Cheesy Chili Mac

As I'm sure you have heard that Borders bookstore is going out of business. It's very sad for the company and all of its employees, but GREAT for us! Magazines are 40% off and I loaded up on all of the America's Test Kitchen magazines I could find!

Usually I never buy ATK because the magazines run about $10.00, which is alot for a magazine. I'm more comfortable in the $4.00 range. But when the magazines were on sale it brought the price down to $4.77 a piece. There is nothing like a good sale!

On of the magazines I purchased was ATK's Skillet Suppers, and who doesn't love a dinner that can be made in one pan? One of the recipes that spoke out to me this evening was Cheesy Chili Mac, because Dusty hasn't been feeling well and I just wanted comfort food.

I always want comfort food!

The original recipe ingredients list says to use Italian Blend Cheese, but I think that was a typo. Because after I went to the grocery store, bought the Italian Blend Cheese and came home, I read the description of the recipe a little more closely and it talks about MEXICAN Cheese Blend.

????????

It tasted good with the Italian Blend, but definitely use Mexican when you make this.

I also love that this recipe is comfort food, but doesn't call for 1 stick of butter or 1 cup of heavy cream. Don't you just hate that? Dishes like that go from "Comfort Food" to "Guilt Food" instantly for me. It drives me crazy! But this dish makes me very happy!

Here is what you are going to need for Cheesy Chili Mac:
{4 servings}
-1 tbsp Canola Oil
-1 medium Onion, minced
-1 tbsp Chili Powder
-1 tbsp Ground Cumin
-1/2 tsp Salt
-3 cloves of minced Garlic
-1 tbsp Brown Sugar
-1 pound 90% Ground Beef or Turkey
-2 cups Water
-1 (15 ounce) can Tomato Sauce
-2 cups (8 ounces) Elbow Macaroni
-2 cups shredded Mexican Cheese Blend
-Salt and Pepper to taste

Heat oil in 12-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the minced onion, chili powder, cumin and 1/2 tsp Salt. Cook, stirring often, until softened (about 5 to 7 minutes). Add in the garlic and brown sugar and cook until fragrant (30 seconds). Add ground beef/turkey and cook until no longer pink (3 to 5 minutes).

Stir in water and tomato sauce, then add in the elbow macaroni. Increase the heat to medium-high and cover the skillet. Stir often and make sure to maintain a vigorous simmer until macaroni is al dente.

Take the skillet off heat and stir in 1 cup of the cheese and season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over top, cover and let the cheese melt for about 2 to 4 minutes.

Serve and enjoy your bowl of comfort!

Shrimp Cocktail Dip

I've taken my food blogging to a whole new level by getting crazy obsessed with recipe contests! Whether it's America's Test Kitchen or Real Women of Philadelphia, I'm lovin' it. I could have kicked myself this spring with the RWOP contest going on, because I couldn't participate. It was during the end of the school year with finals, graduation and moving. Too much in my life to set aside time to participate. But it was so much fun to see some of my blogging friends, The Church Cook, The Hill Country Cook and Cook, Bake & Decorate participate and do awesome with RWOP!

Now that life has calmed down quite a bit, I'm all about getting in there and having fun with these competitions. I was even featured on America's Test Kitchen for their Fresh Ingredient Challenge: Blueberries!

This weeks contest at RWOP is an appetizer contest and I was all over that, I entered one of Dusty's family favorites....Shrimp Cocktail Dip!

Check out the recipe HERE at RWOP!

If you belong to RWOP, add me as a friend, I'd love to connect online with ya!

*Thanks Julie for the recipe, it is so tasty and delicious!*

Jamaican Jerk Burgers

Tonight I was craving a burger, but not just any plain burger, and definitely not a fast food burger! I wanted something with bold flavor that was different from anything I've had before that wouldn't weigh me down. After flipping through my Bon Appetite Cookbook, I found the perfect burger to inspire me to make a burger that would satisfy all my needs...Jamaican Jerk Burger with an Chipotle-Orange Mayonnaise!

Poor Dusty has to work late tonight, so he didn't get to enjoy this burger with me. But because I'm a loving girlfriend, I have his burger prepped, marinating and ready to go on the George Foreman Grill right when he gets home. He is going to be so surprised by how tasty his dinner is tonight after a long night of work!

The recipe makes 6 servings, which is how I'm going to give it to you because I gotta tell you, the conversions from 6 servings to 2 servings hurt my brain. So I'll let you figure out how many servings you need and you can go from there!

For the Chipotle-Orange Mayonnaise:

-1 cup Mayonnaise

-3 tbsp fresh Orange Juice

-1 tbsp minced Chipotle Chile in Adobo Sauce

-1 tbsp Adobo Sauce

This is super easy, so brace yourself! Add all 3 ingredients into a bowl....

And stir to combine.

I could have just eaten this alone (although that would be gross), because I love the smokey citrus flavor of the mayonnaise. So good! After you mix to combine, cover with plastic wrap and put it in the fridge until you are ready to serve with the Jamaican Burger.

For the Jamaican Jerk Burger:

-1-1/2 cups coarsely chopped Green Onions

-1 tsp dried Thyme

-2 Jalapeno Peppers, seeded and chopped

-3 Garlic Cloves

-1/2 cup Brown Sugar

-1/2 cup Canola Oil

-1/2 cup Low Sodium Soy Sauce

-1 tsp Ground Allspice

-1-1/2 lbs Ground Beef

-6 Buns

-Condiments: Lettuce, Tomato and Grilled Yellow Onions

In a food processor, combine the first 4 ingredients...

And pulse until finely chopped.

Then add in the next 4 ingredients {Brown sugar, Canola oil, Soy Sauce and Allspice}....

And puree until almost smooth.

Form the burgers into patties and place into a baking dish. Pour 1/2 cup of sauce over all the burgers, toss to coat and let them marinate for 20 minutes. The rest of the sauce will be used for basting the burgers while they cook.

Grill the onions, slice the tomatoes and tear up the lettuce while the beef marinates. Also, if you choose to make them, start cooking up some fries or potato wedges.

After 20 minutes, now it is time to grill the burgers! Grill the burgers until desired doneness (about 4 minutes per side), brushing occasionally with the remaining jerk sauce.

Spread the Chipotle Mayonnaise on both inner sides of the bun. Place the lettuce on the bottom half of the bun with the tomato, burger, onion and then the top half of the bun.

Enjoy!

PRINT RECIPE HERE!

If You Give a Moose a Cupcake...

If you give a Moose a cupcake...

Then he'll probably ask for a Blueberry Pie.

After he is done with his pie, he'll probably realize he forgot to eat his lunch...

So he's going to want to have a juicy burger with fries.

And the Moose can't have a burger and fries without a Dreamsicle ice cream bar!

You would think this Moose would be full after eating all of that food...

But he decided that he needed a second lunch, or as I like to call it, "Linner."

And more specifically, he wanted a TV dinner with...

Chicken Legs...

Mashed Potatoes...

Peas & Carrots...

And a Brownie!

BURP!

After eating all this naughty and bad-for-you food, the Moose started feeling guilty.

 So he decided to end his marathon meal with a healthy red apple.

And he was finally full...for now!

 THE END!

*This week at work, we had a Cupcake Camp for 5th to 12th graders at The Copper Colander. These were the adorable and fun cupcakes that we made the past three days. It was such a blast and the kids learned a lot about decorating cupcakes and how to get really creative! I had such a great time with the kids and was incredibly impressed with their skills. It's amazing what you can create with a cupcake, candy and frosting!

Hawaiian Pork with Stir Fry Cabbage

I have become seriously obsessed with my Bon Appetite Cookbook these past couple of weeks. I've never had a cookbook before where everything in the book is absolutely good!

Okay, so there might have been an incident with one recipe, but it was my fault, I don't blame the book. The grocery store only had ity bity scallops and I might have overcooked them just a tad bit. If you call biting into rubber over-cooked! That is what I like to call human error. I need to work on my skills with cooking scallops and I need to find a good seafood source in Billings because Albertsons will not do!

On the complete opposite side of the spectrum, this recipe turned out fantastic! I changed some of the ingredients to fit what I had in my pantry/kitchen cupboards, but isn't that what all home-cooks do? We like to improvise, and it usually turns out fantastic!

I've also become obsessed with these white square plates.

 It makes the food "pop" with vibrate color!

If I weren't trying to eat better, I might just maybe-may consider cooking my way through my new favorite cookbook, but I think the dessert section might kill me and my waistline. My thighs jiggle enough, I don't need to add to it! But I will definitely be slowly cooking my way through the main courses and sides, because all the ingredients are fresh and I love to cook from scratch!

Here is what you are going to need for Hawaiian Pork {2-3 servings}:
-1-1/2 lbs Boneless Pork Spareribs, cut into 1-1/2 inch cubes
-Salt & Pepper, for seasoning
-2 tbsp Canola Oil
-3 cloves of chopped Garlic
-2 Green Onions, chopped
-1 tbsp fresh Ginger, peeled and chopped
-9 ounces of Low-Sodium Chicken Broth-divided
-2-1/2 tbsp Soy Sauce
-1/2 tbsp Brown Sugar
-1/8 tsp Crushed Red Pepper
-1/8 tsp Ground Cinnamon
-2 tsp Cornstarch

Sprinkle the cubed pork with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tbsp of Canola oil in a dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat. Add 1/2 of the pork and saute until brown on all sides, about 6 minutes. Remove the pork to a bowl and repeat with the other half. Removing the second half of pork as well.

Add the other tablespoon of Canola oil to the pot and add in the Garlic, Green Onions, and Ginger. Saute for 1 minute. Return the pork back into the pot with all it's glorious juices. Pour in 1 cup of Chicken Broth, Soy Sauce, Sugar, Crushed Red Pepper and Cinnamon. Bring to a boil, cover the pot and then reduce the heat to Medium-Low. Allow the pork to simmer for 1 hour and 15 minutes until the tender.

Take the remaining 1 ounce of Chicken Broth and dissolve the Cornstarch in it. This will allow for a really thick and saucy gravy for the pork. After the pork has simmered for 1 hour and 15 minutes, pour in the dissolved Cornstarch and stir to combine until thickened.

*While the pork is simmering for 1 hour and 15 minutes, it's time to make the Stir Fry Cabbage. The perfect companion for our Hawaiian Pork dinner!*

Here is what you are going to need for the Stir Fry Cabbage:
-1 tbsp Canola Oil
-1/2 tbsp Fresh Ginger, peeled and minced
-1 pound of Green Cabbage, quartered, cored and very thinly sliced
-3 Green Onions, chopped
-1/2 tbsp Sesame Oil

Heat the Canola Oil in a seperate pot over medium-high heat. Add the chopped Ginger and saute for 30 seconds. Add half of the Cabbage and toss for about 4 minutes until wilted. Add in the remaining Cabbage, Green Onions and Sesame Oil. Toss until all of the Cabbage becomes crisp-tender (4 minutes). Season with Salt and Pepper to taste.

The flavors from the savory gravy with the light Asian flavors of the cabbage really complement each other fantastically. You feel like you are eating at a Luau or a Pig-Roast when you eat this dinner!

Enjoy!

P.S. The birthday cake that Dusty and I made was featured on America's Test Kitchen today! We were really excited to receive the news from Megan at Wanna Be A Country Cleaver, who was also recognized as well! Check it out here!

*Recipe for birthday cake is coming soon!*



Eye of the Tiger

This morning I had a revelation. I went online to Facebook while I was eating my granola bar for breakfast as usual, and saw a status update that my cousin Brendons wife was participating in a marathon today. At first I thought, "Great for Sherrie! What an accomplishment!" and then I took a shower and a thought clicked in my head....I'm going to do the Billings 2011 Montana Governor’s Cup 10K.

My family members are probably reading this and thinking "WTF??? Haley? Run? HA!" But I've had a secret life goal for the past couple of years that one day I would participate in a marathon someday. I created this goal one night while I was watching The Biggest Loser when the contestants ran a marathon and I was inspired! Since then I've mentioned it in passing to Dusty that someday I'd like to do a marathon, but never put much thought or planning into it. That is, until this morning when I saw Sherrie's status.

For the obvious reasons,  I want to run the 10K as a way to get in shape and lose weight, but I have always believed that to run a marathon would be a huge accomplishment for anyones bucket list. Therefore, I'm going to start with baby-steps and start with a 10K. I don't think I could do 26 miles, even a half-marathon (13 miles) is too much for me as of right now. Maybe within the next decade I will accomplish a full-marathon. But for now, baby steps!

The marathon/10K run is Sunday, September 18th, which gives me exactly 2 months to prepare and train. Luckily for me, 2 months is the perfect amount of time to train for this run according to Hal Higdon's 10K Training for the Novice.

Here is what my next 8 weeks are going to look like and I can't wait!

Week	Mon	Tues	Wed	Thurs	Fri	Sat	Sun
1	Stretch & Strength	2.5 mile Run	30 min Cross Train	2 mile + Strength	Rest	40 min Cross Train	3 mile Run
2	Stretch & Strength	2.5 mile Run	30 min Cross Train	2 mile + Strength	Rest	40 min Cross Train	3.5 mile Run
3	Stretch & Strength	2.5 mile Run	35 min Cross Train	2 mile + Strength	Rest	50 min Cross Train	4 mile Run
4	Stretch & Strength	3 mile Run	35 min Cross Train	2 mile + Strength	Rest	50 min Cross Train	4 mile Run
5	Stretch & Strength	3 mile Run	40 min Cross Train	2 mile + Strength	Rest	60 min Cross Train	4.5 mile Run
6	Stretch & Strength	3 mile Run	40 min Cross Train	2 mile + Strength	Rest	60 min Cross Train	5 mile Run
7	Stretch & Strength	3 mile Run	45 min Cross Train	2 mile + Strength	Rest	60 min Cross Train	5.5 mile Run
8	Stretch & Strength	3 mile Run	30 min Cross Train	2 mile + Strength	Rest	Rest	10 K Race!!!

Have any of you run a marathon or 10K run?
Do you have any tips, tricks, advice?
What foods are best for runners?

I know this is crazy, but I'm so excited to accomplish my goal!

Tandoori Chicken Sandwich

You have got to try this sandwich!

Simple to make, but bold in wonderful exotic flavor!

You can make this sandwich using regular sourdough bread, but I prefer the Naan. It's soft, chewy, doughy and pairs perfectly with this Indian dish.

You might be asking...Naan? Where do you find it?

Don't worry! Naan is found in your bakery/specialty bread section of the grocery store. I know for a fact that they sell it at Albertsons (if you have that grocery store). Otherwise, if you are feeling ambitious or can't find it anywhere, you can get the recipe for Naan here!

The best thing about this dish is that you can prep it in the morning and then it only takes 10 minutes to bake in the oven and dinner is done! I know that all of you busy moms and students can appreciate that as much as I do. For making this sandwich, you want to marinate the chicken and let the Indian-Spiced Mayonnaise marry for about 8-9 hours. So prep this dish in the morning before you head to work or school, it's easy and takes little time!

Here is what you are going to need for the Indian-Spiced Mayonnaise {1/2 cup}:

-1/2 cup of packed fresh Mint Leaves

-1/2 cup of packed fresh Cilantro Leaves

-1-1/2 tbsp chopped Yellow Onions

-1/2 Jalapeno Pepper, seeded and minced

-1 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar

-1/4 cup Mayonnaise

In a food processor, combine the mint, cilantro, onions and jalapeno pepper. Blend until very finely chopped. Mix in the vinegar and then add in the mayonnaise. Blend and process until combined. Transfer to a bowl, cover tightly and let the ingredients marry for 8-9 hours.

You would be surprised, even though the mayonnaise has a jalapeno pepper, there is absolutely no heat. This mayo is just refreshing, minty and delicious!

Here is what you will need for the Tandoori Chicken Sandwich {Serves 2}:

-2 skinless boneless Chicken Breast halves

-2 tsp Lemon Juice

-Salt and Pepper, for seasoning

-1 cup Plain Greek Yogurt

-2 tbsp chopped fresh Ginger

-2 cloves of chopped Garlic

-1/2 tsp Ground Cumin

-1/2 tsp Ground Coriander

-1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper

-1/4 tsp Turmeric

-2 servings of Naan

Place the chicken breasts in a baking dish and sprinkle with lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. In a small bowl combine the plain yogurt, ginger, garlic, cumin, coriander, cayenne and turmeric together. Pour the marinade over the chicken breasts. Turn the chicken to coat completely. Cover and refrigerate for 8-9 hours.

You probably can't tell from the picture, but the marinade is a gorgeous pale yellow color. If the chicken weren't swimming in the marinade, I'd probably be licking the baking dish. It smells so good and is so pretty! I love pretty food.

Once you are ready to eat dinner, preheat your broiler, line a baking dish with aluminum foil and spray it with cooking spray. Remove the chicken breast from the baking dish and for the love of God, DO NOT remove any of the marinade! We want as much flavor and juice from the yogurt marinade as possible!

Broil the chicken breast for 5 minutes on each side and remove from the oven. Spread a heaping tablespoon or two on each side of your Naan bread and place the chicken right on top.

Do you see the beautiful yellow color now?

Oh my gosh, I love the yellow chicken with the green earthy mayonnaise!

I don't know if I want to look at you or eat you?

No, I definitely want to eat you!

Top the chicken with your other slice of Naan (with indian mayo!) and slice the sandwich in half. You are going to love this exoctic chicken sandwich with it's fresh, vibrant flavors (and colors)!

Enjoy!

Recipe Source: The Bon Appetite Cookbook

Sushi Giveaway!

First off, I'd like to start this post with a quote from Beka of Kventchin' Kitchen..."I pledge allegiance to World Market...and all the amazingness that resides within."

AMEN SISTA!
World Market is the greatest thing since sliced bread!

Beka wrote that on my wall yesterday when I was discussing how badly I want to learn how to make sushi because it is soooo expensive here in Billings. Thanks to some suggestions and links from a bunch of you, I went to World Market and loaded up on the supplies for making my own sushi!

Here is what I got...

Sushi Rice, Sushi Nori and Shiitake Mushrooms.

(I don't need the mushrooms for sushi, I just wanted them.)

Yay for Tempura!

I was thinking I might try some tempura shrimp sometime?

2 Square Dishes and 2 little Soy Sauce Dipping Bowls.

(Not required for making sushi, but I'm in love with square dishes! Plus it gives a "sushi restaurant" atmosphere.)

And some Sushi making kits!

But I only need one...

So the other one is for you!

How to Enter the Giveaway...

1. Leave a comment on this blog post answering the following question....

"What is your favorite type of Sushi?"

Is it California Rolls, Rock n' Roll (eel), etc.???

2. For Extra Entries (yay!)....

-Retweet this giveaway to your friends.

-Become a fan of The Girly Girl Cooks on Facebook and/or Twitter

-Share this post with your friends on Facebook

-Just Spread the Word!

Winner will be announced on Friday, July 15th!

Julie's Famous Daiquiris

Over the 4th of July weekend, Dusty's family came down to visit. We had delicious steaks, creamy pasta, the best creme brulee of my life, pizza and.....daiquiris. Oh my goodness did we have daiquiris! I don't think I drank any water on the 4th, I think I just consumed daiquiris all day, and it was fabulous.

As a birthday gift, Dusty's mom and dad got us the worlds most incredible blender of all time....

The Ninja.

Never heard of it?

Well, it is only the greatest blender of all time! It has 6 blades going all the way up so that nothing is missed. It's incredible, that's what it is! And it makes the best daiquiris too.

Back in Dusty's hometown, his moms daiquiris are famous. Julie told me that she makes these bad boys 5 gallons at a time....Holy Cow! We only made about 2 batches (about 16 cups) and it didn't last very long between all of us, so I can see why she makes so much of it at a time.

If you need something to cool you off on a hot day, then you have gotta try these! The alcohol isn't at all potent in the drink. I'm an extreme light-weight when it comes to drinks (you have no idea) and I didn't feel a thing after having a couple glasses full of daiquiris. Trust me, this will become your go-to daiquiri recipe!

Here is what you are going to need {makes 8 cups = 1 full blender}:

-1 pound of Frozen Strawberries

-6 oz Frozen Limeade Concentrate

-3/4 cup Bacardi Rum

-3/4 cup Raspberry Lemonade (found in the refrigerated juice section of the grocery store)

-1 to 1-1/2 cups Ice

-Whipped Cream, for garnish (optional)

Blend first 4 ingredients together in your blender. Then add ice and blend until all the giant ice chunks are gone. Top your daiquiri off with a dollop of whipped cream.

These are so easy to make and delicious!

YUM!

P.S. They keep really well in the freezer. So you can make a batch and then have some whenever you feel like it!

Enjoy!