Burger de Ville Salad

Right down the street from us in Montreal was the best burger place called Burger de Ville.  It was so good we ate there usually once a week.  It opened a little over a year ago and within the 6 months was so popular there was always a line.  We started just ordering take out so we could avoid the line.  While their burgers were great, they also made a great salad.  I started making it myself when we wanted to have it with something other than burgers.  I also made a few changes to make it my own.

Here's my take on the BdV Salad:

Spring mix salad
Dried Cranberries
Red onions sliced
Pecan halves
4 oz goat cheese

Balsamic vinaigrette:
1/4 balsamic vinaigrette
3/4 EVOO
2 TBSP brown sugar
1 TBSP Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic minced
Salt
Pepper
Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl.

Place salad greens in bowl, top with cranberries, pecans, red onions and toss.  Crumble goat cheese on top.  Serve with Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing.

Cookie Success

I went to my first ever cookie exchange this week. (It was fabulous and terrible.  I got 6 dozen cookies and the taunt me every time I pass by and I have hardly any will power against cookies).   I made Sugar Coated Chocolate Cookies (I'll post the recipe soon).  Cookies and I have a bit of a turbulent relationship.  We don't always get along.  However I came across a couple of helpful hints this week and thought I'd share.

- Use parchment paper.  You don't have to spray it with any non-stick spray and you can reuse it.  My cookies came off perfectly every time.  And it helps cookies not spread so much and keep their shape so they look prettier.

- If you're using metal pans run cool water on the back side of them between batches to cool them down.  It will keep your cookies from cooking right as you put the dough on the pan.  This works very quickly, I think it took maybe 30 seconds.  If you are concerned about wasting water for this I think you could put some cool water in your sink and set the pans on top and it might work just as well.

Any body else have any good cookie tips?

Pumpkin Layer Cheesecake

This is one from Allrecipes that I have made for a few Thanksgivings now. I make this exactly as written, and it's delicious!!

Ingredients

* 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
* 1/2 cup white sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 2 eggs
* 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
* 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* 1 (9 inch) prepared graham cracker crust

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C.)

2. In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar and vanilla. With an electric mixer, beat on medium speed until smooth. Blend in eggs. Reserve 1 cup of cream cheese mixture and set aside. Pour remaining mixture into pie crust.

3. Into the reserved cream cheese mixture, stir pumpkin puree, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. Pour over the top of the plain filling in the crust.

4. Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until center of pie is almost set. Allow to cool, then refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.

MY PIE

I have officially changed this recipe SO MUCH, that this is now My Pie. :) It's a pecan pie with Kahlua and dark chocolate in it. I could die, I love this pie so much!

1/2c white sugar
1/2c brown sugar
1c light corn syrup
1/2c butter(1 stick)

4 eggs
1/4c Kahlua
1t vanilla
1/4t salt
1c chopped pecans

2 frozen pie shells(I buy them in the freezer aisle, or you could go with one deep dish)
6oz dark chocolate chips

1. Preheat your oven to 325

2. In a saucepan, combine sugars, corn syrup, and butter. Heat over medium heat, until butter is melted and sugars are dissolved. Set aside to cool a bit.

3. In a large bowl, beat four eggs. Whisk in the Kahlua, vanilla, and salt. Slowly pour in the sugar mixture, whisking constantly. Fold in pecans.

4. Spread the dark chocolate chips in the bottom of the pie shell(s). Pour mixture evenly into the pie shell(s).

5. Place pie(s) on a baking sheet(in case of spillover), and place in oven. Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until set and crust is golden.

6. The hardest part. Let it cool and set. I make this the night before and hae a really hard time not eating that night! :)

I hope you all love it! I am making two right now.

Repost: Award Winning Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas

The church I attend had a Women's Gourmet Event last Friday night.  They had 5 different catagories you could enter and I entered my Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas into the Main Dish category.  Not only did I win for best dish in that category my 9 x 13 pan was empty within 5 minutes. I.kid.you.not.  

So I decided to repost the recipe and update it with a few changes and variations I've made over the years.

3 cups chicken cooked and shredded

2 cans cream of chicken soup

8 oz sour cream

2 small cans green chilies

1 soup can water

3 cups grated cheddar cheese

1 cup chopped onion

12 tortillas

Boil chicken in seasoned water, save stock. Make sauce out of the next 4 ingredients. Add shredded chicken.  Dip tortillas in chicken stock and stuff with sauce and 1 tablespoon cheese and onion. Roll in casserole dish and cover with remaining sauce and cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

These make 2 9x13 pans and reheat very well.  They also freeze well after baking.

Other variations: 

If you have already cooked chicken you can use canned stock to dip the tortillas in. 

Use whole wheat flour tortillas in place of the regular flour tortillas.

Use one can each of cream of chicken and cream of mushroom soup. 

Use Monterrey Jack cheese or a blend of Mexican cheeses.  

I've started using both light and dark meat (a combo of breasts and thighs or legs).  

I've substituted a can of Rotel for the 2 cans of green chilies.  It looks festive at Christmastime.

I've also used some Salsa Verde in place of the green chilies.  This makes the sauce taste almost like Chuy's tomatillo sauce, which I love with all my heart.  

Cheeseburger Soup

This recipe is so gooood! All my kids asked for seconds, and even thirds!

Adaptations from the original recipe are italicized.

Ingredients

* 1/2lb ground beef
* 3/4c chopped onion
* 3/4c chopped carrots
* 3/4c chopped celery
* 8oz pkg mushrooms, chopped
* 1t dried basil
* 1t dried parsley
* 1t ground mustard
* 1t garlic powder
* Dash cayenne
* 8T butter
* 4c chicken broth
* 16oz pkg shredded hashbrown potatoes
* 1/4c all-purpose flour(I have used corn** flour successfully)
* 1lb sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
* 1 1/2c milk(I have used almond milk successfully)
* 1/4c sour cream



Directions

1. In a large pot, melt 4T butter or margarine over medium heat: cook and stir vegetables until softened.

2. Add beef, break up and cook until beef is brown.

3. Stir in seasonings.

4. Melt the remainder of the butter and stir in flour and milk, whisking until smooth. Add to beef/veg mixture and let simmer a few minutes to thicken.

5. Add broth and potatoes. Bring to a boil, then simmer until potatoes are tender, about 10-12 minutes.

6. Stir in cheese. When cheese is melted, add sour cream and heat through.

**Makes this dish Gluten Free**

Honey Pecan Chicken

1 1/2 c. finely chopped pecans
6 tblsp. crushed corn flakes
2 tblsp. honey
1 tblsp. soy sauce
10 chicken tenderloins (I actually use 4 reg. sized chicken breasts and it works great!)

Preheat ovent o 425. Mix pecans with corn flakes in a shallow dish. Combine honey and soy
sauce in another shallow dish. Dip both sides of chicken in the honey mixture, then coat
with pecan mixture. Arrange in baking dish in a single layer. Bake for 15 minutes and then turn
over and bake another 10 roughly....or until golden brown.