Creamy Tortellini Vegetable Bake

This is super yummy and also full of veggies!

Creamy Tortellini Vegetable Bake

Ingredients

·         1 package (19 ounces) package frozen cheese-filled tortellini

·         2 tablespoons olive oil

Veggies:

·         1 cup sugar snap peas

·         1 cup carrot (~1 large sized)

·         3/4 cup sweet bell peppers (2 small sized)

·         1 cup summer squash

·         1 cup cherry tomatoes

·         1 can (15 ounces) corn

Creamy base:

·         1 and 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter

·         1 and 1/2 tablespoons white flour

·         1/3 cup vegetable stock or broth

·         1 cup milk (I used 1%)

·         1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

·         1/2 teaspoon pepper

·         1 teaspoon dried basil

·         1 package (8 ounces) full fat cream cheese

Top it off:

·         1/4 cup freshly-grated mozzarella or Monterey Jack cheese

·         3-4 tablespoons freshly-grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

1.       Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Generously grease a 9 x 13 casserole dish and set aside.

2.       Prep the veggies: trim the snap peas and cut in half, peel and slice the carrot, dice the peppers, chop the summer squash, quarter the cherry tomatoes, and drain the corn.

3.       Bring large water to a boil and add carrots, sugar snap peas and tortellini.

4.       Meanwhile, add 2 tablespoons olive oil to a skillet. Over medium heat sauté the peppers and summer squash until tender.

5.       Drain the tortellini, snap peas, and carrots and return to pot. Add in the peppers, summer squash, cherry tomatoes and can of corn.

6.       In same skillet you used to sauté the veggies melt the butter over medium-heat. Whisk in the flour. Slowly whisk in the broth and stir until completely smooth. Then gradually, whisk in the milk and stir until smooth. Add the garlic salt, pepper, and dried basil. Cook and stir until the mixture is thick and bubbly.

7.       Add in the cream cheese (cut into small pieces) and stir until smooth and the sauce is thickened.

8.       Pour the sauce over the veggies and tortellini. Transfer the mixture to the prepared 9 x 13 casserole dish.

9.       Cover the dish with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil, add the mozzarella and parmesan cheese and broil for 2-3 minutes watching carefully until the cheese is melted on top.

chelseasmessyapron.com/creamy-tortellini-vegetable-bake/

Orange Chicken (Panda Express)

I made this recipe because my planned recipe was not to be (apparently I'm out of Mayo).  I had a lot of rice made and chicken thawed, so I tried to a recipe that would cater to that.  It turned out to be a happy misfortune that our Bang Bang Chicken didn't work out tonight because we all really liked this Orange Chicken.  It does taste a lot like the Orange Chicken at Panda Express.  The fact that it doesn't list mystery meat as an ingredient makes it just a bit different than Panda's recipe. ;)

This calls for orange zest, of which I had none, so I subbed 8-14 drops Wild Orange essential oil.  Since essential oils require one to take out a second mortgage to purchase them, I'm planning on trying the orange zest next time.

Orange Chicken (Panda Express)

Ingredients

FOR THE CHICKEN:

·         2 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1" pieces

·         1 eggs

·         1 1/2 tsp salt

·         1 pinch black pepper

·         2 tbsp oil divided, plus more for frying

·         1/2 cup cornstarch

·         1/4 cup flour

FOR THE SAUCE:

·         1 tablespoon cornstarch

·         2 tablespoons orange juice

·         1/4 cup water

·         1 teaspoon sesame oil

·         3 tablespoons soy sauce

·         10 tablespoons sugar

·         10 tablespoons white vinegar

·         zest of 1 orange (or 8-14 drops DoTerra Wild Orange Essential Oil)

TO FINISH:

·         1 1/2 tablespoons ginger root minced

·         2 teaspoons garlic minced

·         1/2 tsp hot red chili pepper crushed

Instructions

1.      To make the sauce combine the 1 tablespoon cornstarch, rice wine, water, sesame oil, soy sauce, sugar, white vinegar and orange zest.

2.      To coat the chicken add the egg, salt, pepper and 1 tablespoon oil into a bowl and whisk together in a large bowl.

3.      In a separate bowl, add 1/2 cup corn starch and flour and mix well.

4.      In a large frying pan or a wok, heat oil in a wok 375 degrees.

5.      Dip chicken pieces in the egg mixture, then dredge in the flour mixture.

6.      Fry the chicken for 3 to 4 minutes or until golden and crisp.

7.      Transfer to a cooling rack and repeat with remaining chicken.

8.      When you are done with the chicken, drain most of the oil from the pan (leave about a tablespoon).

9.      Add the ginger, garlic and crushed red peppers, cooking for about 10 seconds.

10.  Add the orange sauce and bring to boil.

11.  Turn off the heat, and add cooked chicken and stir until well mixed.  Serve over brown rice.

Slightly altered from: https://dinnerthendessert.com/panda-express-orange-chicken-copycat/

Strawberry Salad with Cinnamon Vinaigrette

Remember a few years ago when I made a cinnamon vinaigrette for a salad at Thanksgiving or Christmas? And it was really bad? Well, just forget about that, because this is the one that I was thinking of and I just saw the recipe and realized I never posted it! This vinaigrette has a much more subtle cinnamon taste and is really delicious.

Strawberry Salad with Cinnamon Vinaigrette

1/3 c. olive oil
1/3 c. raspberry or current vinegar (I think red wine or apple cider vinegar would work too)
3 T. sugar
1/8 tsp. Tobasco
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 heads romaine lettuce, torn into bite size pieces
1 11-oz can mandarin oranges, drained
1 pint strawberries, stemmed and quartered
1 small red onion, peeled and thinly sliced (or chop some green onions)
1/2 c. coarsely chopped pecans, toasted
1 avocado, peeled, seeded and sliced

Mix the dressing ingredients - the oil through the cinnamon; shake well, and chill at least 2 hours.

In a large bowl, combine the remaining salad ingredients. Add half of the dressing and toss to coat. Serve with extra dressing on the side.

6-8 servings

From an old Colorado Cookbook

REAL Pizza Dough!

After a decade of trying recipe after recipe I have finally found a good AMAZING pizza dough!  Hallelujah!  I found this King Arthur blog post that walks you through all the steps, but I broke it down for my printed recipe.  Here's the original post if you want to take a look: https://blog.kingarthurflour.com/2015/01/05/best-pizza-youll-ever-make/?go=ETW16F2_B1&trk_msg=4N2J85VUPEUK323ERNBJK1IQKC&trk_contact=8JLPT4O9CS4MJGMJ6KBOKMQPNS&trk_module=wel&trk_sid=58SQ436S52T10O76KEVGDN9EB8&utm_source=listrak&utm_medium=email&utm_term=http%%202f%2fwww.kingarthurflour.com%2fshop%2flanding.jsp%3fgo%3dETW16F2_B1&utm_campaign=welcome&utm_content=step2-recipes-blogs

This dough doesn't make a dense crust, but an airy, chewy piece of perfection.  Thin in the middle and thick on the edge.  So yummy!  I am so glad I tried this because I had all but given up on homemade pizza... my family all complained when I made it and my kids said they'd prefer Little Caesar's haha!  This dough is definitely a game changer.

Also, I didn't let my dough rest for the full 24 hours, as recommended, but I did let it rest for 5 and that worked well.

Pizza Dough (King Arthur – PERFECT)

500g Unbleached All-Purpose Flour (approximately 4 cups + 2 tablespoons)
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
4g granulated sugar (1 teaspoon)
16g salt (2 1/2 teaspoons)
370g lukewarm water (1 1/2 cups + 2 tablespoons)

Mix the dry ingredients, then add the water. Stir until just combined – the dough will look lumpy and might be too moist at this point.  Remove dough hook and cover with towel.  Let sit for at least 5 hours and up to 24 hours.

Preheat the oven to 475-500 degrees with pizza stone inside.

Transfer dough onto well-floured silicone mat and cut into four even pieces.  Stretch each piece and refold back onto itself (like you’re shaping a roll).  Put dough into bowls and cover loosely with towel.  Let rise in warm place (oven that was preheated to warm and then turned off works well) for 45-60 minutes.

On well-floured silicone mat, lay each piece of dough flat and poke holes all around the middle of the dough (not piercing through all the way) – don’t touch the edge of the dough.  This will allow the crust to remain thick and bubbly.

Lift the dough and, using your knuckles, begin to pass the dough back and forth between your hands to gently stretch the middle.  Stretch it until it is about 12 inches in diameter.  Place dough on sheet of parchment paper and trim parchment around edge of dough.

Add sauce and toppings and transfer to pizza stone (including parchment paper).  Bake for around 8-12 minutes, or until dough is light to medium brown around edges.

Cullohill Apple Pie

We have decided that the Irish win with apple pie! This is the second Irish apple pie we've tried and it is as delicious as the first one we tried! (I put that link because you should all try both of them!)
My favorite thing about this one was the crust because it was easy and flaky and delicious. (You cream the butter! Hooray!) Kelton was happy that the pie didn't have any of that "gooey" stuff (no thickener added to the apples). I just put two whole cloves on top of the apples and then pulled them out when I cut the pie. The recipe is from a cute Irish blog: Nessa's Family Kitchen.

Cullohill Apple Pie / Rhubarb Pie

Ingredients
Pastry
8 ozs (225g/2 sticks) butter
2 ozs (55g/1/3 cup) castor sugar
2 eggs, preferably free range
12 ozs (340g/2½ cups) white flour, preferably unbleached
Filling
1½ lbs (675g) Bramley Seedling cooking apples
5 ozs (140g/2/3 cup) sugar
2-3 cloves
egg wash-made with one beaten egg and a dash of milk
Caster sugar for sprinkling

Tin, 7 inches (18cm) x 12 inches (30.5cm) x 1 inch (2.5cm) deep

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4.


2. First make the pastry. Cream the butter and sugar together by hand or in a food mixer (no need to over cream). Add the eggs and beat for several minutes. Reduce speed and mix in the flour. Turn out onto a piece of floured greaseproof paper, flatten into a round wrap and chill. This pastry needs to be chilled for at least 2 hours otherwise it is difficult to handle.


3. To make the tart, roll out the pastry 1/8 inch (3mm) thick approx., and use about 2/3 of it to line a suitable tin. Peel, quarter and dice the apples into the tart, sprinkle with sugar and add the cloves. Cover with a lid of pastry, seal edges, decorate with pastry leaves, egg wash and bake in the preheated oven until the apples are tender, approx. 45 minutes to 1 hour. When cooked cut into squares, sprinkle lightly with castor sugar and serve with softly whipped cream and barbados sugar.

   Rhubarb Pie

Make in exactly the same way but use approx. 900g (2lbs) sliced red rhubarb (about 1/2 inch thick) and approx. 370g (13oz) sugar. Also combine the rhubard with 1 tbsp cornflour, to soak up some of the juices. If you have some strawberries add a few as they are delicious in this tart with the rhubarb.

Homemade Hot Chocolate

Homemade Hot Chocolate

2/3 C sugar

1/3 C unsweetened cocoa

1/8 tsp salt

1 C water

5 ½ cups milk or half and half

1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk

1 Tbsp vanilla

In a saucepan, combine sugar, cocoa and salt; add water.  Cook and stir over medium high heat until mixture boils.  Boil and stir 2 more minutes.  Reduce heat to low or medium low and add milk and evaporated milk.  Slowly warm, but do not boil (do not heat too quickly or milk will curdle).  Remove from heat and add vanilla.  Serve hot.

EASY CHICKEN CORDON BLEU

We tried this tonight and loved it!  The sauce is especially delicious.

https://www.melskitchencafe.com/chicken-cordon-bleu-the-easy-way/

EASY CHICKEN CORDON BLEU

FOR THE CORDON BLEU:

·         3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in half length-wise (to form two thinner chicken breast cutlets)

·         Salt and pepper

·         12 slices deli ham

·         6-8 slices Swiss cheese (6 to 8 ounces)

·         1 cup bread crumbs (I prefer panko in this recipe)

·         2 tablespoons butter, melted

FOR THE PARMESAN-DIJON CREAM SAUCE:

·         2 tablespoons butter

·         2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

·         1 cup milk

·         1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules (or 1 bouillon cube, crushed)

·         1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

·         1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

·         1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1.       Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9X13-inch baking dish with cooking spray set aside.

2.      Lay the cut chicken breasts in a single layer in the 9X13-inch dish. Lightly sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.

3.      Layer each chicken breast with two slices of ham and top with 2 slices of swiss cheese, shingling across the chicken breast to make sure the entire piece of chicken is covered with ham and cheese. Toss the bread crumbs with the melted butter and sprinkle the mixture over the top of the chicken.

4.      Bake the chicken for 30-35 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through completely, the cheese is bubbling and the bread crumbs are golden.

5.       For the sauce, while the chicken bakes, in a medium saucepan, melt the 2 tablespoons butter. Stir in the flour, and cook for 1-2 minutes. Slowly pour in the milk while whisking quickly to avoid lumps.

6.      Stir in the chicken bouillon granules. Whisk constantly over medium heat until the mixture begins to simmer and thicken, about 3-5 minutes.

7.       Once the sauce has bubbled and thickened, remove from heat and stir in the mustard, Worcestershire sauce and Parmesan cheese. Stir until the cheese is melted. Keep the sauce warm until the chicken is finished baking. Season to taste with salt and pepper, if needed.

8.      Serve each chicken cordon bleu portion with warm sauce.

NOTES:

Make Ahead Instructions: Assemble the chicken, ham and cheese according to the recipe. Store the prepared bread crumb/butter mixture in a resealable plastic bag or other container. Cover the casserole with plastic wrap and store it and the bread crumb mixture in the refrigerator for 8-12 hours. When ready to bake, sprinkle the bread crumbs over the top and bake according to the recipe, adding anywhere from 5-15 extra minutes since it was refrigerated prior to baking. Make the sauce while the casserole bakes or make it ahead of time, let it cool, and store it covered in the refrigerator for 1-2 days, reheating over low heat and whisking to recombine before serving.