Almond Thumbprint Cookies

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day.  We are staying in and having dinner at home.  I'm making Lobster & Corn Chowder to start and Shrimp Scampi for an entree (my favorite). I didn't plan anything too fancy for dessert (last year we had chocolate orange mousse). My daughter and I made chocolate covered pretzel rods the other day and there seems to be an abundance of candy in our house so there's no need to add to all the sweets but I didn't want to skip dessert completely so I thought of cookies.  I usually make these cookies at Christmas time but I thought they would also work well for Valentine's Day since they have a red center.  They're a small buttery shortbread cookie with a touch of almond flavoring.  The raspberry jam keeps them from being too sweet. These cookies are easy to make but they taste like you did a ton of work and they look beautiful when they're finished. Oh, and they freeze well too...the ones in this picture are from Christmas and taste like I baked them today.  Talk about an effortless Valentine treat! ...dessert course CHECK. Happy Valentine's Day everyone!!

COOKIE INGREDIENTS

1 cup butter, softened

2/3 cup sugar

1/2 tsp almond extract

2 cups flour

1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam 

TOPPING INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup powdered sugar

3/4 tsp almond extract

1 tablespoon milk

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350'.  Cream together butter & sugar.  Mix in extract and flour until a dough forms.  Roll dough into small balls about a 2 teaspoons in size.  Make a small well in each ball with your thumb (hence the title 'thumbprint' cookies, however, I actually use the back of my 1/4 teaspoon measuring spoon so I get perfect little circles). Fill wells with jam.  Bake for 14-18 minutes or until lightly browned.  

In a small bowl mix the topping ingredients together and drizzle over the warm cookies.  Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

Chicken Salad

I was debating on whether or not to share this recipe on my blog.  It wasn't even a recipe up to this point ... I mean, I've been making it for a few years now but I usually just throw it together and I sort of know what looks right without measuring anything.  I was actually making Buffalo Chicken Dip this past weekend for the Superbowl and looked at the other half of the rotisserie chicken wondering what to make with it and decided on chicken salad.  I purposely took time to measure all the ingredients with the sole intention of sharing the recipe.  We went skiing on Saturday and I packed chicken salad wraps for us for lunch but I didn't take time to take a photo.  I mentioned blogging the recipe to my husband who LOVES my chicken salad and it was one of the first times he suggested not having something on my blog.  Usually when he likes a recipe he suggests I blog it and this time I got some hesitation and it wasn't a hesitation because he didn't like what it tastes like ...it was a hesitation because its sooooo good we should probably keep it a secret. So that's where the debating part comes in ... to share or not to share ... and obviously I decided on sharing with you!  I made a wrap with the remaining scoop of chicken salad today for my lunch, snapped a photo of it and pulled the trigger on blogging the recipe.  So here it is ... my SECRET chicken salad recipe.  Hope you love it as much as we do!!!

INGREDIENTS
1/2 rotisserie chicken, chopped or shredded (I use the ones from Sams Club which tend to be larger then the grocery store chickens so its about 3 cups chicken)*
1 celery stalk finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1/2 tbs chopped onion
1/2 cup Miracle Whip (or generic brand salad dressing)
1/2 cup mayo
1/4 tsp garlic powder
dash of salt & pepper
2-3 tbs pickle relish
2 tbs sliced almonds (optional)
1/4 cup chopped grapes (optional)

DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl mix all of the ingredients together.  Makes about 4 cups.  Can be stored in the refrigerator in an air tight container for up to a week.  Use on sandwiches, wraps, on crackers or even on top of a salad.  We like ours on a wrap with shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes and shredded cheddar cheese (as shown in the photo).  Enjoy!

*note:  the chicken can be any cooked chicken, it doesn't necessarily have to be a rotisserie chicken however the rotisserie chicken does add good flavor to this salad.  Smoked chicken breasts work great too.  You can use all white meat or a combo of white & dark.

Teriyaki Marinade / Stir Fry Sauce

My husband's mom made grilled pork chops marinaded in this sauce for us back in the summertime.  We loved the flavors so I had to ask for the recipe.  I've used it several times since then for pork chops and I also tried it as a stir fry sauce.  I will never buy stir fry sauce from the grocery store again!!  This stuff is delicious both as a marinade and as a sauce.  I'm going to list the original ingredients but wanted to let you know I've messed around with the sugar content a bit when I've made it the last few times and it does not mess up the taste.  I have tried reducing the brown sugar by half and I have also tried it by leaving out the brown sugar completely and replacing it with 1/4 cup of splenda (both ways worked fine).  I like adding a teaspoon of red pepper flakes to make it spicier.  I found the cutest little red sauce pan which was a gift to myself and its perfect for boiling the left-over marinade to use as a topping sauce on the pork chops.  Enjoy!!

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup ketchup
1/3 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 cloves garlic, pressed
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

DIRECTIONS
Combine the ingredients.  If you are using this as a marinade ... pour over top of meat and store in the refrigerator in a closed container for several hours or even a day.  Works well with pork chops & chicken.  Remove meat from marinade and grill to the appropriate temperature.  The remaining marinade can then be discarded or even better bring it to a boil on the stove top and use as a topping sauce when the meat is finished cooking.  A tablespoon of corn starch can be added to make the sauce thicker.

If you are using this for a stir fry sauce ...add one tablespoon of corn starch and bring sauce to a boil.  Pour over top of your cooked stir fry ingredients.  I like to use chicken, broccoli, peppers and carrots and serve over white rice.

Crockpot Lemon Chicken Soup

If you've been reading my blog then you already know I love making soup.  I tried a new one today adapted from a Pampered Chef recipe and it turned out so good!  The aroma from this soup is absolutely delightful.  Using a crockpot and frozen chicken breasts made this recipe almost effortless.  Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

INGREDIENTS
2 chicken breasts (frozen or thawed)
2 carrots, peeled & chopped
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon parsley flakes
1 garlic clove, pressed
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup (10 3/4 oz)
3 cans chicken broth
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup dry white wine (not sweet)
dash of salt
1/3 cup orzo

DIRECTIONS
Put everything in the crockpot except for the pasta.  Cook on high for 4 1/2 hours.  Shred the chicken breasts using 2 forks. Add pasta and continue cooking for an additional 30 minutes. Makes about 10 cups.

Recipe adapted from Pampered Chef Its Good For You cookbook..."Greek Lemon Chicken Soup"

Strawberry & Spinach Salad

Strawberries were on sale today at the grocery store so that's what inspired me to blog this recipe.  I love this salad even in the winter time! Its also a great salad for a party because its simple and already includes the dressing ... plus it looks beautiful.  I use an egg slicer tool to cut the strawberries.  This saves time and also makes the slices exactly the same size.  If you want to serve this as an entree versus a side dish you could top it with grilled chicken breast, feta or goat cheese and maybe a small amount of thinly sliced red onion.  Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS
1 bag of fresh spinach leaves (8 - 10 oz)
1/2 quart strawberries (remove stems & slice thinly)
1/3 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup sugar (if using a sugar substitute reduce to 2 tablespoons)
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
dash of salt

DIRECTIONS
Make the dressing first by mixing the vinegar, sugar, mustard, oil & salt. Place the spinach leaves, strawberries and almonds in a large bowl and toss together with the dressing.  Serve immediately. If making ahead do not coat with the dressing until you are ready to serve. If you don't feel like making your own dressing, I suggest Ken's Steak House Lite Raspberry Walnut Vinaigrette.

Vegetable Quiche Cups to Go

This is a great low-carb/low-calorie breakfast that can be made in advance.  You can try the ingredients I used or try it with something you like better.  Maybe try replacing the ham with bacon bits or try broccoli vs spinach, swiss cheese vs cheddar, etc.  Make it your own! Be creative!

INGREDIENTS

2 cups fresh spinach chopped finely (or 1 package of frozen spinach, 10oz thawed & drained)

6 eggs

3 oz shredded cheddar cheese

3 slices chopped deli ham (optional)

1/4 cup chopped pepper (yellow, orange or red)

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup chopped tomato (optional)

3 drops hot sauce

dash of salt & pepper

DIRECTIONS

Line muffin pan with papers.  Spray the papers with non-stick cooking spray.  Combine the ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix until well blended.  Divide evenly among the muffin cups.  Bake at 350'F for 20-25 minutes, until a knife inserted comes out clean.  The muffins can be kept in the refrigerator or freezer and reheated in the microwave.

Makes 12 muffins.

recipe adapted from "The South Beach Diet" Book 

Cream Cheese Frosting

Happy New Year everyone!  I'm sorry I have not been blogging lately.  Actually "lately" is not the correct word here ... I haven't blogged anything since July which is super embarrassing!!!!  I had 3 people in the last month ask me about my food blog (one of which was all the way from California) ... just when you think no one is out there reading this stuff, BAM!!!  So, I'm not going to dwell on my lack of motivation or recipe/story inspiration.  I'm just going to jump right into to 2015 with a fresh start.

I'm sure there's lots of you out there who are starting the new year with healthy eating goals or maybe even a weight loss plan and here I am posting a recipe for cake frosting.  Its a good one though ...so good I wanted to share it and if you are one of those people focusing on healthy eating the beginning of the year just bookmark this one for later because I promise you will like it!

This frosting is a cross between a butter cream frosting and a cream cheese frosting so it gets the best of both worlds without being too sweet or too cream-cheesy.  I hosted a lunch on Monday at my house to celebrate my mom's birthday.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!!!!  I kept the lunch light with Italian Wedding Soup and a garden salad so I could finish things off with birthday cake.  The cake was a white cake with seedless raspberry jam between the layers and topped with cream cheese frosting. I think the frosting was what made the cake so delicious.  Here's the recipe ...

KATH'S CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

INGREDIENTS
2 sticks butter (1 cup), room temperature
1 package cream cheese (8 oz), room temperature
1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract
4 cups powdered sugar

DIRECTIONS
With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat the butter until fluffy 2-3 minutes.  Add the cream cheese and vanilla and continue to beat for an additional 2 minutes.  Reduce the mixer speed to low and gradually add the powdered sugar, mix until combined. Increase mixer speed to medium-high and beat for another 1-2 minutes until light and fluffy.