Brownies

This is another recipe from our family cookbook, contributed by my husband's grandmother. I needed to make a quick dessert to take to a family and didn't have any easy brownie mixes. I looked through the cookbook and found this easy recipe. I made a few additions to it and they turned out delicious!!!! Luckily there were only a few left, because I would have been tempted to eat them.

INGREDIENTS:

3/4 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup cocoa
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup milk (my addition)
Hand full of semi sweet chocolate chips (my addition)
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional, I myself did not add them)
1 small square of Almond Bark to decorate the top (my addition)

You need to combine all ingredients, except for the almond bark. Mix well and pour on a small baking pan. I think the one I used was a square 9x9x3. Bake at 350 degrees for 22 minutes.

Decorate the top by melting the almond bark in the microwave and then swirl it on top of the brownies using a piping bag or a ziplock bag (just cut a small tip on a corner). Enjoy!

And The Winner Is....

Thank you all for participating. The winner of the $25 CSN Stores gift code is:

Comment #7 was left by: M Occasionally B said... I'm a follower now!

JANUARY 12, 2011 8:13 AM

Please contact me with your e-mail within the next 24 hrs or a new winner will be selected.

Thanks!

Time for a GIVEAWAY!!

Back in October I won a giveaway to CSN Stores through one of my friends blog. It was awesome to go in their website and see the wide variety of items they carry. Their selection of products is so wide, because CSN Stores has over 200 online stores where you can find anything you need whether it be modern dining furniture, fitness equipment, or even cute cookware!

Well, just today I received the product I ordered...a George Foreman Indoor Grill and I'm really excited to use it for a new recipe today!

Anyway, I was very excited for the giveaway I won, and am now fortunate to do a giveaway of my own through them!



One of you will win a $25 gift certificate from CSNStores.com!

Unfortunately, the gift certificate does not cover international fees, therefore the giveaway is open to US residents only.


Each one of you can enter to win the $25 gift certificate to CSN Stores up to three times. Please leave a separate comment for each entry.

1. Go to CSNStores.com, and then come back and leave a comment telling us what you will buy with your gift certificate.

2. Become a follower of Let's Cook. If you already are a follower, just tell us you are.

3. Tell us about a recipe you've tried from our blog (how did it turn out?), or one you hope to make soon.

And why not....

Mention this giveaway on your blog or facebook for an extra entry!

Remember to include your email on the comments so I can contact you if you are a winner.

The giveaway will be open until Sunday, January 16, 2011. The winner will be announced Monday, January 17th!

Good luck!!!

Chicken Parmesan

I know, not really the best picture for this meal, I was on a hurry.
Nevertheless, I promise you'll like this easy yummy dinner.

INGREDIENTS:

4 boneless chicken breast (halves)
1 bottle of Ragu sauce
Bread crumbs (I use Italian herb)
1 egg
Shredded Mozzarella cheese

Put a little bit of Ragu sauce on the bottom of a baking dish. Coat chicken breasts with egg, then cover with bread crumbs and place in baking dish. Pour remaining sauce over the top and bake for 20 minutes (or until done) at 375 degrees. Add cheese and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Serve with/over rice or pasta. Enjoy!

Skirt Steak Tacos with Roasted Tomato Salsa

Ingredients

nocoupons

• 8 (6-inch) flour tortillas
• 1 1/2 pounds skirt steak
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 head romaine lettuce, thinly shredded
• 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted, halved and diced
• Grilled Tomato Salsa, recipe follows
• 8 ounces sour cream

Directions

Heat grill to high.

Wrap tortillas in aluminum foil and on the top rack of the grill while the steak is grilling.

Heat grill pan over high heat. Brush steak with oil and season with salt and pepper on both sides. Grill on one side until golden brown and slightly charred, about 3 to 4 minutes. Turn the steak over and cook to medium-rare doneness, about 3 to 4 minutes longer. Let rest 5 minutes then slice against the grain into 1/4-inch thick slices.

Fill each tortilla with some lettuce, 3 to 4 pieces of meat, onion, grilled tomato salsa, sour cream, and avocado.

Grilled Tomato Salsa:

nocoupons

• 2 tablespoons canola oil, plus more for brushing tomatoes
• 2 serrano chiles
• 1 small red onion, coarsely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled
• 6 plum tomatoes, halved and seeded
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 limes, juiced
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Heat grill to high.

Heat oil in a small saute pan and saute the chiles, onion, and garlic until soft.

Brush tomatoes with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill on both sides until slightly charred and soft.

Transfer tomatoes and serrano mixture to a food processor; add the lime juice and salt and pepper and process until smooth. Add the cilantro and pulse a few times (there should be flecks of cilantro in the salsa.) Transfer to a bowl.

Pizza Rolls

I still don't understand the fact that people went crazy over these on Eric's birthday party because they're so easy to make and nothing really fancy. But I guess they're really good! So here's the recipe:

What you'll need:

- Pillsbury crescent rounds (each package comes with 8 so get as many as you and your family will eat)
- Tomato sauce
- Shredded mozzarella cheese
- Pepperoni (I cut these into tiny little pieces)
- Dry basil

Instructions:
Open up the dough and spread tomato sauce (don't exaggerate). Spread cheese, then pepperoni then roll the dough and cut it (it comes sort of pre-cut so it's really easy). Arrange the rolls in the pan (I sprayed mine with olive oil spray to make it really easy to remove the rolls out of the pan). Spread more cheese and basil on top of each roll. Bake as directed in the package.

That's it! Super easy!

Parmesan Crusted Chicken Breasts with Tomato and Basil and Potatoes with Peppers and Onions

Okay, it's been a long time since I posted on here, but I have an excuse! I just moved back to the U.S from Brazil and my life has been hectic. I only now got pots and pans and since I'm back to cooking everyday, I'll be sharing my favorite ones with you.

So here's the first one!

Ingredients

nocoupons

• 1 1/2 to 2 pounds fingerling potatoes or red skin baby potatoes
• 1 small red bell pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips
• 1 Italian mild green pepper, cubanelle, seeded and thinly sliced
• 1 medium yellow skinned onion, thinly sliced
• 4 large cloves garlic, cracked away from skin
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 cup tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• Coarse salt and pepper
• 2 cups shredded Parmesan, available in tubs near deli -- make sure to get shredded cheese, not grated
• 4 (6 to 8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 4 plum Roma tomatoes or small, vine ripe tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 15 to 20 leaves fresh basil, pile leaves, roll then thinly slice -- chiffonade
•  

Directions

Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.

Cut fingerling potatoes into halves or quarters, depending on thickness of fingerlings -- thin, small fingerlings may also be left hole, larger potatoes should be quartered to speed cooking process. If you are using small red potatoes, halve or quarter them in the same way.

Cover a large cookie sheet with foil. Place potatoes on cookie sheet. Combine with peppers and onions, garlic and crushed red pepper flakes. Coat the potatoes, peppers and onions with extra-virgin olive oil just enough to coat vegetables in a thin layer, 2 to 3 tablespoons. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Place potatoes in the oven and roast 20 to 22 minutes, until potatoes are just tender and peppers and onions are crisp at edges. Toss mixture with tongs, turning the potatoes after 15 minutes. When the potatoes are cooked, transfer them to a serving dish and peel the foil off the cookie sheet and discard for super-quick clean up!

While potatoes cook, prepare chicken. Roll out a 2-foot piece of waxed paper or foil near the stove top. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat -- your pan must be very hot when the chicken is added. Pile the shredded cheese on the work surface created with the waxed paper or foil. Season your chicken breasts with black pepper but no salt; the cheese will add enough salt to the taste of the dish. Press the breasts firmly into the cheese. Coat both sides of breasts with as much cheese as possible. Add 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil to the skillet, 1 turn of the pan. Set breasts into the skillet and cook 7 minutes on each side, until cheese forms an even, golden casing around the tender chicken breasts.

While chicken cooks, combine chopped tomatoes with basil in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper, to your taste.

Drain off any excess oil from chicken as you remove it from the skillet. Top chicken with big spoonfuls of raw sauce and serve with potatoes, peppers and onions.

And for some reason blogger isn't letting me post the other picture.
But I hope you enjoy, it's totally worth it!