Steak Sandwiches!

After visiting my dad's for dinner the other night, he gave us some leftover steak to take home. My dad makes the most amazing steak I've ever had. Leftover meat poses a small problem (at least for the picky of us): it never tastes quite the same as when it was freshly cooked. Now, my husband would have no issue with just eating the leftover steak and some grilled veggies like we did the first night. However, I believe in taking leftovers and ensuring that they will be tasty.
Ensuring tasty leftover steak means putting in the extra effort to get steak sandwiches!!





Ingredients (makes 2 sandwiches)
6 oz of leftover steak, cut into thin strips
1 medium green bell pepper, diced
1 medium Vidalia onion, diced
4-6 mushrooms, sliced & halved
2 slices of deli sliced provolone cheese
lettuce
tomato, sliced
mayonnaise
2 hoagie buns

Directions
Spray a medium non-stick pan. Then, heat up the sliced green pepper and onion on medium-high heat for 3-5 minutes. Add the steak and mushrooms and cook until all are tender.
On a cookie sheet, place two hoagie buns (sliced open). Fill the hoagies with the steak mixture. top with the deli sliced provolone. Broil on High for 3-5 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the bread starts to toast.
Remove from heat and add the lettuce, tomato, and mayo. Goes great with chips, salad, or fruit.

These steak sandwiches are all the more incredible than restaurant versions because you are completely in control of the quality of the ingredients. From spicing the meat to selecting the perfect hoagie buns, you can make the most delectable sandwich!

Delicious Southwest Chicken Soup

I’ve recently decided (again) I’d like to eat healthier, which often goes hand in hand with eating at home. I’ve declared this desire in the past but never actually stuck to it :) I’m having much better luck this time but that often means eating lots of veggies and the like. This leads to eating a lot of salads which can get boring quite quickly. It was tonight while I was preparing the same salad I ate last night (Chipotle Chicken Salad – recipe coming soon) I realized I didn’t really want another salad; even if it was excellent. So, I decided to make one of my absolute favorite meals . . . Southwest Chicken Soup! It’s super easy to throw together and I usually have everything on hand. And did I mention its DELICIOUS!

Southwest Chicken Soup
1 Medium Onion -chopped
2 Bell Peppers – chopped ( I usually use red, yellow and/or orange)
3 Cups Reduced Sodium Chicken Broth
1 Medium Chicken Breast- cubed and cooked (I often use leftovers)
1 Can Rotel Tomatoes
1 Can Black Beans
1 Can Salsa or 1 Cup Fresh Salsa + extra for topping
1 tsp Cumin (add more if you like spice like I do!)
2 tsp Chili Powder
1 tsp Onion Powder
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1 tsp dried Oregano
2-3 tsp dried Cilantro (or ½ a bunch of fresh Cilantro)
1 tsp McCormick Fajita seasoning (optional- I had this on hand and threw it in, it added a great smoky? taste)
Non-stick cooking Spray

Toppings - Optional
Shredded Cheese, Sour Cream , Salsa, Tortilla Strips

Place saucepan over medium heat. Spray bottom of saucepan with Non-stick spray, add onions and peppers. Saute for 2-4 minutes or until tender (You can skip this step if you are planning on letting the soup simmer for an extended period). Add remaining soup ingredients and increase heat to high and boil for 3-5 minutes. Stirring occasionally. Decrease heat to med-low and continue cooking for 20 minutes. Ladle into bowls top with cheese, sour cream, salsa, and tortilla strips. Enjoy!
Makes approximately four 1 cup servings.

Technically the soup is done after all ingredients are heated through but I find that simmering for a while intensifies the flavor. I occasionally make a double batch in a large stock pot and then freeze the excess in individual servings for later. Just be sure to defrost before heating. Yum!

Egg Muffins! Strange concept wonderful taste!

I know what you’re thinking. Egg muffins? Is she serious? But truly these are amazing! I admit I was skeptical (very skeptical) at first but I figured I’ve probably had worse; and really how bad could they be?

I work very odd hours, sometimes leaving the house around 4 am. This being said I never ever get up earlier than I absolutely have to. But that also means I never have time to eat a real breakfast . . . until now. I was searching for something that would be considered healthy (ie. not laden with sugar and carbs like most commercial on the go breakfast-y things) and that also tastes good. These little muffins fulfill all of those!


This recipe is courtesy of Kalyn’s Kitchen; my changes are in italics.
Egg Muffins Revisited Again
(Makes 12 muffins, recipe created by Kalyn with inspiration from The South Beach Diet book.

15 eggs (for silicone muffin pans, use 12 eggs for metal muffin tins or individual silicone cups. You can use less egg yolks and more egg white if you prefer.) I used the equivalent of 8 eggs of egg beaters and 4 whole eggs- Next time I would use about 10 eggs because I prefer more veggies in each cup.
1-2 tsp. Spike Seasoning – I used a combo of garlic powder, freshly ground black pepper and my favorite roasted red pepper and garlic. It turned out being about 3 tsps of spice.
1-2 cups grated low fat cheese (use less cheese if using meat) I used fat free cheddar, tomato basil feta, and a little parmesan to equal 1.5 cups.
Optional, but highly recommended, 3 green onions diced small.
Optional: chopped veggies such as blanched broccoli, red pepper, zucchini, mushrooms, etc. (Using veggies will reduce the fat content) I used broccoli, half of a yellow pepper, and half of an onion. Next time I’ll make it with spinach instead of broccoli.
Optional: diced Canadian bacon, lean ham, or crumbled cooked turkey sausage. I used 8 pieces of cooked turkey bacon.
Preheat oven to 375 F. Use regular or silicone muffin pan, 12 muffin size. If using silicone pan, spray with nonstick spray. If using regular muffin pan, put two paper liners into each slot, then spray liner with nonstick spray.

In the bottom of the muffin cups layer diced meat, if using, vegetables, if using, cheese and green onions. You want the muffin cups to be about 2/3 full (I filled mine to the top), with just enough room to pour a little egg around the other ingredients. Break eggs into large measuring bowl with pour spout, Add Spices, and beat well. (I added a bit of skim milk with the whole eggs), Pour egg into each muffin cup until it is 3/4 full. I like to stir slightly with a fork (didn’t have room to stir and they turned out great). Bake 25-35 minutes until muffins have risen and are slightly browned and set.

Muffins will keep at least a week in the refrigerator without freezing. Egg muffins can be frozen and reheated. For best results, thaw in refrigerator before reheating. Microwave on high about 2 minutes to reheat. It says 2 minutes but I put 2 muffins together in for about 1 min and 10 sec and they are perfect!
After making these I realized I didn’t make enough! Next time I will double the recipe and make 24 at a time so that I have enough for the week and some to freeze! Enjoy!

Mini Cheesecakes. . . Can you say yum!?

Hello again! I do apologize for how long it's been since my last post. For better or for worse I've been surprisingly busy with work this month and haven't had time to add anything. Even though I have been cooking throughout the month (and taking all the necessary pictures) I haven't had a chance to add any of the recipes yet :)

I've been craving cheesecake since the last time I was over at Miss Amanda's, so I finally went out and bought the basic ingredients. After getting home from the store had to decide what kind of cheesecake I wanted . . . but that decision is so hard! There are many many options. . . so I made four different flavors :) A little over the top? Perhaps. But I did make them into minis so that makes it better right (and I plan on freezing most of them for when another cheesecake craving hits). Any who . . . onto the cheesecake!

I mixed up my favorite basic cheesecake recipe; split it into four and then made little changes to three of the four batches to get four different flavors: Almond, Dark Chocolate, Peach, and Orange/Banana. Mmmmmmmm.



Basic Almond Cheesecake (makes 24 minis!)
3 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
1 (14 oz.) can Eagle Brand® Sweetened Condensed Milk
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon almond extract

-HEAT oven to 325°F.
-BEAT cream cheese until fluffy in large bowl. Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk until smooth (do not overbeat). Add eggs and almond extract; mix well.

From here split the batter evenly into four bowls.

I left one bowl alone so that I ended up with a batch of almond cheesecake.

For the Dark Chocolate cheesecake: I added 1 tsp of vanilla and about 3 squares of melted Lindt dark chocolate(94%)to one of the bowls. Mmmmm chocolate.

For the Peach cheesecake: I skinned and pureed 1 small peach (minus the pit) and mixed it into one of the bowls of almond cheesecake. This one turned out fantastic!

And finally Orange Banana cheesecake: I took half of an overly ripe banana and pureed it, added to the bowl. Then I used half of a fresh orange- grated the zest into the bowl and also squeezed all the juice into the bowl. After mixing thoroughly it smelled wonderful!

Graham Cracker Crust
1 1/2 cups graham cracker
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter-melted

Mix all ingredients in a bowl until combined.

Place 1 large tablespoon of crust mixture into each of 24 no-stick sprayed muffin cups. You can also use cupcake liners, but I suggest spraying them as well or the cheesecake goodness gets stuck! Press into cups to form crust.

Spoon 2-3 Tablespoons into each cup. Feel free to mix and match flavors in the same cups- makes it extra tasty!

Bake minis for about 20 minutes (or until the middle no longer jiggles) @ 325 degrees.

Remove from oven and allow to cool for at least an hour before removing from tins (this ensures they do not collapse). Continue to cool until at room temperature.

Store in refrigerator or freezer until ready to enjoy!

Grasshopper Brownies - with and without coconut!

I was in Alaska last summer and visited a nice tourist town called Seward. While there, my sister and I wandered around and discovered this cute cafe/bakery place. I cannot for the life of me remember the name of the cafe, but I do remember that they had the most incredible brownies I've ever had. I tried looking up the cafe, but I wasn't able to find the name of these delectable brownies! So, I tried looking for recipes that included the parts I could remember: brownie layer and mint layer plus a bit of toasted coconut.
I searched online and found a recipe on epicurious for Grasshopper Brownies. It didn't call for any coconut, so I decided to conduct an experiment: one-third of my brownies would follow the original recipe, one-third would have a layer of coconut on top of the brownie, and one-third of my brownies would have the coconut mixed into the brownie layer.
Thus, my adventure for a tasty brownie-minty treat began...

Brownie Layer Ingredients
1 box of Betty Crocker Fudge Brownies (or style of your choice)
2/3 cup oil
1/4 cup water
2 eggs

Brownie Layer Directions
Mix ingredients until well blended. Pour into a 9"x13" greased pan. Bake for 22-26 minutes at 350 degrees F.

Mint Ganache Layer Ingredients
1/2 cup heavy cream
10 oz fine-quality white chocolate, chopped
2 tablespoons green creme de menthe
1 teaspoon peppermint extract

Mint Ganache Layer Directions
Bring cream and white chocolate to a simmer in a 2- to 3-quart saucepan. Then, whisk until smooth. Stir in the creme de menthe and peppermint extract. Pour into a medium-sized bowl and chill, covered. Stir every 15 minutes or so, until thick. It takes about 1 hour.

Chocolate Ganache Layer Ingredients
1 cup heavy cream
10 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), chopped

Chocolate Ganache Layer Directions
Bring cream and bittersweet chocolate to a simmer in a 2- to 3-quart saucepan and remove from heat. Whisk until smooth. Pour into a bowl and chill, covered. Stir every 15 minutes, until thick. It takes about 30 minutes.

Grasshopper Brownie - Assemble Layers
Pour the mint layer over the top and smooth with a spatula. You can either chill for 30 minutes and let the mint layer set, or you can pour the chocolate layer on immediately afterwards. I poured the chocolate on and didn't notice any problems. Just make sure the mint layer is well-chilled! :)

If you want to try your brownies with coconut, I found that I liked the coconut best when it was toasted (takes about 5-10 minutes on a cookie sheet at 350 degrees F) and mixed in to the brownie batter itself. After cooking the brownies like normal, add the "grasshopper" layers and you have coconut Grasshopper brownies!

I shared the brownies with my husband, mother, and step-father. They all enjoyed them! They are very rich, so I divided the brownies into very small squares (about 30 squares for a 9" x 13" pan). Absolutely wonderful recipe!

"Gourmet" Tuna Sandwich on a Budget!

I grew up with tuna from a can and didn't realize until much, much later in life that there is a such thing as "ahi tuna" and other forms of tuna that do not come out of a can. In fact, these fancy kinds of tuna are served at fancy kinds of restaurants! I remember the first time I went out to eat at a classy restaurant and my mother-in-law ordered tuna. When it came out, it was not ground up and mixed with mayo (much to my surprise), but in fact it was a fillet of tuna that looked very pink and fish-like. I was shocked!

However, I cannot afford to make ahi tuna (nor do we have much a selection for such tasty tuna in the Midwest), so I learn to make the canned stuff taste better. :)

Ingredients
1 can Starkist solid white Albacore tuna
pepper to taste
McCormick's Montreal steak seasoning to taste
garlic powder to taste
2 tbsp of Hellman's mayo
4 slices of your favorite sliced bread, toasted (whole wheat bread for me)*
Romaine lettuce, washed and dried
1 medium tomato, washed and sliced
6 slices of extra sharp cheddar cheese (or 2 deli slices of provolone, Havarti, munster, etc)

*Replace the sliced bread for 2 sandwich croissants and enjoy with chips and/or soup!

Directions
Drain the water from the can of tuna. Then place in a small bowl and crush with a fork. Add the pepper, steak seasoning, garlic powder, and mayo. Mix well.
Toast the bread (unless you're using croissants). Then layer two of the slices of bread with cheese, the tuna mixture, tomato, and lettuce. Top with the remaining slices of bread and enjoy your sandwich with fruit, chips, or soup!

It's a pretty easy sandwich to make, but the spices definitely add something to the sandwich!

Creamy Chicken Wild Rice Soup (even though it's summer, I still love soup!)

I love creamy soups! Cream of chicken, cream of mushroom, cream of kale even! They are all so wonderful! My love of soup used to be confined to researching restaurants who had some kind of creamy chicken wild rice soup, testing their soup, and comparing to my previous experiences. There were two restaurants around here that made incredible creamy chicken wild rice soups. However, the one close to my house only serves it sometimes... and I never seem to be there the day they're making it. The other restaurant takes about 40 minutes to get to. Now, I'm willing to travel for food, but...believe it or not, there are limits to how often I can go up the Shore for soup! So, the new dilema: can I make my favorite soup in the whole wild world at home?

I searched high and low for a recipe that included some key ingredients: wild rice (duh), chicken (double duh), carrots, broth (some recipes use water! can you believe that?), and cream. I found two recipes that were very similar in nature with some small differences. I decided to try a combination between the two and I was able to create this amazing, thick, creamy chicken wild rice soup!

Ingredients
2/3 cup uncooked wild rice
2 tablespoons butter
2/3 cup chopped onion
2/3 cup chopped carrot (or one cup if you like carrots as I do)
6 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste (about 1/2 tsp of each)
3 cups boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed and cooked in 1 tbsp of olive oil
1/3 - 1/2 cup all-purpose flour*
1 cup cream

*Note: The amount of flour and cream you use will depend on how thick you like your soup. I like mine extra thick, so I usually use 1/2 cup of flour. For a medium thick soup, use 1/3 cup.

Directions
Rinse the wild rice. Then cook the wild rice according to the package directions (takes about 40 minutes).
Meanwhile, rinse and dice the chicken. Then cook the chicken in a frying pan with olive oil, salt, and pepper until it is just cooked (i.e. white on the outside but not pink on the inside). Do not overcook the chicken as it will continue to cook in the soup mixture.
Next, in a large saucepan (aka "cooking pot"), cook the onion and carrot in butter for 2-5 minutes or until tender. Stir in the broth, salt, and pepper. Then bring it to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
Drain rice if necessary; fluff with a fork. Stir chicken and rice into the broth mixture and cook on low heat for about 5 minutes.
In a liquid measuring cup, whisk the flour and cream until smooth. Gradually stir into soup. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.

If the soup does not thicken to your desire, whisk together more flour and cream until it forms a paste (about 1 tbsp flour to 2 tbsp cream). Stir into the soup and wait a couple more minutes until soup thickens. Repeat if soup is still not thick enough.

There have been times where I made the soup thick the first time around and other times where I had to do a flour & cream mixture up to three times before the soup thickened correctly. It requires some patience and willingness to experiment, but the soup is so incredibly flavorful that it is definitely worth it!

I hope you enjoy your very own creamy chicken wild rice soup!

Classic Chicken Casesar Salad (for those hot summer days)!

It has been unbearably hot in the great mid-west. Anything about 70, especially if humidity is involved, is too much for me! So I've been trying to come up with ideas that avoid the oven and minimize the use of the stove. Fresh fruits and raw vegetables have been great for snacking on. However, meals are a bit trickier.

That's where salads come in. There is just so much that can be done with various combinations of lettuces, spinach, carrots, tomatoes, mushrooms, craisins, almonds, and dressings (from creamy to oil-based). One of our favorite salads around here is a Classic Chicken Caesar! Now, traditionally a Caesar salad has lettuce, parmesan cheese, caesar dressing, and croutons, but every once in a while it's fun to add tomatoes, carrots, mushrooms, etc to the salad.

Ingredients
1 package of boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tbsp Zesty Italian dressing (or olive oil with salt and pepper to taste)
1 head of Romaine lettuce, washed and torn
Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
creamy Caesar dressing
croutons (I'm a fan of garlic cheddar; my husband likes sea-salt and pepper)

Additional Ingredients to Consider
tomatoes, diced
cucumber, diced
carrots, sliced or grated

Directions
Wash and cut the chicken. Marinate the chicken in the Italian dressing for a few minutes. Then cook it in a frying pan over medium-high heat. When the chicken is fully cooked (golden brown on the outside, white on the inside), put it aside and assemble your salad.
In a salad bowl or plate, place 2-3 cups of lettuce. Top with the cheese and dressing and mix well. This helps spread the dressing to each lettuce leaf. Next, add the croutons. Finally, add the chicken.

If you want a non-traditional but still tasty salad, add tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, and/or mushrooms.

It's a great way to have a home-cooked meal without using the stove too long! Enjoy!

Fresh Mozzarella just can't be beat!

As my mother's wedding day nears, I've been experimenting with various appetizers. The goal is to find some quick and easy apps that are still tasty. First, I practiced my deviled egg making skills. Then I moved on to a simple but elegant looking dessert: tuxedo cupcakes. Now, it's time for an excellent finger food: cheese and crackers!

Now I'm not just talking about cutting up a few slices of cheese and putting them on crackers, but ways to dress up that old routine! My favorite: fresh mozzarella, tomato slices, a little balsamic vinegar, and buttercrisp crackers. Garnish with some basil and you're set!

Ingredients
1-2 roma tomatoes
8 oz fresh mozzarella
basil leaves, fresh
balsamic vinegar (preferably thick and syrup-like in style)
20 Keebler Toasteds Buttercrisp crackers (or French bread, sliced)

Directions
Wash and cut the roma tomatoes into thin slices. Slice the mozzarella in thin circles or cut it into 8ths and then slice (this way they're the size of the cracker).
Take the crackers and lay them on a serving tray (or plate). Place the mozzarella on the cracker followed by the tomato. Lightly sprinkle some balsamic vinegar across the crackers and garnish with the basil leaves.

This treat only takes a few minutes to make, but looks amazing and tastes even better! Plus, on hot summer days, it's great not to have to turn on the oven to make something wonderful.

*Note: if you choose the bread method, brush each slice of bread with a little bit of olive oil before putting on the tomatoes and cheese. These can also be broiled until the cheese melts to make mini Italian style pizzas. Very tasty!

Gourmet Grilled Cheese with Chunky Tomato Soup!

My husband and I love grilled cheese and tomato soup! Usually, we just go for good old American slime cheese on English muffin bread with a nice can of Campbell's condensed tomato bisque soup... but today, we decided to try something a little special.

We ate at our favorite restaurant the other day and finally tried something *new*. Dan went for the "Triple G" Grilled Cheese Sandwich while I tried the Loaded Mac'n'Cheese. While my mac'n'cheese left something to be desired, the "Triple G" was an exceptional grilled cheese sandwich. They used marble rye bread, goat cheese and gouda, a sliced avocado, and a tomato. It was amazing!

Personally, I'm not a huge fan of goat cheese and considering how expensive it is, I decided to try my sandwich with a cream cheese and ricotta mixture. I wanted the same fluffy texture that is present with goat cheese, but with the flavor of cream cheese. It ended up being quite tasty!

Ingredients (for 3 sandwiches)
6 tbsp fat free ricotta
3 tbsp 1/3 less fat cream cheese
3 deli slices of havarti
1 medium tomato, sliced
3 oz of aged, white cheddar (cut about 3 slices per sandwich)
6 slices of marble rye
6 tbsp softened margarine / butter

Directions
Butter one side of each of the six slices of marble rye bread.
Then mix the ricotta and cream cheeses in a bowl until well combined. Put three of the marble rye slices butter side down on a griddle (or frying pan). Then put the Harvarti slice on next. Spread the cream cheese mixture in the middle of the bread. Stay about 1/2" away from the edges or it will spill out the sides and make clean up more difficult.
Then cut up the tomato and put 1.5-2 slices on top. Next, place the cheddar slices on the bread. Finally, top it off with the marble rye slices keeping the buttered side facing up.
Cook over medium heat for about 5-7 minutes or until browned. Flip carefully (I used a fork and a spatula so that it didn't fall apart) and cook for another 3-5 minutes or until browned.

*Note: the photos show me spreading the cream cheese layer directly onto the bread. After making the sandwich a second time, I put the Harvarti on first and kept the cream cheese mixture to the middle. It greatly increased my ability to flip the sandwich without it falling apart and there was much less cheese oozing out the sides the second time!

Enjoy with a warm cup of homemade tomato soup!

Ingredients for Tomato Soup (makes about 3-4 cups)
1 14oz. can of diced tomatoes
Salt & pepper
Roasted red pepper
Italian seasoning
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tbsp of olive oil
1.25 cups chicken broth
1 6oz can of tomato paste

Directions for Tomato Soup
Strain the diced tomatoes, reserving the juices for later. Take the diced tomatoes and pour them into a medium sauce-pan. Add the spices to taste, garlic, and olive oil. Cook over medium heat for 15 minutes.
Add the chicken broth and stir well. Then add the tomato paste. Cook over medium-low heat until soup is well combined and thick. Serving size is about one cup.

I made the soup and sandwiches today and it was incredible! I'm still in the experimental stages, but then... that's cooking, right? I can't wait until the next mealtime to try some other combinations of the incredible, edible grilled cheese sammich!

Strawberry Long Island!

After visiting a local restaurant (Grizzly's) and discovering a Strawberry Long Island, I set out to make my own version of this wonderful drink! Now, I share this tasty beverage with you...

Ingredients (for 2)
8 medium strawberries
2 oz gin
2 oz rum (Captain Morgan spiced if you have it)
2 oz vodka
2 oz triple sec
1 can of lemon-lime soda
Ice cubes

Directions
Cut off the top of the strawberries and place them in a blender. Pour the one cup of liquor mixture with the strawberries and blend. Strain the strawberry mixture into a liquid measuring cup. Add the lemon-lime soda until the measuring cup is at about 2 cups.
Pour the Strawberry Long Island over ice, half into one glass and half into another glass. Top off with remaining lemon-lime soda (if you desire).

The strawberries add a great flavor to the long island!

Carmelized Onion Tarts!

This past January I married a wonderful young man whom shares my love of food. At the wedding, there were these delicious goat cheese tarts with carmelized onions. Unfortunately, because we had to be in the receiving line, we only got one of these tasty treats.
After scouring my grocery store, I discovered frozen some mini-Fillo (Phyllo) Shells already baked and ready for me to use. I was so excited at the thought of making my very own carmelized tarts that I bought them on a whim.
I finally had a chance to put them together and they were incredible!

Here are two simple recipes for using Fillo Shells:

Carmelized Onion Tart Ingredients
1 medium onion, sliced
1 tbsp butter or margarine
1/2 tsp of sugar
1 package of Fillo Shells
4 oz of 1/3 less fat Philadelphia cream cheese (or goat cheese) at room tempurature

Carmelized Onion Tart Directions
Cut up the onion into thin strips. Saute the onion in the butter on low heat for 10-15 minutes. Add the sugar and saute for 2 more minutes.
Meanwhile, put about 1 tsp of cream cheese in each of the Fillo shells. When the onions are fully cooked, place the onions on top and enjoy!

Strawberry Tart Ingredients
6-7 medium strawberries, washed and sliced
1 tsp of sugar
1/2 tsp lemon (or lime) juice
1 package of Fillo Shells
4 oz of 1/3 less fat Philadelphia cream cheese (or goat cheese) at room tempurature

Strawberry Tart Directions
Put about 1 tsp of cream cheese in each of the Fillo shells.
Then, wash and cut up the strawberries into small slices. Cook the strawberries in the lemon juice and sugar on low heat for 2-4 minutes or until tender. Finally, place the strawberries on top and enjoy!

Both of these treats are wonderful as an appetizer or dessert!

A little home-cooked, Southern fried chicken with mashed potatoes and white gravy...Mmm mmm good!

Obviously, I am not from the South. However, I was taught by true Southerners the perfect recipe for making crispy, fried chicken with a white gravy. The mashed potatoes are very much part of my Northern heritage, and I will share my favorite way to make them!

For starters, this will taste nothing like KFC or other restaurant takes on "fried chicken." I'm not exactly sure what they do to get their crispy, golden brown fried chicken but mine is much truer to a home-cooked meal. That being said, I will do my best to explain this recipe. While it is not terribly complicated, it is definitely one of those meals I've made so many times that it comes without a set recipe. Thus, I will sometimes use phrases like "until it looks right" or "smells good." I hope you understand what I mean!

Ingredients (for 4)
Fried Chicken
1.25 lbs of boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 cups of flour (in a large plastic Zip-Loc bag or in a paper bag)
McCormick's Montreal Steak Seasoning
Garlic Pepper
Pepper
2 cups milk (or Buttermilk) for dipping chicken
4 tbps Crisco (more if needed, depends on how much gets soaked up by flour)

Mashed Potatoes
8 medium potatoes
1 cup milk
4 tbsp margarine or butter

White Gravy
3 tbsp flour mixture* (see directions for fried chicken below)
3 cups milk

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Wash the chicken and trim the fat. Cut breasts into thirds (or about1.5" by 3" pieces).
Make the flour mixture by putting the flour into a Ziplock bag and adding the McCormick Montreal Steak Seasoning, pepper, and garlic pepper in until it smells good. I like mine to be spicy, so I put a lot in! When you can smell it without being overwhelmed by it, you might have enough seasoning.
Pour the milk into a bowl and dip the chicken in the milk. Then dip the chicken into the flour mixture. For extra crispy chicken, dip the flour-covered chicken in the milk and flour again (double-battered is crunchier, but can be more difficult to flip in the pan without accidently removing the batter, so if it's your first time, I recommend the single dip).
While you're dipping the chicken, put the Crisco into a large frying pan and set on medium-high heat. When the Crisco has melted, start putting the battered chicken into the pan. When the chicken is crispy and brown on both sides, put into a baking pan and place into the oven for 20-30 minutes. This method ensures that the chicken is fully cooked on the inside without risking burning the outsides.

Now you're going to get your potatoes ready! Peel all 8 potatoes and rinse them. Then cut them into about 1" by 1" pieces (or about 12ths). Place the cut potatoes into cold water and put on the stove on high heat. When the potatoes start boiling, reduce heat. Cook until the potatoes are tender (about 15-20 minutes). Drain the water and use a potato masher to mash the potatoes. Then pour in the milk and margarine and mash the potatoes again until smooth. Do not use a stir stick to blend potatoes as they turn into a starchy mess!

Finally, the gravy! This is an art. You need a whisk and the pan that you cooked the chicken in for the gravy to be truly successful. Use those crunchies that got left behind from frying up the chicken to create your masterpiece gravy.
Start by adding three tablespoons of flour from the flour mixture we dipped the chicken in. "Burn" the flour on medium heat and whisk it around in the pan until it turns a brownish color (not black). Once the flour is properly burned, add the first 1.5 cups of milk. Stir slowly, but constantly until it thickens. Keep adding a half cup of milk and thickening the gravy until you've used all the milk.
The gravy should finish at about the same time as the chicken and be thick enough that it wouldn't go through a strainer very well. Remember: Southern gravy is not watery at all!

Once everything is cooked, you're ready to serve! I suggest pairing the chicken, gravy, and mashed potatoes with any of the following: corn on the cob, caesar salad, fruit, and/or biscuits. This meal will leave you stuffed but happy!