So the past couple of weeks at work, I've made the same smoothie for my "employee meal" every shift I have had. In the words of Dave Gahan (Singer for Depeche Mode), "I just can't get enough!" Although that's not entirely true, because I always go through phases such as this one. Eventually I'll make up another smoothie or revert back to another of my previous recipes. This is turning into a tangent and not a recipe...so here is my current favorite smoothie:
* 4 oz Carrot Juice
* 2 oz OJ
* 2-3 oz Plain Yogurt
* 9 oz Frozen Strawberries
* 3 oz Frozen Blueberries
* 1 whole Fresh Banana
I add 2 oz of ice to mine so that it'll come out to a full original size, but ice is never really necessary in homemade smoothies.
And there you have it! A tasty and very healthy smoothie...well, actually more like a drink. The fresh banana and yogurt make it a bit slimy and runny compared to normal Jamba Juice that everyone is used to.
Enjoy! (Should you be brave enough to try a smoothie with carrot juice...)
Nick~
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Seasoned Tilapia Fillets
This recipe is from my Taste of Home: Simple & Delicious magazine my mom subscribed me to. I love it! The recipes are very, well, simple and delicious!
2 tilapia fillets
1 tbsp. butter, melted
1 tsp. steak seasoning (i used lemon/pepper chicken seasoning--it provide a great spicy flavor)
1/2 tsp. dried parsley flakes
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/8 tsp. onion powder
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
Dash of garlic powder
1. Place fillets in a greased 11x7 baking dish. Drizzle with butter.
2. In a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients; sprinkle over fillets.
3. Cover and bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Uncover and bake 6-8 minutes longer or until fish flakes easily with a fork.
4. Eat delicious fish!
This recipe suggests serving with a dill asparagus sidedish. I just served it with a vegetable-medley and toast. I didn't buy fresh tilapia; I bought a frozen pack for $4 at Walmart. It comes with 4-fillets, each individually sealed in the bag. That makes it super easy to thaw them. Just place the individually sealed fillet in a bowl of lukewarm water until it's thawed. YUM!
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Spinach-Artichoke Dipping Goodness
OK, so this isn't really my recipe. I got the recipe from a friend of mine and I made it for Easter this year. I decided to go the extra mile and make an alfredo sauce from scratch. So I got the recipe off the wonderful world wide web. 2 recipes, 1 delicious food product. Without further ado...
You'll want to start by making the Alfredo Sauce.
***This recipe makes enough sauce for two batches of dip. So if you don't want that much dip, make sure you halve it. If you DO want that much dip, make sure you double the dip recipe***
Alfredo Sauce
* 1/2 cup sweet butter
* 2 cloves of garlic, minced
* 2 cups heavy cream
* 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
* 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
* 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese
1) Start by melting the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat.
2) Once the butter is melted, add the garlic, cream, and white pepper and bring it to a simmer. Make sure to stir often.
3) Add the Parmesan cheese a little at a time while you stir it in and let it melt into the sauce. After you've added all of the Parmesan cheese, let it simmer for 8-10 minutes or until the sauce has thickened and is smooth.
4) When the sauce has thickened, add the mozzarella cheese a little at a time. Stir frequently.
Now for the coup de grace.
Spinach-Artichoke Dip
*10 oz. bag of fresh spinach **Frozen spinach also works. Thaw it and drain the water.**
*1 can (approximately 14 oz) artichoke hearts
*1 cup parmesan-romano cheese mix
*1 cup mozzarella cheese
*10 oz. alfredo sauce
*4 oz. softened cream cheese
*Dash of black pepper
1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2) Wash the spinach and cook it in a pan on medium-low heat. It only needs the water that clings to the leaves to cook it. You want the leaves to wilt up. As you add more leaves, put the wilted leaves on top of the new ones. Once all the leaves are wilted (this only takes a few minutes), drain the water and lightly squeeze some of the water from the spinach leaves.
3) Drain and rinse the artichoke hearts. Roughly chop them.
4) Combine all of the ingredients into a large bowl and mix well.
5) Spread the dip into an un-greased glass baking dish and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the cheeses are melted and bubbly.
6) Served warm with tortilla chips or toasted french bread.
And there you have it. If anyone would like a copy of this in MS Word to print off or whatever, go ahead and email me. I also plan on playing around with the recipe a little, so I may modify the recipe later on, depending on how it goes. Until next time~
You'll want to start by making the Alfredo Sauce.
***This recipe makes enough sauce for two batches of dip. So if you don't want that much dip, make sure you halve it. If you DO want that much dip, make sure you double the dip recipe***
Alfredo Sauce
* 1/2 cup sweet butter
* 2 cloves of garlic, minced
* 2 cups heavy cream
* 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
* 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
* 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese
1) Start by melting the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat.
2) Once the butter is melted, add the garlic, cream, and white pepper and bring it to a simmer. Make sure to stir often.
3) Add the Parmesan cheese a little at a time while you stir it in and let it melt into the sauce. After you've added all of the Parmesan cheese, let it simmer for 8-10 minutes or until the sauce has thickened and is smooth.
4) When the sauce has thickened, add the mozzarella cheese a little at a time. Stir frequently.
Now for the coup de grace.
Spinach-Artichoke Dip
*10 oz. bag of fresh spinach **Frozen spinach also works. Thaw it and drain the water.**
*1 can (approximately 14 oz) artichoke hearts
*1 cup parmesan-romano cheese mix
*1 cup mozzarella cheese
*10 oz. alfredo sauce
*4 oz. softened cream cheese
*Dash of black pepper
1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2) Wash the spinach and cook it in a pan on medium-low heat. It only needs the water that clings to the leaves to cook it. You want the leaves to wilt up. As you add more leaves, put the wilted leaves on top of the new ones. Once all the leaves are wilted (this only takes a few minutes), drain the water and lightly squeeze some of the water from the spinach leaves.
3) Drain and rinse the artichoke hearts. Roughly chop them.
4) Combine all of the ingredients into a large bowl and mix well.
5) Spread the dip into an un-greased glass baking dish and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the cheeses are melted and bubbly.
6) Served warm with tortilla chips or toasted french bread.
And there you have it. If anyone would like a copy of this in MS Word to print off or whatever, go ahead and email me. I also plan on playing around with the recipe a little, so I may modify the recipe later on, depending on how it goes. Until next time~
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Get Your Jamba On, People.
This one is straight from the source--as we know, Nick has access to all of the Jamba secrets.
The Orange-a-Peel Jamba Juice recipe is:
16 oz: 8 oz OJ, 4 oz Vanilla Frozen Yogurt, 4 oz Strawberries, 2 oz Bananas, 2 oz ice
24 oz: 12 oz OJ, 6 oz VFY, 6 oz Straw, 3 oz Ban, 2 oz ice
32 oz: 14 oz OJ, 9 oz VFY, 9 oz Straw, 3 oz Ban, 2 oz ice
Instructions: Blend.
Citrus Squeeze is pretty similar, only the juice is half OJ and half Pineapple juice and Orange Sherbet instead of the Frozen Yogurt. And if you want to go healthy, mix carrot juice with OJ and Strawberries and bananas. You can add plain or vanilla yogurt in with it. It's more of a drink though...
And remember, frozen fruit makes tasty treats, unfrozen fruit makes slimy drinks.
The Orange-a-Peel Jamba Juice recipe is:
16 oz: 8 oz OJ, 4 oz Vanilla Frozen Yogurt, 4 oz Strawberries, 2 oz Bananas, 2 oz ice
24 oz: 12 oz OJ, 6 oz VFY, 6 oz Straw, 3 oz Ban, 2 oz ice
32 oz: 14 oz OJ, 9 oz VFY, 9 oz Straw, 3 oz Ban, 2 oz ice
Instructions: Blend.
Citrus Squeeze is pretty similar, only the juice is half OJ and half Pineapple juice and Orange Sherbet instead of the Frozen Yogurt. And if you want to go healthy, mix carrot juice with OJ and Strawberries and bananas. You can add plain or vanilla yogurt in with it. It's more of a drink though...
And remember, frozen fruit makes tasty treats, unfrozen fruit makes slimy drinks.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Yummo!
What a great idea! I just posted on my own blog about a problem I am having cooking. I have no desire to do it. None. I think mostly it is because I don't know what to make....so I asked people to share with me their recipes. In no less than a week I have received about 150 pages of recipes in Word documents and am thrilled! I have cooked 2 nights in a row! Don't judge me, I usually only cook about once a week..the other nights consist of Spencer cooking, cereal, bagels and Cafe Rio. Sad I know. Anyways, yesterday night I made a very most DELICIOUS MEAL!!! SOOO good. I will share it with you now.
Chicken Mushroom & Asparagus Penne
1 lb fresh asparagus
16 oz penne pasta
2 T olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
8 oz sliced fresh mushrooms
1 T parsley
2 chicken breast, cooked and cubed (Lindsey uses rotisserie chicken)
1 C Caesar dressing
Salt and pepper
½ C parmesan cheese
Cook pasta…add cut asparagus when pasta has about 2 min. remaining to boiling water. Drain. Meanwhile in large skillet, add olive oil, garlic and chicken. Cook chicken. Add mushrooms and parsley. Stir fry until mushrooms are tender. Add dressing and cook til warm. Add pasta and asparagus. Season. Top with Cheese.
Note: I half this recipe. I doesn’t make great leftovers. The sauce doesn’t reheat well.
Chicken Mushroom & Asparagus Penne
1 lb fresh asparagus
16 oz penne pasta
2 T olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
8 oz sliced fresh mushrooms
1 T parsley
2 chicken breast, cooked and cubed (Lindsey uses rotisserie chicken)
1 C Caesar dressing
Salt and pepper
½ C parmesan cheese
Cook pasta…add cut asparagus when pasta has about 2 min. remaining to boiling water. Drain. Meanwhile in large skillet, add olive oil, garlic and chicken. Cook chicken. Add mushrooms and parsley. Stir fry until mushrooms are tender. Add dressing and cook til warm. Add pasta and asparagus. Season. Top with Cheese.
Note: I half this recipe. I doesn’t make great leftovers. The sauce doesn’t reheat well.
Bravo, Bravo
I commend our young bride for wanting to save the world, one family dinner at a time. I too agree that this is a splendid idea and will be the first to contribute. Also, on a side note. I am not fond of recipe snobs who think that their recipe is "secret" and refuse to share. By doing so you refuse to allow any young brides, mothers, or grandmothers to grow and learn and make forever families happy. So below are my sister Melanie's Fajitas:
FaJiTaS
2 chicken breasts cut into strips
3 Peppers (Red, Yellow and Green)
1 Onion
In a skillet combine olive oil with sliced onion, then after the onion has softened
add the strips of peppers
Then cook the strips of chicken in a separate pan, after they are done add them to the skillet with a cup of BBQ sauce (Kraft Honey), add more to taste
It's really easy! We love having these with tortillas that you can cook on a griddle or regular tortillas work great too!
Good sides for this meal are chips and salsa and guacamole. I made homemade guacamole and it is absolutely delicious. It was gone before anything else.
3 Peppers (Red, Yellow and Green)
1 Onion
In a skillet combine olive oil with sliced onion, then after the onion has softened
add the strips of peppers
Then cook the strips of chicken in a separate pan, after they are done add them to the skillet with a cup of BBQ sauce (Kraft Honey), add more to taste
It's really easy! We love having these with tortillas that you can cook on a griddle or regular tortillas work great too!
Good sides for this meal are chips and salsa and guacamole. I made homemade guacamole and it is absolutely delicious. It was gone before anything else.
Muddy Buddies
9 cups Rice Chex cereal
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-1/2 cups powdered sugar
1. Measure cereal and place in a large bowl.
2. In medium microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter, uncovered, on High for 1 minute; stir. Microwave about 30 seconds longer or until mixture can be stirred smooth.
3. Stir in vanilla.
4. Pour mixture over cereal, stirring until evenly coated. Pour into 2-gallon Ziploc bag.
5. Add powdered sugar. Seal bag. Shake until well coated. Spread on waxed paper to cool. Store in airtight container in refrigerator.
EVERYONE LOVES A GOOD MUDDY BUDDY OR TOO. I also encourage you to sing the 'My Buddy' song whilst making this.
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-1/2 cups powdered sugar
1. Measure cereal and place in a large bowl.
2. In medium microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter, uncovered, on High for 1 minute; stir. Microwave about 30 seconds longer or until mixture can be stirred smooth.
3. Stir in vanilla.
4. Pour mixture over cereal, stirring until evenly coated. Pour into 2-gallon Ziploc bag.
5. Add powdered sugar. Seal bag. Shake until well coated. Spread on waxed paper to cool. Store in airtight container in refrigerator.
EVERYONE LOVES A GOOD MUDDY BUDDY OR TOO. I also encourage you to sing the 'My Buddy' song whilst making this.
Peanut Butter Jelly Time
Ladies and gentlemen,
I have decided to begin a blog completely devoted to life's greatest recipes. Every day I hear my friends and family telling me about delicious meals they've made recently. Whether it be grilled cheese sandwiches, refried bean taquitos, pasta salad, or an Easter ham--I want in on the fun. Thus, the creation of this blog. I invite all to post your favorite recipe, your least favorite recipe, a recipe you made up late one evening when you were craving salami and mint chocolate chip ice cream, a recipe your grandmother passed down from her grandmother, a recipe your dad makes every time company comes over, or even a recipe you stole from somebody else. Most people don't have time to get together for big recipe swap nights, weekly meal swaps or even freak gasoline fight accidents. I think this could end up being really fun--and a great way to get people together on the internet web machine.
Or it could be a flop.
And Conrad could be the only one posting his recipe for Barbecue Chicken Feet.
So please. Don't let that happen.
Post a recipe.
...Do it.
(p.s. email me if you want to be part of the posting fun--I'll add you as an Admin to the blog!)
I have decided to begin a blog completely devoted to life's greatest recipes. Every day I hear my friends and family telling me about delicious meals they've made recently. Whether it be grilled cheese sandwiches, refried bean taquitos, pasta salad, or an Easter ham--I want in on the fun. Thus, the creation of this blog. I invite all to post your favorite recipe, your least favorite recipe, a recipe you made up late one evening when you were craving salami and mint chocolate chip ice cream, a recipe your grandmother passed down from her grandmother, a recipe your dad makes every time company comes over, or even a recipe you stole from somebody else. Most people don't have time to get together for big recipe swap nights, weekly meal swaps or even freak gasoline fight accidents. I think this could end up being really fun--and a great way to get people together on the internet web machine.
Or it could be a flop.
And Conrad could be the only one posting his recipe for Barbecue Chicken Feet.
So please. Don't let that happen.
Post a recipe.
...Do it.
(p.s. email me if you want to be part of the posting fun--I'll add you as an Admin to the blog!)
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