Ashley Cooks

2010-01-10T12:33:00.000-08:00

I have been cooking. I have not been updating.

New Years Resolution? At least 2 updates a month.
...Not much, but it's a start!

Super Easy Enchilada Type Thing

2009-11-15T13:55:00.001-08:00

The name of this dish says it all. It's super easy, and it's an enchilada type thing. This is another Sam recipe, I saw it in his show and didn't write the recipe down, so I may have forgotten or added something, but I doubt it. It's a pretty easy recipe to make and remember. It's also surprisingly full of flavor for how simple it is to make. It's made with things that are almost always kept in my pantry at home, and if a specific ingredient is not readily available, it would be fairly easy to substitute it for something else. Like tomatoes, bell peppers, and a jalapeno.

It's a great, fast recipe. You can cook it on the fly or prep it and refrigerate for tomorrow.

Enough talking, here's the dish:

Needed to make this dish:
tortillas
enchilada sauce
cheese
sour cream
cilantro
canned diced green chiles
salsa
onions (if you like)
store bought rotisserie chicken.

step 1: throw the onions (if you like) in a pan with a little bit of olive oil until soft. during this process, take the skin off your chicken, and shred the good stuff with your hands.
step 2: place shredded chicken, green chiles, and about a cup of salsa in the pan with your soft onions.
step 3: mix all together and let it sit in the pan for a while to heat and allow flavors to mingle.
step 3 1/2:heat tortillas in microwave for about 30 seconds, this makes it easier them work with.
step 4: slop some of your chicken mixture on to the center, fold in the corners and place on an oiled baking sheet.
step 5: bake at about 325*F until crispy: 15-20 minutes. (while your enchilada type things are baking, you can heat up the enchilada sauce in the microwave or on stove top, your call).

Now you can throw the toppings together however you like, drizzle the enchilada sauce over top, set it underneath your enchilada type thing, use sour cream, don't use sour cream (i recommend you use the sour cream, it's delicious with it), cheese, no cheese... you get the point. Go enjoy your meal.

Spicy Peanut Butter Pasta (with Chicken)

2009-10-30T12:56:00.000-07:00

I've been watching a lot of fitTV recently, trying to motivate myself to join in on some of the workout shows they air (Which lately, I've been doing. Hooray for being active!) I cam across a commercial for a show called Just Cook this! with Sam the Cooking Guy which airs both on fitTV and the Discovery Health Channel. He's a fun, likeable cook (he emphasizes the fact that he is a cook, and not a chef) with tons of creative ways to cook incredibly easy dishes.

I was snooping around his website http://www.thecookingguy.com/ and found a very interesting sounding recipe, Spicy Peanut Butter Pasta, and immediately checked the pantry to make sure I had all the ingredients necessary.

It's a fun dish. The sauce definitely has a thai food sort of taste to it. The recipe says to use any sort of pasta you'd like, but I would suggest using a wheat pasta. I think it's grainy texture would compliment the texture of the sauce nicely.

I would post the recipe on this blog, but I am going to post the link to Sam the Cooking Guy's website instead in hopes that you will check out his other recipes.

Spicy Peanut Butter Pasta

Enjoy!

2009-06-19T17:53:00.001-07:00

Absolutely my favorite cook book...

...and from it, one of my my favorite recipes:

Sweet Tart Dough

Ingredients:
1cup + 2Tbsp unsalted butter at room temperature
1cup sugar
1/4tsp salt
2 Large eggs at room temperature
3 1/2cups all purpose flour

Tips:
Eggs can be brought to room temperature by placing in a bowl and letting luke warm water run over them for about 5 minutes.

Directions:
Combine butter, sugar and salt. Mix on medium until smooth. Mix 1 egg until blended, and then the other. Scrape sides of bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the flour all at once, and mix until just incorporated. The recipe calls for refrigerating the dough for 2 hours (or over night)but personally, I don't think it makes too much of a difference. Just be sure your work environment isn't to warm, it makes the dough soft and difficult to work with.

You can use this dough to make cookies, fruit tarts, or even as a pie crust! It's fantastic. I usually melt chocolate chips and drizzle it overthe top, or cut up some fruit such as strawberries, kiwi, or apricots and place on top.

(For a more clay like chocolate, like in the picture above, I add a tiny splash of milk to the already melted chocolate chips. A tiny splash! It doesn't take much)

MMMMhm Brownies

2009-04-03T11:14:00.000-07:00

I Have for you, the easiest most delicious chocolate chocolate chip cookie recipe in the world.

Needed:

One box of Betty Crocker Chocolate cake mix.
Chocolate chips (usually use the zebra striped ones or the white chocolate ones, but you can use whatever suits your fancy)
2 eggs
1/3 cup oil

Mix the eggs and oil together, then mix in the cake mix, then mix in the chocolate chips.

Make individual cookies, for spread the mixture evenly of the cookie sheet for a more brownie like cookie.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes, checking every five minutes.

Orange Chicken and Brown Rice

2009-03-08T12:54:00.000-07:00

Needed:
7-10 oz chicken breast
Orange Marmalade
One canned mandarin orange slices
allspice
red wine vinaigrette
cooked brown rice
Scallions
Slivered Almonds

Cook your chicken to your liking, in a skillet, on a grill, with your favorite seasoning, whatever your fancy.

Mix 1 Tbsp red wine vinaigrette with 2 heaping Tbsp. Orange marmalade, then add 2-3 pinches allspice and Mix. Finally add the canned mandarin oranges and mix.

When chicken is cooked, lay on of top 1/2 cup brown rice. Drizzle 2-3 Tbsp the Orange Marmalade over chicken and rice. Add scallions and slivered almonds to your liking.

Serves 2-4

Enjoy!

Sicilian Lemonade

2008-07-06T13:21:00.000-07:00

I also like to call this "Heaven in a cup"

(sorry I haven't updated in almost a year!)

Need:
15 lemons
fresh basil, about 10 leaves
2 c. sugar
1 c. water
Sparkling water

How to:
Boil the 2 c. sugar with the 1 c. water, after the sugar has dissolved toss in the fresh basil. Let boil for another 30-45 seconds then turn off the burner, but keep the saucepan on. Allow basil to soak until sugar water has cooled. Squeeze your lemons, combine with the basil sugar water, and add sparkling water. Depending on how much bubbly you like will determine how much sparkling water you use.

Great for summertime BBQ's!

Walnut Pesto Linguine and Homemade Garlic Bread

2007-10-28T18:14:00.000-07:00

Garlic Bread:

2 c. warm water

2 packages active dry yeast

2 Tbsp. sugar

6 c. all purpose flour

2 tsp. salt

2 Tbsp. olive oil

2/3 c. basil pesto (found in the pasta isle, also easy to find the recipe online)

6-8 cloves garlic, very thinly sliced

1 1/2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese.

In a medium bowl whick together the water, yeast, and sugar. Let stand about 10 minutes or until foamy.

In a large mixing bowl, combine 5 cups of the flour and the salt. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour the yeast mixture and olive oil into the well. Stir with a wooden spoon until combined. When mixture becomes to difficult to stir, use floured hands to mix. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in enough of the remaining flour to make a stiff dough that is smooth and elastic.

Shape dough into a ball and place in a large greased bowl, turning once. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes or until doubled in size. Punch dough down and divide in half. Cover, let stand 10 minutes.

Lightly grease two large baking sheets. Shape each portion into a ball, tucking edges under. Place on baking sheets, flatten to about 6 inches in diameter. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes or until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 400F and bake for 10 minutes. Cover with foil to prevent overbrowning and bake for another 10-15 minutes or until bread sounds holow when tapped. Cool for atleast 30 minutes.

Preheat broiler. With a long serrated knife, split each loaf in half horizontally. Brush cut side of each bread round evenly with pesto. Top each round evenly with garlic slices and cheese. Place on bakinf sheets and broil for 2-3 minutes 4-5 inches from heat. Serve immediately. Makes 8 servings per round.

135 cal, 6g total fat (1g sat), 4 mg chol, 219mg sodium, 0g fiber, 4g pro - Per Bread Round

Walnut Pesto Linguine:

60 small or 30 large fresh basil leaves ( 1 1/2 c. lightly packed)

6 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, halved

1 lb. dried lingiune

1 1/2 c. chopped walnuts

2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

Salt

Ground Black Pepper

1 1/2 c. grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

For pesto, in a blender, combine basil, 6 Tbsp. oil, and the garlic. Cover and blend until creamy paste forms. Set aside.

In large pot bring 6 quarts water and 2 Tbsp. salt to a boil. Add pasta and cook accordingly.

In a very large skillet cook and stir walnuts in 2 Tbsp. hot olive oil over medium heat for 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper; turn off heat and carefully add 1 c. of the pasta cooking water.

Drain the pasta, add the the walnut mixture. Stir well; heat through. Turn of heat and add pesto, tossing well until pasta is caoted. Add cheese and toss well. Makes 6-8 servings.

732 cal, 45g total fat (8g sat.), 16mg chol., 526 mg sodium, 62g carb, 4g fiber, 23g pro. - Per serving.

PMS Brownies

2007-10-15T18:02:00.001-07:00

This is my favorite brownie recipe, ever. Perfect for the chocaholic or for you females who get the chocolate craving during your moon cycle.

Extremely rich, extremely thick, and extremely chocolate.

Recipe:

1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon baking powder
6 tablespoons melted butter
2 large eggs
2 large egg whites

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups and level with a knife. Combine the flour with the remaining ingredients and stir until all dry ingredients are moist. The mixture will be unusually thick. Let sit for 10 minutes to be sure all the dry ingredients become moist. Then bake at 350 for 23-25 minutes.

If for some reason these brownies aren't thick enough for you, add a little molasses or some chocolate chips.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

2007-10-07T19:41:00.000-07:00

Home made, from scratch.

Recipe:
15oz. can tomato puree
4 cups chicken broth
1tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. black pepper

1/4 cup all-purpose flour mixed with 1/2 cup water
1 lb. boneless, skinless cooked chicken - cubed
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup sour cream
1 cup shredded cheese

8-10 corn tortillas (cut into thin strips)

1 large onion - minced
2 cloves garlic - minced
2 tbsp vegetable oil

Spray tortilla strips with non-stick cooking spray, bake in oven at 375 degrees in the oven until crisp (salt if desired).

In a large pot, saute onions and garlic in oil until soft.

Add first section of ingedients to the pot and bring to a boil, reduce heat and let simmer for 5 minutes stirring ocasionally.

Add cooked chicken to pot and continue to simmer.

Add cream, sour cream and cheese to pot, stir until cheese has melted.

Now is the time to add your own ingredients. I like to chop half of a both a green and red bell pepper and add it as well as half a bundle of green onions. And let simmer for 5 more minutes.

Pour soup into the bowls, pile tortilla strips ontop and garnish with sour cream and shredded cheese and parsely (if your heart so desires).

For my friends doing weight watchers, if you use non-fat sour cream and non-fat or low-fat shredded cheese, a cup of this soup is only 8 points!