Chipotle Chili

I was surprised at how much I loved this untraditional chili...especially since I'm not the biggest fan of chipotle peppers. It's smoky and spicy and pairs perfectly with this cornbread. I made this for my grandparents and they loved it! At least that's what they told me! :) Make it, you'll love it.

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 pounds lean ground beef
1 medium sized yellow onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons McCormick grill seasoning
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 chipotles in adobo, chopped, plus 1 tablespoon of the sauce
1/2 cup steak sauce (I used A1)
1 1/2 cups beef stock/broth
1 can crushed fire roasted tomatoes
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

Heat the olive oil in a soup pot over medium high heat. When the oil starts to smoke, add the bell peppers and onions. Cook until semi-soft. Pour into a separate bowl. Add the beef to the pot and cook. Season with grill seasoning, chipotles, and Worcestershire sauce. Drain any grease. Add the onions and peppers back to the pot in addition to the tomatoes and beef stock. Ladle into bowls and serve!

source: adapted from here

Have any questions about this recipe? Email me at me@amandaabby.com

Easy Chicken Cordon Bleu

Forget the cream of chicken soup, sour cream, and lemon sauce poured on butter and bread crumb coated chicken. This recipe modernizes the old classic. And it is so easy. I made this for my sweet grandpa for father's day and everyone loved it.

Serves six

For the Chicken Cordon Bleu:

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in half length-wise and pounded (if thicker than 1/2 inch)
6 slices black forest deli ham
1/2 pound thinly sliced provolone cheese
1 cup panko bread crumbs
2 tablespoons butter, melted
garlic powder, to taste
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste

For the Parmesan-Dijon Cream Sauce:

2 tablespoons butter
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 13x9 dish with cooking spray.
2. In a small bowl, combine melted butter, panko, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
3. Place chicken in one layer in pan. Add a piece of ham and provolone on each chicken breast piece. Sprinkle the bread crumbs over the chicken.
4. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through completely and the bread crumbs are golden
5. When the chicken is almost done, melt the 2 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan. Stir in the flour, and whisking constantly, cook for 1-2 minutes. Slowly pour in the milk while whisking. Stir in the chicken bouillon and salt. Whisk constantly until the mixture begins to simmer and thicken, about 3-5 minutes.
6. Once the sauce has thickened, remove from heat and stir in the mustard, worcestershire sauce, and parmesan cheese. Stir until the cheese is melted. Keep warm. If sauce is too thick, add more milk.
7. Serve each chicken cordon bleu portion with the cream sauce.

source: slightly adapted from this recipe

Have any questions about this recipe? email me at me@amandaabby.com

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yummy, chewy, salty, good ol' fashioned chocolate chips cookies. I made these for my grandpas for Father's Day and they quite enjoyed them!

1/3 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup shortening
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
1 1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 scant teaspoon kosher salt
1-2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cream together butter, shortening, and sugars (by hand always makes for a better cookie!)
3. Add in the egg and vanilla and stir until combined
4. Add the dry ingredients and mix. Add chocolate chips
5. Bake on a lightly greased cookie sheet for 8-10 minutes.

source: recipe from here

Have any questions about this recipe? email me at me@amandaabby.com

Stuffed Chicken Roulade

Everyone (including myself) was impressed at the fact that chicken could taste this good! Maybe it was a good day- but the chicken was not dry at all. A rarity for me. Mascarpone is a sweet italian cheese- somewhat similar to the texture of cream cheese- although that taste is much different. It isn't as tangy as cream cheese. Mascarpone is a bit more expensive than cream cheese $5 versus $2 for 8 ounces, but it is oh so goooood. Next time I'm going to try cream cheese to see if it'll work. I also added the juice of the lemon (I read the recipe wrong) and I used 2 teaspoons dried thyme instead of fresh thyme. Still tasted great! The tang from the lemon was probably my favorite part of this recipe.

8 ounces mascarpone cheese (about 1 cup)
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons fresh thyme, minced (or 2 teaspoons dried)
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
Zest and juice from 1 lemon
salt and pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1/2 pound each)
extra virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a bowl, combine mascarpone, garlic, thyme, parmesan, lemon juice and zest. Season with salt and pepper.

Butterfly each chicken breast (slice through the middle of the breast, keeping one side in tact). Place chicken breast in between two layers of plastic wrap and using a meat mallet or a heavy pan, pound the chicken until it is 1/4 inch thick.

Lay the chicken breast flat and season it with salt and pepper. Divide the mascarpone filling over each of the breasts. Starting at the shortest end of the chicken breast, roll up tightly, tucking in ends to secure. Secure with one toothpick each.Season once again with salt and pepper.

Heat some olive oil in an oven-safe saute pan (or if yours is not oven safe you can transfer the chicken to a 13 x 9) over medium-high heat. Add the roulades and sear on all sides until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes per side (I did about 7.5 minutes total and that seemed to work perfectly). Transfer the pan to the oven and bake until the internal temperature is 165 degrees and juices run clear, about 10 minutes.

Let chicken rest 5 minutes before serving (don't skip this step!). Remove toothpick, slice and serve.

source: recipe adapted from Kelsey's Kitchen

Have any questions about this recipe? Leave a comment!

Mexican Rice

This is my favorite Mexican rice recipes and is so quick and easy! I use basmati rice, so I adjust the amount of chicken broth. To make this recipe easier, I will often use chicken bullion cubes plus water and use canned, diced tomatoes instead of the fresh ones.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 onion, diced
2-4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 cups long-grain white rice
4 cups chicken broth
1 packet sazon seasoning with coriander and annatto (Goya brand- found in Mexican food aisle)
2 small plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
salt and pepper

Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute until tender and translucent. Add the chicken broth, rice and sazon packet packet and stir. Stir in the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to low and cover with a lid. Cook until the rice is tender and all of the liquid is absorbed, about 15-20 minutes. Remove the lid and fluff with fork.

source: recipe adapted from here

Costco-esque Double Chocolate Chip Muffins

One of my favorite things about Costco (besides their pesto and sample days) is their ginormous chocolate muffins. I have been searching for a long time for a copy cat recipe- and this one is very delicious- but not quite as heavy and dense as the ones at Costco. Maybe a chocolate chip muffin experiment is in the works? In the meantime, I think these yummy muffins will have to suffice.

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

3/4 cups cocoa powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 eggs

1 cup sour cream

1 cup milk (I used skim)

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2-1 cup chocolate chips

In a small bowl, remove two tablespoons of flour from the 2 1/4 cups (now 2 cups and 2 tablespoons remains) and mix with the chocolate chips. Set aside

In a mixing bowl, combine the remaining flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.

In a different bowl, whisk together the eggs, sour cream, milk, oil, and vanilla extract. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in chocolate chips/flour mixture.

Fill lined cupcake pans 2/3 full with batter.Bake at 325 degrees for 18-24 minutes. Muffins are done when a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool on wire racks. Dust with powdered sugar if desired.

source: allrecipes.com, adapted a bit by me. This recipe said it makes 24 muffins, yet I only got 18 ish. I like these muffins best if they are cold.

Have any questions about this recipe or anything else? Email me at me@amandaabby.com

Easy Macaroni and Cheese

This macaroni and cheese really is easy peasy. The official title is "Community Nurse Macaroni and Cheese." I remember ripping this recipe out of a Better Homes and Gardens magazine last year in my interior design class (while I was supposed to be looking for pictures of furniture-shame on me- I guess I know where my priorities are...). There is no need to cook a sauce separately- which saves a lot of time. It's not the most cheesiest of macaroni and cheese recipes... so if you like yours loaded with cheddar- add as much as you want! Because more cheese is gooood.

serves six

 

1 cup powdered milk

1/4 cup flour

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups water

1 teaspoon Worcestershire

1/2 pound shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1/2 stick butter, diced into cubes

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup bread or cracker crumbs

1 pound elbow macaroni, cooked

 

Preheat oven to 375.

Mix all ingredients (except the bread crumbs) in the pot you cooked the pasta in. Stir gently until butter melts.

Pour into a 13 x 9 baking dish and sprinkle bread crumbs on top. Bake for 45 minutes.

Amanda's Apple Pie

I think I started making this apple pie 5 or 6 years ago or so. It is delicious- even with the prebought pie crust. You won't notice the not-so-homemade pie crust as the 1/2 cup of butter will make up the difference.

• 4 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced


• 1 cup sugar


• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon


• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg


• 1/2 cup butter, cut into small cubes


• 2 pie crusts (we use Pillsbury ready-made)


• vanilla ice cream (a must)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.


2. Place bottom crust in pie pan.


3. In a bowl, combine apples with sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add to pie crust in pan.


4. Sprinkle on butter cubes.


5. Place top crust on pie, turning under and sealing edges.


6. Cut a few slits for pie to vent.


7. Bake for one hour


8. Serve with vanilla ice cream

Note: You might want to cover the crust with foil if it starts to turn too brown. The crust should be a golden color

*I'll post a picture next week when I make it for thanksgiving!*

Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are your good old fashioned chocolate chip cookies. I like this recipe better than the Toll House one by far. These chocolate chip cookies taste caramelly- one of my favorite flavors.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

from Kitchen Aid: Great Baking and More

• 1 cup sugar


• 1 cup brown sugar


• 1 cup softened butter


• 2 eggs


• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla


• 1 teaspoon baking soda


• 1 teaspoon salt (a bit less if you're using salted butter)


• 3 cups all-purpose flour


• 1 cup chocolate chips (most recipes call for 2- but I think that's waaaay too much chocolate for the cookie)

 

Cream butter and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla- mix. Add baking soda and salt. Mix. Add flour- mix. By hand with spoon, stir in the chocolate chips.

Scoop onto greased cookie sheet with a cookie scooper (I used a 18/8 scoop). Bake at 375 degrees F for 9-12 minutes.

Yields 4 1/2 dozen.

Homemade Granola

This is my favorite granola- and it doesn't even contain butter! Most granolas are loaded with fat- this recipe isn't overly sweet or overly buttery.

From Real Simple - makes 6 cups

• 4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats


• 1 cup sliced almonds


• 1/2 cup shredded coconut (preferable unsweetend) - We got ours from Harmon's in Utah (when we used to live there....). You're very lucky if you live near a Harmon's.


• 1/4 cup unsalted pepitas (hulled pumpkin seeds) or shlled sunflower seeds - I use the sunflower seeds


• 1/2 cup maple syrup - doesn't have to be "pure" maple syrup


• 2 tablespoons canola oil


• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt


• 1 cup dried fruit (cherries, cranberries, raisins, or currants) - I use 1/2 cranberries and 1/2 raisins

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the oats, almonds, coconut and pepitas (or sunflower seeds) with the maple syrup, oil, and salt.


2. Bake, tossing once, until golden and crisp, 25 to 30 minutes.


3. Add the dried fruit and toss to combine. Let cool.

 

 

Vegetable and Feta Wrap

For dinner tonight, I made a I-wish-I-could-have-another-one vegetable and feta wrap. I sort of just made it up in my head and cooked it. It was surprisingly delicious and took about 4 minutes. That's my kind of meal.

Vegetable and Feta Wrap

You can basically use whatever veggies you like, but I used- spinach (cut into ribbons/strips), julienned zucchini, sliced mushrooms. Oh! and I also added in some sliced deli turkey.

Saute all that up on medium-ish heat and season to taste with whatever you feel like. For instance, feeling like chinese food? use 5-spice and ginger (sort of a stir-fry in a tortilla). Mexican floats your boat (or stomach), use cayenne, cumin, chili powder. I used salt and pepper and a tiny bit of Emeril's Essence. Add any meats with the veggies. 

Once the veggies are cooked to your liking, add veggies to a whole wheat tortilla, add feta to taste, wrap it up and dinner/lunch is served.

I'm pretty surprised it turned out so well- because feta always makes me nervous in something other than a salad. Feta adds so much to this wrap, though. If you've never had feta before, it's greek and brings a briny, salty taste to any dish and it's crumbly, like blue cheese or gorgonzola. Happy wrapping!

-amanda abby

photo from a little sussy

p.s. have any of you been to this blog- Uber Chic for Cheap? I'm hooked.