Baked Chicken Flautas

I borrowed this amazing picture from Six Sisters Stuff - the source of this recipe.  This is an easy and delicious dinner idea that we've had a few times since I discovered it a few months back.  

Baked Chicken Flautas

• 4 cups cooked and shredded chicken (rotisserie chicken works great!)
• 1 cup salsa verde (the green salsa)
• 1 (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
• 1 (14 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (15 oz) can corn, drained
• 1 1/2 cups colby jack shredded cheese, divided
• 12-14 flour tortillas (soft taco size)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Line a large baking sheet (15x10x1") with aluminum foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray; set aside.
3. In a large bowl, mix together chicken, salsa, cream cheese, black beans, corn, and 1 cup shredded cheese.
4. Add 2-3 tablespoons of the chicken mixture and roll up, then place seam-side down on the prepared pan. Repeat this process until all the chicken mixture is used up. 
5. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top of tortillas and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the tortillas start to turn golden brown (the edges of the tortilla will turn golden first).
6. Remove from oven and serve with your favorite toppings (salsa, guacamole, sour cream, lettuce, etc).

Amazing Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies

A new pumpkin chocolate chip cookie recipe that I tried back in the fall.  Again from melskitchencafe.com.

Amazing Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies

• 1 cup (2 sticks, 8 ounces) butter, softened
• 1/2 cup (3.75 ounces) brown sugar
• 1 cup (7.5 ounces) granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup (9 ounces) pumpkin puree (see note above)
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 1/2 cups (12.5 ounces) all-purpose flour (see note above)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• 1 1/2 cups (9 ounces) chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone liners.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or using a handheld electric mixer, cream together the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Add the vanilla, pumpkin, and water, and mix until combined.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the batter and mix until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.
5. The dough will be very soft. Use a spoon or cookie scoop (I use my #40 cookie scoop) to drop the cookie dough by heaping tablespoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheet.
6. Bake for 10-11 minutes until the edges are set but the middles are still a little bit soft. When the cookies come out of the oven, lightly tap or drop the cookie sheet on the counter (this helps the thinner/chewy factor of the cookies but you won't get fired if you don't do it). If the cookies were taken out while still soft in the center, they'll flatten more as they cool. Let them cool 3-4 minutes on the baking sheet before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
7. Repeat with remaining dough.
8. These cookies taste great the day of, even better the next day, and they freeze great!

Chocolate Fudge Sour Cream Bundt Cake

I'm playing catch up tonight.  I made this bundt cake per Nathan's request for his birthday back in November.  It was simple and oh so good.  I found the recipe at melskitchencafe.com.

Chocolate Fudge Sour Cream Bundt Cake

For the Pan:

• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder

For the Cake:

• 1 cup (2 sticks, 8 ounces) butter
• 1/3 cup (1.25 ounces) natural, unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup water
• 1 3/4 cup (8.75 ounces) all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups (11.5 ounces) granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 large eggs (3.5 ounces)
• 3/4 cup (6 ounces) sour cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 to 2 cups (6 to 12 ounces) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips

For the Glaze:

• 1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla

1. Preheat the 350 degrees F. In a small bowl, mix together the butter and cocoa powder for the pan until the mixture is well-combined and pasty. Use a pastry brush or folded square of wax paper to wipe the cocoa/butter mixture into a 10- or 12-inch bundt pan until the inner surface is evenly coated.
2. In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, cocoa powder, salt and water. Heat until the butter is melted and whisk to combine well. Set aside to cool to room temperature (just slightly warm is ok, too, but let it cool more if it's overly warm or hot).
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar and baking soda. Pour in the chocolate mixture and stir to combine.
4. Add the eggs and whisk to combine. Stir in the sour cream and vanilla extract until the batter is smooth. Fold in the chocolate chips.
5. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan and bake for 40-45 minutes until the top lightly springs back and the cake is baked through.
6. Let the cake cool for 5-10 minutes in the pan before turning it out carefully onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
7. For the glaze, place the chocolate chips in a medium bowl. Heat the cream to a simmer (either in the microwave or in a saucepan) and pour over the chocolate. Let the mixture sit for a few minutes without stirring. Add the vanilla and stir the mixture until it is glossy and smooth. The glaze will set up as it cools; if you want a thin drizzle, pour it over the cake while the glaze is still warm but if you want a thicker frosting, let it cool slightly.
8. Once the cake is cooled, place it on a serving plate or cake stand and pour the glaze over the cake letting it drip down the sides.

Texas Sheet Cake

I made this for a teacher dinner I helped put on at the kids' school this last week.  It was my first time making Texas sheet cake and I will have to look no further for a good recipe.  This one was a winner. It came from allrecipes.com.  The recipe calls for a 10 x 15" pan so if your pan is larger or smaller you may need to adjust the recipe accordingly.  I tripled the recipe and spread it between two 11 x 17" metal pans and it worked out great.

Texas Sheet Cake

2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup sour cream
2 eggs
1 cup butter
1 cup water
5 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

6 Tbsp milk
5 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup butter
4 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)


1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 10x15 inch pan.

2) Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. Beat in the sour cream and eggs. Set aside. Melt the butter on low in a saucepan, add the water and 5 tablespoons cocoa. Bring mixture to a boil then remove from heat. Allow to cool slightly, then stir cocoa mixture into the egg mixture, mixing until blended.  **If I ever make this again, I will cook the chocolate mixture first so it can be cooling while I'm mixing the other ingredients.  

3) Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

4) For the icing: In a large saucepan, combine the milk, 5 tablespoons cocoa and 1/2 cup butter. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat. Stir in the confectioners' sugar and vanilla, then fold in the nuts, mixing until blended. Spread frosting over warm cake.  **It starts to harden up quickly so you have to time it so that the icing is ready at the same time the cake comes out of the oven.

Homemade Taco Seasoning

This is a great replacement for the taco seasoning packets that I'm used to buying.  I don't think I'll ever go back.  I doubled this recipe and put it in a spice jar so I'll have some on hand next time I need it.  I found this at Mel's Kitchen Cafe.

Homemade Taco Seasoning

• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon table salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 
  
• Mix all spices together until well combined. Use immediately or store in an airtight container in your spice cabinet and use as needed.

Healthier Chocolate No-Bake Cookies

We've almost made it to the end of the month and the end of our no-sugar challenge.  These past few days have been the hardest for me.  I've been craving something sweet every day and tonight these no-bake cookies saved me.  This recipe comes from Mel's Kitchen Cafe.  They are plenty sweet without any sugar and pretty hearty too.  The almonds are optional but I added them and don't think I'd ever leave them out - I thought the nuttiness they added was perfect.  I also left out the chocolate chips because 1) I didn't have any bittersweet and 2) I'm assuming like most other chocolate chips they'd have sugar in them.  The cookies were great without!

Healthier Chocolate No-Bake Cookies

• 1 cup natural peanut or almond butter
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 1/2 cup honey
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
• 2 1/2 cups quick cooking or old-fashioned oats 
• 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1 cup coarsely chopped almonds

1. In a medium saucepan, melt the peanut or almond butter and coconut oil over medium heat, stirring constantly, until melted and smooth. Off the heat, stir in the honey and vanilla until combined. 
2. Immediately stir in the chocolate chips until melted (if the mixture is too cool to melt them completely, return the saucepan to low heat to help it along without bringing it to a simmer).
3. Add the oats, cocoa powder and almonds and stir until well-combined. 
4. Drop by heaping spoonfuls (the medium cookie scoop works great) onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Refrigerate until set. 
5. The cookies will keep in a tupperware-type container (layered between sheets of wax paper or parchment) in the refrigerator for a week or more.

Banana Bread (or Muffins)

I've been making these muffins for a while now as part of our breakfast rotation.  The recipe came from 100 Days of Real Food and I love that it uses wholesome ingredients and honey instead of sugar!  These aren't as sweet as some of my other banana bread recipes but sweet enough.  And it helps that I'm usually a bit generous when measuring the honey.

Banana Bread (or Muffins)

• 2 ¼ cup whole-wheat flour
• ¾ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 3 ripe bananas, mashed
• ¼ cup plain yogurt (I use Greek yogurt.)
• ¼ cup honey (I use as much as 1/3 c.)
• 2 eggs
• ⅓ cup oil (I use coconut oil.)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease pan.  Or place liners in muffin tin.
2. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
3. In a separate bowl mix mashed bananas with yogurt, honey, eggs, oil, and vanilla.
4. Fold the banana mixture into the flour mixture until blended. Do not overmix.
5. Pour batter into prepared pan (or liners).
6. Bake large loaf for 40 – 50 minutes or until it comes clean with a toothpick.  Bake muffins for approximately 15 minutes.

Chili Pasta Bake

Came across this recipe from Mrs. Schwartz's Kitchen and had to give it a try.  Definitely a keeper and one I'll be making again before too long.  And it makes a lot which Ben appreciates as it means he has leftovers for lunch tomorrow.

Chili Pasta Bake

1 lb. ground beef
1 onion, diced
1/2 lb. cooked pasta (I did about 12 oz.)
15 oz. tomato sauce (I did 2 - 8 oz. cans.)
14 oz can diced tomatoes and green chilies (I did one 14 oz. can petite diced tomatoes and one 4 oz. can diced green chilies.)
1 can black beans or kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 Tbsp. chili powder
2 tsp. cumin
3 dashes of Cayenne powder (I only did 1 but there was practically no kick... so probably safe to do more next time.)
1/4 c. water
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (I did a mix of cheddar and monterey jack.)

sour cream, green onions and Fritos corn chips for topping

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Brown the ground beef with the onions.

While the ground beef is cooking, cook your pasta to firm al dente. Once cooked, drain and set aside.

After the ground beef is cooked, add the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and green chiles, beans chili powder, cumin, cayenne and water. Give it a stir and let it simmer for about 5 minutes.

After 5 minutes, stir in the cooked pasta. Stir to combine.

Pour the chili pasta mixture into a 9×13 pan. Flatten out with a spatula and sprinkle with cheese. Place in the oven for 30 minutes or until the edges are bubbling and the cheese has fully melted.

Raw Chocolate Pudding

No posts in almost a year and then four posts in one day!  This chocolate pudding has been a lifesaver since we started no sugar this month.  It's no Hunt's snack pack but it's surprisingly satisfying - and full of so much real food!  I found this recipe posted on Good Things Utah's Instagram account.

Raw Chocolate Pudding

2 avocados
3 T hemp seeds
1 T flaxseed meal
1 1/2 c. purified water
1 banana
1 c. cacao powder
4 t vanilla
1 t cinnamon
15 mejool dates, pitted
2 T organic maple syrup

Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth like pudding.  Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and then enjoy!

Turkey and Brown Rice Taco Burritos

Another recipe I adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe.  These were delicious.  I used ground beef because that's what I had on hand and I also used quinoa instead of rice.

Turkey and Brown Rice Taco Burritos

• 1 pound ground turkey (can substitute ground beef)
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin 
• 8 ounces tomato sauce
• 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth or water
• 15-ounce can black or pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 cups cooked brown rice 
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• Chopped cilantro to taste
• Shredded cheddar and/or Monterey Jack cheese (about 2 cups)
• 8 burrito-sized (10-inch) flour tortillas, white or whole wheat
• Taco toppings like tomatoes, sour cream, salsa, olives, lettuce, avocados

1. In a large, 12-inch nonstick skillet, cook the ground turkey, onion, salt and pepper over medium heat, breaking the meat into small pieces, until the meat is fully cooked. Drain any excess grease, if needed. 
2. Add the chili powder, garlic powder, oregano, paprika and cumin and stir well to combine. Stir in the tomato sauce, chicken broth and beans. Simmer for 5-6 minutes. 
3. Stir in the rice, lime juice and cilantro until the mixture is evenly combined. Cook until the rice and other ingredients are hot and bubbling, 2-3 minutes. 
4. Fill each tortilla evenly with the hot meat and rice filling. Top with cheese and roll the tortilla up burrito style, tucking in the ends. 
5. Serve immediately (or keep warm in a 200 degree oven until ready to serve) smothered with any or all taco toppings.

Tomato Basil Soup

I've made this soup several times but have never remembered to take a picture of it until now.  I always pair it with Grilled Cheese sandwiches - so yummy dipped in the soup.  I also never have half and half on hand so I always use whole milk.  And last change I make is I pulse the veggies in my blender before combining with the milk mixture.  I like this soup better smooth than chunky.  This is another recipe I adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe.  She calls it Slow Cooker Tomato Basil soup but I've never used a slow cooker - just a large stock pot and medium saucepan.

Tomato Basil Soup

• 2 (14-ounce each) cans petite diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 cup finely diced celery
• 1 cup finely diced carrots
• 1 cup finely diced onions
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried basil
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 (4 tablespoons) butter
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 cups fat free half-and-half, warm (I use whole milk.)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1. In a 5-quart slow cooker, combine the tomatoes, celery, carrots, onions, oregano, basil, broth, and bay leaf. Cover and cook on low for 5-7 hours until the vegetables are tender. 
2. About 45 minutes before serving, melt the butter over low heat in a medium saucepan. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is golden, about 3 minutes. The mixture will be crumbly, but that's ok. 
3. Whisking constantly, slowly ladle in 1 cup (or a ladleful) of the hot soup from the slow cooker. Whisk until smooth and bubbly. Add another cup or ladleful and stir again until smooth. Add another cup or two and stir until smooth. 
4. Stir the creamy, hot mixture back into the slow cooker. Add the Parmesan cheese, half-and-half, salt and pepper, adding more salt and pepper if needed. 
5. Cover and cook on low for 30 minutes until ready to serve. Serve with homemade croutons, if desired (or grilled cheese sandwiches!).

Quinoa Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Granola Cookies

Our family is not eating sugar for the rest of the month of April so I was super excited to find a cookie recipe that uses honey!  And the kids all ate them up!  These would definitely be better with the chocolate chips called for but because of the no-sugar thing, I used raisins.  This recipe comes from Mel's Kitchen Cafe.

Quinoa Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Granola Cookies

• 1 cup solid coconut oil, melted  (I didn't melt mine all the way and the cookies were still great)
• 3/4 cup honey
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups white whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 1/2 cups cooked and cooled quinoa (cooked in water) - spoon lightly into measuring cup 
• 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
• 2 tablespoons chia seeds
• 1/2 cup toasted slivered almonds
• 1/2 cup dried cherries or cranberries
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line large, rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper, silpat liners or lightly grease with cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, beat together the oil and honey with an electric mixer. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until combined. Stir in the flour, salt and baking soda until just combined and a few streaks of dry flour remain. Add the oats, quinoa, flax, chia seeds, almonds, cherries or cranberries and chocolate chips and mix by hand gently (so the dough stays nice and fluffy) until the ingredients are pretty evenly mixed.
3. Use a spoon or cookie scoop to scoop the dough into 2-3 tablespoon-sized portions. Bake for 8-10 minutes until the bottoms are browned but the insides are still nice and soft. If you want a thinner cookie (instead of puffy), flatten slightly before baking.

Unbelievable Chocolate Cake

Made this cake for Bryce's birthday - his pick - and it was delicious!  Mel never lets me down.  Make note though, I didn't say healthy, just delicious.

Unbelievable Chocolate Cake

• 1 ¼ cups unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 ½ cups all purpose flour
• 2 ½ cups sugar
• 2 ½ teaspoons baking soda
• 1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
• 1 ¼ teaspoons salt
• 2 large eggs plus 1 large egg yolk
• 1 ¼ cups warm water
• 1 ¼ cups buttermilk
• ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, making sure the baking rack is in the middle of the oven. Prepare your cake pans (2 circular 9" pans work great) by cutting out a piece of parchment or wax paper to line the bottom of the pan. Grease the pans, place the parchment or wax paper in the bottom of the pan and lightly grease again. Dust the pans with flour (or cocoa powder if you don’t want the white dusting on the finished cakes). Set the pans aside.
2. Using a fine mesh strainer, sift together the cocoa, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Add the eggs, yolk, warm water, buttermilk, oil and vanilla. Mix on low speed (with a handheld mixer or in the bowl of an electric stand mixer) until smooth, about 3 minutes.
3. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake the cakes for about 32-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean or with moist crumbs. Do not overbake! Remove the pans from the oven and set the pans on a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes. Gently run a thin knife around the edges of the pans and unmold the cakes, removing the parchment paper liners from the bottom of the cakes. Let them cool completely, top sides ups, on a wire rack.
4. Trim the tops of the cake layers with a long serrated knife to make them level. Frost as desired.  I used the recipe below:

Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 3 3/4 cups powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2/3 cup heavy whipping cream

Mix the cream cheese, vanilla and butter with an electric mixer until light and creamy. Gradually beat in the powdered sugar until smooth. In a separate bowl, beat the heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Fold the whipped cream into the frosting and whip to combine (don’t overmix or the frosting will become too stiff). The frosting should be smooth and creamy. 

Fruit Salad with Creamy Glazed Dressing

I made this to go with dinner the other night and it was hit!  Any sort of fruit with dinner is pretty much always a hit but the glaze on this took things up a notch.  Will definitely make it again.  I slightly modified this recipe from one on Mels Kitchen Cafe.

Fruit Salad with Creamy Glazed Dressing

• 1 small can mandarin oranges, drained but reserving the juice
• 1/2 cup pineapple tidbits, also drained but reserving the juice
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons honey or agave nectar
• 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 4 cups fresh fruit + the canned fruit above

1. Pour the drained fruit juice (from the canned fruit) into a liquid measuring cup. You need about 3/4 cup fruit juice. If you have more than that, pour a little off. If you don't have quite that much, add another type of fruit juice (white grape juice, orange juice, etc.) or supplement with water as long as it isn't more than a couple tablespoons that you need.
2. In a small saucepan, whisk together the fruit juice, cornstarch, and honey (or other sweetener of choice). Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, whisking constantly. Cook for 2-3 minutes until thickened.
3. Pour the mixture into a bowl to cool (you can let it cool in the pan but it will take longer). Stir every so often so it doesn't form a skin over the top while cooling. Once cooled to room temperature, stir in the yogurt until smooth. Refrigerate until cool. It will thicken a bit more while cooling.
4. In a large bowl, toss together the fresh and canned fruit. Pour the dressing over the top and stir to combine. Serve immediately.

Summer Garden Vegetable Soup

I had zucchini on hand the other night and decided to try this soup.  I loved it!  And with fresh garden produce it would be that much better.  I think you could even leave out the milk for a brothy - less creamy version.

Summer Garden Vegetable Soup

• 3 medium zucchini, chopped into bite-size pieces
• 4 medium tomatoes, chopped into bite-size pieces
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon dried basil (or 1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped)
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• ¼ cup flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk (can use fat-free or low-fat)
• 1 ½ cups frozen or fresh corn kernels
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1. In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the zucchini, basil, parsley and onion and saute, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes. Add the flour, salt and pepper and stir and cook for one minute. Gradually add the chicken broth, whisking or stirring constantly. Add the lemon juice; mix well. Bring the soup to a simmer, stirring to prevent sticking, and cook for 2-3 minutes, until the zucchini is tender but still has some bite to it (it will continue cooking for a few more minutes). Add the tomatoes, evaporated milk, and corn.
2. Bring the soup to a boil and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover the soup and simmer until the corn and zucchini are tender. Stir in the cheese just before serving.