Stefanies Cooking Spot: July 2011

Sunday, July 31, 2011

Creamy Italian Sausage Pasta

Take a look at the size of this pasta! It's like a giant cork-screw!

I found this a few months ago at Target. I was thinking about what recipe that I could use this in, maybe a pasta bake or a mac-cheese dish. Or maybe some kind of an unusual pasta sauce to go with such unusual pasta. Well I finally decided to go with the sauce that was written on the back of the package.

The only thing that I changed in the recipe is the amount of tomatoes and tomato sauce that I used because I used what I had on hand. I have written by the change in parenthesis.

I am sure you are wondering about the taste of this sauce. It is wonderful or sure I say it was wonderful because there is none left!

Creamy Italian Sausage Pasta

1 package of Archer Farms Girandole pasta

1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 (28 oz) can whole tomatoes (I used 2 (15 oz.) cans)
1 (8oz.) can tomato sauce (I used 1 (16 oz.) can)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
¼ cup heavy cream
¼ cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain.

Meanwhile, heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat; Add ground sausage, onion and garlic. Cook and stir until sausage is cooked through, breaking up large pieces.
Add tomatoes, sauce, paste and seasoning. Break up tomatoes with spoon. Reduce heat and simmer 5 to 10 minutes until thickened. Stir in cream and basil. Serve with pasta.Pin It

Saturday, July 30, 2011

Pineapple Zucchini Bread

How can on plant produce so much zucchini! The other day I checked on the zucchini and they were still a little small so I decided to wait a few days more. Well I think you can guess what happened. I came home from work and there was this giant zucchini sitting on the kitchen counter, I asked Richard where did that come from he said our garden. Wow! Those things grow fast! So I guess it time to start baking again.

This time I decide to make pineapple zucchini bread. It was my first time adding the pineapple to my recipe and let me tell you it won’t be my last. It turned out so most and delicious. Now what am I doing with all this bread.

I cut the bread into slices then wrap each piece in plastic wrap and place then into storage containers and then into the freezer it goes.

I now have containers of apple, zucchini and pineapple zucchini bread in my freezer. Now we get to enjoy all these yummy breads for months to come if they don’t get eating before then!

Pineapple Zucchini Bread

1 cup oil

2 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups zucchini, shredded
1 cup crushed pineapple, drained
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
2 cups zucchini, shredded
1 cup crushed pineapple, drained
1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350⁰F. Prepare 2 loaf pans with cooking spray; set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, blend together, oil, sugar, egg and vanilla. Stir in zucchini and pineapple. In another bowl combine flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg and nuts. Stir dry ingredients into zucchini mixture just until blended. Pour batter into loaf pans. Bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes; turn out on a cooling rack to cool.Pin It

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Cucumber Tomato Salad

Nothing beats a fresh veggie salad especially when those veggies come from your own garden. When I went out to check and see what was ready to pick I found a few cucumbers and some ripe tomatoes. And this salad came to mind.

I have never really had a recipe for this I usually just toss everything in a bowl. I usually use a purple onion because it is Richard favorite, but all I had was a white one. He didn’t seem to miss it. I know this because when he ate the salad he didn’t say anything about the onions.

Cucumber Tomato Salad

2 medium cucumbers
3 large tomatoes
1 small onion
½ cup fat free Italian salad dressing
1 tablespoon McCormick Salad Supreme

Peel, quarter and then slice the cucumber in to chunks; cut tomatoes into bite size pieces; diced the onion. Combine the veggies with the salad dressing and Salad Supreme. Refrigerate for a few hours to allow the flavors to blend together.

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Monday, July 25, 2011

Chili Relleno Bake

When I made this dish last weekend I had a good size serving, and then I couldn’t stop thinking about how good and cheesy it tasted. I finally gave in and had another big serving! Richard also loved it so much he asked me to make it again last night.

This recipe is a combination of two different recipes from a cookbook that I bought over 20 years ago, and I also added my own little twist to it. They sold the cookbook to help buy new playground equipment for my daughter Brandy’s school, John C. Fremont. I know that I made a few dishes from it when I first bought it all those years ago, but I haven’t looked at in years. I came across it the other day when I was looking for another cookbook, and decided take a look through it, and I found the two recipes. Both recipes called for can chilies, but it is easy to just roast your own.
Now I have made chili rellenos before, the authentic way. But this is so much easier!

Chili Relleno Bake

6 poblano peppers

3 cups grated Monterey jack cheese
4 eggs
1/3 cup milk
½ cup flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking powder

Turn the oven broiler on high. Place the chilies on a foil-lined baking sheet.

Roast chilies 2 to 3 inches from the heat until they blistered and charred about 5 to 8 minutes turn and repeat on other side.

Place roasted chilies in large bowl; cover with plastic wrap. Let stand 20 minutes before peeling. Peel each chili removing all skin; split open and remove seeds; set aside

In a large bowl whisk together eggs, milk, flour, salt and baking powder. Pour 1/3 of the batter into a 13x9 inch baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Layer 3 of the chilies on top of the batter; top with 2 cups of the grated cheese; then add the remaining 3 chilies.

Pour remaining batter over chilies. Top with the remaining cheese.

I had Richard helping me!

Bake for 30 minutes at 350⁰F.

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Sunday, July 24, 2011

Zucchini Parmesan

As I had mentioned before in my post Zucchini Bread, I have a zucchini plant and I am trying to think up recipes that I could make with my abundance of zucchini.

One dish that I have always wanted to try was Eggplant Parmesan, but my husband Richard has always told me that he hates eggplant so I never tried to make it. Well I was thinking why not use the zucchini in place of the eggplant. And that is just what I did.
To make this dish I used my Chicken Parmesan recipe. I just substituted the zucchini for the chicken and I added an extra cup of mozzarella cheese and changed the cooking times.
When I served it to Richard he told me that he loved it. I told him it is usually made with eggplant. He said when he was growing up his mother never made eggplant like this. That she just breaded and fried it. OK then, I guess I might just get to try Eggplant Parmesan after all!

Zucchini Parmesan

2 medium size zucchini, cut into rounds
½ cup seasoned bread crumbs
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
½ teaspoon dried Italian seasonings
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1 egg, beaten
1 jar spaghetti sauce
2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

Preheat oven to 350⁰. Lightly grease a medium baking sheet.

Cut zucchini into rounds

Pour egg into a shallow bowl. Place bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasonings and garlic powder in a separate shallow bowl. Dip zucchini rounds into egg, then into bread crumb mixture.

Place coated zucchini onto the prepared baking sheet and bake in the oven for 10 minutes, turn over and bake for another 10 minutes.

Pour ½ of the spaghetti sauce in to a 9x13 inch baking dish. Place zucchini rounds on top of sauce, and cover with 1 cup mozzarella cheese

then top with remaining sauce. Sprinkle the remaining cup of mozzarella cheese on top and return to oven for 20 minutes.

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Thursday, July 21, 2011

Apple Bread

What am I suppose to do with this bag of apple? Ariel asked me a few weeks ago if I would buy her some granny smith apples. You see I always keep Fuji apples in the house because they are mine and Richards’s favorites. But Ariel likes Granny Smith; it used to be my favorite also. That was before I tasted my first Fuji apple. But when it comes to baking I like to use the Granny Smith.

So what recipes could I prepare from my collection that would help me with this little problem of a bag of apples. Will I decided to start with one of my favorites Apple bread. And I know that this will be a favorite of yours to. And soon your house will smell just as delicious as mine!

Apple Bread

2 cups sugar
1 cup oil
3 eggs
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups chopped, peeled apples
1 cup chopped walnuts

Grease 2 loaf pans. In a large mixing bowl beat together the sugar, oil, and eggs. In a separate bowl sift together the flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon. Add the dry ingredients to the sugar mixture. Add the vanilla, apples and nuts. Pour the batter into prepared pans. Bake in 325⁰F for 1 hour.

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Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Funfetti Cookies

Richard and I went to the Mercy Me concert last night at the Stanislaus County Fair with some friends from our church. The night started out with pizza at Tary’s here in Atwater. Then we met up at the fairgrounds in Turlock. Mercy Me was wonderful and a great time was had by all.

It was great to share such a night with my friends and family memories to last a life time.

And now let me share, a fun and easy cookie recipe with you.
These cookies are easy to make. And they would be fun cookie to bake with your kids. Everything is done in a bowl with a wooden spoon there is no mixer evolved that makes them kid friendly.
Just like I had fun last night with my friends and family I know you will have fun time making these cookies with yours!

This recipe can be found on the Pillsbury web-site.

Funfetti Cookies

1 box Pillsbury Funfetti Cake Mix

1/3 cup oil
2 eggs
1 (15.6-oz.) can Pillsbury Funfetti Vanilla Frosting

Preheat oven to 375°F. In large bowl, combine cake mix, oil and eggs; stir with spoon until thoroughly moistened. Shape dough into 1-inch balls; place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. With bottom of glass dipped in flour, flatten to 1/4-inch thickness.

Bake for 6 to 8 minutes or until edges are light golden brown at 375⁰F. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets.

Spread frosting over warm cookies. Immediately sprinkle each with candy bits from frosting can. Let frosting set before storing. Store in tightly covered container.

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Monday, July 18, 2011

Zucchini Bread

My beautiful little garden that I talked about on my other blog has started to produce zucchini.

And if you have every planted a zucchini plant before than you know what is about to happen. I will be having zucchinis coming out my ears. That can be a blessing as well as a curse. On one hand my family gets to eat zucchini bread and all the other dishes that I can come up with. But one the other hand they might start yelling No more zucchini, Please no more zucchini! But as for now I will start them off with some zucchini bread.

I love the sweet smell of zucchini bread baking in the oven. And that first cut the end piece, oh how I love that crunchy end piece! But I also love the soft texture of the center pieces and that always leads us to another end piece! Oh no! Now I am out of zucchini bread I guess I will have to make some more. Good thing I have a zucchini plant in my garden!

Zucchini Bread

1 cup oil
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3 cups flour
2 cups grated zucchini
1 cup chopped walnuts

In a large bowl beat oil, sugar, eggs and vanilla. Add salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and flour. Stir in zucchini and walnuts. Pour into 2 greased loaf pans; bake at 350⁰F for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

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Saturday, July 16, 2011

Easy Apple Dumpling

As I mention in my previous posting that I bought a package of egg roll wrappers for a recipe that I had in mind, will this is it. I thought why not use egg roll wrappers in place of the pie crust that I normally use when I make apple dumplings.

It was a lot less work. And it did cut bake on the calories. If you want you could cut back a lot more if you use Splenda blend in place of the sugar that would make a very low calorie dessert.
I did fine that the dumpling were browning to fast. If you have the same problem just do what I did I placed a sheet of aluminum foil on top to help prevent over browning.
And what about the taste they were delicious. I gave one of my friends at work who told me that she really liked it. And I know that you will to. And I know that you will to.

Easy Apple Dumpling

8 small granny smith apples, peeled and corded
1 package large eggroll wrappers
½ cup sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup water
½ teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter

Preheat oven to 425⁰F.

In a small dish combine the ½ cup sugar with the ½ teaspoon cinnamon; set aside. On a work surface place an eggroll wrapper. Place one prepared apple then spoon 1 teaspoon of cinnamon sugar mixture into core of apple.

With a pastry brush dipped in water brush the edges of wrapper; carefully fold wrapper over apple sealing edges.

Place into a small baking dish. Repeat with remaining apples; set aside.

In a small saucepan heat to boil water, brown sugar, ½ teaspoon cinnamon and butter. Pour over apple in baking dish. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

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Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Cannelloni Florentine

The other day I bought a package of eggroll wrappers because I had another dish in mind; which I will be sharing in a few days. But let me tell you about how I came up with this dish.

In the package of eggroll wrappers there was a recipe for Cannelloni which is also called manicotti. The recipe sounded good but of course I wanted to do something different. I decided to use my own pasta sauce recipe and to use the ricotta filling that I use in my lasagna roll ups. I just realized that I have never shared that recipe with you. I guess that will have to wait for another day. But this filling is just like it the filing that I use in my roll ups.
Now if you think about it eggroll wrappers are made out of the same ingredients that they make pasta with. So why not use them just like pasta. And it was a lot easier to roll up my filling then to stuff the filling into the manicotti tubes.
They tasted so good that I will be making them again. Next time I think I will try a different filling and maybe a white cheese sauce.

CannellonI Florentinei

1 teaspoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 /2 cup diced onions
1 (15oz.) can tomato sauce
1 (15oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon Italian seasonings
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 (10oz.) box chopped frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
2 cups ricotta cheese
¼ cup parmesan cheese
1 egg
2 cups mozzarella cheese, divided
12 large egg roll wrappers sheets

In a medium sauce pan sauté onions and garlic in oil. Add tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning and brown sugar. Simmer for 20 minutes.

In a medium size bowl combine spinach, ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, ½ cup mozzarella cheese and egg.

Place ¼ cup of spinach mixture onto one egg roll wrapper roll up from end to end.

Place into a greased 13x9 inch baking dish; repeat with remaining wrappers.

Pour tomato sauce over rolled pasta. Cover and bake at 350⁰F for 40 minutes. Uncover and, sprinkle remaining cheese over top. Return to oven; bake until cheese melts 5-7 minutes.

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Monday, July 11, 2011

Strawberry Pie

Hey what is that up in the sky is that my Strawberry Pie! No it's our new air conditioner!

If you have been following my blog then you know that I have been with out an a/c for a week. Will they showed up this morning to take our old one away and to bring us a bright and shinny new one.

This is our old one. It is the only A/C that this house has ever known, it has been working hard for 28 years to keep this little old house warm in the winter and cool in the hot California summers.

And yes that is a crane. How else would they get a 3000 pound a/c onto a roof. You see out here in California they do some crazy things, like installing an a/c on the roof of house.

So out with the old and....

and in with the new!

And now after a week of the noise of 3 osculating fans, 1 ceiling fan, and 1 portable a/c; that were trying to keep us cool, with temperatures being over 100 degrees outside. We now get to enjoy the quite of our bright and shinny new air conditioner!

Strawberry Pie

1 cup fresh chopped strawberries

1 small box strawberry jello

1 cup boiling water

2 cups vanilla ice cream

1 graham cracker pie crust

In a large bowl dissolve jello in boiling water. Add vanilla ice cream and stir until melted. Add the strawberries; pour mixture into pie crust. Chill until firm.

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Saturday, July 9, 2011

No-Bake Cookies

HELP! I am having baking withdrawals!

I am not kidding I haven’t had an air conditioner for a week. And the temperature has been over a hundred degrees this week.
When a person like me who loves to cook and bake and can’t, it can make you go a little stir crazy.
We will be getting a new A/C on Monday but in the meantime we are trying to keep the house cool by not turning on the oven.
And that’s why I decide to make this cookie. Oh and also because when I mention it to my daughter Ariel that I wanted to bake something she reminded me of these cookies that her and Brandy would make when they were younger, back when they weren’t allowed to turn on the oven when I wasn’t home. That’s the “COOL” thing about these cookie there is no baking involved they are done on the stove top. That takes care of both my problem then the house stays cool and I get to make something! Oh and there is a better reason I get to share something with you!

N0-Bake Cookies

2 cups sugar

½ cup butter
½ cup milk
4 tablespoons cocoa powder
½ cup peanut butter
3 cups quick cook oatsmeal
1 teaspoon vanilla

In a medium saucepan bring sugar, butter, milk and cocoa powder to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat add peanut butter oatmeal and vanilla. Drop teaspoonfuls onto waxed paper. Let cool!

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Blog Award

The other day I received my first Blog Award from a fellow blogger Countryside Dish! It is such an honer to be recognized by a fellow blogger!

As per the rules,

Accept the award, post it in your blog with the link of the person who has shared it with you
Pass it on to more bloggers
Let the nominated bloggers know about their award (just post a comment in their blog)

I would like to pass on these awards to:

Brandy's Creations
Cravings of a Lunatic
Tried and True Cooking with Heidi
Moogie & Pap
Baker Girl
Baking Serendipity
Cooking with Kay Pin It

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Easy Burrito Enchilada

I was thinking about this simple dish the other day when I notice a package of frozen burrito in my freezer. I used to make this for my girls when they were younger. Back then I would use can enchilada sauce. But now I make my own enchilada sauce, we like it much better. But you can use what every kind of sauce you like. In this recipe I use the bean and cheese burrito, but you choose the flavor you want. I know that this dish will become a family favorite in your house just like it is in mine!

Easy Burrito Enchilada

1 package of frozen burrito (8 count, your choice of flavor), thawed
1 batch of red enchilada sauce (recipe follows)or 1 large can
2 cups cheese blend (cheddar and Monterey jack)

Preheat oven to 350⁰F. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray.
Coat the bottom of baking dish with 1 cup of sauce. Place frozen burrito in dish. Add remaining sauce to cover the burrito in dish; top with cheese.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes
Red Enchilada Sauce
1 (8oz) can tomato sauce
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoon flour
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon chili powder

In a saucepan, combine tomato sauce, water, flour, and garlic, onion and chili powders. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture boils and thickens. Remove from heat.

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Monday, July 4, 2011

Skillet Spaghetti

There were so many times when my girls were growing up that I always need to get dinner on the table in a hurry. And being a child who grew up eating Hamburger Helper a lot for dinner I just didn’t want to have my children growing up on it to. It’s all right sometimes I guess but I have notice that over the years the amount of pasta that you get in the box of mix has changed and you almost have to use 2 boxes for the pound of ground beef that the mix calls for.

So over the years I have come up with my own version of a hamburger helper. I believe that this recipe taste so much better than theirs. And it’s such an easy dish to prepare because you make it all in the same skillet.

Skillet Spaghetti

1 pound ground beef
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, chopped
1(16 OZ.) jar pasta sauce
1 beef bouillon cube
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 (4oz.) can mushrooms
2 cups water
8 oz. spaghetti, broken in half
1 cup grated Cheddar cheese

In a large Dutch over medium-high heat cook ground beef, onions and minced garlic until meat is brown and onions are tender; drain. Add pasta sauce, bouillon cube, Italian seasoning, mushrooms and water; bring to a boil. Add pasta; cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until pasta is tender. Sprikle cheese over top; serve.

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Sunday, July 3, 2011

Ooey Gooey S’more Bars

Happy 4^TH of July everyone! Yes I know that today is the 3^rd of July but I wanted to give you something special to enjoy for your 4th! S’mores! Yes you heard me right S’mores and what a cool and different way to serve them then in an ooey gooey bar!

This recipe was sent to me in an email from Betty Crocker called S’mores ,s’mores, s’mores and I just had to make and share one of the recipes with you. They called the bars Warm Toasted Marshmallow S’mores Bars, but I think they should be called Ooey Gooey S’mores Bars. So that’s what I calling them.
I say bring on the milk! Because you will need it when you serve these at your celebration and have a Happy and safe 4^th of July!

Ooey Gooey S’more Bars

1 pouch (1 lb 1.5oz) Betty Crocker sugar cookie mix

1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 cup butter, melted
3 cups milk chocolate chips (18oz package)
4 ½ cups miniature marshmallows

Preheat oven to 375⁰F. In large bowl, stir together cookie mix and crumbs. Stir in melted butter until soft dough forms. Press into ungreased 13x9 inch pan.

Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until set. Immediately sprinkle chocolate chips over crust. Let stand 3 to 5 minutes or until chocolate begins to melt. Spread chocolate evenly over crust.
Set control to broil. Sprinkle marshmallow over melted chocolate. Broil with top 5 to 6 inches from heat 20 to 30 seconds or until marshmallow are toasted. Cool 10 minutes.

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Saturday, July 2, 2011

Italian Sausage, Peppers & Onions

I made these sandwiches a few weeks ago but I never posted them. I take the photos and write down the recipe as I am cooking, we enjoy eating the dish but I just don’t get around to blogging about them. It’s amazing how many photos that I deleted today because I have missed place the papers that I wrote the recipes on. Yes I guess I could just make up a recipe to go with the photos but to me that just wouldn’t be right. So that just means I will have to try making the dish again. I know that this will make my husband Richard happy because he always enjoys eating what I make.

This recipe came about because I had a lot of Italian sausage in my freezer. You know what that is like if you shop at Costco. And I have used Italian sausage in a few of my dishes like Italian Sausage Soup and Baked Spaghetti with Italian Sausage. And I have often used Italian sausage instead of ground beef in my pasta sauce. But today I wanted to make something different.
So I thought why, don’t I make a very popular Italian dish that uses sausage I looked up how a few other cooks prepared the dish and read a few recipes that I found in my cookbooks and that is how I came up with this recipe that more suites my taste and is very simple to prepare. It turned out great and I will definitely be making this dish again, not just because I still have a lot of Italian sausage in my freezer. But because these sandwich tasted so good!

Italian Sausage, Peppers & Onions

1 pound Italian sausage, sliced

2 bell peppers, sliced
1 large onion, sliced
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 (15oz) can diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon oregano

In a large skillet brown Italian sausage slices over medium high heat; remove from skillet and set aside. Using same skillet sauté bell peppers and onion with the salt, black pepper and garlic until the vegetable are tender. Return the sausage to the skillet and add the diced tomatoes and oregano. Simmer for 15 minutes. Serve on toasted sourdough rolls.

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Sunday, July 31, 2011

Saturday, July 30, 2011

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Monday, July 25, 2011

Sunday, July 24, 2011

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Monday, July 18, 2011

Saturday, July 16, 2011

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Monday, July 11, 2011

Saturday, July 9, 2011

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Monday, July 4, 2011

Sunday, July 3, 2011

Saturday, July 2, 2011