Two-Pepper Macaroni and Cheese

This is one of my favorite new recipes-- I just love macaroni and cheese and this is a great variation on it.

Two-Pepper Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients

5 cups uncooked pasta, I use whole-grain rotini (16 ounces uncooked pasta)

2 tablespoons butter, divided

1 cup chopped red bell pepper

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 cups milk

2 cups (8 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 tablespoon finely chopped pickled jalapeño pepper

1/2 cup sliced green onions

Cooking spray

2 slices wheat bread

one small dash of each: ground nutmeg and ground mustard (optional)

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375°.

2. Cook pasta according to package directions, and drain.

3. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add bell pepper; sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Add to pasta.

4. Add flour to pan. Gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Bring to a boil; cook 2 minutes or until thickened, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add cheese, stirring until cheese melts and mixture is smooth. Stir in jalapeño. Add cheese mixture to pasta, tossing well to coat. Stir in green onions. Spoon pasta mixture into a baking dish coated with cooking spray.

5. Place bread slices in a food processor; pulse 10 times or until coarse crumbs measure about 1 cup. Melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Combine butter and breadcrumbs in a small bowl; toss until blended. Sprinkle breadcrumb mixture over pasta mixture. Bake at 375° for 15 minutes or until browned.

6. Enjoy! I usually pair this meal with thin ham slices.

Creamy Ham and Potato Chowder

I'm putting one of my new favorite (and low-calorie, might I add) recipes up today.

Creamy Ham and Potato Chowder

3 c. frozen Southern-Style has brown potatoes (such as Ore-Ida, I use Potatoes O'Brien and it's delicious!)

2 1/2 c. 2% milk (I use skim and it's still good)

1/4 t. salt

1 c. diced ham (such as Cumberland Gap)

1/4 t. black pepper

1/2 c. (2oz) 50%-less-fat shredded sharp white Cheddar cheese (such as Cabot)

1/4 c. chopped green onions

Combine first 3 ingredients in a meduim saucepan; cover and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently.

Stir in ham and pepper; cover, reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes.

Mash potatoes slightly using the back of a spoon (I skip mashing the potatoes); stir in cheese and green onions.

Makes 5 servings, 1 c. each.

Enjoy!

Baked Chicken

Not to toot my own horn or anything (toot toot!) but I made some pretty tasty chicken for dinner tonight. It was a new recipe, so I didn't post it earlier in case it didn't turn out. It is also a Weight Watchers recipe so it's not so bad for you either. I will definitely be preparing this meal again!

Baked Chicken

Use fresh herbs and lemon juice to give plain baked chicken fantastic flavor. This combination of flavors also works well with turkey cutlets or white fish filets.

♥ 1 lb uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (four 4 oz pieces)

(I actually used a lb of chicken breast tenderloins-- they're small and nicely sized, just like chicken fingers, and cooking big hunks of chicken breast kind of creeps me out because I'm always afraid of undercooking it)

♥ salt and pepper

♥ 1 t. olive oil

(I omitted the oil and just spritzed the chicken with olive oil cooking spray)

♥ 2t. lemon juice

♥ 2 t. rosemary

♥ 2 t. parsley

♥ 1/4 c. chicken broth

(I used chicken stock, as the commissary was out of broth)

♥ 1/2 medium lemon, quartered for garnish

(I nixed the lemon quarters)

1. Preheat oven to 400. Coat a small, shallow roasting pan with cooking spray.

2. Season both sides of chicken with salt and pepper. Transfer chicken to prepared pan and drizzle with oil; sprinkle with lemon juice, rosemary and parsley. Pour broth/ stock around chicken to coat bottom of pan.

3. Baked until chicken is cooked through, about 30 to 35 minutes.

It was absolutely delicious! I served it with steamed peas and carrots that I seasoned with chopped onion, salt, pepper, and parsley. I love parsley and put it into everything I can, ha! It was a pretty tasty, low-calorie meal.

* * * *

In other news, I started today off with a wonderful surprise-- I won Crazy Shenanigan's pillow case giveaway! I was so happy and can't wait to get it. They're absolutely lovely and I think that I'll purchase some in the future for gifts. I absolutely love bed linens! Thanks again, Jennifer!

Also, Christine is starting a blog review of The Husband Project by Kathi Lipp tomorrow and I can't wait to do that. I've been meaning to for a while but haven't. I haven't even started the project officially but I read the book and it's already had such an impact on our marriage. I'll be doing a review for The Marriage Project soon and am excited about that too!

Dirty Rice and German Chocolate Cupcakes

A few people have asked for the Dirty Rice recipe, and those cupcakes I made for E were so good that I thought I'd share that recipe too!

Dirty Rice

1/2 lb bulk Italian sausage (I use smoked turkey sausage instead and cut into slices)

2 cups water or chicken broth

1 cup uncooked long grain rice

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 large green bell pepper, finely chopped

1/2 cup finley chopped celery

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground red pepper

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

butter or oil

1. Brown sausage in skillet 6 to 8 minutes.

Or, if you bought smoked sausage links instead, cook according to package directions.

2. Melt butter or place oil in a pan and saute rice until golden. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, stirring occasionally until rice is tender.

Enjoy!

The German Chocolate Cupcake recipe

can be found by clicking on the picture:

Mexican Pasta Skillet

This is one of my favorite recipes, and I just happened to find it tucked in a small corner in one of the back pages of Woman's Day magazine.

Mexican Pasta Skillet

(it's essentially Mexican goulash)

heat 1 t. oil in skillet. Brown 1 lb (or 1/2 a lb... that's a lot of meat) ground turkey with 1 small onion, chopped and 2 t. cumin.

stir in 1 can (10 oz) mild enchilada sauce, 1 can (11 oz) Mexican-style corn (I use Southwestern-style corn since it has black beans, which I love, in it) and 1 c. cooked pasta.

add 1 T. cilantro to skillet and cook until mixture is heated through. Garnish with shredded Mexican-style cheese blend.

* * * * *

In other news, I found the most delightful cleaning product today. Is it sad that I get excited over such things? Anyway, I was perusing the aisles of the PX when I saw this. I thought it was a bit pricey at first but when I read the bottle, I saw that it's concentrated and when diluted it makes 8 gallons of cleaner... that's a dollar a gallon! It's smells SO good and leaves everything clean and smelling fabulous. To top it off, it's not full of harsh, nasty chemicals. The Lemon Verbena scent is on sale and I'm really tempted to try out a few other products.

Buckeyes

Recipe found here.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups peanut butter
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 cups confectioners' sugar
4 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, mix together the peanut butter, butter, vanilla and confectioners' sugar. The dough will look dry. Roll into 1 inch balls and place on a waxed paper-lined cookie sheet.

2. Press a toothpick into the top of each ball (to be used later as the handle for dipping) and chill in freezer until firm, about 30 minutes.

3. Melt chocolate chips in a double boiler or in a bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water. Stir frequently until smooth.

4. Dip frozen peanut butter balls in chocolate holding onto the toothpick. Leave a small portion of peanut butter showing at the top to make them look like Buckeyes. Put back on the cookie sheet and refrigerate until serving.

Enjoy!

Chewy Chocolate Sandwich Cookies

I made these cookies last night and they are very soft and chewy, like a good cookie should be. And they're just so cute!

{image/ recipe found here}

INGREDIENTS

2 bars (4 oz each) bittersweet chocolate, broken into 1-in. pieces

2⁄3 cup sugar

2 large eggs

2 Tbsp butter, softened

1 tsp vanilla extract

1⁄4 cup all-purpose flour

1⁄4 tsp each baking powder and salt

1⁄2 cup mini–semisweet chocolate chips

mint- or coffee-flavored buttercream*

PREPARATION

1. Heat oven to 350ºF. Line baking sheets with nonstick foil or parchment paper. Put chocolate in large glass bowl. Microwave on high 1 minute, stirring every 20 seconds, until chocolate is melted and smooth.

2. Stir in sugar, eggs, butter and vanilla; mix well. Stir in flour, baking powder and salt until blended. Stir in mini-chips.

3. Drop level tablespoons 11⁄2 in. apart onto prepared baking sheets. Bake 10 minutes until cookies are puffed and set. Cool on baking sheet 2 minutes before removing to wire rack to cool completely.

4. For each sandwich, spread 1 Tbsp buttercream frosting onto bottom of cookie; press another cookie on top. Refrigerate in an airtight container with wax paper between layers.

*Buttercream Frosting Recipe

3 oz cream cheese, softened

2 Tbsp butter, softened

2 cups confectioners’ sugar

1 Tbsp milk

1⁄4 tsp vanilla extract

PREPARATION

Beat ingredients in medium bowl with electric mixer until smooth. Then beat on high speed 1 minute until fluffy.

Mint Use 1⁄4 tsp peppermint extract instead of vanilla; add a few drops of green food color.

Coffee Dissolve 1 Tbsp instant coffee in 1 Tbsp hot water; add instead of milk.

Apple Instead of milk, add 1 to 2 Tbsp apple juice until spreadable.

* * * * *

These were very good and E liked them a lot-- I'll definitely make them again because they are just so cute! :)

--Becky

Mexican Rice and Jambalaya

These are two of our all-time favorite meals, and they're super easy to make! They also happen to be my own creations... for the most part ;)

Mexican Corn

Ingredients:
1 box Rice a Roni Mexican Style Rice
1/2 standard-sized can of organic corn
1/4 to 1/2 onion, chopped
shredded cheddar cheese (optional) I always shred my own-- I think the quality is a lot better than that of the preshredded bagged stuff.
precooked chicken (optional)

Directions
1. Cook rice according to package directions.
2. While rice is cooking, in a separate pan, saute corn and onion in a bit of olive oil until onions are translucent. Add shredded or cubed (whatever you want, really, as long as it's precooked) chicken, if you want. When rice is done, add corn and onion, and mix until it's even blended throughout. Serve with a bit of shredded cheese on top and some refried beans.


{Image found here. This is also the link to the website/ more recipes.}

I love this rice because it's not tomato-based like Spanish Rice is-- it's a little too salty/ tomato-y for me. Anyway, E and I both love this recipe and it's oh so good!

There's another recipe using this rice on the website that I'll have to try soon.

Jambalaya

Ingredients:

1 box Zatarain's Jambalaya (E and I LOVE the Jambalaya with Cheese kind)

1 lb smoked turkey sausage, sliced into bite-sized pieces (the Oscar Mayer kind is really good)

1/2 a can of organic corn

1/4-1/2 onion, chopped

Directions:

1. Cook rice according to package directions.

2. While rice is cooking, saute corn and onion in a bit of olive oil until onions are translucent.

3. When rice is done, add the corn and onion and mix until blended.

We love this! The rice and sausage is nice and spicy, and the corn and onions add a nice, different texture to the dish.

{Image/ more recipes found here}

Spicy Pumpkin Pancakes

Maple-Pecan Syrup
1 cup maple-flavored syrup
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1/4 cup chopped pecans

Pancakes
2 1/3 cups Original Bisquick® mix
1/3 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
1 1/4 cups milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
2 eggs

1. In 1-quart saucepan, heat syrup and butter until butter is melted, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in pecans.

2. Heat griddle or skillet over medium heat or to 375°F. Grease griddle with vegetable oil if necessary. In medium bowl, stir all pancake ingredients until well blended. For each pancake, pour slightly less than 1/4 cup batter onto hot griddle.

3. Cook until edges are dry. Turn; cook other sides until golden brown. Serve with syrup.

Recipe found here.

{-B}

Paula Deen's Pumpkin Cake

I made these last night and E has already snuck into them a couple of times, haha! They're really good!

Ingredients:

Cake:
4 eggs
1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
15-ounce can pumpkin [pure pumpkin, not pie mix]
2 cups sifted all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda

Icing:
8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Using an electric mixer at medium speed, combine the eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin until light and fluffy.

3. Stir together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and baking soda.
Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix at low speed until thoroughly combined and the batter is smooth.

4. Spread the batter into a greased 13x10 inch baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes. [you might have to bake these for a little longer. Mine were not done after 30 minutes, it took more like 40-45 minutes.]

5. Let cool completely before frosting. Cut into bars.

**To make the icing:

1. Combine the cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the sugar and mix at low speed until combined. Stir in the vanilla and mix again.

2. Spread on cooled pumpkin cake.


recipe found here.

Homemade Egg Rolls

My Aunt Mariko, who is Japanese, taught my mom how to make these and they've always been a family favorite. I've made them for E and he loves them as well. Although I do not cook them the same way my mom does, I think they're just as good, if not better.

Preheat oven to 425

Ingredients:

♥ one package of eggroll wrappers

(although mine were labeled large square wraps, same thing. you can find them in the produce section, usually with the asian/ vegan foods)

♥ 1 1/4 lb turkey burger

(or 1 lb. hamburger-- I can't tell the difference between hamburger and turkey burger. I've also thought about using a lb of turkey sausage for a little extra flavor)

♥ one bag coleslaw mix (140z bag)

♥ one medium-sized onion, chopped

♥ 1/4 to 1/3 c. soy sauce

♥ pepper

♥ one egg white

♥ cooking spray

In a large skillet, brown turkey burger. Add in onion and about half of the soy sauce. When the meat is cooked, add the bag of coleslaw mix. Add the remaining soy sauce, a few dashed of pepper, and cook until the cabbage and carrots (if the coleslaw mix you use has carrots in it) are tender.
Put about two to three spoonfuls of the mixture onto a wrapper as shown, then fold up the bottom corner.

Then fold up the two side corners so it looks like an envelope.

For the last part, brush egg whites onto the remaining flap (it "glues" the wrapper shut), and fold the last corner down. I actually will put the egg white on and then roll the egg roll up onto the last corner, as to make sure the roll is wrapped up tightly. You want to make sure to wrap these bad boys up tightly so that you don't see any of the mixture sticking out.

Place the egg rolls on a cookie sheet, there will be about 20 of them so I have to use my largest cookie sheet. Spray them cooking spray-- it'll make them nice and crispy.

Bake at 425 for about 12 to 15 minutes. You'll have to eyeball the time the first time you make them. Since the inside is already cooked, you just need to cook them until the wrapper is golden brown and crispy looking.


Enjoy!

I eat mine with salsa, but E loves his with soy sauce.

{you can experiment will fillings as well. My dad will put hamburger and onion seasoned with worchestershire in his, while my mom just uses cole slaw mix sprinkled with pepper in hers. You can also fry these in shortening until they're brown and crispy, but I like my healthier, baked option}

bon appetit, from the lady who thinks that she's Julia Child. :o)

Grilled Pizza :o)

E and I have been doing lots of grilling this summer and one of our new favorite things is to make pizza on our charcoal grill.

The only problem we've had, however, is finding a good crust. I've tried making my own dough and using refridgerated dough, but we didn't like the result-- it was too hard to work with. During our last trip to the commissary, we found this little gem, a package of premade crusts. They were delicious!

Anyway...

1. Unwrap the crusts and brush both sides with olive oil.

Our toppings of choice:

2. I laid the crusts out on a baking sheet-- it was a good fit for the pizzas and didn't leave an oily mess all over the place. Top the pizzas with your choice of toppings. We've done everything from BBQ chicken to a pizza with a spinach and artichoke sauce covered with veggies and cheese. This time we decided on just turkey pepperoni and cheese. When pizzas are made, sprinkle the tops with italian seasoning.
3. Place them on the grill and cover lid. Check for doneness (it'll be about 8-10 minutes for so).
The finished product:
They are so good and really easy to make!

bon appetit!

Mrs. AW

Chocolate, Chocolate Chip Cookies

Today is our four-month wedding anniversary, so I thought I'd treat Sunshine Butt (aka Mr. Army Man aka E) with a baked treat. I decided on these wonderfully chocolate cookies that I found on Hersheys.com.

Design Your Own Chocolate Cookie:

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
Directions:

1. Heat oven to 375°F.

2. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla and salt in large bowl until creamy. Add eggs; beat well.

3. Stir together flour, cocoa and baking soda; gradually add to butter mixture, beating until well blended. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheet.

4. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until set. Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. About 5 dozen cookies.

VARIATIONS: {I chose chocolate chips and walnuts}

CHOCOLATE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES: Add 2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) HERSHEY'S SPECIAL DARK Chocolate Chips, Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips, Mini Chips Semi-Sweet Chocolate OR 2 cups (11.5-oz. pkg.) HERSHEY'S Milk Chocolate Chips to basic chocolate batter.

MINI KISSES CHOCOLATE COOKIES: Add 1-3/4 cups (10-oz. pkg.) HERSHEY'S MINI KISSES Milk Chocolates to basic chocolate batter.

MINT CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES: Add 1-2/3 cups (10-oz. pkg.) HERSHEY'S Mint Chocolate Chips to basic chocolate batter.

CHOCOLATE COOKIES WITH WHITE CHIPS: Add 2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) HERSHEY'S Premier White Chips to basic chocolate batter.

CHOCOLATE COOKIES WITH PEANUT BUTTER CHIPS: Add 1-2/3 cups( 10-oz. pkg.) REESE'S Peanut Butter Chips to basic chocolate batter.

CHOCOLATE COOKIES WITH TOFFEE: Add 1 to 1-1/4 cups HEATH BITS 'O BRICKLE Toffee Bits or HEATH Milk Chocolate Toffee Bits to basic chocolate batter. Lightly grease or paper-line cookie sheets.

The finished result:

They turned out well, if I say so myself. E seemed to like them :o)

bon appetit!

B

Mini Turkey Meat Loaves and Organic Green Beans

This first recipe is one of my new favorites. I pulled it from Cook Yourself Thin, which was also a show on Lifetime for a while.



I bought the book on Amazon.com, but you can find a few of the recipes (and even watch episodes of the show) here.

Mini Turkey Meat Loaves

Serves 4
Calories per serving: 227

For the meatloaves:
1 slice whole-wheat bread
1/2 cup skim milk
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
1 onion, diced
5-ounce bag baby spinach leaves
1 1/4 pounds ground turkey
2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

For the glaze:
3 tablespoons ketchup
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon hot sauce

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Arrange oven racks to accommodate two dishes being cooked simultaneously.

2. Grind the bread in a food processor until fine crumbs form. Transfer to a large bowl, and pour milk over crumbs.

3. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large skillet, preferably nonstick, over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and golden, about 5 minutes. Add spinach, and stir until just wilted, about 30 seconds. Transfer to bowl with soaked crumbs. Add the turkey, cheese, egg, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Combine the mixture with your hands until well mixed; it will be quite wet.

4. Pack 1 cup of the mixture into a 1-cup dry measuring cup. Invert the cup onto a rimmed baking sheet, gently shaking the cup to release the mixture. Gently pat the mound to smooth its shape. Repeat three times with remaining mixture. Bake mini meatloaves until cooked through and golden, about 40 minutes.

5. While the meatloaves are cooking, make the glaze: In a small bowl combine the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce. Brush over meatloaves.

Mrs. AW's Variations

-Mr. Army Man and I aren't too keen on the extra-hot glaze, so I make it with half the tobasco sauce.

-I also have substituted 5oz. of frozen, chopped spinach (thawed, of course) for the fresh, bagged stuff.

-I haven't tried it yet, but I'm going to use this recipe and make meatballs. If doing so, only bake for about 30 minutes, or so.

-These bad boys can also be cooked on the grill. Smash 'em down so they look like thick hamburgers and grill until done.

Organic Green Beans, a la Mrs. Army Wife

E (Army Man) and I LOVE green beans. For an extra special treat, we sprinkle french fried onions on top.

1. One can of:

I am now in love with organic veggies. They taste like they're fresh from the garden! :o)

2. 1/2 of a small onion, chopped to your liking.

3. A bit of pepper, an even smaller bit of salt. To your liking, of course.

4. A tablespoon or two of butter. Again, to your liking.

{one of my favorite things about cooking is that, in most cases, you have the ability to tweak the recipe a bit and make it something that belongs to you! I felt like I had to put this because I felt silly putting "to your liking" after every single thing....}

-Pour entire can into small pot, add onion and simmer 'til onions are cook (transparent). Drain liquid. Add seasoning and butter and cook until butter is melted.

Variations: I haven't tried this yet, but a crumbled slice of turkey bacon might be a tasty treat to add in at the very end. I bet E would love me forever if I did.

Two of my favorite things, spinach and onions. That's probably why I love this recipe so much. And it's a good way to trick E into eating veggies.

The final product, made complete with my mother-in-laws recipe for macaroni salad. Sorry, I can't share that one--she'll break my kneecaps. Just kidding! My MIL is WONDERFUL!

bon appétit!

Mrs. AW

Cooking with Mrs. Army Wife 101

Since I moved in December '08 to live with my husband, I've been cooking up a storm and I love it! I really have aspirations to be the next Paula Deen :o)

I decided to start this blog to share some of the great, amazing, wonderful recipes I've found, one's that were handed down from my mom and other family members, as well as one's I come up with myself (ohhhh, scary!).

I will also use this to review products I find that are worth sharing, share cooking tips, and other things that I'll think of along the way.

I also have another blog, that's not about cooking, that you can find here.

Lots o' Love, B