Vodka Sauce

Why is it that we often are reluctant to make dishes at home that we love so much at restaurants? Well, of course they won't taste the same, right? Wrong! My shining light, Giada, has a wonderful recipe for vodka sauce both in her Everyday Italian cookbook and it's also available on the Food Network website, which is where I came across it again earlier this week.

I never thought to make the sauce from the cookbook because 1.) how can it be better than what I can be served in a restaurant?, and 2.) Kyle is not at all a fan of vodka sauce (gasp!). I had thumbed past it a number of times but finally decided I would make it for myself for lunch on a day where I would be home for lunch...which happened to be today as I had taken the day off from work. Yay!

The result? ummm....YUM!!! This sauce really was one of the best vodka sauces I've ever had and it was so easy to put together! It was perfectly creamy and the vodka flavor really came through but wasn't at all overpowering. The recipe gives instruction for a homemade sauce but since I already had some on hand, I skipped that part and cut a good 45 minutes off the recipe. I halved the recipe and ended up freezing the 2 remaining servings in Ziploc bags layed flat in the freezer for the next time I have a craving for vodka sauce.

Vodka Sauce
source: Giada De Laurentiis

• 1 quart Simple Tomato Sauce, recipe follows, or store-bought marinara sauce, blended until smooth
• 1 cup vodka
• 1/2 cup heavy cream, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
• 1 pound penne (I used tortellini)

1. Simmer the tomato sauce and vodka in a heavy large skillet over low heat until the mixture reduces by 1/4, stirring often, about 20 minutes. Stir the cream into the tomato and vodka sauce. Simmer over low heat until the sauce is heated through. Stir in the Parmesan cheese until melted and well blended.
2. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Drain the pasta and transfer it to the pan with the sauce, and toss to coat.

Simple Tomato Sauce:

• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 stalk celery chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 2 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
• 4 to 6 basil leaves
• 2 dried bay leaves
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, optional

1. In a large casserole pot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until soft and translucent, about 2 minutes. Add celery and carrot and season with salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, basil, and bay leaves and reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and simmer for 1 hour or until thick.
2. Remove bay leaves and taste for seasoning. If sauce tastes too acidic, add unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, to round out the flavor.
3. Pour half the tomato sauce into the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth. Continue with remaining tomato sauce.
4. If not using all the sauce, allow it to cool completely and then pour 1 to 2 cup portions into plastic freezer bags. Freeze for up to 6 months.
   

Without making sauce:

Prep time: 2 minutes (without making sauce)

Cook time: 25 minutes

Serves: 6

Including making sauce:

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes

Serves: 6

Cheesy Enchiladas with Chili Gravy

After years of avoiding making enchiladas at home because of the astronomical level of sodium in the pre-packaged meals and enchilada sauces available at the grocery store, I finally came across a recipe that not only sounded delicious, but it wasn't loaded with salt and ingredients that I don't normally have on hand in the pantry. It was Renea over at sweet-savory-southern who posted this recipe the night before last and after reading through her review and the recipe, I immediately decided that I would make these...and I didn't want to wait. I knew they would work out perfectly for dinner last night because I had gotten the "if you make chicken one more time this week" threat from Kyle and I didn't want to push the envelope, afraid that in chicken-protest, he would start his own creation in the kitchen and it would be hours again before I saw the countertops. So I made a run to the grocery after work yesterday to pick up what I needed and decided on ground beef rather than shredded chicken (which I would have much preferred by the way, but I digress...).

As soon as I walked in the door, I got a-cooking, expecting that it would be at least an hour before we ate...but I was oh so wrong. I had the enchiladas on the table (err...coffee table...) inside of 35 minutes. They were just so easy!! And as a testatment to how good they were, as I was taking photos, Kyle had already started eating. I shouted in to him, "how are they?" and he responded, "can't talk - eating" as he shoveled another forkful into his mouth. That there says it all. These enchiladas will be seen again on my [coffee] table and I won't hesitate to use chicken the next time I make them.

Chicken Enchiladas

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (I used about 1 1/4lb ground beef)
• 1/2 a green bell pepper, finely chopped (I used a red pepper because it's what I had)
• 1/2 onion, finely chopped
• 2 Tbsp olive oil (I didn't use oil because I cooked the peppers and onions in with the beef)
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 cups chili gravy (recipe follows)
• 4 flour tortillas (1 1/4lb beef yielded enough filling for 6 tortillas)
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (I used shredded cheddar with chipotle peppers made by Sargento)

1. Preheat oven to 350. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.
2. Add onion and peppers and cook for about 5 min. Add shredded chicken and stir. Add salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Remove from pan and set aside. Using the same pan, make the chili gravy as follows.

Chili Gravy

• 1/4 cup lard (I used vegetable oil - so did I)
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp salt
• 1-1/2 tsp powdered garlic (I used closer to 2 tsp)
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano (Mexican oregano is preferred if it’s available)
• 2 T chili powder (either homemade or a dark brand such as Gebhardt’s or Whole Foods or McCormick)
• 2 cups chicken broth (or water) (I used half water, half chicken stock)

1. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in the flour and continue stirring for 3 to 4 minutes, or until it makes a light brown roux.
2. Add all the dry ingredients and continue to cook for 1 minute, constantly stirring and blending ingredients. Add chicken broth or water, mixing and stirring until the sauce thickens. Turn heat to low and let sauce simmer for 15 minutes. (It took about 8 minutes for me) Add water to adjust the thickness. (didn't need extra water) Makes 2 cups.
3. Once the chili gravy is done, add 1/2 a cup to the chicken mixture and stir. Spoon the chicken mixture into the flour tortilla shells and roll up. Spread another half cup of the sauce in the bottom of a baking dish and place the rolled tortillas in the dish. Top with the remaining cup of sauce and shredded cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 20-25 min. I baked for 20 minutes then took off the foil and broiled for 3-4 minutes. I topped with a dollop of sour cream and would have added a sprinkle of cilantro but it went bad on me this week and I had to toss it.

Prep time: 12-15 minutes

Cook time: 20-25 minutes

Serves: 3 to 6 (depending on appetites)

Marinated Steak and Gouda Twice Baked Potatoes

I've been spoiled. I rarely, if ever, order steak at a restaurant (with the exception of Outback Steakhouse who has awesome steaks) because I'm afraid it won't be as good as the ones I grill at home. In fact, the first weekend I returned home from college as a freshman, my only request for meals was steak with this marinade and a baked potato. So, for a good part of the last 10 or 12 years, I've been eating steak that's been marinated in this fabulous marinade; a recipe that my mom got at a Weight Watchers meeting many moons ago. I know it might sound like soy sauce, honey, garlic, and scallions would produce an Asian-flavored marinade but this isn't the case at all. The soy sauce flavor is dramatically toned down by the honey, water, and oil during the marinating time and all of the flavors come together beautifully.

In my own humble [but not often subtle] opinion, if you're going to grill a steak, you MUST have some sort of potato on the side. Mashed, smashed, scalloped, au gratin, baked...it doesn't matter what variety you choose as long as it's there. Twice baked potatoes are a real treat and last night, I decided that I deserved that treat.

As I was waiting for Kyle to return home from a side job, I got peckish (read: starving). It was nearing 8:00 and my tummy needed some dinner. I poked around the pantry and then the fridge for something to nibble on and decided to break out the gouda cheese that had been calling my name for the past week. It's been ages since I've had gouda and HOLY MOLY!! My dear Gouda: where have you been all this time?? I had forgotten how much I love you! While nibbling away like a little mouse, I decided on the spot that my regular baked potatoes would become...Gouda twice-baked potatoes.

Overall, this really was one of the best meals I've had/made in a while. The cut of steak (I think it was a rib-eye) was just perfect, I didn't over-grill the steak (for once), the marinade was of course, fantastic, and the twice-baked potato was well...out of this world! The flavor of the gouda really came through and refined the consistency of the potato stuffing as it melted throughout. I'm not one to repeat meals from week to week, but since I'm having trouble thinking about much else as I prepare my menu for next week, I might just have to.

Steak Marinade

source: Weight Watchers

7 WW points

• 3/4 cup reduce-sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 cup canola oil (I use extra virgin olive oil)
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup water
• 3 scallions, chopped (I use 1 tbsp dried onion flakes)
• 3-4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 18 oz flank steak*

1. Combine all ingredients except the steak in a large Ziploc bag. Close the zipper and squeeze ingredients to combine, making sure to incorporate the honey.
2. Add the steak to the bag and release as much air as possible before closing the zipper.
3. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight, remembering to turn the bag over every few hours.
4. Grill to your liking.

* Note: I almost can never find flank steak so I use NY strip, rib-eye, or London broil. Usually London broil is a large cut of meat so I increase the marinade recipe by 1/2 or even double, if necessary.

Active prep time: 5 minutes

Inactive prep time: 2 to 24hours

Cook time: approx 7 minutes per side, depending on weight

Serves: 2 - 6 (depending on cut of meat)

Gouda Twice-Baked Potato

• 2 large Russet or Idaho potatoes (10-12 oz each)
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp shredded gouda cheese
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 2-3 tbsp reduced-fat sour cream
• salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Wash and stick potatoes with a fork a couple of times. To cut down on oven cooking time, I pre-cook the potatoes in the microwave oven for about 7 minutes on high - depending on weight - then transfer them to the oven for 45 minutes, turning over once. The potatoes should be soft on the inside but the skin should be almost crispy. (You can also skip the microwave stage and bake potatoes for 45 minutes then turn over and bake for an additional 30 minutes.)
3. Remove potatoes from oven and with a sharp knife, slice off the top of the potato. Scoop out potato into a medium bowl, being careful not to push through the skin and leaving enough potato so that the skin doesn't become floppy.
4. Add only 1/2 cup gouda and all remaining ingredients to the bowl and stir until mixture becomes creamy - do not over stir. If mixture is too stiff, add a little more sour cream or a dash of milk.
5. With a spoon, carefully refill potato skins with potato mixture. Sprinkle each potato with 1 tbsp remaining shredded gouda.
6. Place potatoes on a baking sheet and return to hot oven. Bake for an additional 10 minutes then turn the broiler on for 2 minutes to melt and slightly brown cheese topping.

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 55 minutes

Serves: 2

Chicken Chow Mein...or is it Chop Suey??

Why the confusion about what this meal is called? I might ask my mom the same thing but for whatever reason, I've yet to ask. My mom wrote this recipe out years ago and chicken chow mein/chop suey and made it to our dinner table on a number of occasions. I have no idea why the title has two names and I really can't tell you which it is - I don't think I've ever ordered either from a Chinese restaurant so I just don't know which the meal more closely resembles...or if it resembles either at all!

To be honest, I had completely forgotten that my mom used to make this until Kyle asked me to make "American Chop Suey," a dish his mom used to serve that involved elbow macaroni, ground beef, onions, and canned tomato sauce...and that's it. gag. It's like a homemade version of Hamburger Helper and while I did try it once because I couldn't say I didn't like it without trying it, I vowed to never make it again.

OK, so I got a little off topic there...Kyle's request for his mom's meal jogged my memory and I had my mom make a copy of her recipe for me. This meal is a great way to use up leftover chicken and gravy and I often make it with leftovers from a Sunday roast chicken. It's so easy to make and usually fulfills my craving for Chinese food but is so much healthier. I serve it over rice or spaghetti (this time I used penne because I was out of spaghetti) and top it with a few crunchy noodles.

Chicken Chow Mein/Chop Suey

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2-3 stalks celery, chopped small
• 1 carrot, peeled and julienned
• 1 1/2 medium onions
• 3/4 cup bean sprouts, washed and drained
• 1 1/2 cups chicken gravy (either homemade, jarred, or a combo of both)
• 1 chicken bouillon cube plus 1/2 cup water (I use 3/4 cup chicken stock)
• a good pinch of salt, freshly ground pepper, and garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1 - 2 tsp reduced-sodium soy sauce (I used more like 2 tbsp)
• 1 tbsp sugar or molasses (I use sugar)
• 1 tsp gravy master if you don't use molasses
• 1 1/2 cups diced or nearly shredded cooked chicken (or pork)
• 1 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp water (if needed)

1. In a large non-stick frying pan, heat oil over medium-high heat, then add celery and carrot and cook for 5 minutes. Add onions and cook for 3-5 minutes, or until everything starts to soften.
2. Add bean sprouts and stir to combine. Turn heat to medium-low. Add gravy and bouillon cube and water or chicken stock. Add salt, pepper, garlic powder, ginger, and soy sauce. Stir to combine and cook for 5 minutes.
3. Stir in sugar or molasses and gravy master (again, if not using molasses). Cook for 3 minutes or until sauce is bubbly.
4. Add in chicken (or pork) and cook until chicken is heated through and sauce is thick. If sauce doesn't thicken, add the cornstarch.
5. Serve over rice or pasta. Freezes well (without pasta).

Prep time: 5-8 minutes

Cook time: 15-20 minutes

Serves: 4

Menu Plan Monday - Week of 10.8.07

Friday: take-out pizza

Saturday: cheeseburgers (w/o bun) and sauteed butternut squash with sage

Sunday: Dinner: Pad Thai Dessert: Ina's apple crostata

Monday: chicken chow mein/chop suey (homemade)

Tuesday: balsamic chicken, brown rice, and steamed broccoli

Wednesday: grilled chicken over toss salad

Thursday: marinated and grilled steak, gouda twice-baked potato, steamed broccoli

For other menus, check out Laura's blog: The Org Junkie

or my other menus

Apple Crostata

Autumn's abundant apples!! I love the fact that my grocery store sells little totes of apples (1/2 peck) because it allows me to generally have apples in the house all the time during the fall. Mostly I eat them for a snack during the day but sometimes I need to splurge, ya know? So when I feel the need to splurge, rest assured, apples will most likely be involved.

I stumbled across this mouth-watering Ina Garten recipe last week and after seeing her make it a couple of weeks ago, I decided to have a hand at it. Let it be said that I've never, ever, made my own pie or pastry dough but Ina has a way of making dough preparation look so easy. So as many times as I've watched her make dough, I decided that I worked up my confidence enough to give it a shot....

As you are all my witnesses, I vow to never buy another store-bought pie/pastry dough again. This really was as easy as Ina has made it out to be and by allowing the dough to chill in the fridge for a couple of hours thereby breaking the recipe prep steps in half, the recipe was all that much easier to prepare. The dough came together in a snap, even when using my crappy and difficult to use 7 cup Black and Decker food processor - purchased years ago. :: Note to self: put 11 cup Cuisinart food processor on Christmas list :: And because I made sure to use cold (read: nearly frozen) butter, the crust came out perfectly flaky and just sweet enough to complement the apples and crumble topping. In the future, I will double the pastry dough recipe and freeze one to have on hand for another time.

Ina's apple crostata is a keeper in my house from here on out. It is an easy and more rustic alternative to apple pie (not to mention a few less calories because there is only a bottom crust) and can really be whipped up quickly in case of unexpected autumnal house guests. Once again, another wonderful Ina recipe!!

Apple Crostata

source: Ina Garten

Inspired by George German & Johanne Killeen Cucina Simpatica

For the pastry:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons granulated or superfine sugar (I used granulated)
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 pound (1 stick) very cold unsalted butter, diced
• 2 tablespoons ice water

For the filling:

• 1 1/2 pounds McIntosh, Macoun, or Empire apples (3 large)
• 1/4 teaspoon grated orange zest
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/4 cup granulated or superfine sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon (I used 1/2 tsp)
• 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, diced

1. For the pastry, place the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Pulse a few times to combine. Add the butter and pulse 12 to 15 times, or until the butter is the size of peas. With the motor running, add the ice water all at once through the feed tube. Keep hitting the pulse button to combine, but stop the machine just before the dough becomes a solid mass. Turn the dough onto a well-floured board and form into a disk. Wrap with plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. (I chilled the dough for about 3 1/2 hours.)
2. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
3. Flour a rolling pin and roll the pastry into an 11-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Transfer it to a baking sheet.
4. For the filling, peel, core, and cut the apples into 8ths. Cut each wedge into 3 chunks. Toss the chunks with the orange zest. Cover the tart dough with the apple chunks leaving a 1 1/2-inch border.
5. Combine the flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon, and allspice in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture is crumbly. Pour into a bowl and rub it with your fingers until it starts holding together. Sprinkle evenly on the apples. Gently fold the border over the apples to enclose the dough, pleating it to make a circle.
6. Bake the crostata for 20 to 25 minutes (mine needed about 28-30 minutes), until the crust is golden and the apples are tender. Allow to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Active prep time: 20 minutes

Inactive prep time: 1 to 4 hours

Cook time: 25 - 30 minutes

Serves: 6-8

Pad Thai

After only eating thai food twice in my life, the last time being about 3 1/2 years ago, I'm not really sure what possessed me to taking on making a thai dish at home. It might have been that I stumbled upon a pad thai recipe on the Williams-Sonoma website and that every W-S recipe I've read about in other people's blogs (like Annie's Eats) has turned out wonderful. It probably also had something to do with the fact that I had nearly every ingredient on the lengthy list in my pantry and would only need to purchase one or two things outside of chicken and shrimp.

So last night, I took to the kitchen and cooked up a pretty damn good pad thai dish! Kyle gave it an 8.5 (on the 'ol 10-point scale) and that was after he took a taste from the pan before it was finished cooking and made a God-awful face. (duh.) I do admit there was a bit of veggie prep (I highly recommended prepping everything before you start cooking this dish) but once things started moving, the cooking part was quite basic. And the results....MMMM!! I'll admit that I was a little skeptical while cooking because the recipe doesn't call for any spices but it really turned into a wonderful dish. I only very slightly modified the recipe which you can see in italics below but overall, I really stuck to the recipe. DEFINITELY give this one a shot!!

Pad Thai

source: Williams-Sonoma

This simple home-style noodle dish made with chicken and shrimp is quick and easy to prepare. The right noodle is essential. Look in Asian markets and well-stocked food stores for the flat ribbon-shaped noodle called sen lek in Thai. They are 1/8 inch wide and made with rice flour.

• 1/2 lb. dried rice ribbon noodles (I couldn't find ribbon so I used regular flat rice noodles)
• 2 Tbs. vegetable oil, or as needed
• 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast half, about 1/4 lb., cut into strips 1/8 inch thick (I used 1lb chicken)
• 1/4 lb. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup minced shallot or yellow onion (I used shallot)
• 3 Tbs. tomato ketchup or tomato paste (I used tomato paste)
• 2 Tbs. plus 1 1/2 tsp. Thai fish sauce
• 2 Tbs. lime juice or rice vinegar
• 1 Tbs. sugar
• 1 egg
• Large pinch of red pepper flakes (small pinch for me)
• 4 Tbs. chicken stock (I used about 1/2 cup)
• 1/2 lb. mung bean sprouts
• 6 green onions, including tender green portions, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 carrot, peeled and julienned
• 1/3 cup chopped roasted peanuts (omitted)
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves (for garnish - omitted - forgot)
• 1 lime, cut into 6 wedges (for garnish - omitted)

1. Place the noodles in a bowl, add warm water to cover and soak until soft and pliable, about 15 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2. In a nonstick wok (I used a 12 inch non-stick frying pan) over medium-high heat, warm 1 Tbs. of the oil. Add the chicken and toss and stir until opaque, about 1 minute. Add the shrimp and toss and stir until bright pink, about 1 minute more. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
3. Return the wok to medium-high heat and add the remaining 1 Tbs. oil. Add the garlic and shallot and toss and stir until golden, about 1 minute. Increase the heat to high and add the ketchup, fish sauce, lime juice and sugar. Toss and stir until thickened, about 30 seconds.
4. Crack the egg into the middle of the wok and lightly beat. Cook, without stirring, until set, about 20 seconds. Gently fold the egg into the sauce; tiny egg flecks should peek through the sauce. Add the noodles and red pepper flakes and, using tongs, toss to coat with the sauce.
5. Add the stock, 2 Tbs. at a time, to moisten the stiff noodles, and cook until the noodles begin to cling together and are almost tender, about 3 minutes. Add the bean sprouts, green onions, carrot, chicken-shrimp mixture and half of the peanuts. Toss to combine and cook until the bean sprouts begin to wilt, about 3 minutes. (I probably cooked the dish for an extra 4 minutes or so while adding about 1/4 cup chicken stock at the end and letting it cook down in order to finish cooking the noodles. The noodles were al dente when I served up the pad thai.)
6. Divide among individual plates and top with the remaining peanuts and the cilantro. Squeeze the lime wedges over the noodles. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Lifestyles Series, Asian Flavors, by Joyce Jue (Time-Life Books, 1999).

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

Serves: 6

Pumpkin-Spice Cheesecake Brownies

The pumpkin frenzy has hit my house with avengence and I'm honestly going to have a tough time letting it go at the end of the autumn. I seem to come across at least one new pumpkin recipe that peaks my interest everyday and I'm starting to have a difficult time narrowing down the recipes to make. I can't possibly make them all for fear of blowing my healthy eating resolution. Thankfully, I've implemented a couple of adjustments to the recipes I do make so that I can try to feel less guilty about eating the mouthwatering pumpkiny results.

Tonight, I broke out Cara's (aka Pumpkin Queen) pumpkin-spice cheesecake brownies. Oh yeah. You read that right...that's brownies. with cheesecake. and pumpkin...all in one dessert!! I did end up using 1/2 cup applesauce (and 1/4 cup butter) and low-fat cream cheese to attempt at making these a little more figure-friendly...attempt being the optimal word there.

They turned out beautifully and so delicious!! Let me tell you...they are going FAST! I've only had the chance to indulge in a couple of them as Kyle is plowing through them at some unGodly rate. This one is definitely a keeper and will most likely make a reappearance sometime this fall. Thanks Cara!!!

Pumpkin-Spice Cheesecake Brownies
source: Cara at Cara's Cravings

Brownie Batter

• 3/4 cup butter, melted (I used 1/4 cup butter, 1/2 cup applesauce)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tsp cinnamon

Cheesecake Batter

• 6 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp each ground ginger and ground cloves

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease an 8x8" square metal baking pan.
2. Beat together melted butter, sugar, and vanilla, then beat in eggs one at a time. Combine dry ingredients and then gradually stir into butter mixture with a wooden spoon. In separate bowl, beat together cheesecake batter ingredients.
3. Spread about 2/3 of chocolate batter into prepared pan, and spoon cheesecake batter over. Dollop remaining brownie batter over cheesecake batter. Swirl the batters together by running a butter knife (or toothpick) back and forth through the pan.
4. Bake for 40 minutes (I baked for 35 minutes), or until center is set. Cool completely on wire rack and chill before cutting and serving.

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 35 - 40 minutes

Yields: 12 - 16 brownies

Here is how I dolloped the batter and how the brownies looked just out of the oven:

Crockpot Salsa Chicken

One little joy in life that makes me happy over and over is my crockpot. Can it get any easier than to prep a meal in the morning, throw it in a pot, and have it be ready when I return home from work? Probably not...and this time, Kyle and ate our dinners at two completely different times of day and the meal was ready for both of us to eat when we needed to.

I got up extra early so that the chicken would be ready when Kyle needed to eat at 11am before leaving for his afternoon/evening shift today. After tossing everything into the crockpot at 6:30am, I set it to low and let it cook on low for 1 1/2 hrs, then turned it to high and it cooked for an additional 3 hrs. After Kyle served up his serving, he turned it to the warm setting to keep it warm for the afternoon.

After I got home, I turned it back on low for 30 minutes to reheat and I was all set to go. Love it! And let me tell you...by the time I got home after having thought about this cooking all day, I couldn't wait to dig in! I had also made some mexican rice this morning while I got ready for work so that it would be ready for both of us when we were ready to eat. What a treat this whole meal was!!

Crockpot Salsa Chicken

• 2 or 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 jar salsa
• 1 can (15oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground corinader (optional)
• 1/4 tsp chili powder
• dash of chipotle chili powder (optional)

1. Put chicken on the bottom of the crockpot. Cover with salsa then beans. Add water to bottom of the crockpot around the chicken. Sprinkle with dry spices.
2. Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 3 1/2 to 4 hours.
3. Serve with rice, sour cream, shredded cheese and garnish with chopped cilantro. You can also shred the chicken and make burritos if you have tortillas in the fridge.

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 8hrs on low or 3 1/2 to 4hr on high

Serves: 2-4

Creamy Pumpkin Sauce with Roasted Garlic Chicken Sausage

The original version of this meal was simply roasted garlic chicken sausage in homemade spaghetti sauce over whole wheat pasta. Easy enough meal to make for myself being that Kyle is working evenings this week, right?

Well...I got thinking this afternoon about things I wanted to get accomplished tonight and it clicked...Kyle is working evenings this week...evenings this week...hmmm...YES!! It's not that I don't love spending time with my husband because I very much do, but the time alone for dinner certainly gives me a little more latitude about what I can cook for myself. "What do I have in the fridge to beef up my pasta dish tonight? .... PUMPKIN!!" I thought to myself - it was leftover from the pumpkin pancakes I made over the weekend. I had been reading through Cara's blog today and came across her hazelnut sage ravioli with pumpkin cream sauce and after the pumpkin light bulb went off in my brain, I decided to do a savory creamy pumpkin sauce tonight. Yes, yes...I realize that I would be taking a chance with this one - garlic chicken sausage with pumpkin sauce?? But you only live once and since I had to opportunity to possibly ruin only one meal, rather than two, tonight, I decided I'd better take advantage.

The ideas raced around my head during my 45 minute drive home and when I got in the house, I got right to work in the kitchen without even changing out of my work clothes. I was on a mission. Oh...did I mention this mission had to be lower in calories and fat since Kyle and I have started a healthy eating plan that involves only eating a certain amount of calories per day? Right...there would be no heavy cream in this sauce and instead skim milk, which I've always found works beautifully when making creamy sauces.

So here's what I did:

1. Melt 1 - 2 tsp butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add 2 tsp flour to melted butter and stir to make a liquidy roux. Stir in about 1/4 tsp of cinnamon, a dash of nutmeg, 1/4 tsp salt, and a pinch of black pepper. Cook for 30-60 seconds.
2. Turn heat to low and whisk in 1/2 to 3/4 cup skim milk, whisking until there are no lumps. Stir in 1/4 cup pumpkin puree until well-incorporated. Cook on low stirring frequently for 5-8 minutes or until thickened to desired consistency.

I cut up and heated one pre-cooked roasted garlic chicken sausage and served the sausage on top of whole wheat pasta and the pumpkin sauce. Before eating, I sprinkled another dash of cinnamon on top and garnished with a few strips of Parmesan cheese. This was SO good and SO easy!! The mix of flavors from the sweet pumpkin and cinnamon along with the savory chicken sausage and Parmesan cheese was just delightful. And knowing that the sauce was low cal/low fat made eating the meal so much more satisfying! This is definitely a keeper...and maybe next time I'll attempt it when Kyle IS home for dinner.