Melissa

I've been crazy about trying new recipes lately, and I'm having a great time! Here are some of the things I've been doing:

Fried Egg on toast with avocado, bacon and chipotle mayo - (for breakfast)!

(This isn't my picture, or my recipe - http://www.closetcooking.com/2011/07/poached-egg-on-toast-with-chipotle.html).

I modified it a little bit since I like fried eggs rather than poached eggs, and I cook my yolks all the way through. I also used guacamole instead of avocado slices (because I had some guacamole on hand and not any fresh avocados) but it still turned out DELICIOUS.

Here's how the sandwich goes from top to bottom:

1 egg

2 slices cooked bacon

Guacamole/avocado slices

1 Tbsp. Chipotle-lime mayo (don't skimp, this tastes amazing)

1 piece toast

Chipotle-Lime Mayo:

This was easy for me to make because I always keep ground chipotle peppers in adobo sauce on hand in the fridge. They last for years because they are peppers, and I just use a teaspoon here or there in recipes that need a little smoky tasting spicy kick. I just have 1 or 2 of these cans in my pantry:

(your store might have different brands)

Then I grind the entire contents of the can (sauce and all) in my food processor. I keep it in a small tupperware container in the fridge, and it never goes bad. The one I have now I've had for 3 years I think, and it is still as nice as the day I opened the can.

1/2 C. mayonnaise

1 tsp. chipotle sauce

1 tsp. lime juice

Mix it all up!

Guacamole

2 avocados

sprinkle of onion powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 Tbps. lime juice

1-2 roma tomatoes, seeded and diced

Blend the avocados, onion powder, salt & lime juice. Stir in the tomatoes. (I had leftover guacamole from dinner last night otherwise I wouldn't have taken the time to make these sandwiches for breakfast). I use guacamole on homemade hamburgers, in tortilla wraps with turkey and provolone, just for dipping tortilla chips, and whatever else you can think of.

Bacon Guacamole Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Yes, this was what I had for dinner last night, and the reason for the leftover guacamole. For the record, both Levi and I thought they weren't as good as regular ol' BLT's, but they were still good.

Butter 1 side of 2 pieces of bread.

On the unbuttered side sprinkle some cheese.

Layer some guacamole on top of that.

Put several slices of cooked bacon on the guacamole.

Top that with more cheese, then the other piece of bread - buttered side up.

Grill over medium heat in a frying pan with the lid on, about 3 min. on each side, or until bread is browned and cheese is melted.

Chocolate Sugar Cookies

So I did end up trying the sugar cookies. (You'll have to look down at the previous post). I followed that recipe, but ended up having to add an extra cup of flour. If I tried it again, I would probably not change Angela's original recipe (I had added an extra egg) and simply substitute 1 C. of flour for 1 C. cocoa powder, then added 1/2 C. sugar. That would make the ingredients:

1 1/2 C. sugar

1/2 C. butter

2 1/2 C. flour

1 C. cocoa

1/2 C. sour cream

2 tsp. vanilla

1 egg

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

They still turned out nice, and I decorated them for a friend's birthday.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

I have to confess - I haven't tried this one yet; I'm doing it tonight. But everything I've tried from Melskitchencafe.com has always turned out, and it just sounds delicious. Here is the recipe directly from the source; I'll let you know if I had to modify it or anything:

Topping:
4 slices white sandwich bread, torn into quarters (I used a long forgotten bread bowl tucked in the back of the freezer – thawed it in the microwave before using)
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling:
3 pounds russet potatoes (about 4-5 medium), peeled and sliced 1/8-inch thick
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1 teaspoon dried thyme
3 medium garlic cloves, finely minced
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3/4 cup heavy cream or milk
6 ounces Swiss cheese, shredded, about 2 cups
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of excess fat and sliced thinly
9 ounces deli ham, chopped
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves

DIRECTIONS:
For the topping, process the bread and butter in a food processor until coarsely ground. Set aside.

For the filling, preheat the oven to 400 degrees, making sure the oven rack is in the middle. Place the potatoes, 6 cups water and 1 teaspoon salt in a large pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, uncovered, until the potatoes are partially cooked, about 2 minutes (don’t overcook because they will continue to cook in the oven!). Carefully drain potatoes, or remove them with a slotted spoon, and transfer them to a bowl. Set aside.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, thyme, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook until the onions are softened, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, stirring constantly, about 1 minute. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until golden, about 1 minute (this helps cook out the flour taste in the roux). Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and the cream or milk. Bring the mixture to a simmer, whisking often, until slightly thickened (if using milk instead of cream, you may have to cook longer for it to thicken up a bit). Off the heat, whisk in the Swiss cheese, Dijon, and cayenne pepper until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and set aside until ready to use.

Toss the potatoes with half of the sauce and spread into the bottom of a lightly greased 9X13-inch baking pan. Layer alternating pieces of the chicken and ham over the potatoes, overlapping as needed. This is not a scientific procedure, just make sure that the chicken is in a single layer (not on top of each other) so that it cooks thoroughly. Pour the remaining sauce evenly over the chicken and sprinkle with the bread crumb topping. Bake until the chicken is cooked through and the casserole is bubbling, 30 to 35 minutes (add about 5-7 additional minutes onto the baking time if baking it after it has chilled in the refrigerator for more than a couple of hours). Cool for 10 minutes before serving.