Individual orange and choc. cheesecake
Ingredients
• 1/3 cup finely crushed chocolate wafers
• 2 tablespoons butter , melted
• 1/4 cup ricotta cheese
• 2 ounces cream cheese
• 1/4 cup sugar , plus 2 tablespoons
• 1 orange, zested
• 1 egg
• Butter, for greasing
Directions
Special equipment: mini muffin tin
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine the crushed chocolate wafers and the melted butter. Place a tightly packed teaspoon of the wafer mixture into each mini-muffin cup and press down firmly.
In a food processor combine the ricotta cheese, cream cheese, 1/4 cup of the sugar, half of the orange zest, and the egg. Blend until smooth. Lightly grease the sides of the mini muffin tin with butter. Fill the cups with about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the cheesecake mixture. Place the mini muffin tin in a baking dish and pour enough hot water in the baking dish to come halfway up the sides of the mini muffin tin. Bake for 25 minutes. Transfer the mini muffin tin to a wire rack and let cool for 30 minutes. Refrigerate for 15 minutes. Use a small knife to gently pop the cheesecakes out of the cups.
Just before serving, combine the remaining orange zest with the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar. Top each individual cheesecake with about 1/4 teaspoon of the orange zest mixture and serve.

Easy Beef and Broccoli

I love anything with broccoli:)


2 cups instant white rice, uncooked
1 Tbsp. oil
1 lb. beef stir-fry strips
2 cups frozen broccoli florets
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
1/4 cup KRAFT CATALINA Dressing
1 Tbsp. grated gingerroot

Cook rice as directed on package. Meanwhile, heat oil in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add meat; cook 3 min. or until evenly browned, stirring frequently.
Add broccoli, hoisin sauce, dressing and gingerroot; stir. Cover. Cook 5 min. or until heated through.
Serve over the rice.

Creamy Layered Fruit Sensation

1 pkg. (9 oz.) angel food cake, cut into cubes
3 Tbsp. orange juice
1/4 tsp. almond extract
2-1/2 cups cold fat-free milk
2 pkg. (4-serving size each) JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Fat Free Sugar Free Instant Pudding
1-1/2 cups thawed COOL WHIP Sugar Free Whipped Topping, divided
2 pkg. (12 oz. each) frozen mixed berries, thawed, well drained

Place cake cubes in large bowl. Mix orange juice and extract. Drizzle over cake; toss to coat.
Pour milk into another large bowl. Add dry pudding mixes. Beat with wire whisk 2 min. or until well blended. Gently stir in 1 cup of the whipped topping.
Reserve a few berries for garnish; set aside. Place half of the cake cubes in 2-qt. glass serving bowl or round casserole dish; top with layers of half each of the remaining berries and pudding mixture. Repeat layers. Cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 2 hours. Top with remaining 1/2 cup whipped topping and reserved berries just before serving. Store leftovers in refrigerator.

Thanks!

I just wanted to say thanks to everyone for contributing to our new recipe blog. I have had a lot of fun trying all the recipes. My brothers all married excellent cooks!! I hope you will keep adding.
Love,
Shannon

Apple Blackberry Cups

Such a delicious breakfast treat!

1 tube(12.4 ounces) refrigerated cinnamon roll dough
1 cup apple pie filling
1/2 cup blackberries, raspberries, cranberries or any other berry~
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Set aside icing packet from cinnamon rolls. Place rolls in ungreased muffin cups. Bake at 400 degrees for 6 minutes
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the pie filling, berries and cinnamon. With the back of a teaspoon, make an indentation in the center of each roll; fill with fruit mixture. Bake 4-5 minutes longer or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack for 5minutes. Drizzle with icing and serve warm. Makes 8 servings.

Black and White Cookies

A chocolate lover's dream....

preheat oven to 325 degrees

2 1/4 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup dark brown sugar(I used light brown because I didn't have any dark brown)
1 cup butter
3 eggs 2 tsp. vanilla
6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
6 oz. white chocolate chips
3/4 cups granulated sugar(I accidentally skipped adding this white sugar and they tasted fine!)

In a medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In a separate mixing bowl, cream together sugars and butter. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until smooth. Add flour mixture and chocolates, and blend until just combined. Drop by the tablespoonful onto an ungreased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake 12 minutes. Makes 4 dozen.

Hidden Valley Broiled Fish

Well, I am very picky about how my fish is cooked. This is seriously my favorite marinade for white fish. I usually just use cod fillets, but any kind of white fish would work great. This meal made for some very happy kids, but Brad and I loved it too. It's one of our faves so enjoy!

I served it with cornbread stuffing, cooked carrots and mandarin oranges. Super easy meal!

1 packet/1 oz. Hidden Valley Original Ranch Dressing & Seasoning Mix
1/3 cup lemon juice
3 Tblsp. olive oil
3 Tblsp. Dry white wine
1 1/2 to 2 pounds mild white fish fillets, such as red snapper, sole or cod

Combine seasoning & salad dressing mix with lemon juice, olive oil and wine in a shallow dish. Mix well. Add fish and coat all sides with mixture. Cover and refrigerate for 15 to 30 minutes. Remove fish from maridnade and place on broiler pan or cookie sheet covered with tin foil. Pour remaining marinade over fish. Broil 9 to 12 minutes or until fish begins to flake.

Raspberry filled crepes

Ingredients
Crepes:
4 eggs
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 12 cubes
1 cup raspberry jam
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Whipped cream:
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 1/2 teaspoons powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
Fresh raspberries and vanilla sugar, recipe follows

For the crepes: Preheat the oven to 150 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a blender, add the eggs, milk, flour, sugar, and salt. Blend until the mixture forms a smooth batter. Preheat a 10-inch nonstick crepe pan or skillet over medium-low heat. Add 1 cube of butter to the pan. When the butter has melted, add 1/4 cup of batter and quickly tilt the pan to form an even coating of batter on the bottom of the pan. Cook for 1 minute until set and slightly browned. Using a heat-resistant spatula, carefully loosen the sides and gently flip the crepe over. Cook for 1 minute. Repeat with the remaining butter and batter. In a small bowl, mix together the jam and vanilla extract. Using a 1-teaspoon measuring spoon, spoon 2 teaspoons of the jam mixture into the center of each crepe. Using the back of the spoon, spread the jam evenly over the crepes leaving a 1/2-inch border. Starting at the nearest edge, roll the crepes into tube shapes. Arrange the crepes on the prepared baking sheet and place in a warm oven, for up to 20 minutes, until ready to serve.

For the whipped cream: In a large mixing bowl, beat the heavy cream until it forms soft peaks. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla. Continue to beat until the cream holds stiff peaks.

Transfer the crepes to a serving platter and sprinkle with vanilla sugar. Serve with whipped cream and fresh raspberries.

Vanilla Sugar:


2 cups sugar
1 vanilla bean
Add the sugar to the bowl of a food processor. Using a paring knife, slice the vanilla bean in half, lengthwise, and scrape out the seeds. Add the vanilla seeds to the sugar. Pulse 10 to 15 times until the vanilla and sugar are combined. Cut the empty vanilla pod into 1-inch pieces and add to a glass mason jar. Add the vanilla sugar to the jar and seal. Shake the jar before using.

Yield: 2 cups

Cafe Rio's Chicken

5 lbs chicken breast - boneless skinless
1 T. chili powder
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small bottle Zesty Italian Dressing
1/2-1 T. cumin

Mix all ingredients together in a large crock pot for 5-7 hrs on high. Remove Chicken and shred with fork. Reserve a small amount of juice and pour over shredded chicken to keep moist. Keep warm.

~Michelle

Manicotti

This manicotti is amazing, it tasted just like I went to a resturant:) It's from grandmas kitchens treasured family recipes
Ingredients
12 large manicotti
4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
2 cups ricotta cheese
6 tablespoons chopped fresh basil or 2 tablespoons dried basil
1 (26 ounce) jar prepared spaghetti sauce, divided (
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese or romano cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions(be sure to not over cook, they need to be a little chewey for easier stuffing). Carefully remove each shell and rinse with cool water. Let pasta dry on paper towels.

Preheat oven to 350°F Spray 13x9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
For the filling, in a large ziplock bag, (put in 3 cups mozzarella with the ricotta and fresh basil. Seal the bag tightly. Smush the bag around with your hands until the ingredients are thoroughly mixed .
Snip off the bottom corner of the ziplock bag (the point is to have the hole a tad smaller than the manicotti opening, where you can just barely slip it into the shell). Use this method to squeeze the cheese mixture into each manicotti.

Spoon 2 cups spaghetti sauce into prepared baking dish. Arrange stuffed pasta over sauce. Pour remaining spaghetti sauce over top of pasta. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella.

Bake manicotti for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with the Parmesan; bake for 10 minutes longer. Serve immediately

Pumpkin Choc. Chip Cookies

If you like pumpkin and chocolate, you'll love these cookies!

I wanted to make these for everyone over Thanksgiving but never got around to it.

1 1/2 c. pumpkin

1/2 c butter

1 c sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 egg

2 c flour

1 tsp soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

Mix first 6 then add flour 12-14 mins @ 375

Frosting

1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese, softened

1/3 c butter

1 tsp vanilla

2 c powdered sugar

Creamy Fruit Salad

2 apples

2 bananas

2 cups grapes

5-10 strawberries

1 cup heavy whipping cream

3 Tbls. sugar

Cinnamon(optional)

Cut up fruit and place in bowl. Whip the cream and sugar together until stiff peaks form. Add the cream to the fruit. Sprinkle with a little cinnamon if desired. Mix well. You can also use mandarin oranges, kiwi or any kind of berries.

10-12 servings

Red and White Lasagna

We had guests over for dinner last night and this is what I made. Everyone loved it, even the kids!! It also makes great leftovers for lunch or a weekend dinner. I served it with garlic french bread, ceasar salad and fruit salad.

12 Lasagna noodles

1 15oz. container ricotta cheese

1 10oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese, divided

2 eggs

1 lb. bulk Italian sausage or ground beef, cooked and drained

1 26oz. jar marinara pasta sauce

1 16oz. jar alfredo pasta sauce

chopped fresh parsley(optional)

Cook pasta according to package directions. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In large bowl, combine ricotta cheese, spinach, mozzarella cheese, 2 Tbls. parmesan cheese and eggs; mix well. In a 15x9-inch baking dish, spread 1 cup marinara sauce. Layer 4 lasagna noodles over sauce. Top with half che3ese mixture, 1 cup marinara sauce and all the cooked beef. Layer 4 more lasagna noodles, remaining cheese mixture and remaining marinara sauce. Top with 4 remaining lasagna noodles. Spred Alfred sauce evenly on top; sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese. Cover; bake 40 minutes. Uncover, bake an additional 15 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

10-12 servings

Stir Fry

1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp brown sugar
3/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 c. cold water
1/4 c. soy sauce
1 pound boneless sirlion steak, cut into thin strips.
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 c. broccoli florets
2 c. cauliflowerets
1 onion, chopped
1 c. sliced carrots
Hot cooked rice

In a small bowl, whisk together the first eight ingredients until smooth; set aside. In a skillet stir fry steak in oil for 3-5 minutes. Add broc, cali, onion, carrots and soy sauce mixture; cover and cook 8 mins or until veggies are crisp tender, stirring occasionally. Serve over rice.

This is one of my favorite meals! I made it for Keri and Chad yesterday!

Shannon we made your cookies:)

Keri spent the weekend with us!! We felt like something sweet so made Shannon's oatmeal choc. chip cookies! They are yummy!


My man was happy!! He loves sweets and has been wanting me to make cookies for awhile:)

Garden Fresh Lasagna

I made this for my family when we we're in Monticello one time and they seemed to really like it. Served it with french bread.

1 lb lean (at least 80%) ground beef
2 1/2 cups hot water
1/2 cup milk
1 box Hamburger Helper lasagna
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 small tomato, chopped (1/2 cup)
1 small bell pepper, chopped (1/2 cup)
1 small zucchini, thinly sliced (1 cup)
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (4 oz)

In 10-inch skillet, cook beef over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thoroughly cooked; drain.
2. Stir in hot water, milk, uncooked pasta and sauce mix (from Hamburger Helper box), oregano and garlic powder. Heat to boiling, stirring occasionally.
3. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in tomato, bell pepper, zucchini and cheese. Cover; simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat; uncover (sauce will thicken as it stands). Stir before serving

Love, Kel

Strawberry Cheesecake Pie

I love this pie! I'm not a huge lover of cheesecake just cause it's so rich but this one is delicious!

2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
1/4 cup chopped almonds, toasted (i don't like nuts but for those that do!)
1 tbsp sugar
1 (9 inch) graham cracker crust
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
2 cups cold milk, divided
1 (3.4 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix

In a bowl, combine the strawberries, almonds, and sugar. Pour into crust. In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth; gradually add 1/2 cup of milk. Add pudding mix and remaining milk. Beat for 1 minute or until blended; pour over strawberries. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or until set.

Enjoy!

Love, Kel

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is our family's favorite cookie recipe ever! You can make it healthier by adding some wheat germ; about 1/2 cup. Your family will never know they are "healthy"!

2 1/2 sticks butter or margarine

3/4 cups firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 large egg

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup wheat germ(optional)

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

3 cups rolled oats

1 pkg. (12 oz.) semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars. Beat in egg and vanilla extract. Set aside. In a separate bowl, combine flour, wheat germ, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Add oats and mix well. Slowly add the oat mixture to the butter mixture, and stir to combine. When well mixed, add the chocolate chips and stir to distribute them evenly. Drop the batter by heaping tablespoons onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire racks.

Makes 3 dozen cookies.

Cheddar Ham Soup

This is a delicious creamy soup! I served it with homemade rolls.

2 cups diced peeled potatoes

2 cups water

1/2 cup sliced carrot

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup butter, cubed

1/4 cup all purpose flour

2 cups milk

1/4 to 1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1 tsp. basil

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1-1/2 cups cubed fully cooked ham

1 cup frozen peas, thawed

In a large saucepan, combine the potatoes, water, carrot and onion. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 10-15 minutes or until tender.

Meanwhile, in another saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour until smooth. Gradually add the milk, salt and pepper and basil. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thichened. Stir in the cheese until melted. Stir into undrained potato mixture. Add ham and peas; heat through. Yield: 7 servings.

Chicken Wellington- from Taste of Home

4-5 boneless chicken breast halves

1 Tbs. olive oil

4 Tbs. butter, softened, divided

1 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed

1/2 tsp. rubbed sage

1/4 tsp. each salt and pepper

2 pkg. refrigerated pie pastry(15 oz. each)

1 egg, slightly beaten

1-1/4 tsp. chicken bouillon granules

1-1/4 cups hot water

3 Tbs. all-purpose flour

2 Tbs. white wine

Flatten Chicken to 1/4 in(I don't have a meat mallet, so I just use the edge of a potato masher). In a skillet, cook chicken in oil and 1 tablespoon butter 4-5 minutes on each side until juices run clear.

Meanwhile, combine rosemary, sage, salt, pepper and 1 tablespoon butter. Unroll pastry sheets; cut each into a 9-in. square or oval(discard scraps). Place a chicken breast half on each square; spread chicken with butter mixture. Fold pastry over chicken. Trim off excess pastry; pinch seams to seal.

Place on a greased baking sheet; brush with egg. Bake at 450 degrees for 18-20 min. or until golden brown. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Meanwhile, dissolve bouillon in hot water. In a saucepan, melt remaining butter; stir in flour until smooth. Gradually stir in bouillon and wine. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Serve with chicken. Yield: 4 or 5 servings.

I served this with boiled broccoli. Brad and the kids really liked it.
Enjoy!