Roasted Tomato Soup

I got this recipe from Family Fun Magazine. It was so so good! With grilled cheese sandwiches for dunking of course.

Roasted Tomato Soup

6 cups(3 pints) of cherry tomatoes
3 T olive oil
1 t salt
1/2 t pepper
2 T unsalted butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup onion, chopped
1 (28oz) can of diced tomatoes
4 cups of chicken broth
1/2 t thyme
1 cup whipping cream

Heat the oven to 400. On a baking sheet combine cherry tomatoes, 2 T olive oil and the salt and pepper. Toss to coat evenly and spread in a single layer. Roast 30-45 minutes.




In a large pot, heat the butter and the remaining oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and saute until softened, about 6 minutes. Add the canned tomatoes with their juice, the broth, thyme and the roasted tomatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, 40 minutes.




Using a food processor or blender, puree the soup until its smooth. Return to the pot and stir in the cream. Warm over medium heat, stirring often. Do not let boil. Ladle into bowls and enjoy!

**Again I forgot to take the final picture after it was done....***

***My only change was that I used fresh basil instead of thyme because I had it on hand and just love the flavor of basil with tomatoes.***

Tomato Basil Chicken

I'm so behind on blogging, so time for some quick catching up.

These turned out really good. I forgot to take a picture after they cooked because we gobbled them up too quickly.



I pounded some chicken breasts thinned and marinated them in fat free italian dressing. Placed some mozzarella, sundried tomatoes and fresh basil in the center, rolled up and held closed with toothpicks. Wrapped in bacon and broiled.

Crunchy "Oven Fried" Chicken

So, I'm a Southern girl at heart, so I of course love me some fried chicken, but let's face it, my body doesn't and I'm trying to make some healthier lifestyle changes, not saying I'll never eat fried chicken again because that would be a bold faced lie, but its nice to have a healthy option in my recipe rotation.

I found this recipe on one of my favorite websites for Weight Watchers recipes and it was a pretty darn good substitution.




Crunchy "Oven Fried" Chicken
3 tablespoons buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoons lime juice
1/4 teaspoon dijon mustard
dash garlic powder
dash white pepper
dash salt
8 ounces boned and skinned chicken breasts -- 2 4-ounce pieces
1 1/2 ounces corn flake crumbs -- or bread crumbs
2 teaspoons vegetable oil -- divided

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

2. Pound chicken to 1/4-inch thickness.

3. IIn small mixing bowl combine buttermilk, lime juice, mustard and seasonings; stirring to combine.

4. Dip chicken in buttermilk mixture.

5. On sheet of wax paper or a paper plate dip chicken in cornflake crumbs, turning to coat both sides. Arrange on non-stick baking sheet.

6. Drizzle 1/2 teaspoon oil over each piece of chicken and bake until lightly browned, 8-10 minutes; turn chicken and drizzle with remaining oil and continue to bake until chicken is tender and coating is crisp, about 10 minutes longer.


**I followed it close to exact except cut my chicken into tenders instead of leaving as whole breasts and I didn't have buttermilk on hand, so made my own substitute using milk and white vinegar. I also used olive oil instead of vegetable oil**

Candied Grapes

I recently had these at a friend's house for lunch and they were just that little extra spark I needed to add to my boring ol' midday fruit snack.

Candied Grapes
-Red or Green Seedless Grapes
-Sugar Free Jello Mix

Rinse grapes and then while still wet roll them around in the sugar free jello mix of your choice. Chill in the fridge and serve.

**I used red grapes and orange flavored jello because I had it on hand. The cherry flavored ones I had at my friends were even better!!**

Edamame Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing

I follow this blog of Camille's from Enlightened Cooking. I first saw her as a contest in a cooking competition on The Food Network and have just kept up with her. Here is her recipe for Edamame Salad. It was tops with me!

http://enlightenedcooking.blogspot.com/2009/01/new-years-resolutionsmade-better-with.html

Here Chick Chick...

Ah the chickpea and I have become friends. I've always loved them so because of hummus, but have recently been indulging in these chickpea snacks as well. They are both so yummy and healthy to boot.



Chickpea Salad

1 can of chickpeas rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons of onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tomato, seeded and chopped
1/2 cucumber, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
3 T olive oil
1 T lemon juice
2 T red wine vinegar
salt & pepper to taste

In a large bowl combine all and chill for two hours before serving.




Roasted Chickpeas

1 can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained

Put on a baking sheet in an even layer. Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat. Sprinkle with your desired seasonings:
-garlic powder, salt and pepper, a pinch of cayenne
-Lemon Pepper
-and Mrs. Dash seasonings are great
-Greek seasoning
-basically whatever tickles your toes

Bake at 375 for 15 minutes. Give pan a good shake. Bake another 15 minutes.
Eat warm and enjoy!

Spicy Beef Curry

I've made this a couple of times now and its really good. The original recipe wasn't spicy enough for us so I added extra heat. My changes are **starred** below.

Spicy Beef Curry

* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 1 pound beef stew meat
* salt and pepper to taste
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 teaspoon chopped fresh ginger **used ground because I had it on hand**
* 1 fresh jalapeno peppers, diced ** used serrano peppers**
* 1 tablespoon curry powder **used 2 Tablespoons of red curry paste**
* 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
* 1 onion, sliced and quartered
* 1 cup beef broth

1. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, and brown the beef on all sides. Remove from skillet, reserving juices, and season with salt and pepper. Cook and stir the garlic, ginger, and jalapeno in the skillet for 2 minutes, until tender, and season with curry powder. Mix in the diced tomatoes and juice.
2. Place the onion in the bottom of a slow cooker, and layer with the browned beef. Scoop the skillet mixture into the slow cooker, and mix in the beef broth.
3. Cover, and cook 6 to 8 hours on Low.


I served it over rice and steamed long beans.

Crabby Artichoke Fondue...

At my dear friend Maleesa's request I'm reposting this with the recipe included.
I just kinda took two or three recipes I found and picked my favorite ingredients of each and vamped it to make my own.



Crabby Artichoke Fondue


- 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
-1/2 cup chopped roasted red bell pepper
- 1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
- 8oz shredded fontina cheese
-4oz cream cheese
-1/4 cup milk
- 1/4 cup sliced green onions
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped jalapeno peppers
- 1/2 pound crab meat
- 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice

Warm oil in fondue pot. Add bell pepper, artichoke hearts, green onions and saute 2-3 minutes. Add cheeses and milk and melt on low until nice and smooth. Lightly fold in crab meat and other ingredients. Serve with cubes of warm crusty french bread.

Buffalo Chicken Rolls

Buffalo Chicken Rolls

* 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - pounded to 1/4 inch thickness
* 4 tablespoons butter, melted
* 1/2 cup hot sauce
* 1/2 cup shredded provolone cheese


1. In a small bowl, stir together the melted butter and hot sauce. Place chicken breasts in a glass bowl, and pour the sauce over. Turn to coat, cover and refrigerate for 15 to 20 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Remove chicken breasts from the hot sauce, and place 1 tablespoon of cheese in the center of each one. Roll up, and secure with a toothpick. Repeat with remaining breasts, and place them seam side down in a glass baking dish.
3. Cover the dish, and bake for 30 minutes, or until chicken is fork tender. Increase the temperature of the oven to 450 degrees, and place the chicken 8 inches from the heat. Uncover, and bake for 5 minutes, until browned. Garnish with remaining shredded cheese, remove toothpicks, and serve with ranch or blue cheese dressing.


**These were pretty darn good. I served them with blue cheese dressing for dipping. I did use mozzarella string cheese instead of provolone which the chicken wrapped around perfectly**

Pan Grilled Sea Scallops

This recipe came from one of my new cookbooks that I got for Christmas, The New England Clam Shack Cookbook.

1.5 pounds of sea scallops
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
2 tsp olive oil
Lemon wedges

If the scallops are damp or wet, pat dry with paper towels. To make the seasoning mix, in a small bowl, combine the salt, sugar, basil, thyme, garlic powder and onion powder. Stir well.

In a large skillet heat the oil over the medium-high heat. Sprinkle the scallops very lightly on both sides with the seasoning mix. When the oil is hot, arrange scallops in the pan in a single layer, without touching. Cook, adjusting the heat if necessary, until the bottoms are nicely browned and caramelized, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn with tongs and cook on the other side until the scallops are just firm to the touch and lightly browned on the bottom another 2-4 minutes, depending on their size.

Serve with lemon wedges.

Sausage Apple Quiche

I found this on www.allrecipes.com and it is apparently a Bob Evans recipe. The apples in this were a nice change to your ordinary breakfast dish. And it turns out kinda pretty. I used the maple syrup flavored sausage in mine.






Sausage Apple Quiche
* 1 (9 inch) refrigerated pie crust
* 3/4 cup shredded Swiss cheese
* 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
* 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
* 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
* 1 (12 ounce) package Bob Evans® Original or Maple Sausage Links
* 4 eggs
* 1 1/2 cups milk
* 3/4 teaspoon salt
* 3/4 teaspoon sugar
* 1 dash cayenne pepper (optional)
* 1 medium apple, cut into 1/4-inch slices

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line 10-inch quiche or pie pan with pie crust. Sprinkle cheeses, chives and parsley over bottom of crust. Cook sausage in large skillet over medium heat until no longer pink in the center. Arrange in spoke fashion over cheese layer. Beat eggs in medium bowl with wire whisk until light in color. Whisk in milk, salt and sugar until well blended. Carefully pour egg mixture over sausage layer; sprinkle with cayenne pepper, if desired. Arrange apple slices around outside edge of quiche, pressing down slightly into egg mixture to coat apples. Bake 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F; bake 15 to 20 minutes more or until knife inserted into center comes out clean. Refrigerate leftovers.

Slow Cooker Carnitas

These were very good! The meat was fall apart tender. We stuffed it into tortillas and topped with diced tomatoes, a little cheese and sour cream.

Slow Cooker Carnitas

2T tomato paste
2T adobo sauce(from canned chipotles)
3T chopped garlic
1T chili powder
1t salt
1t pepper
3lb boneless Boston butt, cut into 2" pieces *I actually used boneless country style ribs cut into 2" pieces because I already had them. I'm sure they actually ended up making it even more flavorful**
1c beer of chicken broth **I used the beer which I think is a must!**

Combine first six ingredients in slow cooker. Stir in meat pieces. Microwave beef on high for 2 minutes. Pour over meat. Do not stir. Cover and cook on high for 6 hours. Shred meat using two forks.
**Be sure to spoon some of the sauce over the meat.**

Ringin' in 2009

We always stay home on New Years Eve and just cook, eat, watch movies, eat, play games, eat, drink and eat. Well, you get the picture. The menu always varies, but always includes at least one item of seafood. Here are a few things from this year...

Buffalo Wings


Buffalo Shrimp


And Crabby Artichoke Fondue


And my personal favorite...a little champagne to get the party started.


Happy New Year Everyone!! Hope its been great so far!

A few Christmas goodies...

Here are a few things that we had for Christmas this year.

Ranch Chex party mix...although I took the original party mix and the ranch party mix and picked my favorite ingredients out of each recipe and vamped it to create my own party mix. lol




Lots of Christmas cookies. My favorites are the toffee bars that are the ones on the end and they are super easy to boot! I love to cook, but am not really into baking all that much(I hate to have to measure ingredients!), so these cookies are right up my alley.


Toffee Bars
1 sleeve of graham crackers, crushed fine
1/2c of butter
1 can of sweetened condensed milk
1/2 pkg of mini chocolate chips
1/2 pkg of Heath toffee chips

Melt butter and pour in a 9x13 pan. Sprinkle graham cracker crumbs on top and press down. Pour milk on top and spread evenly. Sprinkle with chocolate and toffee chips, press down. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown.


Polish Roses
**my mom always made these and my DH loves them**


Polish Roses
8oz cream cheese, softened
2T prepared horseradish
5oz jar of sliced dried beef
green onions

Mix together cream cheese and horseradish. Spread onto each piece of beef. Place onion in center and roll up.

And last but most certainly not least I cooked my first prime rib this year for Christmas dinner. It was a hit!

Wow, I haven't blogged in awhile. I have taken some pictures though(when I remember) and I've been cooking, so I'm going to just get to posting where I left off...