Maple-Pecan-Cream Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts

I used to make these for dinner (pre-kids) and completely forgot about them until today. As soon as the thought popped in my head, I knew I HAD to make them tonight. So here is the recipe for tonight's dinner. I'm sure it's been done before, but this is the way I make it. The flavour combo is soooo good. Yum! Enjoy!

Maple-Pecan-Cream Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts

• 3-4 chicken breasts, boneless/skinless
• 1/2 brick plain cream cheese
• 3 tbsp pure maple syrup
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans
• sprinkle of salt

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease baking dish. Butterfly chicken breasts.
2. In a small bowl, mix together cream cheese, maple syrup and pecans. Evenly spread mixture between the chicken breasts. Fold them over, so the filling is all in the middle. Place in baking dish and sprinkle with a little salt.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink. Serve immediately and ENJOY!

Ham & Cheese Breakfast Muffins

This recipe comes from the 2009 Milk Calendar. It is one of my favourites to make when serving brunch, throwing together a quick lunch for company, or even for dinner during a busy week. They are super easy to make, and VERY tasty. Plus, they are pretty healthy, by my standards. Enjoy!

Ham & Cheese Breakfast Muffins

• 4 eggs
• 3/4 cup (175 mL) Milk
• 1 tbsp (15 mL) honey mustard
• 1/4 tsp (1 mL) each, salt and pepper
• 5 cups (1.25 L) cubed whole grain bread (about 5 slices)
• 1 cup (250 mL) shredded Canadian Cheddar, Swiss or Colby cheese
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) diced (deli) ham
• 12 cherry or grape tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick parchment or silicone liners, or butter generously.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, Milk, mustard, salt and pepper. Stir in bread, cheese and ham until evenly coated with egg mixture. Spoon into prepared muffin pan, pressing gently and drizzling with any liquid left in bowl. Press 2 tomato halves, cut side up, on top of each muffin.
3. Bake for about 25 min or until golden and puffed and a knife inserted into the centre comes out clean. Let cool in pan on a rack for 10 min. Remove from pan by running a rubber spatula around edge. Serve hot.

Oatmeal Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yummy cookie recipe (modified from allrecipes.com) that we baked this week. Enjoy!

Oatmeal Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp milk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 7/8 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar and white sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg, then stir in the milk and vanilla. Combine the flour and baking soda; stir into the sugar mixture until well blended. Stir in the oats, chocolate chips. walnuts and coconut until evenly distributed. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto ungreased cookie sheet.
3. Bake 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven or until lightly browned.
4. Cool for 1 minute on the cookie sheet and then remove to wire rack. Cool completely and then store in tightly sealed container.

One-Pot Cabbage Roll Casserole

Here's the recipe for tonight's dinner. It was a hit! And was pretty easy to make. Enjoy!

Cabbage Roll Casserole

• 1.5 lbs ground beef
• 1/2 cooking onion, diced
• 1 1/2 tsp dried parsley
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1/2 tsp garlic salt
• 1/2 tsp fresh cracked pepper
• 1 24-oz jar (or can) of fresh mashed (strained) tomatoes
• 2 cups beef broth
• 5 cups rough chopped cabbage
• 1 cup instant rice

1. Brown beef and onions in large pot over med-high heat. Sprinkle meat with parsley, oregano, basil, garlic salt and pepper before meat is done browning. Onced fully browned, drain off excess fat.
2. Add tomatoes, broth and cabbage to the pot. Stir well and bring to a boil. Reduce heat a bit, then let simmer for 5 minutes. After 5 min, stir in instant rice, and bring mixture back to a boil. Once boiling, place a lid on the pot and immediately turn off the heat.
3. Let sit, covered, for 15 minutes. Remove lid, serve and ENJOY!

*Great served w/ a little shredded cheese and sour cream!*

Buffalo Wing Sauce

BEST wing sauce I've ever made. It was inspired by a recipe trying to replicate Pizza Hut's wing sauce. Soooooooo good. Enjoy!

Buffalo Wing Sauce

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup Frank's RedHot Sauce
• 1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/8 tsp coarse ground black pepper
• 1/8 tsp ground cayenne pepper (*more or less, depending how spicy you like it!)
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/8 tsp ground mustard powder

1. Melt butter in a small saucepan over med-high heat. Stir in remaining ingredients and reduce heat to med-low. Let simmer a few minutes before pouring over cooked chicken wings and tossing to evenly coat. ENJOY!

Honey Garlic Wing Sauce

This is the favourite wing sauce for my boys. It is so sticky and yummy! Enjoy!

Honey Garlic Wing Sauce

• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
• 3/4 cup water
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 tbsp water

1. Mix together the brown sugar, garlic, ginger, 3/4 cup water, honey, and soy sauce in a saucepan over medium-high heat; bring to a boil. Whisk together the cornstarch and 2 tbsp water in a small bowl; stir into the sauce mixture over med-heat and heat until thickened. Pour over cooked chicken wings to coat. ENJOY!

Waldorf Salad Dressing

Here's a delicious dressing to serve over any salad, but it's especially good served over a waldorf salad (greens, blue cheese, apple or pear, walnuts or pecans, cranberries, etc). Enjoy!

Waldorf Salad Dressing

• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 2 1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 tbsp packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup EVOO
• s&p to taste

1. Measure out all ingredients into a mason jar and shake, shake, shake until well combined. Season with s&p as desired. Serve over greens. ENJOY!

Oven Baked Chicken Wings

This is not the healthiest of dinners, no, but baking your chicken wings is MUCH healthier than frying them. This is the method I use most often. It's easy and delicious. I will post my 2 wing sauce recipes later. Enjoy!

Baked Chicken Wings

• 24 chicken wings, split and tips discarded
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• 1 tsp paprika
• fresh cracked pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees (convection). Line a baking sheet with parchament paper (or lightly greased tin foil).
2. In a large ziploc bag, mix together flour, garlic salt, paprika and pepper. Add chicken wings, and shake until evenly coated.
3. Place floured wings on baking sheet and bake for 45-50 minutes, turning wings over half way through cooking time.
4. Remove from oven and toss with your favourite wing sauce. Serve and ENJOY!

Easy Arctic Char

I may have a new favourite fish. Last night I cooked up a large arctic char filet and it was inhaled by all. The fish taste is really mild and quite nice. You could prepare any fish filet using this recipe/method, but I encourage you all to try char. YUM! Enjoy!

Easy Arctic Char

• 1-lb Arctic Char filet(s)
• splash EVOO
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• s&p
• 1-2 tbsp green onion, thinly sliced

1. In a large frying pan, heat oil over med-high heat for about 30 seconds. Add fish, skin side down. Sprinkle with s&p. Cook for 2 minutes, flip, then cook for another 2 minutes. Flip again, so fish is skin side down, and top with green onion. Cook for an additional 2 minutes, or until fish flakes easily with fork. Serve and ENJOY!

Cauliflower and Tomato Salad

I served this as a sidedish to our fish and rice last night. It was very easy and very tasty. Will definitely make again! Enjoy!

Cauliflower and Tomato Salad

• 3 - 4 cups cauliflower florets
• 1 pint grape tomatoes, cut in half
• 1 shallot, minced
• 2 tbsp EVOO
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1/2 tbsp white sugar
• s&p to taste

1. Combine everything in a small bowl and gently toss until veggies are evenly coated. (Chill, if desired). Serve and ENJOY!

Baked Burgers

Ever feel like eating a burger but don't want to stand in the rain BBQ'ing? That was us last night. I read a few tips online about baking burgers and decided to go with this method and recipe. They were so juicy and delicious! We all got our cheeseburger fill AND voted to make these again! Enjoy!

p.s. Don't forget my tip about buying ground beef. Definitely take a trip to your butcher and buy it there. It will taste better, be better for you, and generally will be better on your wallet. Our butcher puts ground beef on for $2 per lb. That's half the price of the grocery store!

Baked Burgers

• splash of olive oil
• 1.5 lbs ground beef
• 1 tbsp worchestershire sauce
• 1 tsp onion salt
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• fresh cracked pepper
• 6 or more slices of cheese

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line baking sheet with tinfoil, then place rack on sheet. Heat cast iron skillet for a few minutes before adding oil.
2. While everything is heating up, gently mix together beef, worchestershire sauce, onion salt, garlic salt and pepper. Divide meat into 6 portions and form into patties.
3. Add oil to skillet, then add patties. Cook on high for 2 minutes each side (or until browned nicely). Transfer to rack on cookie sheet and bake in oven for about 12 minutes. Top with cheese, then pop back in the oven for another minute or two, or until cheese is fully melted.
4. Remove from oven, place on bun, add fixings, and ENJOY!

DELICIOUS!

This week-end I made the broccoli and cashew recipe I posted earlier in the week. It was AMAZING! Hands down, it is one of my favourite ways to eat/serve broccoli. This is a must try!!!!! Enjoy!

Cabbage, Steak and Tomatoes

Just threw this in the crockpot on a whim. Hopefully it tastes good for dinner tonight! I'll update later! Enjoy!
*This dinner was really good! It was perfect for a fall day. I shredded/chunked the beef and served this as a soup/stew. If you added some diced potatoes, it would work as a stew OR meat and potatoes kind of meal. I will definitely make this again!*

Cabbage, Steak and Tomatoes

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup roughly chopped cabbage
• 1/2 small onion, diced
• 4 or 5 steak medallions
• s&p
• 2 cups beef broth
• 1 tbsp dried parsley
• 1 pint grape tomatoes

1. Pour olive oil into crock pot and spread along bottom and sides. Toss in cabbage and onions. Place steaks on top of cabbage, pushing down gently. Sprinkle with s&p. Pour broth over steaks, then sprinkle with parsley. Finally, top with rinsed grape tomatoes.
2. Leave in crock pot, on low, for about 8 hours. Serve and ENJOY!

Candied Carrots

We all know that vegetables are healthy for us. We usually eat them with our dinner, partly because we want to, partly because we know we should. I hope the recipes I posted today help you to think beyond opening up a can or bag of veggies, and beyond just steaming or boiling fresh ones. Sure, when you add butter, cream, cheese, salt, etc to your veggies you are taking away some of the health factor, but you are still getting your daily veggies, so why not enjoy them a little more now and then, too! Enjoy!

*A tip on buying carrots: when shopping for carrots next time, go straight to the organic section. Look for full-sized carrots (not baby or baby-cut). The thinner the full sized carrots, the tastier!

Candied Carrots

• 1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 2 inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons butter, diced
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 pinch ground black pepper

1. Cook (boil or steam) carrots until tender, but not mushy. Drain the carrots, reduce the heat to its lowest possible setting and return the carrots to the pan. Stir in butter, brown sugar, salt and pepper. Cook for about 3 to 5 minutes, until sugar is bubbly. Serve hot!  ENJOY!

Creamed Corn

My Dad loves creamed corn out of a can - I do not! But I am willing to try this recipe, as I think it will beat the canned kind any day! I'll let you know how it goes. Enjoy!

Creamed Corn

• 2 (10 ounce) packages frozen corn kernels, thawed
• 3/4 cup half and half cream
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup whole milk
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1. In a skillet over medium heat, combine the corn, cream, salt, sugar, pepper and butter. Whisk together the milk and flour, and stir into the corn mixture. Cook stirring over medium heat until the mixture is thickened, and corn is cooked through. Remove from heat, serve and ENJOY!

*For a different twist on this, stir in 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese right before serving!*

Broccoli and Cashews

For me, the foundation of cooking is inspiration. I love to browse cookbooks and magazines, reading all the different tips and flavour combinations, and of course the recipes. I rarely follow a recipe word for word. I don't know if it's because I NEED to put my spin on it, or if it's a small deviance I've become used to, or perhaps both! I just know that a recipe is not a law. You do not need to abide by it. Instead, let it guide you in a certain direction, then open your imagination (and tastes) and let that guide you off the page. After you make a dish that has your own personal touch, you will have something to be proud about. It's easy to do something that someone else already has, but it is much more rewarding to make it yours. If anything, I hope the readers of this blog use my recipes for their own personal inspiration. That's what cooking is all about! Enjoy!

p.s. this is another veggie recipe INSPIRED from another recipe....

Broccoli and Cashews

• 1 1/2 pounds fresh broccoli, cut into bite size pieces
• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons white vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup chopped cashews

1. Place the broccoli into a large pot with about 1 inch of water in the bottom. Bring to a boil, and cook for 7 minutes, or until tender but still crisp. Drain, and arrange broccoli on a serving platter.
2. While the broccoli is cooking, melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Mix in the brown sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, pepper and garlic. Bring to a boil, then remove from the heat. Mix in the cashews, and pour the sauce over the broccoli. Serve immediately. ENJOY!

Green Bean Delight

Today's theme is veggie side-dishes that I would like to try. Here is another recipe from allrecipes, adapted to make cooking easier (since I haven't made these, I am writing it how I WOULD make these, different from the original instructions). I am not a huge fan of green beans, but I am sure I would like these. Everything is "delightful" with bacon, right?! Enjoy :)

Green Bean Delight

• 1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed
• 8 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
• 3 tablespoons butter, or bacon drippings
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar (or cider vinegar)
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Cook the beans until crisp-tender. In a skillet, saute onion in butter until tender. Add vinegar, sugar and salt; heat through.
2. Add cooked beans and crumbled bacon to sauce, stir to evenly coat and serve immediately. ENJOY!

Sweet Corn Tomalito

This recipe isn't one I've tried, but once I get my hands on the ingredients required for it, I WILL be making it! It sounds delicious. Let me know if you try it before I do! Enjoy!
(p.s. it is from allrecipes)

Sweet Corn Tomalito

• 5 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1/4 cup masa harina
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 cups frozen whole-kernel corn, thawed
• 1/2 cup cornmeal
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 teaspoons milk

1. In a medium bowl, mix together the butter, masa flour, and sugar until light and fluffy. In a food processor or blender, blend one cup of the corn kernels with the water and cornmeal just until smooth. Stir into the masa mixture. Mix in the remaining corn, baking powder, salt, and milk until the batter is smooth. Pour into a double boiler.
2. Place the tomalito over a large saucepan of simmering water, and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Steam for 50 to 60 minutes, or until firm. Check water occasionally, and refill if necessary. Stir pudding before serving to give it a consistent texture. Serve in small scoops. ENJOY!

Mustard Beef Tenderloin

Okay - this recipe sounds amazing. I NEED to make this one! I think it would work with pork tenderloin, too. I will let you know when I try it! Enjoy!

Mustard Beef Tenderloin

• 4 beef tenderloin fillets
• 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 3 tablespoons white vinegar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon pineapple juice
• 1 tablespoon dried tarragon
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1. Mix together mustard, vinegar, olive oil, pineapple juice, tarragon and pepper. Simmer in a saucepan until evenly heated. Keep warm.

2. Preheat grill. Lightly pound fillets with kitchen mallet and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place on grill and cook about 4 minutes on each side or until desired doneness. Remove from grill.

3. Place about 2 tablespoons of mustard mixture on a plate and place fillet onto the sauce. Serve and ENJOY!

Pesto Beef and Tomato Crock Pot Dinner

Here's another recipe I have not tried, but would like to. This sounds super easy and super delicious! If you try it before I do, please let me know what you think! Enjoy!

Pesto Beef and Tomato

• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup prepared pesto sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 teaspoons minced onion
• 2 lbs round steak (or other lean steak cuts)
• 2 pints grape tomatoes (4-5 cups)
• 1/2 - 1 lb mozzarella, shredded

1. Grease crock pot with olive oil and leave excess in the crock.
2. Add pesto, pepper, and onion to the crockpot and stir into the remaining olive oil. Add steak and turn to coat with the pesto sauce mixture. Add tomatoes.
3. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 hours.
4. Serve steak and tomato pieces with shredded mozzarella on top. ENJOY!

Blueberry Oatmeal Squares

Here's an easy recipe to make with your kids. And the bonus - it IS healthy, too! This comes from kidshealth website. I haven't made them YET, but plan to. They sound very yummy. I'm sure the boys will like to make and eat these! Enjoy!

Blueberry Oatmeal Squares

• 1½ cups quick oats
• ½ cup whole-wheat flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ cup fresh or frozen blueberries
• 1 egg
• 1 cup skim milk
• 3 tablespoons apple sauce
• ¼ cup brown sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Coat baking pan with cooking spray.
2. Place all of the ingredients into a large bowl and mix until just combined.
3. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
4. Allow to cool for 5 minutes and cut into squares. ENJOY!

Lemon Thyme Chicken Legs

Last night's dinner was roasted chicken leg quarters. I don't generally buy this part of the chicken, but they were on special at the butcher, so I decided to give them another chance. While the flavour was good, the greasiness of the dark meat just isn't our favourite. If YOU prefer dark meat, here is a good recipe for baking them. Like I said, the flavour combo was great and these were tasty (.....not totally selling these - ha!). I'm sure this would also work with skin-on chicken breasts, too. Enjoy!

Lemon Thyme Chicken Legs

• 3-4 chicken leg quarters
• tiny drizzle EVOO
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• s&p
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 5-6 garlic cloves, smashed (skin removed)

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place chicken leg quarters in roasting dish, forming one layer (squish them, but don't stack them), skin side up.
2. Drizzle with a tiny amount of olive oil, lemon juice and s&p. Using your hands, rub chicken skin to evenly coat. Sprinkle with thyme. Place garlic cloves on and around chicken in pan.
3. Bake in preheated oven, uncovered, for about 45 minutes (ish - depending on size of chicken quarters). They are done when internal temp is at least 165 degrees and skin is brown and crispy. ENJOY!