Finding Food and Love

A good taco dip is an absolute necessary addition to a recipe collection. They are easy, delicious, quick to prepare and this particular one is virtually fat-free! Serve with tortilla chips or your favorite dippers.

Makes 10 Servings. Recipe from Taste of Home.

INGREDIENTS:
1 lb. lean ground turkey
1 envelope reduced-sodium taco seasoning
1 cup water
1 package (8 ounces) fat-free cream cheese, softened
1 cup (8 ounces) fat-free sour cream
3/4 cup picante sauce
1/2 cup shredded lettuce
1 cup chopped fresh tomato
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded  at-free cheddar cheese
Tortilla chips

PREPARATION:
In a skillet, cook turkey over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Add taco seasoning and water; cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

Spoon turkey onto a 12-in. serving plate or pizza pan.

In a bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add sour cream; spread over the meat mixture. Spread with picante sauce. Top with lettuce, tomato and cheese.

Serve with tortilla chips.

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Another 20 minute delicious, healthy and low-cost meal sure to become a go-to dinner.

Serves 4. Recipe from So Easy.

INGREDIENTS:
4 tsp. canola oil
1 1/4 lb. top round, London broil, or flank steak, thinly sliced
4 large assorted bell peppers (a mix of red, yellow, and green; 2 pounds total)
1 large onion, sliced into half-moons
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 1/2 cups low-sodium beef broth
3/4 cup dry red wine
3 Tbs. low-sodium soy sauce
1/2  tsp. ground black pepper
1 1/2 tsp. cornstarch, dissolved in 1/4 cup cold water
cooked basmati rice

PREPARATION:
Heat 2 tsp. oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef and cook until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Transfer meat with its juices to a plate.

Heat remaining 2 tsp. oil in same skillet over medium-high heat. Add peppers and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Add garlic and continue
cooking until peppers are softened and onions are translucent, about 5 minutes more.

Return beef and juices to skillet and add broth, wine, soy sauce, and pepper. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until liquid has been reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Stir in dissolved cornstarch and cook until mixture thickens, about 2 minutes.

Serve over rice.
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Perfect for feeding a crowd or a casual dinner, this roll baked sandwich can be made with a variety of meats and vegetables. Here’s a basic version to get you started. Hint: the more vegies you use, the more liquid they will release, which could lead to a soggy stromboli.

Serves 4. Recipe from Real Simple.

INGREDIENTS:
1 Wildtree So Quick & Easy Pizza Dough or a 1 lb. package of refrigerated pizza dough
2 tsp. olive oil
1 14.5-oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
kosher salt
8 oz. fresh mozzarella, sliced, or 4 oz. shredded provolone
2 cups fresh spinach

PREPARATION:
Preheat oven to 450°F.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and place in a medium bowl. Coat with the oil, cover with plastic wrap, and let rest at room temperature for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, over medium heat, combine the tomatoes and their juices, the oregano, and 1/4 tsp. salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, crushing the tomatoes with a wooden spoon until the sauce thickens, 10 to 15 minutes.

Shape the dough into one 12- to 14-inch round and place on a baking sheet. Cover with the sauce and top with the cheese and sprinkle the spinach over the top. Roll the pie into the shape of a log, turning the log so the seam is facing the pan and not visible. Bake until golden brown and crisp, 20 to 25 minutes.

Transfer to a cutting board. Slice into rounds and divide among individual plates.

Cut into this delicious stuffed chicken dish to find a real treat: melted mozzarella and fresh basil. Sensational!

Serves 4. Recipe from Fine Cooking.

INGREDIENTS:
4 medium boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1.5 lb.)
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
12 large basil leaves
1/4 lb. fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
4 thin slices prosciutto
1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil

PREPARATION:
Prepare a medium charcoal fire or light a gas grill to medium high.

To prepare the chicken breasts, cut through each one horizontally almost all the way through and open it like a book. Sprinkle the chicken all over with 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper. Layer the basil and mozzarella evenly on half of each breast and then fold it closed. Wrap a slice of prosciutto around each breast  to hold it closed and then brush lightly on both sides with the olive oil.

Reduce the heat on the gas grill to medium. Grill the breasts , covered, until they are well marked, about 4 minutes. Flip and cook, turning every few minutes, until the chicken is just firm to the touch and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the breast  registers 165 degrees, another 10-12 minutes. Let cool for a couple of minutes and then serve.

The traditional turkey dinner is probably one of the easiest dishes to prepare and yet, when the task is placed before us it seems like such a chore. Here is a quick guide to making your turkey holiday dinner a success. And, don’t forget the stuffing! Stuffing is one of the most important parts of a turkey dinner…other than the hot apple pie. To avoid the worry of salmonella or E. coli from invading your turkey dinner, cook the stuffing separately. Stuff the turkey right before presentation and no one will know the difference.

Stuffing serves 8. Stuffing recipe from Epicurious.

INGREDIENTS:
Turkey
Turkey - It is recommended you allow 1 1/2 pounds of turkey per adult for a generous serving with leftovers. For children, allowing 1/2 pound per child should be sufficient.

vegetable oil or butter

Stuffing
8 Tbs. (1 stick) unsalted butter
2 medium onions, cut into 1/4 1/4-inch dice (about 3 cups)
6 stalks celery with leaves, cut into 1/4-inch dice (about 2 1/2 cups)
1 (14-ounce) package seasoned bread stuffing cubes
1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 tsp. celery salt
1/2 tsp. dried sage, crumbled
1 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed
1/2 tsp. dried thyme, crumbled
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 3/4 cups hot chicken or turkey stock

PREPARATION:
Turkey
If the turkey is frozen, thaw it in the refrigerator up to 3 days in advance or COLD water the night before.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

To prepare the turkey, put on a pair of rubber gloves and work over a clean sink. Remove the neck from the body cavity and the giblets from the neck cavity. Drain the juices.

Wash the turkey down under cold water and place in a roasting pan, breast side up, with a rack for circulation below it. I don’t have a special turkey rack so I steal it from my toaster oven.

Rub the turkey down with butter or oil.

Cover the top of the turkey with tin foil and insert a thermometer in the base of the breast so you can read it. Be sure not to touch the bone.

Cook turkey based on size - 15 minutes per pound. When your thermometer reaches 185°F, the turkey is done. **Make sure to remove the tin foil during the last 30-45 minutes of cooking.

Cook the stuffing separately.

Stuffing
In 12-inch, heavy skillet over moderate heat, heat butter until hot but not smoking. Stir in onion and celery, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, 15 to 20 minutes. (Vegetables can be prepared up to 1 day ahead and refrigerated. Reheat before continuing.)

Transfer to large bowl and add stuffing cubes, parsley, celery salt, sage, rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper. Stir in 11/4 cups hot stock.

Preheat oven to 350°F and butter 3-quart casserole or 9- by 13-inch baking dish. Transfer stuffing to dish and drizzle with 1/2 cup hot stock. Cover with aluminum foil and bake until heated through, about 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until top is slightly crisp and golden, about 10 minutes longer.

Serve immediately.

Let me start off by saying…”I don’t like chicken parm.” When thinking about what to eat for dinner, this is never on the menu. I don’t like the generic sauce and fried food taste. There are soooo many better options out there, why waste the calories on blah? And then, on a request, I found and adapted this recipe. My thoughts on chicken parm are now changed forever! Enjoy.

Serves 4. Recipe adapted from Food Network.

INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus 3 tablespoons
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 bay leaves
1/2 bunch fresh basil leaves
1 (28-ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes, drained and hand-crushed
Pinch sugar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 skinless, boneless, chicken breasts (about 1 pound)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon water
1 cup dried Italian bread crumbs
1 (8-ounce) ball fresh buffalo mozzarella, water drained
Freshly grated Parmesan
1/2 lb angel hair pasta, cooked al dente

DIRECTIONS:
Coat a saute pan with olive oil and place over medium heat. When the oil gets hazy, add the onions, garlic, and bay leaves; cook and stir for 5 minutes until fragrant and soft. Add the olives and some hand-torn basil. Carefully add the tomatoes. Cook and stir until the liquid is cooked down and the sauce is thick, about 15 minutes; season with sugar, salt and pepper. Lower the heat, cover, and keep warm.

Preheat the oven to 450°F.

Prepare an assembly line of your chicken ingredients. Put the chicken breasts side by side on a cutting board and lay a piece of plastic wrap over them. Pound the chicken breasts with a flat meat mallet, until they are about 1/2-inch thick. Mine 2 chicken breasts were enormous at this point so, I cut them in half. Put the flour in a shallow platter and season with a fair amount of salt and pepper; mix with a fork to distribute evenly. In another shallow platter, combine the eggs and water, beat until frothy. Put the bread crumbs on a plate.

Heat 1/4 cup of olive oil over medium-high flame in a large oven-proof skillet. Lightly dredge both sides of the chicken cutlets in the seasoned flour, and then dip them in the egg wash to coat completely, letting the excess drip off, then dredge in the bread crumbs. When the oil is nice and hot, add the cutlets and fry for 4 minutes on each side until golden and crusty, turning once.

Ladle about half of the tomato sauce over the chicken and sprinkle with mozzarella, Parmesan, and basil. Bake the Chicken Parmesan for 15 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly. Serve hot with angel hair pasta. Ladle remaining sauce over pasta.

I love the Olive Gardens’ stuffed mushroom appetizer. It really is the one and only reason I like to go there and now I can make them from home! This recipe for stuffed mushrooms is just as good, if not better than OG’s. There really is nothing more fantastic than being able to make your favorite restaurant recipes. I’m a happy girl.

Makes 16-20 small mushrooms. Recipe from Recipe Zaar.

INGREDIENTS:

fresh mushrooms
1 (6 ounce) can clams (drained and finely minced, save 1/4 cup of clam juice for stuffing)
1 green onion, finely minced
1 egg (beaten)
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/8 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 cup Italian style breadcrumbs
1 tsp oregano leaves
1 Tbsp melted butter, cooled
2 Tbsps finely grated parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp finely grated romano cheese
2 Tbsps finely grated mozzarella cheese (for stuffing)
1/4 cup finely grated mozzarella cheese (for garnish)
1/4 cup melted butter

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Lightly oil a small baking dish.

Gently wash and stem mushrooms; pat dry.

Combine clams, onions, garlic salt, minced garlic, butter and oregano in a bowl and mix well. Add Italian bread crumbs, egg, clam juice, mixing well. Add Parmesan, Romano, and Mozzarella cheeses to the clam stuffing and mix well.

Place approximately 1 1/2 teaspoons of the clam stuffing mixture inside mushroom cavity and slightly mound (You should be able to stuff between 8-10 large or 18-20 small mushrooms depending on the size of mushrooms).

Place the stuffed mushrooms in slightly oiled baking dish and pour 1/4 cup melted butter over the top of the mushrooms.

Cover and place in oven for about 35- 40 minutes.

Remove cover; sprinkle the 1/4 cup freshly grated mozzarella cheese on top and pop back in oven just so the cheese melts slightly. Serve hot.

My all time favorite cookie in the whole wide world is the Peanut Blossom! For some reason the craving for these tasty treats starts to develop at the beginning of November and lasts throughout the holiday season. The combination of the peanut butter, sugar and a chocolate kiss is just pure perfection. I find them acceptable for “breakfast…second breakfast…elevenses? Luncheon? Afternoon tea? Dinner? Supper?” - Pippin - Lord of the Rings. So, pretty much wake me up in the middle of the night and I will want one of these cookies. Enjoy.

Makes 4 dozen cookies.

INGREDIENTS:
48 HERSHEY’S KISSES milk chocolates
1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Granulated sugar

DIRECTIONS:
Heat oven to 375°F. Remove wrappers from chocolates.

Beat shortening and peanut butter in large bowl until well blended. Add 1/3 cup granulated sugar and brown sugar and beat until fluffy. Add egg, milk and vanilla and beat to combine. Stir together flour, baking soda, salt and add into the peanut butter mixture.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar; place on ungreased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Immediately press a chocolate into center of each cookie; cookie will crack around edges. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Allow to cool completely.

I became a Wildtree Rep. What does that mean exactly? It means that when I mention the all-natural Wildtree seasoning items on this site, you can actually order them. Unfortunately, you can’t just run out to your local grocer and pick up the rocking pizza dough and alfredo sauce I wrote about months ago or the fab tortilla soup that I will be featuring today. Total bummer, right? Now, if you want something Wildtree’esque, I can help. Because I’m a rep, does NOT mean that I’m going to be pimping Wildtree left and right and it does NOT mean that I will only be making Wildtree recipes. HELLS-NO! This is not a business opportunity for me or a way to make money on the side. Actually, it’s more work. I would just like to offer you the option to order the all-natural seasonings I talk about from time to time. I like some of their stuff and so I share. For information on ordering Wildtree items, click here.

So, without further ado, I looooove this Tortilla Soup recipe. So yummy. I normally make it up on a cool Friday evening or Saturday afternoon so I can enjoy the leftovers for weekend lunches.

Makes 6-1 cup servings. Recipe from Wildtree.

INGREDIENTS:
2.35 oz box of Wildtree Tortilla Soup Mix
3 1/2 cups water
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tbs. olive oil
1 cup frozen corn
1/2 lb tomatoes (approx. 3 tomatoes - I used vine ripe)
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
sour cream (optional)
shredded cheese (optional)
tortilla chips (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
Combine one box of Tortilla Soup Mix with water. Bring to a boil and then lower heat to simmer.

In a skillet, sear both sides of the chicken breast in olive oil. Do not cook through. Remove chicken and slice into 1-inch strips.

Add chicken strips to  soup along with corn, tomatoes and tomato sauce. Continue simmering for a total of 2 hours. This soup can be made ahead, and is excellent reheated.

To serve, top with sour cream, shredded cheese, and/or Tortilla Chips.

NOTES:
Wildtree Tortilla Soup - $8.00 per box (makes 6 - 1 cup servings) *2009 price
If you are interested in placing an order, click here.