sonoma chicken salad.

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Sonoma Chicken Salad from Heidi:

via WholeFoods

Dressing:

1 cup mayonnaise

4 tsp apple cider vinegar

5 tsp honey

2 tsp poppy seeds

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Salad:

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts

3/4 cup pecan pieces, toasted

2 cups red seedless grapes, halved

3 stalks celery, thinly sliced

In a bowl, combine mayonnaise, vinegar, honey, poppy seeds, salt and pepper.  Refrigerate until ready to dress the salad. This can be prepared up to 2 days ahead.

Preheat the oven to 375. Place the chicken breasts in one layer in a baking dish with 1/2 cup water. Cover with foil and bake 25 minutes until completely cooked through. Remove cooked chicken  breasts from pan, cool at room temperature for 10 minutes, then cover and refrigerate.

When the chicken is cold, dice into bite-size chunks and transfer to a large bowl. Stir in pecans, grapes, celery and dressing.

asian chicken pasta salad.

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Asian Chicken Pasta Salad from Brittany brought by Heidi:

(via nobiggie)

1 box bowtie pasta (farfalle)

4 chicken breasts cooked and shredded

1/4 cup green onions, sliced

1/2 pack sliced almonds, toasted

1 bag spinach

1 small bag sugar snap peas

1 can mandarin oranges (drained)

Dressing

1/4 cup sesame seeds, toasted

1/3 cup soy sauce

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

1/3 cup vegetable or sesame oil

2 T sugar

1/2 tsp. salt and pepper

Cook pasta to al dente. Marinate chicken and pasta in dressing in fridge overnight. Toss together right before serving with round two of dressing.

healthy banana pancakes.

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Healthy Banana Pancakes from Heidi:

1 banana

2 eggs

Mix and mash until incorporated. Cook on griddle like a pancake. Serve and enjoy.

brown butter & sea salt chocolate chip cookies.

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Brown Butter & Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookies from Heidi:

via Ambitiouskitchen

2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp of sea salt, plus more for sprinkling
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 T plain greek yogurt
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup milk chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt in a bowl and set aside. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. The butter will begin to foam. Make sure you whisk consistently during this process. After a couple of minutes, the butter will begin to brown on the bottom of the saucepan. Continue to whisk and remove from what as soon as the butter begins to brown and give off a nutty aroma. Immediately transfer the butter to a bowl to prevent burning. Set aside to cool for a few minutes.

With an electric mixer, mix the butter and sugars until thoroughly blended. Beat in the egg, yolk, vanilla and yogurt until combined. Add the dry ingredients slowly and beat on low-speed just until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Chill your dough for 2 hours in the refrigerator or place in the freezer for 30 minutes.

Once dough is chilled measure 1/4 cup of the dough into a ball. It doesn't have to be perfectly rolled. Place dough balls on cookie sheet, 2 inches apart and sprinkle each dough ball with a little bit of sea salt.

Bake cookies 9-11 minutes or until the edges of the cookies begin to turn golden brown. They will look a bit underdone in the middle, but will continue to cook once out of the oven. Cool the cookies on the sheets and sprinkle with a little extra sea salt if desired. Remove the cooled cookies from the baking sheets after a few minutes and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

bbq chicken pizza.

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BBQ Chicken Pizza from Heidi:

1 store bought pizza crust, refrigerated crust or homemade crust

1/2 cup bbq sauce

1 cup cooked and shredded chicken

1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion

1 orange bell pepper; diced

1-3/4 cups Monterey Jack shredded cheese

chopped cilantro; to taste (optional)

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Place pizza crut on foil-lined baking sheet. Spread bb1 sauce on pizza crust. Add shredded chicken, onion and bell peppers on top of the bbq sauce. Top with cheese. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until crust is deep golden brown. Cut into squares. Garnish with cilantro.

chocolate zucchini bread.

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Chocolate Zucchini Bread from Heidi:
via Our Best Bites

2 cups flour
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
6 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup canola oil
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup sour cream
3 cups grated zucchini
3/4 cup mini chocolate chips
optional: zest from one orange

Topping:
2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp white sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour two loaf pans and set aside. Mix topping ingredients in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.

With a stand or hand mixer beat oil, white sugar, brown sugar, and eggs until combined and slightly fluffy. 1-2 minutes.

Add vanilla and sour cream and mix until combined.

Gently stir in the grated zucchini (and zest if you're using).

Take a spoonful of the flour mixture and stir in with the chocolate chips (this will help them keep them evenly distributed.) If you only have regular chocolate chips, or a chocolate bar, just give it a chop so its the size of mini chocolate chips.

Add the remaining flour mixture to the batter and stir until just combined. Add chocolate chips and stir to combine.

Divide the batter between the two pans and sprinkle topping over each. Place pans on a cookie sheet for easy moving.

Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 50-60 minutes. I set my timer for 45 minutes and then keep an eye on it for the remainder. When it's done a toothpick or skewer should come out clean.

Allow to cool on a rack for 5-10 minutes and then remove from the pans.

penne with tomato-cream sauce.

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Penne With Tomato-Cream Sauce from Heidi:
(jocelyn's recipe)

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 lb italian sausage
1 c. whipping cream
2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes with italian seasoning
16 oz penne

Heat oil in heavy large pan over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until beginning to soften (3 minutes). Add sausage and saute until no longer pink (5 minutes). Add cream; simmer 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and simmer about 15 minutes. Add cooked penne and toss until evenly coated.

guacamole brushetta.

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Guacamole Brushetta from Heidi:

Ingredients:

½ loaf French bread
1 clove garlic
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 tomatoes, medium chopped
2 avocados, medium chopped
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
¼ cup chopped cilantro
2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
Slice the French bread on the diagonal into ½" rounds and place on a baking sheet.
Toast the sliced bread in the oven for 3 minutes, then flip each piece over and toast an additional 3 minutes.
Remove the toasted bread from the oven and immediately rub with the clove of garlic (it works best to first cut a small tip off the garlic clove so that the oils will seep out).
Brush the tops of the garlic-rubbed toasts with olive oil and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the chopped tomatoes, avocado, onion, cilantro, lime juice, salt and pepper. Mix together gently making sure the avocado is well coated in the lime juice.
Spoon a portion of the mixture onto each of the garlic toasts and serve.

white chicken chili.

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White Chicken Chili from Heidi:

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1 medium onion, chopped

1 1/2 tsp garlic powder or 2 cloves fresh garlic finely minced

1 T oil

2 cans (15 1/2 ounces each) Great Northern Beans, rinsed and drained

1 can (14 1/2 ounces) chicken broth

2 cans (4 ounces each) chopped green chiles (If you like less kick, add just one can)

1 tsp salt

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup whipping cream

Top with:

Fresh cilantro

tortilla chips

avocado

Directions:

In a large saucepan, saute chicken, onion and garlic powered (or fresh garlic, if using) in oil until chicken is no longer pink. Add beans, broth, chiles and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in sour cream and cream. Garnish with fresh cilantro, if desired. Serve immediately. This is especially good served with tortilla chips.

corn bread with honey butter.

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Cornbread with Honey Butter from Heidi:

via melskitchencafe.com

Cornbread:

1/2 cup cornmeal

1 1/2 cup flour

2/3 cup sugar

1 T baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/3 cup oil

3 T butter, melted

2 eggs, beaten

1 1/4 cup milk

Honey Butter:

2 sticks butter, softened

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup marshmallow fluff

For the cornbread, add dry ingredients, make a well and add oil, butter, eggs and milk into the center. Stir until just mixed (batter will be runny - don't be alarmed!). Bake in an 8" square pan at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. This doubles perfectly for a 9x13 pan.

For the honey butter, whip all together with an electric mixer and serve at room temperature (can be refrigerated and softened).

neiman marcus bars (chess bars)

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Neiman Marcus Bars (Chess Bars) from Heidi:

book: Target Underwear in a Vera Wang Gown

1 box yellow cake mix
3 eggs
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
4 cups (1 lb) powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 300 and spray a 9×13 dish with cooking spray. Mix cake mix, melted butter and one egg to a soft dough. Press into the bottom of the pan. Mix powdered sugar, softened cream cheese and remaining two eggs until smooth, about 1-2 mins. Pour on top of crust. Bake at 300 for 40-50 minutes until top is golden brown.

cookies and cream cookies.

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Cookies and Cream Cookies from Heidi:

1 cup butter, room temperature

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup white sugar

1 (4.2 ounce) package instant Oreo Pudding mix

2 1/4 cups flour (I used just a little more)

1 tsp baking soda

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp salt

2 King-Sized Hershey's Cookies N Cream Candy Bars broken into small pieces (I used 3 regular)

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (1 cup was plenty for me)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl and set aside. Cream together butter and sugars. Beat in pudding mix until blended. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well. Add the flour mixture and mix to combine. Stir in cookies n' cream pieces and chocolate chips.

Using a cookie dough scooper, place golf ball sized dough balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes. You do not want to overbake these! Let cookies cool for 5 minutes on baking sheet before moving to a cooking rack. Store in air-tight container. Makes two dozen (I made them smaller and got 3 dozen).

muffins {winner!!}

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Muffins from Heidi:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup brown sugar, or to taste

2 large bananas, mashed

1 (4.5 ounce) jar baby food squash

2 carrots, grated

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup oat bran

1 tsp baking soad

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 375. Grease 24 mini muffin cups or 12 standard muffin cups. In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar until smooth. Mix in the mashed bananas, squash, carrots and eggs. Stir in the flour, oat bran, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice and salt until just combined. Spoon the batter equally into the prepared muffin cups. Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. 15-20 minutes. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack. Store at room temperature for up to two days or freeze.

strawberry bruschetta.

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Strawberry Bruschetta from Heidi:

1 cup strawberries, hulled and diced

1 T sugar

1 French baguette, sliced on a bias

4 oz. goat cheese

1 T olive oil

2 tsp balsamic vinegar

1/4  cup minced basil leaves

Freshly ground black pepper

Combine the strawberries and sugar in a small bowl; toss to combine. Let the berries macerate for about 30 minutes so that they begin to release their juices. Spread a thin layer of goat cheese on top of each baguette slice. Top each slice with spoonfuls of the strawberry mixture. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Top each slice with the basil leaves and cracked pepper to taste.

Source: annie's eats

ruth's chris sweet potato casserole.

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Ruth's Chris Sweet Potato Casserole from Heidi:

For the crust:
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
1 cup chopped nuts
1/3 stick butter melted

For the Sweet Potato mixture:
3 cups smashed sweet potatoes (peeled, boiled and mashed)
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs, beaten
1 stick butter, (1/2 cup), melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine brown sugar, flour, nuts and butter in mixing bowl. Set aside.

Combine sweet potatoes, sugar, salt, vanilla, eggs and butter in a mixing bowl in the order listed.

Bake for 30 minutes. Allow to set at least 30 minutes before serving.

margaux's curried chicken sandwich {winner!}

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Margaux's Curried Chicken Sandwich from Heidi:

Celebrity: Oprah

Makes 6 servings

20 whole black peppercorns

2 bay leaves

2 whole cloves

1/2 lemon

3 lbs medium chicken tenders

1/2 cup plus 2 T spicy brown mustard

1/2 cup honey

1 1/4 tsp curry powder

3/4 tsp lemon pepper

1/8 tsp salt

Butter for spreading

1 loaf challah or other rich egg bread, cut into 12 thick slices

1/2 cup shredded carrots

1/2 cup slivered almonds

2 medium tomatoes, chopped

1 bag (about 5 ounces) mesclun salad greens

Red grapes and assorted berries for garnish

In a large saucepan over high heat, add peppercorns, bay leaves, cloves, lemon and 14 cups water; cover and bring to a boil. Add chicken and cook, uncovered and stirring occasionally, 7 to 10 minutes, or until cooked through; drain. Once cool, quarter each tender crosswise.

In a large bowl, combine mustard, honey, curry powder, lemon pepper and salt; stir in chicken. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes, or up to 1 day.

Butter both sides of bread slices. In a heated nonstick skillet over medium-high flame, cook bread in batches 3 to 5 minutes or until browned, turning once.

Combine carrots and almonds with chicken mixture. Divide chicken curry among 6 bread slices. Top with tomatoes, mesclun and remaining bread slices. Serve with fruit.

nordstrom cafe caramelized walnut and pear salad.

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Nordstrom Cafe Caramelized Walnut and Pear Salad from Heidi S:

6 cups mixed baby greens/romaine mix

1 cup Caramelized walnuts (recipe below)

1 cup crumbled bleu cheese

2 pears, cut in 1/4 inch dice

1 cup thin strips of red bell pepper

1/2 cup Champagne Vinaigrette (recipe below)

Pear slices and julienne red peppers, to garnish

In a large bowl, toss together the greens, walnuts, bleu cheese, pears and red pepper in the Champagne Vinaigrette. Place mixture in a salad bowl, then garnish with red peppers and slices of pear.

Caramelized Walnuts: 

1/2 pound walnuts (about 1 3/4 cups) 

1 egg white

1/3 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 350. Mix walnuts, egg white and sugar together in a medium bowl. Place on sheet pan and bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool, then break into pieces if necessary.

Champagne Vinaigrette: 

1 Tbsp chopped shallot

1 Tbsp Dijon mustard

2 Tbsp sugar

1 tsp minced garlic

1/2 cup Champagne Wine Vinegar

1 1/2 cups salad oil

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp white pepper

In a medium bowl, combine shallot, Dijon, sugar, garlic, champagne wine vinegar, oil, salt and pepper. Mix well using a wire whisk.

Makes approximately 2 cups

Makes 4 servings

Source: Nordstrom