Smoochiefrog's Kitchen

Ragu's Recipe for a Good Start Contest

As Moms, we all have our own recipes for giving our kids the best possible childhood and a great start in life. Whether those ingredients include encouraging our kids to try their hardest or promoting their imagination and creativity, our hope is that our children will grow up to be happy and well-adjusted adults. Family time is an undoubtedly important part of that recipe, and making sure the family sits together at the dinner table at least once a week is a great, but challenging way to fit it in.

Ragú® offers moms  hundreds of nutritious, convenient, delicious and affordable meal ideas- perfect for busy families on the go. From making sure the kids get their veggies (Ragú® red sauces contain more than a full serving of veggies in every half cup of sauce) to skip-a-step recipes like No Boiling Lasagna and No Frying Chicken Parmesan, Ragú® understands your hectic lifestyle and desire to feed your family quality meals at a great value.
 

Now, Ragú® is teaming up with actress and mom Molly Ringwald to promote the Recipe for a Good Start Contest asking moms to share their recipes for a good start for a chance to win a $5,000 college scholarship.  By visiting www.recipeforagoodstart.com, you'll have a chance to submit your recipe for a good start in life and your original Ragú® recipe that has the family running to the dinner table! Three first prize winners will be awarded a family trip to New York City where they will compete in a nationally televised Ragú® Recipe Challenge for the chance to win the ultimate prize of a $5,000 college scholarship.

If you enter the contest, good luck!  I can't wait to see all the great recipes.

Disclosure: I was entered for a chance to win a Ragú® family package in exchange for this post.  No monetary exchange took place.

Easiest Meatballs Ever

Who here gets excited when they attend a party and see that someone brought meatballs?  Oh just admit it, you know you do.

Seeing as this is major party season, I thought I'd share my recipe for the easiest (and yummiest) meatballs on Earth. 

No really, they are.

First, say hello to the ingredients:

You will need homestyle meatballs and an equal amount of Chili Sauce to Grape Jelly. 

Now I suppose you could make your own meatballs, but you're already busy enough this time of year; why do more work than you need?  Just buy the store bought ones and be happy it's one less thing to do.  :)

Dump the chili sauce, jelly and meatballs into your slow cooker.  It won't be pretty looking, but bear with me here.  The end result is worth it.

P.S.  Get some of those slow cooker liners.  You'll thank me later when clean-up is a breeze.  :)

If you're short on time, set your cooker to high and spend 2-3 hours doing something else.  If you have plenty of time before the party, 4-6 hours on low will do the trick.

When you come back to check on the meatballs after the allotted time, you'll be greeted with a lovely smell and the following sight:

Easy peasy, mac-n-cheesy!  You'll be the hit of the party and everyone will be falling over themselves to get this recipe.

Happy New Year!

For more great recipes to try, visit Rachel, the originator of the word tonguegasmic.  :)

Faux Sopaipillas

I LOVE sopaipillas.  There used to be a restaurant near here called Tia's and OMG their sopaipillas were to die for.  Don Pablo's has some good ones too.

Now seeing as I don't have money to eat out all the time and I refuse to run in and pay $4 or so for a to-go plate of just sopaipillas, I decided to try to construct my own.  I like to eat them like they served them at Tia's; covered in chocolate and honey with just a splash of cinnamon, and this is the closest I've found.

Meet the simple ingredients in my little recipe:

Pillsbury Flaky Twists w/chocolate icing and honey

Follow Twists directions



and bake as written on package.



Upon removal from the oven, I move a twist to a plate



 and spread a small amount of the chocolate icing over the warm twist.


Why yes, that is a small amount.  Really.

Drizzle honey over the chocolate covered twist.



Enjoy!

Yup, it's just that easy!  I get both a chocolate and a sopaipilla fix at the same time!  Woot!

Now if you're a sopaipilla purist, you can always leave out the chocolate. But seriously, why would you?  Everyone knows that everything tastes better with chocolate!  :)

For more great recipes to try, visit Rachel, the originator of the word tonguegasmic.  :)

Oreo Cookie Cake

Oreo Cookie Cake

Since I  made this cake for Thanksgiving, I decided to take pictures while making it and add them to this post.  This cake is extremely rich, yummy, and contains a wicked amount of calories.*  Sometimes though you just gotta splurge, so enjoy!

Here's who we invited to this party:

1 package Oreo cookies (NOT the double stuffed ones)

1 Cup Powdered Sugar (in the red container)

1 4 oz. package instant vanilla pudding

1 4 oz. package instant chocolate pudding

2 8 oz. containers Cool Whip (it was less expensive for me to buy the bigger 16oz. container, so I did)

3 C milk

8 oz. cream cheese

1/2 C melted butter

First you want to spray a 9x13 pan with Pam.  I used my Pampered Chef 9X13 for this because it's plenty big enough.  Yes it's clean.  It's also well seasoned, but just around the top.  Go figure.

 
If you have a trusty assistant who can help you while you take pictures, it's better than contorting yourself in weird ways to do the actions while taking pictures.  Not that I'd know about that or anything.  Here, B crushes all but about 8 cookies into small bits. 



Then you combine the melted butter and crushed Oreos,



and then press the mixture into the bottom of the pan to form a bottom layer crust.  THIS IS LAYER 1

You can use the back of a spoon to press the cookie mixture down, but it's faster to use your hands.  Just make sure they're clean okay?

Next you'll whip the cream cheese until smooth. 




Then add the powdered sugar and one container of the Cool Whip. 



Since I had bought the bigger Cool Whip container, I weighed the container, and spooned the Cool Whip until there was 8 less ounces in the container.  That's so exact isn't it?  If this is your first time making this, please just purchase 2 small containers.  It's easier and faster.  Trust me.

Layer this mixture over the Oreo layer in pan.  THIS IS LAYER 2

 

I failed to take a picture of the completed 2nd layer, so I doctored a later picture.  It's not often I fake pictures.  Please forgive me this time.  Thanks.

Next, combine the puddings and the milk in a bowl.  I like to add milk after each package of pudding to incorporate the milk better.  Oh who am I kidding?  I do it because I'm anal retentive like that and it's just my way.  It doesn't matter if you add the milk at the end, the beginning, or in the middle.  Just add it.

Stir well and put in fridge to set for about 5 minutes.



Once set, spread over the 2nd layer (cream cheese/powdered sugar/cool whip).  THIS IS LAYER 3

We're almost done!

Now, spread the 2nd Cool Whip container onto the top of the pudding layer.  If you did what I did and purchased the bigger container, you add the rest and pray there's enough to cover all the pudding.  I never was too great at math ya know.


Finally, crush the remaining 6-8 cookies and sprinkle over the Cool Whip.  THIS IS THE FOURTH AND FINAL LAYER.

You'll want to cover this with plastic wrap and keep it in the fridge.  Serve cold and enjoy!

*Smoochiefrog will not be held responsible for any weight gained because of this recipe.  You have been warned.

Oreo Cookie Cake

1 package Oreo cookies (NOT the double stuffed ones)

1 Cup Powdered Sugar

1 4 oz. package instant vanilla pudding

1 4 oz. package instant chocolate pudding

2 8 oz. containers Cool Whip

3 C milk

8 oz. cream cheese

1/2 C melted butter

1. Spray a 9x13 pan with Pam.
2.  Crush all but about 6-8 cookies into small bits.  Combine the melted butter and crushed Oreos and press into the bottom of the pan to form a bottom layer crust.  THIS IS LAYER 1
3.  Whip the cream cheese until smooth.  Add powdered sugar and one container of the Cool Whip.  Layer over Oreo layer in pan.  THIS IS LAYER 2
4. Combine the puddings and the milk in a bowl.  Set in fridge to set for about 5 minutes.  Once set, spread over the 2nd layer (cream cheese/powdered sugar/cool whip).  THIS IS LAYER 3
5. Spread 2nd Cool Whip container onto the top.  Crush the remaining 6-8 cookies and sprinkle over the Cool Whip.  THIS IS THE FOURTH AND FINAL LAYER.
6. Keep in fridge.  Serve cold.

New Recipe

M and I were cruising the Commissary produce department and came across some spaghetti squash.  M thought it was interesting when I told her there was spaghetti inside the squash.  She really wanted me to get some and cook it, so I did.  The following recipe is my own creation that I adapted from a Rachael Ray recipe.  I've made it before using real spaghetti, but this is a great way to get those much needed veggies.  While no one else in the family liked it much, I enjoyed it greatly.  I guess you have to really like the squash family to enjoy it. 

Cheesy Squash Blend

One large spaghetti squash (or small if you're just cooking for one)
One zucchini squash that is smaller than the spaghetti squash
2 Tbsp Butter
3-5 minced garlic cloves (depending on how much of a fan of garlic you are)
Parmesan Cheese
Black pepper
salt
Mrs. Dash

1. Begin by halving the spaghetti squash and scraping the seeds out.  Be sure to get all the seed strings (I'm not sure of the technical term-membranes?) with the seeds.  When you're finished, you should have a hollowed out squash.
2. Place hollowed out squash face up in a glass baking dish and cover with Saran Wrap.  Microwave squash for 10-15 minutes on high.  Timing may vary by microwave.  Check squash for doneness after 10 minutes.  It is done when the flesh can easily be scraped into strands with a fork.
3. While spaghetti squash is cooking, grate the zucchini into fine pieces.  Place zucchini in a clean dish towel and wring out the water.  Squeeze well as zucchini is a very water dense veggie and you don't want that water to pop at you when you add it to the pan later.  Set aside.
4. Remove spaghetti squash from microwave and uncover.  Let stand and cool until you can touch it by hand-5 minutes tops.  Once it has cooled enough, use a fork and pull the squash from the rind.  It will come off in strands that resemble spaghetti-hence the name.  :)  Transfer all spaghetti squash strands to a bowl and season with Mrs. Dash and black pepper.
5. Heat the butter in a pan over medium heat.  Add the garlic and lightly saute.  I use a garlic press to mince the garlic.  That way my hands don't smell like garlic for hours.
6. Add zucchini to the butter garlic mixture and saute until cooked through.
7. Combine the spaghetti squash to the mixture in the pan.  Add a dash of salt and add Parmesan cheese to taste.  I used about a 1/4 cup, maybe less.
8. Transfer to a serving bowl and enjoy!

Depending on the size of your squash and appetites, this will feed 4-6 people.

Crunchy Baked Asian Tilapia

I've been promising this recipe for awhile, and here it is!  It's so wicked easy and yummy.  You'll love it, I promise!

This recipe was most recently featured on 7/27/08.  We serve this fish with a California vegetable mixture.

Crunchy Baked Asian Tilapia

1/4 C Dijon Mustard

2 T Hoisin Sauce

1.5 C Panko Bread Crumbs

6 Tilapia Fillets

Preheat oved to 375° and spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.  Stir together mustard and hoisin sauce.  Brush one side of fish fillets with mixture and sprinkle with panko.  Turn fish over and repeat.  Place fish on baking sheet and bake about 30 minutes or until fish flakes with fork.  Enjoy!

*Recipe courtesy of Super Suppers*

Sesame-Ginger Barbecued Beef

This meal was featured on 3/2/08.  This recipe is just for the beef.  We serve it over rice with Edamame on the side.  Nothing fancy there as the meat is the star of the show!  Enjoy!

Sesame-Ginger Barbecued Beef

1/2 C soy sauce

1/4 C brown sugar

1 T sesame oil

1 T chopped ginger

1 T minced garlic

2-4 lb Flank steak

It's best to let the meat marinate at least overnight, as this allows for better flavor.  Combine the above ingredients and pour over meat in a zip-top baggie and refridgerate to marinate.

Place steak and all sauce into slow cooker.  Cook on low for 8-10 hours or high for 4-6 hours.  Remove beef from juices and allow to rest for 5 minutes.  After resting, slice into 1" pieces across the grain.  Shread beef with two forks and then return to slow cooker.  Allow beef about 5 minutes to soak up a bit more juice.  Serve over rice and enjoy!

*Recipe courtesy of Super Suppers*

Basil Pork Chops w/Caesar Penne Pasta

This meal was featured on 2/27/08.  Enjoy!

Basil Pork Chops w/ Caesar Penne Pasta

1/4 C brown sugar

1 1/2 t dried basil

1/2 t kosher salt

1/2 t mild chili powder

1 T canola oil

It's best to let the meat marinate at least overnight, as this allows for better flavor.  Combine the above ingredients and pour over meat in a zip-top baggie and refridgerate to marinate.

Combine and set aside...

1/2 C caesar dressing

3 t minced garlic

1/2 t dried basil

1/4 C chicken broth

Bring 2 quarts water to a boil; add pasta and cook 10 minutes or until tender.  While pasta is cooking, spray a large skillet with non-stick spray.  Remove pork chops from marinade and cook over medium high heat for 5-8 minutes or until browned and meat reads 160 on thermometer.  Drain pasta and return to pan over low heat.  Add the Caesar dressing mixture and toss to coat, warming slightly.  Serve pork chops with pasta and enjoy!

*Recipe courtesy of Super Suppers*

Tilapia w/Lemon Dijon Cream & Noodles

This meal was featured on 2/24/08.  Enjoy!

Tilapia w/Lemon Dijon Cream and Noodles

6 Tilapia filets

2 T oil

10 oz spiral pasta

Combine in a bowl...

2 C sour cream

4 T Dijon mustard

2 t lemon juice

2 t lemon pepper

2 t italian herbs

Bring 8 cups of water to a boil and add pasta.  Boil 6-8 minutes or until tender.  While noodles are cooking, preheat a large skillet on medium high heat.  A 2T cooking oil. Cook fish 2 minutes on each side.  Pour contents of bowl evenly over fish, cover and reduce to low heat.  Simmer 1 minute or until sauce is hot and fish is flakey.  Serve fish and sauce over noodles.

*Recipe courtesy of Super Suppers*

Catalina Meatballs w/Noodles

This meal was featured on 2/17/08.  Here's the recipe.

Catalina Meatballs w/ Noodles

24 large or 48 small meatballs (you can use store-bought or make your own)

1t ground ginger

1t garlic powder

1/2 C diced red peppers

1/2 C diced green peppers

1/2 C apricot preserves

1/2 C Catalina dressing

1/4 C soy sauce

1/4 C water

8 oz small egg noodles

Place all ingredients, except pasta, into a medium saucepan, stirring often until it comes to a simmer.  Simmer 15 minutes, stirring often to prevent burning.  While sauce is simmering, bring 8 cups of water to a boil and add noodles.  Boil 8-10 minutes or until tender.  Serve hot meatballs and sauce over pasta.

*Recipe courtesy of Super Suppers*