It's what's on the Inside that Counts!

So I know what you’re all thinking.  “Wow!  These ladies are perfect in every way!”  Well, this dinner blog is to show that we aren’t always perfect, but we learn, we move on, and best of all – our food STILL is delicious!

For this particular dinner night, we made Chicken Pesto Calzones.  They did not seal properly (we remembered to seal them with egg whites only after the fact).  Not picture perfect, but still delightfully delicious!

Chicken Pesto Calzones

-1 lb cubed chicken

-1/2 cup pesto

-2 cloves garlic, minced

-1 medium onion

- 1 T. basil

-1 T. parsley

 - salt and pepper to taste

- Frozen Bread Dough

- Egg whites

-Directions: Cook chicken, onion and garlic until onion is translucent and chicken is thoroughly cooked, then add remaining ingredients, then cool in fridge 1 hour. Thaw bread dough and let rise per package directions. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut bread dough into 6 balls, and roll out with rolling pin. Place 1/2 cup filling in each, and seal with egg whites. Cook 25 minutes, or until browned.

 

Next we made Saltine Heath Bars.  Let me tell you people, this recipe is SO easy…if you just pay attention during the 15 minutes it takes to make!
 

Saltine Heath Bars

-1-2 sleevesSaltines

-2 sticks butter

-1 cup brown sugar

-1/2 – 1  cup chocolate chips (you can judge)

-chopped nuts (pecans, peanuts, cashews…your choice!)

Directions:  Arrange saltines on a cookie sheet lined with foil (make sure your cookie sheet has edges!  If you think just folding the tinfoil to create an edge, you will likely have a mess in your oven afterwards) 

Over medium heat, melt butter and brown sugar together, bring to a boil for 3 minutes stirring constantly (DO NOT add more brown sugar even if you think it looks watery.  It will become grainy if you do)  When you take them out of the oven and set them on the stovetop, make sure you turned the burners off or you'll have a pan like this (as you can see I also did not have an edge on my sheet...lots of issues here).

 

Pour mixture over crackers.  Bake at 375 for 10 minutes (no longer!).  Remove from oven, and sprinkle chocolate chips across the top.  Once they start to melt, spread them across the crackers/bars.  Top with chopped nuts and refridgerate for at least an hour (or freeze).  When ready, cut into squares and enjoy.

And then there was our salad, our saving grace.  Nothing can go wrong with salad!

Simple Spring Salad Recipe

Juice of 1 ½ oranges
Juice of ½ lemon
1/2 small red onion, chopped
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/8 teaspoon fine grain salt

4 handfuls of salad greens
1/2 cup walnut halves, toasted
1/3 cup black olives, pitted (we left these out)

Directions: Whisk together the juice of 1/2 orange, lemon juice, most of the red onion, olive oil, and salt. Taste, and add more lemon and/or salt as you see fit.

Peel the remaining orange and cut into segments, removing any seeds you might encounter. Set aside.

Toss greens with a generous splash of the dressing. Add the orange segments and walnuts and toss again. Taste and add dressing as you see fit. Serve salad topped with the remaining red onion and olives (if used).

 

So our calzones tasted wonderful even though not fully sealed.  Our heath goodies…what we were able to salvage from the smoking oven disaster of 2013, were pretty good.  And the salad...a delightfully fresh way to spring into summer (as we wait for the warmer temps!)

Spicy Mac-n-Cheese, Chocolate Lasagna and Spring Salads

Though this blog has only been around a few months, we've actually been doing Girl's Dinner Nights for close to 3 years. We try to remember all the meals we've made with some accuracy,or make some again because they were so darn good the first time.  That's how we decided to make Spicy Mac-n-Cheese. I made it about 6 months ago, and it was SO great and easy, I couldn't fathom why I'd never made it before. Stephanie and Sabrina love the hot stuff, and so do I to a lesser, more apt to heartburn from it  extent, so I decided to make this one spicy. Chocolate lasagna doesn't have any pasta, don't worry. But it was an absolutely delicious and decadent dessert that I couldn't stay out of for days.

Spicy Mac-n-Cheese

-1/2 lb. elbow macaroni

-3 large eggs

-1 can evaporated milk

 -1 t. cayenne pepper

-1 jalapeno seeded and diced

-1/8 t. ground nutmeg

-1 1/2  cups grated jalapeno jack

-1/2 cup grated monterey jack cheese

-1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

-sriracha sauce

Directions: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cook macaroni 6 minutes ( it will be slightly under-cooked). In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and evaporated milk. Add 1/2 t. salt, cayenne, nutmeg , jalapenos and cheeses, mix well. Add macaroni and stir well to combine. Transfer to a sprayed 9-inch glass baking pan and bake 15 minutes until slightly browned and bubbly at edges. Let sit 5-10 minutes before serving. Garnish with sriracha as desired.

You will weep with happiness, and also because your mouth is  on fire, in a good way. =)







Spring Side Salad

-Spring Greens
-Sliced red onions
- Whole salted almonds
-Cucumbers
-Raspberry Poppy seed dressing

- Combine in bowls and top with dressing

This salad is a great way to ease the spice of the Mac-n-Cheese ;)

Chocolate Lasagna

• 1 package regular Oreo cookies 
• 6 Tablespoon butter, melted
• 1- 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 Tablespoons cold milk
• 1- 12 ounce tub Cool Whip, divided
• 2 – 3.9 ounce packages Chocolate Instant Pudding.
• 3 1/4 cups cold milk
• 1 and 1/2 cups mini chocolate chips

Directions:

Begin by crushing 36 Oreo cookies. I used my food processor for this, but you could also place them in a large ziplock bag and crush them with a rolling pin. When the Oreos have turned into fine crumbs, you are done.

1. Transfer the Oreo crumbs to a large bowl. Stir in 6 tablespoons melted butter and use a fork to incorporate the butter into the cookie crumbs. When the butter is distributed, transfer the mixture to a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Press the crumbs into the bottom of the pan. Place the pan in the refrigerator while you work on the additional layers.
2. Mix the cream cheese with a mixer until light and fluffy. Add in 2 Tablespoons of milk, and sugar, and mix well. Stir in 1 and 1/4 cups Cool Whip. Spread this mixture over the crust.
3. In a bowl, combine chocolate instant pudding with 3 and 1/4 cups cold milk. Whisk for several minutes until the pudding starts to thicken. Use a spatula to spread the mixture over the previous cream cheese layer. Allow the dessert to rest for about 5 minutes so that the pudding can firm up further.
4. Spread the remaining Cool Whip over the top. Sprinkle mini chocolate chips evenly over the top. Place in the freezer for 1 hour, or the refrigerator for 4 hours before serving.
5. *Adapted from http://centercutcook.com/

This is the absolute best way to satisfy a major chocolate craving. Layer upon layer of whipped cream and creamy chocolate. Plus, it has Oreo cookies. Yeah, Enough said.

So once again, we wrapped up the night talking about how even though we've been doing these almost weekly for years, we still are coming up with new fun dinner night ideas. So I guess we'll have to do these until the end of time, because there are an infinite amount of new things out there to make!

Crunchy Chicken Broccoli Bake and Spring Salads

As much as we wish, it is not spring out yet. It may be almost May, but mother nature just can't seem to let winter go this year. Last week we comforted  ourselves with delicious new recipes as we try our hardest to be patient and wait for spring. 

 One of the many fun things about this blog is that we can keep track of what we make each week. At the end of every successful Girl's Dinner Night, we laze around full to the brim and try to think of what to make next week. Granted, we could have written it down, but whatever, we've been doing it almost 3 years now, so we're bound to forget from time to time... 

Crunchy Chicken Bake

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups chopped cooked chicken

1 can (10 ¾ ounces) condensed cheddar cheese soup or homemade condensed cheddar cheese soup 

½ cup milk (use even if you are using homemade soup)

Dash ground pepper

2 packages (10 ounces each) frozen broccoli cuts, cooked and drained

1 can (2.8 ounces) French fried onions

Directions:

1.  Stir the cooked chicken, soup, milk, pepper, broccoli and 2/3 cup of the onions into a 1 ½ quart casserole.  Cover.

2.  Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes until hot. Stir the mixture.

3.  Sprinkle the remaining onions over the mixture.

4.  Bake for 5 minutes more until the onions are golden. Makes 6 servings.

Who doesn't love those fried onions? This is a comfortingly  crunchy casserole style dish. So simple to whip up and delish!

Is it Spring Yet? Salad

-3 cups mixed greens

-2 mandarin oranges, sectioned

-3 strawberries, diced

-1/2 cup almonds

-2 green onions, chopped

-1/2 cup feta cheese

- Raspberry Vinaigrette

Directions: Divide ingredients evenly in three bowls and add dressing to taste.

We needed color to brighten up this dark spring. This is just an amalgam of colorful and flavorful fruits and veggies to help us think summery thoughts.We also did a spring dance, which is the opposite of a rain dance and meant to bring the sun out from behind the clouds. hey, it can't hurt, right? ;)

Next week's menu: Mexican fusion night: Taco Pasta, guacamole and Tex-Mex truffles!!

Not-So-Vegan Tacos and Watermelon Feta Salad

Dinner night has been on a bit of a hiatus lately, as we are all very popular ladies with demanding social lives.... Or perhaps we just over-commit? Either way, I'm FINALLY writing this blog post, a few weeks late. Sabrina found an awesome recipe for vegan tacos, and what we found out is that they were really good with cheese on them. And sour cream. You could easily make the recipe with it's original vegan intentions, and I'm sure that's great too. To balance out the spicy tacos (and these can be quite hot if you want to make them that way) I made a Watermelon and Feta salad recipe I'd been eyeing up for a while. Stephanie got dessert, which was white wine. 

Not So Vegan - Vegan Tacos

1 teaspoon canola oil

2/3 cupfinely chopped onion

1 small clove garlic, minced

2/3 cup dried lentils, rinsed

1 tablespoon taco seasoning, or to taste (I used about 1/2 pouch of Old El Paso Hot & Spicy...it absorbs so became quite spicy!)

1 2/3 cups chicken broth

2/3 cup salsa (prefer homemade)

12 taco shells or tortillas

Saute garlic and onion in oil.  Add lentils and and chicken broth, and bring to a boil (most of the broth will absorb into the beans),   stir in taco seasoning.  Add salsa and mash lentils and salsa together.  Serve with your favorite taco fixings!

 

 

These tacos were nice and spicy, but the spice level can be easily adjusted for northern taste buds by adding regular taco seasoning. Lentils are a great source of protein and antioxidants, and they were a great play on taco meat!

*this picture was taken at a later date.  Originally we made beautiful tacos in a crispy corn shell...but we were so excited to eat them that we forgot to take the picture.  :)
 

Watermelon Feta Salad

-3 cups cubed watermelon

-1/2 cup diced red onions

-1 container feta cheese

-1/4 cup chopped fresh mint

- 1 T. lime juice

Directions: Combine all ingredients in a bowl and let sit for one hour before serving.
 

 

This salad was a perfect compliment to the spicy tacos, with the fresh juicy watermelon and salty feta. This combination sounds a bit odd at first, but tastes grand. It will be a welcome addition to my meals this summer when melons are nice and fresh!
 

 

Our meal was triumphant, we made some different sorts of fare and the experiments turned out fabulous! We should be on a more regular schedule again now, so stay tuned!

 

Slow Cooking and Time Saving!

It's been a while since the 3 of us have gotten together.  The snow is melting, and Spring/Summer activities are already underway.  While it is difficult for 3 awesome ladies to coordinate schedules in our busy lives, one thing anyone that can add delicious meals to anyone's time crunch...slow cooker!  Seriously whoever invented the crock pot was an absolute genius.  Fast and delicious!

Bayou Bourbon Pulled Pork

- I Pork Roast (shoulder)

- BBQ Sauce (desired amount)

(I used 1/2 bottle Tastefully Simply Bayou Bourbon Glaze)

- 1/4 Teaspoon Salt

- in addition, some salt, pepper to taste.

 

Directions:  Couldn't be easier!  Add a little oil to a and bring to Medium Heat.  Add the salt/pepper to the roast to trap in the flavor.  Sear the roast on all sides and edges.  Just enough to brown.  This will seal in the juices.  Next put that whole roast in your crock pot and set on High.  Walk away.  Get your spring cleaning done!

Next - after about....5-6 hours, remove the pork from the cooker and place on a big platter or cutting board.  Using 1 fork, hold the roast in place, and use a second fork, to pull the meat apart in shreds.   When all the meat is shredded, add the shredded pork back into the slow cooker, add your bbq sauce, and set on low until ready to eat!

 

Artichoke & Spinach Dip

- 8 oz cream cheese

- 1 Cup shredded swiss cheese

1 packet Tastefully Simple Warm Artichoke & Spinach Dip Mix

(yes, two TS products in one blog...major time savor!)

 

*No, it's not mold on the bun...it's dip.  :)

 

Soften cream cheese, and mix with 3/4 Cups of the swiss cheese and dip mix.  Chill for an hour.  Once chilled and the ingredients have set, you can either reheat and add remaining cheese to the top, OR....since we're on a slow cooker discussion....set in in a dip warmer on low, and forget it!

 

Serve with a nice kaiser roll or crusty bread with cheese or onion if you choose, and veggies, crackers or chips for the dip!

 

Slow cookers leave your house smelling delicious while giving you the freedom to get done all those pesky weekend tasks that need to be done.  And when you're done - bon appetit!

 

 

 

 

"Pasta, Salad, Dessert, OH MY!"

Last week, or perhaps it may have been the week before (I'm a little late in posting!) we had yet another very successful dinner night that ended with satisfied bellies.

 

 

 

Cheesy Creamy Chicken Alfredo

prepared by:  Stephanie

(makes 4 servings)

 

4 small handfuls fettuccine

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 tablespoons cream cheese

1 pint heavy cream

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup Parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 cup shredded mozzarella (cause that's how we roll)

1 -2 Roma tomatoes

 

Directions:  Dice chicken into bit size pieces and cook thoroughly.  Dice tomatoes so they will be ready when time. Fill large pot slightly over half-full with water and bring to a boil.  Once boiling, add noodles and keep burner on medium-high.   In separate saucepan, stir together cream, butter, and cream cheese until melted.  Add mozzarella if you choose (or...put it on top of the noodles before pouring the sauce on).  Check noodles (can take about 10 minutes, but best to check stiffness.  Should be very bendy and a little sticky)  Add Parmesan and garlic powder and simmer on low for roughly 10 minutes (won't hurt to go longer).  Add the cooked chicken and diced tomatoes to the mix.  Add parsley flakes for garnish!  Serve up your dish!

 

 

Different Garden Salad

prepared by:  Kala

 

1 head chopped Romain lettuce

banana pepper rings

1/2 cup chopped roasted red pepper

1/2 cup diced cucumber

1 Tablespoon Parmesan per salad

croutons

salad dressing of choice (we used Honey Mustard Chipotle and it was GOOD!)

 

Directions:  Combine ingredients in 4 bowls in and mow!

 

Chocolate Pudding w/ Strawberries

prepared by:  Sabrina

 

1 box instant chocolate pudding

12 medium sized strawberries

2 Cups cold Milk

Cool Whip!

 

Directions:  Easy Peasy.  Whisk together pudding mix and cold milk.  Pour equal amounts into 4 containers and place in fridge to set.  Takes about 10 minutes.  Slice strawberries.  Place berries on top of pudding and top with cool whip!  YUM!

 

Phase 1:

 

Phase 2:

 

 

What are we going to make next week?  We are not even sure yet!  A surprise to us will be our surprise to you!

 

 

 



Americana Night!

This last week we were thinking of doing something American-esque, plain and simple. It started with my explanation of the Rachel sandwich, the estranged sister of Reuben. There was some debate about what to make with it, but sweet potato fries and a banana cream pie were just what the doctor ordered!

Rachel Sandwich

-1 loaf marble rye

-1 cup saurkraut

- swiss cheese slices

-sliced turkey

- Thousand Island dressing

Directions: Spray two slices of marble rye with cooking spray. Place slices of turkey, swiss cheese slices and however much saurkraut you want and bake at 350 degrees on baking sheet or grill in a pan until browned and cheese melted. Serve with dressing on the side.

We wound up using cheddar in these because I forgot the cheese.....Whoops! But it was still delicious!

Sweet Potato Fries

- 3 sweet potatoes, washed and peeled. Chop in to strips and toss with olive oil, salt, pepper and seasoning salt. Bake at 350 degrees 25-30 minutes, flipping as needed.

Yum!

Banana Cream Pie

-3/4 sugar

-1/3 cup flour

 

-¼ tsp salt

-2 cups milk

-3 egg yolks beaten

-2 tablespoons butter

-1 ¼ teaspoon vanilla

 

-  inch graham cracker crust

-3-4 sliced bananas

1. In a saucepan, combine the sugar, flour, and salt. Add milk in gradually while stirring. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is bubbly. Keep stirring and cook for about 2 more minutes, and then remove from the burner.

2. Stir a small quantity of the hot mixture into the beaten egg yolks, and immediately add egg yolk mixture to the rest of the hot mixture. Cook for 2 more minutes - don't stop stirring or it will stick. Remove the mixture from the stove, and add butter and vanilla. Stir until the whole thing has a smooth consistency.

3. Slice bananas into the pie crust. Top with pudding mixture.

4. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 12 to 15 minutes. Chill for an hour.

It tasted even better than it looks, if you can believe it!

So we could have made burgers and fries, which are always a winner, but this turned out even better than we expected, and started a Rachel eating spree for us all!