Creamy Spinach Tortellini

Very delicious!

Ingredients

• 1 (20 oz) pkg three cheese tortellini (preferably the refrigerated kind)
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 1/4 cups milk (I used 2%, anything but skim works fine)
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 (14.5 oz) can petite diced tomatoes (undrained)
• 1 1/2 cups (packed) chopped fresh spinach
• 3 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
• 2 tsp chopped fresh oregano (or 1/2 tsp dry)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 6 Tbsp finely shredded parmesan, plus more for serving
• Red pepper flakes, for serving (optional)

Directions

• Cook tortellini according to directions listed on package.
• Meanwhile, in a large and deep skillet or saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add garlic and saute 30 seconds, then add flour and onion powder and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. While whisking, slowly pour in milk and cream, then whisk until smooth. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture begins to simmer, then add tomatoes, spinach, basil and oregano. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook several minutes longer until sauce has thickened and spinach has wilted. Add parmesan cheese and stir until melted. Remove from heat.
• Toss prepared and drained tortellini into sauce mixture (note that as the pasta rests, the sauce will seem thicker and it will sort of soak into the noodles. So, if you won't be serving it for 10 minutes or so you can stir in some pasta water, milk or cream to thin it out if desired). Serve warm sprinkled with additional parmesan cheese if desired and optional red pepper flakes.
• Recipe Source: adapted by Cooking Classy with some changes fromallrecipes.com

Chicken Black Bean Taco Bake

Prep time: 10 min | Cook time: 20 min | Total time: 30 min

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup finely chopped white onion
• 2 cups cooked, shredded chicken (I used rotisserie)
• 15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1/4 cup sliced black olives
• 5 corn tortillas, cut into eighths
• 1 cup mild salsa
• 1/2 cup heavy cream or sour cream
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place olive oil into a 12 inch cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often until softened. Add chicken, beans, olives and cut up tortillas. Stir to combined.
2. Place salsa and cream into a medium bowl and add to skillet, stirring to combine. Stir in cumin, salt and pepper. Top with shredded cheese and bake for 20-25 minutes, until cheese is melted.
3. Serve warm.

Makes 6 Servings

From Picky Palate

Salsa Verde Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Ingredients

• 4 cups cooked chopped chicken breast
• 2 cups cooked wild rice, I found precooked wild rice at Target
• 32 ounces chicken or vegetable broth
• 12 ounces salsa verde, mild
• 1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 bag tortilla chips, optional
• 1 avocado sliced or chopped for garnish if desired

Directions

1. Heat medium dutch oven over medium heat. Add chopped chicken, wild rice, broth, salsa verde, cilantro, cumin, lime juice, salt and pepper to the pot. Stir and cook for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low and simmer until ready to serve.
2. To serve, place crushed tortilla chips into bottom of bowls, top with hot soup then top with avocado slices. Serve immediately.

Makes 6 Servings

Double Layer Chocolate Cake and Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

I love making people happy with food! This cake is my favorite from the cake to the frosting. 

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Yield: 12 servings

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 
• 1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup boiling water
• 3/4 cup canola oil
• 2 large eggs
• 3 large egg yolks
• 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1/3 cup sour cream
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
• 1 1/2 cups butter, at room temperature (I like to use 1 cup unsalted and 1/2 cup salted)
• 3 3/4 cups + 2 Tbsp powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp cocoa powder
• 3 - 4 Tbsp heavy cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

• For the cake:
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter two 9-inch round cake pans then line bottom of each with a round of parchment paper. Butter parchment paper and set aside.
• In a large, heat proof mixing bowl, whisk together granulated sugar and brown sugar (lumps are fine), then whisk in cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Carefully pour boiling water in to cocoa mixture and immediately whisk to blend well, about 15 - 20 seconds. Allow to cool 5 minutes.
• Using an electric hand mixer set on low speed blend in canola oil until combined, about 10 seconds. Add eggs to cocoa mixture and blend on low speed just until combined, about 5 seconds. Add egg yolks and vanilla extract and blend just to combined. Then add flour and blend only until combined and finish by blending in milk and sour cream just until combined.
• Divide mixture evenly among 2 prepared pans. Bake in preheated oven until toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, about 29 - 34 minutes. Allow to cool in pan 5 minutes, run butter knife around edge of cake and invert onto a wire rack and allow to cool completely (after about 20 minutes of cooling, I placed the cakes into an airtight container to seal in moisture while they finished cooling).
• Trim tops from cake to form an even layer (they are quite domed so you don't need to make it completely level across - just add a little more frosting to the edges that aren't as level so you don't have to cut off so much cake). Add frosting to top of one round then top with second cake and frost top and sides of cake. Store in an airtight container.
• For the chocolate buttercream frosting:
• In a the bowl of an electric stand mixer, fitted with whisk attachment (paddle attachment works too. Whichever you use just pay attention the the shade of the butter), whip butter on moderately high speed until very pale and fluffy (nearly white in color), about 6 - 8 minutes, occasionally scraping down sides of the bowl. Sift in cocoa powder then add in powdered sugar, 3 Tbsp heavy cream and vanilla and mix on low speed until combine, scrapping down the sides of the bowl as needed and adding up to 1 tbsp additional cream to thin if desired. Increase mixer to medium-high speed and whip mixture until pale and very fluffy about 4 - 5 minutes, occasionally scraping down sides of the bowl.
• Note that similar to whipped cream the frosting will lose some of its "fluff" after a few hours, it will still taste the same it just loses some of the air that was whipped into it (similar to whipped cream how it loses it's stabilization after a few hours). It is best to prepare and use within a few hours for best (fluffiest) results.

Beef Taco Pie

I found this recipe in Better Homes and Gardens magazine. So glad I decided to try it.

Easy Layered Boston Cream Pie

This was super yummy and easy! I got the recipe from a Better Homes and Gardens magazine:)

Orange Chiffon Cake with orange filling and meringue

I made this cake for my Moms Mother's Day dinner. I didn't have a kitchen torch so just used a lighter! Needless to say I had a sore hand by the time I got done. Definitely made with love!

Ingredients

Orange Filling
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar 
• 1 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 2 1/2 tsp grated orange zest
• 2/3 cup fresh orange juice
• 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 4 large egg yolks (reserve whites for meringue)
• 1 large egg
• 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, diced into 1 Tbsp pieces
Cake
• 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 2 1/2 cups cake flour
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 5 large eggs, yolks and whites separated
• 2 Tbsp orange zest
• 3/4 cup fresh orange juice
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
Meringue
• 6 egg whites
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp cream of tartar

Directions

• For the orange filling:
• In a medium saucepan, whisk together sugar, cornstarch and salt. Stir in orange zest, orange juice, and lemon juice. Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently, and allow to boil about 1 minute (mixture should thicken slightly and become translucent). Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk together egg yolks and egg until very well blended. While mixing egg mixture, slowly pour 1/4 cup of the hot orange juice mixture over eggs and stir until well blended. Remove saucepan from heat (once it's boiled as listed above) and while stirring mixture in saucepan, slowly pour egg mixture into saucepan. Reduce burner temperature to medium-low heat and return saucepan to burner and cook, stirring constantly (and whisking rather vigorously to prevent curdling) until mixture thickens well, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat, add butter and stir until combined. Pour into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap pressing directly against surface of filling, and chill 2 hours.
• For the cake:
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour 3 9-inch round cake pans (lightly butter sides), set aside. To the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or using a bowl and electric hand mixer), add 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar, baking powder, salt and sift cake flour into bowl. Pour in canola oil, egg yolks (while reserving the whites in a separate mixing bowl) and orange juice. Blend mixture on medium-high speed until smooth, about 3 - 4 minutes (slightly less if using a paddle attachment that has the scraper), occasionally scraping down sides and bottom of bowl. Blend in orange zest and vanilla extract.
• In a large mixing bowl, using an electric hand mixer (or if you have two stand mixer bowls you can use your stand mixer with the whisk attachment), whip 5 reserved egg whites with 1/2 tsp cream of tartar on moderately high speed until stiff (but not dry) peaks form. Add half of the whipped egg whites to the batter and fold until partially combined, then add remaining half of the whipped egg whites and fold just until combined (be careful not to overfold and deflate the eggs).
• Divide batter evenly among prepared baking pans and bake in preheated oven 17 - 19 minutes until toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean. Allow to cool in cake pans 10 minutes, then invert onto wire racks to cool completely before frosting with meringue.
• For the meringue:
• Add 6 egg whites (don't allow one drop of egg yolk) and sugar to a very clean heatproof bowl and set over a saucepan of barely simmering water. Heat mixture, stirring constantly, until it registers 160 degrees on a candy thermometer, about 3 - 5 minutes. Remove bowl from saucepan, add 1/4 tsp cream of tartar and beat mixture with an electric stand mixer on medium-high speed until stiff glossy peaks form, about 7 - 9 minutes (possibly longer in a humid environment).
• To assemble cake:
• Trim tops of each cake off to form an even layer. Spread half of the chilled orange filling over 1 layer of the cake (crumb/top side up, drop in a large dollop and spread outward so it doesn't get all crumby), leaving about a 1/2-inch rim of cake uncoated (because once the other layers are added the weight will slightly push the filling outward). Top with another layer of the cake (crumb/top side up), followed by remaining half of the orange filling, leaving a 1/2-inch rim of cake uncoated. Top with last layer (crumb/top side down) and spread meringue over entire cake. Toast meringue with a culinary torch until golden brown (and keeping a close eye making sure to blow any little flame out). Serve immediately or store covered in refrigerator and bring to room temperature before enjoying.
• From Cooking Classy

Kale and Quinoa Minestrone

This is just plain delicious and very good for you too!

Ingredients

• 1 large yellow onion, diced (2 cups) 
• 3 medium carrots, diced (1 1/2 cups)
• 2 stalks celery, diced (1 cup)
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 cups diced, fresh zucchini (from about 2 small)
• 2 cups green beans, cut into 1-inch segments
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (32 oz) carton unsalted or low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
• 3 cups water
• 3 1/2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tsp dried rosemary, crushed
• 3/4 tsp dried thyme
• 1 1/2 tsp granulated sugar
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 3/4 cup dry quinoa
• 1 (15 oz) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (15 oz) can chick peas, drained and rinsed (aka garbanzo beans)
• 2 (heaping) cups chopped fresh kale, thick ribs removed
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• Shredded parmesan cheese, for garnish (omit or use vegan parmesan if making vegan)

Directions

• In a large stockpot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add diced onion, carrots and celery and saute about 5 minutes, until softened. Add in zucchini, green beans, red bell pepper and saute 2 minutes, then add garlic and cook 1 minute longer.
• Add in vegetable broth, crushed tomatoes, water, parsley, rosemary, thyme, granulated sugar, season with salt and pepper to taste and bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and allow soup to gently boil, uncovered for about 20 minutes.
• Add in dry quinoa then cover and cook 15 - 20 minutes longer.
• Add cannellini beans, chick peas, kale and lemon juice and cook, uncovered, until kale has wilted, about 5 minutes. Serve warm garnished with parmesan cheese.
• From Cooking Classy

Coconut Granola

This is so good and crunchy. We eat it plain, in yogurt, and with milk and coconut almond milk. I even sold some! I made a batch with no nuts for Bronson.

Ingredients

• 3 cups rolled oats (don't use quick oats)
• 1 cup slivered almonds (I used a scant cup)
• 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut
• 1/3 cup packed light-brown sugar 
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp coconut extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 275 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, toss together oats, almonds, and coconut, set aside. In a separate microwave safe mixing bowl, combine brown sugar, honey, coconut oil and salt and heat in microwave on HIGH power 1 minute stirring once halfway through heating. Stir in coconut extract and pour mixture over oats and toss until evenly coated (it will seem dry at first, just keep tossing).

• Spread oat covered mixture in an even layer into a rimmed, Silpat or parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Bake in preheated oven until golden brown, about 55 minutes - 1 hour, stirring ever 15 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely (it will harden as it cools). Store in an airtight container.

From Cooking Classy

Carrot Cake Cheesecake

This was absolutely delicious! I made it for the Young family gathering for Mothers Day. I left a spot with no nuts for Bronson!

Carrot Cake Cheesecake.  

Prep Time: 35 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 8 hours, 35 minutes

Yield: About 10 servings

Ingredients

Cheesecake Mixture
• 2 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese, softened well (but not melted)
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar 
• 1 1/2 tsp all-purpose flour
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup sour cream
Carrot Cake
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/3 cups finely grated carrots
Topping
• 2 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1 Tbsp butter, softened
• 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp sour cream
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch springform pan and set aside.
• For the cheesecake mixture:
• In a mixing bowl, whisk together sugar and 1 1/2 tsp flour until well combined. Add cream cheese and using an electric hand mixer set on low speed, blend together cream cheese and granulated sugar mixture until smooth. Mix in eggs one at a time, mixing just until combined after each addition and adding in vanilla with second egg. Blend in sour cream. Forcefully tap bowl against countertop about 30 times to release air bubbles. Set mixture aside.
• Rinse beaters clean. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg for 30 seconds. To a separate large mixing bowl, add canola oil, applesauce, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla extract and blend mixture using electric hand mixer set on low speed for 1 minute. With mixer running on low speed, slowly add in dry ingredients and mix until well blended. Add carrots and mix until evenly distributed. Tap bowl forcefully against counter, about 3 times, just to release large air pockets.
• To assemble cheesecake:
• Pour 1 1/2 cups carrot cake mixture into buttered springform pan and spread into an even layer. Dollop about 1/3 of the cream cheese mixture by the spoonfuls over carrot cake layer (don't spread or swirl). Spoon remaining carrot cake mixture over cream cheese layer, then finish by drizzling by the remaining cheesecake mixture over carrot cake layer, working to cover all of the carrot cake mixture (I found this easiest to do this was by slowly drizzling over with the spoon). Bake in preheated oven 60 - 65 minutes, until center portion only jiggles slightly and tenting with aluminum foil at 40 minutes to prevent excessive browning (tent in a way that the foil doesn't touch cheesecake or it will stick). Remove from oven and allow to cool on a wire rack 1 hour, then cover with foil and chill in refrigerator 6 hours or overnight.
• For the topping:
• In a mixing bowl, using an electric hand mixer, whip together cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add remaining topping ingredients and mix until pale and fluffy, about 4 - 5 minutes. Spread evenly over cheesecake then chill cheesecake in freezer for 20 - 30 minutes. Sprinkle edges with chopped pecans. Cut into slices. Store in refrigerator in an airtight container.
• From Cooking Classy