Churro Cookies

Ingredients:

4 oz. cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup sugar, divided 

2 count refrigerated Pillsbury frozen pie crust

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 tbsp. cinnamon

2 tbsp. melted butter

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese, vanilla, and 1/4 cup of sugar, and set aside.

2. Unroll both of the pie crusts and smear one of them with the cream cheese mixture.

3. Place the second crust directly on top.  Using a cookie cutter or the top of a cup, press down to cut into individual-sized cookies.

4. With a fork, gently press around the circumference of the cookie to seal the edges.

5. Bake them on a parchment lined baking sheet at 350 degrees  for approx. 12 minutes or until they’re firm and slightly golden.  

6. Let them cool, and brush both sides of them with the melted butter.

7. Coat them very well in the cinnamon sugar mixture (1/2 cup sugar and 2 tbsp. cinnamon).

*www.ohbiteit.com

Skinny! Chicken Piccata

yum. yum. yummm.  easy. easy. easyyyy!

Ingredients:
Olive oil cooking spray
8 boneless, skinless, thin-cut chicken cutlets (2 lbs.) (FYI: I found that one cutlet was plenty per person, but I did NOT reduce the remaining ingredient amounts needed to make the "sauce.")
salt and pepper
1 ½ cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
4 tsp. arrowroot or cornstarch, dissolved in 2 tsp. water
1 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary
4 thin lemon slices
3 tbsp. drained nonpareil capers
1 tbsp. unsalted butter 

Directions:
1. Generously coat a 12-in. ovenproof skillet with cooking spray. Season chicken with salt and pepper on both sides.
2. Heat pan over high heat. Cook 2 or 3 cutlets at a time until lightly browned, 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm. Repeat with remaining chicken, coating pan with cooking spray between batches.
3. Add chicken broth and bring to a simmer, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the dissolved arrowroot or cornstarch and whisk until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes.
Return chicken to the pan with rosemary, lemon slices and capers; gently simmer until chicken is cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove chicken from pan and divide among 4 plates.
4. Add butter to sauce in pan and cook over high heat until slightly thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Spoon a generous amount of sauce over each plate. Serves 4.  (I served with a rice pilaf and veggie.  Enjoy!!)

*People Magazine, Rocco DiSpirito's Italian Chicken, April 2013

Southwest Chicken Chopped Salad

Fan-freaking-tastic.  Nuff said.

Ingredients:
2 cups diced rotisserie chicken
1 green pepper, diced
1 cup black beans
1 cup sweet yellow corn {canned or frozen and defrosted}
2 roma tomatoes, diced
4 scallions, washed, sliced, and diced {white and green parts}
1 large romaine heart (or 2 small hearts), washed and chopped 
1/2 bunch cilantro, washed and chopped {optional} (I purchased cilantro and had every intention of using it, but forgot to add to the salad.  I love cilantro, but I didn't even miss it!)
2 just under ripe avocados, diced
2 cups crushed tortilla chips (I used Tostitos Artisan Brand Three Cheese flavor.  Use them too.  Yum.)
for the dressing:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 tablespoon ranch seasoning
1/2 tablespoon taco seasoning
1/2 tablespoon lime juice (I didn't have a lime on hand, so I used a lemon.  I used an ENTIRE lemon.  My suggestion is whichever citrus you choose, use all of it.  It gives the dressing a thinner consistency.)
salt & pepper, to taste

Directions:

In a large bowl, stir all salad ingredients together, excluding the tortilla chips and avocado. In a small bowl, stir all dressing ingredients together until smooth. When ready to serve, toss salad with dressing then gently stir in avocado and tortilla chips.  Serves 4.  (*Check seasoning before serving.  I sprinkled my salad with a little bit of salt and pepper after adding the avocado.)

*www.laurenslatest.com

Pork Tenderloin with Pan Sauce

Hands down one of the best recipes on this blog.  No question.

Ingredients:
1⁄2 cups olive oil
1⁄3 cup soy sauce
1⁄4 cup red wine vinegar
Juice of 1 lemon
1-2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1-2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
2 tsp dry mustard
Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 1-lb. pork tenderloin (silver skin removed)

Directions:
Combine all marinade ingredients and reserve 2-3 Tbsp. Place the pork tenderloin and marinade in a Ziplock bag and let marinate for at least 3-4 hours. 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a hot skillet over medium-high heat, sear each side of tenderloin for 2-3 minutes. Place in the oven and cook for 30 minutes or until the meat has reached 160 degrees.  (I cooked mine to 150 degrees...As it rests, it cooks about 10 more degrees.) Let rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing. 

Pan Sauce:
Pan scrapings from pork tenderloin
1/2 cup of chicken broth
2-3 tbsp of pork marinade (thoroughly mixed)
1-2 tsp butter

Meanwhile, place the skillet back on the stove over medium heat. Add the chicken broth and scrape up all the browned pieces from the bottom of the pan. Add the marinade and let it boil down for 2-3 minutes. Add the butter and remove from heat stirring until butter has melted. Pour over the pork tenderloin.

*http://chefmommy-brandao.blogspot.com

Oreo Cheesecake Bars

These are VERY, very, gross.  April Fools!

INGREDIENTS:

For the crust:

23 Oreo cookies

2 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

For the cheesecake:

12 oz. cream cheese, room temperature

6 tbsp. sugar

6 tbsp. sour cream, room temperature

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 tsp. salt

1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk

12 Oreo cookies, roughly chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and line a 8x8 inch baking dish with foil. Let two sides of the foil overhang on the baking dish (so it's easier to pull out the cheesecake).
2. To make the crust, in a food processor, pulse the Oreos until they're finely ground. Add in the melted butter and pulse until the cookies are moistened.
3. Transfer the ground Oreos to the prepared baking pan and press the crumbs in an even layer over the bottom of the pan. Bake crust for 10 minutes then set aside while keeping the oven on.
4. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese on medium high until light and smooth, about 2 minutes. Then mix in the sugar until well-combined.
5. Blend in the sour cream, vanilla, and salt. Then beat in the egg and egg yolk until well-incorporated.
6. Gently stir in the chopped Oreos.
7. Pour cheesecake batter over the prepared crust and smooth out the top with a spatula. Bake for 40 minutes, or until cheesecake is set around the edges but slightly wobbly in the center.
8. Let cheesecake cool to room temperature, about 1 hour, then cover the pan and refrigerate until well chilled, about 3 hours. I chilled mine overnight.
9. To cut the bars, lift the overhanging foil from the pan and place it on a cutting board. Peel away the foil and slice into bars. Clean the knife blade after each slice to keep the edges pretty.
10. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve. You may keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week, if it lasts that long!

*www.tablefortwoblog.com