Taco Pie

Posted on December 29, 2012 by jgisvold

This is a pretty fun take on tacos. The next time you have taco night with your family, try making a taco pie instead. You take a can of crescent rolls and press them into a pie pan and then layer on the beef, cheese and tortilla chips. I used the garlic butter crescent rolls instead of just the plain crescent rolls and I think the garlic flavor helped make this pie even better. Once the pie comes out you can top it with your favorite Taco toppings. I recommend taco sauce. We didn’t have any in our house, and now I wish we did. It would have made this taco pie really good. I’d make this again. Maybe with some beans and corn inside the meat sauce next time.

Taco pie recipe adapted from Taste and Tell

Taco Pie

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Ingredients

1 can crescrent rolls (8oz)
1 pound ground beef or turkey
1 tablespoon taco seasoning
1/2 cup salsa
3/4 cups crushed tortilla chips
1 cup sour cream
your favorite taco toppings

Directions

Step 1
Preheat the oven to 375F.
Step 2
In a skillet, cook the ground beef until browned and cooked through. Add in the taco seasoning and the salsa and cook until warmed through.
Step 3
Unroll the crescent rolls. Separate the dough into 8 triangles. Line the pie dish with the triangles, with the small point at the bottom middle of the dish and the wide end at the top. Press the edges together.
Step 4
Pour the cooked beef mixture onto the crust. Sprinkle the crushed chips over the top of the beef. Drop the sour cream in dollops over the chips and gently spread. Top with the cheddar cheese.
Step 5
Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve topped with lettuce, tomatoes and avocados.

Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken

Posted on December 27, 2012 by jgisvold

I’ve been sick lately and haven’t been in the mood to cook anything until tonight. Being sick around Christmas time sucks. I was supposed to go to my cousin’s in Grand Forks, ND but I didn’t, because I didn’t want to get my whole entire family sick. They were having prime rib and my Mom said that it was fantastic when she got back on Christmas day. Hopefully getting sick around Christmas time doesn’t become an annual thing…..

This has been one of the best recipes on pinterest I’ve found in quite a long time. I think I look at pinterest too much during the day, because I’ve noticed that a lot of recipes get pinned over and over again. Every once and awhile, I’ll find something good I want to try though.

The rice reminded me of the rice they served at the Habachi restaurant I went to at the beginning of this month. The only thing that was missing was the butter, so I added a tablespoon. I swear, I think when I saw them making it, they added a whole stick. The sweat and sour chicken was great too. You could totally cheat with this recipe and buy some of those chicken bites in the store that are already breaded and just dump the sauce over that. I will be making this recipe again. The next time you feel like going out for Chinese food stay at home and make it instead. You probably already have a lot of the ingredients on hand. Having frozen peas, carrots, and onions in the freezer always helps too! Here is the recipe. The recipe for the fried rice can be found at the link below too.

Recipe from Life as a Loft House

Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken

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Ingredients

3-4 bonless chicken breasts
salt and pepper
1 cup corn starch
2 eggs beaten
1/4 cup canola oil
3/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tsp garlic salt
4 tablespoons ketchup

Directions

Step 1
Start by preheating your oven to 325 degrees.
Step 2
Rinse your chicken breasts in water and then cut into cubes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Dip chicken into the cornstarch to coat then dip into the eggs. Heat your 1/4 cup oil in a large skillet and cook your chicken until browned but not cooked through.
Step 3
Place the chicken in a 9x13 greased baking dish. Mix all of your sweet and sour sauce ingredients in a bowl with a whisk and then pour evenly over the chicken. Bake for one hour and during the baking process you will need to turn the chicken every 15 minutes.

Pretzel M&M Hugs

Posted on December 21, 2012 by jgisvold

I’ve been seeing a lot of pretzel creations on the Internet lately and this is one of them, thought I’d jump on the bandwagon myself. I went to three different stores looking for the round pretzels and no luck so I opted for the Christmas pretzels. The round ones actually work better because the hugs settle in there so nicely. All you do is place a hershey kiss on top of the pretzel and melt them in the oven for 4 to 6 minutes at 200 degrees, and once they come out you place an M & M on top of them. Super easy and it doesn’t require mixing anything in a bowl. What other pretzel creations will they come up with next?

Recipe adapted from Cooking Classy

Pretzel M&M Hugs

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Ingredients

Hershey chocolate kisses
M&M candies
Round or square pretzels

Directions

Step 1
Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
Step 2
Place pretzels down on a cookie sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Put a Hershey kiss in the middle of each pretzel. Let the hershey kisses melt in the oven for 4 to 6 minutes. Immediately after the pretzel and hershey kisses come out of the oven place an M&M on top.

Slow Cooker Chocolate Candy

Posted on December 16, 2012 by jgisvold

This recipe intrigued me because I never had tried making candy in my crock pot before. I read some of the reviews on Food Network’s website and decided to change a few things. 1. Check the chocolate every hour and 2. I used only 1 pound of peanuts.

I learned that your crock pot can be a good way to temper chocolate. However, this recipe can be made in about 20 minutes on the stove top. I don’t have one of those fancy crock pots where you can set the timer to however long the recipe takes. I think it’s time to upgrade my crock pot. Mine only has 4 settings: Keep Warm, Low, High, and Off. Is there crock pots out there where you can set the temperature of it? Best Buy has a crock pot with 7 different settings on it for $80.00 and it had a timer. That would be really nice to have.

The recipe states that this chocolate takes 3 hours to melt in the crock pot. That is WAY to long. My chocolate was done melting in an 1hr and 30 minutes. It’s a pretty easy recipe too, just chocolate and peanuts. Next time, I may try adding other ingredients to it or try different chocolate.

Slow Cooker Chocolate Candy recipe from Trisha Yearwood

Slow Cooker Chocolate Candy

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Ingredients

2 pounds dry roasted salted peanuts
4 ounces german sweet chocolate
12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 1/2 pounds almond bark

Directions

Step 1
Put the peanuts in the bottom of a 4-quart slow cooker. Layer the chocolate over the peanuts, beginning with the sweet chocolate, followed by the chocolate chips and then the almond bark. Set the temperature on low and cook for 3 hours. Do not stir the mixture.
Step 2
After 3 hours, stir the mixture with a wooden spoon until smooth. Drop the candy into cupcake pan liners using about 2 tablespoons per liner. Allow the candy to cool completely before removing the cupcake liners.

Hibachi Recipes

Posted on December 14, 2012 by jgisvold

Wow, it’s been a really busy week here. I had two potulucks at work. Both were right after each other. I brought a pasta salad with bacon, cheddar, and tomatoes in it for one and Buffalo chicken dip for another. Lot’s of cooking this week. I really didn’t make anything new either. Had some Lasagna soup earlier this week and that lasted for a couple of days. So here you are with 3 brand new recipes in one post. Lucky you!

Recently, I went to a Hibachi restaurant for a friend’s birthday party. Ben and I don’t normally eat at those types of restaurants because they’re really expensive. It’s super easy to make everything at home. All it takes is a little time and love. The restaurant we go to starts off their meal with a bowl of mushroom soup. The soup is good and flavorful, and it doesn’t have much to it. Just a special type of broth, some sliced mushrooms, and scallions for decoration. It is so divine.

Mushroom soup recipe from Carrie’s Cooking

Mushroom Soup

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Ingredients

1/2 stalk celery
1 small onion
2 carrots chopped
2 tablespoons fresh ginger
3 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons chicken bouillon granules
3 tablespoons beef bouillon granules
1 cup sliced mushrooms
8 cups water

Directions

Step 1
In a large saucepan or stockpot, combine the celery, onion, carrot, ginger, garlic, and a few of the mushrooms. Add chicken bouillon, beef bouillon, and water. Place the pot over high heat, and bring to a rolling boil. When the mixture reaches boiling, cover, reduce heat to medium, and cook for 45 minutes. It can cook for longer than 45 minutes (sometimes I leave it on for a couple hours), you will just need to add more water if too much water evaporates.
Step 2
After it's cooked for at least 45 minutes strain the cooked soup and discard all of the vegetables, leaving the broth. Serve the broth with sliced mushrooms and sprinkle french friend onions over the top

The way they serve each course there is kind of confusing to me. Next they give you rice with this really good sauce called Yum Yum, sauce. I’d rather have my rice and protein together. Then you also get to chose if you want any noodles. The noodles are so good… Probably because they use a lot of butter and MSG.

Hibachi Noodles from Best of the Veg

Hibachi Noodles

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Ingredients

Japanese dried noodles
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
8 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon chili sauce
2 tablespoons semesame oil

Directions

Step 1
Cook noodles according to package directions.
Step 2
In a jar combine remaining ingredients and shake well.
Step 3
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sauce to the pan with the noodles. Toss the noodles around in the sauc e for 2 minutes and Serve.

Homemade Yum Yum Sauce

Yum Yum Sauce

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Ingredients

1 1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon melted butter
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon paprika

Directions

Step 1
Using a fork or a whisk, blend all ingredients together thoroughly until well mixed and the sauce is smooth. Refrigerate overnight to allow flavors to blend. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Every recipe I thought, was pretty similar to what I was served at the restaurants. If you want to make these recipes at home it’s good to have some Asian ingredients stocked up in your fridge. I like to keep my fresh ginger in the freezer and I take it out to use it whenever I want. These are some ingredients I recommend that you keep on hand.

Rainbow Cookies

Posted on December 9, 2012 by jgisvold

The name of these cookies are called Rainbow cookies. I would like to change that name to something more festive like Red and Green Cookies or Christmas Layered Cookies. Don’t you think?

These cookies were quite challenging to make. Almond paste was an ingredient I’ve never delt with before. It’s in the baking aisle if you haven’t looked for it at all. Then, I don’t think there is enough dough to work with either. I had divided the dough as evenly as I could and the layers were all uneven. It may not look like it in the pictures but trust me, they were.

I think the next time I make these, I would just use a regular short bread cookie dough recipe and then flavor the cookie dough with almond extract. Almond extract lasts longer than almond paste does and has a better almondy flavor. Did I mention almond paste is really expensive also? I think I paid almost $6.00 for a 6oz tube. I’d also try it with different kinds of flavored jams or maybe nutella even.

recipe from Food Network Magazine

Rainbow Cookies

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Ingredients

2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter (room temperature)
2 cups all purpose flour
8 ouces almond paste
1 cup sugar
4 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
red and green food coloring
15 ounces apricot jam
1 pound bitter sweet chocolate
cooking spray

Directions

Step 1
You'll need three 9-by-12-inch jelly roll pans or rimmed baking sheets to make these layered cookies.
Step 2
Prep the pans: Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour three 9-by-12-inch jelly roll pans or rimmed baking sheets and line with parchment paper.
Step 3
Make the batter: Combine the almond paste and 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until the mixture is in fine crumbles. Beat in 2 1/2 sticks butter, a few pieces at a time, until well combined. Beat in the egg yolks, one at a time, until smooth.
Step 4
Sift 2 cups flour onto a sheet of parchment and sprinkle the salt on top; add to the mixer bowl and beat until just combined.
Step 5
In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until foamy; while whisking, slowly add the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and whisk until firm peaks form (or use a hand mixer). Fold about one-third of the egg white mixture into the batter with a rubber spatula, then gently fold in the rest. The batter should be fluffy.
Step 6
In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until foamy; while whisking, slowly add the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and whisk until firm peaks form (or use a hand mixer). Fold about one-third of the egg white mixture into the batter with a rubber spatula, then gently fold in the rest. The batter should be fluffy.
Step 7
Bake the layers: Transfer the batter to the prepared pans (one pan for each color). Dip an offset spatula in water and spread the batter to the edge of each pan, smoothing the tops. Bake, switching the position of the pans halfway through, until the cakes are cooked through and just beginning to brown around the edges, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool completely in the pans on wire racks.
Step 8
Assemble the layers: Spread half of the jam evenly over the green cake layer almost all the way to the edges. Unmold the plain cake layer by inverting it onto another pan or cutting board; peel off the parchment.
Step 9
Carefully slide the plain layer onto the green layer (use a wide offset spatula to help you, if necessary). Spread the remaining jam on top of the plain layer. Unmold the red cake layer and slide it onto the plain layer.
Step 10
Cover the cake with plastic wrap and top with one of the empty pans; place several heavy cans on top to weigh down the layers. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.
Step 11
Unmold the cake: Remove the cans and plastic wrap. Place a cutting board on top of the cake and flip to unmold it onto the cutting board. Remove the parchment from the top of the green layer.
Step 12
Trim the cake: Trim the sides with a knife to make straight edges. Spray a wire rack with cooking spray; set the rack over a baking sheet. Carefully slide the cake onto the rack, using a wide offset spatula to help you, if necessary.
Step 13
Cover in chocolate: Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water; pour over the cake. Dip an offset spatula in the hot water and smooth the top and sides. Let set slightly. Scrape wavy lines into the chocolate with a fork; let cool a few more minutes until the chocolate is mostly set but still slightly tacky.
Step 14
Cut into pieces: Slide the cake back onto the cutting board. Slice crosswise into 6 strips, then cut each strip into 8 rectangular pieces. For clean edges, dip the knife in warm water and wipe it with a cloth between cuts. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Step 15
If the lines in the chocolate don't hold their shape, let the chocolate set a little longer and try again.

Lighter Fettuccine Alfredo Sauce

Posted on December 5, 2012 by jgisvold

Let’s face it. Nothing quite compares to Heavy Cream which is used as the main ingredient in Alfredo. Heavy cream can make anything bad taste good, not to mention butter and bacon. I think that Alfredo sauce is probably one of the hardest dishes to make lighter.

I used 1% milk instead of the 2% the recipe called for. That would have probably made the sauce a little bit richer. There is also fat free half-and-half, but I can never find that in the grocery stores. Is there such a think as Fat Free Heavy Cream??? It calls for butter and parmesan cheese too. HELLO?! That’s like impossible to find ingredients to replace all that yummy goodness with. I thought this recipe did a good job of trying to make it lighter and it still tasted good. Like I said before, nothing compares to the real sauce. If you ever feel like indulging this is the dish to make.

If any of you are experiencing blank pages, I’m sorry. Try loading it again in the next few moments. I have to upgrade my ram on this website and hopefully that should take care of the problem!

Servings: 4

Per serving: Calories 490; Fat 15 g (Saturated 8 g); Cholesterol 48 mg; Sodium 734 mg; Carbohydrate 66 g; Fiber 3 g; Protein 20 g

Recipe from Food Network Magazine

Lighter Fettuccine Alfredo

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Ingredients

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 clove garlic (minced)
1 teaspoon lemon zest
2 teaspoons flour
1 cup 2% milk
3/4 cups grated (parmesan cheese)
3 tablespoons fresh parsley
2 tablespoons Neufchtel or low-fat cream cheese
12 ounces fettuccine noodles

Directions

Step 1
Make the sauce: Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and lemon zest and cook until the garlic is slightly soft, about 1 minute. Add in the flour and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon,1 minute. Whisk in the milk and 3/4 teaspoon salt and cook, whisking constantly, until just thickened, about 3 minutes. Add the Neufchatel and parmesan cheese; whisk until melted, about 1 minute. Stir in the chopped parsley.
Step 2
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the fettuccine and cook until al dente, 2 to 3 minutes. Reserve 1 cup cooking water, then drain the pasta and return to the pot.
Step 3
Add the sauce and 1/2 cup of the reserved cooking water to the pasta and gently toss to combine, adding more cooking water as needed to loosen. Season with salt. Divide among bowls and top with parmesan and pepper.

Roasted Brussel Sprouts

Posted on December 3, 2012 by jgisvold

Don’t let brussel sprouts scare you. I was scared to try them at first, and so was my husband. They stink while cooking in the oven, but in the end they still taste good. This is a really easy recipe to make if you are curious about trying brussel sprouts for the first time. Just a little olive oil, salt, and pepper, and cook them in the oven at a high temp for awhile and they taste amazing. They’re so cute too, almost remind me of little baby cabbages. I’m sure bacon would make them taste even better.

I am horrible at trying to get a vegetable in every day. I try to do that at dinner time, and I’ve been trying lately to get a new one in every week. Roasted broccoli is also good this way.

Servings: 6

Calories: 109; Total Fat: 7 grams, Carbs: 10g, Fiber: 4g, Protein: 4g

Recipe from Ina Garten

Roasted Brussel Sprouts

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Ingredients

1 1/2 poundsouts brussel sproiuts
3 tablespoons good olive oil
3/4 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions

Step 1
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Step 2
Cut off the brown ends of the Brussels sprouts and pull off any yellow outer leaves. Mix them in a bowl with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Pour them on a sheet pan and roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. Shake the pan from time to time to brown the sprouts evenly. Sprinkle with more kosher salt ( I like these salty like French fries), and serve immediately.

Cherry Chocolate Blossoms

Posted on December 2, 2012 by jgisvold

Tis that time of year again: Cookie baking!

I love this time of year. I love trying new cookie recipes like this one. I couldn’t really taste the cherries in here at all. Maybe it needs more of the juice or more cherries, or maybe even some cherry extract. I’ll have to play around with it. What would really be good in the middle of this cookie is a Chocolate Covered cherry. Now, that would be heaven.

My kitchen aid paddle attachment mixer has gone missing and we don’t know what happened to it. I’ve looked everywhere. The last time I saw it was before our trip to Jamaica and that was a whole year ago. I want to go out and buy one but I put it on my Christmas list. Not having that attachment makes it hard to make cookies. I have to do it the old fashion way with my hand mixers. Maybe I’ll go out and just buy one myself, and if I get another one for Christmas I’ll just have two.

Cherry Blossom Recipe from the Curvy Carrot

Cherry Chocolate Blossoms

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Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter (softened)
1 cup powdered sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons maraschino cherry juice
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
2 1/4 cups flour
1/2 cup maraschino cherries (diced)
36 hershey chocolate kisses (unwrapped)

Directions

Step 1
. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Step 2
In the bowl of your standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter at medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute.
Step 3
Reduce the speed to the lowest setting and slowly add the powdered sugar and salt.
Step 4
Add the cherry juice and the almond extract until combined.
Step 5
With the mixer still on low, slowly add the flour, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Step 6
Increase the mixer speed to medium and add the cherries.
Step 7
Shape the dough into 1-inch balls, and place the balls on a baking sheet, approximately 2 inches apart.
Step 8
Using your thumb, gently press each cookie in its center until the cookie is about 1/2-inch thick.
Step 9
Sprinkle each cookie with a little granulated sugar.
Step 10
Bake the cookies until the bottoms are lightly browned, about 14 minutes.
Step 11
Once removed from the oven, immediately press a chocolate kiss into each cookie’s center
Step 12
Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Coconut Roulade With Rum Buttercream

Posted on December 1, 2012 by jgisvold

This damn cake roll was so hard to make. Took me three times to get it right. The buttercream frosting was the hardest part. Every time I tried making the buttercream frosting it ended up curdling. So, I’ve decided that this cake would be best made with a cream cheese frosting and then add in the rum for flavoring. I tried it with a whipped cream frosting and the frosting was light. It didn’t hold up the cake roll very well. The cake ended up flattening back out again. It still looks like a layer cake though. Oh yah, and make sure you’re using the right size pan. The first time I tried making this roulade, the pan wasn’t no where near big enough. Guess I should have measured the sides huh?

I really liked this cake. It’s made of mostly eggs and hardly any flour at all. The eggs you beat together until they form stiff peaks and then fold the rest of the batter into the egg whites. It would look really elegant at the Christmas dinner table or on New Year’s Eve. I found this recipe in Food Network magazine.

This is what happened to the cake after I tried moving it. Who cares what it looks like, if it’s still edible right? At least I got one good shot.

Recipe from Food Network Magazine

Coconut Roulade With Rum Buttercream

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Ingredients

1 cup flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs (separated plus 2 egg whites)
1/2 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons coconut extract
1 tablespoon white rum
6 large egg whites
1 cup 2 tablespoons sugar
3 sticks unsalted butter
3 tablespoons white rum
4 cups shredded coconut

Directions

Step 1
Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter an 11-by-17-inch rimmed baking sheet and line the bottom with parchment paper. Lightly butter the parchment and dust with flour, tapping out the excess.
Step 2
Whisk 1 cup each flour and granulated sugar, the baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. In a large bowl, whisk the 4 egg yolks, vegetable oil, coconut milk and coconut extract. Whisk in the flour mixture in 2 batches.
Step 3
Beat the 6 egg whites and cream of tartar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until foamy. Increase the speed to medium high; gradually add the remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar and beat until stiff, shiny peaks form. Fold one-third of the beaten egg whites into the egg yolk mixture with a rubber spatula, then gently fold in the rest
Step 4
Spread the batter on the prepared baking sheet and bake until the cake is golden and springs back when pressed, 15 to 20 minutes. Loosen the edges of the cake with a knife; transfer the baking sheet to a rack and let the cake cool slightly. Dust a large piece of parchment paper with confectioners' sugar. Invert the cake onto the parchment and peel off the parchment on top. Brush the cake with the rum.
Step 5
Make the frosting: Whisk the egg whites and granulated sugar in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water (do not let the bowl touch the water) until the mixture is warm and the sugar dissolves. Remove the bowl from the pan; cool slightly.
Step 6
Beat the egg white mixture with a mixer on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, 12 to 15 minutes. Beat in the butter a few pieces at a time, then continue beating until glossy and smooth, 5 to 7 more minutes. (Don't worry if the mixture looks curdled at first; continue beating.) Beat in the rum.
Step 7
Spread about 2 cups of the frosting on the cake, then sprinkle with 2 cups coconut. Starting at a short end, roll up the cake, using the parchment to help you. Transfer to a platter, seam-side down. Cover the cake roll with the remaining frosting and sprinkle with the remaining 2 cups coconut.

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