Author: Emily Sandridge

Baked Chicken Taquitos

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The Superbowl is coming! I made these taquitos for New Years Eve, and boy were they good. I’m pretty sure they’ll show up on our table during the Superbowl as well.



Baked Chicken Taquitos 

Ingredients:
1/3 cup (3 oz) cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup green salsa
1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
3 Tablespoons cilantro, chopped
2 Tablespoons green onions, sliced
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 cup grated pepper jack cheese
about 12 small flour tortillas
kosher salt
cooking spray

Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 425 and line your baking sheet with foil. Spray the foil with cooking spray.
2. In a bowl, combine the first 7 ingredients. Stir until well incorporated. Add the following 4 ingredients.
3. Now, it’s time to assemble them. You’ll spoon about 3 Tbs. of the chicken mixture into the lower part of the tortilla. Do not spread to too close to either side. Now, roll it up as tight as you can. As you roll, the mixture will spread closer to either side.
4. Place seam side down onto your spayed, foil lined, baking sheet.
5. Spray the tops of the taquitos with cooking spray and sprinkle salt over the top.
6. Cook in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes.

* You could easily make this with corn tortillas to make this gluten free!

Source: Our Best Bites

Green Smoothie [For Beginners]

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So… have you fallen into the Green Smoothie craze yet? If not, you really should. My husband and  I have been doing green smoothies for about a year now. I can honestly say that it’s been the best “eating” decision we’ve made as a couple.

I know that if I have this smoothie for either breakfast or lunch, I instantly have 4 (1/2 cup) servings of fruit and 2 servings of veggies (if you use 2 cups of spinach).

Don’t let the ingredients or color of the drink shy you away. This is a GREAT beginners recipe. I PROMISE you won’t be able to taste the spinach! This makes a 32 ounce serving. It’ll be really filling, and really tasty!

Beginner’s Green Smoothie
Ingredients:

1 cup water (you could also use juice, I just don’t want the extra calories)
1 cup light vanilla yogurt
1/2 c. unsweetend natural apple sauce
1 frozen banana
1 heaping cup of frozen strawberries
1-2 cups of fresh baby spinach

Directions:
– Put the ingredients in the blender in the order they are listed.
– Blend!
– Enjoy!

If you are doing Weight Watchers (like I am!) this whole drink is 4 points. You may be able to find a yogurt with less points… if you notice the only points in this drink is from the yogurt.

Want more of my smoothie ideas?
Blueberry Banana Smoothie
Jamba Juice’s Strawberries Wild Knock Off

Chocolate Eclairs

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This is one of those desserts that take extremely little time to prepare, but tastes SO good. It tastes a lot fancier than what the ingredients seem. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
Chocolate Eclair Dessert

Eclair Filling:
2 small boxes French Vanilla Pudding
3 cups cold milk
8oz container thawed Cool Whip
Full Graham cracker sheets

 Chocolate Frosting: 
 1 ¾ cup powdered sugar
 4 Tbs HOT water
 4 Tbs soft butter
 4 Tbs Cocoa
 1 tsp vanilla

Directions:
1. Mix pudding and milk with wire whisk until well blended. Let stand 5 minutes. Fold in thawed Cool Whip.
2. Place whole graham crackers in the bottom of a 9×13 sprayed pan, covering entire bottom.
3. Spread pudding mixture over graham crackers.
4. Top with another layer of whole graham crackers, covering top completely.
5. In a bowl, beat all ingredients for chocolate frosting until smooth.
6. Spread frosting over top layer of graham crackers.
7. Refrigerate 24 hours.

Pineapple Upside-Down Cupcakes

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This is such a tasty dessert! Who ever said that cupcakes must have a huge glob on icing on top has obviously never had these. They present so well too! All your friends will think that you spent loads of time making this gourmet dessert. (Just don’t tell them that you use a cake mix… I promise not to tell.)



Pineapple Upside-Down Cupcakes


Ingredients

1 can(s) 20oz sliced pineapple drained, juice reserved 
1 bx yellow cake mix  (My cake mix was sugar free, and turned out great!)
1/2 c oil 
3 eggs 
1/3 c butter, melted 
2/3 c brown sugar
12 maraschino cherries cut in half 
Directions
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 24 regular-size muffin cups with cooking spray. 
2. Cut each pineapple slice into 4 pieces; set aside. 
3. In large bowl, beat cake mix, oil, eggs and reserved pineapple juice with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. 
4. In small bowl, stir together melted butter and brown sugar. Spoon 1 1/2 teaspoons butter mixture into each muffin cup. Top each with 2 pineapple pieces. Place cherry half, cut side up, in center of pineapple pieces. Spoon 1/4 cup batter into each cup. (My muffin pans seem small, make sure that you don’t over fill your muffin tins. I ended up putting less than a 1/4 cup.)
5. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes. Run knife around edge of cupcakes to loosen; invert onto cookie sheet. Serve warm.  (I also ended up cutting a few of the muffin crowns off so that the cupcake would sit flat.)

White Chocolate Chip Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

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This is a fabulous wintertime baking recipe. This recipe was given to my mom by a pastry chef friend, then later tweaked by me (by adding the rolling sugar, and different ‘add ins’) I love the flavors that go together in this cookie. The white cholocate and cranberries taste so nice! By rolling the cookie in sugar before baking, you’ll get a great crisp on the outside while having a nice soft cookie on the inside. This recipe also doubles very nicely. 

White Chocolate Chip Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients
1 C granulated sugar
1 C packed brown sugar
1 C unsalted butter, softened
1/2 C shortening
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 C quick cooking oats
2 C all-purpose flour
1 1/2 C White Chocolate Chips
1 C Dried Cranberries
Sugar for rolling

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Cream butter, shortening, and sugars together. Beat until fluffy.
3. Add eggs one at a time, beat until fluffy. Add vanilla.
4. Mix all dry ingredients. Add slowly into the wet ingredients.
5. Shape dough into small balls in your hands, then roll in sugar. Place onto an ungreased baking sheet.
6.  Bake until light brown, about 10 minutes.
7. Immediately remove from cookie sheet.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

Now go, enjoy!! This cookie can easily be changed by changing the add ins. I’ve made them with Raisins, Chocolate chips, Nuts, and Dried Pomegranates. All have tasted great!

Momo’s Apple Pie

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My husband loves to bake. I love that he loves to bake. (Am I a lucky woman or what?!)  Another thing that my husband loves is apple pie. Thus came to be Momo’s Apple Pie. (His name is Morgan, but all his nieces and nephews call him Momo… it’s ‘his’ thing).

This Apple Pie is different than most apple pies. Most pies you mix the apples with spices and a touch of flour then place them into a crust. With this pie, you make a syrup to pour over the whole apple pie (crust and all!) that that gives the pie an incredible flavor and a nice crisp crust. For those Dutch Apple Pie lovers (myself included) this pie my just change your preference.

Seriously, doesn’t that look so yummy?! And it’s not even baked yet…


Momo’s Apple Pie 

Ingredients
1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie (we’re lazy and use pre-made crust)
1/2 cup butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
8 cooking apples – peeled, cored and sliced

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 425.
2. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in flour to form a paste.
3. Add water, white sugar and brown sugar, and bring to a boil. Reduce temperature and let simmer.
4. Place the bottom crust in your pan. Fill with apples, slightly mounded.
5. Cover with a lattice work crust. Gently pour the brown sugar syrup over the crust. Make sure to pour in between lattice work to get into the apples. Use a pastry brush to coat the lattice with syrup.
6. Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Reduce the temperature to 350. Continue baking for 35 to 45 minutes, until apples are soft. We bake our pies on some sort of cookie sheet or pizza pan to catch any drippings.

My son loved this pie too! He was so anxious for it to cool enough to cut. I’m positive you and your family will love it too.

Adapted from allrecipes.com

Balsamic Glazed Pork Loin

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This recipe is such a crowd pleaser. Perfect for Sunday Meals with family!


Balsamic Glazed Pork Loin

Ingredients
Pork:
2 pound boneless pork loin roast, trimmed
1 teaspoon ground sage
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 clove garlic, finely minced or crushed
1/2 cup water

Glaze:
1/2 cup brown sugar, light or dark
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons soy sauce

Directions
1. In a small bowl, combine the sage, salt, pepper and garlic. Rub the spices all over the roast.
2. Place the pork roast in the slow cooker and pour in the 1/2 cup water. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
3. Near the end of the cooking time for the roast, combine the ingredients for the glaze in a small saucepan and bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce and let the mixture simmer, stirring occasionally, until it thickens.
4. Remove the pork from the slow cooker, shred and place on a platter or plate. Drizzle the glaze over the pork and serve.

Source

Grilled Chicken Piccata

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Who says you can’t grill past Labor Day? In our home, we grill year round! This is such a tasty recipe. Once you take a bite, you’ll think you’re at your favorite Italian restaurant. Gotta give major props to Pioneer Woman (P-Dub if you will) for this amazing recipe! 

Ingredients:

Chicken
Juice of 1 lemon (3 Tbsp)
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp basil or oregano
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Pasta
2 cups dried penne pasta
2 Tbsp butter Juice of 2 lemons (6 Tbsp)
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1/2 cup half and half (or heavy cream)
2 tsp dried basil
2 Tbps capers (you’ll find these by the olives at the grocery store)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Chicken
1. Combine first 6 ingredients.
2. Place chicken in a zipper bag and pour marinade mixture over chicken. Marinate overnight in the refrigerator.
3. When ready to cook, grill.

Pasta
1. While chicken is grilling, cook pasta. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water and drain.
2. In same sauce pan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in garlic and lemon juice.
3. Pour in half and half and whisk until hot. Add some salt and pepper to taste.
4. Add the Parmesan cheese, basil and capers, and heat until cheese is melted. Check the consistency of the sauce and add some of the reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce if necessary.  5. Toss in pasta. Serve in pasta with grilled chicken on top. Sprinkle with more Parmesan if desired.

Emily’s Apple Crisp

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This weekend is General Conference. I love Conference weekend, especially October Conferences. My whole family gathers together and spends the weekend in the North Georgia Mountains at my grandparent’s mountain home. (yes, Georgia has mountains).

It’s my little family’s tradition to go apple picking between Conference sessions. Lucky for us, my grandparent’s mountain home just so happens to be in the Apple Capitol of Georgia. I love seeing my son running around the orchards looking for that perfect apple. We usually come home with a peck (or more) of apples. We LOVE apples. What all do we do with them? Oh, I little bit of everything. One of my favorites, Apple Crisp!

Picking apples in Ellijay, Georgia last year

This recipe has been in the works for close to 7 years. It’s 100% my creation and am pretty proud of how I’ve been able to tweak it and make it perfect!

APPLE CRISP

Ingredients:
6-8 apples, peeled and sliced (Make sure they are good cooking apples. My favorite are Rome Beauties… but you can only find those in the South 🙂 )
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup oatmeal, old fashioned
1 cup flour
1 stick of butter or margarine, softened
2 tsp cinnamon

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

1. Grease 9×13 glass baking dish.
2. Toss apples in a small amount of sugar and cinnamon. Arrange apples in greased baking dish.
3. Mix all remaining ingredients together. You can either use a pastry cutter or a stand mixer. I prefer the mixer, it gets the butter distributed more evenly. The mixture should look crumbly. Spread evenly over top of apples.
4. Bake 45 minutes until apples are tender and top is crisp.

Makes 6 servings

Top with fresh whipped cream or vanilla ice cream… and ENJOY!!

Quinoa Primavera

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My husband and I are trying to eat healthier. We don’t eat a lot of meat to begin with, but we thought it would be a good idea to have one totally meatless meal a week. I thought quinoa would be a great dish to serve since it’s high in protein and a great food.

This was actually my first time cooking (and eating) quinoa, and it definitely will not be my last. This dish is so yummy and very filling. Although we ate it as a main dish, it would also make a great side dish.

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups uncooked quinoa
3 cups chicken broth
4 ounces cream cheese, cubed (I used light cream cheese)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon butter
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3-5 cups thinly sliced or bite sized pieces assorted uncooked vegetables (I used a bag of frozen mixed cauliflower, broccoli, and carrots)
Grated  Parmesan cheese

Directions
– Bring quinoa and broth to boil in a saucepan; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 20-25 minutes or until broth is absorbed. (Follow package instructions)
– While quinoa is cooking, melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook garlic in butter for about one minute, stirring frequently, until golden. Stir in vegetables. Cook about 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently, until vegetables are crisp-tender. If you are using frozen vegetables, you’ll just need to cook them until they are warm/hot.
– Stir cream cheese and basil into cooked quinoa. Toss vegetables with quinoa mixture and sprinkle with cheese.

Adapted from Christy’s Culinary Collection