  10. Bake, covered, for 40 minutes. Uncover, and bake 10 minutes more, or until hot and bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

Cut Lasagna

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Buffalo Chicken Enchiladas


Over the weekend, I found a dish that I planned on making… wrote out my grocery list, then… stumbled upon another recipe I had saved a while back that intrigued me so much I decided to make that instead (this recipe). If you like enchiladas and buffalo wing sauce, then you’ll surely love this! It’s a relatively easy recipe once you have the chicken cooked and ready to go. A way to simplify the process is to pick up a roasted chicken from the grocery story and simply shred some of it to use. I chose to poach my chicken since I had some chicken tenders in the fridge, which results in very juicy and tasty meat (instructions below). But feel free to cook the chicken (if you go that route) however it suits you.

Buffalo Chicken Enchiladas!

Ingredients

  • 8 large tortillas
  • 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
  • 3 cups red enchilada sauce (from 28 oz. can)
  • 1/2 cup buffalo wing sauce (+ more depending on your taste buds)
  • 1 cup shredded Mexican Four cheese blend
  • 4 oz. gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
  • 5 green onions, chopped
  • 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
  2. Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with non-stick spray.
  3. Pour enchilada sauce in a bowl and begin by whisking in 1/4 cup buffalo wing sauce. Taste and adjust according to your desired level of heat – I added in 1/2 cup total. Set aside.
  4. Add shredded chicken to a bowl with 2 chopped green onions and 1/2 cup Mexican cheese. Pour in about a 1/2 cup of enchilada/buffalo sauce mixture and mix thoroughly. Stir until mixture comes together.
  5. Pour a drizzle of enchilada/buffalo sauce in the bottom of the baking dish. Take each tortilla and fill it with a few heaping tablespoons of the chicken mixture. Roll each up and set it in the baking dish, seam side down.
  6. Pour another 1/2 cup or more of enchilada/buffalo sauce on top of tortillas and add remaining Mexican cheese.
  7. Bake for 20-25 minutes.
  8. After taking out of the oven, immediately add crumbled gorgonzola on top.
  9. Garnish with the remaining onions and cilantro, and serve.
  10. Store the remaining sauce in the fridge for 1-2 weeks, and use if reheating enchiladas.

Buffalo Chix Enchiladas Serving

* To poach chicken:

  1. Start with boneless, skinless chicken breasts or chicken tenders. Place the chicken at the bottom of a wide pan. Don’t overcrowd them.
  2. Add enough water so it just barely covers the chicken.
  3. Add some fresh herbs like thyme or tarragon, along with a bay leaf and a few whole black peppercorns, in addition to about a tablespoon of Kosher salt. (For this recipe, I added some Seasoning Salt and chopped onion flakes, plus the salt.)
  4. Bring the water to a boil, then lower it to a simmer. You should see a few gentle bubbles rise up from time to time, but definitely not a full rolling boil.
  5. Simmer for about 10 minutes, then turn off the heat, cover the pot tightly and let the chicken breasts stand in the hot water for another 15 to 20 minutes, depending on how big the chicken breasts/tenders are.
  6. After 15 to 20 minutes, take the chicken out and pull/shred/chop them into pieces..

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Honey Bunches of Oats Chicken


I’m always looking for new (and easy) ways to make baked chicken, and have experimented recently in the kitchen with crackers and cereal. Last night, it was Honey Bunches of Oats, and I am so pleased with how it turned out. And talk about simple… only three ingredients!!

Honey Bunches of Oats Chicken

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. thin chicken breast or tenders
  • 1 egg
  • 2 cups Honey Bunches of Oats cereal, finely crushed

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 375° F.
  2. Lightly beat egg in a shallow bowl.
  3. Put cereal in a Ziploc bag, crush with rolling pin, or your hands, then transfer to a plate or bowl.
  4. Dip chicken in egg, turning to evenly coat.
  5. Roll chicken in cereal crumbs on both sides.
  6. Place in a baking dish, or on a cookie sheet, lightly sprayed with cooking spray.
  7. Bake for 25 minutes, or until chicken is fully cooked.

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