Hagan Stuffin'

I have made a tradition with my friends. Every year, the Saturday or Sunday after Thanksgiving, we do our Annual Friendsgiving! I make all the fixings, my guy friends deep fry the turkey, and others bring deserts. Throughout the year I will post my recipes. I makes several things: baked mac n cheese, sweet potato casserole, green beans, au gratin potatoes, cranberry sauce, gravy, stuffing, and ham. Every year I am going to try making something new. I make stuffing that is a lot like my mom's recipe but slightly tweaked.

Hagan Stuffin'

Ingredients:

1 (24 ounce) box mrs. cubbison's corn bread stuffing mix 

1 (24 ounce) box mrs. cubbison's herb seasoned bread stuffing mix 

2 cups celery , chopped

2 cups red onions , chopped

1 lb mushroom , chopped

4 cups butter

4 cups chicken broth

1 cup of dried pomegranate seeds

1 8 oz can of water chestnuts

3 swigs of fresh rosemary

1 cup of slivered almonds

3 swigs of fresh thyme

3 swigs of fresh sage

3 tbsp of ground sage

2 tbsp of ground thyme

Salt and pepper to taste

6 pieces of fresh garlic

Veggies:
Chop up celery, onion, and mushrooms.
Chop half of the pieces of garlic finely. The remaining garlic leave whole cloves.

Melt butter in a large pot.

Add celery, onion, garlic and mushrooms.

Simmer about 5 minutes to soften vegetables.

In a large casserole dish (I use a large roasting foil pan), butter the pan first.

Toss in both boxes of dressing mix and stir to mix evenly.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Stir in cooked veggies.

Chop water chestnuts.

Add water chestnuts, swigs of herbs and all ground herbs.

Stir in chicken broth and toss.

Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes.

Uncover the last 15 minutes for a crisper top.

Hope you enjoy!

Friendsgiving 2011:

Friendsgiving 2010:

Chicken and Rice and Everything Nice Casserole

So this recipe was one of my very first creations years ago when I started putting my mind to cooking. I have to admit, its not the healthiest but it is so very yummy! This is a casserole dish that is super easy, anyone can do it and it feeds a lot! Its perfect for cold weather! Today I made it after a day of snow up in Descanso and Julian! How fun that we can have this warm comfort food in the snow and still be in San Diego! Just one of the many reasons to love San Diego!

“Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home.”

Chicken and Rice and Everything Nice Casserole


Ingredients:
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 can of cream of chicken soup
1 can of cream of mushroom soup (or you can get one large can of chicken and mushroom soup combined)
1 can of french style cut green beans
1 can of cut asparagus
2 packages of turkey bacon
1 package of sliced cheddar cheese
2 packages of Uncle Ben's Ready Brown Rice and Wild Rice Pilaf
Salt and Pepper
1 tsp of dried rosemary
1 tsp of garlic powder
1 tsp of dried thyme

In a large mixing bowl, combine all canned ingredients (veggies and soup) and all herbs and seasoning ingredients. Set aside.

Cut chicken into square cube pieces.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Heat up Ready Rice packages per the directions on back of package. Normally it is: separate rice from clumps by pressing on closed package. Slice the top of the package open and microwave for 90 seconds.

Use a standard casserole dish. Line the bottom of the dish with a layer of turkey bacon.
Then empty contents of hot rice packages into a layer across the dish.
Pour in 2/3 the mixing bowl of the soup and veggie mixture in the dish making a layer across it.
Place a layer of the cubed chicken pieces across the dish with the pieces very close to each other but not quite touching.
Pour the remainder of the soup and veggie mix for the next layer.
Make a layer of cheddar cheese across the top of casserole.
Make another layer of turkey bacon  across the top of the casserole.

Cover the dish with foil tented in the middle.

Cook for 45 minutes covered and another 15 minutes uncovered.

Let cool for ten minutes and serve.

Before placing in oven:

Done and ready to serve:

Cilantro Lime Chicken with Wild Rice

So this recipe I made one day when I was house sitting for my parents. I just pieced some things together that were in the fridge to make myself something for dinner. It came out very well and it is very simple. The freshness of the ingredients is what is key.

“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” -Leonardo da Vinci

Cilantro Lime Chicken with Wild Rice

Trader Joe's Creamy Cilantro Dressing (if you want to make your own cilantro dressing I will include a recipe below)
Sour Cream
Boneless Chicken Tenders
Wild Rice (I recommend using Trader Joe's already cooked wild rice package...its very good and so easy because Wild Rice is not the easiest to cook...but if you want to cook from scratch I will include directions below)
Roma Tomatoes
Salt
Lemon Pepper
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
Lime
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Microwave Rice based on instructions on packaging.
            -To Cook from Scratch (stove top, microwave or rice cooker: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/how-to-cook-wild-rice.html )

When rice is cooked, put in container and mix with salt and pepper to taste and squeeze lime juice into the rice.


Chicken
Season chicken tenders with Lemon Pepper, Salt, Garlic Powder, and Onion Powder.
Coat pan with a small layer of extra virgin olive oil and keep over medium heat.
Add chicken to skillet in single layer; cook 6 to 8 minutes per side or until chicken is lightly browned.
Cover; reduce heat to low.
Cook 10  minutes, depending on type of chicken (boneless or skinless or size of tender) until chicken is tender and no longer pink in center.

Slice up roma tomatoes into large chunks.

Serve with rice at bottom of plate, then two-three chicken tenders on top. Then layer tomatoes and cover with Creamy Cilantro Dressing and a dollop of sour cream on top. Squeeze lime juice over the top and sprinkle some lemon pepper on top and serve.

Creamy Cilantro Dressing from scratch:


1 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup milk
4 tsp cilantro -- finely minced
2 tsp lime juice
1 tsp white wine vinegar or balsamic
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp garlic -- finely minced
1 tsp onion -- finely minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp cumin

Whisk together all ingredients in a medium bowl. Cover and chill.

                  Enjoy!

Valentine's Pasta Dinner

So I have done this recipe and gotten it from the Pioneer Woman's website. She's great. I changed it a bit and then added some side dishes that I make. This would be a perfect Valentines dinner. I have to say though, you have got to love lemon lol

"We are all born for love. It is the principle of existence, and its only end."

Creamy Lemon Basil Chicken Pasta

Ingredients

4 whole Chicken Breasts, Sliced

1 pound Penne Pasta, Cooked Until Al Dente

½ sticks Butter

3 whole Lemons, Juiced

¾ cups Heavy Cream

¼ cups Half-and-half

1-½ cup Grated Parmesan Cheese (or Romano)

Salt And Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste

20 whole Basil Leaves

1 tablespoon of minced garlic

3 sprigs of Rosemary 

1 teaspoon of pepper

1/2 red onion

Chicken

Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat until foamy.

Be sure to melt butter over medium heat so it doesn't brown or burn.

Add chicken to skillet in single layer; cook 6 to 8 minutes per side or until chicken is lightly browned.

Cover; reduce heat to low.

Cook 15 to 20 minutes, depending on type of chicken (boneless or skinless or size of breast) until chicken is tender and no longer pink in center.

Slice into half strips.

Pasta:

Bring 4 - 6 quarts of water to a rolling boil

Add pasta to boiling water. 

Stir gently.

Return to a boil. 

Al dente pasta: boil uncovered, stirring occasionally for 11 minutes. (I like Al Dente best)

Tender pasta: boil an additional 1 minute.

Remove from heat. Drain well.

Set pasta aside in a colander.

In the same pot as pasta, melt butter over medium heat. Add in minced garlic and rosemary sprigs and finely chopped red onions. Cook until onions are soft and slightly browned.

Squeeze in the juice of 3 to 4 lemons. Whisk together.

Pour in cream and half-and-half. Whisk until hot. 

Dump in cheese and basil leaves, whisk until melted. 

Add salt and pepper to taste. 

Check consistency, adding some hot water to loosen the sauce if needed.

Pour pasta and sauce into a large serving bowl. Sprinkle remaining basil all over the top, then add sliced chicken breasts. 

Garlic and Almond Green Beans

So you can try this with real green beans and cook them in a variety of way. But I like to just buy the steam in bag (call me lazy lol) but it is just as good and super easy. If you want to take the time, follow this link to how to cook Green Beans in different ways: http://www.bhg.com/recipes/how-to/cook-with-fruits-and-vegetables/how-to-cook-green-beans/

Ingredients

8oz bag of Steam-in-Bag Frozen Green Beans

1/2 Cup of of Finely Chopped Almonds

1/2 Cup of Minced Garlic (yes that much)

1/2 stick of melted butter (or you could substitute extra virgin olive oil)

Follow cooking instructions on back of bag of frozen green beans (typically 5 minutes in the microwave)

After Green Beans are tender, pour green beans (drained) into a dish.

Melt a 1/2 stick of butter in the microwave.

Pour in butter with green beans, add in minced garlic and almonds.

Stir together, and salt and pepper to taste.

Microwave for an additional minute or two to heat before serving.

Balsamic Strawberry Salad

1 Head of Romaine Lettuce

1/3 cup of Finely Chopped Almonds

1/3 cup of Grated Parmesan Cheese

1 1/2 cup of sliced strawberries

Dressing:

1/3 cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/4 cup of Balsamic Vinegar

1 tsp of Sugar

1 tbsp of Minced Garlic

1 tsp of salt

1 tsp of pepper

Whisk dressing ingredients together.

Chop romaine lettuce and combine all ingredients and toss with as much dressing as you like.

(not my photos)

Enjoy! Happy Valentine's Day!

High Roller Sandwiches

So this recipe I just made for the first time this weekend. It was super easy! It was my coworker, Kristina's, baby shower this weekend and last week we had been talking about how much we both liked the rolled sandwiches that Costco made in platters. So I looked up what goes into them because we knew there was some sort of sweet cream cheese in them. I made them and they were extremely easy and quite a hit!


"Change is the only constant. Hanging on is the only sin."

High Roller Sandwiches


(Recipe makes 24 wraps)

Ingredients:
Two Packages of Flat-bread (6 pieces each bag)
Three Heads of Romaine lettuce
2 1/2 pounds of Peppered Turkey breast sliced thinly
5 large tomatoes (sliced thinly)
2 pounds of thinly sliced Provolone
10 ounces of Strawberry Cream Cheese

Take a piece of the flat-bread and spread a layer of cream cheese across entire flat-bread piece.
Place flat-bread horizontally (long ways) and place one piece of romaine lettuce across the top half of the bread, and then place another piece of lettuce across the bottom half.
Then place four slices of turkey across the top of half and repeat for the bottom half.
Then place one slice of Provolone across the top of half and repeat for the bottom half.
Then place two slices of tomato side by side across the top of half and repeat for the bottom half.

Take from side of sandwich (vertical side) and roll twice.

Cut sandwich in the middle and put into serving dish cut side up.

Enjoy!

Scallops and Shrimp with a Fresh Herb Pasta

Happy Friday!!

So this recipe I cooked one night while I was house-sitting for my parents. I had looked up an Emeril recipe. I have to say though, there were some things I did not like about the recipe. It called for a Parsley Coulis (?) and I made it but it was pointless in my eyes. So I eliminated that. Otherwise this recipe is very quick and super easy however makes for a dinner that makes you look like a very sophisticated cook! lol Enjoy!

"Weekends are a bit like rainbows; they look good from a distance but disappear when you get up close to them!"


Ingredients
12 sea scallops
12 fresh peeled shrimp
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (cooking scallops and shrimp)
1 cup chopped fresh mild herbs (basil, chervil, tarragon, parsley, rosemary, thyme, sage, parsley)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (for pasta)
1 teaspoon minced garlic
8 ounces fresh angel hair pasta
1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Spice Mixture for Scallops and Shrimp (or you can use an already packaged Cajun Seasoning):

2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper


Pasta:

Bring 4 - 6 quarts of water to a rolling boil, add salt to taste.
Add contents of package to boiling water. Stir gently.
Return to a boil.
For al dente pasta, boil uncovered, stirring occasionally for 4 minutes. For more tender pasta, boil an additional 1 minute. (I like al dente pasta lol)
Remove from heat. Drain well.

Season the scallops and shrimp. In a saute pan, heat the olive oil. When the oil is hot, cook Shrimp:

Place shrimp into pan. Stir shrimp continually over a medium-high heat for about 6 to 8 minutes if frozen, 4 to 6 minutes if thawed. They cook quickly, so make sure you keep a close eye on them. The last thing you want is overcooked shrimp. Half way thru time flip shrimp over. You can tell when they are cooked by the texture and also they will be pink/opaque coloring.

When shrimp are done, remove and add a small amount of olive oil to the same pan.

Scallops:

In a saute pan, heat the olive oil. When the oil is hot, saute the scallops for 2 minutes on each side. (The scallops should have a nice golden brown sear on each side-the oil must be almost smoking.) Do not exceed  cooking time on each side. Scallops easily overcook.

Remove from the pan scallops from the pan and set aside with shrimp.

Chop all herbs to be a chunky mixture (not fine but not having branches lol in the mix).

In a mixing bowl, whisk the herbs and extra-virgin olive oil together. Add the garlic. Toss the pasta with the mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Mound the pasta in the center of the plate. Arrange the scallops and shrimp on top.

Garnish with the cheese and parsley.

Enjoy!

Spinach and Cottage Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts

So this recipe came about while Matt was in the hospital a couple years back. We had been in the waiting room and they were showing a video with ways to cook with your kids. So they were making a lasagna and instead of ricotta cheese they used cottage cheese. Well I'm not a big fan of cottage cheese typically but Matt is. So after he came out of the hospital we had bought him some healthier food options to keep in the house. One included cottage cheese.

So one night for dinner I thought to make stuffed chicken breasts. I looked up a recipe and it called for ricotta, however I thought well why don't I try substituting the ricotta for cottage cheese like they did on that video. So I tried it out and it was a hit with Matt and Brandon. So subsequently I have made this one a few times. I tried with ricotta cheese later and I liked it better with the cottage cheese. So either way.

"Life is a banquet, and most poor suckers are starving."

Spinach and Cottage Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Ingredients (amount of cottage cheese and spinach make approximately 3-4 breasts):
Boneless Chicken Breast per Person you are cooking for
A 16oz tub of Cottage Cheese (I choose low fat but it's your preference)
8oz of Spinach (either a bag of frozen or one can)
1 tablespoon of Nutmeg
1 tablespoon of Minced or Chopped Garlic
1/2 of an onion (red or yellow)
1 teaspoon of dried thyme
1 teaspoon of ground sage
1 teaspoon of paprika
Salt and pepper to taste

First chop onions finely and put into saute pan with garlic and a small amount of olive oil. Add in some thyme and salt and pepper. Saute until onions are browned and soft. Then put to the side to cool.

Drain spinach of all liquids.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the spinach and onions and cottage cheese. Add nutmeg and sage and salt and pepper to taste.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Take either a baking sheet or casserole dish, grease the pan with butter.

Make a slice horizontally down the side of the chicken breast inwards but do not slice all the way through. (I do not actually roll or stuff in the skin).

Put chicken in dish and stuff as full with cheese and spinach combination as possible. (I like to over-stuff so some is overflowing out)

Top with a small drizzle of olive oil and then sprinkle paprika and salt and pepper on top of breasts.

Cook for 40-45 minutes uncovered in middle rack

Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

I like to serve a generous amount of the spillage from each breast with each plate. You can serve with mashed potatoes or rice or pasta and the cheese spinach stuffing makes for a great taste with those things.

A lot of this recipe can be modified to your liking. I have added mushrooms to the saute mix and there is a lot you can do. The nutmeg is the key part. Do not go overboard with it but also you want that earthy flavor in it. It really adds something different to the dish.

Green Enchiladas

So my first attempt at making Enchiladas was a disaster. I used store bought red enchilada sauce and it was no bueno. Matt and Brandon tried to convince me that they weren't that bad but let's be honest, they were horrendous. I am half Mexican so I was quite disappointed in myself! lol So I tried again by using a recipe I had  found on random website. I tweaked it a little to my liking and it was a hit. I even served it at my family's Christmas dinner this year! I don't have a pic of this one yet but hope to next time I make it!

"All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better." -Ralph Waldo Emerson

Green Enchiladas


Ingredients
1 red or yellow onion
4-5 pieces of Garlic
1 large can of whole tomatillos (in Hispanic section)
3-4 Serrano Chile peppers (can buy in the Hispanic section of the grocery store, near where the canned jalapenos and carrots are)
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
Corn tortillas
1 shredded rotisserie chicken
2 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella and/or Monterey Jack cheese
Fresh cilantro (32oz bag normally)
3/4 cup crumbled queso fresco or feta cheese

Directions
Slice up about 5 pieces of garlic finely
Chop up whole onion
Sauté in pan until onions are soft on medium heat with a small amount of olive oil
When the onions are close to being done, take the tomatillos out of the can and place them stem up in the pan. You just want them on there long enough to get a little warm but not brown or broken.
While the veggies are cooking, cut the chilies in half and with a knife take out the seeds.
Chop the chilies finely.
Chop up some cilantro.

When the veggies are done, empty pan into the blender (tomatillos, onions and garlic).
Add in a handful of cilantro and all the Serrano’s.
Add in the chicken broth

Blend until at the consistency of a green hot sauce. If not getting thin enough you can add more chicken stock or water. Set aside the sauce.

Grease a large casserole dish and preheat oven to 375

Meanwhile take the rotisserie chicken and with a fork shred the chicken off and into a mixing bowl.

Add in most of the cheese into the bowl (leave some cheese out so you can top the casserole)

Take a tortilla and fill with the cheese and chicken mixture enough so you can still roll it. And add a small amount of cilantro.

Make one layer of tortillas then top with green sauce and cheese.

Then make another layer of the tortillas.

Top with the remaining cheese (even if there is chicken left) and remaining green sauce.

Cook in oven at 375 for 30 minutes covered with foil

After 30 minutes take foil off and cook for another 30.

When there is five minutes left top with more cilantro and queso fresco or feta.

Let sit for ten minutes and serve.

Liz's Texas Caviar

Ok so here is my first posting.... This dip I first learned about at a work Potluck. I got the details about some of the main ingredients and just fine tuned it to my liking. People always seem to love it. It's amazingly easy to make and it's very healthy! It lasts awhile in the fridge and only gets better when left in the fridge for a few hours before serving. The best is you can make it your own so easy by changing little things to it! Enjoy!

"Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark. Professionals built the Titanic."

Texas Caviar

Ingredients:

Grape Tomatoes

One Yellow Bell Pepper

One Red Bell Pepper

One Green Bell Pepper

Three Stocks of green Onion

½ Red Onion

¼ of jalapeños

One Can of Black Eye Peas

One Can of Black Beans

One Can of Yellow Sweet Corn

Three Pieces/Cloves of Garlic (or a tablespoon of minced garlic)

One whole cucumber

8oz Zesty Italian Dressing

Directions:

Chop all veggies finely

Drain all canned goods of juices

Combine all ingredients into a large bowl

Empty the whole bottle of Italian Dressing into the bowl

And salt and pepper to your taste

Stir together and let set in the fridge for at least an hour before serving

Serve with corn chips (I prefer black corn chips)

You can add cilantro or avocado…Downside of that is that you can refrigerate the ingredients if not finished and still good for a couple days… with the avocado maybe not… This makes a large bowl FYI