Crescent Puffs, One Recipe, Five Dishes

Buffalo Chicken Crescent Puffs

I know I haven't posted my food up here for a few weeks, but I'm back!
The inspiration for this appetizer dinner was a recipe found browsing on Pillsbury.com for Buffalo Chicken Crescent Puffs.  These delicious morsels are cream cheese, buffalo sauce, shredded chicken, and bleu cheese, stuffed in crescent dough, rolled in bread crumbs and baked.  Naturally I changed it a bit, didn't have any bleu cheese, so I used feta I had in the fridge, and did egg dip instead of butter.  These were so good!  Little crunch on the outside, perfectly spicy and creamy, only thing I would have changed would be more chicken, or bigger chunks.

So I got to thinking these would be a good delivery mode for a whole bunch of fillings.  Since it was conference weekend (yes, I know that was almost three weeks ago), I decided to have a crescent puff meal with "L".  I thought all of them turned out WONDERFUL!

Breakfast Puffs

For breakfast we did scrambled eggs, bacon, and cheese.  Rolled these in melted butter and baked til golden.

Chicken Ceasar Puffs

First lunch course was shredded (cooked) chicken, parmesan cheese, bacon, and ceasar dressing.  Rolled in butter and then parmesan cheese.  I think these would do better with a bread crumb coating for crunch.

Pizza Puffs

Second course, diced pepperoni and pizza cheese mix.  I think next time I will add a little sauce to the filling to round it out.  These got washed in butter and rolled in parm cheese too.

Apple Cinnamon Rounds

Finally, dessert!  Diced apple, brown sugar, and cinnamon made a great filling.  THen rolled in butter and cinnamon sugar.  We paired these with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.  (Sticking up is my sugar art from the melted sugar on the silpat, which reminds me, if you are using a regular cookie sheet for any of these, line it with foil, they may leak a little.) 






We ran out of crescent dough before we could do the s'mores ones we had planned, fluff and a bit if chocolate inside and Nilla wafer crumbs outside... yummmm... I am looking forward to doing those soon!

Spicy Tomato Cream Sauce with Hot Sausage over Rigatoni (L's Idea)

My dear friend "L" came over tonight and we were trying to figure out what to make for dinner.  She mentioned she was craving something like the pasta she had last time we went to Callaway's, my favorite Italian place in Utah.  (I am picky about Italian food, probably my East coast upbringing, but I love their food.  A little pricey, but easy to share an entree or take some home for another meal.)  We had both tried new dishes, Gorgonzola sauce for me (YUM!), and spicy sausage for "L".  She was craving this creamy and spicy red sauce.  A few minutes on the internet brought up a recipe for us to modify to taste. (I even used their measurements for most of it!)
In a pan melt one tablespoon of butter, over medium heat add 1/4 cup of minced onion and 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes (that little amount makes a big heat difference), cook for 5 minutes.  In the mean time start  1/2 pound of rigatoni and 1/2 pound of hot sausage cooking. (Obviously, the kind of sausage is easy changed to suit your tastes.) To the onions, add 1 1/2 to 2 cups of pasta sauce and 1/2 cup of petite diced tomatoes, drained, simmer for 7 to 10 minutes.  This time is dependent on how think you want your sauce, the longer you cook it the thicker it will be.  Add 1/3 cup of whipping cream and browned sausage, allow to boil for one minute. Ladle this creamy deliciousness over the pasta, makes 3 hearty portions, serve with cheesy garlic bread (which we bought from the store).
I loved this meal!  Definitely easy and fairly quick.  I am thinking that a combination of pasta sauce and Alfredo sauce would produce a similar creaminess with a cheesiness rather than spiciness. 
Thanks to "L" for bringing this wonderful meal to my menu!!!

In a Hurry, Chicken Curry

Okay, lame name, I know!

I haven't cooked anything lately.  Leftovers, sandwiches, and basic easy meals have been the fare.  So tonight I wanted something different, but not a long cooking process.  I went to my YGS favorites recipe list and found a chicken curry recipe that I altered for myself.   I used one large chicken breast, a small onion, half the garlic, and fresh tomatoes.  I normally use the canned ones, like the recipe calls for, but I had a couple tomatoes getting old.  I just used one large tomato, diced.  This called for dredging and frying the chicken beforehand.  But I like to forgo frying, especially when the meat will be cooking in a savory liquid.  I followed the directions for sweating the garlic and onions, added the curry, and then the diced tomatoes (and a little water). I let the tomatoes cook for about 5 minutes, covered, then added the chicken in bite size pieces.  Cover on and simmer for 15 minutes, then uncovered for 5 more.  Pour into bowl and enjoy!!! 
If I could let everything simmer in the oven for an hour, I would add some potatoes and carrots to the mixture.  If you don't love a strong curry flavor the best way to dial it down is to add some Greek yogurt, to add a cooling creaminess.  I want to try making naan soon, but I just ate it with a Flatout Wrap.  Great thick flavorful wrap.  (I know Walmart sells fresh made naan, if I knew I was doing curry tonight I would have grabbed some on my way home.) 
स्वादिष्ट  or  Svādiṣṭa 

Product Review: Kraft HomeStyle Deluxe Classic Cheddar Macaroni and Cheese

I'm not one for buying a lot of pre-packaged meals, but I like to have a couple on hand.  I had a coupon for Kraft's new HomeStyle Macaroni and Cheese, for $1 I thought I could try it.  I thought it was definitely closer to homemade than the boxes, much creamier.  I topped it with a half cup of shredded sharp cheese, and the included bread crumbs were a nice touch.  "L" and I thought it would be a great in the pinch side to take to a potluck or picnic.  You could throw in broccoli and ham, or crumbled bacon.
Our Walmart carries them for $2, to me it is a worthy bag to keep in the pantry as back-up.
Have a great night!

Put the Lime with the Coconut, Mix It Up!

At work the other day we were talking about cupcakes.  I love shows like Cupcake Wars, all the inventive flavors just make my mouth water.  All the talk about cupcakes really made me want to try to make some "fancy flavors".  I decided to make a variety of Lime and Coconut combinations.

I made the Lime Cupcakes from this recipe.   I made just the cupcake recipe, without the food coloring.  I'm known for my little "oops" moments in the kitchen.  My big one that day was curdling my milk on accident.  I had already measured my fresh lime juice, when I measured my milk into the same cup.  I just mixed it in the way the recipe said to add the milk.  As the recipe says the batter looks a little separated, the batter looks a little grainy. After filling my wells, the remainder of the batter sat for 20 minutes, I beat it again and the next batch was much smoother. If you taste the batter, it won't really taste very lime.  After the cupcakes bake, the essential oils released by the lime zest make a very delicious sweet lime flavor.

Second step, make Coconut Cupcakes, using this recipe.  I didn't have cake flour, so I googled and replaced 2 tbsp of flour with cornstarch per cup of flour.  I also don't have a sifter so I sift with a colander and a bowl. This is VERY thick batter, the stiff egg whites smooth it out.  The egg whites cause this to bake up very fluffy.  Make sure you don't over fill the cupcake wells, they get huge.

(Of course, I used my Demarle, so easy to rinse out and have ready for the next batch.)

Recipes 3 and 4 were, for coconut frosting and lime glaze.  The lime glaze is 1 T melted butter, 1 C powdered sugar, then add lime juice until you have the consistency you want.
I combined both cupcakes with both toppings.  I only have pictures of the lime cupcakes topped.  I LOVE LOVE LOVE the lime glaze.  I can't wait to have it on ice cream, it is now in my favorite food discoveries and it is so easy!

I brought them to work and everybody said they were really yummy.  I think they were being honest :)  I loved doing something new!  Hope you all try it!
I am looking forward to trying new ones that will go with change of the seasons.  I'm thinking Snickerdoodle and Apple Pie for the fall cupcakes?

Menu Planning - Relieving Stress, Not Creating It (Even for Singles)

A note about the menu planner... I shop once every two to three weeks. So when I edit my YGS menu I make sure there are about 8 meals for two weeks. This is so I can be flexible. Some days nothing on the menu looks good and I just want plain old tacos. Or, as happened above, someone may drop by and nothing on the menu works for them. Sunday, I made that delicious cranberry relish, I grabbed a chicken breast and plopped a couple tablespoons of cranberry relish in there for a marinade. It wasn't on my menu, but it will be dinner tomorrow night. When menu planning, don't get caught up in specific days or missing a planned recipe, this is not the point of menu planning.

It's food, you've got your whole life to eat it!

I already mentioned You've Got Supper (YGS).  This is my "go-to" menu planner right now.  Many of the recipes have pictures and reviews from other "customers".  Also, many recipes have suggested sides, or options for switching out ingredients.  (This is how I learned I can substitute tumeric for saffron, until I can convince myself to blow some cash.) Servings are roughly 4 to 6 people, so I just write "Half Everything" on my grocery list that prints.  I do love YGS, but I do use a few other sites for my filler recipes.

Pillsbury Cooking for Two http://www.pillsbury.com/Recipes/Cooking-for-Two
     This isn't actually a menu site, but it does have some great recipes scaled down.  It is helpful when I am trying to re-portion something.

Make Dinner Easy http://www.makedinnereasy.com/
     She sends out an email on Saturdays that contains the link to the menu.  The menu is posted for two weeks, last week's is still up when you get the new week.  She includes sides on most of the meals.  Also she has some great tips in her menus too.  Even if I don't want to use the recipes I like to check out the tips, like how to get rid of that extra zucchini.   :)

Everyday With Rachael Ray http://www.rachaelraymag.com/Recipes/Weekly-Menu-Planner/chicken-potpie-and-more
     I just signed up for this one this week.  I will have to do a review after a few weeks on the plan.

Monthly Menu Planner  http://www.monthlymenuplanner.com/about.php
     Like the name suggests, this site gives a whole month of recipes.  It is a little much for me since there are meals on every single day of the month.  But if you are up for it, a great way to plan ahead.

Weekly Dinner Menus  http://www.weekly-dinner-ideas.com/weekly-dinner-menus.html
     She has 8 menus that she cycles through.  I know a lot of people like this method because they can stock up on things they will use regularly.  Her recipes are generally scaled for 4 servings.  She doesn't provide sides, so keep that in mind, and add them into your lists.


Thanks for reading!!!

An Easy Change in My Menu, 30 Min Stromboli

About a month ago I found a great website, You've Got Supper, that emails a weekly menu.  I can edit the menu, add or take away recipes from their recipe book, and print an organized grocery list.  I can mark recipes as favorites once I have tried them too.  That is where I get all my new exciting recipes lately.  Tonight was one of them, Stromboli.  I originally was planing on doing chicken and potato curry, but "L" came over for dinner and the season finale of "Covert Affairs".  Curry is not really in her palette.  So I looked on my menu and found the stromboli.  The recipe calls for mozzarella and ham, I decided I wanted swiss when shopping, and "L" doesn't like deli ham, so we did Swiss and Pepperoni.  With the pop'n'fresh French bread, and two other main ingredients, this literally took 5 minutes to put together and only 25 to bake.  It was crispy and golden on the outside and soft on the inside.  It reminds me of a pizza braid my Aunt "J" makes.  I thought it would be good with lots of combos, cheddar, chicken, and broccoli; roasted red peppers and onions with pepperoni; lots of yummy combinations possible.  This would be great as a last minute treat for a party!