Three Cheese Chicken Pasta Bake

I got this from my friend Terra's blog.  Quick and easy pasta dinner!

Three Cheese Chicken Pasta Bake

3 c. uncooked ziti (I used penne)

1/4 kg spinach leaves

1 lb. of chicken, cut into pieces

1/2 t. each of oregano, basil, thyme, salt, pepper, garlic powder

3 diced tomatoes

2 oz. cream cheese

2 T. parmesan cheese (you can substitute cheddar)

1/2 c. mozzarella

2 boxes tomato puree

1/4 c. bacon bits (optional)

oil

Cook pasta according to package directions.  One minute before it’s done, add spinach leaves.  Drain.

Heat oil in a skillet. Add chicken and all seasoning and saute in skillet until done. Add tomato puree and tomatoes, bring to a boil.  Simmer 3 mins.  Stir in cream cheese.  Toss in spinach and pasta.  Toss in 1/2 c. mozzarella. Pack into baking dish.  Bake 20 minutes.  Remove and sprinkle with parmesan and remaining mozzarella.  Bake at 375/180, covered lightly for 15 minutes.  Remove foil for the last five minutes. 

Make Your Own Maple Syrup

Simple recipe, but you do need maple flavoring from the states.  It comes in a small bottle and is usually found in the baking aisle with the vanilla and almond extracts.  Have someone stick a couple in your next package!

Make Your Own Maple Syrup
1 c. white sugar
1 c. brown sugar (you can totally use homemade brown sugar!)
1 c. water
1/2 t. maple flavor, or more, as you like
1 t. vanilla extract

Combine the sugars and water in a sauce pan, bring to a boil, then reduce to low and cook for 10-15 minutes, until the syrup coats the back of a wooden spoon.  Be careful, it will thicken as it cools, so you don't want to wait too long and get it too thick in the pot.  If it's not getting thick enough, add 1/4 c. more brown sugar at a time. Turn the gas off, and add the maple and vanilla, give it a good stir.  You're done! :)  I usually do this as I'm cooking pancakes, because I never plan ahead. : )

Perfect Pancakes

These are our favorite Saturday morning pancakes!

2 c. all-purpose flour
4 T. sugar
2 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
2 c. buttermilk (2 T. vinegar, fill to 2 c. with milk)
2 T. vegetable oil
2 eggs, lightly beaten

Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup and level with a knife.  Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda in a large bowl.  Combine buttermilk, oil, and eggs. Add to flour mixture, stirring until smooth.

Spoon about 1/4 c. of batter onto a hot nonstick griddle.  Turn pancakes when tops are covered with bubbles and edges look cooked.  Makes about 15-16 pancakes.

Sometimes, I add 1/4 c. flour if the batter looks too runny. I like a nice thick batter that will set up into thick, fluffy pancakes.  You also want your pan nice and hot, so that the batter starts cooking immediately instead of running all over the pan.  But not too hot that they burn before cooking through! : ) 

Easy Drop Biscuits

These are quick and easy, and so light and fluffy.  I'll often make some up to go with soup, pasta, or for breakfast.  So yummy and fast!

Drop Biscuits

2 c. all-purpose flour
1 T. baking powder
1/4-1/2 t. salt
1/3 c. (6 T.) butter, cut into small squares
1 c. milk (even better with homemade buttermilk!)

In a medium mixing bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, and salt.  Using a pastry blender, cut in butter til mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  (I've also found I can do this with my hands, just rubbing the butter into the flour until it's mixed together).  make a well in the center of the dry mixture.  Add the milk all at once.  Using a fork, stir just till moistened.

Drop dough onto grease baking sheets.  I normally fill a 1/4 c. or 1/3 c. with batter, and spoon it out onto the baking sheet.  Makes about 8-10, depending on how big you make them. : )

Chocolate Chip Cookies - Mama Jantz style

These are the only chocolate chip cookies I remember my mom making when I was a kid.  I always thought they were so much better than ones I had elsewhere.  When she gave me the recipe, I realized why.  There is a secret ingredient that makes them extra soft and moist, and they NEVER dry out or get hard, at least, not before they're completely scarfed up by everyone. : )

Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies
2 1/4 c. flour
1 t. baking soda
200 g. butter
3/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. castor sugar
1 package (small) Jello Instant Vanilla pudding
1 t. vanilla
2 eggs
1 bag of chocolate chips
1 c. chopped nuts, optional

Mix flour with soda in a bowl and set aside.  Combine butter, sugars, jello mix, and vanilla in a large bowl.  Beat with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy.  Beat in eggs.  Gradually add flour mixture, then stir in chocolate chips and nuts.  You want a stiff batter.  Drop by tablespoon fulls onto an ungreased baking sheet, about two inches apart.  Bake at 375/190 for 8-10 minutes.  Makes about 2 1/2-3 dozen.

I'm planning to toy around with making vanilla pudding powder from scratch, so if it's successful in this recipe, I'll post that as well, so you won't have to import anything for these!

My Favorite Baked Macaroni and Cheese

I have tried dozens of baked macaroni and cheese recipes and just had never found the perfect (to my taste) recipe.  When we were back in the states last summer, I picked up a box of macaroni pasta at Winn Dixie.  On the side of the box, it had a recipe.  So I tried it in my quest for the perfect recipe.  And I found it!  : ) Who knew it would be on the side of a Winn Dixie box? : )

Macaroni and Cheese
16 oz. macaroni (about 500 grams)
1/4 c. (50 g) butter
1/3 c. flour
1 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
3 c. milk
2 c. shredded Cheddar
1 c. shredded swiss cheese (or just use all cheddar, or any other cheese you have)

Preheat oven to 375 (190C).  Cook macaroni in boiling water, drain.

In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat.  Stir in flour, salt and pepper.  Stir with a whisk and gradually stir in milk.  Cook until thickened and bubbly.  Remove from heat.  Add 1 1/2 c. cheddar cheese.  Stir until melted.  Stir in macaroni.

Spoon half of macaroni mixture into a greased 9x13 pan.  top with Swiss cheese, remaining macaroni mixture, then remaining cheddar cheese.  bake uncovered 30 minutes or until bubbly.  

Gooey Butter Cake

This is my husbands favorite dessert.  He's not a big fan of chocolate desserts (which are MY favorite!)  and so I like to make this for him.  This is one of the main reasons I was so excited when my import store here started carrying the Britannia cream cheese!  : )

Gooey Butter Cake
2 cups all-purpose flour (maida)
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 T. baking powder
1/2 c. milk powder (I use EveryDay by Nestle)
100 grams butter
2 beaten eggs

Melt the butter and drizzle in the bottom of a 9x13 cake pan.  Combine the dry ingredients and sprinkle over the butter.  Pour the beaten eggs in the pan and mix together with a fork until it's all moistened.  Mash it into the bottom of the pan as evenly as possible.

1 1/2 boxes of Britannia cream cheese
2 eggs
3 3/4 c. powdered sugar
1 t. vanilla

Combine and mix with a mixer.  Pour on top of cake mixtures.  Bake at 350F (175C) for 30 minutes. Don't over bake it, even if it doesn't look done!