Baked Honey Pears

Most people have sworn off desserts the first part of the year, in an attempt to drop a few of their holiday pounds.  But sometimes you still want a little something sweet.  Baked pears are just the treat.  And when you add some nuts, (for protein), and a little honey, (for sweetness), they are yummy.  Let me show you how easy, and quickly 2 pears can be transformed into a simple for delicious dessert for 4 people.

You will need:
2 large sized ripe pears
2 Tabs. honey
1/4 cup pecans, (or walnuts), chopped finely
1/3 teas. ground cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

Wash and slice the pears in half.  Then slice off a sliver from the bottom to create a level surface for the pears.

Turn the pears over, and scoop out the seeds and remove the stems.

 Place the pears on a baking sheet.  Add the walnuts in the scooped out center.

Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon over each pear.

Drizzle 1/2 teaspoon honey over each pear.

 Bake the pears for 30 minutes, until fork soft.  Allow to cool for a couple of minutes.

Your wonderfully sweet dessert is now ready.

Yummy.  You have the crunch of the nuts, the sweetness from the pear and the honey.  If you want to fancy up the pear, you can add a dollop of yogurt or whipped cream on top.  We like to eat our baked pears plain.  So good.  Reminds you of a baked apple.  And pears are usually plentiful this time of year.

Enjoy !

Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas

Sometimes you want a dish that's kid approved, easy, quick, and tasty.  If you have some leftover chicken - then this dish is the dish.  With a few ingredients, you can easily feed 6 to 8 people.

You will need:
1 can, (10.5 oz), cream of chicken soup
milk (1/2 of the empty can)
1 can, (4 oz), chilies, chopped
1/4 cup chopped black olives
2 cups shredded chicken
1 1/2 cup Mexican style, (or Jack blend) cheese
6 to 8 tortilla

 Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
Lightly spray coat a 9 X 9 inch baking dish with baking spray.

In a medium bowl, combine 1 cup of the cheese, the can of cream of chicken soup, and 1/2 of the can filled with milk.  Stir well to combine.  Sit aside, this will become your sauce.

In another bowl, combine the shredded chicken, chopped chilies, chopped onions, and remaining 1/2 cup of cheese.  Mix well to incorporate.

Spoon a generous amount of the chicken mixture onto a tortilla shell, (about 1 or 2 tablespoons).

Roll up the tortilla shell, making sure to tuck in the filling.

Place the rolled filled tortilla into the sprayed baking dish, seam side down.

Continue until all the mixture and tortillas are used up.  Depending on how much filling you place in the tortillas, you will get 6 to 8 enchiladas.

Pour the cheesy sauce over the rolled tortillas.

Smooth out, making sure all the tortillas are covered well.  Bake 15 to 20 minutes, until the cheese is melted and nice and sauce is nice and smooth.

 Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before serving.

Garnish as desired.  Tonight I am serving my enchiladas with my homemade refried beans, and a dollop of sour cream and some cilantro.

Notice how wonderful cheesy the inside is, as well as the outside.  The kids as well as adults love this, and it's a good way to use up leftover chicken.

Enjoy !

Blueberry Pudding Cake

My husband loves anything blueberry.  And whenever blueberries are on sale, I stock up, so I always have them in my freezer ready to use in cakes, pies, muffins, and to top yogurt.  Several years ago, I found this recipe for a blueberry cake that was so easy, and my husband just loves it.  It's very easy, and you can easily feed 9 people from this recipe.  Today, I share it with you.

You will need:
2 cups fresh, (or frozen), blueberries
1 teas. ground cinnamon
1 teas. lemon juice
1 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 teas baking powder
1/2 cup milk
3 Tabs. butter, melted
1 Tabs.. cornstarch
1 cup boiling water

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Spray an 8 X 8 inch baking pan with baking spray

In the baking pan toss the blueberries with the cinnamon and lemon juice.  Give it a stir.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour and 3/4 cup of sugar, and baking powder.  Stir well.

Stir in the melted butter and milk.  Stir well.

Spoon batter over the blueberries.

In a small bowl, combine the remaining 3/4 cup sugar and cornstarch.  Stir well.

 Sprinkle over the batter.

Slowly, pour the boiling water over the top.

Bake uncovered, at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes, (or until the cake top tests done).

Allow the cake to cool on a baking rake.

And your pudding cake is ready to serve.  Notice how you have this wonderful luscious blueberry pudding and a light, (not to sweet), cake topping.

The perfect ending to a supper, or a great treat to serve when guest drop by.

Enjoy !

Rosemary Sage Bread

One of the first things we associate with comfort is warm, homemade bread.  The sentiment is just as important as the food itself and nothing feels better than making meals your family will love.  A loaf or two of crusty rosemary sage bread is sure to become a new favorite, with a bowl of soup this winter.  It takes so few ingredients, and you can make it while you're making the stew or soup to go with it.

You will need:
1 Tabs. white sugar
1 cup warm water
1 package (.25 ounces) active dry yeast
2 Tabs. fresh rosemary, (finely diced)
2 Tabs. fresh sage, (finely diced)
1 teas salt
2 Tabs. butter, softened
3 cups bread flour
olive oil spray

In a medium bowl, dissolve the sugar in the warm water.

Mix in the yeast.  Set aside for 5 minutes.

 When the yeast is foamy, mix in the butter.

Add the minced rosemary and sage.  Mix well.

In a large bowl, add the flour and salt.  Mix well. Gradually stir in the wet mixture.

Combine until the ingredients come together and no longer stick to the sides of the bowl.

Turn out on a counter, (you don't need any flour - the dough will be a little sticky).  Knead the dough about 10 to 15 minutes, until it forms a smooth ball.

Place the dough in a clean bowl that has been sprayed with the olive oil spray.  Cover and let rise for 1 hour.

After one hour, remove and gently deflate dough.

 Gently shape dough.

Place dough in a greased pan, that you sprayed with the olive oil spray.  Cover and let rise for 1 hour.

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.  After the dough has risen, bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown.

You can test if it is done, by tapping the bottom of the bread an listening for a hollow sound, or testing with a thermometer.  Let cool for 5 minutes on a baking rake, then remove from pan and let bread continue to cool.

 You can also bake your bread in a loaf bread pan.

Once the bread has cooled, slice and enjoy.  Notice the nice crumb and the fluffy layers.

This is goes great with soups and stews.

Tonight I am serving this with turkey noodle soup.


Note:  You can also change the herbs.  Switch out the sage and rosemary for your favorites.  Try basil, oregano, thyme, or even mint!

Enjoy !

Beef Stroganoff

I am always keeping my eyes out for mark downed meats.  Most people over look the tougher cuts, but with a little simmering in the oven, these can become the best dinners.  When I saw this nice cut, my husband and I both said beef stroganoff.  It's not difficult to make and your house will be filled with wonderful aromas as it cooks.

You will need:
2 pounds chuck roast, (stew meat, or similar), cut into 1 inch cubes and patted dry
1 Tabs. each salt and pepper
1/2 cup flour
3 Tabs. vegetable oil
2 Tabs butter
1 jumbo, (or 2 large) onions diced
2 garlic cloves, (minced)
1/2 pound mushrooms, (sliced)
2 Tabs. paprika
2 cups beef stock
3 Tabs. tomato paste
2 Tabs. dried parsley
1 Tabs. Dijon mustard
1/2 cup sour cream

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a bowl, combine the flour, salt, and pepper.

Add the chopped meat.  Lightly dust the meat with the flour and shake off the excess flour.

In a dutch oven, (over medium high heat), add the vegetable oil.  When the oil is hot, add the beef and cook until brown on all sides, turning as it cooks.  When the meat has browned, remove from pan and set aside.

 Add the butter to the dutch oven pan and melt.

Add the chopped onion and minced garlic.  Cook, (stirring frequently) until the onion is translucent, (about 2 or 3 minutes).

 Add the mushrooms and cook for about 2 more minutes.

Add paprika and cook for 1 more minute, stirring constantly.

Add the tomato paste, and stir well.  Cook for 1 minute.

Add the beef broth.

Add the Dijon mustard.

 Add the dried parsley


Note: If you have fresh parsley on hand, feel free to use it.

 Add the browned meat back to the pot.

Stir well  Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, (make sure to scrape up the bits from the bottom of the pan).  Cover the pan, place in the oven, and cook for 2 to 2 - 1/2 hours until meat is tender.

Once the meat is cooked, remove from oven

Add the sour cream, and stir well.  Your stroganoff is ready to serve.

Some people like to enjoy their stroganoff served plain.

In our house, we like to serve our stroganoff on top of egg noodles.  You can also top it off with another little dollop of sour cream.

Enjoy !