Cheese Dipping Sauce

Again, stranded in the apartment because of the hurricane, Dave and I were looking to try a new recipe. I was craving cheese fries, so we looked to see if we could find a cheese sauce to make with ingredients we had on hand. We came across the recipe below. Score!

Ingredients:
2 tbsp butter
1 1/2 tbs cornstarch
1 cup milk
1 cup shredded cheese (we used half colby jack, half pepper jack)
1 tsp prepared mustard (we used dijon)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. In a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat, melt butter.
2. Meanwhile, measure out the milk, and pour a bit into a small bowl with the cornstarch. Mix until smooth, and combine with the rest of the milk.
3. Once butter is melted, slowly pour in the milk/cornstarch mixture.
4. Stir continuously until the sauce has thickened.
5. Remove from heat, and immediately stir in cheese and mustard. Continue stirring until the dip is smooth.
6. Add salt and pepper to taste
7. Serve warm.

We had this with sweet potato fries, and it was awesome! (the ones in the above photo are the frozen variety, but would have been even better with these)
The sauce is slightly gritty (not bad, though) if you eat it alone, but on the fries you couldn't tell and the sauce felt perfectly smooth.

When we make it again, we'll probably mix cheddar with the pepper jack for a stronger flavor.

Recipe adapted from AllRecipes.

Garlic Breadsticks

Since it is rainy, cold, windy, and hurrican-y out, Dave and I wanted to bake some nice warm bread. We decided to make some garlic breadsticks! (sorry they look yellow in the above pictures...I should have photoshopped the color)

Here's how to do it:

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups very warm water
1 package active dry yeast (2 1/4 tsp)
4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp salt

Garlic Butter Topping:
1/2 stick unsalted butter
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp table salt

Directions:
1. In a large bowl, dissolve sugar and yeast in warm water and allow to sit for 10 minutes, covered. Mixture should become frothy.
2. While waiting, preheat oven to 200 degrees.
3. In the bowl of your stand mixer (or in a medium sized bowl), combine flour and salt.
4. Add yeast mixture and melted butter to flour mixture.
5. Mix with dough hook attachment on stand mixer or stir with a wooden spoon until fully combined.
6. Knead dough for a few minutes until it is smooth and elastic.
7. Spray baking sheet with non-stick spray. Pull off small pieces of dough and roll out into strips- remember that they will double in size! (we ended up with about a dozen long sticks)
8. Cover the dough with plastic wrap sprayed with non-stick spray (on the side that will touch the bread) and TURN OFF THE OVEN (keep the door closed, of course)
9. Allow the bread to rise in the warm oven for an hour.
10. Once they have doubled in size, remove from oven, then preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
11. Let the bread get back to room temperature, then remove plastic wrap and bake in preheated oven.
12. Make butter topping: Microwave butter until melted, then whisk in garlic powder and salt.
13. After 7 minutes, brush the bread sticks with half of the butter mixture (which smells amazing!), and return to oven for another 6 or 7 minutes.
14. Immediately upon removal from the oven, brush the other half of the butter mixture on the sticks. (don't be stingy! You want it to soak in)

I know it's a lot of steps, but including the one hour rise time, the whole process only took 1 1/2 hrs.

Recipe from the Country Cook.
1 tsp table salt

Peanut Butter Oreo Ice Cream Pie

Wow...the title of this recipe says it all, doesn't it!?

Dave and I made this on a whim- we were not expecting any guests or company- we just couldn't resist making it once I found the recipe! What was awesome is that it lasted for just over a week since it was wrapped up in plastic in the freezer, although I'm sure it would have lasted at least 2 weeks.

Ingredients:
1 box Oreo Cookies
6 tbsp melted butter
2 cups cold heavy cream
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 bottle Smucker's Chocolate Fudge Microwave Topping (we only used about half)

Directions:
1. Finely crush about 25 Oreos in a food processor. Mix with melted butter and spread in the bottom of a 9″ round pan for the crust. Freeze for about 10 mins.
2. Lightly crush the remaining Oreos into large pieces, and set aside
3. Whisk sweetened condensed milk, peanut butter, and vanilla in large bowl.
4. In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream to stiff peaks, then fold the whipped cream into the sweetened condensed milk mixture.
5. Pour half of the peanut butter ice cream mixture on top of the frozen Oreo crust.
6. Heat chocolate fudge according to the directions on the bottle, and pour half of the bottle in a layer over the ice cream.
7. Add the remaining ice cream, hot fudge, and top with the Oreo cookie pieces. Freeze for at least 6-8 hours before serving.

This pie was just heavenly. Dave and I had some leftover peanut butter filling that didn't fit in the pie crust we made, and that was delicious just on its own. Make sure to let the pie thaw out a few minutes after taking it out of the freezer.

Recipe and photo from Kevin and Amanda

Sesame Crusted Chicken

A quick and easy meal!

Ingredients:

• 18 oz chicken tenderloins
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 2 tsp low sodium soy sauce
• 6 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
• 1/2 tsp course salt
• 4 tbsp panko
• olive oil spray
  

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425°. Spray a baking sheet with non-stick oil spray.
2. Combine the sesame oil and soy sauce in a bowl, and the sesame seeds, salt and panko in another.
3. Place chicken in the bowl with the oil and soy sauce, then into the sesame seed mixture to coat well.
4. Place on the baking sheet; lightly spray the top of the chicken with oil spray and bake 8 - 10 minutes.
5. Turn over and cook another 4 - 5 minutes longer or until cooked through.
6. Serve with rice (optional)

Servings: 4 1/2 • Serving Size: 2 chicken tenders •
Calories: 196.9 • Fat: 9.1 g • Protein: 22.9 g • Carb: 5.7 g • Fiber: 1.5 g • Sugar: 0.3g Sodium: 400 mg


Recipe from Gina's Skinny Recipes

Asian Beef Tacos

Wow, it's been months since I last posted! Matt, Melissa...where are your recipes? Haha, I know I've been bugging you guys to add something- sorry!

Last week Dave and I helped our friend Theresa paint her living room. We brought over some ingredients and ran the crock pot all day so we would be rewarded for our hard work with a delicious meal! (recipe serves 4)
Ingredients:
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup honey
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 Tbsp grated ginger
2 tsp chili garlic sauce
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 1/2 lb flank steak, cut crosswise into 2 1/2 inch strips
4 scallions, cut into 2 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 small head lettuce, thinly sliced (about 4 cups)
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves (we omitted this since we did not have any cilantro)
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
8 small flour tortillas
Toasted sesame seeds

Directions:
1. In a 5- to 6- quart slow cooker, combine the soy sauce, honey, garlic, ginger, chili garlic sauce and cinnamon. Add the beef and turn to coat. (it doesn't look like much liquid, but trust me, it's fine!) Cover and cook until the meat is tender and shreds easily, on low for 7 to 8 hours or on high for 5 to 6 hours.
2. Fifteen minutes before serving, thinly slice the scallions lengthwise. In a bowl, toss the lettuce, scallions, cilantro and vinegar. Serve the beef in the tortillas and top with the lettuce mixture. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds.

This recipe was juicy and delicious (we kept trying to savor the "precious juice" that was left in the crock pot!)


Sorry for the poor cell phone photo! We'll definitely make this again soon, so we'll update with a better pic.

Cinnamon Bread

Today was so rainy and gross. Dave and I decided to stay in pretty much all day (we only left the house to pick up some Taco Bell for lunch...haha). With our time at home, we decided to do some baking. Dave made Rice Krispie treats with chocolate chips on top, and I made this cinnamon bread.

This was only my second attempt at making bread ever. My first try ended horribly, because it never rose. Did I kill the yeast? Was it too cold when I left it to rise? I'll never know, but what I do know is that this loaf was a success.

Enjoy the recipe!

Ingredients:

1 cup Milk
6 Tablespoons salted Butter
2-½ teaspoons Active Dry Yeast (for me that was just under 2 packets)
2 whole Eggs, room temperature
⅓ cups Sugar
3-½ cups All-purpose Flour
1 teaspoon Salt
⅓ cups Sugar
2 Tablespoons Cinnamon
Egg And Milk, Mixed Together, For Brushing
Softened Butter, For Smearing And Greasing

Directions:

1. Melt butter with milk. Heat until very warm, but don’t boil. Allow to cool until still warm to the touch, but not hot. I was aiming for 110-120F. Sprinkle yeast over the top, stir gently, and allow to sit for 10 minutes.

2. Combine flour and salt.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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. (I actually turned my gas oven on to about 350 for a min or 2, covered the bowl/plastic wrap with a tea towel, turned off the oven, put the dough in, and closed the door. It was the perfect warm- but not hot- environment).

6. 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.

7. 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.

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

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

(sorry there are so many pics- I recently got new lamps for my light tent, so the lighting is soooo much better than before! I went a little shutter-happy)


Recipe from the Pioneer Woman

Coconut Chicken Salad

Yep....another coconut recipe. Dave and I really don't use coconut all that much, but when I find a new recipe that does, I'm always tempted to try it.

This one was really quite simple, and tastes great. (Sorry for the horrendous photo- we had no natural light and my photoshopping skills couldn't quite fix the coloring this time)

Ingredients:
6 (about 12 oz) chicken tenderloins
6 tbsp shredded coconut
1/4 cup panko crumbs
2 tbsp crushed cornflake crumbs (we used Corn Chex)
1/3 cup egg substitute or egg whites (we used 1 whole egg with a splash of milk)
pinch salt
olive oil spray (we used Pam)
6 cups mixed baby greens
3/4 cup shredded carrots
1 large tomato, sliced (omitted)
1 small cucumber, sliced (didn't use- the cuke we bought tasted funny!)

Vinaigrette
1 tbsp oil
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 tsp dijon mustard

Directions:
1. Whisk all vinaigrette ingredients; set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 375°.
3. Combine coconut flakes, panko, cornflake crumbs and salt in a bowl. Put egg whites or egg beaters in another bowl. (NOTE: We toasted our coconut in the oven at 350 for 6 minutes before combining with panko and cereal crumbs. It made it extra crunchy)
4. Lightly season chicken with salt. Dip the chicken in the egg (and milk mixture), then in the coconut crumb mixture. Place chicken on a cookie sheet lined with parchment for easy cleanup. 5. Lightly spray with olive oil spray and bake for 30 minutes turning halfway, or until chicken is cooked through.
6. Place 2 cups baby greens on each plate. Divide carrots, cucumber, tomato evenly between each plate.
7. When chicken is ready slice on the diagonal and place on top of greens.
8. Heat dressing in the microwave a few seconds and divide equally between each salad; a little over 1 tbsp each.

*We also added some fresh mango...it tasted great with the chicken, but not so great with the vinaigrette!

Recipe (and a better photo!) from Skinny Taste