Colie's Kitchen

May 14, 2014

Wordless Wednesday: Maple Bacon Oatmeal ... Say What?

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Pizza Dough Breadsticks

This is a quick and easy way to make breadsticks especially in a hurry. There isn’t any science to this recipe but it’s easy and anyone can make these. I would even go as to call them semi-homemade.

This is a great kid friendly recipe that everyone can get involved in. you never know when you will need breadsticks or you catch a can of pizza dough on sale and you have no use for it. Quick easy, and delicious!

Ingredients:

1 can pizza dough
½ stick butter
2 cloves of garlic minced
2 tbsp. parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp. dried Italian seasoning

Directions:

To a jelly roll pan add a piece of parchment paper
Roll out the pizza dough onto the parchment paper and make sure it’s spread out and flat.
Melt butter in the microwave then add the minced garlic. Do not add the garlic to the butter before you microwave it or it will turn to a clump.
Once the butter is melted spread it over the pizza dough, then top the garlic butter with parmesan cheese, then Italian seasoning.
With a pizza cutter cute the dough into breadsticks, but do not separate the breadsticks.
Follow the baking directions on the can. Watch your breadsticks carefully because you want the breadsticks to be soft, but cooked.

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Carrot Ribbon Fettuccine

I can’t even tell you how amazing this recipe is. It’s honestly one of the best recipes I have made in forever. The original recipe does not call for garlic, but I added garlic and I wouldn’t change a thing!

Garlic just makes this recipe pop! Like I said this is one of the best recipes ever. I think you could even add more vegetables to the recipe like yellow squash and zucchini.

This is a great summer recipe because it’s light and delicious. I can’t wait to make it again. I think this would be a great main dish! You could even add some grilled chicken to it for a main dish.

Ingredients:

4-5 medium sized carrots
8 ounces fettuccine pasta
2 garlic cloves minced
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 lemon
1/4 cup shredded parmesan (plus more for garnish)
Coarse sea salt

Directions:

Peel the carrot skin. Then, working from top to bottom, peel thin ribbons from the carrots. I used a "Y" peeler.
Spin the carrot as you go to get similar width strips.
Cook and drain the pasta.
In a large skillet, sautee´ the carrot ribbons and the minced garlic with 2T olive oil and a pinch of salt until they become just slightly limp (about 3 minutes on medium heat).
Turn the heat to low and add the cooked pasta to the skillet.
Add the juice from 1 lemon, 2 more tablespoons of olive oil and 1/4c shaved parmesan.
Toss to combine, then plate, with extra parmesan as a garnish

Original Recipe Source

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Couscous with Herbs and Lemon

This is a really great recipe. It’s full of flavor and extra delicious. It’s a recipe that can be served as a side dish with just about anything.

This recipe would also make a great main dish if you were to add some leftover meat or even keep it vegetarian and add some spinach or other vegetables like roasted squash, carrots, or zucchini. You can really do a lot of things with this recipe but I really love it as a side dish.

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic medium cloves, minced
3/4 cup water
1 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth (10 fl oz)
1 (10-oz) box couscous (1 1/2 cups)
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, or to taste

Instructions:

Cook onion in 1 tablespoon oil in a heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 3 minutes.
Add garlic and cook, stirring, 30 seconds.
Add water and broth and bring to a boil.
Stir in couscous, then cover and remove from heat.
Stir in herbs, lemon juice, remaining tablespoon oil, and salt and pepper to taste.
Let couscous stand, covered, 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork and

Original Recipe Source

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(Not So...) Wordless Wednesday: Ronald McDonald's Shoe Car

I know I say this all the time, but nothing changes, it’s always true… It truly doesn’t take much to please me and when I saw this awesome little shoe on wheels I proceeded to chase it down the highway. Lucky for me we both needed the same exit.

I looked like some kind of lunatic driving after this shoe car. My Mom was with me and just as excited! We were both screaming in excitement at even the thought of seeing something so cool. Like I said it’s the simple things in life that make me happy! HAHHAHA!

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Crustless Pot Pie Over Biscuits

This is a quick and easy way to have pot pie but without all the work. This is a pretty good recipe and I must admit that I appreciated the can of diced potatoes because when I am in a hurry I hate to peel potatoes.

This recipe came together pretty fast but it seemed like I had to keep adding broth to the pot the longer it cooked so keep an eye out so that your filling doesn’t get too thick.

Ingredients:

1 can diced potatoes
1-1/2 cups frozen diced carrots, peas, corn
1 pound boneless chicken (breast or thighs)
2 celery ribs diced
1 medium onion (or 2 tbsp. dry onion flakes)
2 cloves garlic minced
2-4 cup chicken stock
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoon olive oil
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
½ teaspoon thyme
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:

Over medium heat add butter and olive oil to a dutch oven. Cook until melted and well combined.
Add diced chicken and cook until chicken cooked through, then remove chicken but leave in drippings.
Add in garlic, onion, celery, and cook until the vegetables are tender. Whisk in the flour and cook until lightly browned, you will want to continuously whisk as not to burn.
Gradually whisk in chicken broth, milk and thyme, salt, and pepper. Continue whisking until your sauce has thickened up, Stir in chicken and remaining vegetables.
You may have to keep adding more stock to the pot until you come up with the right consistency.
At this point you will want to add you premade (canned) biscuits to the oven. Follow can directions.
Cook until pot pie mixture until all vegetables are tender.
Remove biscuits from the oven and pull each one apart. Plate biscuits then pour a generous amount of pot pie filling over biscuits.

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Kitchen TIP Wilted Stink Celery? No Thanks! Keep your Celery Fresh for Week!

Don’t you hate it when you open the vegetable crisper in your refrigerator only to find, limp, faded and sad looking celery? Suddenly adding celery to your salad doesn’t sound so appealing!

Keeping your celery super fresh and crispy for weeks is as easy as wrapping it up in tin foil. Who knew right? I have been doing this for months and I must say that it truly is the greatest tip I have ever found. Who wants to pay money for something that doesn’t last long enough to use it all?

Do NOT wash the celery, simply remove the plastic wrapping your celery comes in, then proceed to take a generous piece of tin foil and wrap the celery up in it tightly. Each time you use the celery re-wrap it back in the same tin foil. Your celery will last for many more weeks than it conventionally has, and it will look just as great and remain as crisp.

You will want to do this as soon as you get home from the grocery store to help slow down the aging process as soon as possible. This is quick, easy, and painless what more could you ask for? Give it a try! I would love to hear how it works for you!

Enjoy!

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Cadbury Mini Egg Blondies

This is a wonderful recipe but let me caution you about a few things. Like I said before, these are wonderful, but they are super rich. The original recipe suggests 2 cups of Cadbury eggs which to me was way over the top. I personally think that 1 cup is plenty. I like sweet but that is just painfully sweet.

This recipe also suggest an 8x8 pan or a 9x9 pan. I personally found this makes the brownies too thick. If you are looking for large cake brownies then those would be great pans but next time I would try something bigger like a 9x13 pan.

The dough is very hard to spread so don’t be surprised by that, and be sure to watch your baking time. Mine were so thick in a 9x9 pan that they took forever to cook, then when they were finally cooked they were terribly dried out.

I think this recipe is great but I also think it could use a lot of adapting to make it just right. Personally if you were in a hurry you could get a nice boxed brownie mix and follow the instructions and just add the Cadbury Eggs. Although not homemade it would be much easier and probably just as good!

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 cups milk chocolate mini eggs

Directions:

In a medium sizes mixing bowl sift flower, baking soda and salt together.
Melt butter over medium heat. Once melted add to the bowl of your electric mixer. Cream together with sugars.
Add in vanilla and eggs mix until creamy.
Slowly add in flour mixture until it is incorporated.
Fold in Mini Eggs.
Spread batter into a greased 9x13 baking dish. Bake at 325 for about 40 minutes or until a tooth pick is inserted in the center and comes out clean.
Let the bars cool for 30 minutes before slicing.