Whatcha got cookin?

I have used some awesome recipes lately and decided to share them... who couldn't use a menu pick me up once in awhile? You can tell when I run out of good books to read... I blog about food in my spare time! (P.S. Sorry my fonts are all crazy... I pasted one thing and they went nuts.)

The first is from my go-to place for menu ideas. We loved this new recipe, thanks to Jane!

BISTRO CHICKEN

- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I used about 8 tenders)
- 1/2 cup chopped onions
- 14-oz can diced tomatoes
- Italian seasoning (or a few shakes of oregano, basil, parsley and garlic powder)
- 1 can Campbell’s French Onion soup (I finally found this in the Healthy Request section)
- Swiss cheese, sliced

Brown the chicken breasts in a medium-high skillet in oil or butter. Remove and place in casserole dish.

Cook onions in skillet for 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, Italian seasoning, french onion soup and cook together to reduce liquid for 5 minutes. Pour sauce over chicken in the casserole dish, top with Swiss cheese and bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Delicious served with garlic mashed potatoes.

The next one is from my sister-in-law, Rebecca from one of her favorite food blogs. These are a hit every time I make them, and have had many critics!

Honey Lime Enchiladas

6 Tbl honey

4.5 Tbl lime juice

1 Tbl chili powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 lb cooked chicken, shredded

flour tortillas

Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

10 oz. can green enchilada sauce

Mix the first 4 ingredients together and toss with shredded chicken. Pour a little enchilada sauce on the bottom of a casserole dish. Fill tortillas with chicken and shredded cheese. Pour the rest of the can of sauce over the top, and sprinkle with more cheese. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Chicken Tortellini Soup

This one I got from my friend Jeanie, who got it from her friend Erica. Just trying to give credit where credit is due here... a recipe is rarely your own, right? I love twist on traditional chicken noodle soup. It's simple, healthy, and tasty.

1 cup carrots, sliced thinly

½ cup onion, chopped

½ cup celery, sliced thinly

1 cup chicken breast, cubed

6 cups of chicken broth (or water and bullion)

1 cup cheese filled tortellini (I actually use frozen ravioli)

½ tsp thyme

¼ tsp black pepper

Cook chicken. Bring broth to a boil; add carrots, onion, celery, and seasonings. Cover; simmer over med-low heat for 15 min. Cool. Add Chicken, pasta, and parsley. Heat over med heat for 15 min. or until pasta is cooked.

Speaking of Costco (in the last post), have you ever tried things from their cookbook? Dana let me borrow hers and I was super impressed! We tried this one and loved it.

Monte Cristo Sandwiches

8 slices bacon

4 eggs

1/4 c. milk

2 Tbl butter

Dash of nutmeg and pepper

8 slices soft bread

brown mustard

whole berry cranberry sauce

Havarti or other mild white cheese (we used Monterey Jack)

deli sliced ham, turkey, or both

maple syrup

Cook bacon. Beat eggs with milk, nutmeg, and pepper. Add 1 Tbl butter to the griddle, turn 4 slices of bread in egg batter and place on griddle. Turn bread after it browns. Spread mustard on 2 slices bread and top the other 2 slices with cranberry sauce. Add meat, cheese, and bread tops. Repeat process for other 2 sandwiches. Pour syrup over sandwiches or use as a dipping sauce. Delish!

The last recipe is dessert, of course. It's a favorite from my mom's kitchen growing up. They are so moist and cakey... and anything with 2 1/2 cubes of butter has got to be good.

Carrot Cookies with Orange Butter Glaze

2 cubes butter

2 c. sugar

2 eggs

4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tsp vanilla

2 c. cooked carrots

4 c. flour

Sift together dry ingredients. Cream butter and sugar, add egg, vanilla, and carrots. Mix well. Add to dry ingredients and stir. Spoon onto a greased cookie sheet and bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes.

Icing:

Orange zest from one orange

1/4 cube butter

1 Tbl cooked carrots

2 c. powdered sugar

milk as needed for desired consistency

Yum Yum!