Empanadas with Goat Cheese

I got this recipe out of the latest RealSimple issue. They have an article featuring a whole bunch of three-ingredient dishes, and this was one of them.

It's so simple, it's not even a recipe, really, but they were SO GOOD. I made them the other day when a friend came over and we gobbled them all up!

You need:

2 sheets of refrigerated pie dough (you can also make your own, if so inclined)
4 oz. of goat cheese
salsa

Roll out the pie dough and cut 3-inch circles out. I used a biscuit cutter, but you could also use the rim of a drinking glass.
Spoon a little goat cheese (about 1/2 a tsp. or so) in the middle of the circle.
wet the edges of the dough with a little water and then fold it in half, pinching closed (be careful not to get cheese in your seam).
Bake in the oven at 350 for about 20-25 minutes until they're golden and delicious.

Then, dip them in a little salsa and eat. So, so yummy!

Italian Cheese Bread

This would traditionally be made to go with lasagna, spaghetti, or anything Italian but I'm not going to do that. I had from mozzarella cheese that needed to be used and this bread popped in my head. We're having meatloaf tonight so it'll have to replace whatever potato dish I normally would have decide on. This bread is easy but isn't anything special. I'd make it again because it's easy to get to the table and I don't have another recipe for this kind of thing. If you have one and it's really good, due share!

Bread:

2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour or bread flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon active dry yeast (can use instant)

1 cup warm water (120*F)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Topping:

1/4 cup prepared Italian salad dressing (I didn't have this so I used butter)

1/8 tsp salt

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp ground oregano

1/4 tsp dried thyme

Dash pepper

1-2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions: 

1. In a bowl, combine the first four ingredients.

2. Combine water and oil; add to flour mixture. Add additional flour if needed to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface; knead for 1-2 minutes or until smooth and elastic.

3. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 20 minutes. (Optional: if in a hurry, just skip this rise.)

4. Punch the dough down; place on a greased 16" pizza pan and pat into a 16" circle. Brush with salad dressing (I use the back of a spoon).

5. Combine the seasonings; sprinkle over top. Sprinkle with cheeses.

6. For a fluffier cheese bread (our preference), at this point, allow the bread to rest for 15 minutes or so. If you're in a hurry, just skip this rise. (The bread will rise while it bakes, too.)

7. Pre-heat the oven to 450*F. Bake for 11-15 minutes or until golden brown. See additional notes for baking tips!

8. Slice into 12 slices. Serve warm.

T. G. I. Friday's Broccoli-Cheese Soup

I received a copy-cat cookbook from a lady at work for Christmas, and I couldn't wait to use it. My husband had been asking for a broccoli-cheese soup for about a month now. This one is super easy and quick! It's definitely a keeper in our house. YUM!

Ingredients
4 cups water
2 cups potato, peeled and diced
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1 cup diced onion
2-10oz. packages frozen chopped broccoli
2-10.75oz. cans cream of chicken soup
1 pound Velveeta, cubed

Directions
1. Combine the water, potato, bouillon cubes, onion and broccoli in a large heave saucepan. Cook over medium heat for 20 minutes, or until the potato and broccoli are tender.

2. Add the canned soup and the cheese, stirring until the cheese is melted and smooth. Simmer for 15 minutes; the soup should thicken.

Tamale Pie

My husband had a tradition in his house that all the kids had a special meal that they made for the family, and they would make them once or twice a month. Well, this is my husbands meal. He's adapted it so far off the original, that it's a recipe of it's own. The only thing that stuck was the name, tamale pie. Funny thing is, there are no tamales and it's not pie shaped - I really have no idea why it was called this. But what I do know, is that it's a favorite of this new family. I probably crave it more than my husband. :) I hope it becomes a family favorite for you as well.

Note: I know a lot of you ladies have little ones, so this may be too spicy for them. So if you want to substitute canned diced tomatoes (with onion and garlic) for the Rotel, it will be just fine. But I definitely recommend the Rotel, it adds so much flavor.


Ingredients
2 pounds lean ground beef
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 medium onion or 2 teaspoons minced onion
28 oz. Rotel original
5 or 6 flour tortillas
4 cups shredded Monterrey and Colby Jack Cheese blend
2 small cans of sliced black olives, drained


Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
1. Cook the ground beef in a large skillet; Drain. Add the garlic powder, chili powder, salt, black pepper, onion, and Rotel. Mix together and simmer for 20 minutes, uncovered.
2. Meanwhile, spray a 9 x 13 baking pan liberally with non stick spray. Place one layer of flour tortillas in the bottom, being sure to go up the edge of the pan as well.
3. Place half the meat & tomato mixture (and the juice) on top of the tortillas. Layer about 1 1/2 cups of the cheese next.
4. Place another layer of tortillas, the rest of the meat & tomato mixture, and the rest of the cheese.
5. Bake for 25 minutes. Top with black olives and bake for an additional 5 minutes.

The leftovers are delicious as well!

Grilled Chicken and Red Onion Quesadillas

Here's just a heads up for everyone: My husband LOVES to grill. We tend to grill out about 2 or 3 times a week during the summer, so I may be posting a lot of grilling and side recipes this summer season. :)

I think I may have found my favorite chicken marinade with this recipe. As I said in an earlier post, I am loving cilantro more and more. I know it's an odd flavor and it's not for everyone, but if you like it, you'll love this. There is a jalapeno in the marinade as well; and since it was my first time making this recipe, I seeded it. In doing that, it wasn't spicy and we just got the flavor of the pepper.


Marinating time: 3 to 4 hours
Grilling time: 20 to 25 minutes

Ingredients
For the Paste:
2 large garlic cloves
1 jalapeno chile pepper, stem removed
1 cup tightly packed fresh cilantro leaves
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar (I used red wine vinegar)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper


3 boneless, skinless chicken breast, about 8 oz. each, halved
1 large red onion, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch slices
extra virgin olive oil
4 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese (I used a Colby and Monterey Jack blend)
6 flour tortillas (10 inches)
tomato salsa

Directions

1. To make the paste: In the food processor, mince the garlic and jalapeno. Add the remaining paste ingredients and process until smooth. Coat the chicken breasts on all sides with the paste and refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours.
2. Lightly brush or spray the onion slices with oil. Grill the chicken and onions over direct medium heat until the chicken in opaque in the center and the onions are tender, 8 to 12 minutes, turning once. Remove the chicken and onions from the grill and allow to cool. Cut the chicken crosswise into 1/8-inch slices and onions into 1/4-inch pieces.
3. Evenly divide the chicken, onions, and cheese over half of each tortilla. Fold the empty half of each tortilla over the filling, creating a half circle, and press down firmly. Grill the quesadillas over direct medium heat until well marked and the cheese has melted, 4 to 6 minutes, turning carefully once. Allow the quesadillas to cook for a minute or 2 before cutting into wedges. Serve with salsa.

Makes 6 servings
Source: Weber's Real Grilling

Cannellini Bean Pate

This is another really super easy snack or sandwich spread. (or pita spread for that matter). It came from "Best Ever Three & Four Ingredient Cookbook".

2 14oz cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 oz Cheddar cheese (i think it's about a half a cup..though my math may be way off)
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley ( i skipped this, we didn't have it, you could substitute anything really)
3 tbps olive oil

Put cannellini beans in the food processor with the olive oil in a steady stream. Process to a chunky paste. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the shredded cheese and parsley. Sprinkle with a little paprika , if desired. Serve with wholegrain toast.

I heated mine in the microwave because melted cheese is awesome and it tasted really good. I dipped carrots in mine, though I would probably not use that particular vegetable next time. I also think that tyou can whip this stuff on top of a tortilla with some lettuce and tomato and BOOM you have quesadillas! brillant, yo!

Perfect Macaroni and Cheese

Recipe from: The Old Farmer's Everyday Cookbook Almanac

I normally detest homemade mac and cheese and love the box kind. Well then pregnancy cravings hit and I changed my mind. I still like the box kind but I really wanted the homemade kind tonight so I tried it and it turned out really yummy.

Recipe
1 pound uncooked macaroni

Topping:
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 tablespoon butter

Sauce:
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
2 1/2 cups milk
salt and pepper, to taste
4 cups (1 pound) shredded Cheddar cheese

Preheat over to 350 F. Grease a 3-quart casserole dish (I used a 2 1/2-quart dish).

Cook pasta in large pot of boiling, salted water until al dente. Drain and set aside.

For topping: In small skillet, melt the butter, add the bread crumbs, and saute for 1-2 minutes. Remove and set aside.

For sauce: In small skillet (I used the same skillet as above to save on dishes, aka we are a no dishwasher household), melt butter over low heat. Stir in the flour with a whisk and cook for several minutes, stirring occasionally. In a separate saucepan, heat the milk to almost boiling, and add to it the butter and flour mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens. Season with salt and pepper.

Put one-third of macaroni in bottom of casserole dish. Cover it with one-third of cheese, then pour one-third of the sauce over the cheese. Repeat, making two more layers. Spoon buttered bread crumbs over the top. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Tips after making: I didn't not use a whole pound of macaroni. I'll make half the pasta next time, the whole amount of sauce the recipe calls for, and then half of the shredded cheddar cheese.

Acorn Squash Quesadillas

Here's a unique way to use a fall vegetable.
I'm linking this directly from Deb at smittenkitchen.com. I made it and used a squash that was probably too large, so i saved 1/3 of it for another meal. I didn't have jalapenos so I just added some crushed red pepper instead. Also I added spinach and used Muenster cheese like she suggests. I put avocado/sour cream and some sliced red onion on it and just smeared it all together. it was quite good. :)

http://smittenkitchen.com/2008/10/acorn-squash-quesadillas-tomatillo-salsa/

Quick and Easy

This is simple and good. My mom first made it for me.

Potato and Cheese Quesadillas
cooked potato (mashed, baked, whatever)
cheese
corn (or flour) tortillas
butter or oil

Melt butter in pan. Place potato and cheese on one tortilla. Place in pan on top of heated butter. Put another tortilla on top. Fry until crispy. Add butter and flip. Fry until crispy.

Dinner

This was dinner tonight (and a couple weeks ago, too). We really like this stuff. It’s called Bounty Rice and I think it’s similar in taste to Hamburger Helpers meals…except better and better for you, too.

Bounty Rice from Simply in Season
½ - 1 pound ground beef or pork
1 cup onion, diced
1 cup green pepper, chopped
Sauté in large fry pan until meat is browned and veggies are soft.

4 cups canned tomatoes (I used diced)
4 cups cabbage (we don’t use this ingredient)
3 cups cooked rice
1 t salt
½ t dried oregano
½ t dried basil
½ t garlic powder
Stir in, cover and continue cooking until cabbage is crisp-tender, 10-15 minutes.

½ cup sour cream
1 cup mozzarella cheese (the first time we used cheddar, totally different taste, still delicious)
Stir in sour cream. Sprinkle cheese on top and cover until cheese is melted. Serve.

Oh that’s funny. I guess I never did read this recipe all the way through until just now. I always stirred the cheese in also instead of leaving it on top. Interesting. I hope you ladies try this one. It’s good.
We also had brownies for our Sunday dessert. But I'm not sharing that recipe because, though they were better than the last brownies I made, they were not dense like good brownies are supposed to be. And they definitely would've benefitted from some chocolate chips in the mix, but really what wouldn't be better with more chocolate?

Obviously, we managed to choke a few down!