Kickin It in the Kitch

Iced Pumpkin Cookies

2009-09-13T18:01:00.005-04:00

Sometimes I'm a procrastinator, like when it comes to updating this blog. I have recipes that I have made & taken pictures of, but have not posted them either because a) I'm too lazy, b) I'm too busy, or c) I just don't really like the pictures. However, I made these cookies today and I do not want you to procrastinate making them. They are like a little bite (or two) of fall in your mouth. The icing turned out more like a glaze, but still tastes delicious. Please make these soon. You and your friends will thank you for it. Yes, you will thank yourself. I meant that to sound that way! Oh, and I only made half the recipe but am posting the original. I got 21 cookies by halving it and my first batch of ones were pretty small.

Iced Pumpkin Cookies
Source: Cooking This and That, who adapted it from allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

Cookies:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Icing:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon milk or heavy cream
1/2 tablespoon melted butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin pie spice, and salt; set aside.

In a medium bowl, cream together the 1/2 cup of butter and white sugar. Add pumpkin, egg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla to butter mixture, and beat until creamy. Mix in dry ingredients. Drop on cookie sheet by tablespoonfuls; flatten slightly.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool cookies, then spread icing over top.

To Make Icing: Combine all ingredients and beat with elextric mixer. Add milk as needed, to achieve spreading consistency.

Peach Sorbet

2009-08-30T21:58:00.003-04:00

Today feels like a fantastic fall day here in Ohio. I'm not a huge fan of summer, even though I love summer produce. I just can't handle the heat & humidity. This cooler weather feels like a breath of fresh air. I made this sorbet a few weeks ago...so I figured I better blog about it before I put it off any longer and it really does turn into full-fledged fall. This recipe is refreshing and tastes like fresh peaches. In fact, I wanted to make it again but the rest of my basket of peaches went bad before I could. Grab up some fresh peaches and make this before apples become the main fruit ingredient!

Peach Sorbet
Source: Annie's Eats, who adapted it from Dinner and Dessert

Ingredients:
4 cups fresh chopped peaches
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup water
1 tbsp. lemon juice

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Chill mixture in refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Once chilled, freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. Freeze for at least 4 hours before serving.

Another Fresh Salsa

2009-08-26T21:10:00.004-04:00

My mom gave me some tomatoes and peppers from her garden. After ripening on the windowsill, I realized that they needed to be used quickly. I did not have any meals coming up that needed tomatoes so I decided to whip up a quick salsa. I even got to use some of my herbs (that are now dying). Now I did make this a couple of weeks ago so hopefully I can remember everything I put in it!

Multi-colored Tomato Salsa
Source: Original Stef recipe

Ingredients:
2 large tomatoes (I used 1 yellow & 1 red)
2 small peppers (I used 1 jalepeno & 1 garden salsa)
1 teaspoon olive oil
Small handful each of parsley and basil
1 clove of garlic (I didn't have any fresh so I used jarred)

Directions:
Chop tomatoes, peppers and herbs. Mix all ingredients together. Serve with tortilla chips!

Oven Fried Honey Chicken Nuggets

2009-08-25T22:05:00.005-04:00

I am a terrible blogger. I get on kicks with updating my blog, and then...crickets. I wish I had a good excuse but I really don't. I started classes again yesterday, but that doesn't account for my major lack of posts (i.e. none at all) last week. Life is going to be pretty hectic until the beginning of December, but I am hoping to at least make some quick week-night meals and keep my blog going at the same time.

Anyways, here is a recipe for you. These chicken nuggets are perfectly sweet and go well with a saltier side dish. I served them with some homemade macaroni & cheese. Sometimes I don't tell Jon what is in some of the food I make because I know he will turn his nose up at it. Instead, I ask him if he liked the food after he eats it. Most of the time his answer is yes and then I reveal the "secret ingredient he hates" that is in it. In the case of the chicken nuggets the ingredient is balsamic vinegar. If you hate this vinegar, please don't be put off by it in this meal! It is perfectly complemented with the honey and breading. Try it...tonight. Or tomorrow. :)

Oven-fried Honey Chicken Nuggets
Source: Macaroni and Cheesecake, who got it from Sweet Tea in Texas

Ingredients:
1/2 cup honey
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 cups dried bread crumbs
Olive oil cooking spray
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with foil. Spray foil-lined baking pan large enough to hold all chicken pieces in one layer.

In shallow bowl, whisk together honey and vinegar. Set aside.

Place bread crumbs in a small saute pan and toast lightly over low heat for about 3-4 minutes until lightly golden brown. Pour bread crumbs a little at a time into separated bowl.

Roll chicken pieces in honey mixture, then in bread crumbs; place in pan. Bake for 30 minutes, or until cooked thoroughly.

Crock Pot Applesauce

2009-08-16T20:16:00.005-04:00

I had an unfortunate incident happen over the weekend. Our refrigerator door was accidentally left open while we were gone over the weekend, resulting in temperatures below 40 degrees. Food is not safe if it rises above 40 degrees for over 2 hours. See the Food & Drug Administration website for further information. Therefore, I had to throw out all of our perishable food, even though I had just gone grocery shopping on Friday (which was really irritating). However, it also gave me a good chance to throw away leftovers and other things that had already spoiled. Speaking of leftovers, I had some apples leftover from a kids program I helped run. I also suddenly had a craving for applesauce. Now, I know it is not fall-time yet, but this applesauce was delicious and will definitely be made again during the appropriate season!

Crock Pot Applesauce
Source: A Year of Slow Cooking

Ingredients:
4 large apples, peeled and cut into slices (I used granny smith)
juice from 1 lemon
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
1 T brown sugar
1/4 cup H20

Directions:
Skin, core, and cut your apples into quarters and put them in the crock pot. Add the lemon juice, water, vanilla, cinnamon and brown sugar.

Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours. (Mine only took 3 hours so check every so often!) When the apples are super tender, mash with a potato masher or fork. (I used a fork & it worked perfectly). I also added a little bit of brown sugar to each individual dish.

Shrimp, tomato & basil orzo

2009-08-10T20:58:00.004-04:00

For as much as I love pasta, I've never made orzo before. I don't know what I was waiting for - it's a great type of pasta. I still have half a box left and multiple orzo recipes bookmarked so I'm excited to try the next one! I really don't have much more to say tonight. A storm is rolling in so I think I'll just leave you with the recipe in case I lose power. Enjoy!

Shrimp, Tomato & Basil Orzo
Source: Cooking This & That, who got it from Erica's Kitchen Adventures

Ingredients:
8 ounces orzo pasta

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

1 small onion, chopped (Omitted)

2 cloves garlic, minced or crushed

1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes with garlic and basil (or garlic and onion), undrained

20 large shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped or 4 teaspoons dried

kosher salt and coarse ground black pepper, to taste

crushed red pepper, to taste

1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste

Parmesan cheese, to taste

Directions:
Cook orzo according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic, saute for 2 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook for 3 minutes more.

Add the diced tomatoes, basil, salt and pepper, red pepper, and tomato paste. Reduce heat to medium and cover skillet. Simmer for about 5 minutes until mixture is hot.

Add orzo and Parmesan cheese to skillet, mix thoroughly to combine.

Menu for the week

2009-08-09T12:26:00.003-04:00

It is going to be over 90 degrees today. NINETY. I don't do this ridiculously hot weather. I know that I should be thankful that we've had a fairly mild summer so far, but I still get cranky when the temperature rises too high. Last week I said that I didn't want to miss out on summer - this is something I definitely want to miss out on. Hopefully the heat won't last long. My menu this week consists of things that I needed to use up & other things that I saw and just really wanted to try. None of it screams warm weather food though. Hm, guess I should have checked the forecast before making the menu and going grocery shopping.

Today: Chicken enchiladas with red chile sauce & a salad

Monday: Spaghetti with turkey meatballs & 3-cheese sauce & a salad

Tuesday: Chicken salad sandwiches & homemade fries

Wednesday: Szuchuan shrimp, rice & stir-fried veggies

Thursday: Fish (that Jon caught in Minnesota!), mashed potatoes & roasted broccoli

Friday: Not sure yet, but thinking bean burritos or something super easy

Saturday: Leftovers/fend for yourself/out somewhere

Peach Streusel Coffee Cake

2009-08-09T11:36:00.006-04:00

Be prepared for some peach recipes! I bought a huge crate of them & they were ripening quickly so I ended up making 3 recipes in a week, although one of them I forgot to take a picture of since we had Jon's parents over for dinner. It was Ina's blueberry & peach crumble...you can check it out at Tide and Thyme (dot) com although I know many more people posted about it too.

I don't have time to make breakfasts during the week, unless you count throwing some granola & fruit over yogurt and running out the door. So I guess I should say that I don't have time to make fresh muffins, scones, and other breakfast foods during the week. That's why weekends were created, right? I was so excited to make this coffee cake that I started it immediately after getting out of bed. I usually sit around for awhile after waking up on the weekends if I have nothing to get ready for. I'm pretty lazy actually. So you know this recipe is worth making. After tasting this cake, it is definitely worth it. So make this recipe before peach season is over!

Peach Streusel Coffee Cake
Source: Annie's Eats, who adapted it from Williams Sonoma

Ingredients:

For the streusel:

¾ cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup packed light brown sugar

¼ cup granulated sugar

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

6 tbsp. (3/4 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

For the cake:

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

¾ cup granulated sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

1 egg

4 tbsp. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

½ cup milk

1 ½ tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. almond extract

2-3 firm, ripe peaches, 1 lb. total, peeled and sliced

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour a 9-inch round springform pan.

To make the streusel, in a bowl, stir together the flour, brown and granulated sugars and cinnamon. Add the butter and, using a pastry blender or your fingers, cut or rub in the butter until coarse crumbs form. Set aside.

To make the cake, in a bowl, stir together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed or a wire whisk, beat the egg, melted butter, milk, vanilla and almond extract until creamy, about 1 minute. Add to the flour mixture and beat just until evenly moistened. There should be no lumps or dry spots. Do not overmix.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Arrange the peach slices in concentric circles from the pan sides to the center. Gently press the slices into the batter. Sprinkle evenly with the streusel.

Bake until the topping is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 40-45 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 20 minutes.

Remove the sides of the springform pan. Serve the cake warm or at room temperature, cut into wedges.

Salmon with lime & honey sauce

2009-08-08T13:26:00.005-04:00

Finally. I have had this dish on the menu for 3 weeks in a row, and every time I was supposed to make it we either ate something else or went out somewhere. This tends to happen every time I have salmon on the menu...weird. I liked the sauce for the salmon and it was definitely flavorful, but I would have preferred a glaze instead. For some reason I like when my salmon is coated with some type of topping or glaze. However, this did taste light and was great for a weeknight summer meal. I served this with baked risotto (recipe coming later) and a side salad.

Salmon with lime & honey sauce
Adapted from Loves to Eat

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter (I used light margarine)
4 (6 ounce) salmon fillets (I only used 2 but made the same amount of sauce)
2 limes, juice of
1 teaspoon lime zest (Omitted)
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:
Heat butter in 12 inch skillet.

Add salmon; cook on med for about 12 minutes, turning occasionally.

In small bowl mix remaining ingredients.

Place salmon on plates.

Pour sauce into skillet; heat through.

Drizzle on salmon.

Taco Pasta

2009-08-06T20:21:00.004-04:00

I really enjoy Mexican flavors. I'm already craving a Mexican restaurant that I've never even eaten at before. We plan to go there next month when we visit Indiana to attend the first Notre Dame game. Jon has talked this restaurant up so I hope I am not disappointed! This meal definitely incorporates some Mexican flavors (without being truly Mexican of course) and cooked up quickly, which is perfect for a busy weeknight. I think it can also be adapted to suit your tastes and what you have on hand.

Taco Pasta
Adapted from Mary Ellen's Cooking Creations

Ingredients:
1/2 lb ground meat
Spices - chili powder, cumin, cayenne, onion powder, garlic powder, a touch of salt
1/2 small onion, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
8 oz canned chopped tomatoes
6 oz canned black beans, rinsed
6 oz chicken broth
Handful of Mexican blend shredded cheese
6 oz. rotini pasta
Sour cream for serving

Directions:

Heat a large saute pan. Add meat and cook until just about done. Season with the spices.

Add the onions and peppers, cook 2-3 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and beans, cook another 2 minutes.

Add the broth and bring to a simmer while your pasta is cooking.

Add pasta to the meat mixture, and toss with the cheese.

Plate, top with some more cheese and sour cream.

Fresh Salsa

2009-08-05T20:35:00.004-04:00

I'm kind of addicted to salsa and tortilla chips. However, I usually just pick up a jar at the store and call it a day. The new Pace pineapple mango chipotle salsa is amazing by the way. I need to figure out how to recreate that. But - if you are looking for a light, fresh-tasting salsa then look no further. Even though this salsa incorporates a can of tomatoes with fresh tomatoes and other vegetables and herbs, it still tastes really fresh. I won't even tell you how many bags of tortilla chips I have bought in the past week. It's a little bit embarrassing. Now, on to the recipe!

Fresh Salsa
Source: Annie's Eats, who adapted it from her friend's recipe

Ingredients:
2 fresh jalapeno peppers, seeded and very coarsely chopped
4 cloves garlic, halved
2 large vine-ripened tomatoes
1 (28 0z.) can diced tomatoes (drained or not, depending on how much liquid you want in your salsa)
2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 tbsp. cumin
1/2 sweet yellow onion, coarsely chopped
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cayenne pepper
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
juice of one lime

Directions:
In the bowl of a food processor, combine the jalapenos and garlic. Process until finely chopped. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add all other ingredients to the food processor. Pulse in very brief pulses until the vegetables have reached the size you desire (it does not take many pulses so don’t overdo it). Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving to allow the flavors to blend.

Peach Crumble

2009-08-03T21:52:00.003-04:00

There's a local produce stand that's just a little ways beyond the main road. I've never been there before...at least not for produce. They have a pumpkin patch in the fall that Jon and I have gone to for the past 4 years. If you choose, you can sit on hay bales in a big wagon and a horse will trot you into the field. We did that for the first 2 years, but since the wagon is mostly filled with small children and their families, we now opt to walk out into the field to find the biggest pumpkins we can. We then bring them back home & carve them with friends....a nice fall tradition! Anyways, I digress. Our town only has 2 farmers' markets - one is held on Saturdays for 2 hours in the morning and the other is held on Wednesdays for 2 hours in the evening. This stand is open every day except Monday making it much more convenient. I know they are closed on Monday because the one other time I tried to go was on a Monday. I must have missed the huge sign on the main road that stated their hours. Oops. I'm glad I finally got to go there because I found some wonderful peaches at a great price.

In the food blogging world there have been a lot of crumbles, crisps and cobblers lately. It is that time of the year after all. I have already made a blueberry cobbler earlier this summer and intend to make a peach and blueberry crumble tomorrow. Here is just one more crumble to add to the arsenal. I thought about not adding it to the blog, especially since I was making a different crumble tomorrow, but thought maybe someone out there would appreciate this recipe. This peach crumble was good - the peaches were tender, the topping was nice & buttery, and the whipped cream added that extra something.

Martha's Peach Crumble
Source: Mad About Martha

Ingredients:
8 ripe peaches, pitted and sliced (I only used 3 because they were huge & I used a slightly smaller casserole dish)
Juice of 1 lemon
Large pinch of ground cinnamon
Large pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into thin pieces
1/4 cup quick-cooking oats
Heavy cream (optional)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375F.

Arrange the peach slices in a buttered shallow baking dish. Sprinkle with the lemon juice, cinnamon and nutmeg.

In a small bowl, combine the flour and brown sugar. With your fingers, blend the butter into the flour-sugar mixture until it resembles coarse meal. Stir in the oats and sprinkle the mixture on top of the sliced peaches. Bake until the peaches are soft and the topping is brown, about 25 minutes.

Serve warm with fresh or whipped cream, if desired.

Strawberry and Blueberry Cream Pie

2009-08-02T20:58:00.003-04:00

What do you do when you have strawberries and blueberries in the fridge that need to be used and a random frozen pie crust in the freezer? Make this pie of course! This pie certainly does not disappoint, even if the chocolate looks a little funky. I highly recommend this for a summer dessert. I think I might try to sneak in another before summer's end. Unless Jon seriously bans me from making desserts.

Strawberry and Blueberry Cream Pie
Adapted from The Way the Cookie Crumbles, who adapted it from Pillsbury's Complete Cookbook

Ingredients:

1 cup cold heavy cream, divided
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sugar
¼ to ½ teaspoon almond extract (I used vanilla)
1 pie crust for a 1-crust pie, completely baked and cooled (I used a frozen one)
2 pints fresh whole strawberries, hulled (I used just under 1 pint & supplemented the rest with about half cup of blueberries)
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (I used semi-sweet chocolate chips)

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl (or the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment), beat 1 cup minus 1 tablespoon of the cream on medium speed. When the cream is frothy, increase the speed to high and whip until the cream holds firm peaks.

2. In a separate large bowl (or the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment), beat the cream cheese on medium speed until it’s soft and creamy. Add the sugar and extract and continue beating until combined.

3. Fold about 1/3 of the whipped cream into the cream cheese to lighten the mixture, then add the remaining cream and continue folding until it’s incorporated. Evenly spread the cream mixture in the pie crust. Arrange the strawberries, pointed side up, over the filling.

4. Melt the chocolate with the remaining 1 tablespoon cream over very low heat, stirring constantly, or in the microwave on medium power, or in a double boiler. Drizzle the chocolate over the strawberries. Refrigerate the pie until set, about 1 hour.

Sorry for the crappy photo!

Low Fat Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins

2009-08-02T20:44:00.003-04:00

Muffins are a great breakfast food, and even better when they are made a little healthier. I've been on a yogurt & granola kick lately, so I thought I'd switch it up a bit and make some muffins. Plus, they are easy to freeze for a quick grab-and-go breakfast. I definitely don't feel guilty eating these for breakfast!

Low Fat Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins
Adapted from Recipe Zaar

Ingredients:
1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice (I used nutmeg)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup fat-free buttermilk (I used light vanilla yogurt)
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce (I used another 2 tablespoons of canola oil)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup fresh blueberries or frozen blueberries

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Lightly spray a muffin tin with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine the flours, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice and salt. In another bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, oil, applesauce and egg. Pour the buttermilk mixture into the dry mixture, stirring until it is just combined (do not over mix). Lightly stir in the blueberries.

Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared muffin cups. Bake until the tops are golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool slightly. Then transfer the muffins to cooling rack. Serve warm.

*If you want to freeze your muffins --> Freeze on baking sheet, then transfer to freezer bag. Reheat in microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute.

August already?? Menu for the week.

2009-08-01T12:40:00.002-04:00

Today is the first day of August. Did the summer seriously go by this fast? I haven't even went swimming. Not once. I don't know if I will actually get the chance to now. I have only gone to the farmer's market once. Luckily it runs through October, but I am quickly missing out on all of the summer produce. If you know me well, then you know my favorite season is certainly not summer. However, I don't want to miss out on the rest of what summer has to offer. I feel like I need to start packing in as much as I can, because starting August 24th my free time will be next to nothing. And now, the menu for August 1-8:

Today: Pro Football Hall of Fame festivities where we will most likely gorge ourselves on fatty & fried food. Thank God we don't make this a habit.

Sunday: Taco pasta with a side salad

Monday: Shrimp, tomato & basil orzo

Tuesday: Turkey parmesan burgers, potato bundles & some type of veggie

Wednesday: Sun-dried tomato pesto pizza with chicken

Thursday: Salmon with lime & honey glaze, baked risotto & some type of veggie (this is the 3rd week in a row that this has been on the menu - let's see if we actually make it!)

Friday: Spinach & tomato frittata with bacon

Saturday: Leftovers/fend for yourself/maybe out somewhere

Cranberry Vanilla Granola

2009-08-01T00:08:00.002-04:00

I'm a huge fan of granola on top of my yogurt for breakfast. However, I am disgusted at how much granola costs at the store. That's why I have decided to make my own granola. It doesn't cost much at all, uses ingredients I usually have on hand, and makes enough to last for at least a week of breakfasts, sometimes more. It is also very versatile - you can add or subtract ingredients as you see fit! This is the second granola I have made & so far this one tops the *very* short list.

Cranberry Vanilla Granola
Adapted from We Are Not Marth a

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups rolled oats (not quick cook oats)
1/2 cup wheat germ (Omitted since I don't have any)
1/2 C almonds
1/2 C coconut flakes
2 Tbs butter
2 Tbs dark brown sugar (I used light brown)
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 C chopped dried cherries (I used dried cranberries)

Directions:
Heat oven to 275 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper

In a large bowl, mix together oats, wheat germ, almonds (if you’re using them), and coconut.

Microwave butter and brown sugar until the butter has melted. Add the maple syrup and vanilla and stir, making sure everything is mixed together well. Pour this into the dry ingredients and mix until well combined and the granola starts to clump together.

Spread mixture evenly over parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes.

Open oven, stir granola, making sure to break up any large clumps of granola, and then evenly distribute cherries on baking sheet.

Return to the oven for another 15 minutes or until the granola is nice and golden brown.

Sun-dried Tomato Pesto Pasta with Chicken

2009-07-29T19:48:00.003-04:00

I've been sitting here for about 5 minutes trying to think of what to write to introduce this dish and my mind is a complete blank. So I guess I will just tell you that this is a simple and quick weeknight dish that tasted pretty darn good!

Sun-dried Tomato Pesto Pasta with Chicken
Source: Me

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts, cubed
1/2 pound of linguine
1/3 jar of sun-dried tomato pesto
Fresh mozzarella, cut into chunks

Cook chicken breast chunks in large saucepan over medium-high heat until cooked through.

Meanwhile, cook linguine according to package directions and drain.

Combine linguine, pesto and chicken in pan and mix until thoroughly combined. Add chopped mozzarella and serve.

Hot and Sweet Chicken Drumsticks

2009-07-28T18:02:00.003-04:00

The Pioneer Woman made this dish this past week and I immediately bookmarked it to make this week. Now, I bookmark a lot of recipes but usually do not get to them right away since I have so many and it just depends on what food we have in the house or what's on sale at the store. However, the only thing I had to buy for this meal were the chicken drumsticks and they are pretty inexpensive. This recipe comes from Pioneer Woman's new recipe website, Tasty Kitchen, and it was submitted by member Terri. These were really good. Of course, I'm a huge fan of any type of protein with some type of fruit preserves. You could even use regular chicken breasts if you didn't want to get drumsticks. It's pretty versatile! I also halved this recipe and used a package of 7 drumsticks. I served the chicken with mashed potatoes, side salad and honey yeast rolls.

Hot and Sweet Chicken Drumsticks
Source: Tasty Kitchen member Terri, originally seen on The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients:
1 Cup Apricot Preserves
1/2 Cup Ketchup
1/4 Cup Soy Sauce
2 teaspoons Minced Garlic
2 teaspoons Hot Pepper Sauce
3 Lbs. Drumsticks (about 12)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350*. In a small saucepan, combine preserves, ketchup, soy sauce, garlic and hot pepper sauce. Cook and stir over medium-low heat until preserves are melted.

Arrange drumsticks in a single layer on a 13 x 9″ baking pan. Pour sauce over drumsticks, turning to coat. Bake, uncovered, for 40-45 minutes or until chicken is done, spooning sauce over drumsticks while baking. Serves 6.

My 100th post!

2009-07-26T15:20:00.003-04:00

I just realized that this post is my 100th post. It wasn't going to be anything special. I just wanted to post my menu for the week. However, I do have some goals for this little recipe blog of mine so now is as good a time as any to share those with my lovely readers.

* Post more frequently. My goal right now is 3 times a week.

* Start trying out some of the recipes I have starred in my Google Reader, ripped out of magazines, or mentally noted in my cookbooks. This will help me with goal #1 as well.

* Take better photographs. I have really been working on this one (and struggling!), but I am determined to make my food look GOOD.

* Start making "Kickin It In The Kitch" look a little more professional. My brother-in-law is going to help me with this since he is a computer/website guy.

* Be featured on Clashmore Mike this fall for tasty and easy football appetizers/tail gating food. Ok, this may be a shameless plug for my husband's (and brother-in-law's) Notre Dame site, but they have mentioned featuring a new recipe a week during football season and I want to make sure that I do this up right.

Now, as mentioned previously, is my menu for the week:

Sunday: hot and sweet chicken drumsticks, mashed potatoes, and salad
Monday: baked corn dogs, fried corn, and pasta salad
Tuesday: BLTs and a side dish to be determined (I'm thinking some spinach dip & tortilla chips since I've been craving it)
Wednesday: sun-dried tomato pesto chicken pasta and biscuits
Thursday: salmon with lime and honey sauce, baked risotto and mixed veggies
Friday: most likely leftovers or whatever can be scrounged up in the fridge
Saturday: hall of fame festivities!

Chicken Alfredo Pizza

2009-07-26T12:08:00.004-04:00

Now that I've realized how easy pizza dough is to make, I have a slight obsession with making pizzas. We probably have pizza in some form at least twice a month. It's just so easy & quick! I had half of a leftover jar of alfredo sauce and instead of just dumping it over some pasta, I decided to make this pizza instead since I already had some frozen dough in the freezer. We've had a similar pizza from Papa John's and really liked it so of course I wanted to recreate it at home (with a few additional toppings!). Now I know pizza is pretty basic, but I am always looking for new topping ideas, so that is why I am sharing this "recipe" with you today.

Chicken Alfredo Pizza
Source: me! Pizza dough source: Annie's Eats

Ingredients:
Pizza dough (you could use homemade or store-bought)
Half jar of alfredo sauce
Chicken, cubed & cooked (I just saute some in a pan until they are just done since they will get baked in the oven too and I HATE dry chicken!)
Bacon, cooked and crumbled (I use the already cooked kind that you just have to heat up in the microwave)
Frozen spinach (I cook up the spinach and then blot out all of the excess water)
Shredded mozzarella cheese
Olive oil, parsley and oregano mixed together (I use this to brush on the crust)

Directions:
Roll out pizza dough to desired size on pizza stone. Spread alfredo sauce on crust and add the rest of the toppings. Brush the olive oil mixture on the crust. Bake at 500 degrees for 12 minutes or until crust is golden. (My cheese got a little browned, but it still tasted good!)

Garden-Special Primavera

2009-07-21T17:42:00.004-04:00

Who doesn't love a good meal with a ton of veggies during the summer? One of my favorite summer activities is to go to the farmer's market on the weekends. I've only been once this summer due to my schedule, but I was able to pick up some fresh beans, zucchini and garlic before the rain started really coming down last Saturday. I impulsively picked up the new Mixing Bowl magazine that Better Homes & Gardens has created and started marking a ton of recipes that I wanted to make. I think I marked more recipes in this magazine than any other that I have gotten - which is quite a feat! So with the combination of these 2 things, I bring you - Garden-Special Primavera! I'm including the original recipe (a little bit adapted), but I did cut the recipe in half and had enough for 3 servings.

Garden-Special Primavera
Adapted from Mixing Bowl Magazine by member Debra

Ingredients:
2 cups fresh green beans, cut into 2-inch pieces
1/2 cup sliced carrots
1.5 cups fresh asparagus, trimmed & cut into 2-inch pieces (Omitted since the asparagus didn't look that great - I'm assuming since the season is almost over!)
1 cup broccoli flowerets
12 ounces fettuccine, linguine, vermicelli or spaghetti
1 small red pepper, cut into julienne strips
1 small zucchini, halved lengthwise & sliced
1 small onion, cut into thin wedges
2 gloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup chicken broth
3/4 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup prosciutto or cooked ham (I actually just sliced up some deli meat ham and it worked great)
2 green onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons fresh or dried basil

Directions:
In a large saucepan, cook beans and carrots in a small amount of boiling salted water for 10 minutes. Add asparagus and broccoli. Return to boiling; reduce heat. cover and cook 5 minutes more or till vegetables are crisp-tender. Drain.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, cook pasta according to package directions. Add sweet pepper and zucchini to pasta in boiling water for the last 3 minutes of cooking. Vegetables should be crisp-tender. Drain and return mixture to the saucepan. Add the bean mixture to the saucepan and keep it warm while preparing the sauce.

For sauce: In a medium saucepan, cook onion and garlic in hot butter over medium heat for 5 to 8 minutes or until tender but not brown. Stir in chicken broth. Bring to boiling; reduce heat.

In a small bowl, stir together whipping cream and flour. Add cream mixture to saucepan. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Stir in the 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, cooked ham, green onion and basil. Cook and stire for 1 minute more. Pour sauce over pasta and vegetables. Toss gently to coat.

Banana Chocolate Crumb Muffins

2009-07-20T20:02:00.005-04:00

I don't buy bananas too often because they tend to go bad quickly and then those crazy fruit flies start flying everywhere and I can't handle it. (And has anyone ever heard of one of the ways to get rid of them with the oven method? Disgusting! Google it if you have no clue what I'm talking about) But now that I've been baking more I know that I don't have to worry about bananas going bad anymore. These muffins were excellent, although I think they would be even better with chocolate chips throughout the entire muffin instead of just on the top. This is a great muffin to whip up for breakfast this weekend!

Banana Chocolate Crumb Muffins
Source: Delish

Ingredients:
3-4 bananas, mashed
1/4 c melted butter
1 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/3 c granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Crumb Topping:
3 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 c mini chocolate chips
1 tablespoon butter

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease or line muffin tin with liners. In a large mixing bowl using a wooden spoon, mix butter and mashed bananas. Mix in granulated sugar, egg & vanilla. Sprinkle baking soda, baking powder and salt over the mixture. Add the flour, mix until just incorporated. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.

In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar & 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour. Cut in 1 tablespoon butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Stir in mini chocolate chips. Sprinkle topping over muffins.

Bake in preheated oven 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.

Sesame Chicken with Broccoli

2009-07-09T18:29:00.003-04:00

I'm a big fan of Chinese food, but I don't always know what goes in it when I order it from the local Chinese restaurant. I figured I would try some homemade Chinese food at home instead. I did change up this recipe a bit because I wanted to make it a little healthier so my changes are reflected below in italics. Oh, and for some reason I could not get a good picture of this dish!

Sesame Chicken
Adapted from Taste & See

Ingredients:
3 whole boneless chicken breasts (I only used 2, but didn't cut down on the sauce because I didn't feel like figuring out the measurements)

Marinade
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
1 tablespoon cooking wine or dry sherry
3 drops sesame oil
2 tablespoons flour (Omitted)
2 tablespoons cornstarch (Omitted)
2 tablespoons water (Omitted)
1/4 teaspoon baking powder (Omitted)
1/4 teaspoon baking soda (Omitted)
1 teaspoon vegetable oil (Omitted)
Sprinkle of sugar (my addition)

Sauce
1/2 cup water
1 cup chicken broth
1/8 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon chili paste (or more)
1 garlic clove, minced

Frying
peanut oil (4 cups) (Omitted because I decided to bake mine in the oven)

2 tablespoons sesame seeds (Omitted because I couldn't find them in my local grocery store!)

Directions:
Cut the chicken into 1-inch cubes. Mix the marinade ingredients (the first 9 ingredients listed) and marinate the chicken for 20 minutes. (I only used the first 3 ingredients & the sugar addition since I decided to bake the chicken instead)

To prepare the sauce:
Mix together all of the sauce ingredients (the LAST 9 ingredients beginning with water). Pour them into a small pot and bring to a boil, stirring continuously. Turn the heat down to low and keep warm while you are deep-frying the chicken.

To deep-fry the chicken:
Add the marinated chicken pieces a few at a time, and deep-fry until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and then place chicken in warm oven (130 degrees) while you continue frying. Repeat with the remainder of the chicken. Just before you are finished deep-frying, bring the sauce back up to a boil. OR you can bake the chicken. I just dredged the chicken in flour after marinating the pieces and baked them at 375 for about 20 minutes.

Place the chicken on a large platter and pour the sauce over. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve the Sesame Chicken with rice. (and I also added some steamed broccoli to get some vegetables in)

Blueberry Cobbler

2009-07-08T17:54:00.004-04:00

I don't remember ever eating cobbler. Sure, I've had crisps and crumbles, but cobbler? Maybe it's because I grew up in Ohio and cobbler is typically a Southern treat...or maybe I've just been sheltered. Anyhow, I got a craving for a cobbler this week so I decided to go ahead and make it. I knew I would like it - who wouldn't like fruit, sugar and a biscuity topping with whipped cream on top? I did like this cobbler, but the almond extract was a little bit too much. I would definitely cut down on it, or just sub in vanilla extract instead.

Blueberry Cobbler
Source: Honey and Jam

Ingredients:
1/4 cup of sugar
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
3 cups blueberries (I used frozen - yes, I KNOW it's berry season but they weren't on sale the day I bought them!)
2 tablespoons almond extract
1 tablespoon lemon juice
topping:
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 egg, beaten

Directions:
Heat oven to 375.

Mix sugar and 2 tablespoons flour in large bowl. Add fruit and toss gently to coat. Add extract and lemon juice. Spoon mixture into 9 x 9 baking dish.

Topping:

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together in a medium bowl.

Beat whipping cream and egg in small bowl. Add mixture to the flour mixture and stir until a soft, sticky dough forms.

Drop dough over the fruit along the edges of pan, leaving the center open.

Bake 35-40 minutes or until topping is golden brown and juices are bubbling.

Fudge Brownies

2009-07-07T22:42:00.005-04:00

Our friends (and neighbors!) invited us over for dinner last Thursday and asked me to bring a dessert. I didn't have too much time to throw one together after work and also didn't want to make a trip to the store so I decided to go with this recipe since I had all of the ingredients in the house...and really, who doesn't love a good brownie dessert? I don't know if I did something wrong when I made these, but they definitely did not look like these. However, they still tasted pretty darn good and they got great reviews all around. Oh, I also halved this recipe and baked in an 8x8 pan, but I included the original recipe for you.

Fudge Brownies
Adapted from Sing for Your Supper, who got it from King Arthur Flour

Ingredients:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 1/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 1/4 cups Dutch-process cocoa (regular cocoa is fine too)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon espresso powder, optional (I omitted)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour
2 cups chocolate chips (I used a combo of choc chips & butterscotch chips)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9" x 13" pan

In a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl, or in a saucepan set over low heat, melt the butter, then add the sugar and stir to combine. Return the mixture to the heat (or microwave) briefly, just until it's hot (about 110°F to 120°F), but not bubbling; it'll become shiny looking as you stir it. Heating this mixture a second time will dissolve more of the sugar, which will yield a shiny top crust on your brownies.

While the sugar heats a second time, crack the 4 eggs into a bowl, and beat them with the cocoa, salt, baking powder, espresso powder, and vanilla till smooth. Add the hot butter/sugar mixture, stirring until smooth.

Add the flour and chips, again stirring until smooth. Note: If you want the chips to remain intact in the baked brownies, rather than melting in, let the batter cool in the bowl for about 20 minutes before stirring in the chips.

Spoon the batter into a lightly greased 9" x 13" pan. Bake the brownies for about 30 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, or with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it. The brownies should feel set on the edges, and the center should look very moist, but not uncooked. Remove them from the oven and cool on a rack before cutting and serving.