Oven Chicken Risotto

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This is such an EASY dinner!  I was really hoping it would turn out to be a winner because of how quick and simple it was.  I love finding ways to use rotisserie chicken because they are always so flavorful, moist, and versatile.  You're probably thinking what I was thinking, "Risotto?  But that is time consuming!"  This isn't your traditional risotto that you have to stir, add liquid, stir, add liquid and so on.  My kids liked this too so it was a winner all around at our house!  Just serve with a veggie (I did green beans) and some kind of bread and you have the perfect busy weeknight meal. 

OVEN CHICKEN RISOTTO
(Southern Living Magazine)

Ingredients:
2 TB butter
2 1/2 C chicken broth
1 C uncooked Arborio rice (short grain)
1/2 small onion, diced finely
1/2 tsp salt
2 C chopped rotisserie chicken, any flavor
1 (8 oz) package FRESH mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 C cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1/4 C shredded fresh basil
Freshly cracked black pepper (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Place butter in a 9 x 13-inch baking dish; bake 5 minutes or until melted.  Stir in broth and next 3 ingredients. 
Bake, covered, for 35 minutes.  Remove from oven.  Fluff rice with a fork.  Stir in chicken, mozzarella, and tomatoes; sprinkle with shredded basil and pepper.  Serve immediately. 
*Make sure the chicken is heated before adding it!

Italian Love Cake

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I have a problem.  I guess it's more like a confession that I need to make.  Ok, here it goes....I have hundreds of recipes in my "to try" file.  I am totally obsessed with collecting recipes!  This cake is a reason why my obsession can become a problem.  I have had this recipe for about 5 years and after finally making it, realized I had wasted those years of my life having never tasted it.  It is one of those desserts.  One that people will ask you to make.  One that will be your "go to" cake to make for guests or take to potlucks and parties.  It's one that you won't ever forget about amongst all of your other dessert recipes.  It's cool to watch it bake so keep your oven light on.  The chocolate "swallows" the ricotta and it ends up on the bottom.  With all that said, GO MAKE IT! 

ITALIAN LOVE CAKE

Ingredients:

1 (18.5 oz) package chocolate cake mix (any variation will do)

2 pints part-skim ricotta cheese (or whole if you're feeling naughty)

3/4 C white sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

4 eggs

1 (3 oz) package instant chocolate pudding mix

1 C milk

1 (12 oz) container frozen whipping topping, thawed

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Prepare cake mix as directed on box.  Grease a  9x13x2 inch baking dish then pour batter in.  Set aside.

Combine ricotta, sugar, vanilla, and eggs.  Blend well.  Spread mixture evenly over the top of the cake batter.

Bake for 75 minutes if using a glass dish or 90 minutes if using a metal dish.

Blend pudding mix and milk until thickened.  Blend in whipped topping.  Spread over cooled cake.  Keep leftovers refrigerated.

Shrimp Avacado Pasta Salad

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 I found this recipe  a couple of weeks ago and was so excited to try it.  We ate it as our main dish because it is very hearty and filling.  My kids liked it!  I love the combo of bacon and avacado then add the shrimp and creamy dressing and this is just perfect to me.  It makes a lot and would probably feed 6-8 adults.  It was way too much for us even with Ben and I eating it for lunch the next day.  It doesn't keep long either because of the avocado.  Read the instructions well beforehand so you don't make the same mistake that I did.  I chopped the lettuce and threw it in before realizing that I was supposed to served the salad ON TOP of the lettuce. I'm seriously the biggest clutz in the kitchen!  It was an easy save though.  Oh, and I added chopped fresh basil which was delicious but definitely optional.  Hurry and try this before the warm summer days are over!

SHRIMP AVOCADO PASTA SALAD

(http://www.allrecipes.com/)

Ingredients

1 (16 ounce) package uncooked penne pasta
1/4 pound bacon
1 pound cooked shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 avocados - peeled, pitted and diced
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tomatoes, diced
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
4 cups shredded lettuce
1/4 C chopped fresh basil (optional)

Directions
1.Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Place pasta in the pot, cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until al dente, and drain. Rinse under cold running water to cool.

2.Place bacon in a skillet over medium high heat, and cook until evenly brown. Drain and crumble.

3.In a large bowl, gently toss together the pasta, bacon, shrimp, avocados, Cheddar cheese, mayonnaise, lemon juice, tomatoes, and red pepper. Serve over lettuce and garnish with basil.

Almost-Famous Broccoli-Cheddar Soup

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Fall is almost here and I am so ready for it.  This summer flew by! I hardly ever make soup in the summertime so I've been waiting to make this for a few months now.  Have you ever been to Panera Bread?  It's a bakery-cafe chain that is soooo yummy!  If you haven't been you must try it!  They're Cinnamon Crunch bagels are to die for.  So is their broccoli cheddar soup!  I was skeptical that Food Network was able to copy it but it tasted just like it.  I didn't serve with sourdough bread bowls but Panera does that and it makes it even better.  I made a bit of a mistake with this and blindly followed directions :)  I should have checked the tenderness of the broccoli before blending it.  It wasn't quite soft enough so the soup didn't taste as smooth as it should have.  I was in a hurry ok?!  So make sure the broccoli is very soft before starting the blending process!

ALMOST-FAMOUS BROCCOLI-CHEDDAR SOUP

(Food Network Magazine)

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

6 TB unsalted butter

1 small onion, chopped

1/4 C all-purpose flour

2 C half and half

3 C low-sodium chicken broth

2 bay leaves

1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 C broccoli florets (about 1 head)

1 large carrot, diced

2 1/2 C (about 8 oz total) grated sharp white AND yellow cheddar cheese, plus more for garnish

Directions:

Melt butter in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium heat.  Add the onion and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.  Whisk in the flour and cook until golden, 3 or 4 minutes, then gradually whisk in the half-and-half until smooth.  Add the chicken broth, bay leaves, and nutmeg, then season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer.  Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, uncovered, until thickened, about 20 minutes.

Add the broccoli and carrot to the broth mixture and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes.  (Check it!)  Discard the bay leaves.  Puree soup in batches in a blender until smooth; you'll still have flecks of carrot and broccoli.  Return to the pot.  (Our puree soup in the pot with an immersion blender.)

Add the cheese to the soup and whisk over medium heat until melted.  Add up to 3/4 C of water if the soup is too thick.  Remember to taste test for seasoning!  Ladle into bowls and garnish with cheese. 

Tip: If you blend the soup in a blender you must follow these instructions.  If not, you will have hot soup all over yourself and your kitchen!  Pour only enough soup to fill the blender halfway.  Leave the lid off or the smaller opening that is within the main lid.  Cover with a kitchen towel and hold the towel on with your hand loosely.  Blend.  This allows steam to escape so you won't have a soup explosion :)

BBQ Jalapeno Poppers

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Have you heard of Pioneer Woman?  If you haven't you must go to her cooking blog at www.thepioneerwoman.com/cooking and check out her huge collection of amazing recipes and hilarious commentary. She is my inspiration! Her blog is a huge success and she has now been on many tv shows, magazines, and has her own cookbook.  They're even making a movie about her!  I was so excited to make these bacon-wrapped jalapenos.  I totally forgot to brush them with BBQ sauce the first time I made them (as seen above) but I now know it is a must!  These are great because it makes 36 and freezes well.  You can make a whole batch, freeze them, then take as many out as needed at the time.  Let them thaw completely, though, before cooking them.  I've now made them in the oven and on the grill and I like them both ways.  When grilling just keep them over low heat for about 30 minutes.  I hope you enjoy these as much as we did!

BBQ JALAPENO POPPERS
www.thepioneerwoman.com/cooking

Ingredients:
18 whole Fresh Jalapenos, 2-3 Inches In Size
One 8-ounce package cream cheese
1/2 C grated cheddar cheese
1 green onion, sliced
18 slices thin bacon (regular), cut into halves
1 C BBQ sauce
Toothpicks
Preparation Instructions:

Preheat oven to 275 degrees F.

If you have them, slip on some latex gloves for the pepper prep. Cut jalapenos in half, length-wise. With a spoon, remove the seeds and white membrane (the source of the heat; leave a little if you like things HOT). In a bowl, combine cream cheese, cheddar cheese, and chopped green onion.

Stuff cheese mixture into each jalapeno half. Wrap jalapeno with bacon pieces (1/2 slice). Secure by sticking toothpick through the middle. Be careful not to stretch the bacon too tightly around the jalapeno, as the bacon will contract as it cooks.  (At this point, you can freeze them, uncooked, in a Ziploc bag for later use).
Brush the surface of the bacon with your favorite barbeque sauce. Chutney or apricot jelly work well too!

Bake on a sheet pan for 1 hour, or until the bacon is sizzling. 

Serve immediately, or they’re also great at room temperature.

Poppers can be assembled up to a day ahead of time and kept in the fridge before cooking.

Lemon Blossoms

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Doesn't the name of these just catch your attention?  It did mine when I was browsing on Food Network's site and found this Paula Deen recipe that had 5 out of 5 stars and over 700 reviews.  Lemons, Paula Deen, and dessert have to be good together right?  I had been looking for an excuse to make these and finally made them for our end of summer play group potluck.  They were amazing!  There were only a few left and Ben was so happy that I brought a few more home because he had been begging for more the night before.  He said that it was his new favorite dessert!  That was coming from someone who really doesn't love citrus desserts too.  You will love these! 

LEMON BLOSSOMS

Paula Deen

Ingredients:

18 1/2-ounce package yellow cake mix

3 1/2-ounce package instant lemon pudding mix
4 large eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil

Glaze:
4 cups confectioners' sugar
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1 lemon, zested
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 tablespoons water

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Spray miniature muffin tins with vegetable oil cooking spray. Combine the cake mix, pudding mix, eggs and oil and blend well with an electric mixer until smooth, about 2 minutes. Pour a small amount of batter, filling each muffin tin half way. Bake for 12 minutes. Turn out onto a tea towel

To make the glaze, sift the sugar into a mixing bowl. Add the lemon juice, zest, oil, and 3 tablespoons water. Mix with a spoon until smooth.

With fingers, dip the cupcakes into the glaze while they're still warm, covering as much of the cake as possible, or spoon the glaze over the warm cupcakes, turning them to completely coat. Place on wire racks with waxed paper underneath to catch any drips. Let the glaze set thoroughly, about 1 hour, before storing in containers with tight-fitting lids.

Herb Roasted Pork

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This isn't my picture but the one with the recipe online.  I forgot to take a picture because we were so hungry and ready to eat!  I have tried many many pork loin recipes and this is now our #1.  My search is over!  I used 2 smaller one pound tenderloins (instead of the roast in the recipe).  A good pork tenderloin is better than any kind of chicken in my opinion.  You have to use a meat thermometer and it will come out perfectly. 

HERB ROASTED PORK
(adapted from http://www.allrecipes.com/)

Ingredients
2 teaspoons rubbed sage
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 (5 pound) boneless pork loin or 2 lbs of pork tenderloin
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup vinegar
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons soy sauce

Directions
1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2.In a bowl, combine sage, salt, pepper, and garlic. Rub thoroughly all over pork. Place pork in an uncovered roasting pan on the middle oven rack.
3.Bake in the preheated oven approximately 3 hours, or until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees. (A roast could take hours but my 2 little tenderloins took about 45 min)
4.Meanwhile, place sugar, cornstarch, vinegar, water, and soy sauce in a small saucepan. Heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture begins to bubble and thicken slightly. Brush roast with glaze 3 or 4 times during the last 1/2 hour of cooking. Pour remaining glaze over roast, and serve.