April Re-Make Recap

April has been our busiest month so far this year, and throughout the month I found myself relying on tried-and-true family favorites rather than trying a lot of new dishes. As a result, the recap this month is rather large, so bear with me! Hopefully you'll find something delicious that you missed the first time around!

These ranch chicken tacos are definitely one of my favorite quick meals. This recipe has come in handy a few times this month when we had a 6:00 soccer game during the week. When these are on the menu, dinner is literally ready in minutes.

This ravioli with bacon pesto mushroom cream sauce is another quick and easy weeknight meal, but you'd never know it by looking at it. It's definitely a bit more special than your average ravioli dish. I serve it with buttery cheesy garlic bread, which is easily adaptable with whatever Italian herbs or spices you have on hand.

We had a small party at our house to celebrate Joe's birthday at the beginning of the month, and I made broccoli salad and ranch macaroni and cheese (in addition to quite a few other dishes). I've sung the praises of the broccoli salad many times before, and this macaroni and cheese recipe is still one of my favorites. It's so deliciously different.

I made these BBQ chicken and cole slaw wraps on another busy night this month...I believe it was the night I registered Andrew for kindergarten (SOB...not ready to talk about it). Anyway, they're delicious and simple and a great meal for a warm evening.

Asparagus is definitely the spring vegetable I look most forward to, and this simple and flavorful shaved asparagus pizza is the perfect way to highlight it.

There's nothing like a meal you can just plop in a dish and toss in the oven and forget about for an hour, and this chicken, potato, and green bean one dish dinner is exactly that. A few notes about this one, though: In the past, I've had trouble getting my potatoes to cook through completely when I make this. To counter that, I always use baby red or yellow potatoes and slice them very thinly (differently than in the picture). I should also mention that Joe doesn't like the texture of the chicken when it's cooked this way, so if you have a weird-texture-person in your family, you can always saute the chicken off in a skillet separately and just cook the green beans and potatoes together. The green beans and potatoes are really delicious seasoned this way.

Oy, not the prettiest photo, I know. It definitely doesn't do justice to these pork loin chops with roasted garlic cream sauce. These pork chops are so simple, and I'm telling you: The sauce is amazing. You'll want to lick every single bit of it off your plate. I realize that isn't very ladylike, but there you have it.

This rosemary ranch chicken is the best chicken ever, and I should know: I eat a lot of chicken. It's so juicy and succulent, and the flavors of rosemary and ranch just work so well together. I serve it with grilled asparagus and some type of potato dish so I can pawn two-thirds of dinner preparation off on someone else -- namely, Joe, who is the grill master in our house.

I served fettuccine alfredo (minus the chicken) when I hosted my cooking club's Italian night earlier this month (along with a yummy chicken saltimbocca that I didn't photograph -- boo), and let me tell you: I am so happy to have this alfredo sauce in my life. It's perfect. Not grainy, not too thick, not too thin...just right. (Sorry to channel Goldilocks there, but seriously. This sauce is amazing.)

This "perfectly chocolate" chocolate cake was the third recipe I posted here (FIVE YEARS AGO! OMG! I just realized I missed my five-year anniversary!), and it has become one of the most beloved recipes in my family. I've made it for countless birthday celebrations, and it is definitively the best chocolate cake I've ever had. It's moist, fudgy and rich, and the frosting is simply to die for. Since posting the recipe, I have made one change to it, and that's to add some instant coffee granules (just a teaspoon or two) to the chocolate batter. The bitterness of the coffee brings out the flavor of the chocolate even more. I also make it in a 13 x 9 pan, since the layers tend to break apart because the cake is so moist. Whenever I eat a slice of this cake, I think of Bruce Bogtrotter, the little boy in Matilda who ate an entire chocolate cake. This cake is what I imagine the cake in the book tasted like.

We eat this Crock pot pork roast with potatoes and carrots at least once every couple of months. It's perfect for every season, and it comes out delicious every single time. Joe and Will love the pork, and Andrew and I prefer a larger helping of the potatoes and carrots, mashed with butter and salt. Everyone's happy.

When I first posted the recipe for these banana nut pancakes, I urged you to have them for breakfast or dinner that very day. Well, I'm going to tell you the same thing again. Have them for breakfast, then have them for dinner the same night! These pancakes are amazing. They don't taste like they start from a boxed mix, trust me. And that topping! To die for.

Burger and Fries Friday: Gouda Bacon Patty Melts with Marsala Mushrooms and Onions

I don't think I will ever grow tired of trying new burger recipes. I just don't see how I ever could, not with so many delicious possible flavor combinations out there. One of my favorite combinations for burgers is mushrooms, bacon, and gouda cheese. The beefy mushrooms compliment the burgers so perfectly, and the creamy gouda and smoky bacon just enhance the flavor even more. These patty melts get their inspiration from two other burgers, and the results are simply perfect. What more can I say, really? 

Gouda Bacon Patty Melts with Marsala Mushrooms and Onions

4 burger patties
Salt and pepper
Worcestershire sauce
8 slices bacon, cooked to desired crispness
8 slices gouda cheese
1 tablespoon butter, plus more for the bread
8 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 medium onion, sliced
1 clove garlic
1/2 cup marsala wine
8 slices hearty wheat bread

1. Season burgers with salt and pepper and cook in a large skillet to desired doneness. Add a dash of Worcestershire sauce to each burger, then remove the burgers from the skillet.

2. Add 1 tablespoon butter to the same skillet and let melt, then add mushrooms and onions and saute until mushrooms are browned and onions are softened. Add garlic and salt and pepper to taste; cook and stir for 30 seconds. Add marsala and cook until reduced, scraping the bottom of the skillet to remove any browned bits.

3. Butter one side of each slice of bread. Top the unbuttered side of four slices with a slice of cheese, a burger patty, two pieces of bacon, a quarter of the mushrooms and onions, and another slice of cheese. Add the other four slices of bread to the sandwiches.

4. Preheat a griddle over medium heat. Add sandwiches and cook, flipping once, until each side is browned and crispy.

Grilled Cilantro-Lime Chicken with Avocado Salsa

Besides the fact that we've only had a few days of true spring weather around here, we've been grilling out frequently. Last night, after Joe brought in the food from the grill, Andrew told him, "Daddy, I want you to grill every day." I of course have no complaints about this, because any time I can pass the main portion of cooking a meal off on someone else, I'm happy. I was not so happy about the fact that Andrew told my mother-in-law that Daddy cooks all of our meals when he was asked (NOT TRUE). Oh, kids.

This chicken was one of the first things to grace our grill this year, and it was fabulous. I was skeptical about the fact that the chicken only stayed in the marinade for 3 minutes, but I was so surprised by how much flavor it got during that short amount of time. And the salsa is so simple, but so unbelievably good. I used some sweet little multi-colored cherry tomatoes, and I thought they made the salsa look so pretty. I think the salsa would be delicious on just about anything, but it really did pair perfectly with the chicken in both texture and flavor. This was such a simple, flavorful, and healthy meal, and even the boys gobbled it up. Win!

Grilled Cilantro-Lime Chicken with Avocado Salsa

barely adapted from Cooking Light April 2009, also found on myrecipes

For the chicken:

2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro

Juice of 1 lime

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

1/4 teaspoon salt

For the avocado salsa:

1 cup halved cherry tomatoes

2 tablespoons finely chopped white onion

Juice of 1 lime

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 avocado, pitted and chopped

1. To prepare chicken, combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl; toss and let stand 3 minutes. Remove chicken from marinade; discard marinade. Sprinkle chicken evenly with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Heat a grill or grill pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 6 minutes on each side or until done.

2. To prepare salsa, combine tomato, onion, lime juice and salt in a medium bowl. Add avocado; stir gently to combine. Serve salsa over chicken.

Mint Chocolate Cookies

I sometimes occasionally often get obsessive over things until I either make them/buy them/read them, etc. Recent examples of this include re-decorating our kitchen and bathroom and purchasing about 10 books by my favorite childhood author because I couldn't stop obsessing about re-reading them. There are countless more examples, because I do this frequently, I assure you.

These cookies were one of my obsessions. They started out in my mind as regular chocolate chip cookies with mint M&Ms, and they evolved into chocolate dark chocolate chip cookies with mint M&Ms and crushed Thin Mints in the batter. It was a delicious evolution, I think. Joe said they're some of the best cookies I've ever made (second in his mind only to the chocolate peanutella chocolate chip cookies). They have the perfect amount of minty flavor without the use of any extract. They're crispy on the outside but soft and chewy on the inside. The cookie base is pretty perfect, and I'm eager to start experimenting with different types of add-ins. I'll keep you posted!

Speaking of add-ins...If you're anything like me, your Girl Scout cookies were gone pretty much the same week you received them. So if you don't have Thin Mints on hand, you could easily replace them with mint Oreos or any other mint cookie you like. But replace them with something, because the texture that the cookies provide is really fantastic.

Mint Chocolate Cookies

adapted from Food Network

2 1/4 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 sticks butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 large eggs, beaten

1 tablespoon vanilla

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa

2 cups dark chocolate chips

1 cup mint M&Ms

1/2 cup chopped mint cookies (like Thin Mints or mint Oreos)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. In a large bowl stir together flour, salt, and baking soda. In another large bowl cream together butter and both sugars. Add eggs, vanilla, and cocoa. Gradually stir flour mixture into butter mixture and mix until combined. Stir chocolate chips, M&Ms, and cookie pieces. Stir to distribute evenly.

3. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto greased baking sheets. Bake 10-13 minutes until cookies are set. Cool on a baking rack.

Chipotle Chicken Cheesesteaks

I know I'm beginning to sound like a broken record with this I love Cooking Light! and I love sandwiches! business. But the fact remains: I do love both of those things whole-heartedly. I've never been let down by a recipe from Cooking Light, and I've never been let down by a really good sandwich. These chipotle chicken cheesesteaks are yet another delicious example.

It seems like a simple change -- merely adding chipotles in adobo to chicken cheesesteaks -- but the flavor difference is just phenomenal. The chipotle adds a spicy smokiness that works so well with the sweet bell peppers, the cool avocado, and a smear of creamy mayo. With only about 15 minutes of cooking time, this dinner is ready in a snap, and it's just so unbelievably good.

Chipotle Chicken Cheesesteaks

adapted from Cooking Light May 2010, also found on myrecipes

2 teaspoons olive oil, divided

12 ounces chicken cutlets, thinly sliced

Salt to taste

1 onion, sliced

1 red bell pepper, sliced

2 cloves minced garlic

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1 1/2 tablespoons chipotle in adobo puree

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

2 hoagie rolls, split and toasted

Sliced avocado and mayonnaise for serving

1. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and season with salt; saute 4 minutes or until done. Remove chicken from pan.

2. Heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, garlic, and thyme; season with salt and saute 4 minutes. Stir in chipotle in adobo puree; cook 30 seconds. Add chicken; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Remove from heat.

3. Divide mixture evenly among toasted rolls. Top each sandwich with cheese and broil on low until cheese is melted. Serve each sandwich with avocado and mayonanise.