chicken fiero

This chicken is really tender, creamy and yummy.  It's really nice served with a warm tortilla.  I'm positive I found this recipe at allrecipes.com a while back but I can't find it any longer.  I adjusted it to make it a little lower in fat.

chicken fiero
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I filleted mine)
8 ounces light cream cheese, softened
1 (4 ounce) can green chiles
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 cup enchilada sauce
1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese

Lay chicken breasts in the bottom of a casserole.  In a bowl, combine cream cheese, green chiles, chili powder, enchilada sauce and cheddar cheese.  Pour over chicken breasts.  Bake at 350 for 40 minutes.

blackberry cinnamon rolls

I'm almost shaking from excitement as I post this recipe for BLACKBERRY CINNAMON ROLLS.  They are sensational.  This could be the reason our family moved to Oregon.  If there's any one thing I love about Oregon is that this state will never run out of wild blackberries.  They are absolutely everywhere!

blackberry cinnamon rolls (my friend Lindsy K.)
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 1/2 cups flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup milk
2 cups blackberries
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons sugar

Melt 1/2 cup butter in 10" round dish (I used a pie plate and placed it in the oven as it preheated at 350).  Heat sugar and water in a pan- dissolve.  Turn off heat.
Mix flour and baking powder.  Cut in 1/2 cup butter.  Add 1/3 cup milk.  Knead.
Roll out to an 11x9 rectangle- 1/4" thick.
Sprinkle cinnamon and berries on top and roll it up.
Cut into 1 1/2" slices.
Put into melted butter in round dish.
Pour sugar/water mixture over the rolls, getting in cracks.  (Yes, it looks like they're swimming in butter/sugar/water!).
Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.  Sprinkle with sugar and bake 15 more minutes.  Enjoy!

What I have to say- I forgot to sprinkle them with sugar and bake for 15 more minutes but they were perfect anyway.

oven roasted asparagus

I think asparagus might be one of my top three favorite vegetables and I always forget to pick it up at the grocery store.  This recipe is terrific and my husband and I polished it off without any help from the kids- they got to eat peas.  They'll always eat peas! 

oven roasted asparagus (allrecipes.com)
1 bunch thin asparagus spears, trimmed
3 tablespoons olive oil (I used 1 tablespoon)
1 1/2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon lemon juice (I used a roasted lemon from our steak with olive salsa dish)

Preheat an oven to 425 degrees.  Place the asparagus into a mixing bowl and drizzle with the olive oil.  Toss to coat the spears then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, garlic, salt and pepper.  Arrange the asparagus onto a baking sheet in a single layer.  Bake in the preheated oven until just tender 12 to 15 minutes depending on thickness.  Sprinkle with lemon juice just before serving.

spicy chicken sandwiches with cilantro lime mayo

This sandwich is delicous!!

spicy chicken sandwiches with cilantro lime mayo (myrecipes.com)
1/4 cup egg substitute
3 tablespoons hot sauce
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 (6 ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
4 1/2 ounces baked tortilla chips (about 6 cups)
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 (2 ounce) Kaiser rolls, split
12 (1/8-inch-thick) red onion slices
4 lettuce leaves
1/4 cup reduced fat mayonnaise
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
1 garlic clove, minced

To prepare mayo, combine mayo, cilantro, lime juice and garlic.
To prepare chicken, combine egg substitute, hot sauce, oregano and salt in a large zip-top plastic bag.  Cut chicken breast halves in half horizontally to form 4 cutlets.  Add chicken to bag; seal.  Marinate in refrigerator 2 hours or up to 8 hours, turning bag occasionally.
Place tortilla chips in a food processor (I pounded them), process 1 minute until ground.  PLace ground chips in a shallow dish.
Working with one cutlet at a time, remove chicken from marinade, allowing excess to drip off.  Coat chicken completely in chips.  Set aside.  Repeat procedure with remaining chicken and chips.
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Add olive oil to pan, swirling to coat.  Add chicken to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side (it took longer, trust me) or until browned and done.  Spread mayo evenly over cut sides of rolls.  Layer bottom half of each roll with 3 onion slices, 1 lettuce leaf and 1 chicken cutlet; top with top halves of rolls.

herbed chicken parmesan

My kids raved about this chicken and I thought it was pretty darn good.  My husband asked, "Is this pizza chicken?"  It was pretty tasty.  I thought the balsamic vinegar was a very nice addition to the pasta sauce.  I'll be having leftovers for breakfast tomorrow morning for sure.

herbed chicken parmesan (myrecipes.com, a Cooking Light recipe)
1/3 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
1 pound chicken breast tenders
1 tablespoon butter
1 1/2 cups bottled fat-free tomato-basil pasta sauce
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/3 cup shredded provolone cheese

Preheat broiler.  Combine 2 tablespoons of Parmesan, breadcrumbs, parsley, basil and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a shallow dish.  Place egg white in a shallow dish.  Dip each chicken tender in egg white; dredge in the breadcrumb mixture.  Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add chicken; cook 3 minutes on each side or until done.  Set aside.
Combine 1/8 teaspoon salt, pasta sauce, vinegar and pepper in a microwave-safe bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap; vent.  Microwave sauce mixture at HIGH 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated.  Pour the sauce over chicken in pan.  Sprinkle evenly with the remaining Parmesan and provolone cheese.  Wrap handle of pan with foil and broil 2 minutes or until the cheese melts.

kamanu's salmon dish

This is the delicious salmon the Loos made for me for my birthday dinner last month.  It was soooo good and if you look at the ingredients, it's so simple- perfect!  My mouth is watering as I remember what it tasted like.  I wish I had picked up some salmon while I was at the grocery store today.

kamanu's salmon dish (an original Loo family recipe)
3 salmon boneless fillets (they get theirs at Costco)
3 large onions
Lawry's seasoned salt
2 tablespoons olive oil

Thaw 3 salmon fillets.  Sprinkle with Lawry's seasoned salt (coat pretty heavily).  Set aside.  Dice onions and place in olive oil in a heavy skillet that has a tight fitting lid.  Sprinkle onions with Lawry's seasoned salt.  Cook and stir until onions start to become transparent.  Slide onions to the side and slip a fillet into the skillet.    Push onions on top of salmon making space for another fillet.  Continue this process until all the fillets have been placed into the pan and onions are covering the fillets.  Cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes then place on low for about 10 to 15 more minutes.  Salmon is done when it flakes easily with a fork.  Serve over rice.

peaches and cream bars

I could hardly wait to post these peaches and "dream" bars.  They are outstanding.  I served them when our friends Tom and Misty and their little girls came to visit over the weekend.  The crust is like a beautiful shortbread and the rest is just as dreamy.  (It didn't hurt that I used some of the most delicious peaches I've ever tasted.  I love Trader Joe's!) 

peaches and cream bars (blog: Taste and Tell)
3 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, chilled

filling
4 large eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup sour cream
3/4 cup all purpose flour
pinch of slat
2 pounds peaches, pitted and sliced thin (about 5 large peaches)

Preheat the oven to 350.  Grease a 9x13 pan with cooking spray; set aside.
Combine the flour, sugar and salt until combined.  Add the butter and use a pastry cutter or knives to cut into small pieces until the mixture appears crumbly.
Take out 1 1/2 cups of the mixture and set aside.  Press the remaining mixture into the prepared pan.  Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown 12 to 15 minutes.  Let cool for at least 10 minutes.
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar.  Add in the sour cream, flour and salt.  Fold in the sliced peaches.  Pour over the cooked crust.  Take the remaining 1 1/2 cups of the dry mixture and sprinkle over the top of the peaches.  Bake until the top is lightly browned and the filling is set, 45 to 50 minutes.  Cool at least 1 hour before cutting into bars.

What I have to say- I don't appreciate pie or desserts with fruit in them when they are served warm.  I refrigerated my peaches and cream bars until they were nice and cold. Mmmm....