Eggplant Lasagna

Eggplant lasagna is a household favorite after making it one time.  It was delicous!!! My girls devoured it and asked for more even with eggplant and spinach in it if you can believe that!  It is super easy to make, but you do need to start about two hours before you are ready eat supper.  You will need:  two eggplants, marinara sauce, 10 oz box frozen spinach (thawed), ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, egg, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, pepper, and salt. 

The reason you need so much time is because you need to make the eggplant “sweat” and then when it is done cooking it needs to cool off to set before eating. 

First, cut the ends off of the eggplants.  Cut the eggplants into slices (circles, not length).  Try and cut them about centimeter thick… all about the same size.  It is important to try and keep them the same size so they bake evenly. Spread out all of the slices on a paper towel.  Lightly sprinkle salt over the pieces.  Let them set for a half hour.  Brown juice will come out of the eggplant.  With a paper towel, dry off the eggplants.  

While the eggplants are “sweating”, take a container of ricotta cheese, two cups mozzarella cheese, and  ½ cup (or more) Parmesan cheese mix together in a bowl.  Take the spinach and dry with a towel.  Add spinach to the cheese mixture.  Add salt, pepper, garlic powder, and egg to the mixture.  Stir until mixed up completely. 

Turn on the oven to 400* degrees.

Grease (I used Pam spray) a cake pan.  Lightly spread marinara sauce all over the bottom of the pan.  Sprinkle a little garlic powder and Italian seasoning into the sauce. Next, spread out half of the eggplant pieces on the sauce.  Use a spatula and spread the cheese mixture across the eggplant.  Complete another layer the same way.  At this point, the mixture and eggplant should be gone.  Do one more light layer of sauce.  Spread about two cups of mozzarella cheese out on top.  Cover and bake for 45 minutes.  Uncover and bake for 15 more minutes or until a little crispy on top.  Let cool off for about 15 minutes before serving so the cheese and sauce sets. 

Happy cooking! 

Greek Tuna

Greek Tuna was for dinner this evening and in my eyes it was a homerun!  It was really easy to make, light, and tasty.  The recipe came from a few different recipes I found and then combined.  It starts off with a marinade.  Put two small containers of Greek Yogurt into a bowl.  Use the zest and juice from two lemons and two limes.  Add about 2 or 3 T of honey.  Finally, season with a little garlic powder and quite a bit of dill weed. 

Take four Ahi Tuna Steaks and season with salt and pepper (to your taste) and place in a container (or ziplock bag).  To marinate the tuna, only use half of the marinade.  Pour all over the tuna and make sure the sides are coated.  Let the tuna set in the refrigerator for about a half hour. 

To cook the tuna, I heated a little bit of olive oil in a large skillet.  Do not put the extra marinade into the pan.  Let the oil start to smoke before you put the tuna into the pan.  Cook each side for about four or five minutes. 

At this point, there is half of the marinade left.  On each plate, put a tablespoon of the marinade.  Place the cooked tuna on top of the marinade and then drizzle more of the marinade on top. 

Happy cooking!

Apple Quesadilla

Today’s recipe is a spin-off from a recipe I read from Eat Healthy America. The recipe I read didn’t quite work or sound right to me… so here is my version of a delicious apple dessert or snack.  If you have children at all, you have to try this out!  The things you need are probably already in your kitchen or pantry, so you do not even need to go out and shop. 

Yesterday, I made Apple Quesadillas with my daughter and she had a lot of fun helping.  Afterwards, even my husband enjoyed eating it!  First, take about ½ cup of cream cheese (fat free to make it healthier).  Sprinkle it with a good amount of sugar and cinnamon.  Make the mixture to your taste buds…. Not everyone likes as much of one or the other.  Use a fork to mash it all together.  Next, chop up about ½ an apple into small pieces.  At this point, put a pan on the stove to start get hot over high.  Take a large tortilla (you can use a whole wheat tortilla if you want) and spread the cream cheese mixture all over one side of the tortilla. Then put the apple chunks on half of the mixture and close.  Press down to get it to stick together.  Spray one side of the outside with Pam (or whatever you have).  Sprinkle with sugar (or Splenda) and cinnamon.  Place that side down on the pan.  Finally, spray the other side of the tortilla and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.  Flip after a few minutes to cook both sides.  Cut in pieces and serve.  It is a great treat to eat.  Have fun with this one.

Happy cooking. 

Thai PB Chicken

Have you have had Thai food?  I have not but I recently saw a recipe that sounded good.  It is Thai Peanut Butter Chicken.  It sounded yummy, but I was definitely a little unsure of how it would taste or if I would like it. I tweaked it to ingredients I had in my house and tried it out. Well, it was a success.  My husband loves Thai food and he said it was right on the mark for taste!  It was a simple, delicious crock pot recipe that anyone could make. 

So what do you do?  Put four or five chicken breasts in a crock pot.  In a bowl, pour in a can of Rotels diced tomatoes hot and a can of Rotels diced tomatoes mild.  Add about 1 ½ cups of Smooth Peanut Butter.  Mix it together. Then add a tablespoon of ginger powder, a tablespoon of Chili Sauce, and a couple dashes of garlic powder.  Mix together and pour over the chicken.  Let it cook on low all day (8 or 9 hours).  An hour before you are ready to eat, cut the chicken into chunks. At this point taste the sauce.  If it is too spicy for you, add more peanut butter and a dash of milk to cream it up. If you do add more, turn the crock pot on high for the last hour.  Serve the dish over rice or pasta.  My husband is a rice eater, but I am not!  So which ever you prefer, it was great both ways. 

Happy Cooking!!!!

Potato Chili- DELICIOUS and EASY!

Potato Chili… yep, that is what was for supper.  I can’t even explain to you how much my younger daughter enjoyed it!  She had it all over her face and was LICKING her plate when she was done!  What is even better is the fact it was very EASY to make! So what does potato chili include?  You need:  1 lb. ground beef, small white onion, 5 baking potatoes, 1 can zesty diced tomatoes, 3 cans tomato soup, 1 can Red Kidney beans, mozzarella cheese, garlic powder, cumin, basil, seasoning salt, and Italian seasonings. 

First, dice up ½ of a small white onion.  Brown the ground beef and diced onion together and season the meat with garlic powder and cumin.  .  As the meat is cooking , peel and cut the potatoes into small, even chunks (you don’t want some to cook faster than others).   Add the can of zesty diced tomatoes to the meat when it is almost done cooking.  Spray the bottom of a cake pan and add the potatoes.  Season them with seasoning salt. Rinse a can of kidney beans and add to the potatoes. Next, add the meat mixture on top.  Pour the three cans of tomato soup over it and stir. Add basil, Italian seasoning, cumin and garlic powder.  Cover and bake at 400 for 30 minutes.  Uncover and bake for another 20 minutes (or until potatoes are done).  Add the mozzarella cheese and bake until the cheese is crunchy on top. 

This dish came out great this way!  Some ideas for you to make it easier- you can always use frozen potatoes/ hashbrowns instead.  If you would like it spicy, add jalapenos.  Sour cream is could give it a different twist as well. 

Happy cooking!

Blackened Ahi Tuna Steaks

Wow, it has been a long time between the last post and now.   I know I am busy working, but that is not even the excuse.  I have tried a few recipes, but they just have not turned out the best…. The food was edible, but not “blog standard”!  Tonight, my husband didn’t even speak as he ate supper.  I guess it was a meal that he and I enjoyed that much.  What did I make?  Blackened Ahi Tuna.  It was easy and turned out great.  I do make another tuna that is blackened, but I make it differently and with a mango salsa. This recipe makes it taste completely different. 

What do you need:  Four Ahi Tuna steaks, 3 lemons, ½ cup orange juice, 1 dry Italian dressing packet, garlic powder, basil, cayenne pepper, thyme, and olive oil. 

Take the four Ahi tuna steaks and pour the orange juice over the top.  Take two lemons and squeeze the juice all over the fish.  Let marinate for a half hour.  Season one side of all tuna steaks with about half of the dressing packet.  Then season one side of the fish with the garlic powder, thyme, and basil.  Throw a dash of the cayenne pepper on it.  Pour a few table spoons of olive oil into a pan and let heat.  When a little bit of the smoke starts to rise, add the tuna steaks with the seasoned side down.  Cook it for about seven minutes. The Ahi tuna steak will be visible cook and change colors and look cooked about half way up the side.  Put the fish on a plate cooked side down.  Season the tuna steaks the same way as before.   Allow the oil to reheat to a smoking stage again.  Place the freshly seasoned side into the oil and cook for about five to seven minutes more.  Make sure you do not overcook because it will turn dry. Squeeze the juice  of the last lemon all over the Ahi tuna steaks.  I served it with asparagus and corn.  Dinner was great!!!
Happy Cooking!

Egg Casserole (great dish for Father's Day)

Wow, I just got done eating an egg casserole and it turned out great! Do you plan on making breakfast for Father’s Day?  This is a nice hearty dish to make!  Don’t just limit it to a breakfast dish- we just ate it for lunch!  I am excited to share this recipe, because my girls did well eating it and they had no clue they were eating a bunch of vegetables!  If you have a pampered chef chopper, it definitely comes in handy with this recipe!  I saw a recipe for hash and another for an egg casserole.  They both sounded good, so I combined the recipes to something I thought sounded good!

Brown a 1 lb. of ground beef (you can use ground turkey if you want). Season the meat with garlic and seasoning salt.  Add a can of chopped mushrooms and one cup of red, yellow, and green peppers (I used frozen since they are already sliced up into small pieces). You can always add more vegetables if you would like.  If you want a little spicier dish, you can add diced jalapenos and onions to the mixture. When the meat is almost done cooking, add one cup of Italian Bread crumbs.  Let cook until completely browned and pour off any excess grease. 

Peel 5 baking potatoes.  Chop into small pieces.  Put them across the bottom of a cake pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray.  You may want to salt the potatoes (I don’t use a lot of salt, so I didn’t).  Take the meat mixture and pour over the potatoes.  Mix up. 

 In a large bowl, put in 6-8 eggs.  Add enough milk as you would to make scrambled eggs.  Season the eggs with garlic, pepper, and a dash of salt.  Then, add a cup of shredded cheese to the eggs and stir (I used Mexican Style by Kraft).   Pour over the potato/ meat mixture.  Stir all together.  Bake at 400F for about 30 minutes. Add one more cup of cheese spread all over the top of the dish.  Cook for another 10 to 15 minutes until the cheese is golden brown. 

My girls loved it with ketchup on top.  You can add salsa and a little sour cream for a different twist. 

Happy cooking!

Enchilada Casserole

An easy meal for your family:  enchilada casserole!!!  It goes in the crock pot and turns out delicious!  Right now, my husband is even eating the leftovers a few hours after supper.  You will need three boneless chicken breast cut into bite size pieces, olive oil, small white onion, garlic, tomato sauce, enchilada sauce, tortillas ( I used wheat) , Mexican shredded cheese, Ranch Style Black Beans, Ranch Style Pinto Beans with jalapenos, corn, and Goya Seasoning Packets(Tomato and Coriander). 

First, dice one small white onion. Brown it with two tablespoons of minced garlic in a splash of olive oil.  Add a can of tomato sauce, can of enchilada sauce, and three tablespoons of cream cheese.  Put two packets of Goya in the mixture and stir.  Bring to a boil.  After rinsing the both beans and corn, stir together in bowl.  Take tortilla and lay it across the bottom.  Add a third of bean mixture.  Put a third of chicken chunks on the beans mixture.  Pour a third of the sauce on top of the chicken.  Sprinkle about two ounces of the cheese over the top of the sauce.  Put a tortilla on top and repeat adding all of the ingredients two more times.  At the end, there should be three full layers.  Cook in crock pot on low for 7 or 8 hours (until chicken is done).  Stir and serve.  You can always add crushed tortilla chips and a spoonful of sour cream when serving. 

Happy cooking!

Salmon Pasta

A new salmon dish similar to my lemon chicken pasta was created in my kitchen.  I thought about how good the chicken tasted and decided to try something similar with salmon and the meal was excellent!  It is amazing how different the meals tasted with using similar recipes!  This was a dish I will definitely make again.  What you need:  3 salmon filets, 4 lemons, 1 box fettuccini pasta,  1 cup milk,  1 jar marinated artichoke hearts , 1 can tomato sauce, 1 can zesty diced tomatoes, 1 can oregano and garlic diced tomatoes, garlic powder, dried basil, flour, 1 diced small white onion, minced garlic, and parmesan cheese!

Start off with the pasta since that can take awhile!  Marinate the salmon in 2 tablespoons minced garlic and two juiced lemons. Make sure you get the garlic on both sides.  Dice a jar of artichoke hearts and a small white onion.  Brown in the oil from the jar of artichoke hearts.  When the artichoke hearts and onion are almost done browning, add the salmon.  Brown for about four or five minutes on each side and cook until done.  Take the salmon out when done and set to the side.  In a cup, mix one cup of milk and two large tablespoons of flour.  Add the milk mixture to the onions and artichoke hearts.  Then stir in the can of tomato sauce and both diced tomatoes.  Add more flour if needed to make it thicker.  Cut the salmon into bite size chunks and add back to pan.  Add the juice from two more lemons.  Season to taste with garlic powder and basil.  Pour entire mixture over the cooked pasta and stir.  Serve with a dash of parmesan cheese on top. 

Happy Cooking!!

Lemon Chicken Pasta

Another great meal has transpired in my kitchen!  Lemon Chicken Pasta…. It may sound a tad bland to you, but it was anything but bland.  What you need:  3 chicken breasts, 4 lemons, fettuccini pasta,  1 cup milk,  1 can black sliced olives, 1 can mushrooms, 1 can tomato sauce, 1 can zesty diced tomatoes, 1 can oregano and garlic diced tomatoes, garlic powder, dried basil, flour, 1 diced small white onion, olive oil, and minced garlic.  Don’t forget parmesan cheese too!

Start the pasta first! Cut the three chicken breasts into chunks.  Marinate the chicken in 2 tablespoons minced garlic and two juiced lemons.  Brown the onions and mushrooms in a dash of olive oil.  Add the chicken chunks and continue to cook.  In a cup, mix one cup of milk and two large tablespoons of flour.  When the chicken is done, add the milk mixture.  Then stir in the can of tomato sauce, both diced tomatoes, and black olives.  Add more flour if needed to make it thicker.  Add the juice from two more lemons.  Season to taste with garlic powder and basil.  Cook on high until boiling and then cook on low for another five minutes.   Pour entire mixture over the cooked pasta and stir.  Serve with a dash of parmesan cheese on top.  Happy Cooking!!

The best dish ever!

Do you think you hate seafood?  If the answer is yes or no… just keep reading!!! My dinner was amazing!!!!!   For dinner tonight, I made Blackened Ahi Tuna Steaks .  It turned out to be one of the best dishes I have ever made! My husband even said that the dish could easily be served at some of the fancy seafood places we have been to before.  I have to be honest and let you know that I found this recipe on allrecipes.com, but I tweaked it to my liking!  I made the dish in three parts: marinade, mango salsa, and the seasonings. 

For the marinade, use two Ahi Tuna steaks and rub a little olive oil on both sides of each steak.  Then add two minced garlic cloves and rub on both sides.  Squeeze a lime on each of them and then pour about ¼ cup of orange juice over the tuna. Leave it in the refrigerator for about three hours to marinate.

Next, comes the mango salsa.  Chop up one small white onion and put in a small bowl.  Next, add about ¼ of a chopped mango. Chop up a few pieces of jalapeno.  Then add the juice out of three limes and stir it up.  Put in about ¼ cup of chopped cilantro.  Finally, add a dash of salt.  Stir it all up.  Chill it for about one hour. 

The last thing is the seasoning mix.  The mix includes:  2 T paprika, 1 T cayenne pepper, 1 T garlic powder, 1 t salt, 1 t pepper, 1 t dried thyme, 1 t dried basil, and  1 t dried oregano.  Stir the seasonings all together.  Dredge the tuna through the seasoning and make sure all sides are covered. 

Pour about two tablespoons of  olive oil into a pan on med high heat.  Wait to add the tuna until the olive oil starts smoke.  Cook for about 4 or 5 minutes until it is blackened. Then take and put on a plate.  Add two more tablespoons of olive oil.  Wait until the olive oil starts to smoke again and  then put the tuna back in to blacken on the other side.  Cook for about 4 or 5 minutes.  Take out and serve with ½ of the mango salsa on each of the tuna steaks.  You now have a meal that would make a top chef jealous!!! 

Happy cooking!!!

Italian Sausage and Pasta

It has been a long time since writing a new recipe- life has been insane!  I traveled to see family and ended up being gone longer than planned. Then, I started a new job!  I have tried a few new recipes, but only one has been “blog worthy”.  My husband has already requested this recipe again and I made it for the first time last week!  It was Italian sausage and Pasta.  This was a very quick meal I threw together after work one night, and it turned out great! 

What do you need:  Italian Sausage Links, Rigatoni pasta, 1 can zesty diced tomatoes, 1 can garlic oregano diced tomatoes, 1 can tomato sauce, small can mushrooms, ½ white onion, mozzarella cheese, and seasonings.

First, put the water on to boil for the pasta- that is something I forget to do and it takes longer then to make the meal!!  Then, cook the sausage links as directions state.   While the sausage is cooking, dice about ½ of a white onion and them to the sausage.  Next add the mushrooms and minced garlic.  Take out the sausage when done and finish browning the mushrooms and onions.  Slice the sausage into pieces.  When the pasta is done, add the sausage and mushroom/ onion mixture to the pasta.  Then, add one can of tomato sauce, zesty diced tomatoes, garlic and oregano diced tomatoes (juices included).  Mix it all together and heat on high.  Season with garlic, Italian seasonings, and basil.  I also added crushed red peppers and a dash of Pete’s hot sauce.  It can be omitted if you do not like spicy foods.  This meal was quick and easy!  Great and easy meal to prepare on a busy night. 

Happy cooking!

Chicken a la Delicious!!!!

Dinner was so amazing last night that I contemplated taking the chicken off of my friend’s plate and eating her food before she could!  Yummy is an understatement!  So I am going to call this dish “ chicken a la delicious”! What do you need? Three chicken breasts, jalapeno cheese (I used an eight oz. block), Italian bread crumbs, olive oil, Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, and tooth picks. 

First, cut the block of cheese in half.  Shred half of the cheese and cut the other half into three pieces.  Then, pound the chicken breasts out to a rectangular shape.  Use a little garlic powder on each side of the chicken breasts.  Place the cheese chunks on each of the chicken breasts, roll up the chicken around the cheese, and secure with tooth picks.  Next, put about a half cup of olive oil in a cup. In a separate dish put ½ cup of the bread crumbs and ½ of the parmesan cheese in the same dish and stir.  Take the chicken and rub in the olive oil and then dredge it in the bread crumb mixture.  Place on cookie sheet and bake for 40 minutes at 400F (or until done cooking).  The last five minutes it is baking sprinkle the rest of the cheese on each chicken and let it finish baking. 

Seriously, this was an amazing chicken.  My husband is lucky I saved him a piece!! 

Happy Cooking!

Do you want to romance your other half???

Do you want to romance your other half?  I have the meal (not just one recipe) for you!  For dinner, we had shrimp for an appetizer, salmon, asparagus, and baguette bread.  The meal turned out great.  My husband was very pleased.  The prep time for all of it was very quick and simple.  I did buy the baguette from the store, sorry- no bread baking here!  I marinated everything early in the day and then cooked it for supper. 

The shrimp appetizer turned out very good and my husband devoured them!  I used a package of precooked shrimp. I took the tails off added a little garlic powder to them. Next, I marinated them in ¼ cup of tequila and ¼ cup beer.  I diced up some cilantro and tossed it in with the shrimp.  Before cooking the shrimp, I browned 4 cloves of minced garlic in a pan. Then, I added the shrimp and cooked for about 6 or 7 minutes.  I poured the liquid off before serving (if you want to make it a meal you could keep the liquid and toss it with pasta) and put on a plate to eat. 

The salmon was very easy to make. I added a little garlic powder on each side of the salmon.  I thinly sliced a lemon and placed a few slices onto aluminum foil.  I placed the salmon on top of the lemons.  Next, I sprinkled rosemary on top of the salmon and placed the rest of the lemon on top of the rosemary and salmon.  Close the foil up on top of the salmon.  I baked it in the oven at 400F for about 14 minutes. 

The asparagus turned out DELICOUS!  In a large zip lock bag, I placed a bundle of trimmed asparagus.  I poured in about ¼ cup of olive oil.  Then, I sprinkled parmesan cheese in with a dash of sugar and salt.  I shook it up to marinate all of the asparagus.  When it was time to make supper, I placed the asparagus on a cookie sheet and baked them for about 18 minutes (I did have thick asparagus- so bake yours accordingly). 

Happy Cooking! 

Taco Meatloaf

Last night’s dinner was something definitely different than my usual “creations”.  The dish I made did get a little messy at times- so if that is not for you stop reading now!!!  I made “taco meatloaf”.  When I told Mom about the dish she said it wasn’t any meatloaf she has ever tasted…it was more of a taco casserole. Well, since I am the one cooking I will call it what I want! She missed out on a good meal.  It is a pound of ground beef that baked in the oven, so to me it is meatloaf! I found a few similar recipes, but since I have been watching what I have been eating I wanted to make it a tad healthier!  You can always change it to your own liking!

 What all do you need?  You need: 1 lb. ground beef (I used extra lean), fat free refried beans, whole wheat tortillas, Rotel diced tomatoes (mild), low fat shredded cheese (whatever kind you like!), and taco seasoning. Turn on the oven and preheat it at 400.

 In a bowl, take the ground beef and add the packet of taco seasonings, garlic powder, and cumin.  Make sure you mix it all together very well.  Then, add the can of Rotel- make sure you drain all of the juice first or it will be too runny (I learned from experience). I am not a huge fan of onions, but you can always add diced onions to the meat as well.  Mix it all together.  On a long piece aluminum foil, put the meat mixture on it and flatten it into a rectangle.  Make it about a ½ inch thick. Put about three tortillas on the meat mixture (depends on what kind you have).  Make sure the meat mixture is completely covered.  Heat up the refried beans and layer on the tortilla.  Next, take about a cup of shredded cheese and sprinkle all over the beans.  At this point, you can also add diced jalapenos or anything else you would like to add to tacos! It would have been too spicy for my girls or I would have added them. This is where it gets a little hard… pick up the end of it and roll it up.  You may need to use a spatula to get it started or lift the foil up to get it going. Then, wrap the aluminum foil around it and close the edges.  Put it on a cookie sheet or cake pan to bake in the oven.  Let it bake for about 45 minutes.  When you take it out of the oven, there is a lot of juice.  You may want to poke the bottom of it to let some of the juice out.  For my daughters, I added a little extra cheese on top.  Next time, I will probably throw some lettuce on top when I serve it for more vegetables! 

Happy cooking!

Eggplant Parmesan

 I attempted something I have never cooked with before.  I made eggplant parmesan, plus I made the healthy version (baked not fried)!It is fun trying new recipes.  I have to admit I tried a new recip last week that didn't turn out so well.  It wasn't the recipe, but the fish tasted like dirt! NOT FUN! I am glad this one turned out great.  I did some reading of quite a few recipes before I started today.  Of course, I made it my own way!  I was very pleased with the results when my three year old said, “yummy” and my one year old cried when it was gone from her plate!!  I have heard that when cooking with eggplants it can be bitter in taste.  After reading a few different people’s recipes, I found one that sounded as if it would work the best.  I took the eggplant and sliced it into thick slices.  Then I used sea salt on both sides and put them in the colander for a half hour.  While they are in there, they begin to “sweat” out the bitter stuff and it looks like drops of water are coming out of it.  Next, I put them on a paper towel and patted the top with a paper towel to dry them all off.  While they were drying off, I had the oven preheated at 425F and I set everything up that I would need to coat them.  I put about 1 ½ cups of flour in a bag (it’s a lot easier to shake them to coat them).  I put three eggs with 1/3 cup of water and some garlic powder and mixed it.  Then in a third container I put about a cup of Italian bread crumbs.  Plus, I sprayed Pam on two cake pans. Once the eggplant was ready, I shook all of them in the bag of flour.  One at a time I dipped them in the egg mixture, then the bread crumbs, and placed them in the cake pans (spread out).  I baked them for about ½ hour until they were crispy.  Then I poured marinara on each eggplant, sprinkled parmesan cheese, and just a little of low fat mozzarella cheese.  I baked them until the cheese has melted and crispy on top.  It was served on a bed of whole wheat pasta with marina sauce. I used a little spicier marinara sauce this time that added to it.  The eggplant turned out delicious! 

Happy Cooking!

Vodka Spaghetti (my version)

Dinner was so much fun tonight.   Originally, leftovers were going to be for dinner tonight, but that isn’t what we ended up eating.  Today, we got a box in the mail and I received more Italian Seasonings from my mom from Graziano’s in Des Moines….. I just had to use them!  I decided I wanted to try something new.  I looked up a few recipes with zucchinis, but nothing was sounding good.   Then, I saw a vodka sauce recipe and it sounded pretty good.  I decided I would make it with my spin! 

I diced four fresh mushrooms and about ¼ white onion and added to a pound of Italian sausage to brown.  I seasoned it with garlic as it was cooking.  Once it was browned, I added a ½ cup of vodka. Let it cook until about ½ of it cooks off.  Then, I added ½ cup of whole milk (sorry, I didn’t have cream).  I stirred it all together and added garlic powder, Italian seasonings, and a little basil.  Next, I added one can of tomato sauce, one can of zesty diced tomatoes, and one can of basil garlic diced tomatoes (no juice).  I decided to drain the juice of the second can of diced tomatoes because I didn’t want it too runny.  Serve it over a bed of pasta and top with a little parmesan cheese. 

You may think this recipe may be a little crazy, but it was delicious!I It's a tad zesty, but definitely yummy!  My daughter asked to call my mom because she loved the spaghetti so much and wanted to tell her.  My husband wasn’t home for supper tonight, but I can’t wait to make this recipe for him.  It was very easy and quick to make! 

Happy Cooking!

Hearty Herb Chicken

Supper turned into something that could come from Grandma’s kitchen.  It was warm and cozy if that even makes sense!  What was even better is that my three year old asked for more!  She licked the gravy off of her plate;-)  It was a Hearty Herb Chicken.  First, I peeled and cut three baked potatoes into bite size chunks and put those into a cake pan (make sure you use a cooking spray on the bottom- I didn’t and it stuck!).  I chopped a bag of baby carrots and added them next.  You can always add more or different vegetables. Season the vegetables with garlic, Italian seasonings, and about ¼ of a packet of dry Italian dressing.  Next, I used the same seasonings on both sides of four boneless chicken breasts I put the chicken on top of the vegetables and added seasoning salt to all of it.  In a bowl, I stirred two cans of 98% Fat Free Cream of Mushroom soup with one cup of skim milk (you can use whatever you have on hand).  I poured the soup over the chicken and vegetables and used some fresh ground pepper.  It baked for about 50 minutes at 400F.  On a cold day, this is definitely the perfect dish to make.  Happy cooking!

Make your Own Hamburger Helper!

Make your own hamburger helper type meal- and actually enjoy it!  Last night I made a dish that both of my daughters loved.  !  First, I browned a pound of ground beef (you can use ground turkey) seasoned with cumin, garlic powder, and one packet of Goya –cilantro y tomate.  At the same time, I cooked half a pound of macaroni.  When the meat was done, I added a can of tomato sauce, garlic and onion diced tomatoes, and zesty diced tomatoes (juices included).  Next, I added a can of corn and mushrooms drained.  Then, I added another packet of Goya seasonings and seasoned it more with garlic powder and cumin.  This is a great dish to make spicy, but I can't with two little ones eating it.  Finally, I put in chunks of Velveeta cheese and cooked until it was melted. Add as much cheese as you want.  The meal turned out great and was very filling.  It wasn’t too saucy, but enough to cover the pasta. We ate the leftovers for lunch today and they reheated very well.  I was surprised at how well it turned out to be honest!  What is great about this dish is you can add as many vegetables to it or use different vegetables if you want.  If your child doesn’t like vegetables, you can dice them and hide them in the sauce!  Enjoy!  Happy cooking!

Sweet Pecan Chicken

Sweet Pecan chicken… it was a hit with my three year old!  Normally, it is a struggle to get her to eat three bites of chicken, but not this time!  She ate half of a chicken breast herself!  It was pretty easy to make and well worth the time! 

First, I took about a cup of honey and two eggs and stirred it together to make a marinade.  I used three chicken breasts and seasoned with garlic on both sides.  I poured the marinade on the chicken and left in the refrigerator for about an hour. 

Then I took about a 1 ½ cups of pecans and finely chopped them.  I added about ½ cup of Italian bread crumbs and mixed it together.  Dredge the chicken in the mixture.  If you don’t have enough of the mixture, you can always make more.  Spray a pan with cooking spray and place chicken in it. I took about a ¼ of a stick of butter and melted it.  Then, pour over the top of the chicken. On my chicken, I added a dash of cayenne pepper. It completed the dish for me!  Cook at 375 F for about 40 minutes or until done- don’t overcook it or it will be dry!  This is not a crispy coating on the outside, but more of soft coating with a bite. I know that probably doesn’t make sense, but you will understand what I mean when you make the chicken!     If you drink wine at all, a nice chardonnay goes great with the buttery flavor or a Riesling brings out a great flavor as well. 

Happy cooking!

Healthy Vegetable Pasta

It has been awhile since I have tried a new dish.  The holidays made life hectic, but I am back! Tonight’s supper was definitely different than some of the foods we usually eat in my house…. But dinner was a success!  After the first bite, my three year old said, “Thank you for making supper Mommy. It is delicious!” She had no clue she was eating vegetables!  So what did I make?  It is my healthy version of a vegetable Alfredo. 

Ingredients: mushrooms, marinated artichoke hearts, white onions, garlic cloves, red peppers,  can of diced tomatoes, milk, flour,  linguine, and parmesan cheese.   

First, dice the artichoke hearts, 1/3 of white onion, and 1/3 of red pepper.  Sauté them in the marinade from the artichoke hearts.  Add a little Italian seasoning (of course mine comes from Graziano’s in Des Moines, IA) and 3 minced garlic cloves.  Let cook for a little while without letting it burn.  Then add a can of diced tomatoes (I use Del Monte’s Basil, Garlic, and Oregano).  Make sure you include the liquid from the tomatoes.    In a bowl, pour a cup of low fat milk and add 3 tablespoons of flour.  Stir it up and slowly pour it into the pan.  Let the sauce cook for a little while to thicken.  Pour all of the sauce over about ½ pound of cooked linguine.  Make sure you top each portion with a little bit of parmesan cheese.  The sharpness of the cheese completes the dish! 

If you do not have artichoke hearts in a marinade, you can try to saute them in olive oil and basil. 

Happy cooking!