Lasagna Rolls

I am a lasagna purist, so it took me a long time to get on the lasagna roll bandwagon.  The concept has been around for a while, but since lasagna is one of my favorite foods, I thought my way was better.  Well... I might have been wrong.  These are so good!  And if you want to put them in multiple dishes to freeze, pass off to a friend etc, it is very convenient!

Meat Sauce:

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1/2 a 32 oz. jar of sauce (save the rest for the bottom and top)

Ricotta Filling:

• 2 cups ricotta cheese (or a 15 ounce container)
• 1 large egg
• 2 teaspoons of pesto
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley ( I only had dried)
• 8 ounces mozzarella cheese shredded, about 2 cups (reserving 1/2 cup for topping)
• 4 ounces Parmesan cheese finely grated, about 1 1/2 - 2 cups (reserving 1/4 cup for topping)
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Noodles:

• 12 traditional lasagna noodles (I had enough filling for 15)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking pan and set aside.
2. Brown the ground beef and drain any excess grease.
3. Add half of the jar of sauce and simmer to combine the flavors.
4. While the sauce is simmering, boil the lasagna noodles in a large pot of salted water according to package directions until al dente. Drain the noodles, rinse quickly under cold water and then lay the noodles flat in a single layer on waxed paper, towel, cutting board, whatever is handy.
5. Stir together the ricotta cheese, egg, pesto, parsley, mozzarella cheese (remember to set aside 1/2 cup of the mozzarella for topping later), Parmesan cheese (remember to set aside 1/4 cup of the Parmesan for later also), salt and pepper.
6. Spread a heaping spoonful of the ricotta filling down the center of each noodle. It doesn't have to cover the entire noodle, just press it into a somewhat even layer. The filling will be divided up evenly over all 12 noodle (I don't start rolling up the noodles until I've used up all the filling so I can add more to each noodle if need be). Spread a tablespoon or two of the meat sauce down the center of each noodle on top of the creamy filling. Again, it doesn't need to be perfectly even, just drizzle/spread it across the top.
7. Spread about one cup or so of the sauce in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Working with one lasagna noodle at a time, roll the noodle and place seam-side down in the baking dish in four rows of three. Spread the remaining sauce over the noodles, sprinkle with the reserved cheeses and cover with aluminum foil  Bake, covered for 35 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Let the lasagna rolls rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Kitchen of Reality Tips:

- I used a jarred sauce by Mid's called Meatless (Lowe's Foods) and it was the best sauce I have ever tasted!  It is quite expensive so I only bought it because it was on a great sale.  In the future, I will be sure to stock up because it was awesome!

- I got all my other ingredients at Aldi, so you can keep the price pretty low!

Caramel Apple Cobbler

Another recipe mom made while we were home… SO easy and delicious!  Be sure to serve with vanilla ice cream.

Ingredients:

- 2 cans caramel apple pie filling

- 1 cake mix (white, yellow, butter recipe—your pick)

- 2 stick of melted butter OR a can of sprite

Directions:

1- Spray 8x11 casserole dish and spread apples into the bottom.

2- Sprinkle dry cake mix over the top of the apples.

3- Pour melted butter evenly over the top of the cake.

4- Bake until golden brown—45 to 5o minutes.

 

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality:

1- We’ve made it with sprite and butter—both work and taste great.

2- You can use any flavor cake mix—but with the caramel apple pie filling, the spice cake mix is delicious!!

3- This recipe can be used for ANY type of fruit cobbler.

Cajun Shrimp, Spinach, and Grits

Mom made this for us the other night. So easy and so great—especially if you are a shrimp and grits fan.

Ingredients:

1 cup quick-cooking grits

2 tablespoons olive oil

1.5 pounds large peeled and deveined shrimp

2 teaspoons Cajun or blackening seasoning (no salt added)

Kosher salt and pepper

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 cup frozen corn, thawed

1 bunch fresh spinach, thick stems discarded

Directions:

Cook the grits according to package directions

Heat 1 Tbsp oil in skillet. Season the shrimp with the Cajun seasoning and 1/4 tsp salt and cook for 2 minutes. Turn and cook until opaque throughout, 1 to 2 minutes more. Remove the skillet from the heat, add the lime juice and toss to coat. Transfer to a plate.

Wipe out the skillet and heat the remaining Tbsp oil. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the corn and cook until heated through.

Add the spinach and 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper and cook, tossing, for 1 minute. Return the shrimp to the skillet and toss to combine. Serve over the grits.

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality:

- We like spice so we used more cajun! (3 teaspoons)

- I made cheese grits to serve with this instead of just plain grits. Cheese makes everything better.

- This recipe serves 4.

** Original Recipe from Woman’s Day.**

Broccoli Cheddar Cornbread

Great homemade cornbread recipe!! Trick the kids into eating some extra veggies.

Ingredients

• 2 (8.5-ounce) boxes Jiffy corn muffin mix
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 1 (8-ounce) container cottage cheese
• 4 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons grated Cheddar cheese
• 1 stick unsalted butter or margarine
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped broccoli, thawed but not drained

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Mix together all ingredients except 2 tablespoons Cheddar to create a batter in a bowl.

In a 10-inch cast iron skillet melt butter. Saute onions and broccoli until soft. Pour batter over the vegetable mixture and sprinkle top evenly with remaining cheese. You can also place the ingredients in an 11 by 17-inch baking dish.

Bake in oven until golden, 30 minutes.

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality:

- Add some jalapenos to this and it adds an extra kick.

Cheese Stuffed Bacon Meatballs

I like a good meatball recipe, but this marinara is AWESOME!

Ingredients

Meatballs:

• 8 to 10 slices applewood smoked bacon
• 1 pound ground chuck
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 package onion soup mix
• 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1 tablespoon coarse black pepper
• 1 tablespoon beef stock
• 8 to 10 bocconcini mozzarella balls

Marinara:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, finely diced
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons freshly chopped basil leaves
• 2 tablespoons freshly chopped oregano leaves
• 1 tablespoon coarse ground black pepper
• 2 (14-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
• 2 (14-ounce) cans diced tomatoes in puree
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon

Directions

Meatballs:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Arrange the bacon slices on a sheet pan. Put in the oven and bake until crisp, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the bacon from the pan to a cutting board and chop. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together the beef, Worcestershire, onion soup mix, bread crumbs, black pepper, stock and the chopped bacon.

Form portions of the meat around bocconcini to make smooth balls. Arrange the meatballs on a sheet pan with a rack and bake until thoroughly browned, about 10 to 15 minutes.

Marinara:

Add the oil to a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot add the onion, garlic, basil, oregano and pepper and saute for a few minutes. Stir in the crushed and diced tomatoes, red pepper flakes and the bouillon. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.

Remove the meatballs from the pan to a serving platter and serve with the marinara sauce.

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality:

- You can buy the special mozzarella balls at Whole Foods, but save yourself some money and just cube a block of mozzarella into 1/4 inch cubes.

- The marinara makes A TON!! Be prepared to have something with marinara the next day too! :)

-

Chocolate Orbit Cake with Mixed Berry Sauce

WOW!! Was surprised how easy this dessert was and it was delicious. Did I mention we topped it off flaming strawberries. Super cool! Try it, you’ll LOVE it!

Chocolate Orbit Cake
(from Room for Dessert by David Lebovitz)
makes one 9" cake

Ingredients:
1/2 pound butter, in small chunks
12 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup sugar
6 eggs

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Line the bottom of a 9" round pan with parchment paper and butter the bottom and sides.
3. Combine the butter and chocolate in a double boiler.  Cook until melted.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the sugar and the eggs.
5. Whisk in the melted chocolate to the sugar and eggs.
6. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan, and place this cake pan into a water bath, with warm water reaching about half-way up the sides.
7. Cover tightly with foil.
8. Bake in the oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes, until the cake appears set and your finger comes away clean when you touch the center.
9. Remove from oven and water bath and let cool completely.

Mixed Berry-Cassis Sauce
Ingredients:

1 bag of frozen mixed berries

1/3 cup creme de cassis
1/4 cup sugar
juice of 1/2 lemon
zest of 1 lemon
1 tspn cornstarch
pinch of salt

fresh fruit for garnish

Directions:
1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, cook for 10 to 15 minutes stirring often, until no longer frozen and very juicy.
2. Add in the creme de cassis, sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice and bring to a simmer.
3. When the liquid begins to simmer, spoon about 1/4 cup of the liquid into a small bowl.  Add the cornstarch to the liquid in the bowl and whisk thoroughly until the cornstarch is dissolved.  Return the cornstarch mixture to the berries cooking in the saucepan.
4. Bring the mixture to a boil and allow to boil for about a minute.
5. Reduce heat to a simmer until the liquid begins to be syrupy.  Remove from heat--serve warm immediately or reheat in microwave before serving.

Cut cake and serve sauce and fresh berries on top.

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality:

- We ended up using a bag of chocolate chips—72% cacao from Whole Foods for our chocolate.

- You get Crème de Cassis at the liquor store. (Can be used to make a delicious dessert cocktail too, google it!)

- The recipe called for all blackberries but we used mixed fruit and garnished with fresh strawberries. Including a hollowed out strawberry filled with Bacardi 100 alcohol on top that we lit on fire. SO COOL!!

** Original recipe from http://www.dessertsforbreakfast.com***

Chicken and Potato Florentine Soup

This is a popular soup at Olive Garden and this is a pretty close copy-cat recipe. We actually made it with leftover turkey. Makes a FULL crockpot!

Ingredients:

6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
32 ounces chicken broth
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon italian seasoning
1 tablespoon instant minced onion
2 (28 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with juice
2 (28 ounce) cans water
2 (15 ounce) cans great northern beans, drained
10 ounces shredded carrots
6 medium sliced potatoes, peeled
1/2 tablespoon salt
1/4 tablespoon black pepper
1/2 tablespoon italian seasoning
1/2 tablespoon instant minced onion
1/2 tablespoon paprika
5 ounces fresh spinach, chopped
8 ounces cream cheese
8 ounces grated mozzarella cheese

Directions:

- Simmer first 6 ingredients until chicken breasts are tender; remove meat and let cool; drain the solids from the broth and put clear liquid back into the soup pot; chop up chicken into bite size chunks and put back into the broth.

- Add next 10 ingredients to the soup pot and simmer for 45-60 minutes. The potatoes should be fork tender but not mushy.

- Add the fresh spinach and stir; let it wilt into the soup for about 5 minutes.

- Add the cream cheese and the grated mozzarella to the soup pot. Stir frequently until the cheese melts. Be careful that it does not stick to the bottom.

- Ladle into bowls; serve with crusty bread.

 

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality:

- We made this in the crockpot and cooked it all day.

- Added the beans without about an hour left and the spinach about 5 minutes before serving.

- Instead of mixing in the mozzarella cheese we just topped the soup with it.

*** Original Recipe from: www.food.com***

Scalloped Sweet Potato Stacks

If you like sweet potatoes you’ll love this recipe. If you don’t like sweet potatoes, you’ll love this recipe. It’s just that good. Cheese makes everything better!!

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds small sweet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme, divided
• 1 cup (4 oz.) freshly shredded mozzarella cheese, divided OR Gruyère cheese
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 1 garlic clove, pressed
• 1/2 to 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• Garnish: fresh thyme

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375°. Layer half of sweet potatoes in a lightly greased 12-cup muffin pan. Sprinkle with 1 1/2 tsp. thyme and 1/2 cup cheese. Top with remaining sweet potatoes. (Potatoes will come slightly above the rim of each cup.)

2. Microwave cream, next 3 ingredients, and remaining 1/2 tsp. thyme at HIGH 1 minute. Pour cream mixture into muffin cups (about 1 Tbsp. per cup).

3. Bake at 375°, covered with aluminum foil, 30 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake 5 to 7 minutes or until cheese is melted and slightly golden.

4. Let stand 5 minutes. Run a sharp knife around rim of each cup, and lift potato stacks from cups using a spoon or thin spatula. Transfer to a serving platter. Garnish, if desired.

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality:

- We made ours with Gruyère cheese… found it at Wal-Mart. Added a nice rich flavor that mozzarella doesn’t have.

- We made these in a bendy silicone baking pan, made it easy to remove them from pan without breaking the stacks.

 

** Original Recipe from: http://www.myrecipes.com**

Pistachio Crusted Chicken

Super easy and quite impressive. Was surprised at the amazing flavor of this dish. Enjoy a new variation on chicken.

Ingredients:

• 1½ cups shelled pistachios
• ¾ cup plain breadcrumbs
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. pepper
• 4 TB. Dijon mustard
• 4 TB. canola oil
• ¼ cup finely chopped mixed fresh herbs (rosemary, parsley, dill, etc.)
• 1½ lbs. chicken breast cutlets

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cover a baking sheet with a piece of foil.
2. Grind pistachios by pulsing in a food processor until medium fine. Mix the nuts with the breadcrumbs, and place in a shallow bowl. Add salt and pepper.
3. Whisk the mustard with 2 TB. of oil, and the herbs in a separate bowl.
4. Spread mustard mixture over both sides of each piece of chicken, and dredge in the pistachio breading to cover.
5. Heat the remaining oil in a skillet. Add chicken breasts, two at a time (do not crowd), to the skillet, and cook until the coating turns golden brown on each side, flipping after 3– 4 minutes. Repeat for each piece.
6. Place each browned chicken cutlet on the baking sheet, and bake to finish. Cook 7–10 minutes depending on thickness of chicken.

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality:

• We looked at 3 different specialty stores for shelled pistachios… ended up finding them at Wal-Mart. Who would of thought?!
• Be careful not to chop your pistachios too fine. You do want some chunkier pieces in the crust.
• We ended up using a little more oil in the skillet than it called for because we didn’t want the crust to stick to the skillet and peel off the chicken.

 

** Original recipe from: www.wherewomencook.com ***

Potato Parsnip Pancakes

Super easy recipe, great side to eat with soup!

 

Ingredients

- 2/3 cup light olive oil or peanut oil, for frying

- 3 medium Idaho potato, peeled and shredded

- 1 small parsnip, peeled and grated

- 1 small onion, peeled

- 1 egg, beaten

- 1 tablespoon flat-leaf parsley, chopped

- 1 tablespoon chives, finely sliced

- 1 tablespoon dill, chopped

- 3 tablespoons matzo meal, all-purpose flour, or cracker meal

- Salt and pepper

 

Directions

- Heat about 1/3 cup of oil over medium to medium-high heat.

- Drain the shredded potatoes and parsnip, pressing them down in a colander to get their moisture out.

- Place the mixture in a bowl; using a box grater, grate the onion directly into the potato mixture so the onion juices fall into the bowl as well. Add the egg, parsley, chives, dill and matzo meal to the bowl and season with salt and pepper.

- Combine and drop enough batter into hot oil to make 2 1/2-inch pancakes. Add more oil, as needed, and fry cakes in batches until deeply golden on each side.

- You will get about 16 pancakes. Drain cooked pancakes on paper towels and arrange on a platter.

 

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality:

- Actually followed this recipe as written, but did cheat with some dried herbs instead of fresh!

Bacon Bleu Cheese Dates

OH MY GOODNESS!! Was at a party ate one of these without knowing what they really were… DELICIOUS!! And I didn’t even think I liked dates or bleu cheese. :) Super easy appetizer. Enjoy it for the holiday season!

Ingredients:

- 1 pound sliced bacon, cut in half

- 1 pound pitted dates

- 4 ounces bleu cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Slice dates in half, and open them up. Pinch off pieces of blue cheese, and place them into the center of the dates. Close the halves of the dates, and wrap a half-slice of bacon around the outside. Secure each one with a toothpick. Arrange in a baking dish or on a baking sheet with sides to catch any grease.
3. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the bacon is crisp. Turn dates over after the first 20 minutes for even cooking.

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality:

- Let the dates rest out of oven to cool off before serving. They will be HOT!

- I had to broil them for a few minutes to get the bacon crisp. Just watch them carefully.

Roasted Cabbage Wedges

I am always happy to find a new way to eat a vegetable. This one looked delicious (and cheap) so I gave it a try. YUM!! This will definitely become a repeat. Hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

Ingredients:

1 t. olive oil

2 T. bacon bits

2 T lemon juice,

1 T. Worcestershire sauce

1/4 t. salt

1/4 t. pepper

1 Cabbage head, quartered

Directions:

- Mix all ingredients together except cabbage.

- Place on piece of quartered cabbage on large square of foil, spoon about 2 tablespoons of mixture on top, making sure to get it in the nooks and crannies. :) Repeat.

-Wrap tightly in foil and bake at 425 degrees for 20-30 minutes.

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality:

- This would be super easy to do on the grill!

- Had this two nights since we had 4 pieces and there was no way my kids would eat it. I made it with different seasonings – with and without lemon juice and overall it was just good!! So, no matter what you actually use, the technique is just good for cooking cabbage!

- I cooked mine for about 20 minutes and it was still crunchy, the way we like it. So bake accordingly.

Cheesy Chicken Tater Tot Casserole

Sorry I haven’t been posting lately, things have been a bit crazy and the budget is pretty limited so haven’t been being to adventurous. BUT… here is one recipe I ran across and had all the ingredients to… well almost. And it was for the crockpot. Kid friendly… enjoy!

Ingredients

1 (32 oz.) bag frozen tater tots
1 (3 oz.) bag bacon pieces
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
3/4 cup milk
salt & pepper, to taste

Directions

- Spray the bottom of your crock pot.

- Do the following layers in crockpot: tater tots, cheese, bacon, chicken (seasoned with salt and pepper), cheese, bacon, tater tots, cheese, bacon.

- Pour milk over the top.

- Cook on low for 4 hours—might need additional time if you started with frozen chicken pieces.

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality:

- Seriously?! The layer chart gave me a headache so I dumped everything in the crockpot—reserved out a handful of cheese for the top—and gave it a big stir. Really… is all that layering necessary… I think not.

- I didn’t have tater tots so used a bag of shredded hashbrowns instead… pretty sure my version was healthier.

- Needed more salt and pepper. (Probably b/c I used the hashbrowns instead of tater tots.)

 

** Original recipe from: www.thecountrycook.net **

Creamy Chicken and Noodles

I'm a big fan of classic dishes, especially now that I have moved away from home.  I love cooking things like this on Sundays...

Creamy Chicken and Noodles
-3-4 boneless chicken breasts
-2 cans of cream of chicken soup
-1/2 cup of butter in slices
-42 oz. of chicken broth

Put all of these items in your slow cooker for 8 hours.  Remove chicken at this time and shred (or dice) and return to the cooker.

-One bag of egg noodles (I prefer the medium size, but you can do whatever makes you happy)

Put the noodles in the cooker for another hour or so and dinner is served!  Adjust the times and amount of broth for how your family likes their noodles - soupy, mushy, firm, or casserole like.

Kitchen of Reality Tips:
- I have never actually made this in a slow cooker.  I think this is perfect for when you forget to take the chicken out of the freezer.
- I put the frozen chicken (literally like in a block) in the broth and soup and poach it for about 20-25 minutes.
- Then I take it out and dice it.  I put it and the noodles back in the pot and let it go for about 8 minutes until it is the consistency I like.  I add more broth at this point if it needs it.
- I use way less butter, if any.
- This is great frozen and reheated, especially if you put it in a casserole dish with a little Parmesan and breadcrumbs on top.

Smothered Beef Burritos

I found this recipe on Pinterest and it's quickly becoming a favorite in my house!

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 to 2 pounds stew meat or other beef cubed (top sirloin is great)
• 1 large can mild enchilada sauce* (at least 19 oz.)
• 2 beef bouillon cubes
• 1/2 can refried beans (optional)
• 5-7 burrito size flour tortillas
• 1 cup or so of shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:
Put beef, bouillon, and enchilada sauce into a crock pot and cook on low for 7-8 hours, or until meat is very tender. (Can also cook on high for maybe 3-4 hours.) 

When beef is done (very tender and flakes off when stirred), taste and add more salt, if desired. Heat up refried beans in the microwave (covered and in a microwave-proof dish, of course)and put your oven on broil. On an oven-proof plate, or cookie sheet even, lay out a tortilla.  Place on tortilla about 1/2 cup of the meat, drained by using a slotted spoon, and a spoonful or two of beans. Roll into a burrito (hopefully you know how to roll these). Pour some of the remaining enchilada sauce from the crock pot over the burrito to cover it. Sprinkle with some cheddar cheese. Broil until cheese is bubbly, about 2-4 minutes.

Serve.
Makes 5-7 burritos, depending on how full you make them.

Notes from Kitchen of Reality:
-We hate beans so I omit this part.
-I use a slotted spoon and remove all of my beef from the crock pot and put it in a large bowl where I shred it with two forks.  Then we found the broth to be too thin to get a nice coating on your rolled burritos, so this time, I did a corn starch/water mixture to thicken it.  I did maybe a Tbsp of corn starch in a little bowl with cold water.  Mix well and then I added it to the cooking liquid left in the crock pot.  I turned the crock pot to high while I shredded the beef.  It made it more gravyish in consistency and really did a great job of staying on the burritos after I rolled them. 
-block cheese melts WAY better than preshredded stuff.  Buy the block and shred yourself, you will be happy you did.

We eat this with Spanish rice and the Chili's copy cat salsa recipe right below this one.  DELICIOUS!  And beyond easy with basically ingredients I always have! 

Chili’s Copy Cat Salsa

I had lots of garden tomatoes and peppers to use, so I was looking for a great salsa recipe. Olivia, who posts on here quite often, recommended this one and it is AWESOME!! Especially since I’ve always been a huge fan of Chili’s salsa… not so much the rest of their menu.

Super easy and makes a ton… so stock up on your favorite chips and make it a Mexican week for your menu so you don’t have to throw any away!

Enjoy!

 

Ingredients:

2 cans (14.5 oz each) whole tomatoes, drained

3-4 canned, whole jalapenos

1 yellow onion, quartered

1 teaspoon garlic salt

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon sugar

2 teaspoons lime juice

Directions:

Place all of the ingredients together into a food processor or blender and puree until smooth. Serve with tortilla chips.

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality:

- I used fresh tomatoes instead of canned. Threw a close guess for the amount it called for in cans into the blender because I was too lazy to chop and go for an exact measurement. Turned out fine.

- While I know that Chili’s salsa is chopped very fine… I tend to like a little chunk to mine, so be careful in your blending.

- Also, not all peppers are alike. So add them one at a time and taste between. I like spicy so I used 6 or 7.

 

***Original recipe from http://www.sixsistersstuff.com***

Salted Caramel Butter Bars

Salted Caramel is the “new” everything in the world of sweets it seems. I was looking for something new to make and decided to give it a whirl. These seemed easiest enough and if you like sweet and salty then you are going to LOVE these. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

Crust:

- 1 lb salted butter, room temp

- 2 Tbsp vanilla

- 1 cup sugar

-1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

- 4 cups flour

Filling:
- 1 bag (14 oz.) caramel candies (about 50 individual caramels), unwrapped

- 1/3 cup milk or cream

- ½ teaspoon vanilla

- 1 Tbsp. coarse sea salt (optional)

 

Directions:

Crust:

1. In mixer, beat butter and sugars until creamy.

2. Add vanilla, mix well. combined. 

3. Sift flour into the butter mixture and beat on low speed until a smooth soft dough forms.

4. Spray a 9×13 inch baking pan lightly with non-stick cooking spray. Press one-third of the dough evenly into the pan to form a bottom crust. Place the rest of the dough in fridge.

5. Bake at 325 until edges are a pale golden brown, about 20 minutes. Let cool about 15 minutes.

Filling:

1. Place the unwrapped caramels, cream, and vanilla in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 1 minute. Remove from the microwave and stir until smooth. If caramels are not completely melted, microwave on high for 30-second intervals, stirring after each interval, until smooth.

Final Assembly:

1. Pour the caramel filling over the crust. 

2. If you are going to salt the caramel sprinkle it on caramel layer now.

3. Remove the remaining chilled dough from the refrigerator and crumble it evenly over the caramel.

4. Return the pan to the oven and bake until the filling is bubbly and the crumbled shortbread topping is firm and lightly golden, about 25 – 30 minutes.

5. Let cool before cutting into squares.

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality:

- My dough never really got stiff—I think because I didn’t want to go to the store and buy butter. I used margarine instead and while the consistency wasn’t quite right, it baked up and tasted great.

- I only had EXTRA course sea salt… it was a bit salty if you got too much in one bite. Next time I will put it in a ziploc and give it a good whack or two with the meat mallet to make it a bit more fine.

***Recipe found at: www.cookiesandcups.com**

To Die For Shrimp

I laugh at my sister because anytime she wants a good recipe she types in “to die for” at the beginning of her internet search. I must say, it usually works out for her.

Now that we are at the coast I am getting braver with cooking different types of seafood and experimenting with plain old things like cooking shrimp. THIS is by far my FAVORITE simple shrimp recipe.

Try it… it’s to die for!!

Ingredients:

- 1 lb (or more) of fresh shrimp, peeled

- stick of butter, melted

- one or two lemons, sliced thinly

- Cajun seasoning

Directions:

- On a baking sheet, pour melted butter.

- Spread lemon slices over the butter.

- Then layer shrimp on top of lemon slices.

- Sprinkle with seasoning.

- Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality:

- I used less butter—adjust as you see necessary for your amount of shrimp.

- The second time I made this I actually put the shrimp down first, seasoned it, and then topped with lemons and butter. It came out with a little more flavor this way.

- The original recipe called for Italian Seasoning but I like some spice—so we went Cajun. I’m sure the other way would be great too!

Roasted Corn Salsa

My friend Jenny made this recipe for us last year and I loved it. Never got around to making it last summer but have made it twice in the last few weeks! YUM!! Great reason to hit up the local Farmers Martket! Enjoy.

Ingredients

• 3 ears corn, shucked
• 4 medium tomatoes (about 1 1/2 lb.), chopped
• 2 onions, diced
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• salt and black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce (or to taste)
• 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

Directions

1. Grill corn, turning often, until kernels have softened and are lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Let cool, then cut off kernels from each ear (you'll have about 3 cups).
2. In a large bowl, combine corn kernels, tomatoes, onions, olive oil, vinegar, salt, pepper and Tabasco sauce. Add parsley and stir well. Chill until ready to serve.

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality

- The last time I made this I actually used frozen corn. Cooked it in the microwave according to directions, drained it to remove as much water as possible and then threw it in a hot frying pan with a little bit of oil until it browned up. Not as good as fresh corn on the grill, but still really good, and a great time saver.

**Original recipe from www.myrecipes.com**

Easy Slow Cooker Jambalaya

When the whole Slivensky crew is down at the beach together we love to try new recipes with fresh seafood, especially shrimp. Although it took forever for my rice to cook up, it was a delicious recipe that I will be making again! (Be sure to see my notes/tips below.)

Ingredients

• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1 pound smoked sausage, cut into 2-inch slices
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 large green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 3 stalks celery, chopped
• 1(28 oz.) can diced tomatoes with juice
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon Cajun or Creole spice mix
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 pound extra large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 3/4 cups long-grain rice
• Parsley, optional

Directions

- Combine chicken, sausage, onion, green pepper, celery, tomatoes, garlic, chicken broth, spice mix, thyme and oregano in a large slow cooker. Cook on low for 5 hours.

- Add shrimp and rice; raise heat to high and cook for 30 minutes more. Sprinkle with chopped parsley, if desired.

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality

- I don’t like celery so I didn’t use it, just used more peppers.

- I used less chicken and more shrimp because that’s what we wanted.

- My rice was still crunchy after 30 minutes…and 45 minutes… next time I will either buy a different fast cooking rice OR pre cook the rice on the stovetop using the broth of the jambalaya and then mix it all back in together.

**Recipe from www.americanfamily.com**