Pretty Tri-Colored Baby Potatoes with Olive Oil and Rosemary

Just oil - no seasoning yet... aren't they beautiful?

We rarely eat potatoes in our household but when we are not following a lower carb way of eating and I do allow them in the house, this is one of the few ways we eat them.

I'm sure I've posted about making them this very simple way before - but when I made them this week they were just so pretty I felt compelled to take a picture and remind others how EASY these are!

Rosemary and Olive Oil Tri-Colored Baby Potatoes

1 package baby potatoes:  red is fine but tri-colored is very pretty if you find them
Olive Oil
Rosemary - fresh or from your spice rack
Salt and fresh ground black pepper

Cover your washed and dry potatoes with olive oil.  I usually just pour it on a pan and shake it and roll them around but I have also put them in a Ziplock and covered them that way.  Both work fine.  Next, cover your potatoes in rosemary and season heavily with salt and black pepper.  Fresh cracked black pepper tastes best but go with what you have.  Now you can grill them (my fav) or bake them at 400 until tender and done.  I like to bake them even longer actually - until they are starting to get a nice dark, golden brown.  They are so sweet and yummy!

Thai Chicken Salad in Egg Roll Wrapper Bowls

I woke this morning with a craving for Thai food... but I'm not sure what.  I was sitting here thinking about the food ingredients we have on hand and I decided to check my files to see if I had a favorite recipe already posted.  It ends up I did have one - from back in 2008 or 2009.  I don't have a photo of the finished dish any longer... but my mouth waters when I read through the recipe!


Thai Chicken Salad in Egg Roll Wrapper Bowls

Bowls:
8 (6 x 6–inch) egg roll wrappers
Cooking spray

Dressing:
1⁄4 cup NAKANO® Original Seasoned Rice Vinegar (with the red cap)
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
1⁄2 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
1⁄8 teaspoon salt
1⁄8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons reduced fat peanut butter
1 teaspoon honey

Salad:
1 cup frozen shelled edamame (green soybeans)
2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast
3 cups chopped red leaf lettuce
1 cup cooked long grain brown rice
1 cup finely shredded red cabbage
1⁄2 yellow bell pepper, cut into 1⁄4 inch–wide strips
1⁄4 cup diagonally sliced green onions
1⁄4 cup chopped unsalted peanuts

Preheat oven to 350°.

To prepare bowls, lightly coat one side of each wrapper with cooking spray. Fit 4 wrappers, coated sides up, into the 4 corner cups of a nonstick muffin pan; press wrapper up sides of cups. Repeat procedure with remaining 4 wrappers. Bake at 350° for 8 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove wrappers from pans; cool completely on a wire rack.

To prepare dressing, combine vinegar and next 6 ingredients (through garlic) in small
bowl; stir with a whisk. Add peanut butter and honey to vinegar mixture; stirring with a whisk.

To prepare salad, cook edamame in boiling water 5 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water. Combine edamame and next 6 ingredients (through onions) in a large bowl; toss well. Drizzle dressing over chicken mixture, tossing gently to coat.

Spoon about 1 cup salad into each egg roll wrapper bowl; top each serving with 1 1/2 teaspoons peanuts. Serve immediately. Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 filled salad bowl).

Simple and Good: Olive Garden Salad Dressing on Chicken and Veggie Shish-Kabobs

Our local grocery store had a buy-one-get-one-free sale on boneless, skinless chicken breasts.  The first go round was the Mushroom and Bacon Stuffed Chicken breasts posted this week.  The second package I decided to make in a light meal of shish-kabobs. 

I use whatever marinade I'm in the mood for to season the chicken and veggies when I make this meal.  Sometimes I just use olive oil, salt and pepper. 


Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Olive Garden or any other brand or homemade Italian Salad Dressing
Sturdy, grill friendly vegetables;   Yellow, Orange, Green and Red Peppers, Onions, Zucchini, Whole Mushrooms
Skewers - either metal or wooden that have been soaked in water

Cut chicken into bite sized pieces.  Do the same with your vegetables.  Marinade the chicken bites in dressing at least 30 minutes at minimum but preferably at least 2-3 hours.  I marinade mine overnight if I can because we like a lot of flavor.  Marinate the vegetables separate from the chicken.  When ready to cook, place the bite sized pieces on skewers in a pattern you wish or you can put chicken on skewers and vegetables on other skewers and keep separate.  Grill on a hot grill until golden brown and the chicken is done and no longer pink.  This goes well with rice side dishes!

Incredible Cinnamon Bun Marshmallow Rice Krispie Bars

 

Cinnamon Bun Rice Krispie Bars - Incredibly good!

This is one of those recipes that I should take the time to pretend I'm a photographer, set up a food photo-shoot and get a picture that will do these bars justice.  However, you are lucky I even snapped a picture.  Last night was one of those nights when our family had half the pan gone before I said, "Oh shoot!  I should have taken a picture!"  and quickly ran to grab the camera.  I put 2 small bars down in front of me on the placemat where I was sitting, took a quick image and then gobbled them up.


These Rice Krispie Bars are made with a product I picked up on a whim at the store.  Jet Puffed brand Cinnamon Bun marshmallows.  The ironic thing is...  I don't like Cinnamon Buns!  But they smelled so vanilla-ee and cinnamony and good that I put them in my cart.  Last night I made them into bars for a quick dessert/snack and they are amazing!  Even to this non-cinnamon bun girl.  My 16 year old says they remind her of Cinnamon Crunch Cereal.  I agree.


Cinnamon Bun Rice Krispie Bars

2-3 T butter
1 package  Kraft Jet Puffed Cinnamon Bun Marshmallow, 8oz 
5 - 6 c krispie rice cereal
1 t vanilla

In a very large plastic bowl, place the butter and package of marshmallows and a scoop of butter equaling about 3 tablespoons (I never measure...).  Microwave about 1 1/2 - 2 minutes until puffy and gigantic in size.  Remove from the microwave and stir in the cereal and vanilla.  Press into a greased pan - 9X13 or 10X10 - Press down and let set to harden - or rush them a little by placing in the refrigerator until firm enough to cut into squares and eat.

Recipe and Review of Birthday Cake Fudge (otherwise known as Funfetti Fudge and Confetti Fudge)

Birthday Cake Fudget (Funfetti or Confetti Fudge)

 

A couple days ago I placed the recipe for Birthday Cake Fudge in my files to make as soon as I picked up a couple ingredients.  Yesterday I got to make it and wanted to share my updated thoughts.  My initial review last night when it was first done is different than my thoughts this morning.  This is important because the flavor changes after it's been chilled for a bit. 

Yesterday afternoon when it was first made I let it set to cool to room temperature before chilling and I then tried two small pieces.  The 'fudge' to me tasted mostly of the while chocolate chips used with a hint of vanilla.  That was it.  I was greatly disappointed.  I was surprised the flavor of the 'cake' didn't come though because I actually doubled the cake mix called for - in order to have a nice strong birthday cake flavor.

Later my husband tried 2 pieces and he said it was pretty good.  He said he absolutely could taste the 'birthday cake' flavor.  He said the cake was the initial flavor followed by an aftertaste of vanilla.  Hmm.  About 3 hours later one of my teenagers came home.  I told her there was fudge in the refrigerator.  She came to me about 3 minutes later announcing this was the "BEST FUDGE I HAVE EVER TASTED!"  When I asked her about the flavor of birthday cake she said "Oh yes, it totally tastes like birthday cake!  I love it!  It's now my favorite fudge in the whole world!"

So... what in the heck was I missing!?  Well, this morning I figured it out.

This morning I had 2 small pieces with my coffee and... birthday cake.  Bingo.  The secret was in the chilling time. 

When it was still warm the flavors didn't have time to ripen or meld yet.  After being in the refrigerator overnight, I am now totally in love with this fudge as well. 

When I make it again I'm going to tweak it a bit - I have an idea swirling around in my head right now of something I think that will take it up a notch.

Some changes I made in my version so far:  I used parchment paper, not greased foil.  I also doubled the amount of dry cake mix and used a tad more vanilla.  I used 3/4 the amount called for of regular milk, not evaporated as I was out.  I also made it three layers by putting down a layer of white, a layer of blue and then topped with a layer of white again before sprinkling.


Birthday Cake Fudge

3 c sugar
1 1/2 sticks butter
1 (5oz) can evaporated milk
1 (7oz) jar Marshmallow Fluff
1 (12oz) bag white chocolate chips
1/4 cup yellow cake mix powder 
1 tsp vanilla
blue food coloring (optional)
rainbow sprinkles (optional)

Grease/foil one 8" or 9" square baking pan.  Place the butter, sugar, and evaporated milk in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil and let boil for a full 4 minutes. Remove from heat and add the marshmallow fluff, white chocolate chips, cake mix, and vanilla,.  Stir continuously until smooth.

Moving quickly, pour half of the fudge into a heatproof bowl and dye it a contrasting color.  Fill pan with colored fudge first, then the remaining white fudge on top, pulling a knife through to swirl. Cover top of fudge with sprinkles and let cool to room temp before storing in fridge for 2 hours to harden.

Starting to cook the sugar, milk and butter

Stirring until it is smooth

Into a pan and now ready to set on the counter until it cools to room temperature

I made mine three layers and did not swirl it.  After chilling overnight? AWESOME!