Holiday Break

I am going to take the next week off to spend time with my kids, my family, and friends. We plan to relax, go sledding, read books, play games, go skiing, eat tasty food, and hangout together. I am leaving a few links to some of my favorite foods... see you soon.

Appetizers:

Caprese Skewers

Creamy Clam Dip

Cream Cheese and Bacon Stuffed Jalapeños

Caramelized Onion Crostini

Beef, Chicken, and Pork Dishes:

Chicken Thighs with a Balsamic and Garlic Sauce

Spiced Pork Tenderloin with Sautéed Apples

Slow Roasted Chicken with a Cilantro-Citrus Butter

Prime Rib

Breakfasts:

Yogurt and Granola Parfait with Fresh Fruit

Canadian Bacon, Green Chile, & Cheddar Potato Crusted Quiche

Neapolitan Pancakes

Bacon, Egg, Sharp Cheddar Bagel Sandwich

Cookies:

White Chocolate and Semi Sweet Chocolate Swirl Chip,

Coconut, and Pecan Cookies

Chocolate Pixies

Cinnamon Snaps

Peanut Butter and Jelly Thumbprints

Mexican Food:

Arroz con Pollo

Beef and Bean Enchiladas

Mexican Lasagna

Shredded Beef and Cheddar Baked Flautas

Salads:

Vegetable Loaded Salad with Creamy Dill Dressing

Grilled Chicken Salad with Spicy Pineapple Dressing

Asian Noodle Salad

Spinach Salad with Soy Ginger Dressing

Side Dishes:

Tiffany's Fried Tomatoes

Green Beans with Mushrooms and Shallots

Roasted Vegetables with Feta Cheese

Grilled Zucchini Spears with Lemon Vinaigrette

Soups and Stews:

Roasted Tomato Soup with Poblanos, Oregano, and Cotija Cheese

Southwestern Cream of Chicken Soup

Taco Soup

Roasted Vegetable Minestrone

Happy Holidays!

Photo taken at: Timberline Lodge by Chad Nelson

Merry Christmas!

From my family to yours we wish you a wonderful

Holiday Season and a Happy New Year.

~Pam

Spatchcocked Roasted Chicken with Tomatoes, Garlic, and Fresh Basil

I learned about spatchcocking chicken from my friends Marjie and Chris and I've been wanting to try it for a long time. I found this Martha Stewart recipe that looked wonderful so I finally decided to give it a go. I found a great step by step pictorial at Cookthink that walked me through the process of preparing the chicken. It was easy to do (as long as you have sharp kitchen shears) and because you roast the chicken at 500 degrees, it takes very little time. The chicken turned out moist, tender, and so delicious and the tomatoes and garlic were perfectly cooked and flavorful. This roasted chicken made a wonderful meal that my whole family enjoyed.

Spatchcocked Roasted Chicken with Tomatoes, Garlic, and Fresh Basil:

Adapted recipe by For the Love of Cooking.net

Original recipe by Martha Stewart

Inspired by Marjie and Chris

• 1 5lb whole chicken
• 2 cups of grape or cherry tomatoes
• 5-6 UNPEELED cloves of garlic
• Drizzle of olive oil
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
• 3/4 cup chicken broth
• Fresh basil leaves

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Prepare the chicken, spatchcocking instructions found atCookthink. Coat your roasting pan with cooking spray.

Place the spatchcocked chicken in your roasting pan then add the tomatoes and garlic around the sides of the chicken. Drizzle the chicken, tomatoes, and garlic with a bit of olive oil. Rub the olive oil all over the bird so it's evenly coated. Season the chicken and tomatoes well with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Pour the chicken broth in the bottom of the roasting pan.

Place a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh without touching bone. Put the chicken into the oven and roast for 30-40 minutes or until the meat thermometer reads 180 degrees. If the skin isn't golden enough, turn your oven to broil and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes until the skin is golden brown and crisp. WATCH CAREFULLY SO IT DOESN'T BURN. Remove the chicken from the oven and let it rest for 5-7 minutes before adding the basil leaves to the tomatoes and carving the chicken. Enjoy.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe - For the Love of Cooking.net

Butternut Squash Ravioli with a Butter Sage Sauce and Parmesan Cheese

I have been so busy getting ready for the upcoming holiday that I haven't had a lot of time to cook big meals. I recently found this butternut squash ravioli at Trader Joe's and decided to make a simple yet delicious side dish with it. The ravioli is so flavorful it doesn't need much sauce so I just sautéed some fresh sage leaves in melted butter and drizzled it over the ravioli then topped it with some grated Parmesan cheese. I served this ravioli as a side dish but it would also make a wonderful main course. Simple, decadent, and so delicious.

Butternut Squash Ravioli with a Butter Sage Sauce and Parmesan Cheese:

Recipe and photos by For the Love of Cooking.net

• 1 package of butternut squash ravioli, cooked per instructions
• 2-3 tablespoons of butter
• 3-4 fresh sage leaves
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste (optional)
• Parmesan cheese, grated

Prepare the ravioli per instructions then drain well. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sage leaves and sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, if desired. Once the butter starts to brown and the sage leaves are withered, gently add the ravioli to the skillet and toss to coat the ravioli evenly with the butter sauce. Serve immediately topped with Parmesan cheese. Enjoy.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe - For the Love of Cooking.net

Wilted Spinach Salad with Caramelized Shallots

I had some spinach to use up so I searched online and found this recipe on Martha Stewart. This salad turned out to be very quick and simple to make and it made a wonderful and healthy side dish to go with our roasted chicken dinner.

Wilted Spinach Salad with Caramelized Shallots:

Adapted recipe and photos by For the Love of Cooking.net

Original recipe by Martha Stewart

• 2-3 tsp olive oil
• 4 shallots, sliced
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
• 1 tbsp water
• 1 tsp whole grain mustard
• 3 tsp red wine vinegar
• 1 10 oz bag of baby spinach

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring often fro 3-4 minutes until soft. Season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste and continue to cook, turning the heat down to medium low for another 4-5 minutes or until the shallots are sticky and golden brown. Add 1 tablespoon of water and scrape up the brown bits off the bottom of the skillet. Add the mustard and the red wine vinegar and mix until well combined.

Add the bag of spinach to the skillet and toss until coated evenly then serve immediately. Enjoy.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe - For the Love of Cooking.net

Baked Chicken and Sharp Cheddar Taquitos

We had friends come over for dinner and I wanted to make something quick and simple. I grabbed a rotisserie chicken from the store and chopped up all the meat with some cilantro, bell pepper, poblano pepper, onion, lime, and seasonings then added it to some corn tortillas along with some sharp cheddar cheese; I rolled them up and baked them. They turned out delicious and crispy without all the guilt of frying them. I normally use regular corn tortillas but I used these thicker corn tortillas because it's what I had on hand and they turned out bigger than normal taquitos but just as delicious. I served them with salsa, guacamole, sour cream, and hot sauce on the side for dipping. They were a big hit with the adults and the kids. If you are not serving kids, I highly recommend adding some jalapeño to the chicken mixture to give these taquitos a kick.

Baked Chicken and Cheddar Taquitos:

Recipe and photos by For the Love of Cooking.net

• 1 rotisserie chicken, meat removed
• 1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
• 2 tbsp red onion, diced
• 2 tbsp poblano pepper, diced
• Juice of one lime
• Dash of cumin
• Dash of oregano
• Dash of garlic powder
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste

Remove all the meat from the chicken then chop into pieces. Place the meat in a large bowl. Add the diced bell pepper, chopped cilantro, diced red onion, diced poblano pepper, the lime juice, and the seasonings to the top of the chicken meat. Toss all of the ingredients together. Taste and add more seasonings if desired.

Other Ingredients:

• Corn tortillas
• Sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• Cooking spray

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Wrap 10 corn tortillas in damp paper towels for 1-2 minutes in the microwave to soften. Place a bit cheese in the center of the tortilla then top with a bit of ground beef mixture and roll. Place, seam side down, on a baking sheet that's been coated with cooking spray. Finish rolling the rest of the taquitos, then spray each of them with cooking spray.

Place in the oven and bake for 5-6 minutes then turn over and cook for an additional 5-6 minutes or until crispy and golden brown.

Dips:

• Guacamole
• Salsa
• Sour Cream
• Hot sauce

Serve the taquitos immediately with sides of guacamole, salsa, sour cream, and hot sauce. Enjoy.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe - For the Love of Cooking.net

Banana, Blueberry, and Lemon Muffins

I had a few very ripe bananas to use up so I went in search of a fun new recipe to make. I found this recipe on Dragon's Kitchen and couldn't resist making them and I am so glad I did. They were a huge hit with everyone, especially my kids. My son and I had a great time baking these muffins together and he had an even better time gobbling them up. I will be making these again and again.

Banana, Blueberry, and Lemon Muffins:

Adapted recipe and photos by For the Love of Cooking.net

Original recipe by Dragon's Kitchen

• 2 1/4 cup flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 large ripe bananas, mashed
• 2 eggs
• 2/3 brown sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1 tbsp vanilla
• 1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 1/2 cups of blueberries
• 2 tbsp grated lemon zest, divided
• 3 tbsp sugar

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Coat a muffin tray with cooking spray.

Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and 1 tablespoon of lemon zest together in a small bowl.

Using an electric mixer, beat together the bananas, eggs, brown sugar, melted butter, lemon juice, and vanilla until well blended. Stir in the dry ingredients until just combined then carefully add 1 cup of blueberries and gently mix together. Scoop the batter evenly into the muffin tray. Sprinkle the remaining blueberries evenly over the tops of each muffin, making sure to push them down a bit.

Combine the sugar and remaining tablespoon of lemon zest together and sprinkle evenly on top of each muffin.

Place into the oven and bake for 25-27 minutes or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack for a few minutes. Enjoy.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe - For the Love of Cooking.net