ROASTED RED PEPPER CREAM SAUCE

As promised this is one of my favorite things to do with roasted red peppers.

ROASTED RED PEPPER CREAM SAUCE

(Mindi Original)

2 large roasted red pepper; chopped (or 3 small)

3 cloves garlic

1/2 C. diced onion

1 oz. fresh basil (1/4-1/2 C.) or 1 T. dried basil

2 T. olive oil

2 T. butter

zest of 1 lemon

Juice of 1 lemon

4 T. flour

1 C. chicken stock

1 C. heavy cream

1. In a large sauce pan or skillet, heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat. Saute the onions and garlic for a couple minutes.

2. Add the roasted peppers, basil, and lemon zest. Then add the flour and stir until the flour is absorbed into the mix.

3. Slowly add the lemon juice and chicken stock and stir until the the mixture begins to thicken slightly. Then mix in the heavy cream and stir until well incorporated.

4. Remove from the heat and puree the mixture with an immersion blender or transfer the mixture into a blender in batches to puree.* If the sauce isn't to your desired thickness, return to the heat and allow to thicken a little more.

5. Serve over pasta. You can also add chicken, use as a condiment, or as a pizza sauce.

*When blending hot liquids: Remove liquid from the heat and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes. Transfer liquid to a blender or food processor and fill it no more than halfway. If using a blender, release one corner of the lid. This prevents the vacuum effect that creates heat explosions. Place a towel over the top of the machine, pulse a few times then process on high speed until smooth.

HEALTHY RANCH DIP

I really had hoped to post something a little sooner, but my plans were foiled a few days ago when my 2 year old spit an entire mouth full of apple juice right into the key board of my lap top. At the time I had one of those..."Why am I having another child??? moments". But I'm over it now, and my little r is once again the light of my life. She's just lucky she has a "computer nerd" daddy that knows how to fix just about everything electronic around here.

So I thought it only fitting that my first post of the new year, be something healthy. It seems like everyone I know has set goals for weight loss or healthy eating. One of the benefits of pregnancy at the new year; not really worrying about weight loss. However, I know that will be my number one goal come April. Anyway, this little recipe is one of my all time favorites.

Years ago, and I do mean many years, I really got into Body for Life. Some of you may have heard if it. It's a great program. I've done it twice in my life and both time lost a considerable amount of weight. The first time I lost 30 pounds and the second time I lost 25. I have many recipes from the program that have stuck with me over the years, not just because they're healthy, they also happen to be yummy. This was one of them.

I also thought this was a great fit for the upcoming Super Bowl Sunday. This is a perfect healthy munchie. Even my 2 year old gobbles this stuff up. She is a veggieholic though...strange but true.


HEALTHY RANCH DIP
(Recipe by Body for Life)

1 C. regular or low-fat cottage cheese
1 green onion, chopped
2 t. Italian seasoning
1/4 t. ground black pepper
1/2 t. salt

1. Combine the cottage cheese and green onion in a blender or food processor. Blend on high speed until smooth.
2. Stir in the Italian seasoning, pepper and salt.
3. Serve with Veggies, Pita chips, crackers etc...

ROASTED GARLIC

I don't do very many tutorials, I wish I had the time and the energy to do more, but this one I just had to do. Last week I made my Roasted Garlic Rosemary Cheese Potatoes for book club. I've already had three of my friends ask me for the recipe as soon as possible, because they wanted to make them for Christmas. So I thought I better get this posted, sooner than later.

But the first step in the potatoes, is roasting the garlic. It's so easy to roast garlic, and even if you think you don't like garlic you should give the roasted variety a try. When garlic is roasted it takes on a sweet mild yummy flavor that is delicious.

You can use this roasted garlic to make my potatoes or you can eat it plain, spread it on crackers, toss it into pasta...really the uses are endless.

First things first... this is a head of garlic. I've had a few of my non-cooking friends ask me the difference between a head and a clove. When a recipe asks for a clove or two cloves of garlic, it means the individual little bulbs on a whole head. If a recipe calls for an entire head (very rare), it means this entire thing.

To start the roasting process, you take an entire head (or multiple heads) clean as much of the outer paper off as possible, then slice off the top so that each individual clove has some open exposure.

Next you place your head of garlic onto a piece of tin foil and drizzle with olive oil. (You can also sprinkle with salt & pepper if you like.)

Then pull up the tin foil around the garlic. Roast the garlic in the oven at 400 degrees for 35-45 minutes.

When it's done, take it out of the foil and allow to cool. The garlic will be golden brown and it will slide right out of it's shell with a little help from a fork, or you can turn the head upside down and squeeze the garlic right out and into your dish or a bowl.

Now that you have yummy roasted garlic...stay tuned for my ROASTED GARLIC ROSEMARY CHEESE POTATOES.

GRILLED STEAK SANDWICH w/ horseradish spread

I'm not dead...but I'm not going to lie to you...most days I feel like I am. This has been a rough pregnancy. I fell sick pretty much 24/7. I don't remember being this sick with little r, but my husband says he does. I think it just feels worse, because this time I'm already a mom, and as sick or tired as I feel, I still have to be a mom. With little r I was working full time, but I worked from home. This brought lots of flexibility. I worked around naps and bathroom runs. I could work late at night or in my jammies. Oh well...both situations have their good and bad.

Unfortunately this time around, it's my blog that's suffering the most. I hope you'll all hang on with me. I usually start to feel better around 14 -16 weeks. Can you take another month of inconsistency??

I do have a yummy and easy recipe for you today. This is my take on a recent Cusine at Home recipe. It was a big hit with my hubby. I suppose you really can't go wrong with a steak sandwich...right?

GRILLED STEAK SANDWICH w/ horseradish spread
(Inspired by a Cusine at Home recipe)

For the Horseradish Spread:
¼ C. Mayo
¼ C. cream cheese, softened
2 T. sour cream
2 T. horseradish
2 scallions; chopped
1 T. white wine vinegar
1 t. Dijon mustard
Salt & pepper to taste

For the Steak Sandwich:
1 lb. flank or sirloin steak, olive oil, salt & pepper
4 roll’s of choice
2 C. fresh spinach
1 C. thinly sliced cucumber

1. Combine all the ingredients for the spread. Whisk until well combined. Set aside.
2. Preheat the grill to medium-high.
3. Coat the steak with olive oil and season with salt & pepper. Grill steak, covered 3-4 minutes per side for medium rare, or 5-6 minutes per side for medium.
4. Remove steak from the grill, tent with foil, and rest for at least 5 minutes.
5. Slice steak against the grain into thin strips.
6. Reduce grill heat to low. Brush cut side of bread lightly with oil; season with salt & pepper. Grill bread, cut side down, covered, until lightly toasted about 1 or 2 minutes.
7. To serve, spread horseradish spread on the cut side of bottom bread. Layer with spinach, steak strips, and cucumber, then top with remaining bread.
8. Serves 4.

PESTO

I've posted a recipe for Pesto Butter, Creamy Pesto Pasta, Butternut Squash Ravioli with Pesto Butter, Herb Butter etc...etc... But I realized a few weeks ago, that I've never posted my favorite recipe for just good old Pesto!

I love this recipe because it has a little twist on most standard Pesto recipes; a surprise of mint in the sauce. The mint gives it an edge of flavor you don't expect. But the best thing about pesto is the overall versatility of this stuff. There are so many things you can do with Pesto. I have some awesome recipes with pesto and I plan to post some over the next little while, but in the mean time here are a few ideas to tide you over.

• Serve drizzled over grilled chicken
• Toss with pasta and veggies for an awesome salad
• Reduce the amount of oil in the pesto to make a thicker sauce, then roll or stuff into chicken, beef or pork
• Stir into mashed potatoes, for an amazing new side dish to go with grilled chicken, fish, or beef
• Toss with roasted veggies or roasted potatoes

I could go on...but you'll have to wait for the recipes!

This particular night I tossed the pesto with some cooked tortellini, and some fresh tomatoes from our garden. It was delicious!

PESTO

4 Cloves Garlic
¼ C. Pine Nuts
¼ C. Parmesan Cheese
¼ C. Fresh Mint
1 C. Fresh Basil
½ - 1 t. Red Pepper Flakes
Salt & Pepper to taste
¾ C. Olive Oil

1. Combine all ingredients in food processor or blender and blend until smooth.

HOMEMADE PIZZA SAUCE

Since I already skipped out on you for a week...I decided a Monday Moments wasn't necessary! Let's get to the recipes already!! Right??

So here it is! Apparently this is the best thing I've ever made; according to my husband anyway! He really didn't want me to share this with you, but I must. We love it, however... we are big pizza fans...so what's not to love!

This particular night I made a pepperoni, olive, and bell pepper pizza...but I'm sure just about any topping would taste fantastic with this sauce. This week I'm going to try a veggie pizza and possibly a plain cheese. I'll let you know how it goes.

My dough recipe is HERE, but like I always say...if you don't have time, just use a loaf of frozen Rhodes dough. It works like a charm.


MINDI'S BEST EVER PIZZA SAUCE

(Mindi Original)

2 T. olive oil
4 large or 6 regular cloves garlic; minced
1 15 oz. can tomato sauce
1 15 oz. can Italian diced tomatoes
1 6 oz. can tomato paste
1 C. fresh basil (you could use 2 T. dried, but I highly recommend fresh)
½ C. fresh grated Parmesan cheese
2 T. balsamic Vinegar
1 t. salt
1 t. red pepper flakes

1. In a small skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and sauté for 2-3 minutes.
2. In a food processor or blender combine the cooked garlic, along with the olive oil and all other ingredients.
3. Pulse or blend until everything is well combined; 2-3 minutes.
4. Spread over pizza crust or divide into servings and freeze.
5. Makes 4 cups.

*If you don’t have a blender or food processor, dice the basil really fine and stir everything to combine. Your sauce will be a little chunkier but it will still taste amazing!

*I usually use about 1 C. of sauce per pizza. But depending on your taste for sauce and the size of your pizzas, you may need more or less.

BACON LETTUCE TOMATO GUACAMOLE SANDWICH

Every year you forget. It's like the long winter months of eating store bought tomatoes dulls your taste buds and you forget. Then you notice the red flicker through the leaves of the tomato plant. You realize one is finally ready. You pick it, you cut it, you bite it... and in seconds...you remember...oh you remember!

BACON LETTUCE TOMATO GUACAMOLE SANDWICH

2 slices DAVES KILLER BREAD
2-4 slices cooked bacon
2 thick slices tomato (home grown in you got-um)
lettuce
Guacamole to taste

1. stack it...devour it!

my recipe for quick guacamole:

2 ripe Hass Avocado's
2 cloves garlic; finely minced or 1/2 t. garlic powder
1-2 t. lime juice
salt & pepper

1. Smash the avocado's with a fork.
2. Smash in the garlic, lime juice.
3. Season with salt & pepper.

PASTA WITH HERB BUTTER AND CHEESE

This is going to be a little different week. On Wednesday I'm headed to Moab for our big "Nordfelt" reunion, so I'll only have 3 posts this week. But I have a little something different. It's going to be a week of sides. I've had several friends tell me they've been stumped on side dish idea's lately. So I thought I'd put together a few idea's.

This is something I came up with to utilize the herbs from my garden. It would be a great side dish to grilled chicken, fish or steak.


PASTA WITH HERB BUTTER AND CHEESE
(Mindi Original)

1/2 lb. penne pasta or pasta of choice
2 T. herb butter, or more if you like (see recipe below)
1/2 C. Parmesan or Asiago Cheese; grated

1. Cook the pasta according to package directions; drain.
2. Toss the pasta with the herb butter and cheese.
3. Eat immediately.
4. Serves 4.

HERB BUTTER
(Mindi Original)

1 C. butter; softened (2 sticks)
1/2 C. fresh basil leaves
1/2 C. fresh mint leaves
1/2 C. fresh chives; chopped
1 t. salt
1 t. pepper

1. Place the softened butter in a food processor, along with the herbs, salt & pepper.
2. Blend or pulse until everything is well incorporated.
3. Place the herb butter in an air tight container and place in the refrigerator until you're ready to use.
4. The butter will stay fresh for up to 2 weeks. You can also freeze for up to 6 months.

SWEET AND SOUR SAUCE

Sometimes simple really is the best. Most of my favorite recipes are the most simple ones. Like this yummy recipe for sweet & sour sauce. I've had this recipe for over 15 years, when I found it in a magazine. I love how easy and quick it comes together. I also love that it has no additive, preservatives or food coloring. I can whip this up with some fresh stir fried veggies, what ever meat I have on hand, and some sticky rice...dinner is ready in no time.

This sauce can also be made ahead of time and kept in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

SWEET AND SOUR SAUCE

1/3 C. rice vinegar
4 T. brown sugar
1 T. ketchup
1 t. soy sauce
2 t. cornstarch mixed
4 teaspoons water

1. Combine the vinegar, brown sugar, ketchup and soy sauce in a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil over medium high heat.
2. Mix together the cornstarch and water, add to the other ingredients and stir until it thickens.

3. Remove from heat and serve with stir fried veggies, meat, egg rolls, wontons...just about anything.

A happy accident for grilled salmon...

So...guess who was up all night with a sick baby? Yup, that was me. I'm not going to complain though. My little r is an amazing sleeper. She started sleeping through the night at 8 weeks, and now at almost 2 years I can count on one hand the number of times she's woken up during the night. She sleeps a solid 12 hours every night and takes long naps. Don't worry, I do realize that lightning rarely strikes the same place twice, so I'm mentally gearing up for baby #2's sleep habits not going as smoothly.

That being said...good sleeper or not, when mommy doesn't get any sleep at night, for what ever reason, the next day never goes well. Add to that, daddy's out of town on business so mommy's on 24/7 duty, and it equals one dead beat mommy, counting the hours until bed time.

Now that you know why my post is so late today, lets talk about this recipe. I came up with this to go on grilled salmon. I used to have a recipe for a cucumber sauce, but for the life of me can't find it. So I decided to just come up with a new one. To be honest, I like this one better than the one I had. A little happy accident I guess.

CRISP CUCUMBER HERB SAUCE
(Mindi Original)

½ C. mayo
½ C. sour cream
3 T. Dijon mustard
1 t. white balsamic vinegar (or plain white vinegar)
1 t. lemon juice
¼ C. fresh chopped dill
¼ C. fresh chopped Italian Parsley
¼ C. fresh chopped chives
1 t. sugar
1 t. salt
½ t. pepper
1 cucumber; peeled, seeds removed, small diced

1. Mix all ingredients together and chill for 30 minutes before serving with fish or chicken.

In memory of the Tahitian Noni Cafe...

A few months ago my good friend Lisa gave me a cooking challenge. She had a recipe for some yummy wraps that used to be served at the Tahitian Noni Cafe. When the cafe closed she and her friends asked the manager if they could get the recipe for the wraps. The manager kindly handed them the recipe, but it was written in bulk format and half the recipe was in ounces instead of traditional measurements. So Lisa asked me if I could cut the recipe down to a family serving size, as well as convert the measurements.

Well...challenge accepted, and challenge completed. It actually wasn't too hard, just required a scale and a little math. It's a good thing I have always been good at math...spelling, not so much...but math has always been a strong point.

So if you were also a fan of the Pareo Chicken Wraps at the Tahitian Noni Cafe, today's your lucky day! I hope you enjoy.

* I actually used just a regular tortilla for my wraps, but I'm sure the Tomato Basil tortillas would be awesome. Also the Chipotle Ranch dressing makes quite a bit, but I couldn't really reduce it by much more. So you will have extra, however we have been using as a dip for corn chips and veggies and it's yummy...so I'm not complaining.


PAREO CHICKEN WRAPS

6 12” Tomato Basil Tortilla
1 recipe Island Lime Rice (see below)
1 recipe Black Bean Salsa (see below)
2 C. shredded chicken
2 C. Monterey Jack Cheese- shredded
1 recipe Chipotle Ranch Dressing (see below)
2 C. shredded lettuce
2 roma tomatoes; diced

1. Lay the tortilla flat and layer ingredients as follows:

rice
black bean salsa
shredded chicken
cheese
chipotle ranch Dressing
lettuce
tomatoes

2. Wrap the tortilla tight, tucking in each end.
3. You can eat fresh or place on a George Forman grill for about 2 minutes.

ISLAND LIME RICE

1 C. Jasmine long-grain rice
1 C. cold water
½ C. chicken stock
1 T. butter
½ t. salt
¼ C. cilantro- chopped
2 T. lime juice

1. In a large sauce pan bring the water and chicken stock to a boil.
2. Add the rice, butter and salt.
3. Cover the pan and reduce the heat to low. Cook for 20 minutes.
4. When the rice is cooked, fluff then stir in the cilantro and lime juice. Mix well.

BLACK BEAN SALSA

1 Can black beans; drained and rinsed
1 C. frozen corn; thawed and drained
1 small or ½ large red pepper; diced
Zest of 1 lime
2 T. lime juice
3 T. cilantro; chopped
1 jalapeno; diced
1 t. salt
½ t. pepper

1. Mix all ingredients together to form the salsa.

CHIPOTLE RANCH DRESSING

1 pkg. Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing mix
½ C. mayo
½ C. sour cream
1 C. milk
1 Chipotle Pepper with 2 T. Adobo sauce (from 1 can of Chipotle Peppers packed in Adobo sauce. You can find these in the Mexican section at most supermarkets.)*

1. In a blender pour the milk and the ranch dressing powder. Mix on high until well blended.
2. Add the mayo and sour cream. Blend on high again for a few second.
3. Add 1 chipotle pepper and 2 T. of Adobo sauce from the can. Blend again until the dressing comes together.
4. Allow to set up in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

* I use these peppers as well as the Adobo sauce in quite a few recipe, so when I open a can I divide it up into small ice cube trays and freeze small potions. I never use a whole can at a time.

About as close to Hawaii as I'm gonna get this year!

How is it that everyone I know has been, is, or will be going to Hawaii this year? My own parents informed me last weekend that they are going in October! Unfortunately these burgers are about as close to Hawaii as I'm gonna this year.

My vacation disappointments aside, I'm pretty excited about these burgers!

Yesterday afternoon I was exhausted and lacking motivation to cook anything for dinner, so I decided we'd just have hamburgers. When I started getting the meat together, I couldn't help myself...I wanted to jazz things up a bit. Arnold has a good friend that always puts barbeque sauce and sliced pineapple on his burgers. Australians also put pineapple on their burgers...as well as beets, fried eggs and a myriad of other random items...but I digress. So at first I thought I'd just do the pineapple slice thing. But then I decided to create a whole new burger, with pineapple and barbeque sauce as my inspiration....

...and thus this recipe was born! We loved it! Even Reese gobbled up half a hamburger.

Arnold thought I should call them Monterey Jack Hawaiian Stacks, but I decided on Hawaiian Barbeque Burgers...Which name do you like better??

HAWAIIAN BARBEQUE BURGERS
(Mindi Original)

For the Burgers:
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 egg
1 C. Panko bread crumbs
1 C. pineapple tidbits
½ C. sliced green onions (about 6 including a good portion of the greens)
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
1 T. Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic; finely minced
1 t. salt
1 t. pepper

For the Barbeque Sauce:
½ C. ketchup
2 T. Dijon mustard
2 T. brown Sugar
2 t. white vinegar
2 T. Worcestershire sauce
1 t. garlic powder
Salt & pepper

6 slices Monterey Jack cheese
Lettuce
Tomatoes
Hamburger buns

1. In a mixing bowl dump all the ingredients for the burgers. With your hands mix the ingredients until well incorporated. (Try not to over-mix. If ground beef is over mixed it will become rubbery and tough, that’s why it’s important to mix everything at one time. You never want to add some ingredients, mix, then add more and mix again.)
2. Form the meat into 6 hamburger patties.
3. Combine all the ingredients for the barbeque sauce. Allow the sauce to sit for at least 30 minutes to ensure the sugar dissolves and the flavors come together.
4. Grill the patties, melting a slice of Monterey Jack cheese on top during the last few minutes of grilling.
5. Toast your hamburger bun of choice.
6. Assemble the burgers as follows:

Bun
Barbeque Sauce
Burger
Cheese
More Barbeque Sauce
Lettuce
Tomato
Top bun

*Makes 6 good size burgers

All things spring...in one salad...

Yesterday really felt like spring! As all our neighborhood kids were out side playing, I actually thought I could smell a hint of chlorine in the air, and the days of swimming pools, barbeque's, popsicles and flip flops seemed so close I could...well...smell it!

So logically I had to post this salad recipe! Ok, so maybe it's not logical to anyone else, but this salad just screams spring to me. Strawberries start to come in season around March-ish and when the grocery stores start to stock them in droves, with the prices plummeting every week...I know that spring in right around the corner.

On a side note, I have to mention that I got this yummy salad recipe from my dear friend Dee VanCleeve. She was my boss when I was in high school and worked my first professional "office" job. Dee took me under her wing and taught me everything I needed to know about business. And in one year she went from being my boss to becoming a dear friend. We kept in touch for almost 13 years, until she passed away from cancer several years ago. She was one classy lady that had a huge impact on my life!

FRUIT & SPINACH SALAD
(Recipe from Dee VanCleeve)

16 oz. fresh spinach
1 ripe avocado; diced
1 pt. fresh strawberries; sliced
2 bananas; sliced
2 green onions; sliced

1/2 C. grated Parmesan cheese

toasted pine nuts (optional)

1. Clean spinach and tear into bite size pieces.
2. Place on 4 salad plates and top with fresh sliced fruit, green onions, & pine nuts
3. Drizzle with poppy seed dressing.

POPPY SEED DRESSING

¾ C. sugar
1 t. dry mustard
1 t. salt
1/ 3 C. red wine vinegar (apple cider vinegar can also be used)
½ small onion; diced
1 C. vegetable oil
2 T. poppy seeds

1. Combine all the ingredients, except the poppy seeds, in a blender or food processor.
2. Blend for 1-2 minutes until well combined.
3. Add the poppy seeds and pulse once or twice.
4. Store in the refrigerator until use.

A "Super" delish thumbs up!

This is just a little something I whipped up on Super Bowl Sunday. I had some ripe avocado's that were at the "use or throw away" stage. For some reason I wasn't in the mood for just plain old guacamole, so I decided to be creative. The risk paid off. This got a "super" thumbs up from my hubby!


BLACK BEAN CORN AND AVOCADO SALSA
(Mindi Original)

1 Can Mexican style diced tomatoes; do not drain
1 Can black beans; drained and rinsed
1 Can sweet corn, or 2 C. frozen corn; defrosted
2 avocados; diced
½ large red onion; finely diced
½ C. cilantro; chopped
2-3 T. lime juice
1 t. cumin
3 cloves garlic; crushed and minced
salt & pepper to taste

1. In a large mixing bowl combine all the ingredients and gently stir to combine.
2. Serve with chips, on tacos, or over fish or chicken.

Tangled & True

Don't miss my guest post, Monday November 22, on Tangled & True; one of my favorite blogs to follow. I'm determined to convince the world that fresh made cranberry sauce is the only way to go for your Thanksgiving meal. Try one of the following fruity cranberry creations by clicking here on Monday for the recipes.

CRANBERRY ORANGE SAUCE

CRANBERRY APPLE SAUCE

CRANBERRY LEMON & HONEY SAUCE WITH ROSEMARY

Confession time...

Well, it's about time I came clean. I have a hidden addiction! COSTCO! I love Costco. I like to go to Costco when I don't even need anything from Costco. I love to walk the isles and see what's new. I love seeing food in big packages and thinking about all the wonderful things I'm going to make with that food. And every now and then you discover new, unique and interesting products at Costco.

A few years ago I made this delicious find; Raspberry Chipotle Sauce. I know it sounds crazy, but it's amazingly yummy. We use it as a replacement for BBQ sauce on chicken or steak for all our summer grilling. But recently I wanted to figure out another way to enjoy this condiment on days when it's too cold to break out the grill. I came up with this yummy cream sauce drizzled over Panko Chicken. It was an instant hit, and really easy. I also think the sauce would work on hamburgers, turkey or chicken sandwiches, or as a dipping sauce for chicken strips or nuggets.

Enjoy!



PANKO CHICKEN WITH RASPBERRY CHIPOTLE CREAM SAUCE
(Mindi Original)

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, butterflied and pounded to 1/4" thickness
1 1/2 C. Panko bread crumbs
salt & pepper
spike seasoning blend (or your favorite seasoning blend)
2 eggs, beaten

2 T. olive oil

1 C. Roasted Raspberry Chipotle Sauce
1 C. half & half (or evaporated milk)
1/4 C. chicken stock
1 T. butter

1. In a medium size sauce pan, combine the Raspberry Chipotle sauce, half & half, stock and butter.
2. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat and allow to simmer for 10-12 minutes until the sauce is slightly thickened. (Remember that the sauce will continue to thicken as it cools.)
3. Meanwhile, heat 2 T. of olive oil over medium/high heat in a large skillet.
4. Take the pounded chicken and season it with spike seasoning.
5. Combined the Panko bread crumbs with salt & pepper to taste.
6. Dredge the chicken in the beaten eggs, then the Panko bread crumbs. Shake to remove excess.
7. Saute the chicken in the hot olive oil for 4-5 minutes per side, or until the chicken is golden brown and done in the center.
8. Serve the chicken drizzled with the raspberry chipotle sauce.
9. Serves 4-6 people.

Thanks Panda Express..

Although I love to cook and I have an excellent recipe for my own orange sauce, like most moms out there my life is very busy. I have nights that I don't have time or just don't feel like cooking. That's why I was so excited to see that Panda Express has started selling their famous orange sauce in a bottle. Even better; it's at Costco for a screaming deal. It also has no MSG, no high fructose corn syrup and it's fairly low in calories. Only 35 calories per tablespoon.

So on a busy night I can quickly stir fry some chicken and veggies, drizzle a little sauce, serve over rice, and dinner is done. Not to mention its much healthier than the deep fried chicken at Panda Express.

Taste memory...part II...

As mentioned yesterday, you can't have the best Texan fajitas without mouth watering salsa and guacamole.

I have spent years perfecting my salsa recipe, to my version of perfect that is. I think I finally have it down. This has been the recipe we've stuck with the longest. It also seems to be a crowd pleaser everywhere we go.

I can't take credit for the guacamole, however. This is my sisters recipe. It seems almost too simple to even really be a recipe, but I promise it's the best guacamole you'll ever taste. Sometime simplicity is divine.


MINDI'S BEST EVER SALSA
(Mindi Original)

1 large Roma tomato, quartered
½ small yellow or red onion; quartered
½ C. cilantro (a hand full)
2 small cloves garlic or 1 large clove
1 chipotle chili in Adobo sauce*

1 t. of the Adobo sauce
Zest of one lime
Juice of one lime
1 T. white vinegar
1 t. cumin
Salt & pepper
2 t. sugar
1 can diced tomatoes with cilantro and lime, do not drain (Western Family brand is my favorite)

1. Put all ingredients into a food processor and pulse until desired consistency; fine or chunky.
2. Chill in the refrigerator.

*All chili's are not created equal, even in the can. If you are sensitive to heat, be sure and take a small little taste of your chili to check the heat level. To control the heat in your salsa add the chili last, incorporating just a quarter or third of the chili at a time until you reach your desired heat level. If you add too much and you need to tone down the heat in the salsa, adding more sugar will help to balance out the heat. Just add a little at a time.

GUACAMOLE
(Recipe courtesy Jen Uibel)

4 large Hass avocados
1 small red onion (or half a large onion)
1 Roma tomato

1. Put all ingredients into a food processor and pulse until desired consistency; fine or chunky.

Every week for like a year...

I ate this salad for lunch! Several years ago when I was the Marketing Director at University Mall, my friend and Assistant, Cindy, and I went on a diet together. We were so dedicated and both very successful. I lost 75 pounds and she lost 45! Yea for us!!

We often joked that this salad at California Pizza Kitchen was the secret to our success. Minus the candied walnuts, this salad totally worked with our diet and on any given week you would find us at CPK chowing down.

Cindy and I are now both married and living with much less "expendable" income. Husbands and a mortgage will do that to you. So I had to learn to make this salad at home, and it still tastes just as good.

However, Cindy is now the Marketing Director at University Mall and every now and then we still meet at California Pizza Kitchen to splurge on our favorite salad!


CPK WALDORF SALAD
(Recipe courtesy CPK)

1 large grilled chicken breast sliced thin
4 C. field greens salad mix
1 granny smith apple cubed
1 C. red seedless grapes sliced in half
1 C. chopped celery
Crumbled Gorgonzola Blue Cheese
Candied Walnuts (see recipe below)

1. Toss all the above ingredients together.
2. Top with Balsamic Vinaigrette.

(makes 4 servings)

BALSAMIC VINIGARETTE

½ C. Balsamic Vinegar
2 T. Dijon Mustard
1 T. Garlic minced
½ t. pepper
½ t. salt
1 ¼ C. olive oil

Wisk together or blend in a blender. (Blended in a blender makes it much creamier and smooth.)

CANDIED WALNUTS

2 C. Walnuts
1 C. Sugar
½ C. water

Dissolve sugar and water on stove top and bring to a boil. Add walnuts and stir until syrup turns to granulated sugar state, then keep stirring until sugar re-melts and sticks to nuts. Turn onto cook sheet to cool.

The crab cake alternative...

I love crab cakes, but I think I've mentioned that my husband has a major aversion to fish or seafood. This is a poultry alternative, to a classic dish. I usually make these with leftover turkey from Thanksgiving. But it's also great with rotisserie chicken or just plain shredded chicken, any time of the year.

With turkey I serve these with left over gravy, but with chicken I came up with this great tangy mustard sauce. It's a hubby favorite.


CHICKEN OR TURKEY CAKES
(Recipe adapted from Cuisine at Home)

1 C. onion, diced
½ C. celery, diced
3 T. butter (When I'm trying to cook healthy, I simply saute the veggies with pam cooking spray.)
2 C. cooked shredded chicken or turkey
1 ½ C. Panko bread crumbs
¼ C. chopped fresh parsley (4 T. dried)
1 T. chopped fresh sage (1 t. dried)
1 T. chopped fresh thyme (1 t. dried)
1 ½ t. kosher salt
½ t. black pepper
4 eggs, beaten
4 T. olive oil, divided

1. Saute onion and celery in butter in a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat to soften. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool.
2. Add chicken, bread crumbs, and seasonings; stir in the eggs.
3. Form cakes using a packed 1/3-cup measuring cup, lightly pressing to make a 3 inch cake.
4. Transfer to a parchment lined and floured baking sheet; chill 15 minutes in the refrigerator.
5. Dust lightly with flour.
6. Fry cakes in a nonstick pan over medium-high heat in a 2 batches, using 2 T. oil per batch.
7. Cook until golden brown, about 4 minutes; flip and fry 1-2 more minutes.

Serve with Tangy Mustard dipping sauce. (Recipe below)

TANGY MUSTARD DIPPING SAUCE
(Mindi Original)

1/2 c. Grey Poupon Dijon mustard
1/2 c. oil
1 env. Italian salad dressing mix
3 tbsp. light brown sugar
1 tbsp. cider or wine vinegar

Combine all ingredients, stirring well until smooth. Cover and chill for 1 hour. Serve as dipping sauce for vegetables or grilled chicken kebabs. Makes 1 cup.