A Cooking Baker

I whipped this up in about five minutes today for lunch, using leftovers I found in the fridge - half a Roma tomato, part of a bunch of spinach, some diced onion leftover from another recipe, leftover noodles from the other night and some rotisserie chicken.  It will take longer if you need to cook your noodles and/or chicken, but it will still be super fast, and really, really tasty. As always, I am guesstimating with my quantities, since I sort of scooped, sprinkled and tossed here.  Enjoy! Speedy Chicken & Spinach Pasta  1 pkg. penne pasta, cooked and drained (whole wheat, quinoa, whatever you like - I used a high fiber one we had in the cupboard) 2 c. (ish) rotisserie chicken, torn/cut into pieces (more if you have a hungry teenager) 1/2 a small to medium onion, diced (I like onion in everything, so I tend to go heavier) 2 good-sized cloves garlic, minced 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes 1/2 c. chicken stock 2 Roma tomatoes, seeded & diced 1 bunch (or

Corn, basil & tomatoes - the flavors of summer! Enjoy the flavors of summer together with this recipe.  I whipped this up the other night and served over lettuce with some grilled steak and blue cheese for a hearty dinner salad.  So good!  You could also serve it on the side of BBQ chicken or grilled pork Tenderloin for a great side dish. I bought a few dozen ears of corn and froze it so we'd be able to enjoy dishes like this and corn chowder after sweet corn disappears from the farmer's markets and store shelves.  Make this with fresh or frozen corn.  Summery Corn Side Dish About 3 c. corn, fresh or frozen 1-2 cloves garlic, minced 1-2 Roma tomatoes, seeded & diced (or use a handful of grape tomatoes, halved or quartered) 1/4 c. red onion, finely diced 1/4 c. fresh basil, chopped olive oil  salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste add a pinch of cayenne for some heat In a skillet over medium heat, add a splash of olive oil, then add onion and gar

We love chips and salsa. A lot.  We're Chipotle fans, and their medium Tomatillo-Green Chile Salsa is my favorite.  I saw some tomatillos in the store the other night, and I've never tried doing anything with them before, so I decided to make some salsa!  Chipotle has nothing to fear, but I think the results of my experiment were favorable.  Here's what I came up with (amounts are approximated, since I don't really measure anything - I'm an eyeballer). Roasted Tomatillo Salsa 1 lb. tomatillos (they really vary in size, so I weighed them in the store), quartered 1 small red onion, sliced (I used 1/2 red onion, 1/2 sweet onion, since that's what I had on hand) 2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced (3 if they're smaller cloves) 2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and quartered (I used 3 - we like some heat) 2 Roma tomatoes, diced juice of 1 lime a splash of apple cider vinegar (1 tsp.?) 2-3 tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped 1 tsp. ground cumin sea salt (to tas

This dip was "lick the plate clean" good.   It really was.  There was nothing left on the plate after my gathering last night.  I will be adding this into the regular rotation.  It's like the old school layered taco dip, sort of, in its assembly, but the flavors are totally different.  And awesome. I had pinned this , and finally got to make it - it's a keeper.  I just changed a few things, mostly because of what I had on hand. I totally guessed on the amounts - I know I prepared 1 cup of the chopped veggies, but didn't use all of it, because I thought it might get too moist or too loaded to eat on a chip.  Do whatever you feel like! Layered Mediterranean Dip 1 container of hummus (make it if you like, I used Trader Joe's Garlic flavored hummus) 1 recipe cilantro pesto (see below) 1/3 c. seedless cucumber, chopped 2 tbsp. red onion, diced 2 tbsp. chopped Kalamata olives (I don't like olives, so I put them on 1/2 and barely used any) 3 tbs

Tried a new recipe for a side dish recently... I made some twice-baked potatoes the other day using a combo of russet potatoes and sweet potatoes - so good!  I had a lot of filling left over and just served that as a mashed potato side another night.  The kids didn't mind it, either, which is always a bonus!  Sorry for the pics - it's a phone pic, taken before I baked them.  You get the general idea...  Marbled Twice-Baked Potatoes 4 large russet potatoes 1 large sweet potato (I had 2 medium-ish ones, and used those) 1/4 c. sour cream 2 tbsp. unsalted butter, cubed 2 tbsp. fresh chives, minced (could also use scallions, sliced thin) 1/2 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese freshly grated nutmeg (optional, but I like it!) salt & pepper to taste Poke your potatoes a few times, and bake them at 400 degrees for about an hour, or until they're tender.  Take them out, and let cool for a bit.  Slice the sweet potato in half, and then squeeze the delicious insides

I needed to do a practice run for the 2 upcoming bake sales I need to contribute goodies to.   As I am terrible at kneading and letting dough rise, and managing the time - I will more than likely walk away and forget about the poor lump of dough - I tried a recipe where I could do the dough in the bread machine, and get around all of that.   Last time I made them the traditional way, I ended up being up way, way too late at night so they would be ready for the morning, and it was not fun.  They were AWESOME, but stressful. This method worked out well - I'd make them again - it was ridiculously easy. (See that little crazy one in the top of the picture, by the way?   That was an end piece I squeezed in there, and it was just like a built-in sample piece, so I went ahead and grabbed it as soon as they came out of the oven.)  I made 2 9" rounds, and squeezed 8-9 rolls in each one, and then I baked one pan, and stuck the other one in the freezer for another time. Quick &

This is our favorite way to use up deli drawer leftovers. You can use frozen bread dough, pizza dough from the deli or make your own.  I made some dough the day before and stuck it in the fridge, and then quick threw the stromboli together and baked it.  It took about 40 minutes to prep and bake. I've approximated the quantities below - you can use what you have on hand, or buy what you need using the quantities below for a guide. Stromboli 1 recipe pizza Bread Machine Pizza Dough (below) 6-12 slices Genoa salami, thinly sliced 6-12 slices deli pepperoni, thinly sliced 6 slices deli ham, thinly sliced 6 slices picante provolone, thinly sliced 1 c. or so of shredded mozzarella cheese a healthy sprinkle of freshly grated Parmesan cheese garlic powder Italian seasoning freshly ground black pepper thinly sliced onions, green peppers, etc. optional (my kids don't do veggies in theirs) 1 egg marinara sauce for dipping Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.  St

Yes!  A dinner everyone LIKED! We all love Chinese food, and any take on it, so tonight we tried a recipe for beef and broccoli, and everyone ATE IT.  And LIKED IT.  Whoo-hoo!  Sorry for the less than attractive photo - the family was ready to pounce and I hurried it.  Beef & Broccoli with Rice Add the following ingredients into a gallon-size freezer bag, and then "knead" to coat (or mix it up in a bowl).  Marinate in the fridge for at least an hour (I cheated, and only did it for about 30 minutes, and it worked out fine, but longer is better).  You could also toss in the freezer at this point for a freezer meal, so why not make 2 meals - one for tonight, and one for another night or to share? 2 tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce 1 tbsp. water 1 tbsp. vegetable oil 1/2 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. granulated sugar (I've also used honey instead) 1 tbsp. cornstarch 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper 1 1/2 lb. round steak (or flank steak, strip steak, etc.) sliced thin ag

I love soup when it's cold! I've made Chicken Tortilla Soup many times, but for some reason, never in the slow cooker.  I came across a recipe for a slow cooker version the other day, so I decided to make my own version and see how it stacks up next to the traditional method.  I LOVE the idea of using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment to shred the chicken - genius!  Usually I'm all about old school fork shredded and doing work and all that, but this way is easy, fast, and awesome.  I'm a convert.  Here's the recipe: Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup 1 49 oz. can of chicken broth (Swanson Natural Goodness) or the equivalent of homemade stock, etc. 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (or use a rotisserie chicken, or a whole chicken you've cooked, etc.) 1 medium onion (white, yellow, sweet - whatever you have on hand), diced 1 serrano pepper, seeded and finely diced (you can also use a fresh jalapeno, or leave them out, b