Onion Roasted Potatoes

I think we're pretty overdue for a good, easy side dish, don't you!? I won't even bore you with a bunch of chit-chat... let's just get down to business! Onion roasted potatoes - with no tears from chopping raw onion! High-5's for that!!

What you'll need:


Red potatoes, olive oil, onion soup mix.
That's it! Don't you just love easy!?

Scrub your potatoes clean & then cube them up into chunks - no smaller than 1" cubes.


Toss them into an 9x13 pan & drizzle with olive oil. Then sprinkle the soup packet over them.


Give it all a good stir & then pop it into a 450 oven for 35 minutes, stirring once halfway through.



Ta da!! You're done! yum, yum, yum!



Here they are all plated up & ready to go!



Mmmmm.... Onion roasted potatoes!

Onion Roasted Potatoes:

2 pounds red potatoes
1/3 cup olive oil
1 pkt onion soup mix

Wash & dry potatoes. Cut into chunks. Place in 9x13 baking dish & drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with soup mix & thoroughly stir to coat evenly.

Bake at 450 for about 35-40 minutes, stirring once.

Sweet & Sour Chicken (on the stove top)

I make sweet & sour chicken a couple of ways - one is cooked on the stove top in a glaze with some peppers & pineapple, the other is a more labor-intensive process - batter the chicken, pan fry the chicken, make a home-made sauce, soak the chicken in it, bake it in the oven, basting as it cooks... that one is pretty fantastic - but it takes a lot of work & dirties a lot of dishes. The recipe I'm gonna show you here is the easy, less mess way - and it is also super delicious & light! Ready for it!? Let's go!

Get your groceries:


Diced up chicken breasts, oil, cornstarch, CONDENSED chicken broth (Campbell's), vinegar, chunked pineapple from a can (with it's juice), sugar & a bell pepper - red or green, whichever you prefer.

Now let's prep! If you haven't already, dice up your chicken into bite-sized pieces. also chunk up your pepper into roughly 1" pieces.


... and whisk together your broth & cornstarch.


Now get some oil in a pan over medium-high heat. add the chicken, sprinkle it with some salt & pepper & then cook it til it's good & browned.


Then you just dump everything else into the pan...

...& give it a good stir. Bring it to a boil & let it go for a few minutes (stirring a few times) as the sauce thickens up.


Cover & reduce heat to low for 5 more minutes. You'll notice the sauce is thick now & now totally liquid like it was when you first poured it in. And the peppers have deepened their color a bit.


Serve it up over rice & call it done!



Good stuff, folks! My poor hubby - he diced up the chicken for me & then had to run off to a meeting until almost 9:00 that night. He took a couple slices of toast with him so he wouldn't starve. My kids asked if their friends could stay for dinner & of course I'm gonna say yes.... but poor hubby came home to an empty pan on the stove! :o( He was so sad! He said the whole drive home he was thinking of how great the pineapple & peppers would taste with the chicken over the rice.... DENIED! Sorry, Babe. Love ya!

Sweet & Sour Chicken:

3 Tbsp cornstarch
1 can condensed chicken broth (Campbell's)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 pound chicken, diced into 1" pieces
1 8-oz can pineapple chunks, UNdreained
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup white vinegar
1 small bell pepper, cut into strips or chunks

Mix cornstarch & broth; set aside.

Heat oil in skillet. Add the chicken & stir-fry until browned.

Add broth, pineapple, sugar, vinegar & peppers. Heat to a boil.

Cook & stir until it thickens up a bit. Cover & cook on low for another 5 minutes. Serve over rice.

Wordless Wednesday - Monster Makeover

Greek Yogurt - a PSA

I'm sure by now you've heard of Greek yogurt. Seems like all the 'health segments' on all the talk shows have featured it in some way or another. Well, now it's my turn! LOL (and no, Dannon isn't compensating me or anything - this is just me!)

We've used it 3 different ways this week, all in place of sour cream.

1.) Zac made twice baked potatoes & used it to blend into the mashed potatoes with cheese, bacon & diced green onions, rather than sour cream. It incorporated nicely & tasted just like sour cream!

2.) Zac mixed some blue cheese, Greek yogurt, lemon juice, salt & pepper to make a blue cheese dressing to put on top of buffalo cheese burgers. It was great!!

3.) I made stroganoff for dinner last night & opted for the Greek yogurt instead of sour cream. This time the taste was fine, but visually it left something to be desired. It didn't melt down completely like sour cream does. It was heavily flecked with little white specks of yogurt proteins. Again, it tasted great - just didn't look as appetizing as it does when I use sour cream.

And I think next up we'll try making homemade Ranch dressing with it!

So, what are the benefits? Let's look at the labels - this is for about 1/2 cup of each.

Sour cream:
240 calories
20 grams of fat
4 grams of protein

Greek yogurt:
65 calories
0 grams of fat
12 grams of protein

HELLO!!!??? That's pretty impressive!
20 grams of fat vs ZERO!?
75% less calories!?
4 times the protein!

I think I'm a convert.

So, Greek yogurt gets my seal of approval for a few things - 1.) melting down in something that you won't see it in - like the mashed potatoes. Would also do great in sour cream enchiladas, I think! Or used in sour cream cookies! Definitely! 2.) Swapping out for cold sour cream occasions - like making a sandwich/burger spread. I can imagine that it would also work great in pasta or potato salad. I haven't tried it, but I bet it would even be great on top of your tacos or baked potatoes! But if you're melting it into something that's got a darker sauce, I'm afraid I'll still grab for the sour cream - high fat, high calories, low protein.... Oh well. Every once in a while is OK!

Cinnamon Bread

Ready for some reality? I am full of flaws! I might show you good picture of great food that always seems to turn out right with little effort, but sometimes it just doesn't happen! I've showed you burned onions, over cooked meat & singed casseroles before - so this should come as no big revelation to you if you read my blog often!! LOL So what's my latest screw up? Yeast. I know that it's a fickle little thing and generally speaking I can get it to cooperate fairly well. But this recipe just kept throwing punches my way. First, I had my milk too hot & it killed the yeast. But I didn't know it until after 2 hours of rising, my dough ball was just as flat as when I'd put it in the bowl. So I tried it again today - and I over compensated & let my milk cool too much! So, to make up for that I kept it really, really warm as it was rising to encourage the yeast to wake up & do its magic. Well - apparently I kept it too warm & it made sure to throw a few extra punches. Curse you, yeast. Oh well - it's not pretty, but it sure was amazingly delicious! Hopefully you pay attention a little better than I do so your cinnamon bread can be both visually & tastefully pleasing!

Ingredients:

Pretty basic stuff - Butter, milk, eggs, sugar, salt, flour, yeast & cinnamon.

Heat up your milk & butter in a small sauce pan, over medium heat. Don't let it boil - just melt the butter down.

LET IT COOL DOWN A BIT! You don't want to kill your yeast in the hot milk *ahem*. You need it to be very warm - just not hot. Add your yeast & gently stir it just a bit.

Let that sit for about 10 minutes.

When your 10 minutes is just about up mix your eggs & sugar. If you have it in you to actually plan ahead (hahaha.... ya right!) it's best to pull your eggs out of the fridge about an hour before you make this - you don't want the cold eggs to stall the yeast. If you don't think of it don't worry - just beat this mixture up before you do the milk/butter/yeast stuff & let it sit & it'll be OK by the time you're ready for it.

Pour in your milk mixture & blend it well.

Now toss in your salt & about half the flour. Blend it up. Add the rest of the flour & give it another whirl. Now switch out your paddle for the dough hook because you're trusty Kitchen Aid is gonna beat up your dough for about 10 minutes.

Go on about a 4-speed for about 10 minutes. WATCH YOUR MIXER! Dough flinging around in a bowl can make your mixer 'walk' on the counter & I'd hate for it to walk right off your counter & crash down to the unforgiving floor!!

Get a metal or glass bowl nice & warm - I just flip it upside down & run some hot tap water over it for a minute. Drizzle a bit of oil in the bowl & add your dough - flip it around to coat it in the oil. It's gonna be a little sticky - it's OK! Now cover it with plastic wrap & put it in your favorite bread-rising spot. For me it's usually in the microwave (which is above our oven) and then I turn the light on - the one on the underside of the microwave that sines down to the stove top. Keeps it perfectly warm in there.

What's that? You noticed that I said *usually*!? Oh ya - here comes one of those yeasty jabs. Fearing that I hadn't left my milk warm enough I turned my oven to the lowest setting for about 2 minutes, then turned it off & put my bowl in there. What should have been 2 hours of rising was done in just 1 hour.

Ummmm.... Ya. It shouldn't have risen quite that much!! LOL

Dump that out onto a lightly floured counter. Flour your pin, too! Remember - it's kind of a sticky dough.

Only roll it as wide as your loaf pan is - but make it maybe 18-24 inches long.

Mix your cinnamon & sugar in a bowl - whisks make great sifters!

Smear the dough with melted butter then sprinkle evenly with the sugar/cinnamon mixture.

Roll it up - don't go too loose!Keep it kinda snug.
Put it in a greased loaf pan.

... and rise again. Here we go with another slap by the yeast. Again, this should have been a 2-hour rise but I checked on if after about 45 minutes ...

HOLY MOLY!!! Yikes! It's A-L-I-V-E!!!!

This is NOT right! Don't let it get this big!

Once you've risen to a more responsible height, brush the top with an egg/milk wash. Pop it into a 350 oven for 40 minutes.

And then get mad at the darn yeast again.

Seriously? SERIOUSLY!!!?? Jeez, Yeast. Cut me some slack!

Well, thank goodness I have great knives. I was able to do some minor surgery & resuscitate my poor loaf.

And, honestly... it's ugly but it is still pretty awesome!

Ahhhh.... Hello beautiful! I knew I'd find you eventually!

Cinnamon Bread:

1 cup Milk
6 Tablespoons Butter
2 1/2 teaspoons Active Dry Yeast
2 whole Eggs
1/3 cups Sugar
3 1/2 cups All-purpose Flour
1 teaspoon Salt
1/3 cups Sugar
2 Tablespoons Cinnamon
Egg And Milk, Mixed Together, For Brushing
Softened Butter, For Smearing And Greasing

Melt butter with milk. Heat until very warm, but don’t boil. Allow to cool until still warm to the touch, but not hot. Sprinkle yeast over the top, stir gently, and allow to sit for 10 minutes.

Combine flour and salt.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, mix sugar and eggs with the paddle attachment until combined. Pour in milk/butter/yeast mixture and stir to combine. Add half the flour and beat on medium speed until combined. Add the other half and beat until combined.

Switch to the dough hook attachment and beat/knead dough on medium speed for ten minutes. If dough is overly sticky, add 1/4 cup flour and beat again for 5 minutes.

Heat a metal or glass mixing bowl so it’s warm. Drizzle in a little canola oil, then toss the dough in the oil to coat. Cover bowl in plastic wrap and set it in a warm, hospitable place for at least 2 hours.

Turn dough out onto the work surface. Roll into a neat rectangle no wider than the loaf pan you’re going to use, and about 18 to 24 inches long. Smear with 2 tablespoons melted butter. Mix sugar and cinnamon together, then sprinkle evenly over the butter-smeared dough. Starting at the far end, roll dough toward you, keeping it tight and contained. Pinch seam to seal.

Smear loaf pan with softened butter. Place dough, seam down, in the pan. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise for 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix a little egg with milk, and smear over the top. Bake for 40 minutes on a middle/lower rack in the oven.

Remove from the pan and allow bread to cool. Slice and serve, or make cinnamon toast or French toast with it.

Source: Ree at The Pioneer Woman

Pizza Pasta

Do you like pizza? I know - dumb question, right? My kids would eat pizza every day if I'd let them - but, unfortunately for them, they have the mean mom that makes the have a *gulp* balanced diet [insert dramatic music] so they only get to indulge maybe twice a month. When you go out for pizza, you really only eat pizza - so a carb slathered in greasy cheese & full-fat meats. At least if you go for this pasta dish you can be sure to use a chunky, veggie-filled sauce, reduced fat cheeses and whole wheat pasta. And if you serve up some good fresh steamed veggies on the side you don't have to feel as guilty about 'pizza' night! Seriously - this tastes exactly like a sausage & pepperoni pizza. Try it out!

Ingredients:


Rotini, mild Italian sausage, sliced pepperoni, jarred spaghetti sauce (again, gotta love my Sockarooni!!), garlic, shredded Mozzarella cheese (I also ended up adding maybe 1/2 cup of some shredded cheddar/jack I had in the fridge).

Step 1: Boil up your pasta according to the package directions. While that is going get the sausage crumbled into a skillet & brown it up. Drain off the fat.


When they pasta finishes up drain it & just let it sit there in the colander for a few minutes. Take the hot pot you just poured the pasta out of & get it back on the stove over medium heat. Splash a smidge of olive oil in the pan & add the minced garlic. Just stir it around for a few minues to bring out the flavor.


Now, in that same pot add the cooked meat, cooked pasta & the jar of sauce. Give it a good stir to blend it up & get everything distributed well.


Here comes one more dirty dish - last one, I promise! Get out a casserole dish - a 9x13 would work - I used my middle sized Corningware - & give it a quick spray with PAM. Pour in half of this pasta mixture, top with half the cheese. Add the rest of the pasta, top with the rest of the cheese. Top with pepperoni, sprinkle with a little more cheese, if you have it/want it.


Pop this bad boy into a 350 oven for about 30 minutes.


Wanna see inside!!? It's good stuff.....


Layers of pasta, cheese, meat & veggies! Yum, yum, yum.


Enjoy your dinner!

Pizza Pasta:

1/2 a box (8oz) Rotini pasta
1 jar (quart) Spaghetti sauce
2 cups Mozarella cheese, shredded
1/2 cup Cheddar/Jack, shredded
1/2 - whole package (8 - 16oz) ground sausage
-----*use at least 1/2 the pkg, as much as all of it, depending on your preferences
Sliced pepperoni
3 cloves garlic, minced

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain; set aside. While pasta is cooking, brown & crumble sausage in a pan. Once cooked, drain off the fat. In the same pot the pasta boiled in, heat a drizzle of oil over medium heat; add garlic. Stir around for about 4-5 minutes. Add sausage, pasta & sauce to the pan with garlic. Stir well to combine.

Spray a casserole dish with cooking spray. Add half the pasta mixture, top with 1/2 the mozzarella cheese. Add remaining pasta, top with remaining mozzarella. Add pepperoni to the top, sprinkle with Cheddar/Jack cheese.

Bake in a 350 oven for 25-30 minutes.

Recipe Source: Aubrey @ My Recipes

Wordless Wednesday - Valentine's Treat