Stir Fry

I have been trying to cook more lately, I'm starting to feel better, and I find if I start dinner around lunchtime, by the time dinner time comes around I don't have much left to do.  So anyways, I've actually been making this Stir Fry recipe for a few years now.  We love it!  My brother-in-law, Dave, gave it to me (he's a great cook) and we are so glad he did, it's one of our favorites.

Mix together the marinade and the chicken. 

Fry the marinade over medium high heat.

I like to use this Stir-fry vegetable blend from Costco.

Add vegetable blend and cook until done.

Serve over rice w/ a side of egg rolls, enjoy!

Stir Fry

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs Sirloin Steak or Chicken Breasts

Marinade:

3/4 c. Soy Sauce

2 T. Olive Oil

2 t. Sesame Oil

1/4 - 1/2 c. Sugar 

2 cloves Minced Garlic (1 t.)

Red Pepper Flakes

Assorted Vegetables. may include:

broccoli, green peppers, snap peas, carrots, etc. (I like to use Costco's Stir Fry Vegetable Blend)

Cut steak or chicken very thinly against the grain.  Mix together all the marinade ingredients and marinate steak or chicken for 2 hours (chicken doesn't need to be marinated as long).

In a large pan or wok, fry marinade over medium high heat.  Add assorted vegetables, cook for another 5 minutes or until vegetables are cooked all the way through and crisp.  If desired add corn starch to thicken the sauce.  Serve over rice.  Enjoy!

Cheesy Garlic Bread Swirls

First of all, Happy Mother's Day!!!  I hope all of your hubby's and children spoil you like crazy.

Remember way back in February when I shared w/ you what I made for Valentine's Day?  And I promised you a recipe for these yummy Cheesy Garlic Bread Swirls?  Well, I'm finally getting around to sharing it w/ you!  They were very yummy, and very easy to make!  Below is a picture of the meal, just to give you a reminder :)

All the ingredients.  In case you were wondering where I got my Garlic Spread seasoning from, I got it from Costco.  It's great for garlic breads or even pastas.

The garlic butter.

Roll out your dough on a floured surface, or just spray a portion of your counter top w/ a cooking spray.  (This is a little trick I’ve been using a lot lately. I really, really hate cleaning up flour on my work surface after I’ve been working with dough, but I obviously have to use SOMETHING to keep it from sticking. If you spray a little non-stick cooking spray on your work surface and your rolling pin, your dough won’t stick and clean-up is super easy!  Thanks "Our Best Bites" for the advice!)  Spread the garlic butter on the dough.

Sprinkle w/ mozzarella cheese.

And roll, use the dental floss method to cut your dough into "cinnamon roll" type rolls.  (sorry about the blurriness, my boys must've touched the lens again! ugh)

Place in greased muffin tins, or on a cookie sheet.  Bake @ 350 for 18-22 minutes.

Serve!  Yummy.  Oh and just so you know, the coins are a part of my serving platter.  I did not place a bunch of random coins next to the rolls.

Cheesy Garlic Bread Swirls

French Bread Dough:
1 Tbsp. yeast
1 1/2 c. warm water
1 1/2 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
4-5 1/2 c. flour
3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 egg yolk
Garlic Butter:
1/2 c. (1 stick) of real butter, no substitutions
1 1/2 Tbsp. garlic bread seasoning
Shredded mozzarella cheese


Combine yeast, water, and sugar in large mixing bowl and allow to stand 10 minutes or until bubbly. Add salt, vegetable oil, and egg yolk (set white aside for later) and combine. Add 3 c. flour and mix well until combined. Add enough remaining flour to make a soft dough that barely sticks to your finger. Knead, either by hand or in mixer for another 2-3 minutes. Cover and allow to rise 1 hour.
While dough is rising, combine butter and garlic bread seasoning. Set aside.

Spray your work surface and rolling pin w/ a cooking spray (my favorite is the baking kind w/ flour in it already) Roll your dough into a rectangle about 18-20 inches by 6 inches. Smear garlic butter over the entire surface of the dough and then sprinkle with cheese.

Roll up Cinnamon-roll style and then use dental floss to cut into 12 equal slices.  Place each slice in a muffin tin. Cover with a clean cloth. Preheat oven to 350 and allow rolls to rise while the oven is heating.  When the oven is ready, bake for 18-22 minutes.

You’re going to need to keep a CLOSE eye on these during the last 10 minutes or so–once you notice the cheese getting brown, place a sheet of aluminum foil over the rolls (you don’t need to press it down or anything, just lay it on top). This will keep the cheese from burning, although it will get pretty brown on top. It’s okay, though, because the insides are still all ooey-gooey.

Pull these out of the oven and eat ‘em up ASAP!  Enjoy!

Chicken Parmesan Sandwich

I made this tonight and just had to share w/ ya'll!  I haven't announced on here yet, but I'm pregnant!!!  I'm almost 10 weeks along :)  I'm very excited (we're hoping for a girl), but food has NOT been an easy thing for me the last few weeks.  In fact, I think this has to be, maybe, the 5th time I've cooked since starting to feel sick.  So, when I started having a craving for this yummy Chicken Parmesan Sandwich I use to order for take-out years ago, from this tiny Italian restaurant in downtown Murfreesboro, TN, I couldn't resist the temptation.  It was seriously so good!  I looked forward to going to work each day just so I could order it for my lunch (it was just a block over from where I worked).  Anyways, since I don't live in TN anymore, I figured, why not try to recreate that yummy sandwich?  And you know what?  I pretty much did just that tonight!!  So yummy, quick and easy (just how I like it).

Top broiled roll with marinara sauce and breaded tenderloins.

Top off w/ more marinara sauce.

And serve! YUMMY!  I served it w/ a  yummy Italian green salad and Checkers fries.  (If you're from the South, then you know what I'm talking about!  Checkers has the most amazing seasoned fries!  When I went grocery shopping last week I saw they had Checker's very own seasoned fries for sale in the freezer section.  I couldn't pass them up.  And you know what?  They didn't disappoint.)

Chicken Parmesan Sandwich

Ingredients

8 Chicken Tenderloins (or 4 chicken breasts)

1 Egg

Bread Crumbs

Parmesan Cheese (I should have done this, but forgot)

Olive Oil

Fresh Mozzarella Cheese Slices

1 c. Marinara Sauce (I use Prego)

4 Torta Sandwich Rolls

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.  Spread olive oil onto the bottom of your frying pan and heat. Whip the egg with a fork in a separate bowl and mix the bread crumbs with the Parmesan cheese in another separate dish. Dip the chicken into the egg, then into the bread crumb mixture, coating both sides with both egg and crumbs.  Place chicken in the frying pan and brown on each side.  Place chicken on a cookie sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes.  Place fresh mozzarella slices on each chicken and place back in the oven until melted.  Slice rolls and broil until golden.  Spread marinara sauce on the bottom of the roll, top with 2 tenderloins and spread more marinara on top of cheese.  Serve warm.  Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Cheesecake Bars

Have I mentioned how much I love cheesecake?!  Well, I do!  So when I saw this recipe for chocolate chip cookie cheese cake, I just had to try it!  I decided to make them for a cookie exchange party I went to around Christmas.  They ended up winning a prize, I just can't remember what it was for now, sorry :(  Anyways, they were really good!  I personally wouldn't have minded more of the cheesecake taste to come out, but maybe I could just make more cheesecake filling?  Anyways, go ahead and try them, they won't disappoint.

Mix the melted butter and graham cracker crumbs until thoroughly combined. Press the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 6 minutes. Remove pan to a cooling rack. Leave your oven on while you prepare the dough.

Press the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 6 minutes.

**I doubled the recipe and used a larger pan.  And...ugh, I totally forgot to add in the parchment paper for easy pullout.  It worked out just fine pulling them out, but seriously, I love that trick!  It just makes for such clean cuts.**

Beat butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, salt and vanilla until smooth and thoroughly combined, about 1 minute. Mix in the flour on low speed, and mix until just incorporated. Mix in the chocolate chips. Set aside.

Cream together the cream cheese and sugar until smooth.  

Mix in the egg and vanilla on low speed just until incorporated.

Pour the cheesecake batter into the prepared crust.  

Distribute the cookie dough onto the top of the cheesecake batter in teaspoon-sized clumps. Be sure to use all of the dough. Bake for about 30 minutes, until the top feels dry and firm (the cookie dough) and the entire pan looks set if given a gentle shake. Chill in refrigerator overnight or for at least a couple hours.  (I like overnight)

Cut into squares and serve, yum!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Cheesecake Bars

Ingredients

(9-12 servings)

Crust:

• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough:

• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup flour
• 2/3 cup chocolate chips

Cheesecake Filling:

• 10 oz cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 

1. Preheat the oven to 325 F. Line an 8" square baking pan with parchment paper or foil allowing a little overhang and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.

2. Mix the melted butter and graham cracker crumbs until thoroughly combined. Press the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 6 minutes. Remove pan to a cooling rack. Leave your oven on while you prepare the dough.

3. While the crust is cooling, prepare the chocolate chip cookie dough. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, salt and vanilla until smooth and thoroughly combined, about 1 minute. Mix in the flour on low speed, and mix until just incorporated. Mix in the chocolate chips. Set aside. (*Note: This mixture is going to be dry...that’s okay. It’s rather like a crumble topping. You’re going to crumble it on top of the cheesecake layer.)

4. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl with an electric mixer cream together the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Mix in the egg and vanilla on low speed just until incorporated. Pour the cheesecake batter into the prepared crust. Distribute the cookie dough onto the top of the cheesecake batter in teaspoon-sized clumps. Be sure to use all of the dough.

5. Bake for about 30 minutes, until the top feels dry and firm (the cookie dough) and the entire pan looks set if given a gentle shake. Move bars to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely. Chill in refrigerator overnight or for at least a couple hours.

6. Lift the bars out by the overhang and cut into squares for serving. Enjoy!

Chicken Enchilada Pasta

I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter!  I know I did :)  My sister, Bonny, came and visited for a week and just left early yesterday morning.  We had a fun filled week of shopping, eating and of course Easter events.  So now that she's gone I'm back to business, and here's what I have for ya!  A yummy Chicken Enchilada Pasta, seriously, it sounds a little weird, but trust me, it's amazing!  I've never had anything quite like this before.  A Mexican dish w/ pasta.  I have never really topped pastas off w/ anything more than cheese and maybe chives or whatever.  But, I can't imagine not using the extra topping on this pasta, it totally adds even more to the deliciousness.  Trust me, make it, you'll love it.  It's been a while since I made this, and just adding this recipe reminds me I need to make it, very soon, today if I had all the ingredients ;)

Easter Brownies (W/ Peeps and Cadburry Eggs)

Who's ready for Easter?!?  It's less than two weeks away, which reminds me!!  My sister, Bonny, is coming to visit me in exactly a week!!! YAY!  Anyways, back to Easter :)  I figured I should put up a good Easter recipe so, besides my yummy Pineapple Glazed Ham that you can make for dinner, what can you make for dessert?  Well, why not these yummy Easter Brownies?  Filled w/ Cadburry Chocolate Eggs and Peeps!!  Now, to be honest I am not a fan of peeps whatsoever, but cut up and added in these brownies are perfect.  And Cadburry eggs...what could be better?!  They're amazing!  I loved every bite of these brownies when I made them last year and just the other day.  I love the huge chunks of melted chocolate eggs and there's just enough marshmallow in the brownies that makes it the perfect combination.

YUMMY!  Those are the eggs and marshmallows peeking through.  And yes, they were cooked all the way through, these were just fudge brownies.

Crispy Southwest Chicken Wrap

This Crispy Southwest Chicken Wrap is a great meal for diets, or really just anytime!  It's tasty and very low in calories.  This was very easy to just throw together.  You can have the rice and chicken pre-made and then just toss everything in a bowl ready to put in wraps when it's time to eat.

Video Links

Sorry I didn't post this sooner, but here are the links to the 2 videos from yesterday!  For the Taco Soup on The Daily Dish click here.  And for the Enchilada Casserole on Good Things Utah click here.  I had so much fun being on the shows!  Thanks to those that tuned in :)

Welcome Daily Dish and Good Things Utah!

Welcome Daily Dish and Good Things Utah Viewers!  Thanks for stopping by to check out Britt's Apron!  I'm so excited that I was able to be on the show today and share 2 of my favorite recipes: Taco Soup and Enchilada Casserole.  I like to think ALL of my recipes are Mommy friendly.  So, take a minute to check out other recipes available, there are a lot, and leave a comment letting me know you stopped by!  

And, just for stopping by (availalbe for previous and new Britt's Apron followers)  I'm providing a coupon code available for the next 2 weeks for Britt's Apron's Etsy Shop ;) 

Use coupon code BRITTSAPRON10 at checkout to get 10% off your total order!

Big Announcement!!

So, I am very excited to announce that I am going to be on TV this coming Monday, March 19th!  The Daily Dish and Good Things Utah have both asked me to be on their shows for "Mom Monday" to share a couple of recipes!  I am so excited but so nervous ;)  If you live here in Utah you can watch me at 9:00 AM on CW30 for the Daily Dish and 10:00 on ABC4 for Good Things Utah.  Also, if you really wanted, you can join me and be a part of the Studio Audience by signing up here.  If you don't live in Utah, don't worry you can still catch me after the taping.  I'll post the link so you can watch both videos later. 

So, don't forget to tune in Monday, March 19th and watch me share a couple of my most popular recipes live on The Daily Dish and Good Things Utah

Chicken Enchilada Soup

Here's another low cal recipe!  It was very easy to make and tastes great too.  I love recipes you can throw everything together in one dish and have it ready to eat later.  This is a crock pot dish, but you can make it on the stove-top as well.

Blogiversary Winners!

I couldn't wait, I figured out the winners already, so why wait til tomorrow?!  So if you're on this late, then you get to find out the winners now!

Thanks so much for all of your entries.  I really wish I could give everyone something!  But honestly, that'd be a whole lot of shipping!  Anyways, thanks again.

So after using Random.org the winners are...

#1 - The Downey's: Congrats!  You won the Apron, Matching Button Earrings and Dessert Cookbook.

#63 - Susan Lo Vue: Congrats!  You won the "Red" Hanging Kitchen Towel and the #1 blue pair of button earrings (your size choice)!

And, just for fun, I thought I'd give a 3rd prize so...

#27 - Chinoville: Congrats!!!  You won #2 Blue Button Earrings (your size choice)!!

Congrats to the winners!!  Please email me your full name and address to Brittsapron @ gmail dot com and I will have those in the mail ASAP.  Enjoy!

(Winners, you're welcome to change your minds about any colors if you want, just let me know in your email when you let me know what size earrings you want.)

Oh, and my new blogger friend, Ashley from Domestic Imperfection, sent me a dang cute pillow cover, so in return, I'm going to send her something. So, I'm going to need your address too ;)

Isn't it great?!  I don't have a the right size pillow to put in it yet, but here it is.  It's going to fit perfect in my future updated grey and yellow bedroom, one day, if it ever happens...  Thanks again.

Toasted Bruschetta Balsamic Chicken

Reminder: Don't forget to sign up for Britt's Apron's very own 1 Year Blogiversary Giveaway!!!  You have until Thursday, March 8th @ 10:30 PM (MST) to sign up!  It is open to anyone.

I made this recipe and was so amazed by how good it was, but yet healthy.  It tastes so fresh and is very filling.  My family loved it, I've made it 3 more times sense this.  We also like to make extra Bruchetta and eat it on the side for this meal.  We like to eat the chicken on ciabatta bread, but to make it extra healthy you can eat the chicken w/o bread.

One Year Blogiversary Giveaway!! {Closed}

As my 1 year blog anniversary starting coming close, I realized in blog world it is actually called a blogiversary!!  So, please don't think I'm crazy or that I'm trying to be cool and make up a word, b/c actually, I guess I'm being a follower ;)  Hey, speaking of followers, I really appreciate the few followers I have here for this blog!  I've noticed popluarity for cooking blogs is a lot less than craft and fasion blogs, so hopefully this giveaway will help!  As you all know, I recently decided to start my own Etsy shop, and b/c of that, I was inspired to make some handmade gifts for ya'll!  Just in time for my 1 Year Blogiversary!!!  So wanna know what's in store?  Well scroll down and see!

This is the bundle you will receive for winning!