Caramel Corn

I'm sure you've all been frantically wondering where I've been in the "Howe" to Cook blogging world. Let's just say, I haven't cooked a meal in at least a week (possibly more :D) due to a missing spouse who is the only one in this household that appreciates my cooking. ;) Today, I am whipping up a batch of this scrumdidleumptiousness, so I thought I'd share with all of you! Heaven in a bowl I tell ya!


(image borrowed from here)

Caramel Popcorn:
2 batches of freshly popped popcorn
1 cube butter
1 can Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 C. light corn syrup
2 1/2 C. brown sugar

**In a saucepan combine butter, S.C. Milk, corn syrup and brown sugar. (I get my popcorn started while this is beginning to heat up.) Heat to boiling, stirring constantly when it starts to boil. Boil 3-5 minutes, until a soft ball forms when dropping some into a cup of cold water. Don't let it cook too long or your popcorn won't stay soft and gooey--which is why I love it so much! As soon as it forms that soft ball pour it over your popcorn and stir until it's evenly coated.
YUMMY!

Jerk Chicken Salad

About a year ago, I randomly found a recipe that called for Jerk Sauce. Not knowing what that was, I scoured the nearest Macey's and found out that it is a marinade located in the soy sauce and fried rice aisle. I made the recipe, and although it was yummy, I never thought about it again.

Fast forward to a couple of months ago when I was looking at this blog and found another recipe with 'jerk' in the title. Although this recipe called for jerk rub instead of sauce, I figured they couldn't be too different. So I bolted to the grocery store, bought the other ingredients, and whipped it up that night. Let me tell you...this jerk recipe will not be forgotten! It was a hit! The more of it my husband ate, the more he talked about how good it was. And I had to agree! All of the chicken and veggies gives it enough substance to fill you up, but it's still very light and fresh. So yummy! In fact, I am adding it to this week's menu!

(I stole the picture from that same blog. Thanks, Jodie!)

What you need:

2 heads romaine lettuce (I only bought one thinking I'd half the recipe. I quickly realized one head of romaine isn't much. Buy 2!)

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 small pineapple, chunked (I just used 1 can of pineapple chunks, but fresh would be bomb.com)

1/2 pkg. bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 red pepper, sliced

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 Tbsp. Jerk marinade or rub

Dressing

1/3 C mayo

juice of 2 limes
zest of one lime

2 Tbsp. pineapple preserves (I didn't know what this was and didn't want to buy it because I didn't think I'd ever use it again, so I just used 2 Tbsp. of pineapple juice from the can of pineapple).

In a airtight container, whisk together olive oil and jerk sauce/rub. Add chicken, snap the lid on, and shake it around to coat the chicken. In a Pammed frying pan, cook chicken until white throughout. Remove chicken from pan and set aside.

In that same frying pan, add the pineapple and cook for about 1 minute on each side (you're mostly just heating it up).

You can toss all of the ingredients together (that's what we did) in a large salad bowl, or you can have everyone make their own individual salad. Top with dressing and enjoy!

Unstuffed Pepper Bake

This is a yummy casserole (if you are a pepper lover) that can be thrown together in just minutes. It tastes like a stuffed pepper but doesn't require as much work as actually stuffing them. It also requires less peppers, which is especially great in my opinion. Have you see the price on peppers lately? They have gotten just outrageous, especially the colored varieties. So here is a delicious, more pocket friendly version

You will need:
1 lb. ground beef
1/3 C. chopped onions
1 1/2 C. diced peppers (I used one green and one red for some color)
2. garlic cloves minced or 1/2 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1 can petite diced tomatoes
1 1/2 C. minute rice

(I used sticky rice and baked it a few more minutes)
1 t. worcestershire sauce
1 t. italian seasoning
8 oz. cheddar cheese
1 15 oz. can tomato sauce

*Saute ground beef, onions, peppers, and garlic for 10 minutes
or until meat is cooked and peppers are soft.
*Drain any fat and add salt and pepper
*Stir in the tomatoes, rice, worcestershire, and italian seasoning.
*Remove from heat and stir in 1 C. of the cheese.
*Pour into a 9X13 baking dish
*Pour the tomato sauce over the top and sprinkle the remaining cheese.
*Bake uncovered at 375 degrees for 20 minutes until heated through and the cheese is melted.

Creamy Tomatillo Dressing

I am really glad that at least one of us Howe girls is keeping this blog running. Sheesh! We have been slacking!

I know that everyone and their dog has the perfect Cafe Rio knock-off recipe, and I've had my fair share of some good ones. However, whenever it comes to the dressing, as much as I love it, it is always calorie-loaded. Now if you haven't already noticed, we're not exactly calorie-conscious on this here blog, but if I can have some delishies for less cals than normal? I'll take it!

Now, I don't claim that this tastes exactly like Cafe Rio's dressing, but if you don't think of it as wannabe and instead think of it as just a random, creamy dressing, you will be satisfied!

I got this recipe from this blog, and according to her, it is 43 calories for 1/4 C. dressing. How impressive is that?!

image from here

What you'll need:

1/3 C. light mayo

1/4 C. fat free Greek yogurt

1/4 C. lowfat buttermilk

1/4 C. cilantro

1 tomatillo-husks removed and chopped

1 small jalepeno-seeds removed (I only used about half)

1 scallion (I left this out)

1/4 tsp. dried parsley flakes

1/8 tsp. cumin

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a blender. Mine turned out pretty runny, so next time I'm going to try more yogurt and less buttermilk, but either way, it's delish! We ate this on taco salads, and it was a hit! Enjoy this on any salad!

BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

Want to make the easiest meal ever? Then you are in the right spot, my friends! If you've been around this blog for more than a minute, you know how easy our recipes are. However, I think this one takes the cake. Almost no prep, minimal clean-up, and still delish? Yes, please!

The first time my hubby made these, I asked what was in them because they tasted so scrumptious. His answer? "Chicken and BBQ sauce." Whaaaaaa?? Who would have thought something that simple could taste that delish! I almost feel silly even posting this because it is so basic, but it was, at one point, a new idea to me. And we all love a new idea, right? So, with that being said...

image found here

What you need:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

BBQ sauce (about 1-2 cups) (Sweet Baby Ray's Original is our fave! We swear by it!)

Throw both in the crock-pot and cook on low all day, shred chicken, stir it around so it gets slathered in the BBQ (add more if needs be), and serve on your favorite roll or bun. Tada!

No-Bake Cheesecake

Since most nights Monday nights at our house usually have someting to do with dessert, I thought I'd share an easy one that you can whip up today.
We loooove cheesecake around here. In fact, Cheesecake Factory may or may not be our favorite restaurant. But because I have yet to master the perfect baked cheesecake, we go for no-bake. This is probably the easiest cheesecake recipe out there; It takes all of about 5 minutes to put together. How can you go wrong with that?

image from here

What you need:
1 package cream cheese

1 C. powder sugar

2 pints whipping cream OR 1 8 oz. container of Cool Whip (normally I'm a whipped cream kinda gal, but I actually prefer the Cool Whip in this one)

1-2 tsp. vanilla
Graham crackers & butter for crust OR a store bought crust if you're me (I know. Classy.)

Beat cream cheese and powdered sugar together. In a seperate bowl, beat cream and vanilla until fluffy (if you use whipping cream). Fold cream or Cool Whip into cream cheese mixture. Spoon mixture into graham cracker crust. Chill and serve with your favorite berries or topping.