Carnation Famous Fudge

Who makes fudge in May? Apparently I do. We have been without an oven for a month and the kids (and I) wanted something sweet, chocolate and homemade. Katrina gave me the idea of making fudge because of a picture that was on a can of evaporated milk. It was really good and has left me wanting more.

Carnation Famous Fudge
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cups (5 fl. oz can) Carnation evaporated milk
2 Tbsp. butter or margarine
1/4 tsp. salt
2 cups marshmallows
1 1/2 cups (9oz) Nestle Toll House Semi-Sweet chocolate morsels
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)
1 tsp. vanilla extract.

Line a 8-in-square baking pan with foil.

Combine sugar, evaporated milk, butter and salt in medium, heavy-duty saucepan. Bring to a full rolling boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil, stirring constantly, for 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Stir in marshmallows, morsels, nuts and vanilla extract. Stir vigorously for 1 minute or until marshmallows are melted. Pour into a prepared baking pan; refrigerate for 2 hours or until firm. Lift from pan; remove foil. Cut into 48 pieces.

FOR MILK CHOCOLATE FUDGE:
Substitute 1 3/4 cups Milk Chocolate for Semi-Sweet chocolate morsels.

FOR BUTTERSCOTCH FUDGE:
Substitute 1 2/3 cups Butterscotch Flavored Morsels for Semi-Sweet morsels

FOR PEANUTTY CHOCOLATE FUDGE:
1 2/3 cups Peanut Butter & Milk Chocolate Morsels for Semi-Sweet morsels and 1/2 cup chopped peanuts for pecans for pecans or walnuts.

Pasta Alla Marlboro man (Pioneer Women)

I guess I could change the name of this recipe since I made changes to it, but it originated from Pioneer Women. I used what I had on hand and will also like to make it again using hamburger instead of the turkey (I had ground turkey on hand).

I was really the only one whom like this. Again, my kids don't like meat in pasta sauce and my husband HATES pasta all together.

PASTA ALLA MARLBORO MAN
2 TBsp. Olive Oil
1/2 whole large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 lbs ground beef (I used ground turkey)
Salt to Taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tsp. (generous) Ground Thyme
2 cans (14 oz) whole tomatoes (I used crushed tomatoes)
1/4 cups freshly grated parmesan cheese
1-1/2 punds (to 2 lbs) Rigatoni
Preparation:
Heat oil in large skillet or pot over medium-low heat. Add onion and cook a couple of minutes, until starting to turn translucent. Add garlic and stir, cooking 1 minute, making sure not to brown the garlic.
Add ground beef and cook until brown. Drain most of excess fat. Add salt, pepper, and ground thyme. Stir to combine. Dump in canned tomatoes with their juice. Stir, reduce heat to low, and cover pot. Cook for 30 minutes, stirring a couple of times. Uncover the pot and cook an additional 30 minutes.
Cook rigatoni according to package directions-don't overcook! (I think I over cook pasta all the time). Drain and place individual portions into bowls.
Stire in 1/4 to 1/2 cup grated parmesan into the sauce. Check and adjust seasonings. Ladle sauce over cooked pasta, sprinkle with more parmesan, and serve.

Olive Garden Salad & Dressing Copycat Recipe

I LOVE Olive Garden for their salad, breaksticks and fettucini alfredo. Have you ever tried re-heating the fettucini alfredo leftovers tho, nasty and oily. I have posted in previous blog an amazing alfredo sauce recipe (found in a weighht watches cookbook).

I was making a pasta dish this night and knew my husband (whom HATES pasta dishes) would love this. I didn't show him the ingredients though because of the corn syrup. He LOVED it though and I kept the ingredients a secret.

OLIVE GARDEN SALAD AND DRESSING
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup white vinegar
1 tsp. vegetable oil
2 Tbsp. corn syrup (I used light)
2 Tbsp. Romano cheese
1 garlic clove minced
1/2 tsp. italian seasoning
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. Sugar (optional)**Taste before adding the sugar...or add a little more mayo to change the taste.
1 bag American blend Dole salad (I used a head of lettuce, torn into pieces)
4 sliced rings of Purple onion (halved)
8 jumbo Black olives (pitted) I did not add these
6 Banana peppers (pepperoncini)
1/2 cup croutons (didn't add this either)
2 Roma tomatoes (quartered)
Parmesan cheese (freshly grated)
Pepper corns (freshly ground)

Homemade Turkey Sausage Recipe

Have you ever purchased turkey sausage from the store to only find that it is without any seasoning? Well I have. I had to come up with a way to make my own, so I searched. Good thing we have the internet and so many people post so many different recipes. So here is the one I stuck with and used. I mixed the seasoning and the ground turkey and let it set overnight, cooked it the next day. I put it in the fridge for the following day and all my husband could say (when he had his head in the fridge looking for a snack) was, "what smells so good"? It was the sausage. I needed the sausage for another recipe that I will soon post. If you take a close look at the picture, the homemade sausage is to the left and the store bought is on the right. You can't even see the spices in the sausage.

TURKEY BREAKFAST SAUSAGE
1 lb. ground turkey (not turkey breast) I used 85% ground turkey
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. sage
1 tsp. Fennel
1 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. white pepper
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 garlic pepper
1/8 tsp. cloves
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1/8 tsp. allspice

Combine all ingredients (use less pepper if you don't want a spicy taste) and blend well.

If time permits, refrigerate overnight to let the meat absorb the flavor of the spices.

Form into patties and cook as needed, freezing leftovers.

Don't overcook or they will dry out--remove from the heat as soon as they're no longer pink inside, but still juicy. (if you prefer a moister texture, you add a splash of olive oil or an egg to the mixture just prior to cooking).

This cooked up well and the smell was great.

Mexican Rice

I have been making a lot of rice lately and wanted to use the cup and a half that I had in the fridge. I was gonna just make rice with peppers and onions to go with the chicken but then thought since I was making Enchilada Chicken that I would find a recipe for Mexican Rice. This was the first recipe I came to and thought it looked perfect. I didn't have the entire amount of rice it was calling for so I just empervised a little and was not disappointed at all. This was one of the best meals I have made in awhile and looking forward to leftovers tomorrow.

INGREDIENTS:

1 sprays cooking spray
4 cup cooked brown rice
1 1/4 cup salsa
1 tsp ground cumin
15 oz canned fat free refried beans
10 oz frozen corn kernels, thawed
4 oz canned green chili peppers, mild, diced
1 Tbsp chili powder
3/4c. Black or Pinto Beans
3/4 cup low-fat shredded cheddar cheese, divided (I like WW Shredded Mexican Cheese!)
2 Tbsp cilantro, fresh, chopped (optional; for garnish)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375ºF. Coat a 2-quart rectangular, round or oval baking dish with cooking spray.

2. In a large bowl, combine rice, salsa and cumin. Spoon 2 cups of rice mixture into prepared baking dish and spread out to evenly cover bottom of dish.

3. In another large bowl, combine refried beans, black or pinto beans, corn (I used frozen leftover corn-on-the-cob), chili peppers and chili power. Using a rubber spatula, scrape bean mixture on top of rice layer and smooth out top.

4. sprinkle with 6 tablespoons of cheese. Top with remaining rice mixture and smooth out top; sprinkle with remaining cheese.

5. Place casserole on a large rimmed baking sheet to catch any spillage. Bake until heated through and cheese is browned and bubbling, about 30 minutes.

6. Sprinkle with cilantro (if desired), cut into 6 pieces and serve.

My mouth is watering just thinking of this recipe all over again.

I would like to add that I found this recipe at Down Home Dieting (http://downhomedieting.wordpress.com)

Enchilada Chicken

I have been on a Mexican themed dinner mood apparently. I wasn't for sure about this recipe but Wow, it was amazing chicken. I found this recipe out of the Biggest Loser Family Cookbook. I didn't use the same seasoning on my kids chicken or sauce so I don't know if they would have liked it but my husband sure did, that's a winner.

Enchilada Chicken
4 (4 oz) trimmed boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tsp. salt-free Mexican or Southwest seasoning (I used Mrs. Dash Southwest Chipolte)
4 tbsp. medium, mild or hot enchilada sauce
2 oz. (1 cup) finely shredded Cabot's 75% Light Cheddar Cheese (I used whatever was on hand)
2 tbsp. finely chopped cilantro

Preheat over to 350. Season each chicken breast evenly on all sides with the seasoning.

Place a large over proof nonstick skillet over high heat. When hot, lightly mist with the olive oil spray and add the chicken. Cook, turning once, for 1 to 2 minutes per side, or just until the chicken is golden brown on both sides (I find myself cooking for longer than that so the chicken doesn't take as long in the oven).

Remove the pan from the heat and top each chicken breast with 1 tbsp. of the enchilada sauce, followed by one-fourth of the cheese and one-fourth of the cilantro. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for 4-6 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink inside and the cheese is melted.

Per serving: 162 calories, 31 g protein, 1 g carbohydrates, 3 g fat (1 g saturated), 71 mg cholesterol, trace fiber, 230 mg sodium.

I will be making this chicken often cause it will not disappoint. It paired great with the rice I made as well....recipe to follow.

Hearty Burritos

What to have for dinner? I had 1/2 lb ground turkey in the fridge from the night before. What can I turn it into? Hearty Burritos!! I found this recipe in the Taste of Home Freezer Meals little booklet. It all came together perfectly too.

Hearty Burritos

1/2 lb. gound beef or turkey
1 large green pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 package (16 oz) frozen cubed has brown potatoes, thawed
1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14-1/2 oz) Mexican diced tomatoes, undrained
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
1/2 cup salsa
1/2 cup cooked rice
2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups (8 oz) shredded cheddar cheese
8 flour tortillas (10 in.), warmed

Sour Cream, chopped tomatoes, guacamole, additional shredded cheese and salsa; optional.

In a large skillet, cook the beef, green pepper and onion over medium heat until potatoes, beans, tomatoes, corn, salso, rice, chili powder and salt. Sprinkle 1/4 cup cheese off-center on each tortilla; top with about 1 cup beef mixture. Fold sides and ends over filling.

Wrap burritos individually in foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Or place burritos seam side down on a baking sheet.

Bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until heated through. Serve with sour cream, tomatoes, guacamole, additional cheese and salsa if desired.

To Use Frozen Burritos: Thaw in the fridgerator overnight. Bake and serve as directed.

when freezing, wrap in foil, throw into a freezer baggie and write on the baggie the date and cooking instructions.