Chicken, Cheese, and Green Chile Chilaquiles

This dish ROCKS! It's kind of like an enchilada casserole...but not. The crispy tortilla strips are layered with green chiles, Mexican red sauce, chicken, and cheese. Feel free to get creative by adding sweet corn or olives to the layers - you could tweak this recipe any which way! If you don't have time to fry your own tortilla strips, it should work fine with store-bought corn chips. OR, for a healthier & easier version, drizzle the tortillas with a little oil and bake or broil them in the oven until crispy instead of frying. :)

Serving Size: 6 people

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

3 1/2 cups chicken broth

3/4 cups white wine

1 lime, juiced

3 cloves smashed garlic (for broth)

2 cloves minced garlic (for sauce)

1 tsp salt

1 tsp dried Mexican oregano

1 Bay leaf

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 to 4 jalepeno peppers, seeded & chopped (2 = VERY mild. 4 = a little heat)

1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes

1 tsp ground cumin

1 Tbsp salt

1 can (7 oz) whole green chiles, cut into strips

(I use the brand Ortega: Original Fire Roasted Whole Green Chiles)

1/2 cup heavy cream

16 corn tortillas, cut into strips

Vegetable oil, for frying tortillas

1 cup medium cheddar cheese

Crumbled queso fresco, queso anejo, or feta cheese (for garnish)

Sour cream

Fresh cilantro

Directions:

In a large saucepan, combine chicken broth, wine, lime juice, smashed garlic, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 of the oregano, & bay leaf. Add chicken breasts and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 12 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken from broth and let rest until cool enough to shred into pieces. Do not discard the broth, as we'll be using it later! :)

For the sauce: In a large skillet heat olive oil. When hot, add the onion and cook until translucent (about 5 minutes). Add the minced jalapenos and garlic and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes, oregano, cumin, salt, and 1 1/2 cups of the reserved chicken broth. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes or until sauce has thickened.

Meanwhile, begin frying tortilla chips. Bring 2 inches of vegetable oil to temperature (about 360 degrees) in a large saucepan or skillet. Add the corn tortillas in batches and fry until lightly golden (about 2 minutes). Let drain on paper towels and season with salt immediately.

Once sauce has thickened, add the green chile strips and the cream. Cook for another 5 minutes, taste, and re-season if needed.

Lightly grease 8" x 11 1/2" casserole dish and place 1/2 of tortillas on bottom. Layer with 1/2 of the shredded chicken, 1/2 of the tomato-chile sauce, and 1/2 cup cheddar cheese. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Top with crumbled mexican cheese (or feta) and bake in 375 degree oven for about 15-20 minutes, or until bubbly.

Garnish with sour cream and fresh cilantro. Serve with a side of corn & Mexican Cesar salad.

Bucatini with Mushrooms

This was SOOOO good!  I would probably recommend making it with fetuccini, though, because the buccatini (although a cool looking noodle) were really hard to wrap around the fork.  Also, I could not find truffle oil anywhere (even TJ's, where I swear I've seen it before).  The pasta was great without it though.  Very earthy and nutty from the Parmesan cheese.  It's worth taking the time to break the parm into chunks.

I'm labeling this recipe a "medium" only because of the time it takes for the porcini mushrooms to reconstitute.  If you plan well, you can pretty much make everything else while this is happening.  Make sure to splurge on the dried porcini, they are totally worth every penny!

I'm too lazy to type out the recipe, so click here to get it!  :)

Mel's Tequilla-Lime & Cilantro Chicken Pasta

With Corn, Bacon, & Sundried Tomatoes

For Chicken:

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast strips

1 cup flour

1 cup Panko Bread Crumbs (regular will also work...)

2 eggs, whisked

1 Tbsp Emeril's Essence (Pappy's or Lawry's Season Salt will also work...)

Salt & Pepper

1/4 cup olive oil

For Pasta:

1 lb bowtie pasta, cooked according to package

7 strips bacon (about 1 cup crumbled)

1 cup onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

1 tsp red pepper flakes

1/2 cup green onion, chopped

1 cup frozen corn

1 Tbsp ground cumin

3/4 cup sundried tomatoes, cut into small pieces

1 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

1 stick butter

juice of 1 lime

2/3 cup tequilla

1 Tbsp honey

3/4 cup parmesan cheese

Salt & Pepper (to taste)

Directions:

Prepare chicken for breading by seasoning with salt & pepper. Coat chicken with flour on all sides. Get rid of excess flour and dip chicken into egg mixture, coating evenly. Next, coat chicken with panko bread crumbs on all sides. Season Chicken with Essence. Heat oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan and brown on all sides until cooked through (about 5-10 minutes). Remove chicken from pan and keep warm.

Meanwhile, Cook bacon until crisp. Remove bacon from pan - do not discard pan drippings. Add onions to the same pan and cook until translucent (about 5 minutes). Add garlic and pepper flakes. Cook 1-2 minutes. Add green onion, corn, and cumin. Cook 1 more minute. Add sundried tomatoes, cilantro, and crumbled bacon. Cook 1 more minute. Add 1 stick butter, lime juice, tequilla, and honey. Cook until alcohol is reduced (about 2-3 minutes). Season with Salt & Pepper.

Pour mixture over cooked pasta. Add parmesan cheese and chicken. Garnish with cilantro or green onion.

Corn, Tomato and Avocado Salad

This salad is AMAZING! Great with chips for an outdoor BBQ or served over an entree of

chicken or fish. It's also a great burger topper! Every time I serve this to a crowd, people

want the recipe. This dip will go fast, so be sure to serve with plenty of your favorite tortilla

chip!

INGREDIENTS

For the dressing:

1 1/2 c packed fresh cilantro

1/2 c good extra-virgin olive oil

2 Tbsp fresh lime juice

1 tsp finely grated lime zest

1 1/2 Tbsp honey

2 Tbsp ground cumin

2 tsp salt & pepper (to taste)

**for a healthier version, reduce olive oil to 1/4 cup, add 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, and increase honey to 2 1/2 Tbsp.

For the salad:

4 ears corn (about 3 cups), kernels removed (grilled corn preferable, buttered and salted. Can also use frozen "Roasted Corn" from Trader Joe's for a quick-fix)

1 1/2 lbs (about 3 cups) grape tomatoes, halved. (I like to use Trader Joe's Heirloom Grape Tomatoes for color and great flavor!)

1 lb fresh mozzarella cheese, diced

3 medium avocados, diced

To dip:

Tortilla chips (I like the blue corn variety)

DIRECTIONS:

Combine dressing ingredients in a blender or food processor, until almost smooth. Combine the salad ingredients in a large bowl and toss with the dressing. Let sit at least 15 minutes (and up to 4 hours) before serving.

Ricotta with Roasted Cherry Tomotes on Crostini

Ricotta with Roasted Cherry Tomotes on Crostini

I think this is the best appetizer I have had in a long time. Super easy to make and sooooo good! I could make a meal out of this alone!

Ingredients

Serves 6 to 12 as a starter

• Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
• 1 pound fresh or smoked ricotta, drained
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
• Coarse salt
• Rustic Crostini
• Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

Directions

1. Drizzle oil over ricotta. Sprinkle with thyme, and season with salt. Spread on crostini. Top with tomatoes.

Rustic Crostini

Ingredients

Makes 12

• 1/2 loaf rustic bread, cut diagonally into 12 1/4-inch-thick slices
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brush bread with oil on 1 side. Season with salt and pepper. Arrange bread in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake until edges begin to brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool. Crostini can be stored, overnight in an airtight container.

Roasted Cherry Tomotoes

Ingredients

Serves 6 to 12

• 1 pint cherry tomatoes (yellow or red)
• Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, preferably Sicilian (zingermans.com)
• Fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Spread tomatoes on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with oil. Sprinkle with oregano, and season with salt and pepper. Roast until tomatoes are wrinkled and just starting to burst, about 10 minutes.

Recipe courtesy of Martha Stewart Living.

Caribbean-Style Chicken with Brown Sugar-Peanut Spice Rub

Oh...my....gosh...this....is....GOOOOOD.  I want to coat EVERYTHING in this spice-rub from now on!  If you don't like dark meat, you can try this recipe with chicken breasts instead, but it might not be quite as juicy.

Courtesy of Emeril Lagasse, 2002

Serving Size:  4 servings

Prep time:  5 minutes

Cook time:  45 -55 minutes

Ingredients:

1/2 cup finely ground roasted peanuts

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1 Tbsp salt

1-1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp bay leaf

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

4 chicken thighs, skins on

4 chicken legs, skins on

1 (6-inch) tortilla

1-1/4 cup dark chicken stock

1 tsp lime juice

1 tsp ground chili powder

1/8 tsp salt

1 Tbsp smooth peanut butter

Directions:

Preheat grill to medium heat and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

To make spice rub, combine peanuts, brown sugar, salt, cayenne, bay leaves, cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon in large bowl.  With a small, sharp knife, score slits into each thigh and drumstick twice on each side (1/2 inch deep).  Place chicken in spice-rub bowl and toss to coat evenly.

Grill chicken until marked, about 4-5 minutes on each side.  Transfer to baking sheet lined with aluminum foil.  Roast in oven until browned and cooked through and juices run clear, about 35 minutes. (To save time, I cooked it a little bit longer than called for in the pan and reduced oven time to 25 minutes).  Remove from oven and transfer to plate (save juices in pan for later use).  Cover chicken to keep warm. 

Heat tortilla over flame.  Tear into pieces and place in small saucepan with 1/4 cup pan drippings, chicken stock, lime juice, chili powder, & salt.  Heat to boiling, then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.  Transfer to blender and add peanut butter.  Process until smooth

Divide chicken among place and serve immediately with peanut sauce.

Spicy Pasta with Vodka Sauce & Italian Sausage

You can add as much (or as little) kick to this pasta as you like - by varying the amount of red or Cayenne pepper.  I made this for a dinner with friends and we all loved it!  This quick dish is easy to make...the only downside is that you have to remove the sausage from its casings (this is kind of a gross project, but well worth it)!  Serve with an Asparagus & Green Bean Salad with Garlic-Lime-Pesto Dressing (see recipe below).  Enjoy!

Serving Size: 4 people

Prep Time:  10 min

Cook Time:  20 min

 Ingredients:

1 pound Italian Sausage, removed from the casings and crumbled

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

2 cups finely chopped yellow onions

1/2 tsp red pepper

2 Tbsp minced garlic

1-14 oz can crushed tomatoes

1/2 cup frozen green peas

1 cup vodka

1 cup cream or half-&-half

1/3 cup chopped basil

1 lb choice of pasta (I recommend Rigatoni)

Grated Parmesan Cheese 

Directions:

Bring large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta as desired.  Meanwhile:

In a skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add sausage and cook until browned and all pink has disappeared (3-4 min).  Add onions, & red pepper and saute until soft and slightly caramelized (about 6 min).  Add garlic and cook 1 more minute.  Add crushed tomatoes, stir, and cook 2 more minutes.  Add vodka and cook until slightly reduced (4 min).  Add peas and cream, cooking 2 min or until thickened.  Remove from heat & stir in basil.  Add pasta to sauce and combine.  Serve with grated cheese.  

Asparagus & Green Bean Salad with Garlic-Lime-Pesto Dressing

Ingredients:

1/2 lb green beans

3/4 lb asparagus

1 cup parsley, chopped

1 lemon, juiced

2 tsp garlic

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

1/3 cup olive oil

Salt & Pepper

Bring 1 inch of salted water to a boil  Add green beans.  Cover & cook 3 minutes.  Add asparagus and cook another 3-5 minutes, or until cooked (but not mushy)! Drain. In a food processor or blender, combine next 4 ingredients (everything except for olive oil).  With processor running, stream in olive-oil.  Season and pour over vegetables.

Sloppy Joe's

No need for the canned-stuff.  Make your own!

(a recipe from my awesomemom-in-law aka Gigi)

1lb ground chuck

1 onion, diced

2T sugar

2t dry mustard

1T vinegar

3/4c ketchup

1. Cook onion until transparent

2. Add meat to brown

3. Add remainder of ingredients and simmer 20 minutes

Top with Coleslaw and serve on toasted wheat or regular white buns.

ColeSlaw

As a side, or put it on a sandwich - this EASY addition can enhance any bbq.  (I'm not a coleslaw fan, but this is so easy, so delish.)

The key to this recipe is the ratio - you can easily double, triple, etc. this recipe to accommodate any party size!

3T Mayo (I use Best Foods/Hellmans)

2T Sugar

1T Vinegar (I use Rice Wine)

Serve with pre-shredded cabbage, carrot slaw.

**Perfect on top of the Sloppy Joe's recipe***

(a recipe from my awesomemom-in-law aka Gigi)

Hawaiian Pulled Pork

image from http://www.inuyaki.com

This is the closest thing you can get to a Luau...and is the EASIEST - and crowd-please-iest (word??!) .

3lbs Pork Butt (bone-out)

2T liquid smoke

4T Lava Salt or Hawaiian Salt rubbed on all sides

pepper - to season

Put all in slow-cooker and set on low 10-12 hours, high 6-8 hours.

The longer, the better.

Serve with King's Hawaiian Bread rolls.

No BBQ sauce necessary, but does taste very good with it.  Mustard & Mayo also very good, too!

NutterButter Trifle

This is a borrowed recipe~

For weeks, I've been salivating over this recipe - ever since I saw it in Southern Living Magazine.

They have 2 versions of the recipe - one with home-made pudding, one with instant.  I haven't tried the home-made, but plan to VERY soon...it looks too good!

Prep: 35 min., Cook: 20 min., Stand: 30 min., Chill: 2 hr. This homemade pudding is divine, economical, and uses on-hand ingredients. The pudding has thickened enough when a distinct trail is left in the mixture when you stir with a spoon. The cookies will soften the longer the dessert chills.

Yield

Makes 8 to 10 servings

Ingredients

• 3  cups  milk
• 3  large eggs
• 3/4  cup  sugar
• 1/3  cup  all-purpose flour
• 2  tablespoons  butter
• 2  teaspoons  vanilla extract
• 5  medium-size ripe bananas
• 1  (1-lb.) package peanut butter sandwich cookies
• 2  cups  sweetened whipped cream
• Garnishes: peanut butter sandwich cookies, dried banana chips, fresh mint sprigs

Preparation

1. Whisk together first 4 ingredients in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook, whisking constantly, 15 to 20 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat; stir in butter and vanilla until butter is melted.

2. Fill a large bowl with ice. Place saucepan in ice, and let stand, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes or until mixture is thoroughly chilled.

3. Meanwhile, cut bananas into 1/4-inch slices. Break cookies into thirds.

4. Spoon half of pudding mixture into a 3-qt. bowl or pitcher. Top with bananas and cookies. Spoon remaining pudding mixture over bananas and cookies. Top with sweetened whipped cream. Cover and chill 2 to 24 hours. Garnish, if desired.

***SHORTCUT RECIPE!***

Shortcut Nutter Butter®-Banana Pudding Trifle: Omit eggs, sugar, flour, and butter. Substitute thawed extra creamy whipped topping for sweetened whipped cream. Reduce vanilla to 1 tsp. Place 3 cups milk and vanilla in large bowl; add 2 (3.4-oz.) packages vanilla instant pudding mix. Beat with an electric mixer at medium speed 2 minutes or until thickened; let stand 5 minutes. Stir in 1 (8-oz.) container sour cream. Proceed with recipe as directed in Steps 2 through 4.

Secret Australian Salad Dressing

My mom tells me that my father was an amazing cook but his recipes were always kept secret. He said that an Australian never shares their recipes until their death bed. He made a fabulous home made salad dressing that is still my favorite today as my mom tried her best to duplicate it. You make a whole jar of it so it will last you a while.

Be green and use an old jar from pasta sauce or mustard depending on how much you want to make. We always use the bigger pasta sauce jar.

1. Fill jar half way with extra virgin olive oil. (If you don't like your dressings to vinegary you can add a little more than half).
2. Crush 1 clove of garlic into the olive oil and let it marinate for a few minutes.
3. Squeeze half a lemon into the mixture.
4. Add one heaping spoonful of Dijon mustard for a small jar and two spoonfuls for a bigger jar.
5. Add rice vinegar to fill the jar the rest of the way up.

You also can add a few splashes of balsamic vinegar and dill.

Shake the mixture like you've never shaken anything before, taste test it and adjust the mixture to your liking. There are no exact measurements on this so you can experiment until you get it just to your liking and can pass it on to your family unless you want to carry it to your grave like the Aussies.

Fresh Tomato and Potato Tart

Courtesy of Emeril Lagasse, 1999

This tart is kind of a cross between a souffle, a pot pie, and an Au gratin-style potato dish.   Layers of potato, tomato, and onion are topped with a light egg-cream and Gruyere cheese mixture and baked in a pie-crust pastry!   It is VERY easy to make and is BEAUTIFUL right out of the oven.  It makes a nice lunch or side dish - but could easily be served as a main dish (just add a little cooked chicken to the layers)! 

Serving size:  6 people

Prep Time:  10 minutes

Cook Time:  25 minutes

Ingredients:

1 unbaked 10" fluted tart shell or pie crust

1 cup creme fraiche 

1 cup (about 4 ounces) grated Gruyere cheese

1 egg

Salt & Pepper

1/2 lb fresh tomatoes, thinly sliced

1/2 lb small red potatoes, thinly sliced 

1/4 cup yellow onion, thinly sliced

1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley, to garnish

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Poke holes with fork into bottom of uncooked pastry and bake  for 10 minutes.  Set aside.

2.  Meanwhile, blanch potatoes by emerging in boiling water for a couple minutes (until almost cooked through) and then rinse under cold water.  Drain.

3.  While potatoes are cooking combine the creme fraiche, cheese, and egg in a medium sized mixing bowl.  Mix well.  season with salt & pepper.  Set aside.

4.  Season both sides of tomatoes & potatoes with salt & pepper.  Layer tart first with tomatoes, then sliced onion, then potatoes.  Pour cream mixture over the potatoes.  Spread evenly.

6.  Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown around edges and slightly puffed-up.  Garnish with parsley and serve! 

  

Lemon-Parmesan Cream Pasta with Asparagus, Zucchini, Squash, and Chicken

This pasta is seriously gooooood.  The hint of lemon and abundance of fresh vegetables balance out the richness of the Parmesan-cream sauce.  Hints of bacon, garlic, basil, and parsley add immense flavor to the dish.  (For a healthier approach, you could always use 1/2 & 1/2 instead of heavy cream and fat-free or turkey bacon instead of the real thing...but I can't guarantee that it will taste quite as good)!  :)

Serving Size:  6 people

Prep Time:  10 Minutes

Cook Time:  15 Minutes

Ingredients:

1 lb. Uncooked Mini Farfalle (Bow Tie) Pasta

2 Small Zucchini, thinly sliced 

1 Yellow Zucchini Squash, sliced lengthwise into thin strips

1 Bunch Asparagus, cut into bite-size pieces (about 2 cups)

4 Strips Bacon

1 1/2 cups COOKED boneless, skinless chicken breast, diced 

1 1/2 Tbsp Minced Garlic

1 Lemon, juice only

1/4 cups White Wine

1 cup Italian Parsley, chopped

1 Tbsp fresh or dry Basil

Salt & Pepper

1 pint Heavy Cream

1 1/2 cups Grated Parmesan Cheese

Directions:

1.  Cook pasta according to package directions in a large pot.  While pasta is cooking, brown bacon over med-high heat in large saucepan (until crispy).

2.  Remove bacon from pan, but do not drain remaining juice.  With the flame at medium heat, add chicken, zucchini, squash, and asparagus.  Cook for approximately 3 minutes.

3.  Add garlic and return crumbled bacon to pan, cooking for an additional 2 minutes.

4.  Add lemon juice and white wine to pan, cooking for another 3-5 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.  During last minute of cook time, add parsley, basil, salt, and pepper.

5.  Bring saucepan down to low and add cream, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon.  Slowly increase heat, until cream begins to gently boil around the edges of the pan (about 1-2 min).

6.  Add Parmesan cheese to cream, a little bit at a time, stirring frequently as sauce begins to thicken.

7.  Add pasta to vegetable-cream mixture and toss to coat.  Season with salt & pepper (to taste).

8.  Enjoy!

Maple-Glazed Salmon

Ingredients
1 Cup Soy Sauce
1 Clove Garlic
1 Tablespoon fresh ginger
1/2 Teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 Cup pure maple syrup
4 Fresh Salmon fillets, well rinsed

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 450
2. Mix the soy sauce, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, and maple syrup in a blender.
3. Spread all of the soy mixture over the fish evenly in a baking dish.
4. Marinate the fish for however long you want- 1hr-24hrs, the shorter amount of marinating time, the more you will taste the fish.
5. Bake the fish for about 18 minutes, or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Marinated Flank Steak with Peaches

This is the steak I made for my husband and we were "just friends." According to him, this is what bought me my ticket into his heart. I guess it's true, the way to a man's heart IS through his stomach!

Ingredients
Flank Steak
1 16 ounce can of peach halves
4 tablespoons of butter
1 cup of chili sauce
4 tablespoons of Worcestshire sauce
2 beef bouillon cubes
1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar
2 cloves of garlic

Directions
1. Drain Syrup from the peaches and put Syrup into saucepan that is on low-medium heat.

2. Add remaining ingredients except for the peach halves (*butter, chili sauce, worcestshire sauce, bouillon cubes, apple cider vinegar, and garlic cloves)

3. Whisk together and simmer for 10 minutes.

4. Lightly score flank steak & pour warm marinade over steak.

5. Let the steak sit sit for 2-3 hours or refrigerate over night.

BBQ or BROIL INSTRUCTIONS BELOW
1. Preheat broiler.

2. Place steak on broiling rack.

3. Broil 2-3 inches from heat for 5-7 minutes, basting once with marinade.

4. Turn.

5. Add peaches, cut side up, and baste all.

6. Broil 5-7 minutes longer, basting once.

7. Let steak sit for one minute, then carve it on the slant into fairly thin slices.

8. Drizzle with warm marinade and garnish with peaches

Aunt Val's Tomato-Basil & Goat Cheese Pasta

This pasta dish has become a staple in our house!  This super-fast pasta makes a perfect side to a main course of meat, poultry, or fish.  It also makes great lunch leftovers - I like to add pieces of chicken which really make it a meal in itself!  

Serves 4

Preparation Time:  10 minutes

Cook Time:  9 minutes, or as directed on Pasta Box

Ingredients:

1 cup chopped fresh basil, plus some for garnish 

2 1/2 cups diced tomatoes

1/2  cup chopped white onion 

1 Tbsp minced garlic

1/4 cup olive oil

4 oz goat cheese

Salt & Pepper (to taste)

4 cups uncooked penne pasta

Directions:

1.  Combine first 5 ingredients in large bowl:  Basil, tomatoes, onion, garlic, & olive oil.  Add salt & pepper (to taste).  Allow mixture to sit for for 10 minutes to 1 hour (to enhance the flavor).

2.  Begin cooking penne pasta, as directed on box.  Drain thoroughly and add (while still hot) to tomato-basil mixture, mixing briefly.  Add goat cheese at once and toss until pasta is coated with goat-cheese-tomato-basil sauce!  Add salt & pepper again, to taste.   Garnish with leftover basil.

Enjoy!

Simple Salmon

Fish can be so intimidating to cook, but it can be the most simple to prepare!

Here's a simple salmon recipe:

Marinade/Sauce:

1/4c Soy Sauce

3T Sesame Oil

1T Honey

3T Spicy Brown or Dijon Mustard

1T Worcestershire Sauce

Salt & Pepper

Fresh lemon juice, optional

1lb fresh salmon (skin on)

1. Whisk all together. Pour over salmon, marinate at least 30 minutes - up to one hour at room temp.

2. Heat grill (or grill pan) while salmon is marinating.

3. Grill, skin side up for 5-7 minutes (longer if a thicker piece of fish)

4. Flip, and cook for another 5-7 minutes.

Serve on a bed of fresh spinach or with Caprese Salad with grilled polenta.

Banana Tea Bread

This is one of my favorite treats (especially when it's cold and out of the fridge.) This is my version of soul food.

Ingredients
2 Cups Granulated Sugar
1 Cup Butter
6 Ripe Bananas, Mashed
4 Eggs, well beaten
2 1/2 Cups Flour
1 TSP Salt
2 TSP Baking soda

Directions
1. In a large bowl cream together the sugar and butter until fluffy.

2. Add bananas and eggs, blend.

3. Sift together the flour, salt, and baking soda.

4.Carefully blend the floud mixture into the banana mixture.

5. Pour the batter into 2 greased 9x5x3 inch loaf pans

6. Bake in a pre-heated 350 oven for 50-55 minutes.

7. Cool for 10 minutes.

8. Remove the loaves from the pans and cool completely on racks before serving.

*Remember-testing the bread with a toothpick won't necessarily b e accurate due to the bananas.

EASY Fish Tacos!

SO easy and SO tasty!

Ingredients
Frozen Fish Sticks
Corn Tortillas
Cabbage
Shredded Cheese
1/2 Cup Sour Cream
1/2 Cup Mayonnaise
1/4 Cup Cilantro, chopped & fresh
1 Package of Taco Seasoning (or 1 TSP Old Bay Seasoning, 1 TSP Chili Pepper)

Directions
1. Heat oven to designated temperature on frozen fish stick package. Begin to bake fish sticks.

2. Combine 1/2 Cup Sour Cream, 1/2 Cup Mayonnaise, 1/4 Cup Cilantro, chopped & fresh, and 1 Package of Taco Seasoning (or 1 TSP Old Bay Seasoning, 1 TSP Chili Pepper) together in a bowl for the Sauce.

3. Shred desired amount of cabbage.

4. When fish sticks are done, layer cabbage, shredded cheese, sauce, and two fish sticks on 2 stacked corn tortillas (the tortillas are fragile and will break. It's best to double it up!)

5. EAT!

BBQ-Glazed Chicken Nuggets

This chicken dish is SOO easy, fun to make, and tasty!  The BBQ glaze is very rich and sweet - a perfect topper for the crispy, juicy chicken nuggets.  I'd serve this with a light, fruity salad on the side.  :) 

Start to finish:  30 min

Serves:  14-20 nuggets, depending on size

Ingredients

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

2 tsp chili powder

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

1 cup ketchup

1/4 cup molasses

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup honey

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp pepper

2 (8 oz) boneless skinless chicken breasts

1/4 cup olive oil

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Cut chicken breasts into large nugget-sized pieces.  Set aside.

2.  Prepare BBQ Glaze by whisking the following ingredients together in a small saucepan:  apple cider vinegar, garlic powder, onion powder, & chili powder.  Bring to a boil.  

3.  Add Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, molasses, brown sugar, & honey.  Lower heat to medium or medium-low.  Allow sauce to bubble and thicken.

4.  In a zip-lock bag, shake together the flour, garlic powder, salt, & pepper.  Add chicken in batches to coat.  Place coated chicken nuggets on baking sheet lined with foil.  Drizzle chicken with olive oil.  

5.  Bake for about 10 minutes, then coat each piece with some of the glaze and continue baking 5 to 10 more minutes.  

6.  Toss chicken with remaining glaze or serve additional glaze on the side.

Basic Quiche

I am a BIG fan of breakfast and I could eat it for ANY meal or at ANY time. This was SO easy to make and enough for a real breakfast the next day.

Ingredients
8 Eggs
3/4 Cup Milk
1.5 Cups Shredded Cheese
8 Slices of diced bacon
1 frozen 9-inch deep pie shell

Directions
Beat all of the ingredients together
Pour into the pie shell
Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until browning

Swedish Meatballs with Lingonberry Sauce

I tried this recipe for the first time tonight - it is very unique and quite tasty!  I added some extra sour cream and lingonberry jam to the sauce, as well as plenty of seasonings (at first, it was a little bit bland).  Next time, I'm going to try making a lingonberry-balsamic reduction sauce to serve on the side instead of additional jam....

Prep Time:  30 min

Cook Time:  40 min

Serves:  6 to 8

Ingredients

1 cup fresh bread crumbs, dried out

3/4 cup milk

6 Tbsp butter

4 shallots, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp caraway seeds, toasted & ground

salt & pepper

1 pound ground beef

1 pound ground pork

1 large egg

1 handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

(plus some for garnish)

1 handful fresh dill 

1/2 tsp nutmeg (optional)

2 Tbsp all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

3/4 cup sour cream

1/4 cup lingonberry or red currant jam

(plus more for serving)

Egg noodles, prepared as directed on package

Directions

1.  In a small bowl, combine bread crumbs & milk.  Stir and let stand for 5 minutes.

2.  Melt 3 Tbsp butter in small skillet over medium heat.  Add shallots, garlic, caraway, salt, & pepper.  Saute 4 minutes until softened, but not browned.  

3.  In a large bowl, combine ground beef, pork, shallot mixture, egg, parsley, dill, and 1/4 tsp nutmeg (optional).  Season with salt & pepper.  Squeeze milk out of bread crumb mixture and add bread to the meat mixture, mixing well with your hands.

4.  Pinch off about 1/2 cup worth of meat mixture and shape with hands into "cue-ball" sized meatballs.  Place on platter - there should be about 15-20.

5.  In a large skillet, melt 2 Tbsp of butter over moderate heat.  Saute meatballs until well-browned on all sides, about 10 minutes total (or until completely cooked through). Remove meatballs from skillet onto plate lined with paper towels.

6.  Add remaining Tbsp of butter to pan and melt over medium heat.  Sprinkle in the flour and stir with a wooden spoon until flour is completely dissolved.

7.  Pour in chicken broth and stir to loosen flour mixture from the bottom of the pan.  Simmer until sauce reduces and begins to thicken.  Season with salt & pepper.

8.  Lower heat and stir in the sour cream.  Slowly stir in the 1/4 cup lingonberry jam.  

9.  Return meat balls to pan, coating with sauce.  Simmer until the sauce thickens and the meatballs are heated through (about 15 minutes).  Shower with chopped parsley and transfer to serving bowl.  Serve over egg noodles with additional lingonberry jam on the side.  

Manicotti Marinara

The toughest part about this recipe is stuffing the shells and even then, it's not tough, it's time consuming. I'd set aside an hour for creating and clean up aside from the 45 minute bake time. What is great about it is that you can make it the night before, just leave the sauce off the top, and bake the next day if you just wanted to be productive.

Ingredients
1 package (8 oz) Manicotti Shells
2 jars (26 oz each) Marinara Sauce
2 Eggs
2 Cups Lowfat Ricotta Cheese
4 Cups (16 oz) Mozzarella Cheese
1 Cup (4 oz) Grated Parmesan Cheese
1/4 Cup chopped fresh parsley or 1 TBSP dried parsley

Directions
1. Cook Manicotti shells according to package directions; drain. Preheat oven to 350. Spray bottom of 15x10x2 inch glass baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Spread 1 jar marinara sauce over bottom of baking dish.

2. Beat eggs in large bowl. Stir in ricotta, 3 cups Mozzarella, 3/4 cup Parmesan and Parsley. Fill each cooked shell with ricotta mixture. (I used a very small spatula for this and it worked really well!) Arrange filled shells in baking dish over sauce. Top with second jar of marinara (I used 1/2 of the second jar), remaining Mozzarella, and 1/4 cup Parmesan.

3. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes or until bubbly. Uncover and continue baking about 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Serves 6
*Recipe is from Favorite Brand Name Recipes

Tamale Pie

This recipe only seems to be really detailed and involved but it's actually really easy...not to mention DELICIOUS!

Ingredients
1 Cup Yellow Corn Meal
6 TSP Chili Powder
1 1/2 TSP Salt
3 Cups Water
1 LB Ground Turkey
1/2 Cup Chopped Red Pepper
1 Clove Chopped Garlic
1 Can Chili
1 Can Peeled Tomato
1 Can Yellow Corn
1 small Can sliced black olives
1 1/2 Cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Directions
1. In a saucepan cook 1 Cup Corn Meal, 2 TSP Chili Powder, & 1 TSP salt in 3 Cups Water. Stir constantly until thickened. Pour into a greased 12 x 8 x 2 glass dish spreading onto bottom and sides to make a crust.

2. In a skillet, brown grounded turkey, stirring to break apart.

3. When turkey has browned, add Red Pepper and Garlic, saute until limp.

4. Stir remaining ingredients (except for cheese) into the skillet mixing all ingredients together.

5. Pour turkey mixture onto the Corn Meal Crust.

6. Layer shredded cheese over the top of the turkey and corn meal mixtures.

7. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.
(Serves 6)

African Peanut Soup

Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2004

This soup is one of my favorites! It's very hearty - and will definitely warm you up on a cold day with it's spicy-curry flavor. It's a unique dish, but don't be afraid to try it! Valery, this one's for you! :)

Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 1 hr 0 min
Level: Medium
Serves: about 2 1/2 quarts

Ingredients
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon peanut oil, divided
1 tablespoon curry powder
2 medium onions, sliced (about 4 cups)
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 large sweet potatoes (about 2 pounds), peeled and cut into chunks
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes, drained and quartered
1 pound ground turkey
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
3/4 cup chunky peanut butter
3/4 cup coconut milk

Directions
Heat 2 tablespoons of peanut oil in a large Dutch oven or stockpot over medium-high heat. Add curry powder and cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Stir in sweet potatoes, chicken broth and tomatoes, and bring soup to a boil. Simmer, covered, 20 to 30 minutes.

In a large skillet, heat the remaining teaspoon of peanut oil. Add the turkey and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon to break up any clumps until cooked through. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Drain on paper towels.

Add cooked ground turkey, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, cayenne, peanut butter, and coconut milk to the soup, stirring to combine. Bring mixture to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.