Mini Twice Baked Spinach Potatoes

One of the things I wanted to make for our special Valentine's Day dinner the other night was twice baked potatoes.  I've actually never made them.  It's hard to believe isn't it?  I have never been a huge potato fan, but lately they are growing on me.  Plus, they require a lot of ingredients, ingredients which aren't cheap- cheese, cream, butter, bacon.  Also, they are not really a healthy option.  I usually try to steer clear of heavy, cheesy dishes.  (Well, besides pizza, but even then I'm easy on the cheese.)  

Anywho, I thought it would be a nice surprise for Steven and something a little indulgent.  (Are you laughing at the fact that I consider a twice baked potato indulgent?)  

I had small red new potatoes on hand, so that's what I used.  I also had a tub of fresh spinach, which I try to hide in everything, so I thought I'd use that too.  Here is the recipe I found & used- Miss Anthropist's Kitchen.

I didn't quite go by the recipe, so mine look a bit different.  I DID however do the toast option with the leftover stuffing.  REALLY YUMMY!  Do it.

Click her link for the full recipes.  I think will be trying different variations .. potatoes with French's Fried onions, ranch seasoning, or shrimp stuffed potatoes?  

 The stuffing, probably could have used a lot more spinach.  next time

 My oven is not wide enough so I just overlap.  Anyone else ever do this?  It's what the real pros do.  

 Ta da!  Mini stuffed taters and tater muffins.  The three little ones are the toast muffins.  You just squoosh a piece of sandwich bread into a little muffin tin and then use leftover stuffing in it. These  would make really good appetizers!

~Kristie

Chocolate Molten Lava Cake

Happy Valentine's Day!

I'm going to skip over the fact that I haven't blogged in a very, very long time.  So sorry.  Life.  

Now, on to why you're here... chocolate.

This Valentine's Day we don't have any money to spend on gifts or fancy dates or a weekend getaway, but still wanted to do something to let my incredible husband know how much I love him.  So I sent our two year old to Grandma & Pop Pop's (kept the baby- not ready for an overnight without her yet), cleaned the house, rented a movie, and cooked a yummy dinner & dessert.  

My husband loves anything sweet, so I wanted to make something over the top and special. I found this recipe for Chocolate Molten Cake. 

It is REALLY good.  

And REALLY easy.  

I guess you could mess this up, but it would be hard to.

Here's the recipe:

You need:

• 4 pieces (squares) Semi-sweet Baking Chocolate
• ½ cups Butter
• 1 cup Powdered Sugar
• 2 whole Eggs
• 2 whole Egg Yolks
• 6 Tablespoons Flour
• 2 cups Real Whipping Cream (seriously It's So Much Better!)
• 2 Tablespoons Sugar

What you Do:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Spray 4 custard cups with Pam and place on cookie sheet.

Microwave chocolate and butter in large bowl on high for about 1 minute, until butter is melted. whisk until chocolate is also melted.

Stir in sugar until well blended. Whisk in eggs and egg yolks. Stir in flour.

Divide between cups.

Bake 13-14 minutes until sides are firm and center is soft. Let stand 1 minute.

Then invert the cups on a dish & serve.

Honestly, this would have been awesome with ice cream or whipped cream, but I didn't have any & it was good on it's own.  

And I didn't have any glass ramekins or small bowls, so I just used little teacups & it worked great!  The recipe made 4 small cakes.  Husband at 2.7 & one is in the fridge.  I guess he liked them!

Today isn't over yet, go make one for your Valentine!

~Kristie

Spinach Pesto

We eat a lot of baby spinach at our house.  We buy those big containers of it and I try to fit it into as many meals as possible, but even then it's hard to use all of it. 

A few months ago I decided to use it to make spinach pesto!

It is delicious and freezes great.  Just put it into ice cube trays and thaw as you need it.  Also, just use it as you would regular pesto.  It definitely doesn't taste the same as basil pesto, but if you add some basil leaves it would be close.

I use Giada's recipe here.

And here are some more ideas of how to use pesto.

Pesto Bread
Pesto Bread Rolls
Pesto Pizza
Pesto Pasta
Pesto Cream Sauce
Pesto Roasted Chicken
and...
Pesto Roasted Potatoes- a new post coming soon!

~Kristie

Rainbow Salad

A head of red cabbage, a head of romaine, matchstick carrots, a cucumber, a squash, an apple, red onion, grapes, a tomato, a celery, & an orange bell pepper.


I'll take Random Foods in Alison's Fridge for $1,000, Alex.


Pretty much anything goes in Rainbow Salad. The brighter & more diverse the colors the better!

Rainbow Salad

1/4 head red cabbage
1 small head romaine or green leaf lettuce
handful matchstick carrots
1 cucumber, diced
1 squash, diced
1/2 apple, diced
1/4 red onion, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
1 tomato, diced
handful of grapes, cut in 1/2
1/2 bunch of radishes, sliced thin
nuts, toasted
cheese (Feta, mozarella, monterey jack, or other white cheese)
vinaigrette salad dressing (I prefer a balsamic or raspberry vinaigrette)

~ Alison

Beer Bread

I've seen this recipe on a few other cooking blogs and finally tried it last weekend. 

 It is so good!  

We live near a Miller Beer Factory and Mrs. Baird's Bread Factory- they are right next to each other.  Every time I drive by I love the smell & I can't always tell if it's the yeast from the beer or the bread.  I don't even like beer, but for some reason this smell is so yummy.  This bread is perfect b/c it's a combo of the two.  If Mr. Miller and Mrs. Baird's had a baby- it would be this bread.  

I used the recipe found on this one:  Meals at the Muirs

And it's the easiest bread ever to make.  There are only 4 ingredients and like 4 steps!

Ya Need:

3 Cups Self Rising Flour

1/4 Cup Sugar

1 bottle beer

1 stick butter

**If you don't have self rising flour- you can make it!  That's what I do.  Just add 1 1/4 tsp baking powder and 1/4 tsp salt for every cup of flour. 

What Ya Do:

1.  Preheat oven to 350

2. Mix flour, sugar, & beer 

I used Shiner, but I'm sure you could use whatever  kind you'd like.

3.  Put dough into a greased pan & bake for 30 minutes.

4.  Remove from oven and pour the stick of melted butter over the top.  Then put it back into the oven for another 10 min.

You can't get easier than that!

This was a really big hit with my family.  It is just a little bit sweet, but still savory.  It would be great with a huge steak!  We may be doing that for dinner tomorrow night!

I'm always on the lookout for easy bread recipes, so if you have one please pass it on!

~Kristie

Roasted Garlic

Now this is obviously not a meal, but something I use in meals or appetizers.  If you haven't roasted a head/bulb of garlic before then pay attention b/c you will definitely want to do this.  And if you have, then you will agree with me when I say it is delicious and probably go straight to your kitchen to preheat the oven.


What Ya Need:
one bulb of garlic
olive oil
foil


What Ya Do:

Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Cut about a half inch off the top of the whole head of the garlic.  Put on to a sheet of foil and drizzle with olive oil.  

 Close up the foil, making a little "pouch" or "purse" and twist it up tight.  Bake in the oven for about 35-40 minutes.  

 After it's cool enough to touch, squeeze the garlic until the cloves pop or squeeze out. 

At this point, I use a fork to mash it into a paste.  But you don't have to.  I used this batch to mix into mashed potatoes.  Garlic mashed potatoes are incredible!


Other uses:
spread on french bread
mix into a chicken pasta dish
on baked potato
on a grilled chicken sandwich mixed with mayo


It's so easy!  I really should make it more often!


~Kristie

The BEST Cookie Recipe!

"Who are we to have stumbled upon the greatest cookie recipe in the entire world?"

I'm not kidding, but my husband and I ask each other this question every time we make these cookies.  Which is a lot.  Like every week.  

It's the best.

Just trust me, mmmkay?

They are crunchy around the edges and chewy in the middle.  I just ate two.  I have been known to eat more.  And we always have to make a double batch b/c Steven eats then entire first batch right when it comes out of the oven.  So when you make these, just go ahead and double the recipe.  You have all the stuff out anyway and you can freeze the dough.  

Chocolate Chip Oat Cookies

Here's What Ya Need:

1 cup flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

pinch of salt

1/2 cup butter or margarine (i use margarine)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

generous 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 egg

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 C rolled oats

1 C semi-sweet chocolate chips

What Ya Do:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 & grease your cookie sheets

2.  Sift together dry ingredients- flour, baking soda, powder, salt

3.  Cream butter and sugars in a separate bowl

4.  Add egg & vanilla and beat until light and fluffy

5.  Add flour mixture and beat until thoroughly blended

6.  Stir in oats and chips

7.  Plop dough balls on cookie sheet and bake for about 10 minutes or until the edges are brown and crispy.  (My oven runs hot, so 10 in mine may be 15 in yours)

Make these for the holidays!

Enjoy! 

~Kristie

Chicken Tortilla Soup

The inspiration for my Chicken Tortilla Soup came from The Oasis restaurant in Austin. If you're ever in Austin I highly recommend visiting The Oasis. It's a Mexican restaurant set on a hillside overlooking Lake Travis. They have a monstrous patio with lots of outdoor seating. Plus, they have yummy Chicken Tortilla Soup!

My Chicken Tortilla Soup came from taking 2 random recipes & merging them & tweaking them until I had what I believe to be Really Good CTS.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Alison's own creation!

3 Chicken Breasts, boiled & shredded *
1 large onion, diced
5 cloves garlic
1/4 bunch cilantro, stems removed & chopped, about 1/4 cup
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 cans black beans, drained & rinsed **
2 cans diced tomato w/chilis, drained ***
4 cans chicken broth
4 bay leaves
1 1/4 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp oregano
1+ tsp cumin
Crushed tortilla chips
Monterey jack cheese
Avocado

1. Boil Chicken or use leftover chicken pieces.
* I prefer to boil chicken in chicken broth & add that broth into my soup. If you do it's really helpful to have a strainer to get rid of all the floating chunks & foam  
2. In a large pot sauté onion, garlic & cilantro in EVOO over med-low heat.
3. Incorporate beans & tomatoes. Add broth & spices, simmer 20 minutes.
** Empty black beans into a colander & rinse well. Unrinsed beans means muddy soup.
*** If you prefer a more tomato-based broth do not drain tomato cans.
4. Add chopped/shredded chicken. Simmer a little longer.
5. When serving add avocado slices, crushed chips, & Monterey Jack cheese to bowls.

The original recipes- proudly splattered & frequently used!

I'm not a big soup fan but I do really enjoy my Chicken Tortilla Soup. I hope you get a chance to try it or even merge my recipe with another & have your own Chicken Tortilla Soup!

~ Alison

Top 10 Most Obscure Ingredients in my Kitchen

Yes, I like weird foods; I'm okay with "different." And, fittingly, I have some unusual items in my kitchen.


Thought we'd do a Top 10 List, Johnny Carson style.

The Top 10 Most Obscure Ingredients in My Kitchen:

#10 Whaler's Vanille Rum - yes, you can drink it & it makes an amazing Spiked Vanilla Coke but it's true purpose for being in my kitchen is it's the star of the show in my Almost Tortuga Rum Cake. My "I don't like alcohol" husband LOVES my rum cake.

#9 Root Beer Concentrate - I sure wish I remember what recipe I bought this for. I've had it in my pantry for years. Guess I should check for an expiration date. 

#8 Rice Sticks - These little guys are similar to glass noodles but have a little more substance to them. They are also way long. I'm not really sure when to use rice noodles vs any other type of oriental noodle but I've got them & will use them some time.

#7  Rice Flour & other random flours - I made a cake for a friend's birthday using rice flour since she is on a special diet. The cake was DISGUSTING. Inedible. Epic Fail.
I also have Cake Flour (for the rum cake, of course!), Whole Wheat Flour, Bread Flour, and All-Purpose Flour.

#6 Coconut Oil - Not really a fan of Vegetable Oil (I actually find it rather gross) so I was very excited to find a substitute for it for baking. It is very high in Saturated Fat so it's still not an "All-The-Time Food" but it has a lot of health benefits to it too.
Information on Coconut Oil & Information on Coconut Oil #2

#5 Goat Cheese - I don't use Goat Cheese as often as I use Feta but I LOVE it on Pizza & pasta dishes. It has a distinct flavor & is very smooth & creamy. It's something you will either hate & hate with a passion (like my husband does) or you will really love it when you find the right thing to do with it.
Oh, and get it at Costco! This stuff is ridiculously expensive but is reasonably priced at Costco.

#4 Coconut Milk - Not sure what to do with it. Impulse purchase.

#3 Miso Paste - Okay, there's a story here - When I was pregnant with Eli we frequently went to Central Market for a cheap date. We'd listen to a band play & eat on the patio. Jason normally ordered something from the grill & I, every time, ordered a baked potato & miso soup. But then Central Market did some remodeling & no longer makes Miso Soup in the cafe. What's a girl with cravings to do? Find a recipe, of course! Unfortunately, my attempts at recreating CM's Miso Soup have been unsuccessful. Possibly because there are 3 different types of miso paste & I didn't know which one to try so I guessed. I even asked a guy who worked there & he called for the guy who made the miso soup but due to his accent the directions were lost in translation, literally. 

#2 Nutritional Yeast - I saw a segment on cancer fighting foods on Dr. Oz one day & bought some. They say Nutritional Yeast has a nutty, cheesy flavor & can be added to cheesy recipes like pizza or you can even substitute it for Parmesan cheese. Tried it. Not so much. It does have a nutty flavor but it's in flakes so it's more like eating nutty almost-cheesy fish food. I haven't written it off & have plans to try it in a macaroni & cheese recipe I saw once upon a time but I have a feeling it will fall into the "Recipe Fail" category.   

And the #1 Most Obscure Ingredient in my kitchen is...

Wakame! - Ah, yes, more ingredients in the search for the elusive Miso Soup. Wakame is dried seaweed. The wakame actually isn't too bad. I mean, I'm not putting it on everything & it's probably a good thing Braden didn't know I had it when he made his pizza. But it really tastes the way it's supposed to & in Miso Soup it's fantastic. 
I tried a recipe to use it since I had it & would give it a try but was not a fan. So, if you have an awesome recipe that calls for wakame please pass it along!  

That's it! Surprised by any  If you're ever at our house & are curious about one of these just ask. We'll do a taste test!
~ Alison

Fried Rice With Roast (or Chicken, or Pork)

By this point I probably had you fooled. You have seen posts using Goat Cheese, Spaghetti Squash, Wine, & other less common ingredients. You must think I'm an accomplished chef & I know what I'm doing in the kitchen.


I have you fooled!
I have a dirty little secret. 
I don't know how to cook rice if it doesn't have the word "Minute" on the box. 
I have tried & tried & have failed miserably each time. 
I didn't even know there was anything other than Minute Rice until I saw my high school boyfriend's mom cooking real rice grains. 
I seriously didn't even know that existed! 

That reminds me, and this is a little off topic, but his mom made The BEST Rice & Beans EVER. They were so good! It was an authentic Puerto Rican recipe- the pinto beans w/ the safrito & simmered with bay leaves, accompanied with real rice. Man, they were good. I wonder if I could get that recipe. She gave it to me years & years (& years!) ago but the 17yo Alison couldn't come close to her Rice & Beans yummyness and after a few disappointing attempts I gave up. 
Would it be weird to ask an old boyfriend for him mom's recipe? I'm married. He's married. It's been 15 years. 
Anyone know the Statute of Limitations on requesting recipes from old boyfreinds???

... Okay, this post is about oriental rice, not Puerto Rican rice...  

I'm making an effort to have my food be more photogenic. (fail.)

At the Westly house Fried Rice is one of those recipes that isn't written down, rarely has the same ingredients, & is never the same twice.

For me, Fried Rice is a nice way to use up vegetables I have in the fridge & need to get out. 


I listed Fried Rice in my post on Leftover Pot Roast Ideas but wanted to give a more detailed recipe.

Fried Rice with Pot Roast (or Chicken or Pork)

2 C Minute Rice 

(You can use any rice if you got the skills!) 

1C leftover cooked meat

3 eggs

Soy Sauce

Sesame Oil (or vegetable oil/Olive oil)

Salt & Pepper

Vegetables- carrots, bell pepper, onion, frozen peas, green beans, broccoli, sugar snap peas, water chestnuts, etc.

green onions

1. Ideally you will use leftover rice. It's best a day or two old straight from the fridge. I usually just make fresh rice & go with it. Tip! If you make it fresh - undercook your rice! If your rice is perfect when you cook it then it'll tend to become mushy. For Minute Rice the trick is to use way more rice than the recipe on the box calls for. 

2. Chop vegetables into fairly big chunks. Frozen vegetables place in a bowl with lukewarm water to thaw.

3. Crack eggs, season with S&P, & whisk/beat with fork.

3. In a large skillet or wok, heat 1T+ Sesame oil. Scramble eggs in Sesame Oil. Remove from heat. Add 1T sesame oil if needed. Saute vegetables (except green onions) in skillet, leaving them slightly raw & crunchy b/c they're going to continue to cook. 

4. Add rice to vegetables in skillet. If your vegetables are pretty tender you can remove them from the skillet. Add Soy Sauce. Stir to combine. After 2-3 minutes return egg & meat to skillet. Add chopped green onions. Stir to incorporate & warm up egg & meat. 5. Enjoy!  

Vegetables! I sauteed onion & bell peppers first. Added my frozen/thawed broccoli. Then added other vegetables. 

Sauteed Vegetables + Rice + Egg & Meat + Soy Sauce + Green Onions = Fried Rice!

~ Alison

Menu Monday-Kristie's List

Here's what's on the menu this week at the Lentz house. (in no particular order)

Apple Cider Chicken with rice & roasted sweet potatoes

Swedish Meatballs with egg noodles & sauteed squash

Chicken Stir Fry with rice

Chipotle style burritos (check link for recipe I'll be using) with cilantro lime rice & black beans

Roast Chicken with mashed potatoes & green beans

Meatloaf with mashed or roasted potatoes 

Tonight I think I'll be trying out Swedish meatballs.  A new recipe, let's hope it's a success!


Update:  Swedish meatballs were alright.  Probably won't make these again.  Boo

Pizza Roll

Seriously Kristie, pizza again?

I know!  Even with my love for it, I may be getting a little pizza'd out.  My husband was gone, we've been out of town, and the house looks like a BOMB went off.  I needed something quick and easy, and since dough was already in the fridge it seemed like a good choice.

And it was!  "Dewicious!"

Roll out your dough into the shape of a lily pad like I did.  Actually, a circle is best, but the lily pad worked. I used this dough I made about a week ago that had been frozen and thawed.  

Put on your cheese and toppings.  Don't put sauce on, it's just too messy.  You can dip it in sauce while eating.  And that it spinach, not basil in case you're wondering.   I've got to work in at least something green!

Roll it up...

... seal the ends..  and I don't have a picture of this step, but I brushed it with an egg white & milk mixture to make it brown nicely.

Then I sprinkled on some parmesan cheese and some of this heavenly goodness- Garlic Garlic.  My Mother in Law bought this for us and it is so great on many things, pizza crust especially.

Bake at 400 for about 20 or until golden brown.

 Let it sit for a few minutes and then used a bread knife to slice into it.  I think any knife with a serrated edge would be fine though.

And there she is!  Will and I enjoyed it while watching some Christmas movies.

Tonight I will make a real meal I promise!

Also, I will be posting for Menu Monday!  

I'm not good at consistency... working on it... maybe a New Year's resolution...

~Kristie