Sage and Prosciutto Saltimbocca with Rosemary Roasted Potatoes and Asparagus

Want to get a copy of the recipe that is commentary free?  Go here.

Every once in a while, I’ll be flipping through my food magazines and think “this is going to taste good!”  These recipes from Taste of Home practically screamed that when I turned to the page.

© You Want Me to Cook?
Sage & Prosciutto Saltimbocca with
Rosemary Roasted Potatoes & Asparagus

I love a good sautéed chicken and there’s nothing better than a butter sauce with a wine reduction.  I also love prosciutto and when it is sautéed to a crisp, it is even better.  I’m drooling just thinking about it.  The potatoes and asparagus with rosemary and garlic are a bonus.  I don’t think there are two vegetables I like more than that.

Brown Rice Hazelnut Burgers

On Mondays, I try to make only Vegan food.  It's more than "meatless mondays".  There is no dairy, eggs or any animal by-product.  This past week, I decided to make Brown Rice Hazelnut Burgers (link takes you to a condensed version of the recipe) out of my Vegan Diner cookbook by Julie Hasson.

© You Want Me to Cook? Brown Rice Hazelnut Burgers

Looks good, doesn't it?  And your probably wouldn't guess it wasn't meat from this picture either.  I served it with a side of lentil chips.  They were light and crispy and not dry like rice cakes.

Don't fear the healthier snacks.

What I Made: June 14, 2012

Yesterday was another busy day that started off right... with breakfast!

© You Want Me to Cook?
Strawberry-Banana Smoothie

These Strawberry-Banana Smoothies from Food Network's April 2011 issue were fantastic.  The creamy Greek vanilla yogurt was healthy for us and tasted great!  

What I Made: June 11, 2012

After recuperating over the weekend, I got right back on track with my Meatless Monday.  Not just Meatless, but Vegan too.  I'm still making my way through Vegan Diner by Julie Hasson.

I do have a complaint about the book... not enough pictures.  I know that sounds silly, but when you're making your own protein/meat, it would be really helpful to know what the end result is supposed to look like.

Good recipes though.  Anyway...

I've already tried my hand at making meatless-meat and it tasted really good.  Today, I was going to make some homemade Rough Rider Barbecue Sauce and make Barbecue Ribz.

How did they turn out?

© You Want Me to Cook?
Barbecue Ribz with Rough Rider Barbecue Sauce

They look good, right?  

What I made: June 6, 2012

Today I was like a crazy cooking ninja.  And there was some alcohol involved.  

That may explain why my notes are a little difficult to read today.  Oh well, let's get to the food.

I had a crazy morning and afternoon so my breakfast and lunch dishes had to be rescheduled.  It was time to start dinner, but I was parched so I made myself a Pink Lemonade found in All You's July issue.

© You Want Me to Cook?
Pink Lemonade

What I Made: June 5

So 2 days in and I already fall behind.  Figures.

It doesn't mean I haven't eaten in two days.  Nope, I've been busily cooking, taking pictures, coating my pug in Fondant...  you know, the basics.  What?  You've never spilled melted marshmallow on your dog before?

For the record, I'd highly advise against it.

So this day, I made myself a little lunch.  I made Bacon Fried Rice from a recipe I got from Cooking.com.

© You Want Me to Cook?
Bacon Fried Rice

If you don't read my blog regularly, let me let you in on a not-a-secret: I LOVE BACON!  I overcooked it a wee-bit this time, but it still was delicious.

What I made: June 4, 2012

Monday's are Vegan days and all my recipes came from Vegan Diner, by Julie Hasson!

Since I was making a sandwich, I decided to tackle making my own hamburger buns.  Why?  Because any vegan bread I've ever bought was dry and icky.  The bread I've made (and I've only made non-yeast breads) has been delicious, so I gave it a try.

It wasn't as hard as I thought and the results... well look for yourself:

© You Want Me to Cook?
Old Fashioned Hamburger Buns

Lightened-Up Mac and Cheese

Recipe modified by You Want Me to Cook? – April 25, 2011

For a commentary-free and printer-friendly version of it, please click here.

Lightened-Up Mac and Cheese recipe originally published by Food Network Magazine – April 2012.

I make a mean macaroni and cheese.  Unfortunately, my mac and cheese has about a pound of cheese, milk and bacon in it.  I swear I could gain 30 pounds and/or have a heart attack just looking at it. 

When my husband got serious about fitness, we had to say a sad goodbye to our beloved mac and cheese recipe.  I tried once to make it hoping we could eat a spoonful here and a spoonful there keeping our daily diet in check.  Yet, every time I’d open the refrigerator door, the cheesy-deliciousness would be staring at me.  Then I thought I could cut the recipe in half, but what was the purpose of that?  Nope, I wasn’t going to take the chance of overindulging.

I’ve tried a couple of lightened versions.  They were tasty, but I always wanted something more.  Then I came upon this recipe in my latest issue and I decided to give it a try.

© You Want Me to Cook?
Lightened-Up Mac and Cheese

Notice how creamy and cheesy it looks?  And yes, it tastes as rich as it looks without all of the fat.

Lemon Chicken Soup with Salad

Recipe modified by You Want Me to Cook? – April 25, 2011

For a commentary-free and printer-friendly version of it, please click here.

Lemon Chicken Soup with Salad recipe originally published by Food Network Magazine – April 2012.

I really love a soup/salad or soup/sandwich combo, but my husband does not.  No matter what kind of soup I make, he never eats it.  Still I’m searching for a soup that he’s going to, at a minimum, eat a bowl.  I happen to love chicken and rice soup so when I saw this combination “lightened up” version of the soup with a refreshing salad, I decided to make it.

© You Want Me to Cook?
Lemon Chicken Soup and Salad

The soup was nice and creamy without being heavy.  In fact, there’s no cream or milk in it!  I’m terrible at the meat-to-soup ratio.  I always end up with more broth.  Still, it looks comforting and delicious.

Beef Kebabs with Couscous

Recipe modified by You Want Me to Cook? – April 24, 2011

For a commentary-free and printer-friendly version of it, please click here.

Beef Kebabs with Couscous recipe originally published in Food Network Magazine – April 2012.

I’m trying to expand my repertoire a little.  I serve a lot of dishes on a bed of pasta or rice.  It’s not a bad thing, but I like to switch things up and try new things as often as possible.  On this day, I decided to try my hand at couscous and Middle Eastern cuisine. 

This recipe seemed like a great place to start.  Meat marinated in simple (but unique to my palate) flavors and couscous which is as easy to make as rice.

© You Want Me to Cook?
Beef Kebabs with Couscous

The tomatoes and onion alone make me want to go grab the leftovers.  Who cares if it is after midnight?!?!?!  I love charred vegetables and I managed to get it perfect.  My meat looks a little dry, but that could very well be my fault since I used a different cut of steak, but more on that later.

Let’s Get Together Thai Shrimp

Recipe modified by You Want Me to Cook? – September 11, 2011

For a commentary-free and printer-friendly version of it, please click here.

Let’s Get Together Thai Shrimp recipe originally published in Taste of Home – August 2011.

I love Thai curry dishes and consistently make the same recipe over and over again.  This one made me read the recipe twice.  Yes, it is the basic curry base with shrimp, but it also has cherry tomatoes, mushrooms and cashews.  That sounded too good to pass up.

© You Want Me to Cook?
Let's Get Together Thai Shrimp

The shrimp looks perfect.  The curry sauce isn’t overbearing the dish and has a great color.  The rice and cashews totally complete it.  I was absolutely proud of the way this dish turned out and kept my fingers crossed that it tasted as good as it looked.

Microwave Tomato Risotto

Recipe modified by You Want Me to Cook? – September 8, 2011

For a commentary-free and printer-friendly version of it, please click here.

Microwave Tomato Risotto recipe originally published in Good Housekeeping – August 2011.

So earlier in the year, I tried my hand at making risotto.  I fell in love.  However, I didn’t make a lot of it because it is a tedious process.  When I found a recipe that allowed me to make it in the microwave, I was intrigued.  Still I hadn’t gotten around to making it.

Then one day, I had one of those days where if it could happen to me, it did.  I had to prepare for a wedding I was working, my neurotic Chihuahua, Lola, managed to escape from the house and I had to chase her a block, I had to fight with my town’s recycling center to pick up my container and I saw a private client. 

I figured this was a good day to utilize the microwave.

© You Want Me to Cook? 
Microwave Tomato Risotto

Looking at the picture again is making me hungry.  My rice was perfectly chewy and the tomatoes permeated throughout the dish.  When I compared it to the picture shown in Good Housekeeping, I was proud and declared success.

Smothered Italian Chicken

Recipe modified by You Want Me to Cook? – September 7, 2011

For a commentary-free and printer-friendly version of it, please click here.

Smothered Italian chicken recipe originally published in Simple and Delicious – June/July 2011.

Alright, I’ll say it… chicken can be boring.  There is your basic sautéed in a sauce chicken and then a panko/breadcrumb breaded baked version.  Serve it on a bed of rice and you’re done.  True, it can be a quick, tasty and healthy meal, but it can be boring.  That’s why I’m always looking for different types of chicken recipes. 

When I came across this recipe, it was still your typical breaded chicken, but how it was breaded made all the difference to me.  The breading was tomato-flavored crackers and instead of an egg/flour wash, it uses an herbed mayonnaise.  Throw in some fresh, yummy and healthy spinach (something I’ve been trying to eat a lot more of lately) and mozzarella and it makes it hard to turn away.

© You Want Me to Cook?
Smothered Italian Chicken

I have to admit that I wasn’t sure if the mayonnaise alone was going to help the breading stick, but this recipe proved me wrong.  I don’t think I’ve ever had a piece of chicken turn out this pretty in terms of breading.  The spinach and cheese just make it look perfect.

Also, I was intrigued that there was no traditional “sauce” and kept my fingers crossed it would be juicy and delicious.

Nacho Cheese Beef Bake

Recipe modified by You Want Me to Cook? – September 6, 2011

For a commentary-free and printer-friendly version of it, please click here.

Nacho Cheese Beef Bake recipe originally published in Taste of Home – August 2011.

I’m always looking for a delicious casserole recipe and I love Mexican food, so this recipe seemed like the perfect match.  I also liked the convenience factor.  Most everything was canned (and I could buy healthier versions than specified) and what wasn’t, I could buy per-sliced or shredded… except for the chips, but crushing chips isn’t all that difficult.

© You Want Me to Cook?
Nacho Cheese Beef Bake

I didn’t pile everything on top of the casserole like they did in the picture because I wanted the picture to show the casserole underneath.  

As you can tell, I did a horrible job at showing the casserole.  I cook.  I'm definitely not a photographer.

From what I can tell, my casserole looks slightly “soupier” which I’m not sure if I like or not.  Still, my food looks delicious and I was ready to eat it as soon as the picture was taken.

Bruschetta Minute Steaks

Recipe modified by You Want Me to Cook? – September 1, 2011

For a commentary-free and printer-friendly version of it, please click here.

Bruschetta Minute Steaks recipe originally published in Kraft Recipes Magazine – Spring 2011.

When I plan meals, I always go for dinner menus.  What that means is that I have nothing to make for lunch unless I’m going with a standard lunchmeat sandwich or salad.  It isn’t a bad thing, but every once in a while I crave something a little more complex.  With my chores at home adding in errands and working on the blogs, I usually don’t feel like making gigantic meals.

I guess my point is I like looking for simple recipes using some convenience foods that I can make healthier.  If I can stay out of the fast food line at lunch time, that’s even better.

So I saw this recipe and was excited.  It used sandwich steaks that can be made in a jiffy.  Also, it’s dressed up with vegetables and isn’t a sandwich (or at least it wasn’t meant to be eaten as a sandwich).

© You Want Me to Cook?
Bruschetta Minute Steaks

So starting with the obvious – it isn’t the same kind of steak.  I couldn’t find a “beef minute steak” so I went with what I found as the next best thing: a sandwich steak.  They had a comparable cook time and I could stack two on top of each other to give the same amount of thickness.

It didn’t turn out as well as I hoped.  Looking back, I probably should have bought a flat steak or flank steak and cut it into smaller pieces, but I can't change the past.

My sandwich steaks didn’t hold together well, so I decided to turn it Philly style where the beef was shredded.  Although I plated it separately, I decided to eat these as a sandwich (picture shown later) on a pretzel roll.

Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo and Roasted Asparagus

Recipe modified by You Want Me to Cook? – August 25, 2011

For a commentary-free and printer-friendly version of it, please click here.

For a commentary-free and printer-friendly version of the Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo recipe, please click here.

For a commentary-free and printer-friendly version of the Roasted Asparagus recipe, please click here.

Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo recipe originally published in Cooking Light – September 2011.

Roasted Asparagus recipe originally published in Cooking Light – September 2011.

I love alfredo.  I REALLY love it.  Unfortunately, it has got to be one of the least healthy pasta dishes you can make.  Weighed down by cream and butter, it is one of those meals that we can only have once in a blue moon.  So imagine my excitement when I was presented with a healthier version of one of my favorite dishes.

You Want Me to Cook?
Shrimp Alfredo and Roasted Asparagus

Now I know what you’re thinking… it doesn’t look as good without alfredo sauce oozing all over the plate.  Trust me though.  It didn’t need it.  I didn’t get as pretty of a plating (or picture for that matter) but it still looked pretty close to that from the magazine.  I certainly wouldn’t push this away from me at the table.

Curry-Tomato Sauce with Whole Wheat Spaghetti and Chickpeas

Recipe modified by You Want Me to Cook? – August 24, 2011

For a commentary-free and printer-friendly version of it, please click here.

Recipe originally published in Every Day with Rachael Ray – May 2011.

It had been a while since I had made (and eaten) a vegetarian meal and I had been staring at this recipe for a long time.  I’m not sure why I was hesitant to make it.  It had many of my favorite things (curry, pasta, tomatoes) and had some healthy elements (whole wheat pasta, chickpeas, vegetarian).  Still, I never seemed to have a taste for it.  In fact, I bought all the groceries and didn’t make it for almost three weeks.

Finally, I sucked it up one night and made it.  Ringing endorsement, right?

© You Want Me to Cook?
Curry-Tomato Sauce with Whole Wheat Spaghetti and Chickpeas

Sure, it looks like a pasta you’d want to eat, but it wasn’t as chunky as the one pictured with the recipe.  I also didn’t realize what a difference the parsley made in presentation… not that I wasn’t going to eat it.  Their dish looks prettier, that’s all.

Shrimp Korma and Basmati Rice

Recipe modified by You Want Me to Cook? – June 17, 2011

For a commentary-free and printer-friendly version of it, please click here.

Recipe originally published by MyRecipes via e-mail on June 15, 2011.

For reasons I don’t quite understand, I don’t like spicy food.  When I came upon this recipe, I was excited since I had a bunch of basmati rice I needed to use, it was chock full of vegetables and it didn’t have tablespoons of curry powder in it.  This is important for the heat factor but also for a certain individual’s gas factor (not mine, mind you).

© You Want Me to Cook?
Shrimp Korma and Basmati Rice

Yummy, right?  It looks very similar to the original picture, although my curry sauce is slightly more red and brighter.  That is because of the type of curry powder I used, which I’ll detail in the ingredients section.  It was thick, chunky and smelled fantastic!  That is everything I want out of a curry… and more.

Modenese Pork Chops

Recipe modified by You Want Me to Cook? – June 16, 2011

For a commentary-free and printer-friendly version of it, please click here.

Recipe originally published by Allrecipes via e-mail on June 13, 2011.

Okay, this isn’t Thanksgiving related, but I have a lot of organizing to go through.  Here is a recipe I made well before the countdown to the holidays…

I always fear that I’m going to miss a recipe because it doesn’t tickle my fancy when I come across it.  For example, I occasionally will see a recipe with wine or rum in it and wrinkle my nose, but every time I make a marsala dish or a rum cake, I fall in love.  I stared at this recipe for a while before deciding to make it.  It was simple and contained savory ingredients (butter, garlic, pork), but I kept stumbling over the wine part.  I finally said, “Screw this!  I’m putting it on my list of things to make.”

I’m glad I did.

© You Want Me to Cook?
Modenese Pork Chops

I swear you can look at this picture and tell how good it smells.  I’m willing to concede that my pork chops don’t have the same level of browning that the original recipe writer had.  It’s mostly because I chose a boneless chop and boneless chops cook faster.  It is saved by the savory looking sauce though.

Mexican Chicken Casserole

Recipe modified by You Want Me to Cook? – May 5, 2011

For a commentary-free and printer-friendly version of it, please click here.

Recipe originally published by Cooking Light via e-mail on May 3, 2011.

So we continue with the trend of cooking a lot of the same things with another one of my favorites – Mexican chicken casseroles.  I know what attracted me to this dish other than my love of Mexican food.  It is supposed to be a “healthier” version of a creamy chicken casserole.  The ingredient listing had all the right things and the picture looked fantastic, so why not?

© You Want Me to Cook?
Mexican Chicken Casserole

Okay, it looks tasty, but it isn’t what the recipe’s picture looked like.  I can’t figure out why it is so orange looking.  Okay, I can (enchilada sauce), but I used the same amount as specified in the recipe and the same type of cheese.