Archives for January 2013

Crock Pot Mexican Pulled Chicken.

January 31, 2013 by Knead to Cook Filed Under: Chicken, Crock Pot, Mexican 4 Comments

Easy peasy! I needed a quick dinner idea because I wasn’t in a mood to prepare something big or fancy (yes, even food bloggers feel this way). I normally do love cooking but I was busy and my daughters kept asking for tacos and this dish just came to me. Adjust it according to your tastes.

Ingredients:

14 chicken tender pieces (use as much as needed to feed your family – skinless breasts etc.)
1/2 of a large onion, diced
1 16 oz. can of low sodium black beans
2 tablespoons of chipotle chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 jalapeño, stemmed and seeded (leave the seeds if you want it spicier)
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons of ground cumin, use less if you don’t love it.
2 tablespoons of fresh lime juice
8 ounces or so of tomato sauce (puree works)
Salt and pepper
Cilantro (optional for garnish)

Directions:

Place the chicken first in your slow cooker, set on high for 2-3 hours, or on low to cook longer (4-6) hours. Then add the remaining ingredients. Cover and let it work its magic. Prior to serving, I taste and adjust spices. I shred the chicken with two forks. You can use this as taco filling or as we did topping it over quinoa.

— Knead to Cook

OXO Good Grips Cookie Press Butter Cookies

January 31, 2013 by Knead to Cook Filed Under: Cookies, Valentine's Day, Vegetarian 2 Comments

OXO sent me some foodie swag this week and I have to tell you, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it and use it in the kitchen. I have a an older cookie press I believe from Williams Sonoma that isn’t that easy to use. I’ve honestly always shied away from using it because of that fact, again, it’s old. The OXO Good Grips Cookie Press tube for the cookie dough is huge! That makes life so much easier! It comes apart easily for cleaning. The disks for shapes are so varied and awesome. I’m in love… like I am with all of their products! I went with a Valentine theme today in making over 100 cookies. Yes, I’ll be sharing these with my friends! I used the recipe for Butter Cookies that comes with the manual. I made only two adaptations that I note below. The retail value on the press is around $29 and they did send me their springtime shapes kit as well, which can be purchased separately. Packaging was phenomenal. The hard case that holds all of the shape disks is lovely. Top notch! Five star review. Here is the link if you’re interested.

http://www.oxo.com/p-1243-cookie-press-with-disk-storage-case.aspx

Ingredients:

1.5 cups of butter (3 sticks) – a lot of butter but I used Smart Balance baking sticks and this yields about 12 dozen or more cookies
1 cup of white sugar
1/2 teaspoon of salt
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
Hot pink food coloring (I used all natural food coloring that I found on line)
4 cups of all purpose flour (I used King Arthurs)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Use ungreased, unlined baking sheets.

In your stand mixer, blend the butter, sugar and salt. Beat until fluffy. Add the vanilla, almond and the eggs (one at a time). Gradually add one cup of the flour at a time. Blend after each addition. Add the food coloring (optional). Then spoon the dough into your cookie press and go to town 🙂 Add sprinkles (optional) before baking. Press them down a bit so they stick.

I baked my cookies for 7 minutes and 30 seconds because I wanted them just done without any brown edging. Those cookies will stay home for my family 😉

Place on a cooling rack and then store in a tupperware container.

— Knead to Cook

Lentil Cumin Soup with Spinach.

January 29, 2013 by Knead to Cook Filed Under: Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Soups, Vegetarian 3 Comments

I admit, this isn’t the prettiest soup in the world but wow if you love lentils… you are going to flip over this soup! This recipe is super easy made with precooked lentils that you can find at Trader Joe’s or even Target. Heartier soup packed with vitamins and minerals. There is no thickening agent so no extra fat or calories here.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon of olive oil
1/2 of a large onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 -2 inch piece of ginger, minced
2 teaspoons of ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
4 cups of chicken or vegetable broth, low sodium
2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
16 ounces of steamed lentils
1 handful of spinach leaves, washed
Salt and pepper
1 handful of cilantro leaves, washed and roughly chopped

Directions:

In a Dutch oven, heat the oil over a medium flame. Add the onions and cook for about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger. Stir to combine. Add the cumin and red pepper flakes. Then add the broth, vinegar and lentils. Bring to a boil. Add the spinach and wait for it to wilt. With your hand immersion blender, blend the soup until you achieve the consistency you wish to have. Adjust the salt and pepper. Add the cilantro leaves. Simmer until ready to serve.

*Adapted from Cooking Light.

— Knead to Cook

Lemon Bars.

January 27, 2013 by Knead to Cook Filed Under: Cookies, Desserts, Valentine's Day, Vegetarian 4 Comments

{Will take better finished product/staged photos tomorrow – just got home from a fabulous party and daylight is gone.}

My husband is allergic to chocolate, cocoa specifically, and never really gets to eat dessert that I make for the family (not that he’s a big dessert fan). Today, I wanted to make a recipe using my Magimix Food Processor that I’m also giving away tonight. This recipe is a little thank you because he bought me a new car yesterday and I wanted to do something nice for him. Plus my kids love lemons and I had a ton on hand so I thought I would give it a whirl.

Now I’ve never made lemon bars before. I’m not sure exactly that I’ve ever even eaten one before. So I went to my trusted source, foodnetwork.com and pulled a recipe. I made it straight up like their’s and hope and pray it’s a hit with the family.

Ingredients

For the Crust:

Vegetable oil, for greasing
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, diced
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar, plus more for garnish
1/4 teaspoon salt

For the Filling:

4 large eggs, plus 2 egg yolks
2 cups granulated sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 cup fresh lemon juice (from about 8 lemons)

Directions

Make the crust: Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-by-13-inch pan with vegetable oil and line with foil, leaving a 2-inch overhang on all sides; grease the foil with oil. Pulse the butter, flour, both sugars and the salt in a food processor until the dough comes together, about 1 minute. Press evenly into the bottom and about 1/2 inch up the sides of the prepared pan, making sure there are no cracks. Bake until the crust is golden, about 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the filling: Whisk the whole eggs and yolks, sugar and flour in a bowl until smooth. Whisk in the lemon zest and juice. Remove the crust from the oven and reduce the temperature to 300 degrees F. Pour the filling over the warm crust and return to the oven. Bake until the filling is just set, 35-40 minutes.

Let the bars cool in the pan on a rack, then refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours. Lift out of the pan using the foil and slice. Dust with confectioners’ sugar before serving.

Finished bar photos will be shared tonight. I’m rushing off to a party this afternoon while these cool. But wanted to share with you the process 🙂

— Knead to Cook

Slow Cooker Honey Sesame Chicken.

January 24, 2013 by Knead to Cook Filed Under: Chicken, Crock Pot 6 Comments

This is an oldie but goodie that I haven’t made in a while. I had a busy day and planned on attending our local high school’s swim meet (to see a friend’s daughter who was on the other team) and to cheer on our team. I love being able to throw all of the ingredients into the crock pot and having dinner ready when we are! I just prepared some brown jasmine rice earlier so that I just had to heat it.

1.5 lbs of boneless chicken tenders
3/4 cup of raw honey or regular honey
1/2 cup of low sodium soy sauce
1/3 cup low sodium organic ketchup
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
5 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 cup of onion, diced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 green onions, diced for topping
Toasted sesame seeds, topping

Directions:

Into your slow cooker add the chicken. In a small bowl combine the honey, soy sauce, ketchup, oil and garlic. Whisk until combined. Pour over the chicken. Then add the onions on top and red pepper flakes. Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours or on high for 2-3 hours. Serve over rice, brown rice, quinoa, noodles or whatever you wish. Top with green onions and sesame seeds.

— Knead to Cook

Whole Wheat Chobani Pear Muffins with an Oatmeal Crunch topping.

January 24, 2013 by Knead to Cook Filed Under: Breads, Muffins, Vegetarian, Yogurt 13 Comments

Chobani is sending me a case of their new flavors in February and I have to tell you… I cannot wait! I did hear from my friend Julianne that my local Target store had pear and I KNEW I had to run over and get some. I bought two containers the other day and just ran out for fresh pears. I come home to find one container of pear left. Thank God! I had enough for this recipe that I wanted to create. These muffins are heavenly… not overly sweet and would be perfect for a snack or breakfast! Protein-packed. Hello, gorgeous!

Ingredients:

1/4 cup of butter or butter substitute
1/2 cup of sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
1 -6 oz container of pear Chobani yogurt
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 cup of all purpose flour (Used King Arthur’s)
1 cup of whole wheat flour (Used King Arthur’s)
1 tablespoon of ground flax seed
1/8 teaspoon salt (pinch)
2 pears, I used Bosc (peared and cored) finely chopped

Oatmeal crunch topping:
1 tablespoon of butter – cut into little cubes (cold)
1/4 cup of brown sugar
1/4 cup of all purpose flour
1/4 cup of oats
1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

Muffins:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Spray your mini muffin pan with baking spray and set aside.

In your stand mixer, blend butter (room temp.) with sugar for 3-4 minutes or until light and fluffy. Then add your room temperature eggs & Chobani yogurt. In a separate bowl blend your flours, soda, salt and flax. Then add it to the creamy mixture. Add the pears. Blend until just combined.

Scoop 3/4 of the way filled into each well. Then start on making your crunchy topping. In a bowl add your cold butter pieces, brown sugar, flour, oats and cinnamon. Blend with your hands, pinching the mixture until the butter is well incorporated. Then drop some on top of each muffin with your fingers. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean and they’re golden brown.

Enjoy!

— Knead to Cook

Basic Popover Recipe.

January 23, 2013 by Knead to Cook Filed Under: Breads, Vegetarian Leave a Comment

Popovers are always well received and pair up perfectly with soup! I actually did just that. My family gobbled these right up. You must cook them the full time, without opening the oven door, and eat them pipping hot 🙂

Ingredients:

2 eggs
1 cup of All Purpose Flour (I used King Arthur’s)
1 cup of milk
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees and spray your popover pan with baking spray. Beat the eggs first, then add the flour, milk and salt until just creamy. AVOID over-mixing. Pour 1/2 the batter into each well. Bake at 450 for 20 minutes then reduce the heat to 350 for an additional 20 minutes. Remove and serve.

— Knead to Cook

Italian Turkey Sausage and White Bean Soup. {easy}

January 23, 2013 by Knead to Cook Filed Under: Ground Turkey, Pasta, Soups, Turkey 2 Comments

Winter has arrived this week in Pennsylvania, at least for this week – looking forward to warmer temps already next week. But bone-chilling temps for me means making soup for dinner. I experimented with this one and I have to say, it’s one of my favorites. Not only was it super easy to make, relatively cost effective – it also tasted phenomenal and didn’t blow the pursuit of healthy eating. I’m officially down 17 lbs!

So get ready… this would be the perfect weeknight night dinner idea or simmering along on a weekend for a lazy, family dinner.

Ingredients:

Olive oil
1 lb or so package of turkey sausage (I used hot), casing removed
1 tablespoon of fennel seeds
1 14 oz can of cannellini beans (white beans)
1 -28 oz can of crushed tomatoes (I used San Marzano)
2 cups of vegetable or chicken broth
1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon of dried basil
1 teaspoon of dried parsley
Salt and pepper

Directions:

In your sauté pan over medium heat, drizzle a touch of olive oil to prevent the sausage from sticking. Then add your sausage and break apart with a spatula as it cooks. Cook until no longer pink. Sprinkle in your fennel seeds. Then add the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil and then reduce and simmer. Cover. I let this simmer all afternoon. Add additional broth if necessary. You can serve this with noodles or not, I opted not to. Adjust the salt and pepper before serving.

Beans are packed in fiber and protein – a great meal choice especially after kids/adults have finished practicing or working out. 🙂

— Knead to Cook

Raspberry Orange Rosemary Sauce.

January 22, 2013 by Knead to Cook Filed Under: Condiments, Sauces, Vegetarian Leave a Comment

I wanted to dress up my grilled pork chops and whipped up some raspberry orange sauce that just pushed it over the top. My kids cleared their plates! It is super easy and would be lovely on chicken or fish! Some times you just need to dress up your grilled meat and this fit the bill.

Ingredients:

1/3 cup raspberry jam (with seeds)
2 tablespoons of orange juice
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 sprig of Rosemary
Balsamic vinegar (better quality)

Directions:

Place all of the ingredients except the rosemary and whisk it together. Bring it a boil and then add the rosemary sprig. Splash in a bit (1 tbl or so) of the balsamic. Turn it to medium-low heat and let it simmer until it thickens. Once thick, drizzle over your meat. Endless uses and it just lightens up your dish without being heavy or calorie-laden.

— Knead to Cook

Sweet & Salty Valentine Cookie Bars.

January 21, 2013 by Knead to Cook Filed Under: Cookies, Desserts, Holiday Baking Ideas, Valentine's Day, Vegetarian 9 Comments

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Adapted from Guittard Super Cookie Chip Cookie Recipe.

Ingredients:

1 cup of all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup of butter, softened
5 tablespoons granulated sugar
5 tablespoons of light brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
10 ounces of Guittard Super Cookie Chips
1/2 cup of pretzel pieces, salted
1/4 cup of M&Ms
Sprinkles (optional) Valentine Day oxoxo sprinkles used.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, soda and salt. Spray the 9×9 glass pan with baking spray. Set aside.

In your stand mixer, paddle attached, cream butter and sugars. Then beat in the egg and vanilla until creamy. Add the flour mixture, blend. Blend well. By hand, stir in the chocolate chips. Spread the dough into the pan evenly distributed. Then press in pretzel pieces and the m&m’s throughout the top. Bake for 20 minutes or so (until the edges are golden brown). Let cool and then store in a container with a lid.

— Knead to Cook