Glazed Zuchinni Bread

This recipe was shared by a friend from church.  This zucchini bread is delicious!!!  I think the glaze is the best part to it.  Really, you have to try it.  I'm sure you'll love it as much as we did.  Also, these loaves freeze very well.

INGREDIENTS:

2.5 c flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground cloves

3 eggs

2 c sugar

1 c oil

3 tsp vanilla

2 c grated zucchini

GLAZE (whisk all ingredients together):

1 c powdered sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla

3 tbsp water

Mix the first seven ingredients together and set aside.  Mix the last five ingredients together with a mixer and then slowly fold in the dry mix you set aside until all your ingredients are well mixed.  Pour the batter evenly unto 4 small greased loaf pans.  Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 40 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  Let the bread cool for about 20 minutes, then take each loaf and glaze bottom, top, and sides while still warm.  Let the loaves dry for 1 hour after you glaze them.  Enjoy!

Ricotta & Spinach Stuffed Manicotti

 Quick and easy delicious dinner!  Stuffing the manicotti will be the most time-consuming while making the recipe.  However, if you place all your filling in a plastic bag and then cut a hole in it, you'll be able to stuff the manicotti shells much faster.  Also, this is one of those recipes that you can make ahead and then bake when ready.  You can also freeze it for up to 1 month.

INGREDIENTS:
For the Sauce:
37 oz Spaghetti sauce (bought 45 oz jar but didn't use it all, you easily can)
1.5 lbs ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
1 tsp minced garlic
salt to taste (for meat)

For the Filling:
5 oz Fresh spinach
2 c Ricotta cheese
1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground black pepper


1 pkg uncooked manicotti shells
2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese (to sprinkle on top when ready to bake)

Start by making your meaty sauce (you can easily skip the meat if you want).  In a pan, cook the meat, add salt.  When the meat is halfway done, add the minced garlic and chopped onions.  Mix well and continue cooking until meat is ready.  When the meat is ready, add the spaghetti sauce and simmer for about 5 minutes, set aside.

Steam the spinach, then squeeze to drain (you could also use frozen spinach).  Mix spinach, ricotta and Parmesan cheese, nutmeg and pepper.

Add about a third of your sauce to a ungreased 9x13 baking dish.  Fill the uncooked manicotti shells and place shells in sauce in dish.  Pour the remaining sauce evenly over shells, covering them completely.  Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese.  Cover and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 1 and 1/2 hours or until shells are tender.

Note:  If making ahead, cover and refrigerate manicotti for up to 24 hours.  You can also wrap airtight, and freeze for up to 1 month (when doing this,add 10 more minutes to the baking time).  When ready to use, unwrap frozen manicotti, cover and bake for 2 hours.  Enjoy!

White Chicken Enchiladas

This is a super yummy enchilada recipe I found at the Pioneer Woman Website. It's not your typical enchilada recipe, or at least not the ones I had in Mexico anyway. I really like the fact that she uses corn tortillas rather than flour because that's what we use when making enchiladas. I think flour tortillas get extra soggy. Anyway, I made some changes to her recipe and that's what I'll post here. To get her original recipe and of course many other yummy ones click here.

Some of the changes that I made was to replace a few ingredients such as fresh peppers rather than canned (fresh is always best) and also used a rotisserie chicken rather than cook one, among other things. Again, visit her site if you would like to see her original recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

1 Rotisserie chicken, shredded (about 2- 1/2 cups)

2 c chicken broth

1 tbsp canola oil

corn tortillas

1 large onion, diced

6-7 Anaheim peppers, diced

2-3 jalapenos, seeded and finely diced

1 tsp paprika

1/2 c heavy cream (you can use Nestle Table cream/Media crema instead)

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp flour

1 c sour cream

2- 1/2 c monterey jack cheese, grated

salt and pepper to taste

cilantro, chopped

PREPARATION:

Heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and jalapenos and saute for a minute or so. Add chicken and half of the Anaheim peppers, and 1/2 teaspoon paprika. Stir together. Add 1/2 cup chicken broth and stir. Add cream and stir, allowing mixture to bubble and get hot, Mix in the cilantro (reserve some to garnish enchiladas when done). Turn off the heat and set aside.

In a separate pan, melt butter and sprinkle four. Whisk together and cook for about a minute. Add in one and a half cups of chicken broth. Whisk together and cook for a minute or two. Add the rest of the Anaheim peppers. Reduce heat, then add in sour cream and some cheese to melt (about a cup or so). Add 1/2 teaspoon paprika. Add salt and pepper as needed.

Soften tortillas on a griddle. You don't need to cook them too long, all you need is for them to be soft enough to roll.

To assemble: spoon chicken mixture on top of a tortilla, add some cheese and roll up. Place in a 9x13 casserole dish seam side down. Continue to do the same with the rest of the tortillas.

Pour cheese mixture over the top of the tortillas. Top with extra cheese if you'd like but I don't think it's necessary at all cause they are plenty cheesy. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Enjoy!