Lighter version of Chocolate-Mint Bars!

Wow! I just discovered that Cooking Light offered a lighter recipe for the chocolate mint bars I posted earlier today. So here is their version...

Bottom layer:
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup egg substitute
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 Tbsp water
1 tsp vanilla
2 large eggs beaten
1 can chocolate syrup (16 oz)

Mint layer:
2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 Tbsp fat-free milk
1/2 tsp peppermint extract
2 drops green food coloring

Glaze:
3/4 cup chocolate chips
3 Tbsp butter

Preheat oven to 350.
To prepare bottom layer, lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife
Combine flour and salt; stir with a whisk. Combine sugar, egg substitute, 1/4 cup melted butter, 2 Tbsp water, vanilla, eggs and chocolate syrup in a medium bowl; stir until smooth. Add flour mixture to chocolate mixture, stirring until blended. Pour batter into a 13x9 inch baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 for 23 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out almost clean. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack.

To prepare mint layer, combine powdered sugar, 1/4 cup melted butter and next 3 ingredients (through food coloring) in a medium bowl; beat with a mixer until smooth. Spread mint mixture
over cooled cake.

To prepare the glaze, combine the chocolate chips and e Tbsp. butter in a medium microwave bowl. Microwave at high 1 minute or until melted, stirring after 30 seconds. Let stand 2 minutes. Spread chocolate mixture evenly over top. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Cut into 20 pieces.

Oh my goodness, I have readers!

Hello dear readers,
I was laboring under the belief that no one was reading my blog, thus the few entries. Now I see that Chel's friends Dee and Emily have both posted comments. Thank you! You have given me new blogging life and I will try to be more responsive!!!

Emily requested healthy crockpot recipes. I'm afraid that I'm one of those people whose crockpot use is limited. But my favorite thing to make is a roast beef in the crockpot. I throw a roast in there in the morning, with about 2 cups of beef broth or beef bouillion, cut up some onions, and carrots and cook it on low all day. Delicious by the time you get home! Happy Friday!

Hershey's Double Chocolate Mint Dessert

By request, here is the recipe for heart stopping mint brownies! When you see how much butter and eggs are in it, you'll see why! Julia would love this recipe!

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups (16 oz can) Hershey's Syrup

Heat oven to 350. Grease 13x9 inch pan. In large mixer bowl beat flour, sugar, butter, eggs and syrup untio smooth. Pour into pan and bake 25-30 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched. (Top may still appear wet). Cool completely in pan. Spread Mint Cream Layer on cake (see below), chill. Pour Chocolate Topping over dessert (see below). Cover, chill.

Mint Cream Layer:
In small mixer bowl combine 2 cups powdered sugar, 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened,
1 Tbsp water, 1/2 tsp mint extract and 3 drops green food color; beat until smooth.

Chocolate Topping:
In small micro-proof bowl melt 6 Tbsp butter or margarine and add 1 cup Hershey's Mint Chocolate chips or regular chocolate chips at high for 1 to 1.5 minutes or just until chips are melted and mixture is smooth when stirred.

Julie & Julia

If you like to cook, you must see Julie & Julia! It's a hoot and it makes you want to go buy a hat and make something with lots of butter! 4 stars

Andrea's Chicken Enchilada Ole

My guest contributor is Andrea Barnes who makes a mean chicken enchilada. Requests are pouring in for the recipe so I am taking the liberty of sharing it. Hope that's ok with chef Andrea!

Preheat oven to 350.

Ingredients:
3 cups shredded cheese ( I use cheddar)
1/2 cup sour cream
2 Tbsp chopped parsley
1/4 tsp pepper
1 medium onion chopped (1/2 cup)
1 large jar red enchilada sauce
8 tortillas (6 inches in diameter)
1 large chicken breast, cooked and chopped


Mix cheese, chicken, sour cream, parsley, pepper & onion in small bowl
Heat sauce in pan until warm
Dip each tortilla into sauce and coat both sides (very messy!)
Spoon about 1/4 cup cheese mixture onto each tortilla. Roll tortilla around filling
Place seam side down in ungreased 9x13 baking dish
Pour remaining sauce over enchiladas
Bake uncovered for about 20-25 minutes, or until bubbly
Garnish with additional shredded cheese, sour cream if desired. Enjoy!

Chicken Ham Bake for 50

Hello Faithful Readers,
Hmmm...it's been a few months since I have blogged. However, today I made dinner for 50+ people at church and I think it's an occasion that requires posting a recipe. This is a recipe I got from my Grandma Goessling in Tucson, AZ back in the day....it's a good one!

Chicken Ham Bake for 6 (you have to do the math if cooking for 50)

6 chicken breasts
6 slices deli ham
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 pint (1 cup) sour cream (light is ok)
Paprika

Use cooking spray on a 9x13 baking pan
Put ham slices on bottom of pan. Place a chicken breast on top of each ham slice.
Blend the soup and sour cream together and pour over top of chicken. Sprinkle with paprika for color.
Bake uncovered at 250-275 degree oven for 3 hours. Or you can cook it at 325 degrees for 2 hours. Just watch to make sure it isn't drying out.
Serve over rice. Enjoy!

Visiting Chef- Yusra

This is the world famous Yusra- of the "Yusra's Indian Chicken" recipe, found below. She has newly introduced us to the concept of pesto scrambled eggs. You add the pesto while you are frying the eggs. Try it out!

Yusra's Indian Chicken

This recipe comes from Chelsea's friend, Yusra, a faithful reader of my blog. I am trying it tonight.
For the Chicken:
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon table salt
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts , trimmed of fat
1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt (kinda bad for you but great for taste)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 medium garlic cloves , pressed through a garlic press
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

For the Masala Sauce:
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion , diced fine (about 1 1/4 cups)
2 medium garlic cloves pressed through a garlic press
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1 fresh Serrano chile , flesh minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon garam masala (you can find this at Whole Foods or an Indian store)
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon table salt
2/3 cup cream
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Instructions:
1. Combine the cumin, coriander, cayenne and salt in a bowl. Sprinkle it over the chicken and then rub it in to make sure it coats. Cover the chicken with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 to 60 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, whisk together the yogurt, oil, garlic, and ginger in a large bowl. You want enough room to dip the chicken in it.
3. While the chicken is refrigerating, heat oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat and then add the onions. Cook them until they start to turn golden brown, then add in the garlic, ginger, chile, tomato paste, and garam masala. It will turn into a kind of sticky ball. Let that cook for a few minutes and then add in the crushed tomatoes, sugar, and salt. Give it a quick taste at this point. I actually added in a little bit garam masala because I wanted to give it a bit more kick to it. Bring the mixture to a boil, cover and turn down the heat. Let it simmer for about 15 minutes.

4. Once the chicken is ready, turn on the broiler and set a wire rack on an aluminum-foil lined baking sheet. Take each piece of chicken, and using a pair of tongs, dip it into the yogurt mixture. You really want to give it a nice coating, but let the excess drip off. Place the chicken on the wire rack and stick it in the oven. You want the rack to be on about the second-highest rack position so it isn’t too far from the broiler, though not touching it either.

5. Cook the chicken for about 15 minutes or until it is done (you might need more or less time depending on how thick the breasts are). Make sure you flip it once midway through. You can tell when it’s getting close when it starts to brown and gets a few spots.
6. After the sauce has simmered for a little while, add the cream. Return it to a simmer, cover and remove from heat. The dutch oven should keep it fairly warm for quite some time.
7. Let the chicken cool a bit and then cube it into chunks. Mix that into the sauce and add in the cilantro.
p.s. I got the ingredients from my mom and the instructions from a website. Let me know if you ever end up making this!

wooden spoon coffee cake

I'm on a roll here... here's an all-time family favorite.

1 loaf frozen bread dough
1/4 cup butter softened
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp vanilla
cinammon

Let bread dough thaw and shape shape it into a 9 inch round cake pan that has been coated with cooking spray. Let dough rise at least 1-2 inches. Poke holes in the bread dough with the handle of a wooden spoon.

Mix butter, brown sugar, white sugar, flour and vanilla until well blended. Fill holes with mixture. Sprinkle top with cinnamon. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes. Will run over and make a mess of your oven. To avoid mess, place cake pan on a pizza pan to catch the overflow.

What a slacker...but here's Lasagne recipe!

Yipes...it has been 2 months since I have posted any recipes! But Chelsea requested the recipe for lasagne, so I'm back!
This is straight out of the Betty Crocker cookbook...

1 pound ground beef
6 oz. ground lean pork
3/4 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 can (1 #) tomatoes
1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
2 Tbsp. parsley flakes
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp basil leaves
3 cups creamed cottage cheese (24 oz)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp parsley flakes
1 tsp salt
1 tsp oregano leaves
1 package (8 oz) lasagne noodles, cooked and well drained
3/4 pound mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cook and stir ground beef, ground pork, onion and garlic in large saucepan or Dutch oven until meat is brown and onion is tender. Drain off all fat.

Add tomatoes and break up with fork. Stir in tomato sauce, 2 Tbsp. parsley flaskes, 2 Tbsp. sugar, 1 tsp salt, and the basil. Heat to boiling sitrring occasionally. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered 1 hour or until mixture is the consistency of spaghetti sauce.

Heat oven to 350. Mix cottage cheese, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, 1 Tbsp. parsley flakes, 1 tsp. salt and the oregano. Reserve 1/2 cup meat sauce for thin top layer.

In ungreased baking pan, 13x9, layer 1/4 each of the noodles, remaining meat sauce, the mozzarella cheese and cottage cheese mixture; repeat 3 times. Spread reserved meat sauce over top; sprinkle with 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. (If desired, lasagne can be covered and refrigerated several hours at this point.)

Bake uncovered 45 minutes. (Allow an additional 10-15 minutes if lasagne has been refrigerated.) For easier cutting, let stand 15 minutes after removing from oven.

Makes 12 servings.