Cooking With The Stapley's

Awesome Tomato Basil Soup/Grown-Up SpaghettiO's

2010-04-09T12:26:00.000-07:00

When I was a kid, I was succumbed to eat different varieties of the Chef Boyardee and SpaghettiO's line of canned spaghetti in tomato sauce. I was particularly fond of the spaghettiO's with meatballs. Of course, as a child you never realize the quality of food you are eating just as long as it was quick to make and tasted somewhat decent. I have forgotten the days of those canned spaghetti products until a few days ago when Laura and I were experimenting with a recipe for a Tomato Basil soup. A friend gave us about 20 leaves of fresh basil and we needed to find a way to use them before they went bad. We made this soup and it was pretty good. However, then next day we had a stroke of genius and added some pasta to the soup and made our own amazing "grown-up version" of SpaghettiO's. So here is the Tomato Basil soup recipe along with the optional step to make it the Grown Up SpaghettiO's.

Tomato Basil Soup

Ingredients:

1 28oz. can of whole peeled tomatoes (or 5-6 fresh tomatoes)

4 cups of tomato juice (1 quart can)

15-20 leaves of fresh basil

1 cup of heavy whipping cream

1-2 tsp. of chicken bullion to taste

2 cloves of garlic

7 tbls. of butter

1/3 cup of Parmesan cheese

Salt and Pepper to taste

Optional:

1/2 pound of rotini pasta

In a large stock pot, place tomatoes and tomato juice and heat on medium. Simmer for 25-30 minutes. Add the garlic, bullion, and chopped basil leaves to the tomatoes and puree with a immersion blender or remove and puree in a stand blender and return to pot. Keep on medium heat and add the heavy cream, parmesan, and the butter. Season with salt and pepper and stir until the butter melts. Simmer for 10-20 minutes and serve.

To the Grown-Up SpaghettiO's, cook the rotini pasta until done and add to the soup. It is so amazing and even better the next day!

Sweet Pork and Creamy Tomatillo Ranch Dressing

2010-02-04T14:54:00.000-08:00

While living in Provo a few years ago, we became friends with a really fun couple, the Noordas. They, like us, were major foodies. One day they shared this recipe with us and we were blown away. They have since moved to Chicago but we still think of them every time we make these recipes. (and we hope they don't mind us sharing their recipes with everyone on our blog)

There has been an explosion of Tex-Mex type restaurants in the past 5 or 6 years around us. They all pretty much serve the same type of food, large salads, burritos, and tacos. They are all pretty much known for their sweet pork and Creamy Tomatillo Ranch Dressing. Laura and I spent a while trying to find a replica recipe for these and failed to recreate them. Then the Noordas shared their version with us and we have been making it ever since. So thanks to the Noordas for this awesome recipe!

Sweet Pork

1 big hunk of pork butt (again we highly recommend the pork roasts available at Costco, if there is one nearby)
2 cans "el pato" (green or yellow cans in the Mexican aisle by the salsas & enchilada sauce. Just an FYI: the yellow can is milder than the green can)
3 cans of tomato sauce
2-3 cups of brown sugar
1 cup of water

We like to cook this on low in the crock pot for up to 8+ hours. By that time it should be really soft and easy to pull apart with a fork or tongs. Put the shredded meat back in and cook for a little longer to get the flavors to penetrate the shredded meat. Serve in any of your favorite styles of Mexican dishes. We really like it with taco salads and large burritos, but our new favorite is making large nachos.

Creamy Tomatillo Ranch Dressing

3 fresh tomatillos, peeled and quartered
juice of a lime
1/2 c. buttermilk
1/2 c. mayo
1/2 c. sour cream
a pkg dry Ranch Buttermilk Dressing mix
1 c. fresh chopped cilantro
6 stalks green onions, with ends
2 cloves crushed garlic
3-4 tsp sugar
5 cross-section slices of a jalapeno pepper(optional if you want a kick)

Mix well in blender or food processer. Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.

Bruschetta

2010-01-02T14:00:00.000-08:00

So the other night we watched Julie and Julia which made us really want to cook again. And of all the dishes cooked in the movie, Laura was fascinated with the Bruschetta. So we had to try it out the Julia Child way. We first tried this recipe over the holidays in Seattle with my family and have made it almost twice a week since then, they are that good! Here's the recipe:

Easy (but addicting) Bruschetta

5-6 Roma tomatoes (or plum tomatoes)
Olive Oil
Garlic Cloves
Fresh Basil
Parmesan Cheese
Bread (traditional Baguette or we used French bread and really liked it)
Salt and Pepper
Italian Seasoning

Cube tomatoes and finely chop about 5-7 leaves of basil and place in a mixing bowl. Also add about a 1/4 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese to the bowl. Pour about 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the tomato mixture and combine. Sprinkle some Italian Seasoning and Salt and pepper to taste. Let that sit in the fridge for a while so the tomatoes will take on some of the flavor of the basil. Next, slice the bread in 1' slices. Coat the bottom of a skillet with olive oil and place on med-high heat. When hot, add the bread and brown on both sides. You may have to keep adding more oil to make the bread crispy. Peel a garlic clove and cut it in half. Rub the garlic clove on one side of the toasted bread. How much garlic you rub is up to your taste in garlic, but 5-6 rubs works good for us. Place the tomato mixture on the garlic side of the bread and enjoy!

Easy Chicken Salad

2009-03-01T18:54:00.000-08:00

In keeping with our little theme of really quick and easy meals, we thought we should share our little Lunch secret. Chicken Salad! I'm sure everyone has made chicken salad before, but this is our quick and easy recipe for those who aren't as cooking literate as others. We always make this on Sunday night and make enough for both of us to have for our lunches all week. It literally takes only 5 minutes to prepare. And the best part about it, you can do so many different variations with it. However I'll share with you our normal recipe.

Easy Chicken Salad

2 large cans of white chicken breast. (you can find these at Costco or Sams for a really good price)
2-3 large spoonfuls of Best Foods Mayonnaise
2-3 large spoonfuls of sour cream
Season-All Seasoning
Salt and Pepper
1 cup of chopped almonds
1/2 cup of shredded parmesan cheese (not the dry grated stuff)

Okay, so I never measure for this recipe because it's a lot up to your taste. So first things first, place the chopped almonds in a flat layer on some aluminum foil and place in the oven under the broiler to toast. (It is crucial that you keep an eye on this! Almonds can burn really quickly so you need to check it almost every 30 seconds.) When the almonds are starting to turn slightly brown and you can smell the awesome nuttiness, pull them out and let cool.

Drain the cans of chicken and place in a large Tupperware container. Mix in the mayonnaise and the sour cream with a fork. season with the Season-All. Add the shredded Parmesan cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste. Finally add the cooled roasted almonds and mix thoroughly. Place in the fridge overnight to let the flavors meld together. Enjoy with your favorite bread or croissant.

There are tons of different things you can add to this, it just depends on your taste. You can add chopped celery, sliced apples and grapes, cashews, carrots, onions, and lots of other stuff to make it fancy.

Honeymoon Monte Cristo

2009-02-22T08:08:00.000-08:00

So we have envisioned this blog as being both a place to share some of our favorite meals and recipes, but we also want it to be a place where we can dispel the myth that cooking is hard and needs to take hours of preparation and skill to create something delicious and satisfying. A good example of this is our next recipe, Honeymoon Monte Cristo.

When Laura and I first got married, we stayed at the Anniversary Inn the night we got married. In the morning they bring you a breakfast of yogurt parfait, juice, cinnamon roll, and this really good croissant type sandwich, which they called a Monte Cristo (even though a real Monte Cristo is a sandwich that is dipped in batter and fried, but I think I'd prefer it this way). When we left SLC and stayed in a beach house in Oregon for the rest of our honeymoon, we needed to find something for breakfast since we had to make it ourselves. So we decided that we should try to make our own version of the croissant sandwich that we loved so much. What resulted was something that I think we ate almost every day for about a month, our Honeymoon Monte Cristos.

The Recipe is really simple and quick and addicting. But I think that is what makes this a great breakfast sandwich:

Honeymoon Monte Cristo

1 Large Croissant (Preferably the large ones from Costco)
1-2 Slices of Black Forest Ham
1-2 Slices of Tillamook Swiss Cheese (Yes it has Tillamook. Why? because there is nothing better! Well, I guess you don't have to use it but we recommend it highly)

The instructions are super easy: Cut the croissant in half, place the ham on one side of the croissant and the cheese on the other side. Place in the oven "open faced" under the broiler for a few minutes until the cheese gets all bubbly and the sides of the croissant start to turn brown from toasting. Pull out of the oven and close the sandwich and serve. That's it! Really simple and it only takes about 4-5 minutes to do. We enjoyed playing around with the ham to cheese ratio in this sandwich until we both found a combination that we really liked. Laura likes more ham than cheese, where I personally like the balance of both. But we hope that you will try this out and love it as much as we do.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

2009-02-01T22:44:00.001-08:00

Here is one that I have to give credit to our friend Matt and Rebekah. They shared this super easy and quick appetizer recipe with us a while back and it's always been a big hit. We made these for the Super Bowl and they went fast!

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

A bunch of meatballs. (we like the ones from Costco but homemade ones are the best too)
3/4 cup chili sauce
3/4 cup red current jelly

In a sauce pan, heat up the chili sauce and the current jelly until the jelly melts and mixes well with the chili sauce. Place in a crock pot with the meatballs. Coat and cover and let cook until the meatballs are fully done. And that's it! It's so easy and awesome! Enjoy!

Ranch Sliders

2009-02-01T22:20:00.001-08:00

When I was in Ohio/Kentucky on my mission I was introduced to the wonder that is White Castle and it's little hamburgers nicknamed such names as "sliders", "belly bombers", and "gut rockets". These little hamburgers were kinda good but I have always thought that I could do better, so for the Super Bowl this year, we decided to create our own version of "Sliders." they turned our really moist and delicious, and they didn't "slide" like the White Castle burgers of yore, if you know what I mean. Here is our version:

Ranch Sliders

2 lbs. of Hamburger
1/4 cup of bread crumbs
1 egg
1 Pkg ranch dressing mix
1/4 cup of chili sauce
Salt and Pepper
Half of a diced onion
Rolls

Mix all of the ingredients by hand in a bowl until fully incorporated. If the mixture seems too wet and not mixing well add some more bread crumbs, but not too much or it will not hold up when cooked. (Hows that for some vague instructions) Form into small 1" balls and squish them with your hands until they are flat and about a 1/4' thick. Place them on a plate, cover, and place in the fridge for at least an hour or two.

To cook, either grill or broil them until they are not pink inside. Wrap tight in tin foil and let sit for about 15 minutes. Cut rolls in half and use as a bun. Use any toppings you wish!

Spudnut Donuts!

2009-01-04T19:59:00.000-08:00

When I lived in the Tri-Cities, WA, there was this donut place that was super famous for it's potato donuts called Spudnuts. The spudnut donuts were so good! They are made with mashed potatoes and end up super soft and amazing. I remember that in school our teachers would always use them as rewards for contests and what not. For some reason those thoughts came back this weekend and Laura and I, with help from our friends the Frenzas, decided to try our hand at making some. So here is our version of Spudnut Donuts.

Spudnut Donuts

1 3/4 c. Milk
1/2 c. shortening
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. mashed potatoes (about 2 potatoes)
1 pkg. dry yeast
1/2 c. warm water
2 beaten eggs
1/2 tsp. vanilla
6 to 7 c. of flour
1 tsp. baking powder
2 pinches of salt
lots of cooking oil

Peel and cube the potatoes then boil until soft, drain and mash until smooth. Over heat, mix the milk, sugar, and mashed potatoes. Take off heat and let cool. In a bowl sprinkle and mix yeast with the warm water. Let sit until the yeast activates (about 3-5 minutes). Add the yeast and water to the potato mixture. Add the beaten eggs, vanilla, salt, baking powder and 2 cups of the flower to the potato mixture and start mixing in a bread mixer. Continually add the flour a 1/2 cup at a time until the dough starts to pull away from the side of the bowl. Let sit in bowl and rise for a half hour.

Roll out the dough about 1/4" thick and cut with a donut cutter. Place cut donuts on wax paper, cover and let rise again for another half hour.

In a frying pan, heat up about 1 1/2 inches of cooking oil to 375 degrees. Drop a few donuts in the oil and turn when the bottoms become brown. When all cooked, place on a cooling rack. Brush with a little butter and dip in a cinnamon sugar mixture.

Enjoy!

Caramel Puffed Corn

2008-11-23T20:39:00.000-08:00

We are back! And we have a great recipe for everyone. This year, while crabbing in Oregon, my sister introduced us to this really good caramel popcorn type treat that is made with a type of popped corn called Cosmos that doesn't have the husk or unpopped corn. It was really good but we could only find it at the Oregon Coast. The other day, Laura and I were walking in the local grocery store and we found this huge bag of the same popped corn puffs that Cosmos is made out of. We decided to try our hand at making our own version of Caramel Popped Corn. So here is our version of the recipe. We liked a version of caramel popcorn that Laura's mom makes because it's really caramely and soft, not a hard caramel glazing that some caramel popcorn gets. It turned out SO good!!! It's crazy addictive and we'll never use popped corn again.

Caramel Puffed Corn

1 Stick of Butter
2 Cups of Brown Sugar
1 Cup of light Corn Syrup
1 tsp. of vanilla
1 can of Sweetened Condenced Milk
1 large bag of plain corn puffs

Melt the butter in a pot then mix in the brown sugar and corn syrup. Stir on medium heat until all incorperated together and the sugar has dissolved. Stir in the sweetened condenced milk and the vanila. Stir constantly to avoid the caramel burning. After a few minutes of stiring the caramel with darken a little. Cook until the caramel reaches the soft ball stage. (If you don't have a candy termometor, Laura's mom taught me a trick: fill a little cup of water and as the carmel is cooking pour a little from your stirring spoon and after a few seconds you can touch the carmel in the water and see if you can form it a little bit in your fingers, it's ready when it can be bunched up in your fingers) When your caramel is ready, pour it over the corn puffs in a large bowl and mix it all together. Cool a little and enjoy!

Amazing Homemade French Bread

2008-06-04T19:31:00.000-07:00

Laura and I have a semi-obsession with bread. We seriously cannot get enough. We love to get french bread from the store and use it for so many meals. French toast, garlic bread, sub sandwiches, and when it's warm and fresh, it's good just eating as a snack with a little butter. In the past month we've noticed that the price of french bread has gone up almost 50%. That got me thinking about how hard it would be to make my own. So I looked around, did some research, and tried my hand at making some. They actually turned out really good. The first batch was a little bland, but I tweaked the recipe and added my own twists and now we have a really good french bread recipe. I hope you all enjoy it!

French Bread (Baguettes)

2 cups warm water
2 1/2 pkgs yeast
2 Tbls sugar
5-6 cups bread flour
3 tsp salt
1 egg yoke
1 tsp. water

Proof the yeast by mixing the warm water, sugar, yeast and let sit for 5 minutes. In a mixer with a bread hook add the yeast mixture with the flour and the salt, adding the flour in cup by cup. Dough is ready when it is not sticky anymore. Knead the dough for a few minutes and then place in a greased bowl and cover to rise for 30 minutes. When doubled in size, punch dough down and roll out into a big rectangle. Cut the rectangle in two. Take the long side and start rolling as if you were making cinnamon rolls . Shape the sides to taper the ends. Place the two rolls on a greased pan. Take a knife and cut 3 or 4 diagonal slits in the top the dough. Cover with a towel and let rise for 30-40 minutes. Mix the egg yoke and 1 tsp of water to make a egg wash. Paint the egg wash all over the loaves and place in an oven preheated to 375 degrees. Cook for 20-30 minutes or until the crust is a light golden brown.

TIP: A tip that I learned while researching is that if you want french bread with a really crisp crust you can spray the sides of the oven walls with water (watch out for the electric element on the bottom) every minute for the first 8 minutes of baking. I've never tried it because we like a soft crust, but if it works, let us know.

Really Good and Easy Pork Chops

2008-05-30T15:21:00.000-07:00

The other night Laura decided to take a quick run with her friend Kim so I decided to be a really good husband and make her dinner. Our friends were moving so they gave us some pork chops so I decided to try out something I found and add my own ideas. These pork chops turned out great and they were so easy!

Yummy and Easy Pork Chops

2 cups Italian dressing
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 clove of garlic, minced
2 or three onion ring slices
4 or 5 pork chops

Heat a little oil in a large skillet at medium/high. Mix the Italian dressing, soy sauce, and minced garlic in a bowl. lay the onion slices on a large skillet and then lay the pork chops on top. Cover the pork with the marinade. Cover the skillet and let cook for 8-10 minutes. Flip the pork and cover for another 5 minutes. Take off the cover and cook the pork until desired doneness.

Taco Salad...

2008-04-21T11:33:00.000-07:00

For dinner club last week we wanted to make something Mexican but also healthy. So we decided to go with Taco Salads. We found a few recipes and tips from different sources and mixed their ideas together to make the concoction that was delicious. Probably the best parts were the taco seasoned chicken and the homemade tortilla bowls. Here's the recipe:

Chicken Taco Salad

4 Chicken breasts
2 Cups Chicken broth
1 Packet of taco seasoning
1 Package of uncooked tortillas
Toppings:
- Lettuce
- Salsa
- Cheese
- Olives
- Sour Cream
- Guacamole
- Lime
- Beans (Refried or kidney)
- Ranch

Okay, it's really simple. Place the chicken in the slow cooker. Mix the chicken broth with the taco seasoning and pour over the chicken. If that doesn't cover the chicken add more water until the chicken is submerged. Cook on low for 7 hours. Use a fork or tongs to shred the chicken in the broth. Let sit and absorb the broth for about a half hour, then strain out the chicken. Now mix all of your favorite toppings together with the chicken to make a salad!

For the Taco shells we cooked the tortillas on a pan until they were almost done, then we rolled up tin foil balls and draped the tortillas over them on a baking sheet. Place them into the oven at 350 degrees. In a few minutes they will begin to crisp up around the ball and turn brown. Pull them out and let cool. Note: Some of ours puffed up while baking, so watch them carefully and pop any bubbles forming in the tortilla with a knife or some sort of poking device.The Shells were so good, Kjell just wanted to eat it raw!

Cincinnati Chili

2008-03-26T19:49:00.000-07:00

In continuing with meals that are inspired from our missions, Laura and I decided to make one of my most favorite meals ever. Cincinnati Chili. This chili is not anything like what most people think of as chili. This chili is a Greek meat sauce made with cinnamon, allspice, chocolate, and chili sauce, that's placed over spaghetti and topped with either cheese, onions, kidney beans, or all three. It so good and we are so glad that everyone loved it! Here's the recipe:

Cincinnati Chili

2 lbs. ground beef
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cocoa powder
2 large onions finely diced
2-4 dashes of Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp garlic powder
2 Tbls chili powder
1/2 tsp pepper
1 1/2 Tbls salt
6 oz. can of tomato paste
1 1/2 Tbls apple cider vinegar
1/2 Tbls all spice
3 Bay leaves
3 pints of water

Take the raw meat and put it in a pot with 2 pints of the water. Mush the meat into the water with your hands until it is a mealy consistency. Cook the meat until it has turned brown, about 20 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients and last pint of water and mix well. Cook for 1-2 hours. Serve over spaghetti.

Here are the different ways to make it:

Three-way: Spaghetti, chili, and cheese

Four-way: Spaghetti, chili, cheese, and onions

Five-way: Spaghetti, Chili, Cheese, Onions, and kidney beans

Frittata

2008-03-15T09:07:00.000-07:00

The other day we were watching Food Network (our daily food inspiration channel) and discovered a new breakfast dish called a Frittata. A frittata is basically like a fluffy omelet that you bake. We were intrigued and Laura remembered seeing a recipe on one of her favorite blogs a few months back. So we looked it up and finally made it today. And it was so good! Fluffier than scrambled eggs but still dense enough to fill you up. It's like a whole breakfast in one! We loved it.

Breakfast Frittata

7-8 eggs (depends on the size of the eggs)
half a bag of cubed hash-brown potatoes
2/3 Cup of grated cheese (usually cheddar but feel free to use anything, we hear ricotta is actually pretty good)
2-3 scallions, finely shopped
1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
1 cup of chopped ham (or bacon, or anything that you want pretty much)
Salt and Pepper (to taste)

Preheat oven to 350. Cook the potatoes in a oil sprayed, oven-safe pan until they are fully cooked and lightly browned. Add the ham to the cooked potatoes and heat thoroughly. While that is heating, in a bowl, whisk together the eggs, cheese, onions, baking powder, salt, and pepper until well mixed. When the potatoes and ham is fully heated, remove from heat and pour the egg mixture over the potatoes. Place the pan in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes or until it becomes fluffy and you can stick a fork in it and it comes out clean. Cut in wedges and serve. Yum!

Chocolate Almond Ice Cream

2008-02-23T09:00:00.000-08:00

This past Christmas, Laura bought me an ice cream maker. We wanted to make our own healthy sorbets and ice creams, but then we found this recipe for a chocolate ice cream that we wanted to try. I wanted to spice it up since I think just vanilla or chocolate ice cream is boring, so I roasted some almonds and threw in some almond extract and Wow! It turned out amazing. I don't think we have bought ice cream since we made this recipe.

Chocolate Almond Ice Cream

1 Cup of Milk
1/2 Cup of granulated sugar
8 ounces of chocolate chips
2 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-3 teaspoons almond extract
1 cup of chopped almonds

Heat the milk either in the microwave or on the stove top until it is bubbling around the edges but not boiling. While the milk is heating, combine the chocolate chips and sugar in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add hot milk and mix in the processor until blended and smooth. Transfer to a bowl and put in the fridge to cool. When it is completely cooled, add the heavy cream and both extracts. mix well and chill for 30 minutes. While the cream is chilling, chop the almonds and place them under a broiler for 2-3 minutes until roasted. (be careful because it's really easy to burn the almonds, my tip is: if you can smell them roasting, you've burned them. so watch them carefully!) Place the almonds into the freezer to cool them down. After the cream has been chilled, place it in your ice cream maker and turn it on. About 15-20 after you started the machine, add the almonds. when the ice cream has thickened, place in a container and freeze for at least an hour.

BBQ Pulled Pork

2008-02-19T12:26:00.001-08:00

Today, Laura and I are making dinner and taking it to the other counselor in our bishopric and his wife. They got in a bad accident two weeks ago and his wife, who was 7 months pregnant, had to have an emergency C-section. Everything turned out great and their son is doing amazingly well! But she broke her sternum in the accident, so it's hard for her to do a lot of things still. So we are going to make them a special treat! A few months ago, Laura started to get this weird craving for BBQ pulled pork. So I decided to have my try at making our own. It was so good that we ate it almost every day for a week. So here is the recipe for it. It's actually not that special and gormet, and it's really really simple, but it's still really, really good.

BBQ Pulled Pork

1 Pork Roast (from Costco...I'll explain why later)
1 large bottle of BBQ Sauce (Any kind will do, but we love honey BBQ or Sweet BBQ sauces)
Lots of water
Salt & Pepper
Beef Bullion or stock
All Season
1 clove of minced Garlic

So first you need to buy this pork roast that is sold at Costco. It's sold in packs of three and is relatively cheap, but it's the best pork we've ever had. Place the pork roast in a crock pot and fill it with water until it almost submerges the roast. Take the roast out and add some pinches of salt, pepper, all season, and beef bullion. Also add the minced garlic. Next, pour in about a 1/4th of the BBQ sauce into the water and whisk the ingredients until they are mixed well. Place the roast back into the crock pot and cover. Turn the crock pot on low and cook for about 7 or 8 hours. (If you are in a crunch for time, you can turn it on high and cook for 3 1/2 to 4 hours, but I would recommend the slow cooking version so much more) After cooking, drain out all the water. Start pulling apart the pork with two forks or tongs. At this point the pork should be so soft that it should just fall apart when you touch it. after it's pulled apart, add the rest of the BBQ sauce and serve on buns or hoagie rolls.

Chicken Romano

2008-02-18T11:10:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, we went to our favorite restaurant, The Cheesecake Factory, with our friends Matt and Rebekah. I decided to try something new so I got the Chicken Romano, and I was speechless. It was so good!!! So we decided to try and make our own version of it last night. It's actually pretty easy to make, and although it wasn't as good as the Cheesecake Factory's version, it was still pretty dang good nonetheless. So here is the recipe:

Chicken Romano

2 Chicken Breasts
1 1/2 Cup of Romano cheese (shredded or grated)
1/2 cup of bread crumbs
1/4 cup or Parmesans Cheese (shredded or grated)
2 eggs
1/3 Cup of milk
Salt and Pepper
Oil

Okay, so I really didn't measure when I made this last night, so this is just an approximation. Start out by pounding out the chicken breasts until they are about 1/4" to a 1/2" flat. Heat some oil in a pan, enough to coat the bottom. Make sure the oil is really hot. Now in a bowl, whisk the eggs and milk together. In another bowl mix the Romano cheese, the parmesan cheese, the bread crumbs, and some salt and pepper. Now dip the chicken in the egg mixture, making sure that you get it fully submerged. Then dip it into the cheese/breadcrumb mixture, making sure that the chicken is fully coated. Then place in hot oil and pan fry until golden brown on both sides. Serve alone, with your favorite pasta and sauce, or with mashed potatoes (which is what Laura is making here, she makes the best!)

White Chicken and Cilantro Chili

2008-02-12T21:22:00.000-08:00

Last summer, we started a dinner club with two other couples in our ward. Once a week we all meet at someones place and share dinner with each other. We started this club thinking that it would only last a month or so, but we've all enjoyed it so much that we've faithfully been doing it week after week. I think we all actually look forward to it each week. Tonight, it was our turn and we decided to try a new recipe that we found, and of course we had to mix it up to make it our own. It turned out so good!! Probably one of my favorite recipes we have made lately. So here it is...

White Chicken and Cilantro Chili

1 medium onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
3 cans of chicken broth
2 cans of great northern beans, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
Juice of 1 lime
1/2 bunch of cilantro
1/2 teaspoon of cumin
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup of cold water
2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
*1 jalapeño, seeded and chopped (optional) - if you like to have a kick, although we love it without

In a pot, saute onions, jalapeño(optional), and garlic. Stir in the chicken broth, beans, parsley, lime juice, and cumin. Bring to boil. Add cilantro and chicken and reduce heat. Cover and let simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Mix the cornstarch and cold water until smooth, add to the pot and bring to a boil. Cook until chili has thickened.

This recipe is easy and quick, which we love. We also like to serve this with sour cream, fresh cilantro, extra lime wedges, cheese, and crushed tortilla chips to add in the chili. It's so good! We hope that you try it and love it!

Amazing Sour Cream Sugar Cookies

2008-02-12T12:28:00.000-08:00

The other day, I came home from classes and found that Laura made me these awesome valentine sugar cookies. They were so good that it was really hard limiting ourselves to just a few. They were so perfect, and we want to share them with everyone! But first we have to give credit where credit is due: this recipe was given to us from our good friend Kari-Lynn. It's funny how we know Kari-Lynn, She grew up and went to high school with me in Lake Stevens, WA. I was actually good friends with her two younger brothers. Years later, just before Laura and I got married, Laura started working at the barbershop at BYU. It was here where she met Kari-Lynn as she was a hair stylist there also. Funny how small the world is in the church. But anyways, this is her awesome recipe and we want to give her all the credit for it. Way to go Kari-Lynn!

Amazing Sour Cream Sugar Cookies

1 cup butter (softened)
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking soda
4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
4 1/2 cups flour

Mix butter, sugar, and eggs. Then all the rest of the ingredients and mix until a dough forms. Place in a large bowl, cover, and refrigerate overnight. (or a few hours, but overnight is best)
Roll out the dough and cut into shapes using cookie cutters.
Cook in a 350 degree oven for 6-10 minutes, but watch them carefully because if they get brown, they will turn out too hard.

Frosting:

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup Crisco
1/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
Powdered sugar
Food coloring

Mix the butter, crisco, milk, salt, and vanilla together. Now add lots of powder sugar until it gets to be the consistency and taste that you like. Add food coloring to make your favorite color of frosting.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

2008-01-18T18:46:00.000-08:00

Tonight, I decided to be adventurous and make Laura's favorite Chinese food - Sweet and Sour Chicken. I found a great recipe and tried it out fully expecting it to be underwhelming. It actually turned out really, really good! We both loved it, and I sure this will now go in our normal rotation of dinners. It's easy to make, but can take a long time. So here it is:

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups flour
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1 egg
2 cups water
1 quart vegetable oil for frying
4-5 Large Chicken Breasts

Take the large chicken breasts and cut them up into small 1 inch cubes. Place frying oil in a wok or pot and heat up to 365 degrees. Mix the flour, oil, cornstarch, salt, pepper, egg, and water in a bowl. Dip each cube of chicken in the batter , making sure it is fully covered, then place in hot oil. Fry until golden brown. Take out and place on a cooling rack. Serve with your favorite Sweet and Sour Sauce.

This recipe also makes really good and much more healthy chicken nuggets. Way better than fast food or freezer nuggets. Just leave out the sweet and sour sauce.

Banana Perfection

2008-01-18T14:09:00.000-08:00

Here is an oldie but a goodie: We got this from one of the neighbors that came to Laura's parents 4th of July BBQ. We call it "Banana Perfection." It's basically a really good Banana pudding trifle. Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:
- 1 5.1oz of Instant Vanilla Pudding
- 1 Pint of real whipping cream (or 1 container of Cool Whip)
- 1 1/2 Cups of cold water
- 1 Can of sweetened condensed milk
- 3 Bananas
- 1 Box of Vanilla wafers (like Nilla)

Instructions:
Mix the box of pudding, water, and sweetened condensed milk in a large bowl. Put the pudding mix into fridge to set for 5-10 minutes. When pudding is set, gentle fold the most of the whipping cream in with the pudding, setting aside enough whipping cream to make a layer on top of the trifle. In the serving dish, place a layer of wafers, then a layer of sliced bananas, then a layer of pudding. Repeat these layers three or four times. Finally finish the trifle with a layer of the left over whipping cream you set aside earlier. Now garnish with vanilla wafers and bananas. Place in the fridge for at least an hour before serving.

Well, There you have it. Enjoy! Let us know if you like it. We sure did! Also, If anyone has a special request for a recipe, let us know!

Penne Rustica

2008-01-18T14:07:00.001-08:00

For the past few days, Laura and I have had a strong urging for some pasta. And not just any pasta, the best pasta on the planet! I've had an obsession with the Penne Rustica at Macaroni Grill for quiet a while and wanted to try and recreate it. However, all the recipes online were really complicated and very time consuming. But one day, my friend Matt showed me a recipe book that his family had in North Carolina and in it was a pretty easy looking recipe for Penne Rustica. We tried it, and have loved it ever since. So here is that recipe with a few minor adjustments from us: Enjoy!

Penne Rustica

Gratinata Sauce-

- 3 Tbls. Butter
- 2 Tbls. Minced Garlic
- 2 Cups Heavy Cream
- 1 Cup Parmesan Cheese
- ½ Cup Milk
- ½ Cup Chicken Broth
- 1 ½ Tbls. Corn Starch
- 1 Tbls. Dijon Mustard
- 2 t. Rosemary
- ½ t. Salt
- ½ t. Thyme
- ¼ t. Ground Cayenne Pepper
- 2 t. Sugar

Main Ingredients-

- 1 lbs. Penne Noodles
- 3 Chicken Breasts
- ½ Cup diced Prosciutto (or bacon for a cheaper substitute)
- 4 large shrimps for each person (or more if love shrimp!)

Gratinata Sauce-

Melt butter. Add garlic and sweat for 5 minutes. Add all the rest of the ingredients and whisk until smooth. When adding the cornstarch, mix it well with the chicken broth before adding to avoid lumping. Simmer for 5 minutes until thick.

Main Dish-

Cook penne in boiling water until al dente and set aside. Grill or bake chicken until done and cut in strips. Fry prosciutto or bacon until done, cut into small bits. Grill or cook shrimp for 2 minutes or until done. Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Load pasta in a large casserole or individual over safe bowls. Place some strips of chicken prosciutto, and shrimp on the pasta and cover with sauce. Toss. Garnish with diced prosciutto and parmesan cheese. Place in the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes. Serves 6-8.

Yeah this recipe makes a ton so expect some good leftovers for lunches after making it. Yum!

Mile High Apple Pie

2008-01-18T13:36:00.000-08:00

We made this awesome pie for thanksgiving and it was so good that we couldn't stop eating it. (And I am not a fan of apple pies, so that goes to show how good this really is!)

Recipe For The Mile High Apple Pie (Adapted From Paula Deen)

For the Deep Dish Pie Crust:
6 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups butter-flavored solid shortening (recommended: Crisco)
1 tablespoon salt
3/4 cup cold water

For the Filling:
18 apples, preferably Golden Delicious or Granny Smith, peeled, quartered and thinly sliced*
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

For the streusel:
1 cup (2 stick) butter, softened
2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup pecans
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

4 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup milk
4 tablespoons sugar

1 recipe Caramel Pecan Topping, recipe follows - Optional
*The number of apples depends on the size of the pie.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

For the Deep Dish Pie Crust:
Cut flour into butter-flavored shortening. Add salt and stir in enough water to make stiff dough. Knead slightly together. Chill dough before using. Use 1/3 of pie dough for bottom crust. Roll bottom crust. Lay in pie pan.

For the filling:
Combine apples, flour, sugar, and cinnamon and mix lightly with spatula.
For the streusel:
In a small bowl combine together butter, brown sugar, flour, pecans and cinnamon. Layer this mix every so often between apples.

Using a stainless bowl, begin layering apples slice by slice, slightly overlapping starting at the outside circle of the bowl and working towards the center. Push firmly as the layers build. Round off top layer of apple slices when you reach the top. Put a single layer of sliced apples in the bottom crust.

Take the pie pan with the bottom crust in left hand and the stainless bowl of sliced apples in right hand and invert. Put finger tips under edge of bowl to release the air and gently lift off. Press and firm apples and straighten. Add slices of apple to take away sharp edges (so as not to puncture the pie dough). Add slices of apples to top of pie to round off.

Add 4 tablespoons of butter pats on top of pie.

Roll out top crust using remaining pie dough. Gently place top crust over the mound of apples. Smooth the sides of pie crust towards bottom of pie pulling out on extra crust. Pinch down to seal 2 layers together. Crimp pie for first time. Cut extra crust with the back of a sharp knife. Re-crimp the edges and push towards the pie.

Brush with milk and sprinkle sugar rubbing your left hand from the bottom up to evenly spread your sugar.
Put 5 steam vents with a small knife towards the upper part of the pie. Do not vent at the top as it will cause the pie to split open as it bakes.
Bake between 350 to 375 degrees F for 1 hour, 20 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Let cool for at least 1 hour

Spread warm Caramel Pecan Topping on top of crust beginning at the base of the pie above the fluting and working towards the top.

Serving suggestions:
Drizzle caramel pecan topping with semisweet chocolate, milk chocolate, and white chocolate.

Caramel Pecan Topping:
2 (12-ounce) cups melted caramel
3 tablespoons evaporated milk
1 1/2 cup chopped pecan pieces

Melt caramels completely in microwave. Add evaporated milk and stir until smooth consistency. Add chopped pecans and stir. Spread over pie starting at base and working in.

Welcome to Our Recipe Blog!

2008-01-18T08:30:00.000-08:00

Laura and I were thinking about how much we love to cook, and how so many of our friends have begged us to post our recipes online. So we have started this blog to share our love of cooking with everyone! So we will be posting all of our favorite recipes online soon!