Stove Top Chili Mac

We just arrived home from vacation. I really think I need a few days longer to rest. We traveled from Maine to Mississippi to Georgia to Virginia to New Jersey and finally home. My children ate catfish, rode horses, and went to an amusement park. The best part of our trip was visiting with friends and family. 

After this trip, I needed something quick for supper. (Sorry, no catfish recipes here.) I made extra to freeze for another time. I did think the original recipe had no chili powder in it and was called chili mac so I had to add some.

Stovetop Chili Mac
1 lb. rigatoni pasta
1 tsp. olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 lb. hamburger
1 Tbsp. chili powder
2 tsp. ground cumin
Salt and pepper
1 cup corn kernels
1 small zucchini, shredded
1 can (28. oz) fire roasted tomatoes
4 oz. cheddar cheese, grated

Directions:

1. Cook the pasta according to the package directions.
2. While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
3. Add the onion and garlic. Saute for about 3 minutes.
4. Add the hamburger and increase the heat to medium high. Cook for 5 minutes while breaking up the meat.
5. Add the cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Stir until incorporated.
6. Add the corn and zucchini. Cook for about 3 minutes.
7. Add the can of tomatoes with juice to the pan. Stir well.
8. Simmer the mixture for 5 minutes. Add additional seasonings if needed.
9. In a serving dish, add the pasta and top with the meat mixture.
10. Sprinkle the dish with cheese and serve.

Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart website.

 Did you already know...
-From Maine to Mississippi, it is roughly 1,700 miles.
-Six states make up New England. (Can you name them?)
-By traveling the most direct route to Mississipi from Maine, a driver while pass through 4 of the 6 New England States. (Do you know which two states a driver will not pass through unless they become lost?)

Oatmeal Crisps

When I first saw this recipe, I thought these would be like circular cookies. I actually like they are in bar form. These cookies are so good. I prefer oatmeal cookies with no chocolate so I did the same thing. The other thing I did was replace the corn syrup with agave syrup. It is a preference thing.

This week's pick for Project Pastry Queen was picked by Missy of Creative Missy. I will be making these crisps again. My husband would not stop eating them. I had to hide these four crisp to take a photo of them.

Oatmeal Crisps
1/2 cup butter, unsalted
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 Tbsp agave syrup 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup sweetened shredded coconut

2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats


Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. With cooking spray, grease a 9 x 13 inch pan.
3. In a small saucepan, melt the butter, brown sugar, and agave syrup about 2 minutes or until mixture is smooth.
4. Add the oats, baking powder, salt, and coconut. 
5. Stir until all the ingredients are well incorporated.
6. Press the ingredients evenly into the greased 9 x 13 pan.
7. Bake the crisps for about 20 minutes.
8. Remove and allow the mixture to cool for 20 minutes.
9. In the pan, cut the crisps down the middle vertically. Then cut the crisps horizontally to make the crisps.

Recipe adapted from The Pastry Queen cookbook.

Did you already know...
- Corn syrup is a natural sweetener made from corn.
-Corn syrup and sugar have the same amount of calories.
-The USFDA list corn syrup safe to use in food since 1983.

Breakfast Bruschetta

Do you love brunches? I really do since I get to combine two meals in one. The best part is less dishes-most of the time. If we don't go out for Sunday breakfast, we will make breakfast. Sunday is the only day I will cook a big breakfast. On occasion, I can even talk my husband into cooking and dishes. It is the best way to start the day.

I think this would make the perfect special breakfast for someone. If some fruit is added with the perfect breakfast beverage, I think it would be pretty fancy and easy. It is a great way to use up some left over french bread.

Breakfast Bruschetta
3 eggs
2 egg whites
1 tsp milk
1 tsp butter
12 slices of french bread
1 tsp olive oil 
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp parsley
1/4 tsp rosemary
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp thyme
1 plum tomato, chopped
4 oz. cheddar cheese
salt and pepper for taste

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, add the eggs, egg whites, and milk. Whisk well until combined.
2. In a cold medium skillet,  add the butter with the egg mixture. 
3. Turn the stove to medium and whisk eggs slowly while heating up.
4. Continue to cook the eggs until cooked through. Set aside.
5. In a small bowl, mix the olive oil, oregano, parsley, rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper. 
6. Brush each top of the sliced french bread with the olive oil. 
7. Toast the french bread in the toaster oven, oven, or grill.
8. Fold the tomato into the eggs until incorporated.
9. Add the egg mixture on top of the toasted bread.
10. Top with cheese. Season with salt and pepper.
11. Serve immediately.

Recipe adapted from Hungry Girl.

 Did you already know... 
-Brunch began in the late 1900s in England.
-Brunch is typically served between 10 am to 2 pm.
-Certain alcohol drinks are acceptable to be served at brunch.

burrito

It is currently Spring Break for us so I have been away. We traveled down South where it was suppose to be warm. I think Mother Nature is playing games with me by allowing the weather to be warm for a day before turning cold. I think Mother Nature has a sense of humor since she must know I packed mostly shorts.

Maybe if I make something from the Tex-Mex region, the warm weather will return? I actually prefer burritos over tacos. Do you like tacos or burritos better? My husband would pick tacos.

Burrito
1 1/2 lb ground hamburger
1/2 onion, chopped
1 clove of garlic, chopped finely
1 jalapeno pepper, chopped finely
1 Tbsp chili pepper
1 tsp ground cumin
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup water
8 flour tortilla 
1 16oz. refried beans (optional)
8 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
toppings: cheese, sour cream, tomatoes, lettuce, etc.


Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Brown the hamburger in a skillet over medium heat for about 5 minutes. 
3. Make sure to break up the meat well.
4. Add the onion, garlic, and jalapeno pepper. Cook for 5 minutes.
5. Add the chili pepper, cumin, salt and pepper over the meat and distribute the spices throughout the meat.
6. Stir in the water and allow to simmer for about 5 minutes. Set aside.
7. Working with one tortilla at a time, spread a layer of the refried beans over the tortilla if desired.
8. Top with the hamburger mixture.
9. Sprinkle some cheddar over the hamburger mixture and roll into the burrito shape.
10. Lay the rolled burrito into a 9x13 baking dish with the seam side down.
11. Continue to assemble the burritos one at a time.
12. Bake the burritos for about 20 minutes. 
13. Before serving, top each burrito with the desired topping.

Recipe by Jen of Sweet Morris.

Did you already know...
- A burrito is a tortilla folded over a type of filling.
-A Mexican burrito may have only one type of filling like meat.
-The American burrito tends to have a combination of fillings like rice, meat, beans, etc.
-There are even regional type of burritos like the San Francisco burrito.

Banana split cake

Did your Mom make banana pudding a lot when you were growing up? It was one of my favorite desserts as a kid. I loved the pudding with bananas and cookies.

I still like the dessert but I never think to make it. When I saw this recipe, it did remind me of the childhood dessert but revised. The original recipe calls for honey grahams but I had to go with the Nilla wafers.

Banana split "cake"
1 1/2 cups Nilla wafer cookies, crushed
1/8 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted
2 packages (8oz.) cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 (20 oz.) can crushed pineapple in juice, drained
4 bananas, sliced thinly
2 packages (3.4 oz) vanilla flavor instant pudding
2 cups cold milk
2 cups Cool Whip Whipped Topping, thawed
2 bananas, for garnish

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, mix the cookies, sugar, and butter.
2. Press the cookie mixture into a 13x9 or other desired pan. 
3. Freeze for 10 minutes.
4. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese with the sugar.
5. Carefully, spread the cream cheese mixture on top of the cookie layer.
6. Top the cream cheese with the pineapple.
7. Top the pineapple with the sliced bananas.
8. Beat the pudding mixes and milk with a whisk for about two minutes.
9. Fold in 1 cup of Cool Whip.
10. Spread the pudding mixture on top of the banana layer.
11. Top the pudding mixture with the remaining Cool Whip.
12. Refrigerate for at least 5 hours or overnight.
13. Before serving, top the dessert with slices of bananas.

Recipe slightly adapted from Food & Family Cookbook Best Loved: Quick & Easy Recipes page32.

Did you already know...
-Nilla wafers are made by Nabisco.
-In 2000, Kraft food acquired Nabisco. 
-Kraft food has over 100,000 employees worldwide.
-45% of the employees are women.