Raspberry Oatmeal Muffins

I have been looking for good muffin recipes that have little or no sugar, and I came across this one and was so wonderfully surprised! I didn't include a picture because they aren't pretty and I felt bad showing you someone else's beautiful creation when mine was so ugly. Anyways, they are good, which is the whole point. So, try them.

Ingredients:

-2 cups rolled oats (I used the multi-grain oatmeal from Trader Joe's)

-2 cups juice (I used apple juice)

-1 cup of mashed banana (about 2 bananas)

-1-2 Tbsp of honey

-1/2 tsp of salt

-1 tsp baking soda

-2 tsp baking powder

-1/2 tsp nutmeg

-2 tsp cinnamon

-2 cups flour

-2 cups raspberries (I used fresh raspberry/blueberry combo, but you could also use frozen)

Preheat oven to 400. Soak the oats in the juice for about 10-15 minutes, then stir in honey and mashed banana. Mix dry ingredients together and slowly add. Fold in raspberries and blueberries. Fill muffin tins about 3/4 to almost full and bake for 20 minutes.

Okay, here's the thing. I put muffin liners in, which was a VERY bad idea. Apparently that is a recipe for disaster. Next time, I"ll spray the tin and throw them in. So, please do this. =) Otherwise you end up with half of the muffin stuck to the liner and it's very sad. But, it's so good and so healthy, and I LOVED that Jeremiah ate 2 of them for breakfast.

Bow-tie Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomato and Artichoke Cream Sauce

So, the other thing I've been crazy about this pregnancy is pasta. Pasta for breakfast, lunch or dinner. And, in the beginning I had a hard time gaining weight, so this unhealthy habit was just fine. We'll see how it goes as I near my third trimester. =) Anyways, Pinterest is my most favorite hobby in the world right now, and because of this, I have SO many recipes to try. I find that most of them need a little tweaking, but for the most part....delish! Also, the thing about the Benson house, is that we keep certain ingredients on hand ALL the time. Costco is my best friend when it comes to artichoke hearts and sun-dried tomatoes. They are so much cheaper to buy in bulk and you can put them in anything! Enjoy...

8 oz Bow-tie pasta (really you can use any kind)

1 12oz can evaporated milk

2 cups or more shredded cheese

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon of dried basil

handful of diced sun-dried tomatoes

handful of sliced marinated artichoke hearts

Cook pasta according to directions. Once you add the pasta in the pot, then start your sauce. Combine milk, cheese, pepper, garlic powder and basil in a saucepan over medium heat. I tasted at this point, felt like it needed more cheese so I added more. Same with the pepper. It helps to taste as you go, but this is definitely a good base. Once pasta is cooked al dente, drain and add melted cheese sauce to it. Add tomatoes and artichokes. Done and Done. So easy right??!!! It's so yummy, I had it for breakfast the next day. =)

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

This pregnancy has me craving soups like crazy! This is so handy because now that it's fall, (kind of) we can enjoy them while it's a little cooler out. It's been misty and windy all day, so we packed this up tonight, took it to the park and had a picnic on the lawn. We had a warm french bread loaf too, so it made it extra special. I must say, even though it's my own concoction, it's pretty stinkin' tasty!!! =)

Please bear with me on my ingredient amounts. I'm guessing...

Ingredients:

5 baking size russet potatoes

1/2 large onion diced

3 garlic cloves

1 tsp pepper

2 tsp salt

1/2-1 tsp cayenne

4 cups chicken broth

1 cup sour cream

1 stick of butter

2 Tbsp flour

1 1/2 cups milk

2 1/2 cups cheddar cheese mix

1 package of bacon

1) Dice and saute onions and garlic together. Just until they are kind of soft and then throw it in the crock pot. Yes, this may seem redundant because they are going to cook in the pot, but this is what I did, so I'm leaving no detail out! =)

2) Dice potatoes and add them too.

3) Add salt, pepper, cayenne, chicken broth and maybe 3/4 of the butter. No, I didn't melt the butter, I just threw in the big hunk of it right on top. Cook on High for 3 hours. I stirred half way through...

4) After the 3hours, I added the cup of sour cream and turned it to low for another 1/2 hour. Right before the 1/2 hour was up, I started making the roux.

5) Add the rest of the butter, the 1/4 you should have left, to a saucepan, once melted add flour and let it come to a boil, (heat up milk in microwave) and slowly add milk to pan while stirring the whole time. Once it starts to thicken, add the cheese a little at a time. (I did a few handfuls, so I'm guessing in the amount, but that seems about right.) Once this is melted together add to crock pot and keep it on low...

6) Then, cut up entire package of bacon. I like to cut the bacon into small pieces first and then make it crispy, but if you prefer to cook bacon in strips and then crumble...there ya go. Yes, this seems like a lot of bacon, but it's not and it cooks down so much. Once it's crispy, drain fat and add bacon to pot. At this point I left the crock pot on warm and let it hang out until it was picnic time!

7) This next step is total preference. My husband wanted to leave it chunky and keep the potatoes whole. I wanted to slightly puree it. He won. I left it chunky. If you like your potato soups a little thicker, then I suggest using an immersion blender. If not, then I think it's a really great consistency as is. Up to you and your family.

Please taste as you go and adjust spices accordingly. I put a handful of peas in Jeremiah's soup and he ate it right up. =) ENJOY! And please post if you change it and it turns out even better!

I'm Back, I Promise!!!

Right. So, I took a few months off I guess. Here's the thing. I didn't have internet in my house until just recently, so trekking down to coffee bean and tea leaf just didn't seem appealing JUST to blog something. But, now I am like every other normal person, and I DO have internet at home, so I can start sharing more regularly. My dear friend Jess said she doesn't even have me on her blog radar anymore, because I completely suck at updating. (Follow me again Jess, I'll do better I promise!!!) This next recipe is one that my mother in law told me about, so I tried it and well...we've had it about three times since. =) Mainly because it's SOOO good and SOOO easy. Please try it and love it as much as we do.

CHICKEN PEPPERONATA

-2 chicken breasts (pounded flat)

-panko bread crumbs

-buttermilk ranch dressing (I used the bottled, or you can make your own)

-whole milk mozzarella cheese

-pepperoni

-chicken broth

-white wine

-butter

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Dip chicken breasts in ranch dressing, then the panko crumbs. (I dip both sides, yes it's messy, but meh, totally worth it). In the middle put a good size slice of mozzarella and a few pepperonis. Fold chicken around these, and lay in baking dish. Top the chicken with a slice of butter. If you are only making this for two people, mix together maybe a 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup of chicken broth and and 1/4 cup of white wine. (I think that's what I do?) Pour around chicken. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 45 minutes. Mine usually comes out lightly browned on top. It's seriously so good, so tasty and pretty fancy looking. Anyone want to come over for dinner? I want to make this again soon!

Chicken and Tomatillo Tacos

I know it's been awhile since I've posted. Turns out I had a baby and moved to a new city and apparently those events take up quite a bit of time. =) But, after the meals stopped coming and filling our freezer, I had to start cooking again and seriously...I missed it!! I'm realizing little tricks that make certain meals easier, and when the baby is down for a nap in the afternoon, I can make dinner and just reheat it. Which is what I did for this tasty dish. So easy and so tasty. It might become a taco tuesday staple in the Benson house. Here's what you need:

6 Tomatillos (blackened on the grill)
1 Serano (blackened on grill)
Olive Oil
1/2 red onion
2 cloves of garlic
1 cup chopped cilantro
1 lime (juiced)
2 Tbsp Honey
1 1/2 cups shredded chicken
corn torillas
queso fresco

Okay, here's the thing. I did not make this according to the directions, mainly because I was not about to fire up the grill by myself just to blacken these little peppers. I tried to do it over the stove top and it was a sight for sore eyes...kept dropping the peppers, ect. Anyways...all that to say, I'm sure it would have been lovely all blackened and toasty, but I didn't make it like that and it still turned out delish. So...best of luck to you whichever road you go down. For the shredded chicken, I just put it in a crockpot all day and shred it, but you could easily buy a rotisserie chicken and go from there. AND, not spicy enough for us. I'm going to add a jalapeno to the mix next time to kick it up a notch.

1) Put tomatillos, serrano, onion, garlic, cilantro, lime juice, and honey in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
2)Pour mixture into a medium sized pan and add chicken, heating it through. AND, you're done!
See how you could leave the salsa in the fridge all afternoon and not heat it until it's time for dinner? Loved it.

How easy is that?? Put it on some corn tortillas and add the queso fresco. (Don't leave this out, it's sooo good!) Top with some extra cilantro or lime juice if you want.

And, perhaps a nice margarita would finish the deal? =) Happy Cooking!

Gourmet Mac 'n' Cheese

Today's recipe is courtesy of my dear friend Sweet Jules. We often swap recipes, which works out great for both of us. I made a couple changes though Jule, just so you know. ;) I've been wanting to try this dish forever, since I'm a true lover of all things mac 'n' cheese, and it did not let me down! Side note before you start, prep everything first!!! I did not do this, and it was pure chaos in my kitchen and not a pretty sight to behold. So, I'll try to lay it out how I wish I had prepped for it. =) Aside from the bacon and tomatoes, this was the original recipe I received. When I made it, I added a little more of everything to make a slightly larger dish. I wasn't exact in my measurements and it turned out great. I don't know how you go wrong with these delicious cheeses. I hope it works for you! Happy Cooking!

4 Tbsp butter

5 pieces of bacon, crumbled

2 small tomatoes, sliced

1 cup panko bread crumbs

2 3/4 cups whole milk (I used 2%)

1/4 cup flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/16 tsp nutmeg

1/8 tsp pepper

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

2 1/4 cups of cheese mix (I used mild cheddar and jack)

1 cup gruyere, grated

1/2 cup gouda, grated

1/2 lb elbow macaroni

Preheat oven to 375 and butter a casserole dish and set aside. Then...grate all your cheeses! Set aside in one bowl 1 1/2 cups of cheddar mix, 3/4 cup gruyere and 1/4 cup of the gouda. In another bowl keep the remaining cheeses. Prepare dry ingredients salt, pepper, nutmeg, and cayenne and set these all aside in a small bowl. Then melt 1 Tbsp of butter, toss with the bread crumbs and set aside. Cook bacon, set aside to cool, once cooled, crumble it up! Start boiling water for your macaroni and cook it according to package directions. While that is cooking, heat milk in microwave for 3 minutes. In a large saucepan melt 3 Tbsp of butter. When that bubbles, add flour and cook for one minute. Slowly add mik to butter/flour mixture, whisking constantly until mixture bubbles and becomes thick. Remove from heat and stir in the salt, pepper, nutmeg, and cayenne. Then add the larger cheese mixture and crumbled bacon. Stir until well mixed and set aside. (Taste it at this point, if it needs a little extra salt or pepper don't be afraid to doctor it up to suit your taste buds!) Add cheese sauce to the macaroni and transfer to casserole dish. Top with remaining cheeses, sliced tomatoes and panko bread crumb mixture. Bake until brown on top about 20-30 minutes and enjoy! It was sooooo tasty!

Mexican Lasagna

Tonight we made Mexican Lasagna. Consensus was that it was a tasty dish for sure, and we would make it again. There was so much leftover which is handy for my lunches this week! It took roughly 15 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to bake. You will need the following:

1 1/2 lbs ground turkey (beef or chicken)

1/2 chopped onion

1 can corn

1 can black beans

1 can fire roasted diced tomatoes

2 Tbsp chili powder

2 tsp cumin

corn tortillas

salt to taste

2 1/2 cups shredded mexican cheese

2 green onions

Evoo

Preheat oven to 400. Heat a large skillet on medium high heat. Add evoo, chopped onion, turkey, cumin and chili powder; brown for 5-7 minutes. Once meat is browned, add beans, tomatoes and corn. At this point, I could tell it wasn't going to be spicy enough for us. Shocker, I know. =) I then added about 2 tsp of Jalapeno Pepper Hot Sauce from Trader Joes. It stepped it up a notch. If I had a small can of jalapenos, I would have added those. Anything to spice it up! In a large baking dish, coat with evoo. Layer tortillas, meat mixture and cheese. Top with diced green onions, bake for 15 minutes. I topped mine with sour cream, but you could really top it with whatever you wanted--guacamole, salsa, crushed tortilla chips for some crunch-- be creative and enjoy!