Helpful Links

I thought I would share with you some cooking links that I find helpful and a little about each link:

Tasteofhome.com is a wonderful site, it includes recipes, articles, magazines and more. This is one of my favorite cooking sites on the web.

Foodnetwork.com is another extremely helpful website, if you watch Food Network on television and want the recipe for something they are making, all you have to do is go to foodnetwork.com and look up the recipe you want, and it will be there ready for you to copy down or print off. Food network also had videos, articles and more.

Pamperedchef.com is a great website if you are in the market for some high class cooking products. They have everything from measuring spoons and hot pads to stoneware and pots and pans. They also have some really good recipes, not many people would think to look here for recipes, but I have tried some and they are very good.

Allrecipes.com is an awesome site, whenever I know what I want to cook, but don’t want to look through my cookbooks and recipe cards, all I have to do is search allrecipes.com and I will get many recipes for the same thing, so I can be picky on how I want to make it. This is a great time saver.

Schwans.com is a good site if you don’t want to go to the store or if you are unable to drive. You can purchase frozen food and they will deliver right to your house. They have all kinds of food, and it is all very tasty.

Cooking Website

My Website

If you like to cook, or want to learn how, I have a website that is a great reference for you, it is www.cookingfan.webs.com and www.cookingfan2.webs.com. I hope you will visit, and tell me what you think.
I have a website that gives a lot of insight on cooking and the kitchen. I have written multiple articles that relate to cooking, grocery shopping, and arranging your kitchen that may be useful to you and your family. The articles on my website are easy to read and follow. I also have links to popular cooking and food related websites and links to great cookbooks.
I don’t only include articles and links, I also have some products for sale that you may be interested in. Everything is food and cooking related and I hope it is beneficial to you.
If you feel like there is something missing on my website, or would like more information about one of my article feel free to email me, there is a link on my website where you can contact me or ask me any cooking or food related questions, and I will get back to you as soon as I can. If I don’t know the answer then I will be sure to direct you to someone who can. If I think your question is one that needs to be address publicly, then I will respond by posting another article to my website, then everyone can benefit from your question, because every question is a good one.

A Twist on a Classic

Makeover Philly Steak and Cheese Stromboli

2 large green peppers, julienned
½ pound sliced fresh mushrooms
1 large onion, halved and sliced
2 tablespoons canola oil
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 loaf (1 pound) frozen whole wheat bread dough, thawed
12 ounces reduced-fat process cheese (Velveeta) sliced
½ pound shaved deli roast beef, chopped
1 egg white
1 teaspoon water
¼ cup shredded part skim mozzarella cheese

In a large nonstick skillet, sauté the peppers, mushrooms and onion in oil until tender. Stir in garlic powder and pepper, set aside. ON a baking sheet coating in cooking spray, roll dough into a 15 x 10 inch rectangle. Layer half of the sliced cheese, all of the roast beef and vegetable mixture lengthwise over half the dough to within 1/2 inch of the edges. Top with the remaining sliced cheese. Fold dough over filling; pinch seams to seal and tuck under. Combine egg white and water; brush over top. Cut slits in top. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. Sprinkle with mozzarella and cook 5 minutes longer. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

This is a very good twist on a Philly Cheese Steak and a Stromboli. It is much healthier, because there are more vegetables and less meat and cheese, but still enough of everything to make it taste very good. My husband loves Philly Cheese Steaks, and when I came across this recipe, I knew we had to try it. And he loved it. It is relatively easy to make, and they whole family will love it!

Chicken Made Right

Chicken Cordon Bleu

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (8 ounces each)
8 thin slices Swiss cheese
4 slices Swiss cheese
1 egg
½ cup milk
1 cup cornflake crumbs
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper

Flatten chicken to 1/4 inch thickness. Top each with 2 slices of ham and a slice of cheese. Roll up and tuck in ends; secure with toothpicks. In a small bowl, whisk eggs and milk. In another bowl, combine cornflake crumbs and seasonings. Dip chicken in egg mixture, then roll in crumbs. Place on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes or until chicken juices run clear. Discard toothpicks before serving.

This recipe is very easy to double, so if you want to feed more than four people this is a great recipe.

Chicken Cordon Bleu goes with many different sides, I always serve it with a vegetable and rice or noodles. If is a nice recipe, because you make it and then stick it in the oven and forget about it for a while. The preparation is time consuming, and a little hard, but it is all worth it in the end, and the next time you make it, you won’t care how much work it is.

A short cut I use is, instead of pounding the chicken, I butterfly the chicken, it is less messy, and works just as well. I hope you enjoy this Chicken Cordon Bleu recipe, I know my family always has.

Fall is in the Air

Carrot Cake Doughnuts

2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
3 ½ cups all purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¾ teaspoon ground cloves
1/3 cup low fat milk
1 cup shredded carrots
Oil for deep fat frying
Glaze:
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 table spoon finely shredded carrot
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in orange peel. Combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, nutmeg and cloves; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk. Fold in carrots. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface; roll out to ½ inch thickness. Cut dough with a floured 2 ½ inch doughnut cutter. In an electric skillet or deep fat fryer, heat oil to 375 degrees. Fry doughnuts, a few at a time, for 1 ½ to 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. For glaze, combine the confectioners’ sugar, orange juice, carrot, and vanilla; drizzle over cooled doughnuts. Sprinkle with walnuts or pecans.

This recipe is from Taste of Home Comfort Foods Diet and it makes 18 doughnuts. With fall being in full boom, I thought I would share with you one of my favorite doughnut recipes. It tastes wonderful on a cool fall morning, or for a snack in the afternoon. I hope you enjoy.

A Yummy Way to Use Left Over Turkey

Turkey Fettuccine Skillet

8 ounces uncooked fettuccine
½ cup chopped onion
½ cup chopped celery
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon canola oil
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
2 cups, fat free milk
1 teaspoon salt free seasoning blend
¼ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons cornstarch
½ cup fat free half and half
1/3 Parmesan cheese, grated
3 cups cubed cooked turkey breast
¾ cup shredded part skim mozzarella cheese

Cook fettuccine according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large ovenproof skillet coated with cooking spray, sauté onions, celery, and garlic in oil for 3 minutes. Add mushrooms; cook and stir until vegetables are tender. Stir in milk, seasoning blend and salt. Bring to a boil. Mix cornstarch and half and half until smooth; stir into skillet. Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened and bubbly. Stir in Parmesan cheese just until melted. Stir in turkey. Drain fettuccine; add to turkey mixture. Heat through. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Broil 4 to 6 inches from heat for 2 to 3 minutes or until cheese is melted.

I always like finding recipes to use of some of the leftover Thanksgiving turkey, and this is a great one. I got it out of the Taste of Home Comfort Food Diet Cookbook.

If you don’t have a oven proof skillet, once you put the mozzarella cheese on top, just stick a lid on the skillet, and the cheese will melt. It won’t have the golden brown look the broiler will give it, but it will still taste good.

Hope you enjoy!

Fast and Easy

Rice Stuffed Pork Chops

2 ¼ cup water

1 tablespoon butter

1 package (5.6 ounces) Instant chicken flavored rice

4 bone in pork loin chops

1 envelope shake-n-bake

In a large saucepan, combine water, butter and rice with seasoning package, if there is one. Bring to a boil; stir. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 4 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, moisten pork chops with water; dip in shake-n-bake. Cut a pocket in each chop; fill with rice. Place on an ungreased 9x13 dish. Spoon remaining rice around chops. Bake at 425 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes.

For this recipe, you can also use boneless pork chops, just make sure you reduce the cooking time. It is also easier if you cut the pocket in the pork chops and fill it with the rice before you dip them in the shake-n-bake, it is makes it less messy. Because there is rice in the pork chops, all you have to fix with this meal is a vegetable, because everything else is already ready.

Another thing you can do to mix this recipe up is either try it with chicken instead of pork chops, again, you will have to adjust the cooking time and temperature. Or you could try a different type of rice instead of chicken flavored. There are many types out there for you to choose from, so you are bound to find something that tastes good.

I hope you enjoy this recipe, it is pretty fast and easy, and everyone should love it.

Thanksgiving Made Right

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, I thought I would share a couple of stuffing recipes with you:

Sourdough Almond Stuffing

2 cups baby Portobello mushrooms

1 medium onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

¾ cup butter, cubed

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed

½ teaspoon pepper

11 cups day old sourdough bread

1 can (14 ounces) water-packed artichoke hearts, rinsed, drained and chopped

¾ cup slivered almonds

¾ cup oil packed sun dried tomatoes, chopped

 ½ cup minced fresh basil

2 eggs

1 can (14 ½ ounces) chicken broth

In a large skillet, sauté the mushrooms, onion and garlic in butter until tender. Stir in salt, rosemary, and pepper. In a large bowl, combine the bread cubes, artichokes, almonds, tomatoes, basil and mushroom mixture. In another bowl, whisk eggs and broth. Pour over bread mixture; stir until moistened. Transfer to a greased 9 x 13 baking dish. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Uncover and bake 5 to 10 minutes longer, or until lightly brown and thermometer reads 160 degrees.

Southern Corn Bread Dressing

8 cups coarsely crumbled corn bread

4 hard cooked eggs, chopped

1 medium green pepper, finely chopped

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 celery ribs, finely chopped

Turkey giblets, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 ½ teaspoons poultry seasoning

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

3 eggs beaten

3 cups chicken broth

In a large bowl, combine the first 10 ingredients. In another bowl, whisk the eggs and broth. Add to bread mixture; stir until moistened. Transfer the mixture to a greased 9 x 13 inch greased baking dish. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes or until lightly browned and thermometer reads 160 degrees.

Fun for a crowd

Chipotle Sliders

1 package (12 ounces) Hawaiian sweet rolls

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

8 teaspoons minced chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, divided

1 ½ pounds ground beef

10 slices pepper Jack cheese

½ cup mayonnaise

Place 2 Hawaiian sweet rolls in food processor; process until crumbly. Transfer processed rolls to a large bowl; add salt, pepper, and 6 teaspoons of chipotle peppers. Crumble the beef over the top of mixture and mix well. Shape into 10 patties. Grill the burgers, covered, over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until a meat thermometer reads 160 degrees and juices run clear. Top with cheese. Grill for 1 minute longer or until cheese is melted. Split the remaining Hawaiian rolls and grill, cut side down, over medium heat for 30 to 60 seconds or until toasted. Combine mayonnaise and remaining chipotle peppers; spread over the roll bottoms. Top each with a burger. Replace roll tops.

This is a fun recipe to make either for dinner or for a party, they go over very well.

My husband loves chipotle, but I would never try it, until he suggested we make these, so I did and loved it. I like spicy food, and chipotle is spicy, so if you want a milder spice, just cut the chipotle pepper in half. Another way to tone down the spice is to use a different type of cheese instead of pepper jack, when we made these, we used provolone, but you can use whatever you have in your cheese drawer or your favorite cheese. Hope you enjoy!

Mexican Made Healthy

Baked Chicken Chimichangas

1 ½ cup cubed cooked chicken breast

1 ½ cup picante sauce, divided

½ cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese

2/3 cup chopped green onions, divided

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried oregano

6 whole wheat tortillas (8 inches), warmed

1 tablespoon butter, melted

In a small bowl, combine the chicken, 3/4 cup picante sauce, cheese, 1/4 cup green onions, cumin, and oregano. Spoon 1/2 cup mixture down the center of each tortilla. Fold sides and ends over filling and roll up. Place seam side down in a 15 x 10 inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Brush with butter. Bake uncovered at 375 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. Top with remaining sauce and onions.

Chimichangas were the first type of Mexican food I had ever tried, and when we went out for Mexican, that is what I always got. I know eat almost any type of Mexican food, but Chimichangas are still by far, my favorite. I love them, but they aren’t very good for you because they are fried, so when I came across this recipe I had to try it since they were baked and not fried, and we loved it. I probably make it once a month. It is fast and easy, and very tasty. I like to serve it with Spanish rice and refried beans, but the Chimichanga itself is plenty, and will fill you up. Baking the chimichanga still gives it the crunchy texture that you look for, but cuts down the calorie count by a lot. Hope  

Quick, Easy, and Healthy

Sausage and Penne

1 cup whole wheat penne pasta, uncooked

1 cup frozen mixed vegetables

½ pound turkey smoked sausage, diced

2 tablespoons all purpose flour

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon ground mustard

¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 ¼ cup low fat milk

1/3 cup part skim mozzarella cheese, shredded

In a large saucepan, cook pasta according to package directions, adding vegetables during the last 6 minutes of cooking. Meanwhile, in a large skillet coated with cooking spray, brown sausage; remove from skillet and keep war,. In a small bowl, combine flour, garlic powder, mustard and pepper flakes; gradually whisk in milk until smooth. Add milk mixture to the skillet; stirring to loosen browned bits from pan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. rain pasta and vegetables; stir into the pan. Add cheese and reserved sausage; cook and stir until cheese is melted.

I made this recipe for my husband and I about 2 weeks ago, and we both really liked it. Because of my busy schedule, I like to find recipes that are quick to put together and cook. But I also want to make sure they are healthy. I found this recipe in my Taste of Home Comfort Food Diet cookbook. This recipe uses turkey smoked sausage, and we couldn’t tell the difference between that and regular smoked sausage, it still had a wonderful flavor. The sausage gives this pasta dish a little twist, normally you would cook with chicken or ground beef, so it was nice to try something different, and we both liked it. Enjoy!

Chicken Cordon Bleu

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast

4 slices, cooked lean ham

2 oz, Swiss cheese

4 Tablespoons all purpose flour

½ teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1 large egg

½ cup cornflake crumbs

Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray.

Working one at a time, place a chicken breast half on a work surface. Top with one slice of the ham, then one slice of the Swiss cheese. Roll up, jelly-roll style, and secure with a  toothpick. Repeat with the remaining chicken, ham and cheese.

Combine 2 tablespoons of the flour, 1⁄4 teaspoon of the  salt, and a grinding of the pepper on a sheet of wax paper. Place the egg in a shallow bowl, and the cornflake crumbs in another shallow bowl.

Working one at a time, lightly coat the chicken rolls first with the flour mixture, shaking off the excess, then dip into the egg to coat. Lightly coat with the cornflake crumbs, and place on the baking sheet (discard any leftover flour mixture, egg, and crumbs). Lightly spray the chicken rolls with nonstick spray. Bake until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of each roll reaches 160ºF, 30–35 minutes.

Meanwhile, to prepare the sauce, combine the milk, broth, the remaining 2 tablespoons flour, the Madeira, nutmeg, the remaining 1⁄4 teaspoon salt, and another grinding of the pepper in a medium saucepan. Whisk until smooth; cook over

medium heat, whisking constantly, until thickened, about

6 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the Parmesan cheese; cover and keep warm.

When the chicken rolls are ready, drizzle with the sauce and serve them at once. Yields 1 breast with 1/4 cup sauce.