The Grateful Girl Cooks! | Faith, Family, Fun… and Great Food, Prepared With Love

18
Sep
2017

Homemade Hoisin Sauce

Ever try to cook a Chinese dish and need Hoisin Sauce as one of the ingredients, but don’t have any in the pantry? I’ve been in that situation before, so today I want to share with you how easy it is to make your own Homemade Hoisin Sauce!

I usually buy a “name brand” Hoisin sauce at the grocery store. However, sometimes (especially when cooking a stir fry or another Asian recipe), I find I need just a bit of hoisin sauce, and I’ve run out (even though I THOUGHT I had some in the fridge).

Authentic hoisin sauce is made using soybeans or soybean paste… but… (go figure) I don’t usually have those items hanging around my home. But… this recipe is an incredibly close substitute in taste to store-bought (and without using soybeans), so I say it’s a winner!

That’s why I searched for, and found a recipe online for how to make your own hoisin sauce. That way, if I run out of store-bought, it is easy to make a small batch of homemade, without having to run to the store at the last minute! Hoisin sauce is one of the ingredients required to make Hoisin Asian Meatballs and my Mixed Salad with Hoisin Vinaigrette and Crisp Panko Chicken, so it’s nice to have in the fridge.

Here’s the ingredients you will need to make hoisin sauce: soy sauce, water, molasses, creamy peanut butter, rice (or white wine) vinegar, garlic powder, hot sauce, and cornstarch.

To make the sauce, put all ingredients EXCEPT CORNSTARCH into a small pan. Heat the ingredients using medium heat, until the peanut butter and the molasses dissolve, and the sauce is smooth.

Turn up the heat on your stove top to medium-high heat. Add cornstarch, and whisk ingredients together until all lumps are gone. Once sauce is smooth, turn heat to a simmer, and continue cooking for 1-2 minutes, until the sauce has thickened a bit.

This is what the sauce looked like, after it had thickened. The recipe, as written, will yield about 1/2 cup of hoisin sauce. Be sure to store the hoisin sauce in a covered airtight container in the refrigerator, where it will stay fresh for 1-2 weeks. Once refrigerated, the sauce may thicken even more, so when you get ready to use it, stir it real good before using.

That’s it! See how easy it is to make your own hoisin sauce? I love learning how to re-create store bought food items in the comfort of my own kitchen. Knowing how to do this has come in handy more than once, and saved me countless trips to the grocery store “for just one more thing”.

Have a fantastic day, friends! Hope you will remember this recipe when you need hoisin sauce for a great dish you are preparing!

Recipe Source: http://www.curiouscuisiniere.com/hoisin-sauce/

Homemade Hoisin Sauce

Prep time

3 mins

Cook time

2 mins

Total time

5 mins

It's very easy to make your own Asian Hoisin Sauce in the comfort of your own kitchen, with just a few ingredients!

As Prepared By: JB at The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Recipe type: Sauce (Asian)

Serves: ½ cup sauce

Ingredients

3 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 Tablespoon water
2 Tablespoons molasses
1 Tablespoon peanut butter (creamy)
1 Tablespoon garlic powder
1 Tablespoon Rice Wine Vinegar (may substitute white wine vinegar)
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon hot sauce (I used srriracha)
2 teaspoons cornstarch

Directions

To make the sauce, put all ingredients EXCEPT CORNSTARCH into a small pan. Heat the ingredients using medium heat, until the peanut butter and molasses dissolve, and sauce is smooth.
Turn up the heat on your stove to medium-high heat. Add cornstarch to sauce; whisk ingredients together until all lumps are gone. Once sauce is smooth, turn heat to a simmer, and continue cooking for 1-2 minutes, until the sauce has thickened a bit.
Sauce can be used immediately on meats or veggies. Store in airtight covered container in refrigerator. When ready to use after refrigeration, give it a good stir, use and enjoy this sauce in a variety of meals.

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14
Sep
2017

Chopped Greek Chicken Salad

categories: Chicken, Main Dish Salads, Main Dishes, Salads

I discovered a new (to me) recipe for a Chopped Greek Chicken Salad the other day, and decided to fix it for dinner for my husband and myself. Wow! We LOVED it!
We each had a huge bowl of salad, complete with grilled chicken, feta cheese, kalamata olives, crunchy cucumbers, etc. with a light vinaigrette dressing to top if off, and it was a complete meal for us!

The flavor of the salad was amazing… and guess what? It’s a Weight Watchers recipe, so if you are looking to have a light (but filling) meal, a low calorie or Smart Points recipe (6 Points!), then I would highly recommend this main course salad! As an added bonus… it’s incredibly EASY to prepare, so it’s a WIN-WIN. Here’s how to create this delicious salad:

The first thing I did was cook the chicken. I used an indoor grill (which only took about 8 minutes), but you can cook the chicken breast any way you would like, or use leftovers. Season chicken lightly with salt/pepper. Grill or roast chicken breasts (I used 2 thin breasts). When done, set aside to cool for 5 minutes. Once cool, cut into thin slices. Set aside.
**TIP: While chicken is cooking, prep/chop/slice veggies.

Divide the chopped romaine in half and place in bowls or on dinner plates. Divide and add chopped (and peeled) cucumber and sliced green onions.

Divide and add chicken slices and kalamata olives.

Divide and add fresh chopped tomatoes and crumbled feta cheese. Doesn’t it look GOOD??? And… wasn’t that incredibly EASY to prepare?

Drizzle each salad with 2 Tablespoons of low-fat vinaigrette salad dressing; toss salad, and serve! Enjoy! Here are our two dinner salads ready to go! YUM!

This was a very filling salad, and I will definitely be making it again! I LOVE that even a “lighter than normal” salad can be filled with so many wonderful flavors! My husband is already wondering when we will have this one again. Soon… real soon!

I really hope you will consider trying this fantastic salad recipe! I am confident you will enjoy it! Have a wonderful day… make the most out of every minute you are blessed with!

Recipe Source: https://cmx.weightwatchers.com/nui/explore/details2/WWMEAL:5626a7722084d63a3401ea88?mode=featured-recipes&tags=contentTags.food_course.tags:Breakfast&view=list

Chopped Greek Chicken Salad

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

8 mins

Total time

18 mins

Full of flavor and light in calories, this entree salad (from Weight Watchers) will really hit the spot!

As Prepared By: JB at The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Recipe type: Main Course Salad

Serves: 2 main course servings

Ingredients

4 cups chilled Romaine lettuce, chopped
6 ounces boneless skinless chicken breast (roasted or grilled), sliced.
Salt/pepper to season chicken
1 cup fresh tomatoes, chopped
1 cup English cucumber, peeled, chopped
4 medium raw scallions (green onions), sliced (white and green parts)
18 Kalamata olives (pitted)
4 Tablespoons Feta cheese, crumbled
4 Tablespoons low fat vinaigrette salad dressing

Directions

Season chicken lightly with salt/pepper. Grill or roast chicken breasts (I used 2 thin breasts). When done, set aside to cool for 5 minutes. Once cool, cut into thin slices. Set aside. TIP: While chicken is cooking, chop and slice veggies.
Divide the chopped romaine in half and place in bowls or on dinner plates. Divide and add chopped (and peeled) cucumber and sliced green onions. Divide and add chicken slices and kalamata olives. Divide and add fresh chopped tomatoes and crumbled feta cheese.
Drizzle each salad with 2 Tablespoons of low-fat vinaigrette salad dressing; toss salad, and serve! Enjoy!

Notes

If following WW plan, this recipe is 6 Smart Points per serving, if prepared as written.

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Chopped Greek Chicken Salad / The Grateful Girl Cooks!

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11
Sep
2017

Homemade Cajun Seasoning

categories: Tip Of The Day

Did you know that it’s EASY to make your own Homemade Cajun Seasoning to use on seafood, chicken, pork, beef, etc.? Well it is, and today I’m going to show you just how simple it really is to do that!
I started making a Creole salmon dish several years ago and found that it called for Cajun seasoning. Off to the store I went and purchased a large container of spice mix. But… eventually I discovered that I can make Homemade Cajun Seasoning mix for a fraction of the price, with spices I already had in my pantry!

It’s really as simple as mixing the ingredients together and storing in an airtight covered container. The cast of characters includes onion powder, garlic powder, dried oregano and thyme, black pepper, cayenne pepper and paprika. The ingredients are placed in a mixing bowl and stirred to combine. See how easy that was?

I use this Cajun seasoning when I make my recipe for Pan-Seared Creole Salmon. It has great flavor and really helps season the salmon!

If you store the seasoning mix in an airtight covered container, it should keep it’s peak flavors and freshness for up to 6 months. The recipe, as written below will yield about 2/3 cup of the seasoning mix.

Hope you will mix up a batch of this Homemade Cajun Seasoning, and will enjoy using it on and in a variety of dishes! Once it’s mixed up and in your kitchen cupboard, you won’t have to run out to the store when you find a great recipe that uses this seasoning!

Have a great day, friends. Be kind, and encourage those around you, rather than discourage them, and help this crazy old world one person at a time!

Recipe Adapted From: http://www.yellowblissroad.com/cajun-seasoned-popcorn-diy-cajun-seasoning/

Homemade Cajun Seasoning

Prep time

5 mins

Total time

5 mins

Make your own Cajun spice blend in the comfort of your own kitchen and save some $... plus it's ready in under 5 minutes!

As Prepared By: JB at The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Recipe type: Seasoning Mix

Serves: ⅔ cup

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons onion powder
2 Tablespoons dried oregano
4 Tablespoons garlic powder
1 Tablespoon dried thyme
4 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons black pepper
4 Tablespoons paprika

Directions

Combine all spices in a small bowl. Mix well, to blend.
Store dry spices in an airtight, covered jar for up to 5-6 months (for best flavor)
Use as needed. Recipe makes approximately ⅔ cup Cajun spice blend.
Enjoy this spice blend on fish, beef or poultry!

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Homemade Cajun Seasoning / The Grateful Girl Cooks!

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07
Sep
2017

Cajun Chicken Pasta

categories: Chicken, Main Dishes, Pasta

I recently celebrated a birthday, and one of the first things I did with a gift card I received was to purchase a new cookbook for my collection. The first recipe I made from that cookbook was this delicious “lightened-up” recipe for Cajun Chicken Pasta. We LOVED it, so I want to share it with you today!
The original version is a popular restaurant item in a famous restaurant, but in this version, it has been lightened up, and prepared as written, will be under 400 calories per 1½ cup serving! It’s absolutely delicious!

Look at all those fresh colorful veggies that are in this dish! The best tip I can give you is to prep them before beginning! If you have all ingredients ready to go, you can prepare the dish while the pasta cooks and it should be ready in about the same amount of time! Also to save time… bring a large pot of salted water to a boil right at the start (for the pasta).

Combine milk, cream cheese and flour in a blender. Mix until well blended. Set aside. This is a “slurry” that will be used to thicken the Cajun sauce later.

Cook the pasta in the boiling water according to package directions. Drain and set aside. Prepare chicken and sauce while pasta is cooking.

While pasta is cooking, prepare the chicken. Season chicken pieces with 1 teaspoon of the Cajun seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Spray a non-stick skillet with cooking spray and heat to medium-high. When hot, add chicken (may need to work in batches depending on size of skillet).

Cook chicken about 3 minutes (till golden brown on bottom), then flip and cook other side about 3 minutes. When done, remove the chicken to a plate. Set aside.

Add olive oil to the skillet (same one you cooked the chicken in). Turn heat down to medium. Add the bell pepper and onion slices. Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Once veggies are tender, add the mushrooms and tomatoes to skillet. Cook for 2-3 minutes, then add minced garlic, and cook for an additional minute, stirring often. Add the rest of the garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper. Stir to blend and continue cooking.

Turn heat down to medium-low. Pour in the “slurry” ( milk/cream cheese/flour mixture) and a cup of chicken broth. Stir well, to blend. Cook for a couple minutes, stirring often, until the sauce has started to thicken.

Add the chicken back into the skillet. Add 1/8 teaspoon salt and the rest of the Cajun seasoning (1/4 teaspoon). Stir and cook until chicken has been heated through (1-2 minutes). Once mixed, add the cooked pasta to the skillet, and gently stir and toss, to fully coat pasta and chicken with Cajun sauce.

When heated through, it is ready to serve! Garnish each serving of chicken and pasta with sliced green onions… and serve while hot!

We absolutely loved this meal! So much flavor! I also highly recommend Gina Homolka’s cookbook “The Skinnytaste Cookbook” for anyone looking to cut some calories out of their meals! It is a wonderful cookbook with some delicious recipes!

Have a great day. Be kind out there, people! It’s such a small thing… but your kindness really can have a huge impact on others!

Recipe Source: The Skinnytaste Cookbook” by Gina Homolka, Published 2014, Clarkson Potter/Publishers, pages 187-187.

Cajun Chicken Pasta

Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

30 mins

As Prepared By: JB at The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Recipe type: Chicken

Serves: 5 servings

Ingredients

⅓ cup fat-free milk
1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour (Gluten-free, use sweet rice flour)
3 Tablespoons light cream cheese
8 ounces penne pasta or linguine (Gluten-free, use brown rice pasta-check label)
Salt
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, sliced into thin strips
1¼ teaspoons Cajun seasoning (divided)
1 teaspoon garlic powder (divided)
¼ teaspoon black pepper
Non-stick cooking spray
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 medium red bell pepper, seeds removed, cut in thin slices
1 medium yellow bell pepper, seeds removed, cut in thin slices
½ medium red onion, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
8 ounces button mushrooms, sliced
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 medium scallions (green onions), chopped

Directions

First... prep veggies, gather ingredients, and heat large pot of salted water to boiling.
Combine milk, cream cheese and flour in a blender. Mix until well blended. Set aside.
Cook pasta in boiling water according to package directions. Drain; set aside. Prepare chicken/sauce while pasta cooks.
Season chicken pieces with 1 tsp.Cajun seasoning, ½ tsp. garlic powder, and ¼ tsp. salt. Spray a non-stick skillet with cooking spray; heat to medium-high. When hot, add chicken. Cook chicken about 3 minutes (till golden brown on bottom), turn, cook other side about 3 minutes. When done, remove chicken to a plate. Set aside.
Add olive oil to skillet. Turn heat down to medium. Add bell pepper and onion. Cook about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once veggies are tender, add mushrooms and tomatoes. Cook 2-3 minutes, then add minced garlic, and cook for an additional minute, stirring often. Add the rest of the garlic powder, ½ teaspoon salt and ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper. Stir to blend.
Turn heat down to medium-low. Pour in the "slurry" (milk/cream cheese/flour mixture) and a cup of chicken broth. Stir well. Cook for a couple minutes, stirring, until sauce has started to thicken.
Add chicken back into skillet. Add ⅛ teaspoon salt and the rest of the Cajun seasoning (1/4 tsp). Stir and cook until chicken is heated through (1-2 minutes). Once mixed, add cooked pasta to skillet, and gently toss, to coat pasta and chicken with sauce. When heated through, it's ready! Garnish each serving with sliced green onions... and serve hot!

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Cajun Chicken Pasta / The Grateful Girl Cooks! This "lightened-up" dish is packed with veggies, chicken and great flavor!

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04
Sep
2017

Piña Colada Fluff Salad

categories: Salads, Side Dishes

I recently made a Piña Colada Fluff Salad… and my husband and I can’t stay out of it, grabbing a spoonful here, and a spoonful there…because it is sooo incredibly good!
When I first showed it to my husband, he didn’t seem too thrilled since he’s not much of a pineapple and coconut kind of guy. But… and that’s a BIG but… after he took a taste of it, he took another bite, said it was “refreshing”, then took another bite and then another! You get the picture! He ended up absolutely LOVING this sweet taste of the tropics “dessert” salad, that is made in about 5 minutes! Can you believe it? Yep. Only takes 5 minutes to make this delicious dish! How’s THAT for a real timesaver!?

I can’t vouch for it’s “healthiness”, but I can absolutely vouch for it’s “amazingness! Delicious! Here’s the cast of characters: crushed pineapple, miniature marshmallows, shredded coconut, whipped topping, rum extract, chopped nuts, and vanilla pudding mix. Yep.

Trust me, this salad is fantastic! And it’s SO EASY to make in about 5 minutes. Here’s what you do…

Place the pudding mix and an entire can (juice included) of crushed pineapple into a large serving bowl. Stir ingredients until they are completely mixed together.

Add the marshmallows, shredded coconut, chopped nuts, and rum extract to mixture. Top it off with the whipped topping. Gently fold all the ingredients together until completely combined.

Once thoroughly combined, cover the bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve (I recommend refrigerating it for a couple hours, at least!).

That’s it! See how easy that was? When ready to serve you should notice that the salad has thickened up a little bit. Scoop it up, serve, and enjoy the taste of the tropics with this simple sweet salad.

I really hope you enjoy this salad. We truly did (and are still enjoying the leftovers, I might add!). We had this with our dinner, but you could also serve this as dessert, if you wanted to. This easy recipe is definitely going into my KEEP pile of recipes! Enjoy!

Recipe Source: http://www.momontimeout.com/2015/02/pina-colada-fluff/

Piña Colada Fluff Salad

Prep time

5 mins

Total time

5 mins

Enjoy a taste of the tropics with this simple and delicious sweet salad!

As Prepared By: JB at The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Recipe type: Salad/Side Dish

Serves: 8 servings

Ingredients

1 box vanilla instant pudding mix (3.4 ounces)
1 can (20 ounces) crushed pineapple (do NOT drain!)
½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1 teaspoon rum extract
2 cups miniature marshmallows
1 cup shredded sweetened coconut
1 tub Cool Whip (8 ounces), thawed

Directions

Place the entire can of crushed pineapple (undrained) and the pudding mix into a large serving bowl. Stir ingredients until they are fully mixed together.
Add chopped nuts, rum extract, marshmallows and coconut to bowl. Top with entire tub of Cool Whip, and fold the ingredients in together until fully combined.
Cover bowl with plastic wrap; refrigerate salad until completely chilled (recommend a couple hours) and you're ready to serve.

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Piña Colada Fluff Salad / The Grateful Girl Cooks! This sweet, delicious tropical tasting salad only takes 5 minutes to prepare and serves 8!

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31
Aug
2017

Fresh Tomato, Bacon and Onion Fettucine

categories: Bacon, Italian, Pasta

A few days ago our oldest son popped in for a visit, and ended up staying to have dinner with us. I made this yummy, quick recipe for Fresh Tomato, Bacon and Onion Fettucine, and we enjoyed it very much!
The recipe is one I’ve had for years and years, but do not know the original source, since only the recipe was written down on a little 3×5 card. I’ve made a few changes to the recipe over the years to suit my taste buds, and let me tell you… it is good!

The basic recipe is actually quite simple… cook bacon, cook pasta, cook a few simple fresh ingredients, combine and serve in about 20 minutes! It tastes wonderful, too! Here’s how you make this dish:

In a skillet, cook bacon pieces until crisp. Transfer bacon pieces to paper towel to absorb grease.. Drain bacon drippings, BUT LEAVE 1 TABLESPOON BACON DRIPPINGS IN SKILLET (sorry for the slightly blurry photo). **Tip: While bacon is cooking, bring water for pasta to boiling, then cook in separate pot**.

Add chopped onion, tomato, basil and crispy cooked bacon pieces to reserved Tablespoon of bacon drippings in skillet. The photo below is before I added the cooked bacon. (I used a variety of colored tomatoes, but any fresh tomatoes will be perfectly fine!). Cook 3-4 minutes until onion is tender, and tomatoes have begun to break down. Add minced garlic and a couple Tablespoons of starchy water from the pasta that is cooking. Stir well, to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, until heated completely through on medium heat.

Heat lightly salted water in large pot for pasta. When boiling, add pasta, and cook according to package directions. (Note: I did this while cooking the bacon and sauce to save time). I made the fettucine from scratch with my little pasta machine earlier in the day just for fun! Isn’t it beautiful? I used it in this meal (because I find it relaxing to make homemade pasta), but absolutely recommend using store bought pasta for the easiest way to make this dish!

When pasta is finished cooking, drain and add pasta to skillet with the sauce. Gently toss with tongs, to thoroughly coat the pasta with sauce. Cook until heated through, adding an additional touch of water if necessary to thin the sauce to cover.

Place pasta and sauce onto serving dishes, then garnish with grated Parmesan cheese and a sprinkle of dried or fresh parsley. Serve, and enjoy!

We really enjoyed this pasta dish with a simple mixed green salad on the side. The recipe, as written, makes 3 main course servings or 4-5 small side servings.

As I write this blog today, my heart is broken over the Hurricane Harvey destruction and horrific flooding occurring in Texas and Louisiana this week. We are continuing to pray for our fellow citizens impacted by this event, and are hopeful God will meet their needs physically, emotionally and spiritually during and after this tragedy. He is “a very present help in times of trouble”.

Have a good day, friends. May you know God’s unconditional love, no matter what you are going through!

Original Recipe Source: unknown (recipe handwritten on a 3×5 card many years ago)

Fresh Tomato, Bacon and Onion Fettucine

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

20 mins

As Prepared By: JB at The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Recipe type: Main Course

Serves: 3 main or 4 side

Ingredients

6 ounces fettucine noodles
3 slices raw bacon, cut into ½ inch slices
¼ cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped tomato
1 teaspoon minced garlic
½ teaspoon dried basil (or 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh basil)
2-3 Tablespoons starchy pasta water
Grated Parmesan cheese (for garnish)
Dried parsley (for garnish)

Directions

Heat lightly salted water in large pot. When boiling, add pasta, and cook according to package directions. (I did this at same time I was cooking bacon and sauce).
In a skillet, cook bacon pieces until crisp. Transfer bacon pieces to paper towel to absorb grease. Drain grease from skillet, BUT LEAVE 1 TABLESPOON BACON GREASE IN SKILLET.
Add chopped onion, tomato, basil and bacon pieces to bacon drippings in skillet. Cook 3-4 minutes until onion is tender, and tomatoes have begun to break down. Add minced garlic and a couple Tablespoons of water from the pasta that is cooking. Stir well, to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, until heated completely through on medium heat.
When pasta is finished cooking, drain and add pasta to skillet with the sauce. Gently toss to coat the pasta with the sauce. Heat until hot throughout. Place pasta and sauce onto serving plates, and garnish with grated Parmesan cheese and a sprinkle of dried parsley. Serve, and enjoy!

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Fresh Tomato, Bacon and Onion Fettucine / The Grateful Girl Cooks!

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28
Aug
2017

Easy Cheesy Garlic Crescent Rolls

categories: Breads, Side Dishes

What’s NOT to love about Easy Cheesy Garlic Crescent Rolls? They are super easy to prepare, can be on the table in about 20 minutes, and they taste fantastic served on the side with meats, soups and salads!
Before beginning, be sure to preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, then set aside.

Mix the melted butter, Italian seasoning, garlic, dried parsley and dried basil together, in a small bowl. Unwrap the crescent rolls. Separate dough into triangles. Using a pastry brush, brush the dough with the butter and seasoning mixture (but reserve a bit of the mixture to use later).

Place some of the grated mozzarella at the wide end of the dough (or place the string cheese half at the wide end).

Carefully roll up the dough, and try to tuck the edges of dough in, to seal. Place dough onto parchment paper, with about 2 inches in between each one. Brush the tops of the dough with the remaining butter/seasoning mixture. (I even sprinkled just a bit more mozzarella cheese on top)!

Bake rolls at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes, until rolls are golden brown. Remove from oven. If any cheese has leaked out, simply push it back onto roll with a spatula while cheese is still warm!

Serve rolls while they are warm… and enjoy! They taste wonderful (and I bet you can’t stay out of them)!

We really enjoyed these scrumptious rolls, and I LOVED how EASY they were to make! The original recipe from Amanda at The Chunky Chef, was double this amount (16 rolls). I cut the recipe in half (which is the way I wrote the recipe below), since we only needed 8 for our small family.

Sure hope you will give them a try. They really are quite delicious! Have a fantastic day, friends. God bless you!

Recipe Source: https://www.thechunkychef.com/cheesy-garlic-crescent-rolls/

Easy Cheesy Garlic Crescent Rolls

Prep time

6 mins

Cook time

11 mins

Total time

17 mins

These easy to prepare cheese-stuffed and Italian-seasoned crescent rolls will be a wonderful addition to any meal!

As Prepared By: JB at The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Recipe type: Side dish

Serves: 8 rolls

Ingredients

1 (8 ounce) can refrigerated crescent rolls
1 cup freshly grated mozzarella cheese OR 4 pieces string cheese (cut in half to make 2 short pieces)
3 Tablespoons butter, melted
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
½ teaspoon dried parsley
¼ teaspoon dried basil

Directions

Before beginning, be sure to preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, then set aside.
Mix the melted butter, Italian seasoning, garlic, dried parsley and dried basil together, in a small bowl.
Unwrap the crescent rolls. Separate dough into triangles. Using a pastry brush, brush the dough with the butter and seasoning mixture (but reserve a bit of the mixture to use later). Place some of the grated mozzarella at the wide end of the dough (or place the string cheese half at the wide end). Carefully roll up the dough, and try to tuck the edges of dough in, to seal. Place dough onto parchment paper, with about 2 inches in between each one.
Brush the tops of the dough with the remaining butter/seasoning mixture. Bake rolls at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes, until rolls are golden brown. Remove from oven. If any cheese has leaked out, simply push it back onto roll with a spatula while cheese is still warm! Serve, and enjoy!

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Easy Cheesy Garlic Crescent Rolls / The Grateful Girl Cooks!

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24
Aug
2017

Chocolate Oaties

categories: Cookies, Desserts

Looking for a quick and easy treat? How about Chocolate Oaties… delicious “No-Bake” drop cookies featuring chocolate, peanut butter, nuts and oats? The best part is they only take about 10 minutes to make, and are soooo GOOD. Yes, please!

I grew up eating Chocolate Oaties. My Mom made them for our family quite often, I suppose because they taste so good (gotta be that chocolate-peanut butter combo!) and the fact that they are fairly inexpensive and ridiculously QUICK AND EASY to make in 10 minutes. Whatever her reasons were, these no-bake cookies were always a big hit with our family. Here’s how to make them:

Measure the peanut butter, oats, vanilla, salt and chopped nuts into a large mixing bowl. Set aside. (It’s important to do this BEFORE next step! Trust me.)

In a medium saucepan, place sugar, cocoa, butter, and evaporated milk. Cook on medium heat, stirring often, until mixture comes to a boil. Boil ingredients for 1 minute. Immediately remove the chocolate sauce from heat and pour over peanut butter/oat mixture in mixing bowl while it is boiling hot. The very hot chocolate sauce helps to melt the peanut butter!

Stir well, to fully melt peanut butter and combine all ingredients. Place a piece of wax paper on a 9×13 baking sheet. Drop batter by rounded spoonfuls onto wax paper (Use 2 spoons… one to scoop, and the back of the other to scoop/drop cookies onto paper). Place baking sheet (uncovered) into refrigerator, and refrigerate for an hour so they can set up.

That’s it!!! See how easy that was? Remember to store any uneaten chocolate oaties in a covered container in refrigerator. By the way… here’s one I saved for you… want a bite?

I hope you enjoy these quick, yummy, easy to prepare drop cookies… we sure do!
Have a great day, friends.

Recipe Source: My Mom

Chocolate Oaties

Prep time

10 mins

Total time

10 mins

You can make these delicious no-bake chocolate and peanut butter flavored drop cookies in about 10 minutes!

As Prepared By: JB at The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Recipe type: Cookies

Serves: approx. 30 cookies

Ingredients

½ cup peanut butter
3 cups quick cook oats (dry)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt
½-3/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
2 cups granulated sugar
4 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cube butter
½ cup evaporated milk

Directions

Measure the peanut butter, oats, vanilla, salt and chopped nuts into a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan, place sugar, cocoa, butter, and evaporated milk. Cook on medium heat, stirring often, until mixture comes to a boil. Boil ingredients for 1 minute. Immediately remove sauce from heat and pour over peanut butter/oat mixture in mixing bowl. Stir well, to fully melt peanut butter and combine all ingredients.
Place a piece of wax or parchment paper on a 9x13 baking sheet. Drop batter by rounded spoonfuls onto paper (Use 2 spoons... one to scoop, and the back of the other to scoop/drop cookies onto paper). See NOTES section for tip.
Place baking sheet (uncovered) into refrigerator, and refrigerate for an hour so they can set up. Enjoy! Store chocolate oaties in a covered container in refrigerator.

Notes

I used a rounded Tablespoon batter for each cookie (yielded 31, 2-3" wide cookies).
If you want more cookies, simply make them smaller by using a rounded teaspoon!

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Chocolate Oaties / The Grateful Girl Cooks! Delicious 10 minute "no-bake" drop cookies with chocolate, peanut butter, nuts and oats!

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21
Aug
2017

Blackberry Scones

categories: Breads, Breakfast, Scones

Anyone who knows me well, knows I love a good scone… and I sure do love these yummy Blackberry Scones!
Blackberries grow wild all over the beautiful Pacific Northwest. We have a forest park behind our home and the blackberry vines creep over our back fence (until we madly hack them back each Fall!). This summer we have a bumper crop of blackberries, free for the taking (I will cut the vines back AFTER I get all the blackberries we can handle!). I’ve been picking berries every other day, and get about a quart of berries each time. I’ve already used them to make a Blackberry Cobbler, a Berry and Orange Spinach Salad, and Blackberry Pie Bars, so now I’m making blackberry scones, and have saved a bunch more to make jam. Yeehaw!

These scones are very easy to prepare; the method used is similar to my other scone recipes on this blog. For this particular recipe, it is important to use frozen blackberries, because blackberries are really juicy and if not frozen, they will “leak” juice all over the scones while mixing and baking. Here’s how to make them:

First, preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. In a large bowl, whisk together the all purpose flour, baking powder and salt. Cut up COLD butter into small chunks and add to flour mixture. Use a pastry blender and cut the butter into the flour until the butter has been reduced to the size of small peas. You can also do this in a food processor, if desired. Add sugar, and stir to combine. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, add heavy whipping cream, eggs and vanilla extract. Whisk together until blended. Set aside.

Add frozen blackberries to flour mixture. Toss gently to lightly coat the berries with flour.

Pour the whisked whipping cream/egg mixture into the flour mixture. Stir gently to mix. Please note that the frozen berries will begin to thaw very quickly, so do this step quickly, but gently. Your dough will be fairly sticky.

Once mixed, place the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead the dough VERY LIGHTLY 3-4 times to ensure the dough comes together in a ball. Shape dough into an 8 inch circle using your clean hands. The dough should be about 1½ inches high. Cut into 8 wedges with a sharp knife or pizza cutter (I always use a pizza cutter- easy, and works like a charm!).

Place the scones onto an ungreased baking sheet in a circle. I leave a little space between each wedge. If desired, sprinkle tops with sugar (optional). Bake in preheated 400 degree oven for 20-22 minutes, or until tops are light golden brown in color and they are “set” in the middle.

When scones are finished baking, let them cool on the baking sheet for several minutes, then separate them and transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling. That’s it! I hope you enjoy these tasty blackberry scones for breakfast, or for an afternoon treat with some tea, coffee, or a big cold glass of milk! They are delicious!

Thanks for taking time to look at this recipe! I am thankful to Roberta Reynolds for this delicious recipe, and hope you give it a try (and give my other scone recipes a look, too!). Have a wonderful day, friends… be kind and encouraging to others out there in the big ol’ world. It can really make a positive difference in someones day!

Recipe Adapted From: http://birdsnestbites.com/blackberry-scones/

Blackberry Scones

Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

35 mins

As Prepared By: JB at The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Recipe type: Breakfast

Serves: 8 scones

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour
2½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
7 Tablespoons COLD butter (almost a whole cube)
¼ cup granulated sugar
½ cup heavy whipping cream
2 large eggs
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1½ cups FROZEN blackberries

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Cut up COLD butter into small chunks; add to flour mixture. Use a pastry blender and cut the butter into the flour until butter has been reduced to the size of small peas. You can also do this in a food processor if desired. Add sugar; stir to combine. Set aside.
In separate bowl, add heavy whipping cream, eggs and vanilla extract. Whisk together until blended. Set aside.
Add frozen blackberries to flour mixture. Toss gently to lightly coat the berries with flour. Pour whipping cream/egg mixture into flour mixture. Stir gently to mix. Please note that frozen berries will begin to thaw very fast, so do this step quickly, but gently. Your dough will be fairly sticky.
Once mixed, place the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead the dough VERY LIGHTLY 3-4 times so dough comes together in a ball. Shape dough into an 8 inch circle using your hands. The dough should be about 1½ inches high. Cut into 8 wedges with a sharp knife or pizza cutter.
Place the scones onto an ungreased baking sheet in a circle, leaving a little space between each wedge. If desired, sprinkle tops with sugar (optional). Bake in preheated 400 degree oven for 20-22 minutes, or until tops are light golden brown in color and they are "set" in the middle. When finished baking, let scones cool on baking sheet for several minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling. Serve at room temperature... and enjoy!

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Blackberry Scones / The Grateful Girl Cooks!

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17
Aug
2017

Albondigas Soup

categories: Beef, Mexican / Southwestern, Soups

I made Albondigas Soup for dinner a couple of days ago… did you know that “Albondigas” simply means “little meatballs”? That’s right! This is a yummy “little meatball soup”. It’s very simple to make… and it sure tastes good!
I was given this recipe at my bridal shower (almost 40 years ago) by the Mom of one of my bridesmaids. I have made this soup numerous times over the years, and we still enjoy it to this day. Simple and economical to make, the soup has a mild Southwestern flavor, due in small part to chili powder and other spices, and the meatballs, filled with ground beef and rice really help fill you up, too! The soup is perfect served as an pre-dinner soup (in small portions), or as a main course. We had it for our meal as the main course, with a thick slice of french bread. YUM.

The soup is entirely cooked in one pan. Even the meatballs are added uncooked to the hot broth and they cook in the pan. No pre-browning of the meatballs is necessary, so it really doesn’t take much work at all to serve up a hot, steaming pot of albondigas soup! Here’s how to make it: Saute chopped onions in large soup pot in hot oil until onions are limp, but not yet browned.

Add the rest of soup ingredients to the pan (chili powder, garlic powder, bisque of tomato soup, condensed beef consomme, water, sliced celery and carrots. Simmer, uncovered, on medium-low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. While soup is simmering, make the meatballs.

While soup is simmering, make the meatballs by combining ground beef, cooked rice, cornstarch, garlic powder, oregano, egg, salt, pepper, and dried parsley in a large bowl. Mix well to fully combine ingredients. Form the meat mixture into small meatballs about the size of a walnut shell (about 1½ inches wide – I was able to make 31 little meatballs). I placed them on parchment paper as I formed them.

Carefully place the meatballs (uncooked) into the simmering soup broth. They will sink to the bottom of the pot. It is easiest to gently put them into pot with your fingers, not a spoon as shown. I took this photo so you could see that the meatballs go into the pot “uncooked”. The meatballs begin to cook immediately after putting them in, as you can see by the next photo, taken about 30 seconds after adding them.

Simmer the soup on low for 30 minutes after adding the meatballs. When done, the fully cooked meatballs will have floated to the top of the soup.

All that’s left to do is to ladle the hot soup into individual bowls. Serve soup hot with a slice of toasted french bread, and a nice mixed green salad on the side… and enjoy!

I hope you enjoy this simple to prepare, yet very tasty soup! Have a wonderful day!

Recipe Source: Mrs. Phyllis Dean

Albondigas Soup

Prep time

25 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

55 mins

Delicious Albondigas ("little meatball") Soup is easy and inexpensive Southwestern flavored soup to prepare, and can be served as a first course or an entree!

As Prepared By: JB at The Grateful Girl Cooks!

Recipe type: Soup

Serves: 6 servings

Ingredients

For the broth:

½ cup chopped onion
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
½ teaspoon chili powder
dash of garlic powder or garlic salt
1 can Campbells Bisque of Tomato Soup
3 cans Campbells Condensed Beef Consomme soup
3 cans water
1½ cups sliced carrots
1½ cups sliced celery

For the meatballs:

1 pound ground beef
½ cup COOKED rice
1 Tablespoons cornstarch
Dash garlic powder or garlic salt
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 egg
¼ cup parsley flakes

Directions

Heat oil in large soup pot. Saute onion until limp, but not browned. Add remainder of soup ingredients (chili powder, garlic powder, salt, tomato soup, beef consomme, water, sliced carrots and celery). Simmer uncovered on medium-low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. While soup simmers, make the meatballs.
Combine all ingredients for meatballs in medium bowl (ground beef, cooked rice, cornstarch, garlic powder, oregano, salt, pepper, egg and parsley). Stir well, to fully combine. Form little meatballs with your hands (meatballs should be only about 1½ inches wide). Set formed meatballs on wax paper or parchment paper while you continue to make meatballs.
When soup is done simmering (after 20 minutes), carefully add the uncooked meatballs to the hot broth. They will sink to bottom of pan, but will begin to cook immediately. Cook, uncovered, on a low simmer for 30 minutes. When done, the meatballs will be cooked through and will float to the surface of the soup. Ladle up the hot soup into individual bowls... serve and enjoy!

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Albondigas Soup / The Grateful Girl Cooks!

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