Re: ***OFFICIAL NEWLYWED COOKBOOK THREAD***

Honey-Lemon Grilled Chicken [taken from People Magazine]

What you need
Juice and zest of 3 lemons
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tsp. oregano
1 tbsp. Dijon Mustard
2 tbsp. honey [plus a drizzle]
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 clove garlic, peeled and smashed
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
4 skinless boneless chicken breasts

What to do
1. In a small bowl mix together lemon juice, zest, olive oil, oregano, dijon mustard, honey, onion, garlic, salt and pepper. Set aside 1/4 c for basting. Place chicken in the bowl, cover and marinate at least 30 min in the fridge

2. Preheat grill to med-high heat. Place chicken on the grill over indirect heat. Cook 6 to 8 min on each side until juices run clear, basting occasionally

3. Put one chicken breast on each plate. Drizzle with honey

Re: ***OFFICIAL NEWLYWED COOKBOOK THREAD***

Greek Spinach Soup w/ Orzo + Chicken

Ingredients:

* 1 cup of Orzo (I used Trader Joe’s brand)
* 1 bell pepper (diced, I used a green one)
* 1 carrot (diced)
* 1 medium sized onion (diced)
* 2 pieces of thin sliced chicken breast (or 1 regular piece of chicken breast) — chopped up into pieces
* 2 cups of Spinach (I only had chopped frozen spinach from Trader Joe’s, so I used that, but I’m sure it would work perfectly w/ chopped fresh spinach)
* 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
* 1/2 tablespoon of Lemon Pepper seasoning
* 1/2 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
* 4 garlic cloves (chopped, I used 4 large ones)
* 2 cups of Chicken Broth (to make it more liquidy, add an extra cup — I prefer much thicker soups, so only used 2)
* Salt to taste
* 1 fresh lemon (squeezed, used in the end in to add to the soup)
* Crumbled feta (tiny bit for an extra “seasoning”)

Step 1: Prepare all the vegetables and meat needed. Chop up the onions, garlic, spinach (if not already chopped), and chicken. I cut the chicken into small little cubes – almost same size as the pepper.

Step 2: In a pan, add the extra virgin olive oil and heat on medium. Add chopped garlic and onion, and sautee until it starts getting soft (be careful not to overcook!). Add red pepper flakes to this. Once it starts getting a bit soft (about 2-3 minutes), add the remaining vegetables (sautee for about 3 minutes), and then add in the chicken. With the chicken added in — which should cook for about 5-8 minutes together until chicken is fully cooked through:

Step 3: Before putting in the chicken, in a seperate pot, add water for the orzo. Once the water is boiling, add the orzo and cook for about 5 minutes. I cooked it about 75% through, since the orzo will cook again in the liquid w/ the rest of the soup.

Step 4: Once the orzo is done, drain and put to the side. In a larger pot (that you would make soups in), add the chicken broth, vegetable + chicken mix, and orzo. Also add in lemon pepper seasoning at this point. Mix all together, and leave on medium heat for about 5-8 minutes.

Step 5: Bring down the temperature to medium-low, and keep on the stove for another 5-8 minutes until everything has cooked through. Once it’s done, turn the stove off…Take the lemon, slice in half and then just squeeze the lemon juice into the soup, and mix well.

Step 5: Serve! I ended up adding crumbled feta cheese on top – which just made the whole dish, so freakin’ delicious!

Re: ***OFFICIAL NEWLYWED COOKBOOK THREAD***

Meaty Spaghetti Sauce!

Ingredients

* 1 package of pasta (I’ve been using Ronzoni’s Smart Taste lately – it’s delicious and much healthier than regular pasta)
* About 1.3 lbs of beef ground meat (1 regular package) [the one pictured was a bit over-defrosted, hence the coloring issue )
* 1 bell pepper (I used orange pepper this time, but normally use green, either one is fine)
* 1 large carrot
* 1 large onion
* 4 cloves of garlic
* Salt & pepper for seasoning (I also use “Vegeta” which is similar to any Italian seasoning)
* 1 teaspoon of oil
* 1-2 teaspoons of parsley
* 2 cups of tomato sauce (I like to use ones that have basil or garlic in them already)


Step 1: Dice all of the veggies. In a pot, add the oil and once heated (on medium temperature), add the pepper, carrot, onion, garlic in the pot and mix well. I also add in the seasoning at this time – approximately 1-2 tablespoons of salt, and a teaspoon of black pepper (but you can always add more afterward if you’d like once served). Mix every minute or so for about 5 minutes until the veggies soften up. I also like to add in some parsley during this – maybe about a teaspoon or so.

Step 2: In a seperate pot, add water for the pasta. I usually put it on “Boil” on my stove so that while you’re cooking the meat and the veggies, the water starts to boil. Once it’s reached a boil, add the pasta in and mix occasionally (every minute I usually do so that the pasta doesn’t stick.).

Step 2: Add the meat in to the same pot as the veggies, mix well, and let it cook on medium to low heat until all the meat has fully cooked through – I would think about 10 minutes should be enough. You want the meat to really cook through. So if it requieres 15 minutes, leave it at that.

Step 3: Add the pasta sauce in the pot w/ the meat, mix well and put down to low heat for about 5-10 minutes. At this time, your pasta should be wrapping up. Once it has, drain, and get it ready to be served. After 5 minutes of the sauce cooking w/ the meat, shut it off, add pasta to the bowl, top w/ the meat sauce, a bit of extra parsley, and cheese if you’d like (I prefer parmigiana), and voila!

Re: ***OFFICIAL NEWLYWED COOKBOOK THREAD***

Most Delicious Breakfast: Crepe's!


Ingredients (makes approximately 12-14 crepes)

* (1.5) cups of all-purpose flour
* (1) 1/4 teaspoon of salt (I usually just put a pinch or two)
* (3) eggs
* (2) cups of milk
* (.5-1) tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil — you can also use 2 tablespoons of butter, melted
* (1 pinch) of baking powder


Step 1: In a large bowl, mix/whisk together the flour, eggs, milk, oil or butter, baking powder, and salt. Some people like to do the eggs + milk together first and then mix in flour, but to save time I just do it all in one. I used a hand mixer, but any kind of mixer or whisk should work. The goal is for the liquid to be completely clear of any little clusters of flour – it should all be “fluid.”

Step 2: In a non-stick pan, add a tiny bit of olive oil (see pictures) over medium high heat. Once the oil has heated up, pour a scoop of the crepe batter using a ladle (I fill up about 75-80% of it) into the pan. While you’re pouring the batter, with the other hand control the pan so you’re constantly rotating it and spreading the batter as thinly and evenly as possible.

Step 3: Once the batter starts to turn into a beige color on the top, and you notice small little bubbles, take a spatula and turn over the crepe. Once you become a pro, you can just flip it using the pan, but I don’t recommend doing this the first time (been there done that hah). It’s approximately 30-45 seconds for the first side, and then the second side it’s about a minute or so. You want to make sure both sides are pretty equal and brown (see pictures).

The first crepe from the batter will usually not be the best one in the bunch. Usually after the second they’re consistent, the first one always ends up taking longer to cook and ends up being thicker. It’s also my favorite one to munch on while I make the rest

Step 4: Continue to do the above until you are through with the batter. It’s important to add a little bit of oil before making each crepe so that they cook evenly and also don’t stick. Also, stack the crepes one on top of hte other while you’re making them — the heat from eachother will make them get really soft and moist and delicious!

Step 5: Add your favorite fillings and bon appetite! Some of our favorites include Nutella (it’s a must have and you can add in some fruits like strawberries and bananas), jelly, honey, and FETA CHEESE!!! Crumble up a bunch of cheese in the center, roll up, and wait for it to melt in your mouth.

Re: ***OFFICIAL NEWLYWED COOKBOOK THREAD***

mini peanut butter cheesecakes

1 1/3 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 tablespoon sugar
5 teaspoons melted butter

filling:
4 ounces cream cheese- softened
1/4cup sugar
2 teaspoons all purpose flour
2 tablespoons beaten egg
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 mini peanut butter cups

makes 6 cheesecakes

(i often double the recipe)

in a small bowl combine the top 3 ingredients, press into bottom of paper lined muffin cups

beat cream cheese, sugar and flour until smooth. add egg and vanilla, beat on low speed until combined

place peanut butter cup in center of each muffin cup
fill with cream cheese mixture- you do not need to fill to the top, just enough to cover the PB cup so it peeks through once its cooked

bake at 350 for 15-18 minutes or until center is set

place pan to cool on wire rack for 10 minutes before removing from pan, then cool individual cheesecakes on wire rack

refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving

you can also leave out the PB cups if you want them plain, you will just make less cheesecakes

these are always a hit at parties!!!

Re: ***OFFICIAL NEWLYWED COOKBOOK THREAD***

Fiesta Lime Chicken
(my own concoction)

4 chicken breasts
2 cans black beans
2 cans corn
1 large jar of salsa
4 limes, sliced in quarters, juice squeezed into pot
mexican blend shredded cheese to taste

place all ingredients in crock pot, cook on low for 4 hours high for 2 hours


sprinkle cheese on top, serve with tortillas or rice

depending on the cheese its pretty healthy!

Re: ***OFFICIAL NEWLYWED COOKBOOK THREAD***

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Posted by LoveyDovey

Fiesta Lime Chicken
(my own concoction)

4 chicken breasts
2 cans black beans
2 cans corn
1 large jar of salsa
4 limes, sliced in quarters, juice squeezed into pot
mexican blend shredded cheese to taste

place all ingredients in crock pot, cook on low for 4 hours high for 2 hours


sprinkle cheese on top, serve with tortillas or rice

depending on the cheese its pretty healthy!

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I like the sound of this! Will def be trying it!

Re: ***OFFICIAL NEWLYWED COOKBOOK THREAD***

Cherry Chocolate Chip Toffee Cookies
(dont be intimated by the mix of ingredients, these are amazing!! I suggest you make 2 batches and keep the 2nd batch in the freezer for use at a later time)

1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 sticks unsalted butter room temp
3/4cup sugar
3/4cup light brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cups oatmeal
1 cup dried cherries
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup toffee pieces

cream butter sugar eggs and vanilla
add dry ingredients

fold in oatmeal, choc chips, cherries and toffee

make 3 logs out of the dough, roll in plastic wrap and place in freezer bag...freeze for a few hours 2-3

cut cookies from the log- make a large cookie
place on parchment paper

cook 8-10 minutes at 350
or until golden brown

store the cookies in a container with a piece or two of bread, to keep them moist if you like soft cookies...if you like a crunchy cookie leave out the bread when you store them

Re: ***OFFICIAL NEWLYWED COOKBOOK THREAD***

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Posted by VCanizalez

MY PUPUSASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS





1) Obtain tortilla instant corn flour such as Maseca and mix with water until its consistency is such that the 'masa' (dough) does not stick to your hands.
(You can find Maseca in the Internationals foods in hte supermarkets... or in a Hispanic Supermarket/deli)

2) You can Use refried beans and/or Mozzarella (I always used the Low Fat one) If you are using beans and cheese, Mix until the consistency is similar to the 'masa' prepared in step 1.


3) Take the 'masa' in your hands and make a ball about two inches in diameter. Once you finish, make a hole with your fingers, take some refriend beans and/or cheese mix (from step 2) and fill the hole with it.


4)Cover the hole with the masa and flatten by using your hands in a clapping motion. This takes practice but the goal is to make a disc.


5) Once you are done, place the pupusa on a preheated flat iron skillet. Leave it there until each side is cooked by noticing the dark spots (you need to flip the pupusa).



6) Sit down and enjoy your pupusa.



I usually eat my pupusas with Salsa... BUT not the MExican Salsa...
Just BLEND couple of tomatoes..... with a BIT of water... Then put it into a pan to boil and put a little bit of salt or Adobo...

and DELICIOSO!!!




OHH AND FOR THE RECORD.. We dont eat Pupusas with FORKS/KNIFE... It's sort of 'disrespectful' if you are Salvadorian to do so...

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OMG STOPPPPP

Re: ***OFFICIAL NEWLYWED COOKBOOK THREAD***

Crab dip- not sure where it came from but my friend gave me the recipe!

1/3 chopped red onion
3/4 cup of shredded parm cheese.
1 cup mayo
1 package cream cheese
1 package crab meat chucks (usually comes in 8-12oz)
Ritz air crisps

Mix all ingredients together. Put into a baking dish and bake at 350 for 45 minutes until golden brown. Eat with ritz air crisps.

Re: ***OFFICIAL NEWLYWED COOKBOOK THREAD***

BUMP

Re: ***OFFICIAL NEWLYWED COOKBOOK THREAD***

Nutella Panini



Naan Bread ( any bread u like, we think it tastes so good with Naan)
Nutella
Panini Maker


Cut Naan in half & Spread with Nutella (as much as desired!!)

Put it for around 2 Minutes in the Panini until Naan bread is hot... and Voila!!! a Delicious Nutella Panini!!!!

Re: ***OFFICIAL NEWLYWED COOKBOOK THREAD***

Pork Tenderloin with Creamy Apple Cider Sauce

2 Small pork tenderloinds (3/4 pound each)
1 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoon flour
2 cups of chicken broth
1 cup apple cider
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
2 tablespoons parsley
1 1/2 of couscous

1.) Heat Oven to 425

2.)Season pork with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 pepper. Heat oil in an oven ready skillet, brown pork on all sides for 7 minutes total, then place skillet in oven for 12 minutes

3.) In a medium sauce pan, stir flour into 1 cup of the broth until flour is dissolved. Add cider and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in cream, the rest of the salt and pepper, mustard, and parsley.

4.) With the remaining cup of broth, and 1/2 cup of water, bring to a simmer in another saucepan and bring to a simmer. Turn off heat and add couscous. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes anf fluff.

5.) Slice the pork, and poor the creamy apple cider sauce over the pork and couscous.


SOOOOO DELICIOUS!!!

Re: ***OFFICIAL NEWLYWED COOKBOOK THREAD***

BUMP

Re: ***OFFICIAL NEWLYWED COOKBOOK THREAD***

Snicker Cookies
Ingredients
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
24 Snickers miniature candy bars
Directions
Preheat oven to 300°F.
In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, and salt. In a large bowl, mix together butter, peanut butter, and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and combine thoroughly. Then mix in flour mixture. Cover and chill dough 2-3 hours.
To form cookie, scoop a tablespoon of chilled dough and flatten. Place a miniature Snickers in the center and form the dough into a ball around the Snickers.
Place on a greased cookie sheet.
Bake for 10-20 minutes.
Cool cookies on a rack.
Optional: Decorate cookies with powdered sugar or drizzled melted chocolate or both.

Makes about 24 cookies

Re: ***OFFICIAL NEWLYWED COOKBOOK THREAD***

Honey Mustard Pretzel Crusted Chicken

preheat oven to 375

ingredients
1 package of chicken
1 cup of honey mustard dressing (I used kens)
3 handfuls of pretzels (i used the non salted ones just bc I had them)
cooking spray
salt and pepper to taste

salt and pepper the chicken and put aside

spray a baking sheet with cooking spray

crush the pretzels in a zip lock baggie, dip chicken in honey mustard (liberally) then toss around in the crush pretzels put it on the baking sheet. Spray a little cooking spray on top of each piece of chicken. Put in the oven for 10 minutes then turn them over, spray them again and put in the oven for another 10-12 minutes depending on their thickness...

Re: ***OFFICIAL NEWLYWED COOKBOOK THREAD***

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Posted by mtk1605



Honey Mustard Pretzel Crusted Chicken

preheat oven to 375

ingredients
1 package of chicken
1 cup of honey mustard dressing (I used kens)
3 handfuls of pretzels (i used the non salted ones just bc I had them)
cooking spray
salt and pepper to taste

salt and pepper the chicken and put aside

spray a baking sheet with cooking spray

crush the pretzels in a zip lock baggie, dip chicken in honey mustard (liberally) then toss around in the crush pretzels put it on the baking sheet. Spray a little cooking spray on top of each piece of chicken. Put in the oven for 10 minutes then turn them over, spray them again and put in the oven for another 10-12 minutes depending on their thickness...

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making this tonight!!!

Re: ***OFFICIAL NEWLYWED COOKBOOK THREAD***

Pernil (Roast Pork Shoulder)

1 8-10 lbs Pork Shoulder
Adobo
8-10 peeled cloves of garlic
2 Teaspoons of ground black pepper
1 Tablespoon of olive oil
1 Teaspoon of crushed oregano
(For best flavor, season over night)


Directions

Pre-heat oven to 350º.

Sprinkle some adobo over pork shoulder to your taste.
Mash together remaining ingredients into a paste.
Make stabs (about 1 inch wide) so you can put the paste like mixture in them.

Place about 1 teaspoon of the paste into each hole.

Cover the bottom of your baking pan with aluminum foil and place the pernil on top.

Cover the pernil well with aluminum foil, and place in oven.
Bake for 4 to 5 hours at 350º.

Uncover it for the last 15 - 20 minutes some crunchy 'chicharrón' skin.

Re: ***OFFICIAL NEWLYWED COOKBOOK THREAD***

Arroz con Gandules (Spanish rice with Pigeon Peas)

2 cups long grain rice (rinsed)
4 to 5 cups of hot water
1/2 cup sofrito or f (found in the spanish aisle or frozen foods)
16 ounce can of gandules
2 tablespoons of alcaparrado (capers and olives)
1 packet of Sazon with achiote
1 packet onion soup mix
1 can tomato sauce
3 tablespoons of oil (or bacon fat)
Salt & pepper to taste
Optional: 1 tablespoon cumin

In a medium size pot add the oil, tomato sauce, alcaparrado, sofrito and sazon. Cook over medium heat for 4 minutes. Add all other ingredients, and enough water to cover the rice 1' above the rice line. Start with 1 teaspoon of salt stir and keep adding and mixing well until you are satisfied with the taste. Bring to a boil and cook over high heat until most of the water is absorbed. Once the water has been absorbed, stir gently from bottom to top - once or twice only( stirring too much will make rice soggy), cover and turn the heat down to low. Cook for 30 minutes or until the rice is tender.

Re: ***OFFICIAL NEWLYWED COOKBOOK THREAD***

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Posted by MrsWoods

Arroz con Gandules (Spanish rice with Pigeon Peas)

2 cups long grain rice (rinsed)
4 to 5 cups of hot water
1/2 cup sofrito or f (found in the spanish aisle or frozen foods)
16 ounce can of gandules
2 tablespoons of alcaparrado (capers and olives)
1 packet of Sazon with achiote
1 packet onion soup mix
1 can tomato sauce
3 tablespoons of oil (or bacon fat)
Salt & pepper to taste
Optional: 1 tablespoon cumin

In a medium size pot add the oil, tomato sauce, alcaparrado, sofrito and sazon. Cook over medium heat for 4 minutes. Add all other ingredients, and enough water to cover the rice 1' above the rice line. Start with 1 teaspoon of salt stir and keep adding and mixing well until you are satisfied with the taste. Bring to a boil and cook over high heat until most of the water is absorbed. Once the water has been absorbed, stir gently from bottom to top - once or twice only( stirring too much will make rice soggy), cover and turn the heat down to low. Cook for 30 minutes or until the rice is tender.

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ahhh this is my favorite!!!