This Blog Has A New Home

Chloe's Toes blog will now have a new name and a new location!

The new name is Chloe's Tray

Please bookmark my new blog web address:

http://www.ChloesTray.com

I changed the name to Chloe's Tray because it sounds more 'foody' than toes ;)  My web designer (Robbie) is still working on the layout and design of the new blog, so bear with me as changes are made.  Don't worry though, you will still see lots of great recipes on ChloesTray.com!!

See you there and don't forget to post comments!! 

Pineapple Banana Muffins

We have a serious pineapple overload in our house right now.  Last week there were two pineapples in our bountiful basket, and this week we got another one.  We hadn't eaten much of the first two, so I really needed to make something with pineapple.  I couldn't find a recipe for what I wanted to make, so I just adjusted my banana bread recipe a bit.

Ingredients:
Muffins-

2 Cups All Purpose Flour
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/4 tsp Salt
1/2 Cup Butter or Margerine
3/4 Cup Brown Sugar
2 Eggs, Lightly Beaten
2 1/3 Cup Mashed Overripe Bananas (5-6 bananas)

1 Cup Chopped fresh pineapple

Topping-

2 Tbsp flour

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 Tbsp butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the flour, baking soda and salt together in a large bowl and set aside.  In another bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer.  Add the bananas and eggs to the butter mixture and mix until combined.  Pour this over the flour mixture and stir until thoroughly combined.  Stir in the pineapple.

Prepare topping by combining the flour, brown sugar and cinnamon.  With your fingers or a fork, mix in the butter.  

Pour muffin batter in greased muffin tins and sprinkle the topping on the muffin batter.

 

Bake 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

This made 17 muffins.

Butternut Bowties

Butternut squash is my favorite type of squash and it's really easy to cook with.  This recipe, which comes from Rachael Ray, is a take on mac and cheese.  The creamy sauce is made with pureed butternut squash instead of a ton of cheese, like a traditional macaroni and cheese sauce is.  When I made this I only had about 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese, but it still turned out great.

Ingredients:

1 butternut squash, halved and seeds removed
1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 lb bowtie pasta
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
A pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
A pinch of cinnamon
1 tsp dried sage
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Drizzle squash with olive oil and place cut side down on a baking sheet.  Roast for 30-45 minutes, until tender.  Puree squash in a food processor until smooth.


Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt the water and cook pasta until al dente.


While the pasta is cooking, melt butter over medium-high heat in a saucepan.  Whisk in flour and cook for about 2 minutes.  Whisk in milk and let thicken for about 3 minutes.  Stir in pureed squash, nutmeg, cinnamon, sage and season with salt and pepper.


In a casserole dish, combine the pasta with the sauce.  Sprinkle with cheeses and bake for 15-20 minutes to brown the cheese.

Chloe really liked this!

Cocoa Brownies

These brownies come from an Alton Brown recipe.  I made them for a play group potluck and everyone loved them.  They seemed to be a different texture than other brownies I've made, but it is certainly a very good type of different.  They were super chocolaty and amazingly delicious.


Ingredients:

Non-stick spray
4 large eggs
1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

8 ounces melted butter

2 teaspoons vanilla extract
11/4 cups cocoa, sifted
1/2 cup flour, sifted
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.  Line an 8X8 pan with foil or parchment paper and spray with non-stick spray.

Beat eggs in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until light yellow, about 2 minutes.  Add sugar, brown sugar, butter and vanilla to the eggs and mix at low speed until combined.  Add cocoa powder, flour and salt.  Mix until thoroughly combined.  Pour into prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Croutons

I haven't made croutons in quite a while.  I made them differently than I normally do and it ended up being easier and they turned out better.  No longer will croutons be made in the oven in my house!  This is a good use for stale bread or the ends of a loaf.  These are best to be eaten the day they are made.

Ingredients:

Bread

Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

Spices: Salt, pepper, crushed red pepper, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, etc.

Heat  2-3 Tbsp olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.  While the oil is heating, cut up the bread into crouton sized pieces.  Add bread and seasons to the pan.  Toss to coat, adding more olive oil if needed.  Brown the bread for about 5 minutes, stirring often.

Baked Potato

This post is more for my own reference than anything else.  Every time I go to make a baked potato I have to look up what temperature to set the oven to and for how long to cook it.  No longer will that be the case because it will be right here.

Ingredients:

1 Potato

Canola Oil

Kosher Salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Wash potato and poke 10-15 holes in the potato with a fork.  Rub with canola oil and sprinkle with Kosher salt.  Place potato on a baking sheet and bake for 1 hour.  Additional time will be needed if baking more than 4 potatoes at once.  Potato is done when the skin it crispy and the inside is soft.

Forgotten Chicken

I got this recipe from a friend of mine a few months ago.  Her description of this recipe is "Easiest.Recipe.Ever."  Dinner is always easy when you can just throw it in the oven and forget about it.  I like to serve this with a roasted vegetable which I add to the oven during the last 30 minutes of cooking.  Tonight we made yellow squash.

Ingredients:
2-3 Tbsp butter

1 1/2 cups uncooked brown rice
1 (13.25oz) can of mushrooms, undrained 

3/4 cup of milk
1 (10.75oz) can Cream of Mushroom soup
1 (10.75oz) can Cream of Chicken soup
1 envelope dried onion soup mix
4-6 frozen chicken breasts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Rub butter in a casserole dish.  In a large bowl, mix rice, milk, mushrooms, cream of chicken soup and cream of mushroom soup together. Pour into cassarole dish. Place chicken on top and sprinkle with the onion soup mix. Cover with foil and bake 2 hours at 350 degrees.

Rice Pilaf

This is a great side dish that goes well with just about anything.  It's another Rachael Ray recipe.  This makes 4 servings.

2 Tbsp butter

1/3 cup thin spaghetti or angel hair pasta, broken into 1 inch pieces

3/4 cup white rice

1 1/2 Chicken broth

salt and pepper

Melt butter over medium-high heat in a sauce pan.  Add pasta and rice and cook for about 3 minutes to lightly brown.  Stir in chicken broth and season with salt and pepper.  Cover, reduce heat to medium-low and cook for about 18 minutes, or until rice is tender.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

This is my favorite way to cook Brussels Sprouts!  Roasting them gives them a nice nutty and delicious flavor.  When buying Brussels Spouts, choose smaller ones because they tend to be bitter when they are large.

Ingredients:

Brussels Sprouts

Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Cut off the stem end of the Brussels Sprouts and cut them in half.  Coat them with olive oil and salt & pepper.  Place on baking sheet cut side down and roast for about 30 minutes, or until browned.

I served them with corn and chicken, which I roasted alongside the Brussels Sprouts.

Chicken & Asparagus with Lemon-Rosemary Gravy

Tonight's dinner is for you rosemary lovers out there.

Ingredients:

2 Chicken breasts

1 lb asparagus

salt & pepper

3 cloves garlic, grated

Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

2 Tbsp butter

2 Tbsp flour

2 cups chicken or vegetable stock (I used asparagus stock)

2 sprigs Rosemary, leaves removed and finely chopped

2 tsp Lemon juice

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Coat chicken and asparagus with olive oil, garlic, salt & pepper.  Roast for 20-30 minutes, or until cooked thoroughly.  

While the chicken and asparagus is cooking, make the gravy.  Heat butter in a sauce pot over medium-high heat.  Whisk in flour and cook for 2 minutes.  Whisk in stock, rosemary and lemon juice.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve the chicken and asparagus with gravy on top.  The white asparagus was really stringy, green would have probably been better.

We also made garlic toast by rubbing a clove of garlic on toasted bread.

Mexican Chicken

Way back in 1998...OK, it really wasn't that long ago.  I was 12 though ;)  Anyway, I had a catering business called 'Dinnerz II You'.  There were five main dish meals and a desert that I made.  It was mostly people from my church that ordered food.  This is one of the meals that I made.  My meatloaf recipe was one of them as well.  Here is the description of the Mexican Chicken that is from my menu: "This favorite one-pot meal with chicken, rice, beans, and spices".  I'm thinking we didn't proof-read this before printing.  And for only $16 you got dinner for 6-8 people.  Now that's a deal!  I really like this one because there are tons of leftovers.

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

3 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces

1 large onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, grated

1 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper

2 cups chicken broth

2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes

2 (15.25 oz) cans kidney beans, undrained

15.25 oz can corn kernels, undrained

1 cup uncooked white rice

Salt & Pepper

Heat oil in large pot over medium-high heat.  Cook chicken and onion for 5 minutes.  Add garlic and cook until chicken is no longer pink.  Stir in remaining ingredients.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cover pot.  Simmer 35-40 minutes, or until most of the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender.  Serve with tortilla strips.

Mexican Lasagna

This is a recipe I hadn't made in a quite a while.  It's so easy to make and so delicious.  Yum!  We ended up eating about half of it.  So, so, so good!  You have to try this one.  It is a modified version of Rachael Ray's Mexican Lasagna, but of course I've changed a few things.

Ingredients:
3 Tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
2 lbs ground beef
2 Tbsp chili powder
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 (14oz) can diced tomatoes with green chilies
1 (15oz) can black beans
1 cup fresh corn kernels, cut off cob
salt & pepper
8 (6-8 inch) flour tortillas
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 green onions
2 Tbsp cilantro, chopped

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add beef, chili powder, cumin, onion and corn.  Cook until beef is browned.  Add diced tomatoes and black beans.  Cook another 3 minutes and season with salt and pepper.

Rub the remaining 1 Tbsp olive oil in a casserole dish.  Pour half the beef mixture into the casserole dish, sprinkle on some cheese and layer in half the tortillas.  You may need to cut some of the tortillas in half to fit.

Repeat this step to form a second layer of filling and tortillas, saving some cheese for the top.  Once the second layer of tortillas is complete, sprinkle the remaining cheese on the top.  Bake for 12 minutes, or until the cheese is brown.  Garnish with green onions and cilantro.

Raisin Bran Cookies

I made these cookies for the mom's group play date at my house this week.  Everyone loved them.  The babies liked them too!  The recipe came from Allrecipes.com, but I changed a couple things.

Ingredients:

1 Cup Margarine

1 Cup Brown Sugar

1/2 Cup Sugar

2 Eggs, lightly beaten

2 Tbsp Honey

2 tsp Vanilla Extract

2 1/4 Cups All-Purpose Flour

1/2 tsp Baking Soda

1/4 tsp Salt

3 Cups Raisin Bran Cereal

3/4 Cups Raisins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  In a large bowl, cream together margarine, brown sugar and sugar.  Mix in eggs, honey and vanilla.  Add flour, baking soda and salt and mix until fully incorporated.  Stir in cereal and raisins.  Scoop a Tablespoon of dough and form into a ball.  Place 12 balls on a greased cookie sheet and bake 10-12 minutes or until golden, brown and delicious. 

Yield: 4 dozen cookies

Three Veggie Penne

This is one of my favorite pasta dishes.  This was originally a recipe by Rachael Ray, but I tweaked it a bit.  In Rachael's version she boils the vegetables, but I prefer the flavor of roasted vegetables.  We rarely eat boiled or steamed veggies.  I also added a lot more of the vegetables.

Ingredients:
1 lb penne rigate
salt & pepper
1 lb asparagus, cut into 2 inch pieces
2 zucchinis, cut into 2 inch matchstick shapes
1/2 lb green beans, cut into 2 inch pieces
1/4 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted over med-low heat
1 cup basil, about 20 leaves
1 tsp dried tarragon
1/4 cup fresh parsley
1 lemon, zested
1 clove garlic
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil


Roast the veggies with olive oil and salt & pepper in a 400 degree oven for about 30 minutes, or until browned.

Boil water for the pasta in a large pot, salt the water and cook until al dente.  While the water is coming to a boil, make the pesto sauce.  Combine the pine nuts, basil, tarragon, parsley, lemon zest, garlic, parmesan cheese, and salt & pepper in a food processor.  Turn on the food processor and stream in the olive oil until a thick sauce forms.

Before draining the pasta, add a couple ladles of the pasta cooking water to the pesto sauce in a large bowl.

Add the cooked pasta and roasted veggies to the bowl and toss to combine.  Serve with additional parmesan cheese on top.

Chicken Tacos and Pico de Gallo

Pico de Gallo

Ingredients:

3 tomatoes, diced

1 red onion, diced

1 Jalapeno, seeded and diced

Juice of 1 lime

1 clove garlic, grated

salt

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

Mix all ingredients together and refrigerate.  It's best to make this in the morning and let it sit in the fridge all day.

Chicken Tacos

Ingredients:

1 lb chicken, cut into bite sized pieces

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp chili powder

salt & pepper

1/2 tomato, diced

1 clove garlic, grated

vegetable or canola oil

10-12 corn tortillas

2 green onions, thinly sliced

1/2 cup Pico de Gallo

1/2 cup Cheddar or Mexican blend cheese, shredded

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook chicken with paprika, chili powder, diced tomatoes and season with salt & pepper.  When the chicken is cooked, combine it with the green onions, picco de gallo, and cheese to make the filling.  

Heat about 1/2 inch deep oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  For each taco, place a tortilla in the oil, put a couple spoonfuls of filling in the tortilla and fold in half with tongs.

Cook on both sides until browned.  Repeat with all the tortillas.  Sprinkle with additional cheese and keep warm in a 200 degree oven while making the rest.  Serve with Pico de Gallo.

Pesto Chicken Panini

Last week I had some Swiss Chard that was going to go bad if I didn't use it soon, so I made some pesto sauce with it and stuck it in the freezer.  I decided that I needed to make something other than pasta with the pesto, so here it is.  

First, the recipe for the pesto sauce...which is different than the other Swiss Chard Pesto sauce I have previously posted

Ingredients:
1 bunch Swiss Chard (about 7 leaves)
2 Tbsp fresh Rosemary
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup pine nuts
Salt & Pepper
Extra Virgin Olive Oil


Combine Swiss Chard, rosemary, garlic, parmesan cheese, and pine nuts together in a food processor.  Turn on food processor and stream in the olive oil until a thick sauce forms.  Season with salt and pepper.




Now, for the panini.  This makes enough for two servings.


Ingredients:
1/2 cup pesto sauce
2 Chicken breasts
butter
4 slices bread
1 tomato, sliced
Parmesan cheese


Rub chicken with 2 Tbsp pesto sauce and let rest for 15 minutes.  Cook the chicken in a skillet over medium-high heat until cooked thoroughly.  For each slice of bread, butter one side and spread pesto on the other side.  On the pesto side of one slice of bread place 2 tomato slices, a chicken breast, parmesan cheese, and another slice of bread (pesto side in).  Repeat for the second sandwich.  Grill for about 4 minutes in a panini press.

Mexican Pizza

This is a recipe from Rachael Ray called Mexican Meat-zaa: Mexican Deep Dish Pizza.  I changed a few things that I think greatly improved this recipe.  This is intended to be made in a 12 inch skillet, but I have also made it in a casserole dish.  

Ingredients: 
2 boxes Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix
2 Eggs
4 Tbsp melted butter
1 1/2 Cups milk
1 Cup frozen corn kernels
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb ground beef
1 small onion
1 red bell pepper
4 oz can diced green chillies
2.25 oz can sliced black olives, drained
2 tomatoes, diced
2 green onions, chopped
1 Tbsp chili powder
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp cayenne sauce (Frank's Red Hot Sauce)
Salt & pepper
8 oz shredded Cheddar or Jack cheese
2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro




Preheat oven to 400.  In a large bowl, combine corn muffin mix, eggs, melted butter, milk and corn kernels.  Coat a 12 inch nonstick skillet with olive oil.  Use a skillet with heat proof handle.  Pour the corn muffin mixture into the skillet and bake 25-30 minutes, or until slightly browned.


In another skillet, heat the remaining 2 Tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat and brown the ground beef.  Add the onion, bell pepper, green chillies, olives, tomatoes, green onions, chili powder, cumin, cayenne sauce and season with salt and pepper.  Cook about 5 minutes, or until the veggies start to get tender.


Remove cornbread from oven and pour on the beef and veggie mixture.  Top with cheese and return to oven for 5 minutes to melt the cheese.  Garnish with cilantro.

Eggplant Chili

We went camping this weekend and made this chili.  I had got an eggplant in my Bountiful Basket and needed to find a good use for it.  We don't normally eat eggplant, but I think that may change after making this chili.  Here is the recipe I used.  I added ground beef to the recipe to make it a little more hearty.  We also made some cornbread pancakes to serve alongside.


Ingredients:
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1lb Ground Beef
1 large onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 large Eggplant, diced
2 Cloves Garlic, grated
2, 14 oz cans Red Kidney Beans, drained
15 oz can Diced Tomatoes
15 oz can Crushed Tomatoes
2 Tbsp fresh Parsley, chopped
1 Tbsp dried or fresh Oregano
1 tsp dried Thyme
2 tsp Chili Powder
Salt & Pepper
3 Green Onions, Chopped




Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high and brown the beef.  Add the onion, bell pepper, eggplant, garlic and cook until veggies are tender.  Add in the kidney beans, diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, parsley, oregano, thyme, chili powder and season with salt and pepper.  Bring to a bubble, reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes.  Serve with green onions on top.  

Jellin' Melon

I found this recipe in the Kraft Food & Family magazine. It looked fun, and I had a cantaloupe sitting on my counter waiting to be cut up. This would be something fun to bring to a barbecue.


Ingredients:
1 cantaloupe, cut lengthwise in half
3/4 cup boiling water
1 pkg. (3 oz.) JELL-O Strawberry Flavor Gelatin
1/2 cup cold water

Dissolve the gelatin in the boiling water, stir in the cold water and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Cut the cantaloupe in half and scoop out the seeds. Cut a small slice off the bottom of each half so it stands up straight. Turn the 2 halves over to drain out the extra juices.

Fill the melon halves with the cooled gelatin and carefully move them to the refrigerator. Put them near the back so you don’t bump them. It takes 2-3 hours to firm up.

Once the gelatin is firm, slice them and enjoy!