Herb Roasted Turkey Breast with Vegetables

Ever since I saw this recipe on Annie's Eats, I've been dying to try it. So on last week's meal plan, I specifically added this recipe in hopes that it would turn out as delicious as the pictures on Annie's food blog. And it did. This is honestly the best turkey I have ever tasted. Not to mention it was my first time cooking turkey. My husband is on a serious meat-aversion for some reason, but even he thought this was outstanding. If you have a frozen turkey breast buried deep in your freezer, or you just want to go out and buy one- I highly recommend using this recipe.
Ingredients:
5 cloves garlic minced
1 tbsp. Italian seasoning
1 tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped
1 tbsp. fresh basil, chopped
2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 cup olive oil
2-3 lb. turkey breast
4-6 carrots, unpeeled and cut into 3/4-inch rounds
1 onion, cut into 8 wedges
6 red potatoes, quartered
3/4 cup dry white wine

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325° F. Combine the garlic, herbs, salt, pepper and olive oil in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Pat the herb mixture all over the entire surface of the turkey breast. If your turkey breast still has the skin on (mine did not), rub some of the herb mixture underneath the skin as well. Place the turkey breast in a roasting pan. Toss the vegetables into the roasting pan surrounding the turkey breast. Pour the wine over the vegetables, as well as a few splashes over the turkey breast itself.

Bake uncovered for approximately 2 to 2 1/2 hours, until the internal temperature of the turkey breast reaches 170-175° F. Transfer the turkey breast to a serving platter and surround with the roasted vegetables. Let rest 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Recipe from: Annie's Eats

Eggnog Cupcakes

This year at my office's Christmas party, they had a cookie exchange. Since I'm always looking for an excuse to bake, more specifically bake cupcakes, I thought this was the perfect opportunity to try out this recipe. This recipe is adapted from a recipe on Annie's Eats. The original recipe called for authentic rum in both the cake batter, and frosting. I don't drink, and I didn't want to go out and spend $20 on rum ( the alcohol will cook out of the batter, but not the frosting) just so my batter tasted like real eggnog. So I opted for the extract.
These were really really good, even if you're not an eggnog fan.

Ingredients:

For the cupcakes:
3 tsp. Rum extract
1 cup eggnog
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
1 cup sugar
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
¼ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt

For the frosting:

¼ cup butter, softened
3 tbsp. eggnog
1 tbsp. rum extract
generous pinch of nutmeg
2 (or more) cups confectioners’ sugar

For garnish (optional):
ground cinnamon
cinnamon sticks



Directions:

Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. In a small bowl, mix together the rum extract, eggnog, vegetable oil, apple cider vinegar, and vanilla extract. In a large bowl, mix together the nutmeg, sugar, flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until just combined. Divide evenly between prepared muffin wells.



Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the cakes spring back when lightly pressed. Cool in the pan 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.



To make the frosting, cream together the butter, eggnog, extract, nutmeg and confectioners’ sugar. Add in more confectioners’ sugar if needed to make the frosting stiff, but spreadable. Frost the cooled cupcakes. Sprinkle with cinnamon and garnish with a cinnamon stick.

Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas

This is another simple, but delicious recipe I found, and had added to our meal plan this week. I have to admit that most homemade "creamy enchilada's" I've had usually use some type of "cream of..." soup...which I don't like. To me, the enchilada's take on the flavor of the cream of mushroom, or cream of chicken- and that's not a taste I want in my mexican food! So when I found this recipe that DIDN'T use a cream of something soup- I knew I had to try it. The original recipe did not use the green chili enchilada sauce, or garlic- so if you want to try the original- just omit those two ingredients. I also put more chicken stuffing into my enchilada's, but only used 4 tortilla's since it's just two of us eating it.


Ingredients

* 1 lb chicken breast, diced
* 1 medium onion, chopped
* 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
* 8 (8 inch) flour tortillas, softened
* 1 1/2 cups grated monterey jack cheese or Mexican blend cheese, divided
* 1/4 cup butter
* 1/4 cup flour
* 1 (15 ounce) can chicken broth
* 1 cup sour cream
* 1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chilies
* 1 can Green chili Enchilada sauce
* 2 cloves garlic, minced

Directions

1.In frypan, cook chicken,onion, and garlic together in oil over medium-high heat until chicken is just done. Add can of Enchilada sauce, and let simmer for 10-15 minutes.


2.Divide cooked chicken evenly between 8 tortillas; add 1 1/2 tablespoons cheese to each tortilla.
3.Roll enchiladas and place seam-side down in 9x13" baking dish that has been lightly sprayed with no-stick cooking spray.
4.Melt butter in a medium saucepan; stir in flour to make a roux; stir and cook until bubbly; gradually whisk in chicken broth then bring to boiling, stirring frequently.
5.Remove from heat; stir in sour cream and green chiles; pour sauce evenly over enchiladas.
6.Top with remaining 3/4 cup cheese (baking dish may be double-wrapped and frozen at this point) and bake at 400° for 20 minutes until cheese is melted and sauce near edges of baking dish is bubbly.
7. Top with green onions, tomatoes, or salsa- whichever your heart desires!

Oatmeal Scotchies

Oatmeal Scotchies have been a favorite of mine since I was a little girl. This is the third recipe I've tried for them, and this is the only one I've found so far that I like. The dough sticks together, and isn't crumbly- and once they've been baked- they don't fall apart like the other two recipes did. Substitute chocolate chips, or white chocolate chips for the butterscotch- and you have a whole new cookie!
Ingredients

* 3/4 cup butter, softened
* 3/4 cup sugar
* 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
* 2 eggs
* 1 teaspoon vanilla
* 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 3 cups quick oats or oats
* 1 (10 ounce) package butterscotch chips

Directions

1.Preheat over to 350.
2.Cream butter and sugars.
3.Add eggs and vanilla.
4.Add flour, soda and spices.
5.Stir in oats and morsels.
6.Drop by teaspoons onto cookie sheet.
7.Bake 8 minutes for chewy cookies, 10 minutes for more crisp cookies
9.Let cool slightly on sheet before allowing to cool on cookie rack.

Tuscan Pasta with Tomato Basil Cream

So I kind of feel bad about posting this recipe- only because there's not a lot of "from scratch" cooking required with it. But I will tell you- that this was AMAZING. I made it last night for my husband and three of his friends- and they all loved it too. I used canned Italian petite tomatoes, and fresh basil- which really made the sauce stand out.


Ingredients
*1 (20 ounce) bag of 4 cheese ravioli
* 1 (16 ounce) jar sun-dried tomato Alfredo sauce
*14 1/2 ounces petite tomatoes, chopped or 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
* 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
* 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1.Cook Ravioli as instructed on package.
2. Combine next four ingredients in separate pan.
3.Cook over med-low heat until thoroughly heated.
4.Top Ravioli with sauce.
5.Top with Parmesan cheese.

Source: Kraft magazine

Sausage and Peppers

This is another one of those recipes I came up with when I hadn't planned out lunch for the day. I thought it was perfect since it was low carb, and it was FREEZING outside. There's nothing better than a hot meal on a cold day. I didn't have any loaf bread, so I just toasted up some Garlic bread. I think this would also be good served on a hot dog bun, just don't cut up the sausage into such small pieces.



Ingredients

* 1-2 lb sausage (about 8 links, we prefer sweet, you may use hot)
* 1 large sweet onion, sliced and chopped
* 1 large red pepper, sliced and chopped (or any other sweet pepper)
* olive oil
* salt
* pepper
* 1 loaf Italian bread ( or garlic toast, or any bread you have on hand)
* 1 Tblspn spicy mustard (optional)
Directions

Heat approximately 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large frying pan.
Brown the sausage in the oil until you get a nice color on the outside and you no longer see any"pink".Add onions and peppers.
Cook the onions and peppers approximately 5 minutes or until onions start to become translucent. Add salt and pepper, and spicy mustard, stirring to evenly distribute the mustard. Turn heat down to simmer.
Simmer for approximately 15 minutes or until sausage is cooked through.
Serve on Italian Bread.

Recipe adapted from www.recipezaar.com

Hot Cocoa and Marshmallow Cupcakes

First, I need to give credit where credit is due. My little eight year old sister made these one night for dinner- and I instantly fell in love. Who knew an 8 year old can tap into such amazing recipes? I think I may have a little protege on my hands.
These are kid friendly AND adult friendly. Even my husband who doesn't like chocolate had 3 cupcakes.




Ingredients

* 1 (18.25 ounce) package devil's food cake mix
* 2 cups JET-PUFFED Miniature Marshmallows, divided
* 4 (1 ounce) squares BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate, coarsely chopped
* 1/4 cup milk
* 1 (8 ounce) tub COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed
* 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder

Directions

Prepare and bake cake batter as directed on package for 24 cupcakes; cool completely.
Meanwhile, place 1 cup of the marshmallows, the chocolate chunks and milk in large saucepan; cook on low heat until marshmallows and chocolate are completely melted and mixture is well blended, stirring constantly. Cool at least 30 minutes. Gently stir in whipped topping.Frost cupcakes with the whipped topping mixture; top with the remaining 1 cup marshmallows. Sprinkle evenly with cocoa. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Store leftover cupcakes in refrigerator.

Creamy Garlic Penne Pasta

SO in my last post- I talked about how I TRY and cook low carb, and my next recipe is all about pasta!! A little ironic...
I made this one night when I had NO idea what to make for dinner, and I just happened to have all of the ingrediants on hand. It was very simple, and very good. The flavors are pretty mild- so I think it would be pretty kid friendly. I'll find out in about a year when my baby can actually start eating "people food." :)




Ingredients

*1 (1 lb) box penne or penne rigate, cooked as directed, drained and kept hot
* 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
* 2 garlic cloves, minced
* 2 tablespoons flour
* 3/4 cup chicken broth or beef broth
* 3/4 cup milk
* 2 teaspoons parsley flakes
* salt and pepper, to taste
* 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
* 1 tomato, chopped



Directions

1.Melt butter and add garlic in a medium sauce pan.
2.Cook over medium for 1 minute.
3.Add flour and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.
4.Stir in broth and milk and cook, stirring frequently, until sauce boils
and thickens.
5.Add parsley, salt, pepper,cheese and tomato.
6.Stir until cheese is melted.
7.Toss hot pasta with sauce and serve immediately.

Parmesan Tilapia

My husband was diagnosed as a Type 1 diabetic when he was 18 years old ( several years before we started dating). Because of that, I try and cook low carb meals...and this is one of our favorites. Even if your not a "fish person"- this recipe is REALLY good. Tilapia is one of those fishes that takes on the flavor of what you cook it with, so in this recipe, it absorbs a lot of the lemon/parmesan flavors, and is honestly- very very good.


(photo borrowed from www.recipezaar.com. My camera crapped out on me the night I made this.)

Ingredients

* 2 lbs tilapia fillets (orange roughy, cod or red snapper can be substituted)
* 2 tablespoons lemon juice
* 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
* 4 tablespoons butter, room temperature
* 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
* 3 tablespoons finely chopped green onions
* 1/4 teaspoon seasoning salt (Old Bay would be good! Or Lemon Pepper)
* 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
* black pepper
* 1 dash hot pepper sauce

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In buttered 13-by-9-inch baking dish or jellyroll pan, lay fillets in single layer.Do not stack fillets, but brush top with juice.

In bowl combine cheese, butter, mayonnaise, onions and seasonings.Mix well with fork.
Bake fish in preheated oven 10 to 20 minutes or until fish just starts to flake.
Spread with cheese mixture and bake until golden brown, about 5 minutes.
***Baking time will depend on the thickness of the fish you use.

Recipe adapted from www.recipezaar.com

Peach Crisp

Peach crisp is one of those deserts that instantly reminds me of fall. I make a few of them each year because Bevan loves loves loves any type of fruit crisp, and this year was no different. This is my go-to recipe any time Bevan requests this desert. Keep in mind that the this recipe can be use for almost any type of fruit: apples, blueberries, rhubarb, etc.


(I promise to get better at taking these pictures!)

For the topping:
* 1 cup flour
* 1 cup brown sugar
* 3/4 cup oatmeal
* 1/2 cup melted butter
* 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

*1 lb peeled, pitted, and sliced peaches. (fresh or frozen)
*Vanilla ice cream(optional)

Preheat oven to 350.
Pour peaches into a pie dish.
In a separate bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, oatmeal, butter, and cinnamon. Mix thoroughly, because you want the topping to be moist, yet crumbly. Pour topping over peaches ( this recipe makes a TON of topping- so depending on how sugary you want your crisp to be depends on how much you put on top)

Bake for 12-15 minutes, depending on how crunchy you want your topping to be.

Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

**Helpful Hint:

If using fresh peaches, there is a way to peel them with out much effort. First, slip the peaches into simmering water; after a minute or two, get them into ice water. Remove peel.

Creamy Potato Soup

As I mentioned in an earlier post- our neighbors brought over a big bag of fresh red potatoes from their garden. I wanted to try and use them up before they went bad, hence another potato recipe!! In true Idaho fashion, it was warm, summer weather a week ago- and now the past few days- the temperature has dropped dramatically. Fall is upon us, and now so are the cold weather recipes. To me- there is nothing better than a steaming hot bowl of soup on a chilly night. Last night was one of those nights! So I invited my mom and sister over, and we enjoyed this flavorful creamy potato soup. The original recipe does not call for Colby Jack cheese, but I had some on hand, and I wanted to cut through the richness of the cream cheese by adding something sharp.
I served it with garlic texas toast.

Creamy potato soup:
* 4 cups chicken broth
* 4 cups peeled and cubed potatoes
* 1/4 cup minced onion
* 1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt
* 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
* 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
* 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, cut into chunks
* 1/2 cup Colby Jack shredded cheese (optional)

Combine broth, potatoes, onion, and spices.Boil on medium heat until potatoes are tender (about 30 minutes).Smash a few of the potatoes to release their starch for thickening.Reduce to low heat.Add cream cheese, and colby jack (if you decide to use it).Let simmer, stirring frequently, until cheese melts.


***As a side note- don't be afraid to experiment, or go away from the recipe! When I started making this last night, I realized half way into it that I didn't have enough chicken broth. So I ended up using 2 and 3/4 cup chicken broth, and 1 and 1/4 cup beef broth- and it still turned out really good.

Onion & Parmesan Roasted Red Potatoes

A neighbor of ours brought over a whole bag full of red potatoes freshly dug up from his garden a few days ago. Not really knowing what to do with all of them, and craving something savory- I finally found this recipe. It's very easy to make, and tastes delicious.



Ingredients

* 2 lbs red potatoes, sliced 1/2 inch thick
* 1/3 cup vegetable oil
* 1 envelope dry onion soup mix
* grated parmesan cheese
* Salt & pepper to taste

Directions

1.Combine all ingredients in a large plastic bag, seal and shake until well coated.
2.Empty bag into a 13x9 dish, cover and bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3.Uncover and bake 15 minutes longer or until potatoes are tender.

Enjoy!

Recipe courtesy of www.recipezaar.com

I have been obsessed with cupcakes for a while now, and have always loved cookies & cream ice cream. So the other day, after buying a huge box of oreos from Sams Club- I decided I was going to try my hand at making Oreo cupcakes. After searching the internet for the perfect cookies & cream cupcake recipe- I decided that I didn't want to put too much work into the cake, but wanted the frosting to be extraordinaire. So thats when I came up with the idea of simply adding crushed oreos to a White cake mix, and then making from scratch the frosting. These turned out awesome, and I will be making them again soon!

Oreo Cupcakes:

1 box of White cake mix
6-7 crushed oreos

Mix cake mix per instructions on the back. Stir in crushed oreos.
Pour into cupcake pan, and bake per instructions on the back of the box.

Recipe: me!

Oreo Cream Cheese Frosting

* 8 oz package of cream cheese, room temperature
* 1/4 C butter, room temperature
* 3-4 C powdered sugar (use more or less depending on how stiff you want the frosting to be)
* 1/2 t vanilla extract
* 3/4 C crushed Oreos

1. Whip cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy.
2. Mix in powdered sugar one cup at a time.
3. Add vanilla extract.
4. Gently stir in crushed Oreos.

Once the cupcakes are completely cooled, spread or pipe frosting.

Recipe: www.cupcakeproject.com