Peanut Butter Marshmallow Squares (no bake)

I had a craving for peanut butter marshmallow squares last night (you know, those ones that everyone makes at Christmas?)...mmm.  

Years ago, I was given a really really good recipe that had pecans and coconut added, just a little different than your plain ol' peanut butter marshmallow square (not that I'm knocking them...I like those too and have a really good recipe for them too!  Anyways, I couldn't find my original recipe, so I went on a hunt online and found one :)  They taste delicious and take maybe 10 mins tops to prepare!  

Let me know if you'd like me to post the regular recipe that doesn't have coconut and pecans and I will put it on here as well!

Peanut Butter Marshmallow Squares

• 2 1/4 cups butterscotch chips
• 4 tbsp butter or margarine (I used Becel)
• 1 cup peanut butter (I used the Kraft light peanut butter)
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1 1/3 cups flaked coconut (I used shredded, sweetened)
• 3 cups miniature marshmallows (white)

1. In a large microwave-safe bowl, add butterscotch chips, butter and peanut butter.  Microwave on high for one minute, then stir until smooth (you may have to microwave for 30 seconds or so after stirring if it's not melted enough, but do not over-heat)
2. Cool to warm (I left mine for about 5 minutes...otherwise you're going to melt your marshmallows!)
3. Add pecans, coconut and mini marshmallows & stir until all are evenly coated.
4. Pour into a greased 9"x13" pan and cool in refrigerator until solid.
5. Cut into squares and enjoy!

 

Philly Cheese Steak Wraps

Philly Steak Wrap with Sweet Potato Fries

I used to go to a restaurant down the street from my previous workplace and they made the best Philly Cheese Steak Wraps!  These are my version, which is actually pretty close to the real thing.  I made these for dinner a few nights ago because they're quick and easy!

Philly Cheese Steak Wraps

• 1 top sirloin steak, cut into thin strips
• 2 peppers (I used yellow and orange)
• 1 sweet onion (I used a medium-sized Vidalia)
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup HP Sauce (however much you like)
• Mozzarella cheese, shredded
• Greek pitas

Spray a pan with cooking spray and heat on medium-high heat.  Add steak strips and cook for 5-6 minutes or until browned.  Add peppers and onions and cook for another couple of minutes, or until they start to get soft (you can add mushrooms too, I didn't have any).  Stir in enough HP sauce to give it a bit of a glaze.

with HP sauce added

 

Heat the pitas in the microwave on a plate for about a minute to soften them and make them pliable. Put some mozzarella cheese in the middle of the wrap, top with steak mixture and then fold over.  

Before folding them over...I probably added too much stuff!

I then stick mine in a panini press and grill it to make it stick together, but you really don't have to if you don't have one.  They are good either way :)

Pesto Bread

About a year ago, a friend of mine and I had decided to take an 8-week bread-making class.  I was getting excited as the start date approached, and then they cancelled it due to low enrollment :( It made me really sad.  Then...I found this website and I was excited because it had step-by-step instructions with photos on all kinds of fancy regular and artisan breads!  If you're feeling adventurous, you should check it out :) 

Anyways...back to the recipe here...we've made this a couple of times now and it is amazing (I think I just drooled on the keyboard thinking about it)!  It takes time though...definitely a weekend recipe!

Pesto Bread from cookingbread.com (makes 2 loaves)

Dough

• 2 cups warm water
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 cup skim milk powder
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon instant yeast
• 5 -5 1/2 cups bread flour

Filling

• 2/3 cup pesto (I probably used a bit more than this, but spread enough on to look like the photo below)
• 1 cup grated Parmesan (I grated my own...it just makes it that much better!)
  

Method 
In a large bowl combine the water, olive oil, sugar, skim milk powder, salt and instant yeast. Mix till well blended. 

Add in a cup of flour and beat with a wooden spoon till smooth. Add in another cup of flour and do the same. 

Sprinkle a half cup of flour onto a flat surface and pour out the dough on top. Begin to knead and slowly add in more flour till the dough no longer sticks to the table. Knead for about 8 - 10 minutes. 

Add a little olive oil into a large bowl ( about a tablespoon ). Place dough into the bowl and turn over a few times to lightly coat all sides. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rest for an hour or till doubled in bulk.

Pour out the dough onto a very lightly floured surface. Cut in half. Using your fingers flatten out one of the pieces. Roll out to a 9 x 14 rectangle. Spread half the pesto and 1/4 of a cup parmesan on top. 

Spread half of the pesto on rolled-out dough

Bring in the side by a half inch and then roll the dough like a jelly roll. Pinch the seam closed. 

Take a sharp knife and cut down the center length wise. Open the jelly roll exposing the inside of the roll.Take the two cut pieces and braid them together with the cut side always facing up. Place the bread into a greased 4 1/2 X 8 inch loaf pan. 

Isn't the dough pretty?

Repeat this whole process with the second piece of dough. Then cover both loaves with plastic wrap and allow to rest for an hour or till double in bulk. 

Sprinkle the tops with the remaining Parmesan cheese and place into a preheated 375 degree oven for 30 - 35 minutes.

Mmmm parmesan cheese!

Check the bread about 10 minutes before they are finished to see if you need to cover with tin foil if they are getting to brown (I don't suggest taking it out early, because it may be doughy...the tin foil method works well). Remove from oven and allow to cool on a wire rack. It makes your house smell sooo good...you'll want to eat it right away...but try to let it cool enough to slice!

The finished product!

Buffalo Chicken & Potatoes

I made this for dinner a few nights ago.  I had made it before and forgot how tasty it was!  It is fairly quick and easy, the prep really only takes 10 minutes or so and I've lightened it up a bit by using lower-fat versions of some of the ingredients. (The low-fat soup was actually by mistake because I had bought the wrong one - I normally don't like low-fat soups, but you really couldn't tell with all of the other flavours going on).  Note that the photo is before I put the green  onions on top (I usually add those to the individual servings on the plates).

If you like Buffalo Chicken Wings and anything ranch, try this one out!

Buffalo Chicken and Potatoes (from Betty Crocker's Newsletter)

• 1/3 cup buffalo wing sauce (I used Frank's Red Hot Buffalo Wing Sauce)
• 6 cups frozen (thawed) southern-style hash brown potatoes
• 1 cup ranch or blue cheese dressing (I used Calorie-Wise Rancher's Choice Dressing)
• 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (2 oz) (I used PC Blue Menu light old cheddar)
• 1 can (10 oz) condensed cream of celery soup (I used low-fat soup)
• 1/2 cup corn flake crumbs
• 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
• 1/4 cup chopped green onions (3 to 4 medium)

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) baking dish with cooking spray.
2. In medium bowl, stir together chicken strips and wing sauce.
3. In large bowl, stir together potatoes, dressing, cheese and soup. Spoon into baking dish. Place chicken strips in single layer over potato mixture.
4. In small bowl, stir together crumbs and butter. Sprinkle in baking dish.
5. Cover with foil. Bake 30 minutes; uncover and bake 20 to 25 minutes longer or until potatoes are tender and juice of chicken is no longer pink* when centers of thickest pieces are cut. Sprinkle with green onions.

*mine took an additional 15 minutes after, as the chicken was still pink

Drumstick Cake

There are so many recipes for Drumstick Cake out there, but there seem to be a lot that use raw eggs, which I'm not particularly fond of eating. 

I found one a few years ago that doesn't use raw eggs and have made a few modifications to lighten it up using lower fat ingredients, as well as changing the crust from graham wafers to vanilla wafers.  Make this one...it's tasty and super quick! 

Drumstick Cake

Crust:

• 1/4 cup margarine
• 2 tbsp light peanut butter
• 1 1/2 cups vanilla wafer crumbs (I use "Nilla Wafers" and crush them in a mini chopper)

Filling:

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup light peanut butter
• 1 block (8 oz) light cream cheese, softened
• 2 cups Cool Whip (I didn't go low-fat on this one, sometimes there are things you just can't skimp on!)

Topping:

• Chocolate Ice Cream Syrup (just a bit to drizzle)
• Chopped Peanuts (about 1/4 cup...I used salted blanched peanuts)

Directions:

Mix crust ingredients together in a small bowl until combined.  Press into a 9" x 13" pan.

Mix together all other ingredients, except Cool Whip.  Once they are mixed together well, fold in Cool Whip and then spread over crust

Drizzle with chocolate syrup and sprinkle chopped peanuts on top.  

Freeze for at least 6 hours.  Before serving, let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes.

Key Lime Pie Ice Cream

Normally, I don't make this much ice cream in the course of two weeks, but I had bought a container of whipping cream to make the S'mores ice cream and had some left.  I also had graham crackers left, so I decided to go on the hunt for a recipe to use up both. 

I came across a recipe for Key Lime Pie ice cream, but when reading the comments, someone had said that they used a graham cracker pie crust as the graham pieces and it was great, so I thought I'd do that instead - sorry graham crackers, you'll get used another day!

Crushed Graham Pie Crust

This recipe was super easy because it isn't cooked, you just whip everything together and throw it in the ice cream maker and churn, baby, churn!  Mind you, it is very hard to find key lime juice in London, Ontario...if anyone knows where to find it, please let me know!  I did find a bag of key limes at Loblaw Great Food, however, so I just used the juice from those.

1 lb bag of Key Limes

Here is my modified version of the Key Lime Pie ice cream, originally found at myrecipes.com from a Cooking Light magazine (yes, we can pretend the ice cream is good for us apparently).

Key Lime Pie Ice Cream

• 1 1/2 cups 2% milk
• 1/2 cup key lime juice (I juiced a 1 lb bag of key limes, which was just over 1/2 cup)
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• Dash of salt
• 1 (14-ounce) can low-fat sweetened condensed milk
• 1 drop green food colouring 
• 1 graham cracker pie crust, frozen & coarsely crushed, divided

Combine first 6 ingredients, stirring with a whisk. Pour mixture into an ice-cream maker  and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions (mine took about a half hour in my KitchenAid Ice Cream maker attachment for the KitchenAid mixer). Stir 3/4 of the crushed graham pie crust into ice cream. Spoon ice cream into a freezer-safe container, and cover and freeze for 1 hour or until firm. Sprinkle each serving with 1 teaspoon graham pie crust. Garnish with lime wedges, if desired.

Fried Rice

Originally this was my grandma's recipe (my Dad's mom) that she used to make all the time.  My Mom and I both make it all the time now and the whole family loves it.  It's one of those things that I really don't measure when I make it, you just kinda throw it together until it tastes right, so I'll have to "eyeball" this one for you to turn it into a recipe.  I made it one night last week for dinner, so I thought I'd share.

Grandma Brown's Super Yummy Fried Rice

• 3 cups minute rice, cooked
• 2-3 green onions, chopped
• 1 can mushrooms (pieces & stems), drained
• 1 cup frozen peas, cooked
• 5 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 1 1/2 tbsp chili powder
• 1/2 - 3/4 cup soya sauce

In a large frying pan, combine all ingredients until well-blended.  Cook on medium heat for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally until flavours are combined (stir often enough that the rice doesn't stick to the pan).  Great as a side dish with chicken!

Spanako-Pasta

I made this last night and quite enjoyed it.  It tastes a lot like Spanakopita (greek phyllo pastries filled with a feta and spinach mixture).  Mike thought it was "okay as a side dish", but his theory is that if it doesn't contain some type of meat, it's not a real dinner!  

Spanako-Pasta (from Taste of Home Healthy Cooking Magazine)

• 4-1/2 cups uncooked whole wheat spiral pasta
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
• 3/4 cup fat-free milk - I used 2% because that's all I had
  
• 1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons snipped fresh dill
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Dash cayenne pepper
• 3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

Directions

• Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute onion in oil until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in flour until blended; gradually add broth and milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.
• Add the spinach, Parmesan cheese, cream cheese, lemon juice, dill, nutmeg, salt and cayenne; heat through. Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup liquid. Toss pasta with spinach mixture, adding some of the reserved pasta liquid if needed. Sprinkle with feta cheese. 

Yield: 4 servings.

S'mores Ice Cream

That's right...the ooey, gooey treat is now cold instead of hot!  A few days back, we were discussing ice cream flavours that I could make when I told a friend of mine that I'd attempt s'mores ice cream.  This particular recipe gets poured into the ice cream maker hot, which is different than other ice creams that I've made before that are usually a chilled base.  If you attempt to make this, you may want to double it because it doesn't make a ton and you'll likely want more.

S'mores Ice Cream - from Bonnie the Baker's Blog

• 1/2 package marshmallows (I used 1/2 of a 250g package of mini marshmallows...my mixture seemed thin though, so you might want to use 1/2 of a package of large marshmallows)
• 1 cup homogenized milk
• 1 1/2 cups whipping cream
• 1 bar Milk Chocolate (I used a large Jersey Milk)
• 3 Honeymaid Graham crackers

The Ingredients

Place Marshmallows, cream and milk into a large saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly until the mallows are melted, and the liquids blend nicely with the mallows. The texture will be thick and gooey (mine was not too much on the thick side, but again, I think it was the amount of marshmallows I used).  Remove from heat and let cool for only one minute, stirring occasionally to make sure the marshmallows do not cool too much, making the mixture sticky.  

Pour mixture into ice cream maker that has been frozen according to manufacturer’s instructions.  (The original recipe said to churn for 35 minutes, but  had mine in there for 45 and it was still soupy, but the ice cream maker bowl had thawed, so I decided to put the mixture in a bowl in the freezer as it was after 45 minutes.)

After 2 hours of freezing

While the ice cream is churning, cut chocolate into chunks.  I cut my small squares into 6 pieces each so that they weren't too huge in the ice cream. Break graham cracker pieces into larger pieces. After churning is completed, turn off ice cream maker, and fold in chocolate pieces and then graham cracker pieces.  Be gentle when folding in the graham cracker pieces, or they will break. *

*I ended up freezing my ice cream for 2 hours and then folded in my graham crackers and chocolate pieces after stirring it as it was way too thin when I took it out of the ice cream maker, everything would have sank to the bottom.

Freeze for another few hours and enjoy!