Enchilada Twist

PW's Simple, Perfect Enchiladas are always a huge hit. I've made them for family gatherings, church potlucks, when we have guests over, and have stocked our freezer full for a yummy meal on those busy nights when we need something quick.

I was intrigued by the variation on the recipe which uses sour cream and cheese as the filling instead of the usual ground beef. So therefore, in addition to the old standby, I made these tonight. I must admit, the kiddos stuck with the original, but Steve and I really liked the meatless variety. Basically, the method is very much the same...the filling is the only difference.

Worth a try! And definitely a great addition to the original. A perfect combination to serve your guests and also a great way to offer a vegetarian option.

Grilled Chicken and Lemon Pasta

TANGY!!! Wow. That's what we can all say about that. Kind of a flavor that shocks you initially, it proved to be a yummy dish. Grilled Chicken with Lemon Pasta was so easy to put together tonight. I had Steve grill extra chicken last night for this dish tonight. So all I had to do was boil pasta and make the sauce. That's what I'm talking about! EASY!

The kiddos liked it for the most part. Personally, I think the flavor is good in small amounts. But it is VERY powerful, tangy, and rich. We had fresh cut up veggies and a fruit smoothie to round out the meal. When asking for seconds, only Natalie asked for the pasta AND chicken. Everyone else said just CHICKEN please. Landon said "it is TOO lemony". And to finish off the meal, Kassidy left me with this thought: "Could you please just make an alfredo sauce next time?"

So, if you like LEMONS and tangy-ness in an alfredo type sauce, you will love this dish. But seems like my critics would rather make lemonade to drink with chicken alfredo...

Quickie Meatball Sandwiches

Was kind of funny...a friend of mine thought maybe I wasn't feeding my kids anymore. Let me assure you---they are WELL FED!!! Maybe not all the time fed by the infamous PW recipes, but well fed none the less. These last few days haven't really even been that crazy. More like lazy, I guess you could say. We've eaten with family quite a bit, sent one girl to camp, ended our softball season, and are anticipating and planning our family vacation in August.


I decided tonight I had to make a PW recipe and this was it. Mini meatball subs were a huge hit with the fam tonight! Although I should have made my mini meatballs a bit more "mini". They practically had to eat the sandwiches with a fork (and I wish they would have!) they were so thick. Very simple and very tasty---especially when you wait to feed them until 7:30 pm. I used the panko bread crumbs as PW suggests and made my own marinara sauce out of canned diced tomatoes, tomato soup, and spicy spaghetti seasoning (from Sam's). I then sliced fresh mozzarella on whole wheat hoagie buns and laid the meatballs on top.

They loved them. Quick. Easy. ~~~~~~PW strikes again.

Spicy Orange Garlic Shrimp

The minute Natalie saw the orange juice out while I was making the shrimp and she realized it was out to be part of the shrimp dish--well, let's just say, she was CONCERNED!! I had her peeling the tails off the shrimp as I got everything else ready and her concern grew as the sauce began to boil...

All concerns aside, she loved the shrimp. It's a definite different flavor with the added sweetness of the orange juice. I added a bit more salt because at first it was too sweet for me. I was needing the savory out of this meal. I used a New Orleans rub/seasoning instead of the Old Bay as it calls for, so maybe my seasoning wasn't quite as salty.

Overall, Spicy Orange Garlic Shrimp was a nice change for eating shrimp. And the critics gobbled it down---not even one tiny little shrimp left!

Spicy Marinated Fish Tacos

Tilapia was on sale at the grocery store, and these people love tilapia around this house. But I seem to make it basically the same way. We grill it, broil it, bake it--almost always with the same flavors. So I was looking for something different and I FOUND IT--on PW's Tasty Kitchen site. The site she launched for sharing recipes.

Fish Tacos has become one of our favorite meals and I've made them a number of times. I've used tilapia with a fresh slawed cabbage that was really yummy. These were different. A marinated tilapia (for 6-8 hours---did ours overnight) with black beans and monterey jack cheese. Before I go on, I must address the fact that I have heard from some of my "culinary friends" (whom I trust when it comes to cooking, by the way!) that you should NEVER put cheese in your fish dishes. But for this dish it worked!!! Just saying...

Anyway, the marinated tilapia is delish! I could have woofed down all of the fish. It has a blend of flavors with the fresh lime juice, honey, cumin, chili powder, etc... so it does have a sweetness to it. I have been in a major quesadilla making movement lately, so that is what I did with this fish. I did not use very much cheese---just enough to melt through with the fish and ranch style black beans. This recipe also calls for a sauce made with sour cream which I am sure is yummy too, but since I went the quesadilla route, I did not try the sauce.

My kids LOVED these. We added avocado for the ones who love avocado. It was a great way to use tilapia in a different way and sure makes your fish go further than if you would just grill a piece for everyone. A light meal that's great for the summertime!

Grilled Chicken and Pineapple Quesadillas

Steve and I have a huge thing for sweet and savory dishes and because of that, I always am intrigued by recipes which include fruit with your meat. The kids aren't always as intrigued by combining two opposite flavors---but with this recipe, it worked for them too!

If you have never grilled pineapple on the grill before, it is worth it to just do that. It is amazing! Just cut your fresh pineapple into chunks and put them on skewers and grill for a few minutes on each side. Yummo! But for these quesadillas, we went a step further and combined grilled chicken with our fave bbq sauce, monterey jack and sharp cheddar cheeses, and cilantro. The recipe calls for fresh jalapeno which we opted to do without for the kids' sake, but I think that would have added a nice bite to them. I think the key here for the overall flavor of the dish is the CILANTRO!!! Do not go without it! And I almost had to because of the way my cilantro is looking after my trip away...but, that's another story. I used whole wheat tortillas and everyone schnarfed them down in a matter of minutes.

Could it have been that it was 8:00 pm when we were all gathered to eat and they were starving?? Sure! But they still liked the quesadillas...

A Lasagna Cheat.

Thank you to my mother, we got to eat a yummy PW meal last night. I thought I would just review it, pretending that I made it, but I was feeling like a huge CHEAT!!! So, the lasagna although eaten at my house, was made by my mom. Ok, I feel better.

This recipe made a huge portion! It has an added interest with the spicy sausage in addition to the hamburger. I don't know how detailed and difficult it was to make. She did have it in the freezer and it had been a few weeks and it still turned out delicious.

Again---I must say, that perhaps anything goes good with the Garlic Cheese Bread we had. Do you remember this recipe? If not, check here.

Funny how so many of the recipes turn into a post about that bread.

First School's Out Lunch

After a few minor attitude adjustments, re-orientation to life without school, unpacking backpacks, and meltdowns from all kiddos (Mom included), I finally made it to the kitchen to make one of my kids' favorite meals...STIRFRY!!


I was excited to see PW's stirfry recipe because stirfry is always a hit at our house. The only change I made to her recipe was in the veggies. There is an awesome Oriental stirfry frozen veggie mix that I get at the grocery store which has a great mix of vegetables. So I used that instead. Obviously, since they are frozen, the cooking time is different than with the fresh veggies.

The flavor was great and there was not one baby corn left in the pan. I think they liked it. Now only 3 1/2 more months of lunches and dinners to prepare. HELP ME PW!!!!

Quesadillas!

Need a very simple supper? Are shrimp on sale at your food market? Then this is the recipe for you!

I have now actually made these quesadillas twice--once with shrimp, and then last night with chicken. Both of them were knock your socks off delicious!! All you are going to do is dump a can of enchilada sauce on your meat and let it soak in the flavor while you cut up onions and peppers. That's it!! And if you're like me, you are going to grate your monterey jack and sharp cheddar cheese also. To make it really easy, grab yourself a bag of shredded mexican cheese. But there really is a HUGE difference in flavor and how your cheese cooks if you grate it yourself. Try it you'll see! PW almost always grates her own cheese and now I am a firm believer in it also. Plus, it's cheaper--woo hoo!!

You could add any other toppings inside your tortillas that you'd like. I added mushrooms last night. And for the grown-ups who tolerate green leaves on top of their food, a bunch of fresh cilantro went smack dab in the middle of the gooey cheese....oh yummy. I am thinking I should make these again very soon!

Move on over Taco Tico!!

Potato Leek Pizza

First of all, I am wondering how many people have ever cooked with leeks, let alone eat them? Or have known that you are eating them?

I seriously do not think I have ever knowingly eaten leeks before. Crazy! But I have to say, I really like them. Aside from the fact I had know idea what I was looking for in the grocery store. Really leeks are like a huge green onion. Like gigantic. But with a very mild almost "onion" type flavor but not. It is hard to describe. Nevertheless, they are tasty in a dish---and especially in this pizza we made last night.

I will tell you, I can not find the recipe on PW's website--but it's in her cookbook. Get one today if you don't already have one!!!


Potatoes on pizza? Hmmm. It worked! The recipe called for 3 potatoes, but I used only one small potato sliced super thin. Not huge potato eaters here, but they added some interest and texture and you wouldn't want to leave them out. Pair that with fresh mozzarella, goat cheese, leeks, and bacon...and there you have it. A pizza like no other pizza you've ever had. Flavorful and fun! And it looks like a gourmet pizza!!

My kiddos are not super picky, but I did bake a cheese pizza along side of this one. The leftovers of the pizza does not include one slice of cheese pizza if that tells you anything. But for adult food lovers, this pizza was a hit! If you want the recipe--get HER cookbook! Or give me a call.


****For the health concious of the group. I made this pizza crust using half wheat flour. Also substituted turkey bacon for the real bacon. And it was good! The pizza crust seemed to bake up much crispier---which I liked. And ate to my heart's desire...*****

What? MExican Lasagna?

"What is Mexican lasagna?" "That does not sound good at all!" "I'm not gonna like it"

Now as a mom, don't you just love hearing those words out of your children when trying something new? Yeah, right! I know how it makes me feel when I have worked on dinner for at least an hour out of my day and to get that from my precious, albeit mouthy children. Thankfully Steve had a meeting last night so I didn't get it from him too! HA!

Well, first impressions are not always accurate, as in the case of Mexican Lasagna. The thought of, sound of, and looks of Mexican Lasagna did not appeal to my 4 baby critics, but the taste of? Can you say "give me seconds, this is awesome!?"

They absolutely loved the Mexican Lasagna! I tried to pack a nutrient punch so did end up altering the recipe just a tad. I used Ezekiel tortillas and long grain brown rice which added lots of fiber. I also mixed lean ground turkey with lean ground beef for half of the dish. The other half I left without meat. The result was a very yummy, somewhat spicy dish that left the kiddos feeling full AND happy! I have never eaten or used Salsa Verde in a recipe and it provided a certain tanginess to the dish. Of course in the enchilada sauce, I added about a Tbsp. of sugar.

My kids are not huge fans of cilantro, so I did not top theirs off with it. But you better believe I loaded it up on my dish and it makes all the difference in the flavor---that is if you like it.

The recipe makes a huge portion and I took a gamble we would like it and made one for the freezer also. I am glad I did!!

Chicken with Tomatoes and Garlic

First of all, I think this is one of the easiest recipes with the most flavor that I have ever made. Seriously, it took me all of 12 minutes until this dude was in the oven baking. I did not have to chop one thing either. And to top it all off, the critics loved it! I WILL be making this recipe again and again.

Chicken with Tomatoes and Garlic can actually be made even healthier than as she states in the recipe. I used a few drumsticks in mine but opted to put a couple of chicken breasts in there also. The chicken breasts were delicious! Moist and all white meat--you can't go wrong with the chicken breasts! I also used whole wheat pasta to beef up the fiber and nutrient value. Steve and one of the critics thought it was "too grainy" and love the good 'ole traditional white pasta. But it did not stop them from chowing down. Therefore, the whole grain gets the win!

I did also add a bit of sugar to the tomato mixture as I always do. A lovely dish when served with a green salad. So easy people! Give it a try!

Oh Murphy!

Here is a fun recipe idea for you and it's yummy too! Murphy's Hot Hamburger is a yummy variation on hamburger steak and homemade fries. Seriously, this gravy I think is what makes the whole dish---wow, it is yummy.

I don't think in all of my years of cooking that I have ever made a brown gravy. Sure, I know the basics behind gravy making. But it never occurred to me to use beef broth. Why? I don't know. But this was really good!

Apparently there is a famous restaurant in Oklahoma that serves this hamburger. And this hamburger is very well known to anyone who goes to this restaurant. One of my friends even said he has been there when he was a child, but I don't think he knows this burger. He probably got the kids meal or something! :)

Takes a little bit of prep with the homemade fries...and if you look at PW's step by step blog in making Murphy's Hot Hamburger, you will see her contraption that makes fries. It is really cool looking, but I don't think I want anything in my house that makes life easier for making fries. In fact, this dish is probably a once a year dish at our house. But even at that, it was really, really yummy! And I think if you run a half marathon or more, you will not feel too guilty about eating it. (That was for all of my friends who just ran Half Marathon---congrats--that's awesome!) Now go make yourself a Murphy's Hot Hamburger...

Coq Au Vin--Excuse me?

I mean really. What an odd name? I am sure it means something in like French perhaps? I'm gonna have to google that...


Ok, got it. It's a dish of chicken cooked in red wine. And that's right. It's exactly what it is. Coq au vin is a flavorful French dish---wow a French dish---never cooked a French dish!?!

Well judging from my critics from the oldest to the very youngest, we should maybe live in France. HA!

To begin with, I am not a huge fan of bacon (or pork, for that matter). But I really believe you would not attain the rich flavor of this dish without the peppered bacon. You render the fat basically and cook everything else with it. Then for the finale, you bake it all together for an hour and a half. What you are left with is flavor. Plain and simple, flavor. Red wine which has simmered with all of the bits left in your pan is poured over everything to even further enhance the pepper, garlic, onion, bacon, and chicken. I used only chicken breasts, although the recipe calls for a whole chicken. I also cooked penne pasta instead of linguine. You can adapt to what you have in your kitchen. And of course the fresh parsley was a very nice added touch.

This recipe is a keeper. Try it. You won't believe how easy it is to make a French dish!

Oh Herb, how I love thee...

I have got to take pictures to show my new obsession and renewed reason for cooking! But, Steve has my camera at work, and it will just have to wait...

But, I will give you a hint:

I could not have made this without them. And this chicken will be our new way of eating a roast chicken from now on. Truly, I have never had such moist white meat before! It was grand.

And because I made two chickens, I will be making Chicken Spaghetti for my freezer tomorrow. And maybe, just maybe I will even have enough left over for Chicken Salad Sandwiches.

Another Recipe Found...

One of our favorite steak restaurants serves an amazing Grilled Steak Salad that I get every time I go there. I love it---just as its name implies, it is a fresh salad topped with grilled steak, grilled mushrooms, and mozzarella cheese. It has a unique flavor--mainly with the mushrooms.

Tonight I made Steak with Burgundy Mushroom Sauce and found the flavor I was looking for in the mushrooms! The mushrooms simmer with garlic, green onion, butter, and red wine to reduce to a rich, flavorful topping for your steak. I just pan fried the steak tonight, but it would have been even better had we grilled the steak.

Love is an understatement for the feelings my critics have for steak. Another summertime staple for us is grilled steak salads. Not all of them have that same love for mushrooms. So therefore, some smiled at the steak and frowned at the mushrooms. Steak with Burgundy Mushroom Sauce is especially good if you like mushrooms. How is that for stating the obvious here?

It's the flavor I've been searching for in my steak salad, and once again PW came through for me. I love that gal.

The BEST Chicken Salad Ever.

YUM!!!!!!!!!!! And that is about all I can say about this. This recipe for chicken salad is somewhat similar to my "used to be favorite" chicken salad recipe that I loved. Little did I know that I could love another one even more. And Steve agrees fully. He even commented "this sandwich is like what you get at those specialty deli's". We love sandwiches here and eat them frequently especially during the summertime--so I am SO glad to add this to the list!

There was one and only one critic who dismantled his sandwich and left the dinner table only eating a half of an orange and a couple of strawberries. Landon didn't like it at all--and I was surprised by how much the girls liked them.

I used fresh rosemary and cilantro in the dressing which gave it a really fresh taste. I also only used chicken breasts instead of a whole chicken. To all of you who want something somewhat healthy out of PW--- This is it. Toast whole wheat bread, spread with Grey Poupon Mustard, and add fresh spinach and you've got a very yummy, fresh tasting, filling sandwich. I served it with fresh fruit tonight. And even without chips, the kiddos were full.

Well, maybe except for Landon...

Yee Haw!

This is going to be kind of a bummer for those of you who do not have this. Mostly because I can not find anywhere on PW's site that she has the recipe for the Cowboy Calzones that I made tonight for dinner. In her cookbook is this fantastic recipe, right next to her pizza crust recipe--well, because the Cowboy Calzones are made out of her pizza crust dough. Have you ever heard me talk about that crust before? Like telling you to have your freezer stocked full of it, I believe I have said a couple of times or so...

My critics hands down L.O.V.E.D. the Cowboy Calzones. I had a meeting I had to go to during the dinner hour, so I wasn't here to experience it first-hand, but when I walked in the door I was praised, bowed before, and hailed "Queen of the Kitchen". Well, maybe that is a little extreme. But it was close.

The really exciting aspect to the Cowboy Calzones for me is the fact that they freeze well and you can pop them in to the oven on those nights that you have meetings scheduled during the dinner hour. However, I did make them fresh tonight, but plan to lasso up a whole bunch more tomorrow. I had enough of the filling to fill two pizza crusts.

Ride 'em cowboy!

Spicy Shrimp

Feeling hot and spicy? Then you need to make these! I opted to not do the "fun" way of eating these shrimp as she describes, but the more practical put them on your plate, use your fingers, lift them to your mouth, and eat kind of way. Works better for us--ha!

Spicy Shrimp can be as hot and spicy as you would like them to be. I did use all of the ingredients she listed, but maybe went a little bit lighter on the tobasco sauce to keep it at a level that my kids could handle. I used shrimp that were already cooked also. When doing this, make sure they are not under the broiler for long. I think mine got to be a bit tough. But there's something about those greyish looking shrimp that kind of freak me out. And deveining? Ewww. But one of these days I may grow up and give it a try. We'll see.

The sauce the Spicy Shrimp are swimming in is tangy (lemon), spicy, and peppery. PW uses a crusty french bread to dip into the sauce which we did also. The kids absolutely loved that! No need to butter your bread, just dip. Flavorful and buttery, we had NO crumb left by the time the meal was over. Perhaps it was because Landon could not handle the way the shrimp tasted and ate half of the loaf himself. Just speculating...

A great way to eat shrimp, Spicy Shrimp will surely be made again when I can afford another bag of shrimp. We may be waiting awhile...

CPK's BBQ ChickenHAWK!

Ok, so maybe I am a bit emotional about the whole KU loss on Saturday. Yep, it's my team, my alma mater, my #1 NCAA Bracket Championship winner...

And they lost. They lost and we were eating CPK's BBQ Chicken Pizza. So needless to say, I could NOT give this pizza a 5 star!

Just kidding, the reason it did not get a 5 star was due to my littlest critics. There is something about a handful of cilantro adorning a pizza that does not entice them in the least. Steve and I happen to love the taste of cilantro and therefore loved the flavor of this pizza. It is very easy to get the pizza too dry though, so make sure you put enough of your favorite BBQ sauce over the top. Once again, fresh mozzarella is where it's at. It almost makes its own sauce over the crust.


And have I told you how much I love having this pizza crust in my freezer? Well if not, I do. You need to load your freezers up!


I still love ya and you're still my #1, KU. But it looks like I'm gonna be rooting for the Powercats to get 'er done this year. And maybe I will find a different dish to make for their next game...