Chili Frito Pie

Frito pie is probably the kind of thing that some people wouldn't put on their food blogs. For one thing, it's not exactly the "classiest" of food items and for another, it's pretty much impossible to get a picture of a Frito pie that really looks all that appetizing. But I thought that anyone who knows the deliciousness of Frito pie could easily over look these issues, so when I was struck by a random craving for some, so I tracked down a really simple chili recipe (which is something I should really have in my cooking arsenal by now anyway!), bought some Fritos, and enjoyed every last bite!

To make the chili:
1 lb. ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 (14.5 oz.) can stewed tomatoes
1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 (15 oz.) can kidney beans
1 pinch chili powder
1 pinch garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste
(this is a really basic chili recipe, so it's perfect for tweaking to your liking--I added way more spices than it called for and I think it definitely would've been on the bland side otherwise)

In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine the beef and onion and saute until meat is browned and onion is tender. Add the stewed tomatoes with juice, tomato sauce and beans. Season with the chili powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and let simmer for about 15 minutes.

Source: allrecipes.com

I topped a bowl of Fritos with some chili, chopped white onion, shredded cheddar cheese and a little bit of sour cream and it was perfect!

Butternut Squash Soup

Somehow I've gone all my life without ever cooking with butternut squash. I always see recipes using butternut squash, but for some reason I've been a little intimidated to try it. When I finally decided to try this soup I started by Googling how to cut a butternut squash--and good thing I did, because I had no idea where to start and I learned some very handy tips! I'm glad I ventured into a new territory because this soup was so good and was the absolute perfect thing to have on a chilly winter night!

1 tablespoon butter
3 1/2 cups peeled, cubed butternut squash (about 1 1/2 lbs.)
3/4 cup chopped carrot
1/2 cup chopped sweet onion
2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup half and half
1/8 teaspoon salt

To prepare soup, melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add squash, carrot, and onion; saute for 12 minutes. Add chicken broth, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in half and half and salt. Place squash mixer in a blender (or use a hand blender) and blend until smooth.

I also made some homemade crutons to add to the soup and served it with a simple salad and cheesy toasts---soooooo good!!

Source: Cooking Light

Homemade Bagel Chips

Somehow I fell for the allure of the mini bagel (I think it was an attempt to enjoy a bagel while not going totally carb crazy), but those suckers seem to come in a bag of about 300, so I was trying to find something to do with all of those darn mini bagels. I needed an appetizer to take with me to a get together, so I decided a dip with homemade bagel chips was the perfect solution! Obviously these are really easy, but they were also quite yummy!

Heat oven to 425. Slice bagels (mini or regular) into very thin slices and place in a single layer on a baking sheet. Brush both sides of the bagel with a little olive oil, then sprinkle with seasonings of choice (I used salt, pepper, garlic powder and a dash of an Italian seasoning mix). Bake in oven for about 10 minutes, or until both sides are browned and crispy.

Pork with Pomegranate Pan Sauce

Now that I feel like I've moved slightly past the novice cook stage, I've been trying to expand my cooking repertoire, so pork it is! I've actually had this recipe for over a year--we planned to have Colin's parents over for Christmas Eve dinner at our house last year and I wanted to try something new and kind of "fancy" for the occasion. Unfortunately, Mother Nature disrupted our plans, delivering a serious Christmas Eve snowfall and my in-laws couldn't safely make the drive to our house. Somehow, I've never actually gotten around to making this recipe until now--and I'm actually kind of glad I didn't try it out when we were hosting guests! Since I'm not a pork pro, I definitely overcooked these. It was still decent and had good flavor, so I definitely think it's a recipe I want to try again and hopefully I can improve my pork cooking skills!

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 (4 oz.) boneless center-cut pork loin chops
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/3 cup chopped shallots
3/4 cup pomegranate juice
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Combine the first 4 ingredients in a small bowl; sprinkle over pork chops. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork chops; cook 3 minutes on each side. Remove and keep warm. Add shallots to pan; cook 45 seconds, stirring constantly. Add juice, sugar and vinegar; bring to a boil. Cook for 5 minutes or until slightly thick. Serve pork with sauce.

Source: Cooking Light magazine

I served these with a spinach and arugula side dish that was so good, so thankfully the whole dinner wasn't a bust!

Sauteed Spinach and Arugula with Pine Nuts and Goat Cheese

4 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup pine nuts
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 lb. fresh spinach
1/4 lb. fresh arugula
Salt and pepper to taste
A few spoonfuls of goat cheese (around 1 oz. per serving)

Heat 4 tablespoons olive oil in a very small pan (so there's some depth to the olive oil) on medium heat. Once hot, add in pine nuts and let fry for a couple of minutes until golden brown. Then transfer them using a slotted spoon to a separate bowl. Once cooled a bit, lay them out on a paper towel to soak up some of the excess oil. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add in spinach and arugula and saute until wilted. Add in salt and pepper to taste. To serve, toss spinach mixture with pine nuts and add in a few spoonfuls of goat cheese.

Orange Pound Cake

This is one of Colin's favorite things for his mom to make, so my mother-in-law so very nicely gave me the recipe so that I'd be able to make it for him too. As Colin's 31st (yikes!) birthday was approaching, I asked him what kind of cake he wanted and this was his request. It didn't turn out exactly like his mom's version, of course, but he seemed happy with it and my MIL gave it her stamp of approval!

Orange Pound Cake

1 package Duncan Hines Orange Supreme cake mix (this was the biggest issue I had--apparently orange cake mixes of any kind are not easy to find, so after my second grocery store with no luck, I went with a spice cake mix and it worked out just fine!)
1 3.5 oz. package vanilla instant pudding mix
1/2 cup Crisco oil
1 cup water
4 eggs

Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons orange juice OR 2 tablespoons milk (since I didn't use the orange cake mix, I went with the milk option)

Preheat oven to 350. Blend all ingredients through eggs together in a large bowl at medium speed for 2 minutes. Do not overmix. Grease and flour a bundt pan. Pour batter into pan and bake for 45-55 minutes or until center springs back when touched lightly. Cool in pan for 25 minutes. Invert on cooling rack and allow cake to finish cooling. Meanwhile, to make glaze blend powdered sugar with either orange juice or milk. After cake has cooled, drizzle glaze over cake. (I also added some chopped pecans and served this with classic Blue Bell vanilla ice cream--delish!)

Avocado Hummus

I love avocados and I love hummus, so when my friend Amanda told me she was bringing this for an appetizer, I knew already that I would love it. Yep, I was right! I ended up Googleing some of the ingredients that I knew were in it so that I could make it myself a few days later and found (I think!) the recipe on the Food Network website. Yum!

2 avocados, peeled and diced
1/2 jalapeno, chopped
7 oz. hummus (I went easy and used store bought, but homemade would work too!)
Salt
Lemon juice
Cilantro, chopped
Veggies, pita chips and/or tortilla chips for serving

Puree avocados and jalapeno in a food processor. Stir in hummus, a pinch of salt and squeeze of lemon juice. Garnish with cilantro and serve.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

I can't remember which blog I found this recipe on, but the full name is actually THE BEST Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars, so I had pretty high expectations going into it. Earning the title of "Best" is pretty serious business, but these were definitely good! I made a few changes based on what ingredients I had on hand, so next time I'll probably try the standard version just for the sake of comparison.

2 cups plus 2 T. all-purpose flour (I used about half whole wheat flour)
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
12 T. (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled until warm
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 t. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used white chocolate chips)
1/2 cup chopped pecans (I added these because I thought they would go well with my other changes)

Preheat oven to 350 and prepare an 8x8 baking dish. In a medium bowl, combine dry ingredients and set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer, or by hand, mix butter and sugars until thoroughly combined. Beat in eggs and vanilla until combined. Add dry ingredients and beat at low speed just until combined. Stir in chips (and nuts, if using). Pour into baking dish and lightly pat to even out mixture in pan. Place in oven and bake for about 30 minutes or until light golden brown and outer edges start to harden, yet center is still soft and puffy. Remove from oven and let cool completely before cutting into bars.

Homemade Mac and Cheese

I'm pretty sure I've mentioned before my undying love for macaroni and cheese. I really love any version of mac and cheese--fancy cheese restaurant-style, old school Kraft blue box style, even the Lean Cuisine kind is one of my preferred workday lunches. But my absolute favorite is my mom's baked macaroni and cheese with a buttery, crunchy breadcrumb topping. I don't know why I haven't just asked her for the recipe already, but this version is a pretty darn close substitute--meaning delicious, and I highly recommend it!

8 oz. uncooked elbow macaroni
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (sharp is important to really get the best flavor)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 cups milk
1/4 cup butter
2 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1 pinch paprika

Cook macaroni according to the package directions. Drain. In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in enough flour to make a roux. Add milk to roux slowly, stirring constantly. Stir in cheeses and cook over low heat until the cheese is melted and the sauce is a little thick. Put macaroni in a large casserole dish and pour sauce over macaroni (it may seem a little too "sauce-y" at this point, but it will really thicken up and be the perfect amount after cooking). Stir well. Melt remaining two tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add breadcrumbs and brown. Spread over the macaroni to cover and sprinkle with a little paprika. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Source: Allrecipes.com

Dijon Salmon Cakes

I love, love, love crab cakes so I had a feeling that I would like these salmon cakes. They didn't have quite as much flavor as I was hoping they would, so next time I make them, I'll probably play around with the seasonings a bit and maybe come up with some sort of yummy dipping sauce.

1 lb. skinless salmon filet
2 scallions, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup Panko break crumbs
2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon olive oil

Place salmon, scallions and salt and pepper in a food processor and chop. Mix in bread crumbs and Dijon mustard. Form into eight patties. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil and cook patties until opaque, about 2 minutes per side.

Source: Real Simple