Banana blueberry (or strawberry) baked oatmeal

This is another one Kaylene sent me (served at Clark's blessing brunch) and I loved it so much I've made it twice in the two months since then. She got the recipe here: http://www.inspiredtaste.net/9928/baked-oatmeal-with-strawberries-banana-and-chocolate-recipe/
She used cinnamon instead of the Chinese 5 spice and frozen blueberries instead of the strawberries (the strawberries are delicious, just hard to get in the winter).

• 2 cups (175 grams) old fashioned rolled oats
• 1/3 cup (70 grams) packed light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon grated orange zest
• 1 teaspoon Chinese five spice (you can substitute cinnamon)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (55 grams) walnuts, chopped
• 1 cup (125 grams) sliced strawberries
• 1/3 cup (58 grams) semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 2 cups (473 ml) reduced-fat (2%) milk
• 1 large egg
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 ripe banana, peeled, 1/2-inch slices

Directions

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Generously spray the inside of a 10-1/2 by 7 inch baking dish (or 8-inch by 8-inch square baking dish) with cooking spray and place on a baking sheet.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the oats, sugar, baking powder, orange zest, Chinese five spice, salt, half the walnuts, half the strawberries and half the chocolate. Add to prepared baking dish. Arrange the remaining strawberries, walnuts and chocolate on top of the oats. Then, scatter the banana slices.
3. In another large bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, butter and vanilla extract. Then, pour over oats and fruit. Gently shimmy and shake the baking dish to help the milk mixture go throughout the oats.
5. Bake oatmeal for 35 to 40 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the milk mixture has set.
6. For an extra tasty top, sprinkle a tablespoon or so of extra brown sugar on top then place back in the oven under the broiler and broil for 20-30 seconds.

Read more: http://www.inspiredtaste.net/9928/baked-oatmeal-with-strawberries-banana-and-chocolate-recipe/#ixzz2urdTmvd7

Kay's Overnight Cinnamon Rolls

Kay sent me this (from Clark's blessing brunch) and I thought I'd put it up here because who doesn't love the idea of fresh cinnamon rolls in the mornings without having to get up hours early to make them??

She sent me this link: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/overnight-cinnamon-rolls-recipe.html

She also said she used 3 full eggs instead of just yolks, and she added a pinch of cardamom but that's optional. I haven't made them, but I ate one and it was delicious!

IngredientsDough:4 large egg yolks, room temperature1 large whole egg, room temperature2 ounces sugar, approximately 1/4 cup3 ounces unsalted butter, melted, approximately 6 tablespoons6 ounces buttermilk, room temperature20 ounces all-purpose flour, approximately 4 cups, plus additional for dusting1 package instant dry yeast, approximately 2 1/4 teaspoons1 1/4 teaspoons kosher saltVegetable oil or cooking spray
Filling:8 ounces light brown sugar, approximately 1 cup packed1 tablespoon ground cinnamonPinch salt3/4 -ounce unsalted butter, melted, approximately 1 1/2 tablespoons
Icing:2 1/2 ounces cream cheese, softened, approximately 1/4 cup3 tablespoons milk5 1/2 ounces powdered sugar, approximately 1 1/2 cupsDirectionsFor the dough: in the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whisk the egg yolks, whole egg, sugar, butter, and buttermilk. Add approximately 2 cups of the flour along with the yeast and salt; whisk until moistened and combined. Remove the whisk attachment and replace with a dough hook. Add all but 3/4 cup of the remaining flour and knead on low speed for 5 minutes. Check the consistency of the dough, add more flour if necessary; the dough should feel soft and moist but not sticky. Knead on low speed 5 minutes more or until the dough clears the sides of the bowl. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface; knead by hand about 30 seconds. Lightly oil a large bowl. Transfer the dough to the bowl, lightly oil the top of the dough, cover and let double in volume, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
Combine the brown sugar, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl. Mix until well incorporated. Set aside until ready to use.
Butter a 9 by 13-inch glass baking dish. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Gently shape the dough into a rectangle with the long side nearest you. Roll into an 18 by 12-inch rectangle. Brush the dough with the 3/4-ounce of melted butter, leaving 1/2-inch border along the top edge. Sprinkle the filling mixture over the dough, leaving a 3/4-inch border along the top edge; gently press the filling into the dough. Beginning with the long edge nearest you, roll the dough into a tight cylinder. Firmly pinch the seam to seal and roll the cylinder seam side down. Very gently squeeze the cylinder to create even thickness. Using a serrated knife, slice the cylinder into 1 1/2-inch rolls; yielding 12 rolls. Arrange rolls cut side down in the baking dish; cover tightly with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator overnight or up to 16 hours.
Remove the rolls from the refrigerator and place in an oven that is turned off. Fill a shallow pan 2/3-full of boiling water and set on the rack below the rolls. Close the oven door and let the rolls rise until they look slightly puffy; approximately 30 minutes. Remove the rolls and the shallow pan of water from the oven.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
When the oven is ready, place the rolls on the middle rack and bake until golden brown, or until the internal temperature reaches 190 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, approximately 30 minutes.
While the rolls are cooling slightly, make the icing by whisking the cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer until creamy. Add the milk and whisk until combined. Sift in the powdered sugar, and whisk until smooth. Spread over the rolls and serve immediately.

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/overnight-cinnamon-rolls-recipe.html?oc=linkback

Crispy Chicken Wraps

Again, found this on Mel's Kitchen Cafe. It's a quick and easy lunch or dinner. Not the healthiest meal out there, but we ate with carrots/celery on the side and it was good! http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2008/06/crispy-chicken-wraps.html 

• 1/3 cup mayonnaise, light or regular
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 3 scallions, sliced very thin (I did not use these)
• 2 celery ribs, chopped fine (I did not add this)
• 2 tablespoons sour cream, light or regular
• 2 teaspoons hot sauce (I added a bit more because I wanted some heat)
• 1 rotisserie chicken, skin discarded, meat shredded into bite-sized pieces (about 3 cups)
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (I used Sharp and used a bit less, I think))
• 4 (12-inch) flour tortillas
• 
  

1. Whisk the mayonnaise, cilantro, scallions, celery, sour cream and hot sauce in a large bowl. Add chicken and toss to combine. Sprinkle cheese over tortillas, leaving 1/2-inch border around edges, then arrange chicken mixture down the center of each tortilla. Roll stuffed tortillas, leaving edges open. Spray the tortillas all over with cooking spray.
2. Heat a large non-stick skillet (or griddle) over medium heat for 1 minute. Arrange 2 wraps, seam-side down, in pan and cook until golden brown and crisp, about 2-3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining wraps. Serve.

Banana Blueberry Muffins

I got this recipe from Mel's Kitchen Cafe (http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2012/09/healthy-banana-blueberry-muffins.html).  It made 12 muffins.

• 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) butter, room temperature
• 1/4 cup plain yogurt (I used strawberry as that's all I had)
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar (I decreased this a bit since I was using strawberry yogurt)
• 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cups quick or regular oats
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 ripe bananas, lightly mashed (I think I may have used an extra 1/2 or full banana, not sure as they were frozen in chunks)
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup frozen blueberries
• 2 teaspoons flour
• 
  

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl (or the bowl of an electric stand mixer), beat together the butter, yogurt and sugars until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the eggs and beat well. In a blender or food processor, process the oats until they are finely ground. Add the wheat flour, baking soda and salt and pulse one or two times until the dry ingredients are lightly combined. Pour the dry mixture into the wet mixture and mix until just combined. Mix in the lightly mashed bananas. Stir in the milk and vanilla. Toss the blueberries with the 2 teaspoons flour and then gently fold them into the muffin batter. Divide the batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups.
3. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (watch the muffins carefully since each oven may vary slightly in temperature affecting exact baking time). Let the muffins rest in the pan for about 5 minutes and then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Chicken Enchilada Soup

I got this recipe from Our Best Bites. http://www.ourbestbites.com/2014/01/chicken-enchilada-soup/

It is delicious and tastes just like chicken enchiladas. When I made it, I did not use celery and I used more carrots.  I also used 1/3-1/2 of a Costco rotisserie chicken and blended everything except the chicken. I even made the fried tortilla strips since my bag of tortillas had about 30 tortillas.  It made 6 big bowls of soup.

1 medium onion, chopped
5-6 cloves garlic, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, chopped (remove the seeds and membranes to cut down on the heat)
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 heaping teaspoon cumin
1 heaping teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon dried oregano
3/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
6 cups chicken broth
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, divided
1 cup water
5-6 6″ yellow corn tortillas
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Shredded breast meat from 1 medium rotisserie chicken
1/2 cup heavy cream
chopped green onions
sour cream
shredded cheddar or pepper jack cheese
fried tortilla strips

Instructions:

In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil over medium heat. When hot, add the onion, garlic, carrots, celery, bell pepper, and saute until fragrant and the vegetables are tender.

While the vegetables are cooking, combine the chili powder, cumin, coriander, oregano, and smoked paprika. When the vegetables are tender, add the spices and stir to combine. add the chicken broth, 1/2 cup diced tomatoes, and water and then blend until smooth using an immersion blender (you can also it in batches in a regular blender). Bring to a boil and tear the tortillas and add them to the soup (6 will be pretty thick, it just depends on personal preference). Cover and turn the heat down to low and simmer 30-45 minutes or until the tortillas are breaking apart. Remove from heat. Whip out your immersion blender again and blend until smooth. Add the remaining tomatoes, the shredded chicken breast meat and the cream and stir until combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately with green onions, shredded cheese, and fried tortilla strips. Makes 8 servings.

Slow Cooker Instructions:

After sautéing the vegetables, add them to your slow cooker and add the spices. Stir to combine. Blend with the chicken broth and 1/2 cup of tomatoes until smooth, either with an immersion blender or in a traditional blender. Add water  and torn tortillas and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours. If necessary, blend again. Add the remaining diced tomatoes, shredded chicken breast and cream, stir to combine, and serve immediately.