Creamy Feta Shrimp Scampi

Although I consider myself a foodie, it saddens me to say that I don’t enjoy eating fish too much. Don’t get me wrong, I love fried clams, a good shrimp ceviche and sometimes salmon but that is really the extent of it. However my hubby really loves seafood and since I am the chef of the house, I try to accommodate every request. So I put all feelings aside and gave this creamy feta shrimp scampi recipe a try and let me tell you, it is a keeper! I was really impressed how yummy it was. I hope you enjoy it too!

Creamy Feta Shrimp Scampi

Serves 4

Recipe courtesy of Glamour magazine

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp unsalted butter

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

3 garlic cloves

1/3 cup white wine

1/4 tsp kosher salt

pinch of red pepper flakes

1 lb large shrimp, peeled and prepared

2 oz crumbled feta cheese

1 Tbsp chopped parsley

1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice (I used 3 Tbsp)

Directions: Combine butter and oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the butter is melted, add the garlic and cook, stirring until fragrant, about one minute. Add the wine, salt and pepper flakes. Simmer the mixture until it is reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook until almost opaque, 2 minutes. Crumble in feta; add parsley and lemon juice. Simmer, stirring until the cheese melts and the shrimp is cooked through, about one minute. I served with whole wheat spaghetti which I topped with some of the sauce and parsley.

Butter, olive oil with garlic, white wine and red pepper flakes.

Shrimp goes in and 2-3 minutes you have...

yumminess.

Homemade Twix Bars

Although I love my new blog, it hasn't been so easy to keep up with it. It takes a lot of time and since I am not much of a writer, it has been a little tough. But I have to say I love making my new recipes and having them documented with pictures and notes--I never realized just how many new recipes I make. What's even crazier is that I have made so many more recipes than what is posted onto this blog but they weren't keepers. I only post the best of the best.

So as I browse some of my favorite sites like craftzine.com they regularly link to other sites or blogs. This is where I found a homemade Twix bar recipe. This sounded like a great challenge and loads of fun. This recipe did come out great but I would tweak a couple of things next time it like: make double of the shortbread recipe and half of the caramel sauce. Also I would make more of the chocolate to spread on top. Don't be discouraged by the ground rice either. All you have to do is put white rice into a food processor and then sift it. I hope you enjoy it!

Yummy "Twix" Bars

Homemade "Twix" Bars
Made about 25 bars
Recipe courtesy of PieceLoveCooking.com

Ingredients:

For the Shortbread:

1 Stick + 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, Softened

¼ cup sugar

1 ¾ cup All purpose flour

¼ teaspoon Salt

2 Tablespoons ground rice, sifted (I used white rice)

Caramel:

2 cup sugar

¾ cup light corn syrup

½ cup water

1t Lemon Juice

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup sweetened, condensed milk

¼ teaspoon salt

Salt, for sprinkling over caramel layer (optional)

Chocolate Topping:

1 ½ cup bittersweet chocolate chips

4 Tablespoons butter

Directions: Preheat the oven to 350 and line a 9x13 baking dish with parchment paper and spray with Pam. To make the shortbread: in a mixing bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until creamy. Gradually add the flour, salt, and ground rice. To make the ground rice flour, blend any rice that you have in your kitchen until it is a fine powder. Sift this rice power, so that there are no large rice pieces. After the dough is incorporated, press it into the prepared pan. Bake for 12 minutes, then rotate and bake for another 10 minutes until the shortbread is lightly golden. Let this cool while you make the caramel layer. To make the caramel: Combine sugar, corn syrup, water, and lemon juice in a sauté pan and cook over medium-high heat until the mixture comes to a boil (do not whisk). Once this mixture begins to turn caramel brown, insert a candy thermometer and when the mixture reaches 300 degrees F, remove from heat and let it sit for 1 minute. Whisk in the heavy cream, then the condensed milk, then salt until smooth. Return the pan back to the heat, and cook until the caramel reaches 240 degrees F. Remove from heat and pour over the shortbread. Let it set at room temperature for 2 hours. For the chocolate topping: Heat the chocolate chips and butter in a bowl in the microwave in 30 second intervals until the chocolate is just melted, then whisk until incorporated. Spread this chocolate mixture over the caramel layer until an even, thick layer of chocolate covers the caramel. Cool in the refrigerator until you are ready to cut. Cut the Twix Bars into small rectangles. Wrap in wax paper and keep refrigerated.

The rice being sifted after going through the food processor.

Shortbread mixture ready to be pressed into pan.

Boiling caramel mixture.

Caramel pored over shortbread and ready to be refrigerated.

Glazed Salmon with Broccoli Rice

I am so proud of myself. I am trying so many different types of food even if I didn’t like it before, I am giving it a second chance. So when I saw this salmon recipe, I had to give it a shot. With brown sugar and soy sauce glaze, how can you go wrong? This recipe was delicious! The only modification I made to the original recipe was to double the amount of red onion that the recipe called for. I love onions and with this yummy sauce, it was a keeper. Enjoy!

Glazed Salmon with Broccoli Rice

Serves 4

Recipe courtesy of Real Simple magazine

Ingredients:

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

1 cup long-grain white rice

1 head broccoli, florets only, chopped (about 2 cups)

4 pieces skinless salmon fillet (1 1/4 pounds total)

1 large red onion, cut into 1/4 inch-thick wedges - I used 2 large red onions

1 tablespoon olive oil

kosher salt and black pepper

Directions: Heat broiler. In a small bowl, combine the sugar and soy sauce. Set aside. Cook the rice according to the package directions, stirring in the broccoli during the last 3 minutes. Let the rice and broccoli stand off the heat until the broccoli is tender, about 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Meanwhile, place the salmon and onion on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with the oil and season with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Broil until the salmon is opaque throughout, 8 to 10 minutes, spooning half the soy sauce glaze over the fish during the last 2 minutes of cooking. Serve the salmon and onion with the rice and the remaining glaze.

Salmon is prepped and ready to go into the oven with the onions.

Double Chocolate Brownies

It is pretty funny that if I ever made brownies, they were only from the box. Little did I know how easy they actually are to make from scratch. I love this recipe because it is super easy and double chocolate! What is great about them too is that they are not overly sweet and this recipe makes a great crumbly crust. This recipe is definitely a keeper. Enjoy!

Double Chocolate Brownies
Recipe from Family Circle
Makes 16 large brownies

Ingredients:
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
4 ounces (4 squares) unsweetened chocolate
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans (I left these out of the recipe)
1 bag (12 ounces) chocolate chips (2 cups)

Directions: Heat oven to 350°. Line 13x9 baking pan with nonstick foil, leaving overhang. In large glass bowl, heat butter and chocolate in microwave on HIGH for 2 minutes; stir until smooth. Let stand 5 minutes to cool slightly. Whisk in sugar, eggs, flour and vanilla. Stir in pecans and chocolate chips. Transfer batter to prepared pan. Bake at 350° for 35 minutes, until top is dry to the touch. Let cool completely in pan on wire rack. Lift brownie from pan with foil. Cut into squares and serve.

Brownies right before going into the oven.

Four Cheese Mac & Cheese

I have always wanted to try and make a mac and cheese but just never did. Well, when I came across this recipe my time had come. Yeah I know it probably isn't the most healthiest dish but if you only eat it once in a while it isn't too bad... The only piece of advice I would give when making this recipe is choosing your baking dish wisely. I had some family over so had this really pretty oval 9x13 pan I used. However, once the mac & cheese spread along the bottom of the 9x13 pan it was only about an inch deep. So once the mac & cheese was baked it was not as moist as I hoped. Next time I make this recipe I will use more of a 9x9 or so pan. Also, I will learn how to make a bread crumb type crust for the top of it. Overall this was a great recipe and definitely a keeper!

Four Cheese with Bacon

Recipe by Family Circle Magazine

Serves 12

Ingredients:

1 box (1 pound) cavatappi

6 slices bacon, diced

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups 2% milk

1/2 teaspoon onion flakes

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 pound sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

1 cup shredded colby-Jack cheese (4 ounces)

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (4 ounces)

8 slices Kraft Deli Deluxe American cheese (6 ounces) (You can use any brand of deli cheese)

Directions: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 3-quart broiler-safe baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boiling. Cook cavatappi 8 minutes in boiling water, then drain. Meanwhile, in medium-size saucepan, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp, 6 minutes. Transfer to paper towels. Carefully pour off drippings, returning 2 tablespoons to pan. Add butter. Whisk in flour until smooth. In a thin stream, whisk in milk. Stir in onion flakes, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat and simmer 2 minutes. In large bowl, toss together cheddar, colby-Jack and mozzarella. Remove milk mixture from heat; whisk in American cheese and 1 1/4 cups of the cheddar mixture. Toss bacon pieces with remaining shredded cheese. In pasta pot, combine cooked pasta and cheese sauce. Pour half into prepared dish. Sprinkle with a generous cup of the bacon-cheese mixture. Repeat layering. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Increase oven temperature to broil and broil 3 minutes, until top is lightly browned. Cool slightly before serving.

Pollo Guisado (Braised Chicken)

My friend Debbie asked for a Latin style meal so I knew I was going to make rice and beans but needed a meat dish. I have tried Pollo Guidado (Braised Chicken) recipes in the past but nothing to write about until know. This recipe is so tasty. Although it did not specifically call for chicken thighs, the recipe does call for small pieces of chicken. So the thighs worked perfectly without having to chop into pieces. And if you have a Costco near you, I would recommend shopping there for big quantities. For this recipe, I bought a package of chicken thighs for $14. This package had 6 individually wrapped pockets with 5 thighs in each -- that's 30 thighs for $14! I used 15 chicken thighs for this recipe. Also since I love onions, I used 3 small red onions instead of one and I didn't use any olives. I hope you enjoy this keeper recipe!

Pollo Guisado served family style.

Pollo Guisado
Recipe by Dominican Cooking
Serves 6

Ingredients:
2 lbs of chicken cut into small pieces
2 lemons cut into halves
2 green bell peppers
1/2 cup of chopped celery
1 small red onion chopped into fine strips or rings (I used 3 red onions)
4 plum tomatoes cut into quarters
2 tablespoons of oil
1/4 cup of seedless olives cut into halves (optional)
2 tablespoons of tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon of mashed garlic
1 teaspoon of sugar
A pinch of oregano
Salt
Coriander leaves (I couldn't find these so didn't use)

Directions: In a bowl mix the chicken, oregano, onion, celery, tomatoes, a pinch of salt and garlic. Marinate for 30 minutes. (I let this marinate overnight in a ziplock bag) In a pot heat up the oil, add the sugar and let the sugar heat up until it becomes dark brown. Add the chicken (reserve vegetables and herbs) and sauté until the meat is light brown. Add 2 tablespoons of water. Cover and simmer over medium heat for 12 minutes adjusting water when necessary. Add the remaining ingredients (except tomato paste), cover and and simmer until they are tender, adjust water if necessary. Add tomato paste and half a cup of water, simmer over low heat to produce a light sauce. Adjust salt to taste. Serve with white rice, a side dish (or salad) and beans.

Chicken thighs after being marinated overnight. 

Chopped veggies.

Chicken and veggies together. Almost done!

Blueberry Health Muffins

I bring my own breakfast and lunch to work everyday. So sometimes I like to make my meals ahead for the week -- especially for breakfast. Muffins are always a nice treat in the morning with a coffee or tea. However, they can be fattening depending on the kind you eat. I found this health conscious muffin recipe in my binder and had all the ingredients on hand. They were easy to make and tasted great. The only thing I would change next time I make this recipe is to make them a little larger--I enjoy my muffin tops! So instead of making 12 small muffins, making 8 larger ones. This recipe is definitely a keeper. Enjoy!

Blueberry Health Muffins
Recipe by Whole Living magazine
Makes 12

Ingredients:
3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons toasted wheat germ
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon brown sugar
3/4 cup 2% milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups blueberries
1/4 cup rolled oats

Directions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners. In a bowl whisk together whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup toasted wheat germ, baking powder, salt, and 2/3 cup brown sugar. Make a well in center of bowl and add milk, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract. Gently mix until just combined. Fold in blueberries.

Divide batter among muffin cups. Combine 2 Tbsp. toasted wheat germ, 1 Tbsp. brown sugar, and rolled oats in a small bowl. Sprinkle over tops of muffins. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 20 to 22 minutes. Let sit in pan 10 minutes. Transfer muffins to a rack to cool.

Fresh out the oven.

Beef Daube Provencal

It is a gorgeous Sunday afternoon and I need to start thinking about what to make for dinner. I usually like to cook a bigger portion for Sunday dinner so that I can have lunch covered for a couple days during the week. I found this recipe in my new Cooking Light Comfort Food cookbook which came in the mail Friday. At first when I looked at this cookbook I didn't think it was going to have any good recipes but I was so wrong. I love that it breaks down the recipes by mealtime: Breakfast, lunch, dinner and sides & desserts. Each recipe has a picture too!

Well, this was the first recipe I tried from the book because it looked delicious and I had everything I needed for it except the fresh rosemary. I didn't even have the dry stuff so I substituted it with oregano. I also added a teaspoon of granulated sugar at the end. It just needed a little something and the sugar did the trick. Also, I didn't want to turn the oven on for 2 1/2 hours so at the end of the recipe instead of baking I turned the stove to low and simmered it for 1 1/2 hours. There are also directions below on how to make this in a slow cooker. This recipe is definitely a keeper -- enjoy!

Beef Daube Provencal
Recipe from Cooking Light Comfort Food
Serves 6


Ingredients:
2 teaspoons olive oil
12 garlic cloves, crushed
1 (2-pound) boneless chuck roast, trimmed and cut into 2-inch cubes
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 cup red wine
2 cups chopped carrot
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1/2 cup less-sodium beef broth
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
Dash of ground cloves
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon granulated sugar (optional)
3 cups cooked medium egg noodles (about 4 cups uncooked noodles)


Directions: Preheat oven to 300°.  Heat oil in a small Dutch oven over low heat.  Add garlic; cook 5 minutes or until garlic is fragrant, stirring occasionally.  Remove garlic with a slotted spoon, and set aside. Increase heat to medium-high.  Add beef to pan; sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.  Cook 5 minutes, browning on all sides.  Remove beef from pan.  Add wine to pan; bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits.  Add garlic, beef, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, carrot, and next 8 ingredients (through bay leaf) -- sugar is optional-- and bring to a boil.  Cover and bake at 300° for 2 1/2 hours or until beef is tender.  Discard bay leaf.  Serve over noodles.
Note: To make in a slow cooker, prepare through Step 2. Place beef mixture in an electric slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 5 hours.

I have my ingredients prepped.

For the red wine in this recipe, I use burgundy.

All the ingredients are in the pan and ready to be simmered.

The best chili recipe

I love making my chili recipe. It is super easy and makes enough for extra meals during the week. It actually tastes even better the next day. This recipe is my own invention. I have been making chili for many years now and always give it some variety or try new ingredients to find the best fit. This has been my go to recipe now for a couple of years and I always get compliments on it. I guarantee you will read down the ingredients list and be a little shocked by what I add. However, when they are all mixed together it gives this chili a unique and tasty flavor. I hope you enjoy it soon as once the weather gets nicer, you may not want to eat this comfort food until next winter. Even though, this chili would taste great on top of hot dogs or baked potatoes. Enjoy!

Top with sour cream, cheddar cheese or green onions

Jess's Chili
Serves 8

Ingredients:
1/2 chopped carrots
1/2 chopped green peppers
1 1/2 cup onions, diced
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1lb. ground beef (you can use ground turkey, chicken or pork)
1 can (15.5 oz) of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (15.5 oz) of red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (15.5 oz) of pink beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (28 oz) of crushed tomatoes
1 can (14.5 oz) of fire roasted diced tomatoes (I used Rotel)
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbls ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 Tbsp cocoa powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
Salt to taste
1 Tbsp olive oil (vegetable or canola oil works too)

Directions: In a large pot heat oil. Then add onions, carrots, green peppers and garlic to pan and sautee until softened. Add beef to veggie mixture and cook until beef is browned. Now add all three beans to the beef and veggie mixture along with the crushed and diced tomatoes. Mix well. Now add the chili powder, cumin, cinnamon, cocoa powder and pepper. Mix well and then lower heat to low and cover chili. Let simmer on stove for 25 minutes and then give it a mix. You can add salt as needed now. Then cover again and let simmer for another 20 minutes on low. Mix well and serve with sour cream, cheddar cheese or green onions.

Saute onions, carrots, green peppers and garlic in a large pot.

Now add the ground beef to the veggies and cook until beef is browned.

All beans and tomatoes are added to beef and veggie mixture.
Let simmer for 25 minutes on low.

Ziti with Roasted Cauliflower & Red Onions

It is getting a little bit more difficult to get dinner done at a reasonable time lately. By the time I am able to cook dinner and have it on the table, it is almost 8:30PM. So I am really looking for easy recipes that I can make quickly during the week. This pasta recipe looked great in the magazine I ripped it out of and only took 40 minutes to cook. There was only one ingredient that I didn't have handy--fresh sage--so I substituted it with ground sage. As I was reading through the ingredients I noticed it called for raisins. Raisins in pasta? I was going to skip the raisins at first but decided to give it a try. I am glad I did because it really gave the dish a nice sweetness. Also, I love onions so I used 2 red onions instead of one. As for the cooking time, I roasted the veggies for 30 minutes before adding the raisins since I like my cauliflower browned with a little crispiness to them. I then served the pasta with chicken drumsticks. For the drumsticks, I marinated them with seasoned salt and garlic powder. I browned the chicken in a pan with olive oil and then baked them, in a separate pan, with the veggies. Total cooking time was only 40 minutes...perfect! I hope you enjoy this recipe.

Ziti with Roasted Cauliflower & Red Onions

Recipe from Womans Day

Serves 6

Veggies with sage, salt and pepper before going into the oven.

Ingredients:

1 small head cauliflower (about 1 1⁄2 lb), cored and sliced  1⁄2 in. thick

1 red onion, cut into 1⁄2 in.-thick wedges (I used 2 red onions)

1⁄3 cup fresh sage, roughly chopped (I substituted this with ground sage)

2 Tbsp olive oil (I used 4 Tbsp)

Kosher salt and pepper

 1⁄2 cup golden raisins

1 box of whole-grain penne

1⁄4 cup grated Parmesan (1 oz), plus more for serving

Directions: Heat oven to 425ºF. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the cauliflower, onion, sage, oil, and 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper; roast for 15 minutes. Add the raisins and toss to incorporate. Continue roasting until the vegetables are golden brown and tender, 8 to 10 minutes more.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot.

Add the vegetable mixture and Parmesan to the pasta and toss to combine. Serve with additional Parmesan, if desired.

My veggies 30 minutes later.

Pasta is served!

Sautéed Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

I went to the farmers market this weekend with my hubby. While we were there he picks up some brussels sprouts and says "Kenny brought some in the other day for lunch and they were actually really good." So I ask him to put them in our cart so I can try and make a recipe I had just ripped out of Cooking Light magazine. Honestly I never made nor was I interested in making brussels sprouts before. They never really caught my attention but when I saw this recipe and then when my hubby commented on the ones he had, I had to give them a shot. This recipe was really easy and quick to make. Plus, I had all the ingredients I needed at home already. Since we are still trying to cut the carbs for dinner, I served the brussels sprouts with a piece of salmon that I marinated in Italian dressing and then sauteed. I would definitely make these yummy little veggies again with a couple of modifications: more onions and I would quarter the brussels sprouts instead of halving them as the recipe calls for.

Sautéed Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

Recipe from Cooking Light magazine

Serves 4

Ingredients:

3 slices center-cut bacon finely chopped 

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme 

1 1/2 cups presliced onion 

1/3 cup fat-free

Lower-sodium chicken broth 

1 pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved

Directions: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add bacon; cook 7 minutes or until crisp. Remove bacon from pan with a slotted spoon; drain.

Add thyme and onion to pan; sauté 3 minutes. Add broth and Brussels sprouts; bring to a boil. Cover and simmer 6 minutes or until crisp-tender. Sprinkle with bacon.

Bacon is browned and the rest of the ingredients are prepped and ready.

Everything tastes good with bacon!

Delicious and Easy Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fy

Usually what I do on Saturday's is take out 3 or 4 recipes that I want to make for the week. Then head out to the farmer's market or grocery store to get any ingredients I am missing for them. This has been my routine now for the past couple of months and it works for me. Sometimes I don't get to make all the recipes I pulled out on Saturday because of stuff that comes up or if we get home too late. Although I love to cook, when it's past 8PM, I don't even want to think about making a recipe that will take me over an hour. You may laugh at me but I cannot go to bed knowing that I have a dirty kitchen. I like all my dishes cleaned, put away, floors swept and breakfast and lunches made before I head to bed. I know, I am strange but I blame this on my mother. She is the exact same way. So when I got home yesterday and it was already 7PM, I wanted to make something quick and easy. Let me just say that this recipe for beef and broccoli was not just super easy but really, really good. I am not a big Chinese food fan but if I do order it, I usually order the beef and broccoli. This recipe is better than any Chinese restaurant beef and broccoli I have ever had so it is definitely a keeper. Enjoy! 

Just before serving, I sprinkled some sesame seeds on top of the dish.

Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry

Recipe from Food.com

Serves 4

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons cornstarch, divided

1/2 cup water, plus

2 tablespoons water, divided

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 lb boneless round steak or 1 lb charcoal chuck steak, cut into thin 3-inch strips

2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided

4 cups broccoli florets

1 small onion, cut into wedges

1/3 cup soy sauce

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon ground ginger

hot cooked rice (I used brown rice)

Sesame seeds (optional)

Directions: In a bowl, combine 2 tablespoons cornstarch, 2 tablespoons water and garlic powder until smooth. Add beef and toss. In a large skillet or wok over medium high heat, stir-fry beef in 1 tablespoon oil until beef reaches desired doneness; remove and keep warm. Stir-fry broccoli and onion in remaining oil for 4-5 minutes. Return beef to pan. Combine soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger and remaining cornstarch and water until smooth; add to the pan. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Serve over rice.

Before I started cooking, I prepped the veggies and beef.

Veggies right before I take them off the stove.

Penne alla Vodka

I remember, way back in the day, when my roommate Cathy and I would go all the way to NY just to get Penne all Vodka from this great restaurant. That was the first time I ever tried it and I loved it ever since. Every time I go to an Italian restaurant and see it on the menu, I have to try it. Well, I wanted to try and make my own. I have tried a couple of recipes but none really compare to the original dish I fell in love with. Well, I may have finally found it with this recipe -- it is great! My friend Nancy gave me this recipe which is a friend's of hers. So, thank you so much Nancy and Linda for the great recipe. Enjoy!

Vodka Sauce
Serves 6

Ingredients:
Olive oil
3 - 4 slices of Pancetta - chopped
3 cloves of garlic, min½
½ small onion
½ stick butter
½ vodka
28 oz whole plum tomatoes (put thru a blender)
⅓ cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper
Hot pepper flakes (optional)
Parmesan cheese

Directions: Lightly coat bottom of pan with oil, brown pancetta, add onion and garlic saute for a few minutes. Add and melt butter, then carefully add vodka, cook until it bubbles and evaporated about 3/4 of the vodka. Add tomatoes, salt and pepper and cook for at least 35 minutes (a little more is nice too). Add heavy cream, cook for 10 minutes more. Toss over pasta with cheese. This sauce will be enough for one box of penne pasta. The sauce will thicken as it cools so keep that in mind.

Once the sauce was made, I added the cooked penne and tossed it all together.

Here is the Penne alla Vodka with fresh parmesan cheese sprinkled on top and served with chicken.

Beef Stew

It is a rainy day out and I don't feel like going to the grocery store. So I need to make a dinner with ingredients that I already have at home. Lucky for me, I bought veggies and wine to make a beef stew last week. I love this recipe. I made it a couple of months ago and it is just so great. I always like the second time I make a recipe because I now know how to tweak it to make it just how I like it. For example with this recipe, I added more veggies to it then the recipe called for. Also, a friend at work told me about adding a little orange juice to the stew to give it a little extra zing -- and it did! This recipe is also great because it goes right into the slow cooker after you prep it and it is done. So, I hope you enjoy it!

Hearty Beef Stew
Recipe by Woman's Day magazine
Serves 8 - Prep 30 minutes - Cook time 4 hours (low)

Ingredients:
½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
3-4 lb beef chuck, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp canola oil
2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces (I used 2 extra carrots)
2 ribs celery, sliced
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp peppercorns
1 bottle (24 oz) hearty red wine such as Burgundy
1 can (28 oz) tomatoes, drained and chopped
1 cup beef broth
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 Tbsp orange juice

Directions: Stir 3 Tbsp of the flour, and the salt and pepper on a plate. Toss beef pieces in mixture, shaking off any excess. Melt butter with oil in a large dutch oven over medium heat. Working in batches if necessary, add beef and cook about 10 minutes, turning frequently, until browned on all sides. Remove from skillet and set aside. Add carrots, celery, onion and peppercorns to same skillet. Cook about 5 minutes over medium-high heat, stirring ofter, until onions and carrot begin to brown. Pour in wine and cook, stirring and scraping up browned bits from bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Stir tomatoes, broth and orange juice into skillet and bring to a boil. Stir in remaining flour and the tomato paste and cook, stirring frequently, about a 1 minute, until mixture has thickened. Return beef to skillet and season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer beef and wine mixture to slow cooker and stir to combine. Cover and cook on Low, 4 hours, stirring occasionally, until beef is very tender. Serve with egg noodles, brown rice or veggies.

Beef cut into small pieces and then browned.

All the vegetables cooked and ready to go into the slow cooker.

We are watching our carbs so for dinner, I served the stew with sauteed spinach.

Sauteed Chicken with Sage Browned Butter

We had some friends over this weekend and I wanted to make a special yet healthy dinner for them. I had some chicken breasts that I defrosted and wanted to use them for this meal. So I found this recipe in my binder --  which I tore out of the Cooking Light magazine -- that looked perfect. I love when I find a recipe that has everything, or almost everything, that I need for it already at home. The only ingredient I had to improvise with was the fresh sage. I couldn't find the fresh stuff at the grocery store so used the ground sage I had at home already. I am sure that it would taste even better with the fresh sage but this recipe was still delicious with the ground sage. I served it with a baked potato and a spinach salad. I also made two loaves of french bread for dipping into the sauce and salad. I unfortunately forgot to take pictures of the meal! I am so disappointed about this but since this recipe is a keeper, I will take a picture of it next time I make it. Enjoy!

Sauteed Chicken with Sage Browned Butter
Recipe by Cooking Light
Serves 4-6. Total prep and cooking time, 1 hour

Ingredients:
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
Cooking spray
½ cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons butter
2 sage sprigs (I substituted 1 tablespoon of ground sage for the fresh sage)
1 tablespoon  minced shallots
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Fresh sage leaves (optional)

Directions: Place each breast half between 2 sheets of plastic wrap; pound to 1/4-inch thickness. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat; coat with cooking spray. Place flour in a shallow dish; dredge chicken in flour. Add chicken to pan; sauté for 4 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken from pan. Add butter and sage sprigs to pan; cook over medium heat until butter browns. Discard sage. Add shallots and thyme; cook for 30 seconds. Add lemon juice; cook for 30 seconds. Serve with chicken. Garnish with sage leaves, if desired.

Sugar Cookies

I am not a big fan of sugar cookies unless I buy them from the store. Only because whenever I try a recipe at home they just don't taste so great. However, one my favorite websites, Craftzine.com, featured the best sugar cookie recipe. I had to try it. Plus, I had all these great cookie cutters that I found at tag sales last summer that I wanted to use. This recipe was super easy and was hands down, the best sugar cookie recipe I have ever made. They even featured the icing recipe which offered the best consistency for making thin lines. You will see the cookies I made below with an example of this! Enjoy.


Amanda's Amazing Sugar Cookies
Makes 7 dozen cookies

Ingredients:
1½ cups (3 sticks) butter
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons almond extract
4 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder

Directions: In the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and creamy, 3 to 5 minutes. Beat in the eggs and egg yolks, one at a time, until combined, then beat in the vanilla and almond extracts. In a separate large bowl, sift together the flour, salt and baking powder. Slowly beat the flour mixture in with the butter mixture until combined to form a smooth dough. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight, or until well chilled.  Heat the oven to 350 degrees. On a floured surface, roll the dough to a thickness of about one-eighth inch. Cut out cookie shapes from the dough. Space the cookies about 1 inch apart on a baking sheet and bake until lightly browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from the sheets and cool completely before icing. Ice as desired.


Amanda's amazing icing
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1 drop lemon juice
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1 tablespoon milk, more or less as desired
Food coloring, if desired
Flavored extracts, if desired

In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, lemon juice and corn syrup. Whisk in milk to make a thick, spreadable icing. If coloring the icing with liquid food coloring, you might want to add a little less milk as the coloring will dilute the frosting. For different flavors, add drops of vanilla, almond or lemon extract. For shinier icing, use a little more corn syrup and a little less milk. The frosting will keep, tightly covered and refrigerated, for up to 1 week.

Here are the cookies, cut and ready to go into the oven.

Aren't these hilarious?!

Apple Dumplings

We are heading out to our friend's house and I need to make a quick and easy dessert. I would also like it to be a bit lighter of a dessert than say a cake or brownies. So I flip through my binder and find a recipe for Apple Dumplings. Perfect! This dessert was so easy to make and it looked great when plated. My only dilemma while making them was that I didn't have a tool to core the apples so it took a little longer for this step. I would highly recommend you get a tool to core the apples before you make this recipe. I have a tool I bought at IKEA to do this but in addition to coring the apple, it also slices it into wedges -- which wouldn't work for this recipe. Although the apple dumplings looked and tasted great when I made them, they would have looked even better if I could have kept them as one piece. You will see in the picture below that after they were baked, the two pieces separated a bit. Either way they still came out great. Enjoy!

Apple dumpling with caramel sauce and a side of vanilla ice cream.

Apple Dumplings with Caramel Sauce
Serves 6
Cooking time 40 minutes

Ingredients:
8 apples (I used Braeburn apples)

½ cup of dark brown sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 sheets of puff pastry dough
½ cup orange juice
1 egg
1 cup caramel sauce (next to chocolate syrup in the grocery store)
Vanilla ice cream (optional)

Directions: Preheat oven to 400°F. In a bowl mix the brown sugar and cinnamon together. Set aside. Peel and core all six apples -- try to keep them in one piece or if you do not have a coring tool, cut in half and core. Drizzle the peeled and cored apples with orange juice to slow the apples from browning. Start with one sheet of puff pastry and cut into 4 squares. You will then only need half of the other sheet of puff pastry or you can make 8 apples instead of 6 to use it all. Place an apple in the center of each square and pack with sugar mixture. Pull up all four corners of the puff pastry to the top of the apple and press together to seal them. Place on an ungreased baking pan. Once all the apples are wrapped in puff pastry and on the baking sheet, lightly beat the egg and brush it on the puff pastry. Bake for 40 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown. Once they are baked, pour some caramel sauce on a plate and place the apple dumpling on top of sauce. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Here are the apples peeled, cut in half and cored. I then took 2 pieces and stuffed one side with the sugar mixture and then placed the other half on top. I then put this on the puff pastry square -- making sure to keep the pieces together. 

The stuffed apple wrapped and ready to go into the oven.

Mexican Lasagna

This recipe is so different from anything I have ever made that I had to give it a try. Plus, I love Mexican food. I did make a couple of tweaks to it though. After reading the recipe through, I felt like it was missing something. So I did a little investigating on other Mexican Lasagna recipes and got some ideas on how to make this recipe even better. It came out great and is definitely a recipe I would make again. And the best part is that it is a healthy dish. Enjoy!

Mexican Lasagna

Recipe adapted by Disney Family

Serves 10.

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 medium zucchini, grated

1 cup of sliced mushrooms
1 19-ounce can black beans, rinsed
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
1 14-ounce can corn, drained
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 corn tortillas, quartered
½ cup mild red enchilada sauce
1 ¼ cups shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese
1 cup cottage cheese
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

Directions: Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in zucchini, beans, tomatoes, corn, mushrooms, cumin and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are heated through, about 3 minutes. In a separate bowl, mix cottage cheese with oregano. Scatter half the tortilla pieces in the baking dish. Top with about half the vegetable mixture and all of the cottage cheese mixture. Repeat with one more layer of tortillas, vegetables, spread all of the enchilada sauce over the entire lasagna and top with shredded cheese. Cover with foil. (Here's a cooking tip, to avoid having the cheese stick to the foil, spray the foil with cooking spray and then place on top of lasagna.) Bake the casserole for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking until the casserole is bubbling around the edges and the cheese is melted, about 10 minutes more.

Here are all of the packaged ingredients and the diced veggies ready to be used.

First layer of ingredients: tortillas, veggie and cottage cheese mixture.

Tortillas down and ready for last layer.

Finished dish. 

Pollo Asado

We are heading to our friend's house for dinner and I need to bring a main course to share with six people. I made this Pollo Asado recipe back in December and loved it so much that I want to make again for our friends. We are all foodies and I know they will definitely enjoy this simple yet flavorful recipe. By the way, I unfortunately was rushing to get this meal done that I forgot to take pictures. :(

Pollo Asado
Recipe by Latina (with some modifications by me)
Serves 4. Total cooking time 2 hours

Ingredients:
8 to 10 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp. salt
½ tsp. black pepper
1 tbsp. ground cumin
1 tbsp. dried oregano
⅓ cup lime or lemon juice
⅓  cup orange juice
8 ½ lb. chicken pieces, well trimmed of all fat
2 lb. potatoes, peeled and cut into large 2- to 3-inch chunks
I added: 3 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2 inch chunks and also baby carrots

Directions: In large bowl combine garlic, salt, black pepper, cumin, and oregano and mix well. Add lime and orange juices and stir well. Add chicken pieces, turning them over so that they are well coated with marinade. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight. (I recommend you marinate this overnight. I put all the chicken into Ziploc bags with the marinade and placed them in the refrigerator. When possible I would give the Ziploc a shake to get marinade all around chicken.)

Assemble equal amounts of chicken pieces onto two large roasting pans or baking dishes. Place potatoes between chicken pieces and drizzle with any remaining marinade. Cover with aluminum foil and prick foil in two or three places with knife tip. Bake in preheated 400°F oven 1 hour and 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350°F and bake another 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 10 minutes. Serve with vegetables or rice.