easy | Good Dinner Mrs Mellen

Tag: easy
- Peanut Butter Blossoms
  
  Posted at 11:25 am by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Dec 16th
  My love affair with making Christmas Cookies started when I was a little girl helping my mother bake cookies at Christmas. We made large quantities of my mother’s favorite recipes. To this day I have continued the tradition of baking, baking and more baking of delectable cookies. Today I made a favorite cookie of my children when they were little. Peanut Blossoms are a fun cookie topped with a chocolate kiss. Who does love a peanut butter cookie with a chocolate kiss in the center. I love the taste of peanut butter meeting chocolate. I’ve tried different versions of this cookie but always return to the Hershey’s original recipe that I made so long ago.
  
  1 3/4 cups flour
  
  1/2 cup sugar
  
  1/2 cup brown sugar
  
  1 teaspoon baking soda
  
  1/2 teaspoon salt
  
  1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening
  
  1/2 cup peanut butter
  
  2 tablespoons milk
  
  1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  
  1 egg
  
  48 chocolate kisses, unwrapped
  
  Pre heat oven to 325 F. In large bowl mix beat shortening and peanut butter. Add sugars mixing until light and fluffy. Add egg, milk and vanilla; beat well. In a medium bowl combine flour, baking soda and salt. Gradually beat flour mixture into peanut butter until all the ingredients until combined and dough forms. Shape a teaspoonful of dough into balls. Roll balls in additional sugar(1/2 cup). Place on cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes until golden. Remove cookies from oven and immediately top each cookie with a kiss, pressing down so the cookie cracks slightly around edges of kiss. Cool for 10 minutes. Remove from baking sheet letting cool completely.
  
  Makes 48.
  
  Enjoy!
  
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  Posted in Baking, Baking, Christmas Recipes, cookies, Dessert, desserts, Food, Good Dinner Mrs Mellen | Tagged Christmas cookies, easy, Hershey Kisses, peanut butter
- Monte Crisco Breakfast Casserole
  
  Posted at 9:39 pm by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Dec 15th
  Ingredients
  
  2 1/2 cups milk
  8 eggs
  1/2 teaspoon salt
  1/4teaspoon ground black pepper
  
  1 teaspoon dry mustard
  1 1 pound round loaf country Italian bread, cut into ten 1/2-inch thick slices
  1/4 cup seedless raspberry jam
  8 ounces thinly sliced cooked ham
  8 ounces thinly slice Swiss cheese
  
  1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese
  
  1/4 cup butter, soften
  
  Directions
  - Grease a 3-quart baking dish. In a large bowl whisk together milk, eggs, 1/2 teaspoon salt,1/4 teaspoon black pepper and mustard.
  - Spread half the bread slices with jam, then top with ham and cheese. Spread remaining bread slices with butter then place buttered sides down on cheese. Cut each sandwich diagonally into four triangles. Arrange points up in prepared baking dish. Pour egg mixture over sandwiches. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Cover; chill overnight.
  - Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Uncover dish. Bake 35 minutes or until golden and egg mixture is set. Remove. Let cool 10 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.
  To dry bread, preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Arrange slices on baking sheet, overlapping as necessary. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until dry; cool.
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  Posted in Easy recipes, Christmas Recipes, Casserole, Breakfast, Christmas | Tagged easy, Make ahead, Christmas morning, eggs, Breakfast casserole, ham & cheese
- CRANBERRY SAUCE WITH ORANGES AND GRAND MARNIER
  
  Posted at 9:31 am by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Nov 19th
  Massachusetts, abundant in cranberries bogs, produces glorious fresh cranberries which are harvested in the fall coming to market just in time for Thanksgiving. You can get frozen cranberries all year long a wonderful alternative when fresh are out of season. I just love fresh cranberries and I buy copious quantities for making naturally fresh cranberry sauce along with breads, cakes, stuffing and with roasted vegetables. You could say I go cranberry crazy this time of year. And you have to be quick since fresh cranberries are gone from market right after the new year. As you might have guessed homemade cranberry sauce is a must, a favorite accompaniment to our Thanksgiving dinner. Each year I tweak the ingriendants for a different sauce; sometimes I add pecans for a crunch texture or lemons for a tangy sauce, this year I made cranberry sauce with chopped oranges. I like my cranberry sauce spirited adding a little liqueur; to this recipe I added Grand Marnier; a french orange liqueur. If your interested in reading more about cranberries and blogs their natural growing habitat click on this link. https://science.howstuffworks.com/life/botany/cranberry-bogs1.htm
  
  CRANBERRY SAUCE WITH ORANGES AND GRAND MARNIER
  
  INGRIEDIENTS
  
  1 medium navel orange, seeds removed, chopped
  
  1 lb. fresh (or frozen) cranberries
  
  1/2 cup sugar
  
  2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
  
  1 3″-long cinnamon stick
  
  ½ tsp. ground allspice
  
  Pinch of kosher salt
  
  2 tablespoon Grand Marnier
  
  RECIPE PREPARATION
  
  Place orange in a large saucepan and pour in cold water to come 1″ up sides of pan. Bring to a boil, then remove immediately from heat and drain orange in a mesh sieve or colander. Rinse under cold water; return to saucepan. Add cranberries, sugar, butter, cinnamon, allspice, and salt and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Reduce heat cook stirring often until cranberries burst, juices are syrupy, for about 9-12 minutes. Stir in Grand Marnier simmer for another two minuets. Remove cinnamon stick. and discard.
  
  DO AHEAD: Sauce can be made 1 week ahead. Cover and chill.
  
  Enjoy!
  
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  Posted in Side dish, Thanksgiving, vegan, Vegetarian | Tagged cranberry sauce, easy, Grand Marnier, Make ahead, oranges, Thanksgiving
- Chocolate Mousse Cake
  
  Posted at 5:15 pm by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Nov 16th
  Following my blog you know that I love to bake! I baked my first cake from scratch when I was a young girl and my love of baking continues all these years later. If you have never baked a cake especially for a birthday I highly recommend you do it at least once. It is so rewarding to see the look on the recipient’s face when you put a beautiful homemade cake with candles right in front of them. I think everyone needs a great chocolate cake for birthdays and this cake has a present inside, a rich, smooth, peanut butter mousse filling. Coffee adds extra flavor to the chocolate cake rather than using plain water. If you make this cake I’d love to see photos and hear from you!
  
  Ingredients
  
  2 3/4 cups flour- I like King Arthur’s Flour
  
  2 teaspoons baking power
  
  1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  
  6 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
  
  6 tablespoons vegetable oil
  
  2 cups sugar
  
  3/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa
  
  1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  
  4 large eggs
  
  1 1/2 cups strong coffee
  
  Mousse
  
  1 (10-ounce) package peanut butter
  
  3 cups whipping cream
  
  2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  
  2 tablespoon butter
  
  1 1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate morsels
  
  INSTRUCTIONS
  
  Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 8″ round cake pans.
  
  Sift in a small bowel four, baking power and baking soda. Set aside.
  
  Beat together the butter, oil, sugar, cocoa, and vanilla extract until they form a smooth paste. The sugar will stay granular.
  
  Add the eggs one at a time, beating well and scraping the bottom of the bowl after each addition.
  
  Add the flour alternately with the water, mixing at medium-low speed and beginning and ending with the flour. Once the last of the flour is added, mix briefly, just until smooth.
  
  Divide the batter between the pans. Cakes will self-level in the oven, so there’s no need to smooth the top with a spatula. However, it does help to remove any large bubbles by tapping the cake pans firmly on the counter 7 or 8 times.
  
  Bake the cakes for 35 to 40 minutes, until their tops spring back and a cake tester inserted into the center of one comes out clean.
  
  Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, run a spatula around the edges to loosen, and turn out onto a rack to cool completely.
  
  Combine 2/3 cup whipping cream and peanut butter morsels in a small saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until morsels melt and mixture is smooth; remove saucepan from heat. Stir in vanilla extract, and cool 25 minutes.
  
  Beat 1 1/3 cups whipping cream at high speed with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Stir one-third whipped cream into peanut butter mixture. Fold into remaining whipped cream. Cover and chill for 2-3 hours or until mousse is firm. Spread between cake layers then cover and chill. You can make the cake the day ahead.
  
  Bring remaining 1 cup whipping cream and 2 tablespoon butter to a boil in a small saucepan. Add chocolate morsels; remove from heat, and let stand 5 minutes. Stir until morsels melt and mixture is smooth.
  
  Pour glaze over cake; garnish, if desired. Serve warm, or chill and serve at room temperature.
  
  Enjoy!
  
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  Posted in Cake | Tagged Birthday Cake, chocolate cake, easy, King Arthur's Flour
- Quick and Easy Pasta Fagioli
  
  Posted at 1:31 pm by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Oct 13th
  Traditional Pasta Fagioli is made with a pork product such as pancetta, ham or pigs feet(old time Italian) but growing up my mother always made meatless Pasta Fagioli on Fridays. I have fond memories of eating Pasta Fagioli on crisp fall nights before rushing off to a Friday night football game. Over the years I have added my own touches to my mother’s Pasta Fagioli to make it an easy totally vegetarian meal.
  
  Pasta Fagioli
  
  1 cup chopped shallots
  
  3 cloves garlic, crushed
  
  2 tablespoon olive oil
  
  3/4 cup dry white wine
  
  2 (16 oz) cans vegetarian baked beans, Bushes
  
  1 can (8 oz) no salt Tomato Sauce Hunts
  
  1 can (15.5 oz) Garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained, Goya
  
  1 can (14 oz) vegetable broth
  
  1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  
  1 cup dried ditali pasta
  
  1/4 cup snipped fresh basil or 1 tablespoon dried basil
  
  1 tablespoon snipped fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  
  1. In large pot cook shallots, garlic and olive over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  
  2. Sir in wine, baked beans, garbanzo beans, vegetable broth and crushed red pepper. Bring to a boil: reduce heat. Simmer, covered for 20 minutes.
  
  3. Cook, pasta al dente(firm but not hard), drain. Stir cooked pasta, basil, oregano into bean mixture. Simmer for 5 more minutes. Make 4-6 servings. Serve with fresh graded Parmesan cheese on top.
  
  Enjoy!
  
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  Posted in Good Dinner Mrs Mellen, Hearty Meal, lunch, Main Dish, Stew, Vegetarian | Tagged Beans & macaroni, Bushes bean, easy, Goya beans, Hunts Tomato Sauce, lunch
- Spicy Lentil Chili
  
  Posted at 5:11 pm by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Sep 16th
  Spicy Lentil Chili
  
  I love anything that is healthy and taste good. My Vegan Lentil Chili is a perfect example of a good for you tasty meal! I eat this filling yet light chili after a hot power yoga or on a cold snowy day. Combining lentils with chick peas adds protein and fiber to the vegetable mix. I make a batch freezing individual serving for later eating!
  
  2 boxes(32 oz) organic vegetable broth, I like Full Circle organic
  
  1 medium onion, chopped
  
  l large red bell pepper, chopped
  
  1 jalapeno, chopped
  
  1 cup sliced baby carrots
  
  5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  
  4 teaspoons salt-free chili powder
  
  1 (16 oz) package brown or red lentils, Goya
  
  2 cans(15 oz) cans no salt added diced tomatoes, I like Del Monte petite cut
  
  2 cans (15.5 oz) Chick Peas, I like Goya Premium
  
  1/4 cup chopped cilantro
  
  Bring one cup broth to simmer in a large pot over medium high heat. Add onion, pepper, carrots and garlic cooking about 8 minutes. Stir in chili powder cooking 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add rest of broth and remaining ingredients except cilantro. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium low and simmer covered for 30 minutes until lentils are almost tender. Uncover and cook 10 minutes longer. Stir in cilantro and serve.
  
  Enjoy!
  
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  Posted in Chili, Good Dinner Mrs Mellen, Healthy, light dinner, lunch, Main Dish, Main Meal, vegan, Vegetarian, Weeknight dinner | Tagged Chili, easy, Full Circle broth, Goya, Healthy, lentil, light dinner
- Healthy Slaw and Undon Noodles with Honey Ginger Vinaigrette
  
  Posted at 10:19 am by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Aug 30th
  Summertime and I’m all about easy and quick delicious food to share with family and friends. I love to create an array of make ahead salads perfect accompaniments for cookouts and picnic; no fussing in the kitchen yet no skimping on taste either. My healthy slaw with Undon noddles fits all my requirements for a great summer salad, quick, easy and delicious.
  
  Healthy Slaw and Undon Noodles with Honey Ginger Vinaigrette
  
  1 package 10 oz. Mann’s Power Blend, Brussels Sprouts, Napa cabbage, Kohlrai, Broccoli, Carrots & Kale
  
  1 can 15.5 oz. Garbanzo Beans, drained & rinsed
  
  1 package 10 oz. Udon Noodles, cooked according to package directions*
  
  2 bunches scallions, thinly sliced, white only
  
  1/4 cup slice almonds
  
  1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  
  1/4 teaspoon pepper
  
  Honey Ginger Vinaigrette
  
  1/4 cup rice vinegar
  
  1 teaspoon honey
  
  1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
  
  1 clove garlic, minced
  
  1/4 cup vegetable oil
  
  Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
  
  In a small bowl, mix the rice vinegar with honey and grated ginger until dissolved. Whisk in the vegetable oil and season the vinaigrette with salt and pepper.
  
  In large glass bowl combine slaw mix with beans, noodles, almonds, salt and pepper. Pour vinaigrette over and toss until combined. Chill before serving.
  
  * I used Hakubaku Organic Udon Noodles
  
  Enjoy!
  
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  Posted in entertaining, family meals, Food, Good Dinner Mrs Mellen, Healthy, summertime recipes, vegan, Vegetarian | Tagged easy, Hakubaku Organic Udon Noodles, Healthy Salad, Mann's Power Blend, quick, Slaw
- Tricolor Fingerling Potato Salad with Tomatoes and Olives
  
  Posted at 5:31 am by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Jul 18th
  What is better that a delicious cold salad to accompany grilled fish or meat. And the added bonus making ahead so you are free to enjoy your time with family and friends. In the summer when I entertain I love to prepare in advance so all that has to be done last minute is grilling. Want to dazzle your guest pick up some beautiful eco-friendly outside dinnerware that is dishwasher safe available in an variety of color and styles. Potato salad which is a summer stable in our family doesn’t have to be boring. I use all different ingredients to create an array of different Potato Salads. I also like summer food especially to be very colorful. In my Tricolor Potato Salad is used red, white and blue gourmet potatoes for extra color and taste. Adding tomatoes and olives enhances the flavor also. Have fun with interesting and different salads, experiment!
  
  Tricolor Fingerling Potato Salad with Tomatoes and Olives
  
  Ingredients
  
  Tricolor Fingerling Potatoes package (28 oz.), cut in half
  
  2 Tbsp. plus ½ tsp. kosher salt
  
  4 large eggs
  
  1 cup mayonnaise
  
  ½ low fat Greek yogurt
  
  1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
  
  1 Tbsp. garlic powder
  
  1 Tbsp. freshly ground black pepper
  
  1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
  
  ½ cup halved pitted black olives from a can
  
  RECIPE PREPARATION
  
  Place potatoes in a large pot and pour in cold water to cover by 2″. Add 2 Tbsp. salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are just tender, about 15 minutes. Drain, then let cool slightly (the potatoes should be warm when you dress them, which will help them soak up the dressing).
  
  Meanwhile, cook eggs in a large saucepan of boiling water 8 minutes (whites and yolks will be set). Drain; transfer to a bowl of ice water and let cool. Drain, peel, and quarter 3 eggs. Set aside one egg for garnish.
  
  Whisk mayonnaise, yogurt, mustard, garlic powder, pepper, and remaining ½ tsp. salt in a large bowl. Add potatoes, eggs, tomatoes, half of olives and fold gently until combined and completely coated. Transfer salad to a platter and top with olives and slice egg.
  
  Enjoy!
  
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  Posted in Easy recipes, Good Dinner Mrs Mellen, Salad, summertime recipes | Tagged easy, potato salad, yogurt
- Cold Soba Noodle Salad
  
  Posted at 9:06 am by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Jun 24th
  Asian Noodle salad, so easy and delicious, has always been a favorite of mine. I especially enjoy cold noodle salad for lunch or a light dinner. Soba noodles are so versatile in soups, stir fry, and salads. A little more substantial than glass noodles, which I adore in a Big Bowl Soup(more on that in another blog!). Use Soba noodles as a base for salads creating a variety different taste. In this salad I added a Middle Eastern flavor with the addition of garbanzo beans and tahini while retaining a little asian flair!
  
  Summertime is perfect for light salads that are filling – bursting with flavor. If you prefer more protein top with grilled shrimp or tofu if vegan is your preference. Experiment creating a salad just for you. Easting healthy doesn’t have to be boring or tasteless if you add wonderful complementing flavors enhancing veggies or noodles. The dressing that I created for this salad can be used to marinate veggies, chicken or fish before grilling. Just a few suggestions, let your imagination open to different combinations for tasty food. Food should be savored, an experience to enjoy, not to be eaten on the run or my least favorite walking down the street. If you are present, really tasting food, you will become naturally sated and not over eat. And another benefit of eating food rich in fiber content, you become full on less caloric intake. What could be more enjoyable than delicious food that is filling and healthy and helps you from overeating!
  
  Cold Soba Noodle Salad
  
  1/2 packagle , I used Simply Asia Soba Noodles
  
  1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
  
  1 tablespoon rice vinegar
  
  1 tablespoon tahini
  
  2 tablespoon olive oil
  
  1/2 cup shredded carrot
  
  1 can(15.5 oz) garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed I use Goya premium
  
  1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced white only
  
  1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
  
  pinch of Pink Himalayan salt
  
  thinly slice green of scallions
  
  Cook noodles according to package instructions. Drain and place in medium bowl. Combine lemon juice, vinegar, tahini and oil in a small bowl. Toss noodles, carrots, beans, scallions and seeds together. Add lemon, vinegar, tahini and oil to noodles, toss again. Top with a pinch of salt and slice scallion. Can be served at room temperature or chill for an hour.
  
  Enjoy!
  
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  Posted in Food, Good Dinner Mrs Mellen, Healthy, light dinner, lunch, vegan, Vegetarian | Tagged beans, easy, Goya, Healthy, light lunch, Simply Asia, Soba Noodles, vegan
- Chicken, Mushroom and Wine Casserole
  
  Posted at 1:18 pm by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  May 20th
  Chicken, Mushroom and Wine Casserole
  
  I love make ahead meals that can be easily heated to have a home cooked meal quickly. Many a Sunday you will find me in the kitchen cooking meals for the coming week. And what could be tastier than a chicken, mushroom and white wine casserole fragrantly flavored with fresh thyme. The chicken tender separating from the bone without even using a nice. Serve over Arborio rice enjoying as you dip crusty fresh bread into the wine sauce.
  
  3 pounds split chicken breast
  
  salt and pepper
  
  2 tablespoons olive oil
  
  8 ounce slice mushrooms
  
  1 leek, thinly slice, white part only
  
  1 shallot, chopped
  
  2 cloves, chopped
  
  1 cup wine
  
  2 cup chicken broth
  
  2 sprigs fresh parsley, chopped
  
  1 dry bay leaf, crushed
  
  2 springs fresh thyme, finely chopped
  
  Heat oven to 350F. Salt and pepper chicken. In a casserole pan, I use a Le Creuset casserole, heat olive oil. Add chicken breasts cooking on each side until lightly browned. Remove from pan and place on a dish. To casserole pan add mushrooms, leeks, shallot and garlic. Cook for 5minutes while stirring or until all the juices are gone. Add wine, chicken broth, parsley, bay leaf and thyme. Remove casserole from stove and place in over baking for 30 minutes. Garnish with more thyme.
  
  Serve over Arborio rice.
  
  Enjoy!
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  Posted in Casserole, Chicken, family meals, Food, Good Dinner Mrs Mellen, Hearty Meal, Main Meal | Tagged chicken. casserole, easy, le creuset, Mushrooms, wine
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