Chicken Cordon Bleu Bites

It has been a long time since we have posted but, we promise or at least we will try to be better at posting. This recipe would be great for a New Years Eve party or any dinner party that you are planning during the holidays! They are great served as a main dish or as and appetizer! They are made of ingredients that you probably have in your kitchen already! Try them out and let us know what you think!

Chicken Cordon Bleu Bites

12-20 chicken breast tenderloins

4 pieces of Swiss cheese ( cut in to slices about 1 inch wide)

4 pieces of ham (also cut these about 1 inch wide and as long as the tenderloin)

12-20 sturdy toothpicks (make sure they are thick so we could hold the chicken together)

Salt and Pepper to taste

Egg Wash- 3 eggs whisked with 2 tablespoons water

Flour Mixture-

2 cups flour

1 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

Bread Crumbs-

2 cups Panko crumbs (If you use Italian crumbs then you do not need to add the next 2 following ingredients)

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon paprika

Dipping Sauce-

1/2 cup Dijon Mustard

1/2 Cup Yellow Mustard

2 tablespoons Mayo

1/4 cup honey

Combine all the ingredients for the dipping sauce in a bowl.

Place chicken tenderloin between two pieces of wax and beat with tenderizer for a few seconds. After you have tenderized all of the pieces place a strip of ham and then a strip of cheese on top of each tenderloin. Also add a dot of honey mustard on one end of the each strip. Then begin to roll your strip, once it has been rolled stick a tooth pick through it.

Make egg wash by whisking 3 eggs with 3 tablespoons with water.

In pan combine flour mixture and in another pan put bread crumbs in it.

After chicken is rolled up roll it into flour mixture then dip in egg wash. Last roll into the bread crumbs. Lay the Cordon Bleu bites on a oiled pan, lightly brush butter on to the tops of the bites or spray with Pam lightly. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes until they are golden brown and the chicken is cooked thoroughly. Serve with Dipping Sauce and Enjoy!!

No-Bake Peach Pie!

Last week a friend of ours had a piece of this pie that her neighbor had given her, she let us try it and we loved it. We told her that she needed to get us the recipe, sure enough that night she called us with the recipe and we could believe how easy it was!!

No-Bake Peach Pie

2 cups gramham cracker crumbs

1/2 cup butter, melted

2 cup sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup lemon juice

6 slices peaches

Whipped cream

Chopped nuts (optional)

Mix Graham cracker crumbs and butter. Press into 9x13 the pan. In another bowl mix sweetened condensed milk and lemon juice. Put half of this mixture on top the the crust. Cut peaches and place on top. Put the rest of the sweetened condensed milk mixture on. Put in refrigerator to chill for at least 1 hour. After chilled and just as you serve it add whipped cream and chopped nuts of your choice (optional, you could also put more crushed graham crackers on it if you would like). Then it's time to eat!!

German Chocolate Brownies

Wow has is been a long time since we posted or what? Everyday we talk about posting but are always so busy that we never have the time. But, now school is back in session and things have calmed down a little and we are ready to start blogging again. This is a fantastic brownie, any party or gathering we take this to it is always a favorite.

German Chocolate Brownies

Mix together:
1 German chocolate cake mix
1/3 c. evaporated milk
3/4 c. melted butter

Put about 3/4 of batter in a 9x13-inch pan. Cook at 350 for 8 minutes. Mix together.

14 oz. caramels
1/3 c. evaporated milk

Melt in microwave for 2 1/2 to 3 minutes, stirring after each minute. When brownies have cooked for 8 minutes, put out of the oven and sprinkle 1 cup of chocolate chips on top. Pour the melted caramels on top of chocolate chips and then sprinkle on 1/2 cup (or whatever you prefer) chopped pecans or wlanuts (optional). Using the rest of the brownie batter, do the top of the brownies. Bake 20-28 minutes more. Cool completely before cutting.

ENJOY!!!

Corn Salsa

This is a wonderful, tasty, and addictive salsa. If you haven't noticed we are all about quick and easy recipes, and this is yet another. It's great for a summer time picnic or barbecue were you may have to bring something to share, but after you have tried it you may not want to.

CORN SALSA

Ingredients:
1 cup black-eyed peas, drained
1 can corn, drained
2-4 green onions, sliced
5 med. tomatoes, chopped
1-2 avocados, chopped
1/4-1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 pkg. Good Season's Italian dressing

Mix Italian dressing as directed. Combine all ingredients with dressing. To make it less runny, use less dressing.

Flank Steak Pinwheels and Roasted Vegetables

If you want to impress guests this is the way to go. It is relatively fast and easy, it looks great. These two dishes are a great complement for each other.

Flank Steak Pinwheels

Ingredients:
1 Large flank steak, butterflied along the grain*
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
7 ounces Asiago, Shredded
8 ounces baby spinach leaves, washed patted dry, stems removed
5 ounces Gorgonzola. crumbled
1 bunch green onions, slice on the diagonal
8 to 10 wooden skewers, soaked in water

Directions:

Preheat grill or grill pan to high

Spread the flank steak out so that the grain is running left to right. Begin layering the flank steak with salt and pepper, the Asiago, then the spinach, the Gorgonzola and scallions. Begin rolling the flank steak tightly and away from you. Evenly, insert the skewers 1 to 2 inches along the seam of the pinwheel to hold it together on the grill. Sprinkle on any steak seasoning. We used Montreal Steak, Grill Mates. Cut in between each skewer but not against the skewer; you want the same amount of meat on either side of each skewer. Cover plate in olive oil and lay pinwheels in it make sure to get both sides. Grill the pinwheels on each side for about 3 to 4 minutes or until your desired doneness. You will have lots of flames which gives it a yummy charbroiled taste, but you do lose some of the cheese inside. You can cook it on an indoor grilling pan as well or make a pocked out of tin foil and cook it on the out door grill if you don't want to lose some of the inside.

*Note: We did not butterfly flank steak. Your butcher could butterfly it for you but, we had the butcher put it through the tenderizer which did not make it as thin as butterflying it but it still worked.

Roasted Vegetables

Ingredients:
Olive Oil Freshly ground pepper
Kosher salt

Any assortment of vegetables including:
Zucchini, sliced diagonally 1/2 in. thick Asparagus, tough ends removed
Red onions, sliced 1/2in. thick Carrots, sliced diagonally
Whole fresh mushrooms Red baby potatoes.

Toss each vegetable with olive oil, slat and pepper. Place on cookie sheet. Roast in a preheated 400 oven for 20 to 40 minutes on the inside, crisp on the outside. Arrange the vegetables in groups on a large platter. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Easy and Quick Fried Rice

April was a crazy month, we spent spring break in the hospital with my 12 year old having to have his appendix out and then back again two week later for another 5 days with infection due to his appendix. So, we have not had time to blog for awhile. Along with softball, baseball and lacrosse, it seem like all we have time for is to eat on the run or eat out. This dish is really fast and easy and requires little time. All measurements are to your own preference, if you want more of one item and less of another, then do what fits your likings.

3 Cups cooked long grain rice (I use brown rice, but white rice works as well)
6 eggs scrambled
2 cups diced up ham
3 cups of frozen vegetables ( I use the oriental mix), Thawed and slightly cooked
Soy Sauce
Oil

In your skillet in a small amount of oil, quickly fry ham till warm and slightly browned. Take ham out of skillet leaving in the juices and add cook rice just to heat. Add soy sauce until rice looks covered to taste (I am guessing maybe about 1/4 to 1/2 cup, maybe more). Add scrambled eggs, vegetables, and ham. You may want to add more soy sauce after you taste it.

Buttermilk Banana Bread

If you like banana bread watch out because you will want to eat the whole loaf! This banana bread is definitely a crowd pleaser. I made this last week with some bananas that needed to be eaten, and boy did they get eaten. I made this while my kids were in school so when they got home with a mouth watering smell. They had the whole loaf gone by the next night and wanted me to make it again the next day. So if you are look for a fabulous banana bread recipe you have it found.
Buttermilk Banana Bread

Yields: 2 large loafs

Ingredients:
2 1/2 c. sugar
3 c. flour
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. soda
3 eggs
3 bananas
1 c. butter milk
1 c. oil
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 tsp. almond flavoring

Mix until smooth. Bake 350 for 1 1/2 hrs. or less. While hot, poke holes on top with fork. Remove from pans. Lay on cookie sheets Pour glaze over top.

Glaze:
1 Tbs. butter, melted
3/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. orange juice
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 t. almond extract


If you don't want to go to all that work, or just don't have enough time to make it there here is another simpler, but just as taste recipe.

Banana Bread

1 c. sugar
1/2 c. melted butter
2 eggs
1/2 t. salt
1 t. soda
1 1/2 c. flour
3 crushed bananas
1 c. nuts, chopped (optional)

Beat bananas until mushy. Add sugar, then eggs-beat. Add dry ingredients and melted butter. Pour into greased and floured loaf pans. Bake at 325 for 1 hour.

Ivorys' Favorite Lasagna

This is out of a cook book called Favorites. You can get it through Make A Wish Foundation. Every recipe we have made out of this cook book has been amazing and this lasagna did not disappoint.

1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach

2 pounds ground beef

1 1/2 teaspoons oregano

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 (10-ounces) package lasagna noodles (we used whole wheat lasagna and it tasted great!)

1 pound Monterey Jack or Mozzarella cheese, grated

2 (10 3/4-ounce) cans cream of mushroom soup

1 1/2 cups milk

1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce

1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese

Cook spinach and drain well. Brown beef and drain. Add oregano, pepper and Worcestershire sauce. Cook noodles according to package directions. Arrange half of the noodles in 9"x13" pan, then top with half the meat mixture, half the drained spinach and half the grated cheese. Repeat layers of noodles, meat, spinach and cheese. Combine soup and milk and blend; pour over lasagna and let seep through noodles. Spread tomato sauce on top and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Shredded Beef Burritos

These are super yummy. We got them from a friend in our neighborhood. If you don't like the idea of a burrito the meat very delicious by its self.

Shredded Beef Burritos

Ingredients:
2-3 pound boneless beef roast
1 envelop dry onion soup mix
1 cup uncooked long grain white rice
1 can (14 oz.) enchilada sauce (green or red)
1 teaspoon salt
6 flour tortillas (10 inch)
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 can (15 oz) black or pinto beans, heated
1 bottle (16 0z) salsa Verde
shredded lettuce
salsa

Method:
Heat oven to 425 F.

Place roast in metal roasting pan. Sprinkle with 1/2 the package dry onion soup mix (keep soup mix on top of roast, rather than allow it to fall to bottom of pan). Place roast uncovered in oven; cook 20-30 minutes. Reduce heat to 275 F, sprinkle with remaining soup mix, add 1/4-cup water, cover tightly and roast 3 hours. Check periodically to ensure roast has not burned dry; add a little water as needed.

Remove roast and shred using 2 forks. Measure out 1-cup broth from roast pan. If needed, add enough water to roasting pan to make 1 cup broth. Bring broth in pan to boil to dissolve juices from bottom of roast pan. Add 1/2-cup enchilada sauce to broth. Pour broth/ sauce mixture over shredded beef and keep hot until ready to use.

Combine 1 1/4 cup enchilada sauce with 1 1/2 cups water and salt. Bring to a boil. Add rice, reduce heat to simmer, cover tightly and simmer for 20 minutes. Turn off heat and allow rice to stand 10 minutes longer.

To assemble burritos: place shredded beef on one side flour tortilla, add approximately 1/3-1/2 cup seasoned rice, 1/4 cup beans, 1/4 cup shredded cheese and approximately 1 table spoon salsa verde. Roll filling inside burrito and place in 9x13 pan. Continue with remaining burritos. Pour remaining salsa verde over burritos, sprinkle with remaining cheese. Place uncovered in 350 F and heat until hot throughout and cheese is melted. Serve with shredded lettuce and additional salsa. Serve 6.

NOTE: May substitute green or red salsa and enchilada sauce to suit personal taste preferences.

Chocolate Bunt Cake

This is a very yummy cake perfect for any holiday, or event you have planned.

CHOCOLATE BUNdT CAKE

1 pkg. Devils food cake (Betty Crocker)
1 sm. pkg. instant vanilla pudding
1 cup sour cream
3 eggs
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup oil
Mix ingredients and pour into a greased bundt pan. Cook for 50 minutes or a little less at 350.

Frosting:
1 square butter, melted
4cup powdered sugar
2 T. cocoa
1 tsp. vanilla
Whipping cream
Mix butter, powdered sugar, cocoa and vanilla with whipping cream until desired consistency. Frost cake while warm.

Tasty Chili

If you are looking for a super easy and yummy chili recipe, you have found it!! We made this last night and it got rave reviews. It would also be good as a baked potato topper, for chili dogs, nachos, and many more endless possibilities. It is a really meaty chili, so, if you don't like as much meat, feel free to cut down on the ground beef. Or add more beans and enchilada sauce.

O So Good Chili

Ingredients:

3 lbs. lean ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
2 cans (15 oz. each) Ranch Style Beans*
2 cans (20 oz. each) enchilada sauce
1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. cumin

Brown the ground beef and chopped onion together. Drain any grease and place mixture in a large cooking pot. Stir in beans, enchilada sauce, diced tomatoes, chili powder, and cumin (add more seasoning to taste if desired). Simmer until thickened. Serve with grated cheese and bread. Serves 8-10.

*Ranch Style Beans are a brand name of baked beans that are found easily in most grocery stores.

A Little Dip

Hello everyone, we are so excited to be food blogging!! We are a mother, daughter team and love to cook. We can't promise regular posting but, we will do our best. We hope you enjoy our recipes. We would love any comments or any changes you made while making our recipes.

Our first recipe to get us out of the winter blahs is a fruit dip given to us by a good friend.

JODIE'S FRUIT DIP

Mix together:

3 oz. cream cheese (at room temperature)

2 6oz. Strawberry Yoplait yogurts (you may also want to try other kinds of yogurt)

10 Tbs. granulated sugar

Whip together until well blended

Add:

8 oz. Cool Whip

1 tsp. lemon juice

1/2 tsp. almond extract