Creamy Cauliflower Salad

Alrighty- now before you write this one off, lemme tell you a bit about the circumstances... First off, I am well on my way out of my first trimester of pregnancy. As most previously pregnant women know, cravings can be killers. You HAVE TO HAVE what you WANT- RIGHT NOW! Well, a few days ago, my craving was for chicken and cream cheese enchiladas. (No worries- I will post that recipe next!) So- I made them for dinner! While the enchiladas were in the oven, I was reminded of a ladies only dinner party I was supposed to be attending. The theme? SALAD. CRAP CRAPITY CRAPUMS! I wasn't gonna be able to have my enchiladas! So I grabbed my salad and ran for the door, wish my husband and two kids happy enchilada eating. I was pretty bummed about having salad for dinner- until I took a bite of this salad. Oh. My. GOSH! This salad is so creamy and yummy and amazing, I hounded the poor woman who brought it until she PROMISED to send me the recipe. When I got home, the recipe was in my email inbox. (Thanks Marilyn!) Now the real kicker? It's main ingredient is one of my LEAST FAVORITE ingredients in the WORLD. I HATE the stuff! So does my husband. And my kids! But we ALL love this salad. It is so good, I actually forced myself to buy a large jar of the gastly ingredient just so I can make this salad more often... Now, on with the recipe.

The ingredients:

3/4 c. miracle whip
1/2 c. ranch dressing
1/4 c. grated parm cheese (you can use the kind you shake from a can, but I used the grated stuff from the deli--either way works)
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. chopped red onion
8 oz. crumbled cooked bacon
1 head cauliflower, cut into bite-sized pieces
6 c. torn lettuce

The instructions:

Mix all ingredients but the last two. Once fully incorporated, toss lightly with the cauliflower and lettuce. Serve immediately as the lettuce will wilt the longer the dressing is on it.

YUM YUM YUM YUM YUM!!!

Vanilla Panna Cotta

I can honestly say I have never had panna cotta before this. And I am SO SAD to have missed out on such a great cool treat! Seriously! It is SO GOOD! It is light, creamy, mild, and very refreshing. This recipe was originally given to me by a lady I know (Thanks Jeri!), and though I tweaked it a bit, the recipe is still just as fabulous!

The ingredients:
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tsp vanilla
1/4 heaping cup sugar
1 (1/4 oz.) packet unflavored gelatin

The Instructions:
1. Put 3 tbsp. water in a small bowl, pour gelatin over the top and mix. Let the gelatin dissolve in the water.
2. Heat sugar, milks and cream in a saucepan until sugar dissolves (don't boil or let it get too hot).
3. Add gelatin to milk/cream mixture and whisk to make sure it is completely incorporated with no lumps. Add vanilla.

4. Let mixture sit for 15 minutes.

5. Divide cream mixture between 4-5 ramekins (or other serving dishes). Place in fridge until set- may take up to 6 hours so plan ahead!

6. Serve with fresh fruit ( 2 cups cleaned, prepared fruit, mixed with 1/4c. sugar-- refridgerate for 2 or more hours), or jam/fruit syrup. (I used some homemade raspberry jam for some, and apricot syrup for others. Both were FANTASTIC!)


To serve you can either leave it in the ramekin or place serving dish by running a butter knife around the edge before inverting it onto the plate. (Thanks to Jeri for the pictures!)

Sugar Cookies

Oh my goodness, these cookies are like heaven in your mouth!  I am amazed at how soft, and sweet they are!  I was introduced to these at an auction a few weeks ago.  I won a dozen frosted sugar cookies, got them home and they mysteriously disappeared in just under 48 hours!  The worst part?  I ate 9 of them...  Yeah.  They are THAT good.  I called the maker of these cookies and begged her to share her recipe, which she did without hesitation.  Thanks Natalie!

The ingredients:

1/2 c. sour cream

1 tsp. baking soda

1 c. TUB margarine or butter (not stick- must be spreadable)

1 1/2 c. sugar

1 egg

1 T. vanilla

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

3 1/2 - 4 c. flour

The instructions:

In a small bowl mix sour cream and baking soda.  Set aside.  Cream together margarine and sugar.  Add the egg, vanilla and salt.  Mix well.  Add sour cream mixture, then baking powder and flour.   Freeze dough for 2 hours or refrigerate overnight.  Roll out onto a floured surface to 1/4 inch thickness and use cookie cutters for desired shapes.  If dough gets too soft, put back in freezer for an hour or so until it is workable again.

Bake at 375^ for 10 minutes.  DO NOT over bake them.

Frost with your favorite frosting and decorate as necessary.

The frosting I used was pretty simple, and super tasty... I used equal parts butter and shortening then added a capful of vanilla and a splash of milk followed by as much powdered sugar as I needed to get a good thick consistancy.  Add a bit of food coloring and viola!  Easy enough... but I don't use a recipe for it, so it's hard to add measurements....

Seriously, folks- these cookies are OOBER TASTY!

Pineapple and Green Chile Pork Burritos

I found this recipe online this last week, and can I just tell you how ABSOLUTELY AMAZING it is?  I was very happy with how this turned out.  My only word of advice?  Make sure you are as close to right on as you can be with the weight of the meat, if you have too much it could be a bit dry...

The ingredients:

1 lb. boneless pork chops (I used thick cut chops)

1 (8 oz.) can crushed pineapple

1 cup salsa verde (green salsa, or tomatillo salsa- it's all the same)

1 (4 oz.) can green chiles

1/3 cup brown sugar

The instructions:

Combine all ingredients in the crockpot.  Cook on high for 5-6 hours or on low for 8-10.  I definitely recommend cooking it on Low.  It shreds easier.  Using tongs, squeeze the chops to shred the meat.  Serve on flour or fresh corn tortillas with some lettuce, cheese, rice, and tomatoes or any other burrito toppings.  For my rice, I used white rice and added a bit of lime juice and cilantro.  

This recipe is SO TASTY!  And for those of you in my neck of the woods, it is nothing like Cafe Rio (or Costa Vida) pork, but it IS sweet and very VERY good!

Easy Creamy Lasagna

This recipe is really just an adaptation of two different lasagnas. The first was a classic lasagna as presented on the back of the Ronzoni Healthy Harvest Whole Wheat Lasagna Noodles box. And the second was fed to me at a neighborhood dinner. Since the maker of the second lasagna doesn't use a recipe, per se, I combined her secret ingredient with a typical recipe and the result was delicious!

The ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef

1 (26 oz.) jar spaghetti sauce

1 1/2 c. water

1 3/4 c. ricotta or small curd cottage cheese (I actually prefer cottage cheese)

2 c. shredded mozzarella or Monterey Jack cheese

1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese

2 eggs

1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley (or 2 T. dried parsley)

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 (16 oz.) container sour cream  (<--SECRET INGREDIENT)

9-12 pieces lasagna noodles, uncooked

The instructions:

Heat oven to 350^F.  In a 3-quart sauce pan over medium high heat, brown meat, and drain.  Add spaghetti sauce and water.  Simmer for about 10 minutes.  Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, stir together ricotta,half the mozzarella, Parmesan cheese, eggs, parsley, salt and pepper.  Pour about 1 c.  meat sauce on the bottom of a 9 X 13-inch pan.  Spread 6 heaping spoonfuls of sour cream on top of the meat sauce in pan. Arrange 3-4 UNCOOKED noodles over top of sauce.  Cover with more sour cream, and 1 cup sauce. Spread half of cheese filling over sauce.  Repeat layers of lasagna, sour cream, meat sauce, and cheese filling.  Top with layer of lasagna and remaining sauce 6 more spoonfulls of sour cream. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese.  Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes.  Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes or until hot and bubbly.  Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

((Seriously, folks- the sour cream makes all the difference! It is SO GOOD!))

Granola

This recipe is so EASY! It is also one of my favorites.  For some reason I am much more fond of brown sugar as a sweetener as opposed to honey.  So maybe that is why this recipe appeals tome.  One way or another, it is so easy and practically fool proof!

The ingredients:

1/2 c. butter

1/2 c. brown sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla

2 c. rolled oats

1 c. coconut

The instructions: 

Melt butter then stir in brown sugar.  Add remaining ingredients and pack into a 9X13 inch dish.  Bake in a 325^ oven for 25-40 minutes (depending on how crunchy you want it).  Either cut into bars, or crumble up and put in a large can to use as a snack, or yogurt topping.

((If you want you can also add raisins, flax, bran, nuts, craisins, chocolate chips, etc.))

Cheesy Eggs and Toast

This recipe was introduced to me by my husband.  His mom always called it Eggs Benedict.  Which was NOT the same.  My husband ordered eggs benedict a few years back at a restaurant and was, quite frankly, disgusted by what he was served.  The next day I made him his mom's cheesy eggs and toast.  It is an Easter tradition in our house.  As are egg salad sandwhiches. 

The ingredients:

3 T. butter

3 T. flour

1 1/2 c. milk

1-2 c. grated cheddar cheese

salt and pepper

3-4 hard boiled eggs, chopped up or diced

Toast

The instructions:

In a medium sauce pan melt butter over medium heat.  Add flour and stir with a whisk until the roux turns a golden color (about 2 minutes or so).  Quickly add all the milk and stir with a wisk until mixture boils.  Add salt, pepper and cheese.  Once the cheese is melted, add chopped boiled eggs.

Serve over warm buttered toast.  OH so yummy!