~Tortilla Back Bean Casserole~

For being cooked without an ounce of butter, oil or any fattening thing base, this is the darn best casserole out there. I got this recipe from my wonderful sis-in-law, Shannon. Thank you Shannon! I can't think of any casserole that puts together so many veggies, is truly healthy and really has a burst of flavor as much as this one does. Let's be honest though, can you really ever go wrong with avocado??

you'll need:

2 c. chopped onion

1 1/2 c. diced green bell pepper

1 14 1/2 oz. can diced tomatoes

3/4 c. salsa

2 tsp. ground cumin

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 15 oz. cans black or white beans, rinsed, drained*

12 6 inch corn tortillas

2 c. shredded Jack cheese (8 0z.)

avocado, and sour cream for garnish (not optional!!)

get busy:

1. In a skillet, combine onion, bell pepper, undrained tomatoes, salsa, cumin and garlic. Bring mixture to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in beans, and cook for 2-3 more minutes.

2. Spread 1/3 of the mixture on the bottom of a 9x13 pan.** Top with 6 tortillas and 1 c. cheese. Repeat until you run out of stuff--which took me two layers. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. The majority of the tortillas should be covered in cheese.

3. Cover with foil; bake for 27 minutes. Remove the foil and continue cooking for 8 more minutes, or 35 minutes in total. Let cool for a few minutes. Garnish with sour cream and avocado. This dish will not taste nearly as awesome as it will with the sour cream and avocado. Sprouts Grocery Store often has sales on avocados like 2 for a $1. Totally worth it!

*The original recipe calls for black beans, but I had white beans in the pantry, ergo I used white beans and it tasted just as good.

**I also made a half-recipe tonight, so I put cooked the casserole into an 8x8 pan.

~Penne alla Vodka~

Yeah, you heard me right. Vodka! This is my signature dish. It's adapted from a Williams-Sonoma recipe, so it has to be delicious, right? When we have friends/family over, this is my go-to recipe. Because it's that good. Yep! Tried and true, everyone has loved it so far. I am obsessed with pasta. Plain and simple, I could never survive a carb-free diet because I won't let go of my pasta. This is one recipe I don't recommend whole wheat pasta, because I think it takes away from the sweet and amazing flavor the sauce provides. Don't worry, the alcohol cooks out! Then you're simply left with the sweet taste from the vodka. I usually love any pasta or meal that has alcohol in it... for example, my all-time favorite restaurant dish is chicken tequila fettucini from California Pizza Kitchen. Ahhh, in fact, I love that recipe so much, I ordered the CPK cookbook today just for that recipe. Can't wait for it to come!! Not as excited to buy tequila...

I forgot to buy mushrooms at the market (dang it!!) so these pictures are sans mushrooms :-( But still fantastic! But of course, I recommend mushrooms. They add a nice texture to the pasta.

I love pastas with creamy sauces, so I make sure to set the ingredients right to get a really creamy sauce. Not your cup of tea? Add less heavy whipping cream.

I made sauteed zucchini tonight with olive oil for the vegetable dish. I usually make this or a delightful strawberry spinach salad with a poppyseed dressing that I have gotten so many compliments on. One of these days, I'll post the recipe for that.

I think my favorite part of this recipe is that I got to use my fresh basil from my baby basil plant! I have been growing this basil since I lived in Laguna Beach this summer, and Supermom kept it alive while I was in Utah (thank you Mama!). I love my plant! Doesn't get fresher than that.

you'll need:

1 lb. penne pasta

4 to 5 tbs. butter, divided

1 pkg mushrooms, maybe 5 oz.? 9 oz? the more the better, sauteed

1 1/2 c. heavy whipping cream

1/4 c. organic tomato paste

1/3 c. vodka (no weird flavor!)

2 tbs. fresh basil

2 tbs. salt

a pinch of cayenne

1/2 c. parmesan cheese

get busy:

Boil water for the pasta in a large pot. Meanwhile, sautee the mushrooms in one pan. In another, melt 4 tbs. butter and the whipping cream over medium-low heat in a large frying pan. In a small bowl, stir together the vodka and tomato paste. Stir into cream mixture. Add basil and cayenne. Cook on medium-low heat until you can't really smell the alcohol anymore. Add the sauteed mushrooms to the sauce. The sauce should be cooked enough to coat the back of a spoon. Want it thicker? Lower the heat and cook it longer.

Meanwhile, your water should be boiling by now. Add the penne and salt and cook until al-dente. Drain water; combine with sauce and parmesan and mix together. This recipe is great served with a yummy salad and garlic bread. Enjoy!

~Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies~

Finally! A chocolate chip cookie that I love and can bake at the same time! My sister and brother make delicious cookies but for some reason, whenever I try to bake them, they don't turn out. Here is a chocolate chip cookie recipe that turned out amazing (and yes, passed the hubby test). Some people prefer their chocolate chip cookies to be hard, but I like mine soft and chewy--almost undercooked. A pet peeve of mine is when cookies are made with margarine. NOOOOO! They must be made with butter!! They taste differently, I promise. Butter is the way to go, and there is just no replacement. I made these tonight with mostly whole wheat flour and a little white flour (heehee the husband didn't know!) and you could not tell a difference. I am making the slow switch to all whole wheat in my home for everything I cook/bake because it is healthier. We'll see how long I can make it before Jeremy notices/complains.

I made half a recipe, and used an ice cream scooper to ensure all cookies are the same size. I like my cookies bigger. So a half recipe with bigger cookies made 9--perfect, so I won't eat too many!

Bake anywhere from 8-13 minutes. It really depends on your oven. Because I make my cookies a little bigger, they take a little longer to bake.

Golden on the outsides, soft n' gooey on the inside.

I am a firm believer in bittersweet or at least 60% cacao. That's the good stuff. I grew out of milk chocolate a while ago. Besides, bittersweet chocolate is actually a little healthier for you, too!

you'll need:

3/4 c. salted butter

3/4 c. packed brown sugar

1/4 c. granulated sugar, or agave

1 egg

2 tsp. vanilla extract (I use my homemade vanilla)

2 c. whole wheat flour

2 tsp. cornstarch

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 c. bittersweet chocolate chips

get busy:

Preheat the oven to 350. In a bowl, cream the butter with the sugars. Add egg and vanilla; mix. Add the rest of the ingredients. Plop whatever size cookies you want on to an ungreased cookie sheet. I highly recommend air-bake cookie sheets. It is nearly impossible to burn the bottom of your cookies with these amazing cookie sheets. I also recommend using an ice cream or cookie dough scooper to all the cookies come out the same size*. Bake for 8-13 minutes, depending on how big the cookies are; let cook for a few minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. Enjoy!

*Christmas gift idea: make these cookies. Take a Pringles can and cover it with cute wrapping paper or scrapbook paper. Put your homemade cookies inside and it's a cutely wrapped gift for someone and a container to keep the cookies fresh!

~Pumpkin Bread~

Well, this is my absolute FAVORITE pumpkin bread recipe ever! I have tried so many differeny pumpkin breads from lots of different ladies, and I still stick the same recipe I have from Supermom. In my opinion, nothing beats this recipe. I made it as one huge loaf, but I would recommend making this recipe in 5 small loaf pans and giving them away to neighbors or friends. They will love it!

Pumpkin bread without chocolate chips is like cookies without eggs or flour. They are a must! This bread is especially good warm, so the chocolate is melted and oozy. MMMMM.

Combine and mix all of the ingredients in a mixer well, so there are no chunks of pumpkin or shortening.

My bread split a little at the top because I kept taking it out every 5 minutes to check if it was done. Ha, learn from this: if you cook this entire recipe in one pan as I did, cook it for a good hour! Maybe more! When you bake them in 5 small loaves, they cook in about 30 minutes.

you'll need:

2/3 c. shortening (white)

2 2/3 c. sugar

4 eggs

1 can Libby's pumpkin

2/3 c. water

2 1/3 c. flour

2 tsp. baking soda

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. cloves

1 c. semisweet chocolate chips

get busy:

Preheat oven to 350. In a mixer, cream shortening and sugar. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Pour mixture into well-greased bread loaf pans. Cook for about 30 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. If you are making this in one big bread pan, cook for at least an hour, or until toothpick comes out clean. That's it! Easy, right??

~French Dip Sandwiches with Aujus Sauce~

I love my Crock Pot. What an easy to way to make a meal! Now that I work full-time and commute, I have been utilizing my casserole dishes and my Crock Pot (thanks again Ash for the Crock Pot!). This is probably one of the easiest dinners ever to make. The first time I made it for Jeremy, he loved it, and it is on our regular family menu. This meal couples well with spinach, but it really could go with any veggie. I just made a ton of spinach tonight because I didn't eat many vegetables today.

you'll need:

3 lb chuck roast

1 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 c. soy sauce

1 beef bouillon cube

enough water to almost cover the roast

get busy:

Throw all of the above ingredients into your Crock Pot. Cook on low for 8-10 hours. Mine always seems to be done in 8, but it depends on how quickly your slow cooker cooks. Once it's done, put the meat on either French rolls or hoagie rolls, and put the sauce in a ramekin. That's it! This is a crowd pleaser. Hope you enjoy it.

~Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps~

I know what you're thinking. "Oh, lettuce wraps require so many ingredients, and/or would take too long to make." That is only partially true. It does take some time to makes these (only because it's a lot of chopping) but I only had to buy a few new ingredients for this recipe. After a considerable time scouring the internet for a good recipe, this is the one I stuck with. The other ones may turn out great, but they called for so many little ingredients I never carry in my cupboards, so I wanted to choose a recipe that was more cost-efficient.

This recipe only has a few ingredients that you'll need to visit the Asian section of any grocery story for. I hope you like these as much as the hubby and I do. This serves as an incredibly healthy and delicious appetizer or main course. We have it for dinner. I just love the combination of the warm food and cool crunch provided by the lettuce.

When dicing, all of the veggies/chicken should be the same size--very very small.

Once you add the vegetable oil and sesame oil, cook the green peppers, mushroom, and green onions.

Add the sauce and bring to a boil; then let it simmer for about 10 minutes.

Spread some of the chicken mixture onto your lettuce and munch away. Seriously, good.

you'll need:

2 chicken breasts
1 large carrot
8 whole mushrooms, diced
3 green onions, diced
1 red or green bell pepper
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1/2 can water chestnuts, drained, chopped
2 Tablespoons oil
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil

1 head iceberg or butter lettuce, leaves washed and separated in wholes

sauce:

1/2 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger (I don't always add this)

get busy:

Bring chicken breasts to a boil in water to cover with a pinch of salt. Boil for ten minutes. Remove from water and chop finely, about the size of a kernel of corn.

Meanwhile, finely grate carrot. Finely dice onion, water chestnuts, mushrooms and bell pepper to the same size as the chicken pieces, about the size of a kernel of corn. Mix together sauce ingredients. Whisk to combine; set aside.

Heat 2 Tablespoons oil and 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil in a large pan. Add onions, mushrooms and bell pepper. Cook 2 minutes to soften. Add chicken, water chestnuts, and garlic. Saute for 2 minutes. Add sauce to pan, bring to a boil, and simmer for 10 minutes until liquid is reduced and there is almost no liquid left in pan. Stir in grated carrot. This tastes yummy with some brown rice, but I don't cook starches too often anymore, so I made spinach instead.

~The Best Darn Homemade Bread~

Really, though. I have been trying recipe after recipe, and I can honestly say that this is truly my own. I made it up as I went and, well, my hubby and I scarfed down two whole loaves this past week. Winner! Jeremy used to complain that my past bread recipes weren't good sandwich bread because it didn't stay together well after cutting it. This bread will stay together just fine and tastes delicious for sandwiches. So I hope you enjoy. In my humble opinion, homemade bread is a thousand times better than storebought bread. I don't like storebought bread anymore. And I like knowing there are very few ingredients in my food. Here you go!

you'll need:

1 1/4 c. warm water

2 Tbs. honey

1 Tbs. yeast

1/2 Tbs. salt

1/2 Tbs. dough enhancer

1/2 Tbs. oil

about 3 cups flour (half red wheat, half white wheat)

get busy:

1. Proof the yeast: Combine 1/2 c. warm water (too hot will ruin yeast) yeast, and a sprinkle of sugar in a bowl. The sugar helps the yeast rise. Let rise for about 10 minutes. Now I make my own flour by taking whole wheat kernels and putting it in my Blendtec. If you don't have this option, you can buy it already processed. It's just healthier to grind it yourself. Click here to learn why!

2. While the yeast is rising, in your mixer, combine the rest of the water, honey, dough enhancer and oil. Add the yeast. Then add a cup or two of flour. Next add the salt. You want to avoid adding the salt right on top of the yeast because it could kill the yeast, and then you'll end up with lead bread (no fun and no good). Add the rest of the flour, and knead for 10 minutes. Helpful tip: You want to add enough flour that when the mixer is going, the dough pulls away from the side of the bowl and the side looks almost clean. But, if you add too much flour, your bread will be dry.

3. On a clean surface, pour some vegetable oil and spread around with your hand (take off your wedding ring!). Take your dough and place on the oiled surface and spread it out in a big square shape. The dough is kind of pull back together which means it was kneaded well. Fold the dough in thirds and push down on it to squeeze out any air bubbles. Tightly roll up your dough and place in a oiled grease pan.

4. Let the dough rise, covered for about 30 minutes, or until the dough reaches the top of the bread pan. Remove cover, and cook in the oven at 350 for about 35 minutes or until golden brown. Once it's done, I like to rub some butter on the top which makes it shiny and yummier, but this is totally optional. Take the bread out of the pan after a few minutes. Wait until the bread cools to put in a bag. All done. This recipe makes 1 loaf.

It looks like a lot of work, but I promise it hardly takes any time at all. Helpful tip: Don't have a bunch of time every week to make your own bread? Double or triple the recipe and make 2 or 3 loaves and freeze the others. When you take them out of the freezer, they taste just as fresh. If you're going to take the time to make your own bread, make a few at a time. It takes maybe 5 extra minutes to make the other loaf. So worth it! I made 3 loaves at my padres' last week. :-) Enjoy.