Veggie Burgers (Guy Fieri - Morgan's Veggie Patties)

 2 oz olive oil

3 TBSP diced red onion

2 TBSP diced black olives

2 TBSP diced red bell peppers

1 tsp diced jalapeno

1 1/2 TBSP diced garlic

1 TBSP diced artichoke

4 oz black beans, drained

4 oz chickpeas, drained

4 oz white beans, drained

6 oz rolled oats

1/2 tsp Hungarian paprika

1/2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp dried oregano

1 TBSP minced fresh parsley leaves

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp celery salt

1/4 tsp ground sage

2 TBSP seasoned bread crumbs

1 egg

In medium saute pan over medium heat, add 1 oz olive oil and all raw vegetables, except beans. Saute until translucent. Remove and cool. 

Add veggies to beans and mix thoroughly. Add all dry ingredients along with the egg. Thoroughly mix all ingredients and form into 4 patties, cover and refrigerate for 30 mins. 

In saute pan, add 1 oz olive oil, and cook patties 2-3 minutes per side. 

Serve on a bun, or in a wrap with condiments of choice. We like chipotle mayo, avocado, tomato, lettuce, and alfalfa sprouts. 

Maple Pumpkin Pie with Salted Pecan Brittle

I found this in Better Homes and Gardens magazine...trying it this year for Thanksgiving. I don’t usually post unless I have tried a recipe but I think this sounds amazing and wanted to share in case anyone else wants to make it for the Holidays too! :) Will post picture after making!  :)

1 recipe Single-Crust Pie Pastry, below
1 15 oz. can pumpkin puree
2/3 c. pure maple syrup
1/4 c. packed brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. salt
3 eggs, slightly beaten
3/4 c. milk
1 recipe Salted Pecan Brittle, below

Prepare Pastry for Single-Crust Pie. Preheat oven to 375F.

For filling, in a large bowl combine pumpkin, maple syrup, brown sugar, vanilla and salt. Add eggs, beat lightly with a fork until combined. Gradually add milk. Stir to combine.

Carefully pour filling in pastry shell. To prevent overbrowning, cover edge of pie crust with foil. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil. Bake about 25-30 minutes more or until a knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack. Cover; chill 2 hours. To serve, top with Salted Pecan Brittle, whipped cream and drizzle with maple syrup. Makes 10 servings.

**Alternate way to prepare crust**

Roll the pastry out until about 1/8-inch thickness and 12 inches in diameter. Drape pastry over an upturned 8-inch cake pan. Some of the dough will hang down the sides. Place a springform pan over the cake pan and invert. Remove cake pan. Gently pat the pastry into the springform pan and about 2 inches up the sides. Crimp pastry with a fork. Place pan on a baking sheet. Bake as directed.

Single-Crust Pie Pastry
Stir together 1 1/4 c. flour and 1/4 tsp. salt. Using a psatry blender, cut in 1/3 c. shortening until pieces are pea-size. Sprinkle 1 tbsp. cold water over part of the mixture; gently toss with a fork. Push moistened dough to the side of the bowl. Repeat moistening dough, using 1 tbsp. of the water at a time, until all the dough is moistened (about 5 tbsp. water total). Form dough into a ball. Using your hands, slightly flatten pastry on a lightly floured surface. Roll pastry from center to edges into a circle about 12 inches in diameter. Wrap pastry around rolling pin; unroll into a 9-inch pie plate, easing it in without stretching. Trim pastry to 1/2 inch beyond edge of pie plate. Fold extra pastry under. Crimp as desired.

Salted Pecan Brittle
Line a baking pan with foil and coat with nonstick cooking spray, set aside. In a small saucepan combine 3/4 c. sugar and 1/4 c. water. Stir over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Bring to a boil. Boil, without stirring, until mixture turns a dark, amber color, about 10 minutes. Stir in 3/4 c. toasted chopped pecans and 1/2 tsp. sea salt. Remove from heat; immediately pour onto prepared baking pan, spreading evenly. Immediately sprinkle with 1/2 tsp. sea salt. Cool completely. Break into large pieces. Makes about 8 servngs. Store in a covered container at room temperature up to 1 week.

Whipped Cream
Beat 1 c. cold whipping cream (I use heavy) with 1 tsp. vanilla and 1 tbsp. granulated sugar until soft peaks form. Spread evenly over pie before topping with Salted Pecan Brittle and a drizzle of maple syrup.

Chicken Involtini With Prosciutto and Basil

This is a recipe we got out of a grilling cookbook (Weber’s Way To Grill) we bought to go with our Weber grill. It is really good and even the kids like it. I have modified it only to meet our family needs (6 instead of 4). You will need butchers twine for this recipe.

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I use 3 large ones and filet then lengthwise)
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 1/2 tsp. granulated garlic
3/4 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
6 very thin slices prosciutto
6 think slices provolone cheese, cut in half
8-10 large fresh basil leaves, plus more for garnish if desired
extra virgin olive oil
2 cups tomato sauce (original recipe is plain sauce, I always add a few spices just for flavor. I don’t usually measure...just a little oregano, garlic, salt, pepper, basil, sage.)

Clean chicken and remove any extra fat. Place chicken breasts between plastic wrap or parchment paper and pound flat with meat mallet to about 1/4 inch thick. Do not pound too hard or it may break chicken apart or make too thin.

Season each piece of chicken on both sides with the salt, pepper and garlic. Arrange chicken smooth side down on a work surface.

Lay a slice of prosciutto on each piece of chicken. Then lay 2 slices provolone (1 full slice cut into 2) and then 2 basil leaves. Carefully roll up chicken, keeping it snug as you work. Tie 2 pieces of butcher twine around each piece to keep it together. Trim loose ends of twine. Lightly brush each piece of chicken with olive oil.

Brush cooking grates of grill clean. Grill chicken over direct medium heat with the lid closed as much as possible, until golden on all sides (About 12 minutes) turning a quarter of a turn every 3 minutes. Remove from grill and let rest 3-5 minutes. Meanwhile in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, warm tomato sauce (adding extra spices if desired).

Remove twine from the chicken pieces, cut into slices and serve warm on a pool of sauce. Garnish with torn pieces of basil. (We also serve with angel hair pasta or bread along with the sauce, not in original recipe).

St. Patrick’s Day Rainbow Treats

I made these last year for Halle to take to her Pre-K class for St. Patrick’s Day. I had seen them on Pinterest but I actually first saw them on Our Best Bites so I definitely want to give them credit!  To make use the colored Twizzler licorice and Rolos. The Twizzlers come with exactly 5 of each color so one bag Twizzlers make 5 rainbows. It was a fun treat to make and the kids loved it! I’m sure I’ll be making them for Mason this year! ;)

South of the Border Sandwiches

I made these back in May and completely forgot about them until I found the pictures I had taken! I found the recipe on Pinterest and came from THIS website.  All of the kids liked them...you can see in the picture I left certain things off some of the sandwiches for their tastes. I am going to make them again very soon!

1 loaf french bread, cut into 3/4 inch thick slices
1/2 c. black olives, chopped
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 c. light mayo
1/3 c. non fat sour cream
1/3 c. green onion, chopped
1 pound sliced turkey
2 medium tomatoes, thinly sliced
2 ripe avocados, thinly sliced
3/4 c. cheddar cheese, grated
3/4 c. pepper jack or Monterey Jack cheese, grated


Preheat oven to 350F. In a bowl combine olives, chili powder, cumin and salt; set aside 2 tbsp. of this mixture. Add mayo, sour cream and green onion to the remaining olive mixture. Place bread on un-greased baking sheet and spread 1 tbsp. mayo mixture on each slice. Top with slices of turkey and tomato. Spread with another 1 tbsp. layer of mayo mixture. (I didn’t do the 2nd layer and either did the original poster) and top with avocado and cheese. Sprinkle with the reserve 2 tbsp. olive mixture. (I never reserved any lol)  Bake at 350F for 15 minutes. Makes 8-10 servings.

Cafe Rio’s Chicken Tortilla Soup

I found this recipe on Pinterest and it came from this site. It was SUPER yummy and I’ll be making it again very soon! It was freezing cold today so I didn’t grill the chicken; I cooked it in a frying pan on the stove...can’t wait for it to warm up a little and I’ll definitely be grilling it! The only thing I changed from the original recipe (other than cooking on stove) was that I added 1 clove garlic.

1 onion, diced
1 clove garlic, pressed
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 /2 tsp. cumin
a dash (or two) cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. chili powder
5 c. chicken broth
3 tbsp. cilantro, finely chopped
juice of 1/2 lime
black pepper to taste
1 can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tbsp. taco seasoning
1 tbsp. paprika
vegetable oil (to taste)
pico de gallo
2-3 avocados, diced
2 c. pepper jack cheese (I used monterrey jack)
tortilla strips
cilantro for garnish
lime wedges for garnish

Directions:
In a small skillet, saute onion and pressed garlic in 1 tbsp. oil until onions become slightly soft. Stir in cumin, cayenne and chili powder and saute an addition minute or two. Transfer seasoned onions and garlic to a small crock pot or medium-sized saucepan. (I ended up saute-ing right in my stock pot so to not dirty another pan) Add chicken broth, cilantro, lime juice, black pepper and pinto beans to onions and garlic and simmer on low heat for 2-3 hours. When close to serving combine taco seasoning and paprika. Brush chicken with oil and rub with taco season/paprika mixture. Grill chicken over medium heat until cooked through. Remove from grill and shred. In individual bowls, layer chicken, about 1/3 c. pico de gallo, 1/3 c. diced avocado and 1/3 c. pepper jack cheese. Ladle about 1 c. of chicken broth mixture directly over the layers. Top with tortilla strips and garnish with cilantro and lime wedges. SO yummy! This made about 6 bowls. Next time I will double this so as to have seconds if desired or leftovers.

Man Pleasin’ Chicken

I got this recipe from one of the teachers at the kids’ school...it was really good and easy to make! I always adjust slightly or make more of a recipe due to the size of my family so I’ll post how I made it. I used bone-less, skin-less chicken breasts split lengthwise instead of the chicken thighs and I used 1/2 c. maple syrup instead of the 1/4 c. it calls for. Those are the only changes in case you want to make it the original way.

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts split lengthwise to make 6 pieces
1/2. c dijon mustard
1/2 c. maple syrup (real maple, not pancake syrup)
1 tbsp. rice wine vinegar
fresh rosemary

Preheat oven to 450F. Whisk together in bowl dijon mustard, rice wine vinegar and maple syrup.
Line a 9 x 13 casserole dish with foil for easy clean up and place chicken breasts. Season breasts with salt and pepper on both sides. Pour maple mixture over chicken and turn them over to make sure all sides are fully coated. Bake for 30 mins. (Remember, I split my chicken breasts so they are thin and will cook through faster...increase time for whole breasts or thighs by at least 10 minutes).  I also turned my chicken once half way through baking time.  Let chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving. Spoon extra sauce on chicken after transferring to plate and then sprinkle with fresh chopped rosemary.  I served with wild rice and broccoli. Really good!

Alfredo Sauce

My mom gave this recipe to me given to her by my Aunt Maryann. I doubled it for my family and we really liked it! It was a little thick by the time it made it to the noodles so next time I will thin it down a little with more milk. I used it to make the Chicken Florentine Alfredo.

8 oz. cream cheese, cut into small cubes
1/2 c. butter (1 stick)
3/4 c. grated parmesan cheese
1/2 c. milk
1 clove garlic, pressed (optional)
black pepper to taste

Heat in sauce pan over medium heat until all ingredients are mixed throughly.

Hearty Italian Sausage Soup

I found this recipe on Pinterest and it is DEFINITELY a keeper. Everyone in the family liked it. I modified it slightly (as I do with almost every recipe) and will post how I made it. This is the link to the original recipe here.  I served it with hot garlic bread.

1 lb. Italian sausage (ground)
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 tsp. olive oil
2 14 oz. cans less sodium chicken broth
1 soup can of water (approx12 oz.)
1 15 oz. can cannellini beans, rinsed
1 14.5 oz can Italian stewed tomatoes, undrained
1 c. rotini pasta, uncooked
1 1/2 c. baby spinach leaves, roughly chopped
shredded Mozzarella cheese  for topping

Cook ground sausage, onions, garlic and olive oil in frying pan until cooked through. In large stock post add cooked sausage to chicken broth, water, beans and stewed tomatoes. Bring to a boil and stir in pasta. Cook for 8 minutes or until noodles are tender. Remove from heat. Stir in spinach, cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Serve in bowls and top with shredded Mozzarella. Serve with hot garlic bread.

Baked Potato Soup

Another one I found on Pinterest and LOVED LOVED LOVED it. My husband doesn’t like Baked Potato Bar but really liked this soup. I added a few things to the original recipe and also doubled it for the size of my family.  I am posting the changes that I made but click here if you want the original recipe.

6 medium baking potatoes, baked (I bake for about 45 minutes at 350F...scrub potatoes and poke holes in with a fork before baking)
1/2 c. butter (1 stick)
1/2 c. chopped onion (about 1 medium)
1/2 c. flour
2 14.5 oz. cans chicken broth (or 4 cups if not using cans)
2 12 oz. cans evaporated milk

Suggested toppings and garnishes:
cooked and crumbled bacon
shredded cheddar cheese
sliced black olives
diced green onions
diced tomato
sour cream
seeded sunflower seeds

Melt better in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until tender. Stir in flour. Gradually stir in broth and evaporated milk.  Scoop potato pulp from 2 potatoes (reserve potato skin) and mash. Add pulp to broth mixture. Cook over medium heat and stir until mixture comes to a boil. Dice remaining potato skin and the rest of the potatoes and add to soup. Heat thoroughly. Season with salt and pepper. Serve in bowls and garnish with bacon, cheese, olives, green onions, diced tomato, sour cream and sunflower seeds if desired.  Makes about 8 servings.