Penna alla Vodka

My kids have been loving this recipe over our little stint at home.  Original Recipe HERE.

Ingredients:
16 oz penna pasta
2 T. butter
2 t. garlic
1/2 t. crushed red pepper flakes
28 oz can whole tomatoes
1/4 cup vodka
1 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese (plus more for serving)
salt and pepper to taste
2 T. chopped parsley

Instructions:
1. Cook pasta in salted boiling water til soft
2. Prepare the sauce. Melt butter in large pan over medium heat. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for 30 seconds.
3. Place the tomatoes in a blender and puree until smooth. Pout tomato puree into the pan.
4. Add vodka to pan. Simmer the sauce for 10 minutes over medium low heat.
5. Stir in heavy cream and parmesan cheese and simmer another 5 minutes or until thickened. Season sauce with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Pour sauce over the pasta and toss to coat. Sprinkle with parsley, parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes (optional), then serve.

Enjoy!

Slow-Cooker Asian Short Rib Stew

Recipe from Real Simple February 2016 magazine

Ingredients:
3 lbs boneless beef short ribs, cut into 2 inch pieces
1/3 cup finely chopped ginger (I hate ginger so I leave out)
1/4 cup soy sauce
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 1/2 T. toasted sesame oil
salt and pepper
3 carrots, cut into 3 inch pieces (I usually use 5)
3 red onions, cut into wedges
1 cup beef broth
1 lb baby bok choy (3 medium heads), coursely chopped (again, I leave out)
4 scallions, sliced, plus more for serving
2 1/2 T. white vinegar
Steamed rice and/or noodles for serving (I like to use round udon noodles)

Instructions:
Combine the short ribs, ginger, soy sauce, garlic, sesame oil and 3/4 t. each salt and pepper in a 6-quart slow cooker and mix well. Add the carrots, onions, and broth and stir to combine. Cover and cook until the beef is tender, on low for 6-7 hours or high for 4-5 hours.

Spoon off the fat from the slow cooker(have never had to do this). Stir in the bok choy, scallions, and vinegar until the bok choy is wilted. Serve the stew in bowls topped with sliced scallions, along with rice and/or noodles.

Sheet Pan Poblano Chicken Fajitas

I got this recipe from Half Baked Harvest. Her recipes are so good! Sometimes I just make the chicken to have on hand to slip into quesadillas or whatever. This is a family favorite for taco night and because it only uses one pan, it's easy!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs boneless chicken breasts, cut into strips
1 T. chili powder
1 t. cumin
1 t. smoked paprika
1 t. garlic powder
1 t. kosher salt and pepper
3 T. olive oil
1 orange and 1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 poblano pepper, sliced
1 sweet onion, thinly sliced
juice of 1 lime, plus more for serving
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped, plus more for serving
flour tortillas, warmed
2 cups steamed rice, for serving (I like to use this cilantro lime rice recipe)
shredded cheese, sliced avocado and salsa, for serving

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. On a large baking sheet, toss together the chicken, chili powder, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper and 2 T. of the olive oil. Move the chicken to one side of the pan, arranging in an even layer.
3. On the other side of the pan, add the peppers and onions and remaining 1 T. of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and toss to combine. Put in oven and bake for 20-35 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the peppers are beginning to char.
4. Remove from oven and toss everything together with the lime juice and cilantro.
5. Eat with rice, cheese, avocado and salsa, if you like! Everyone can make their own to their liking.

Bolognese

from Real Simple January 2019

Ingredients:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
2 yellow onions, chopped
6 carrots, chopped
12 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 1/2 lb. ground sirloin
1 1/2 lb. ground pork
1 cup dry white wine
1 28-oz. can tomato puree
1 28-oz. can whole peeled tomatoes
12 fresh basil leaves
2 dried bay leaves
1 1/5 Tbsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

Instructions:
Melt butter in a large dutch oven or pot over med-high heat. Add onions, carrots and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 7-8 minutes. Add beef and pork (I usually pre-cook the beef, so I just add pork to cook through, then I add pre-cooked beef), stirring and breaking up with a wooden spoon until no longer pink and just cooked through, 8-10 minutes.

Add wine and increase heat to high. Bring to a boil and cook until liquid reduces by half, 6-8 minutes. Add tomato puree, whole tomatoes and their juices, basil, bay leaves, salt and crushed red pepper, breaking up tomatoes with a spoon. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer, stirring often, until thickened and reduced to 8 cups, about 1 1/2 hours.

Discard bay leaves and stir in vinegar. Store tightly covered in the fridge for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Beef Crock Pot Meatballs

recipe from Maureen B.

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
1 lb. hot Italian sausage
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup parmesean cheese
2 eggs
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup chopped parsley
mozzarella (or 5 sticks mozzarella string cheese)

Cut low moisture mozzarella cheese into 3/4 inch cubes. Store in fridge while preparing the meat.

Mix all above (except cheese) in large mixing bowl. Roll golf ball sized balls with the meat mixture. Squish mozzarella cube into the center and pull the edges of the meat ball around it to form new ball again.

Arrange meatballs in slow cooker and cover in tomato sauce. Cook on high for 2-2.5 hours.

Makes about 28-30 balls. Serve with pasta and garlic bread.

Pork Dumplings

Recipe from Hello Fresh Pork DIY Dumplings

Ingredients:
8 oz. ground pork
1 thumb ginger, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 scallions
soy sauce
salt & pepper
Wonton wrappers
1 T. sugar

Instructions:
Filling Dumplings:
Combine Pork, ginger, garlic, scallion whites and 1 t. soy sauce. Season with salt and pepper.
Fill a small bowl with water and keep within reach.
Place wonton wrappers on dry, clean surface.
Place 1 t. filling in center of wrapper.
Dip fingers in water, use them to moisten 2 adjacent edges of wrapper.
Fold diagonally so dry edges meet wet edges, forming a triangle.
Press edges with fingers to seal.
Set aside under a damp paper towel and repear until all filling is used.

Frying Dumplings:
Heat a thin layer of oil in large pan over medium high heat (recipe says 2 T. but I found we needed much more). Add as many dumplings as you can fit without crowding. Fry until crisp, about 1 minute per side. Remove pan and repeat with remainder, Return all dumplings to pan. Reduce heat to low and pour 1/4 cup water. Cover and let steam until wrappers are translucent, 4-6 minutes. Uncover, increase heat to med-high, and let water evaporate, about 2 minutes.

Finish and serve:
While dumplings cook, make dipping sauce. Whist remaining 2 T soy sauce, 1 T. sugar and scallion greens into a small bowl until sugar dissolves. Divide dumplings between plates and serve with sauce for dipping.

Pistachio Chicken

(from Womens Day Magazine)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup pistachios (I prefer the roasted and salted), finely chopped
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1 T. olive oil
1 6-oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts
kosher salt and pepper
1/4 cup fat-free greek yogurt


Instructions:
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or foil. In a shallow bowl or pie plate, combine the pistachios, panko and 1 T olive oil.
2. Season chicken with the 1/2 t. salt and 1/4 t. pepper. Brush the chicken with the yogurt and coat with the pistachio mixture, pressing gently to help it adhere. Place the chicken on the prepared baking sheet and bake until golden brown and cooked through, 20-25 minutes.

Serve with couscous and veggies.

Southwest Stuffed Bell Peppers

Kelsy got me on this recipe blog and I tried my first thing. It's delicious!!! Here's the original recipe with lots of great pics. I'm going to copy it here for my own little recipe file.

Ingredients:
4 very large or 6 medium sweet peppers (red, yellow, or orange)
1 Tbs salt
1/2 C white rice (or brown if you want to take the time to cook it), quinoa also works
2 Tbs olive oil
1 onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 – 1 jalapeno, minced (or you could sub a small 3oz can of mild green chilies)
1 14oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen corn kernels
2 green onions, sliced
1/2-1 tsp chipotle chili powder (you can start with 1/2 and add more to taste)
1 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/4 black pepper, plus more to taste
1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, preferably fire roasted
1 1/4 C jack or pepperjack cheese, divided
3-4 Tbs chopped fresh cilantro
tortilla chips, just a handful and more for serving if desired

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350. Prepare peppers by washing, slicing tops off, and removing insides. Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil and add 1 tablespoon salt. Boil whole peppers for about 3-4 minutes, until they begin to soften. Remove from water with tongs and place on paper towels to drain.
Add rice to boiling water and cook until tender, about 13 minutes. Drain thoroughly.
Heat oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions, garlic, and jalapeno (or chilies) and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add corn, beans, green onions, chipotle chili powder, kosher salt, and pepper. Stir until corn and beans are heated through, about 5 minutes. Place peppers in a baking dish. Remove skillet from heat and add rice, tomatoes, 1 cup cheese, and cilantro. Stir to combine well and give it a taste. Add additional salt, pepper, and chipotle powder to your liking. Then evenly divide mixture between peppers.

Top peppers with remaining 1/4 cup cheese (or more if you can fit it on there :) and crushed tortilla chips.
Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes.

Hawaiian Chicken

(From Janet Miller)
This is a great no frills recipe for fast and easy chicken Ryan will actually eat.

Ingredients:
1 lb. chicken
1 cup ketchup
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 6 oz can crushed pineapple, including juice

Instructions:
Place chicken in greased 9x13 pan. Mix other ingredients and pour over chicken. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes minutes. (Less if you're using thin chicken)

Homemade Macaroni and Cheese

Maureen has mentioned this a couple times on her blog and it is super yummy and very creamy. Kinsey said it was too cheesy, Emerson ate a huge amount. I think Kinsey will come around so it's a keeper.

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
3 cups warm milk
16 oz shredded cheese (sharp cheddar is yummy!)
1 pound cooked elbow macaroni (I used wagon wheel so Emerson can eat it)

Instructions:
Melt butter in a saucepan. Add flour and whisk until flour is evenly distributed. Add warm milk and whisk till thickened and bubbly. Stir in cheese one cup at a time. Put cooked macaroni in a baking dish. Pour milk/cheese mixture over noodles and stir well.

You can top with breadcrumbs and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, if you prefer. Mix in yummy peas, corn or chicken, whatever you prefer.

Cheddar Chicken

(from May 2010 Real Simple)

This was my third new recipe this week and so far it's the only one worth putting with my recipes. I cut my chicken into chicken strips so they would be more nugget-like for Kinsey. Both her and Emerson liked this meal. It's simple and it's a keeper.

Serves 4

Hands-On Time: 15m

Total Time: 45m

Ingredients:
16 buttery crackers (such as Ritz), crushed (about 3⁄4 cup)
6 ounces sharp Cheddar, grated
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
kosher salt and black pepper
4 6-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Instructions:
Heat oven to 350° F.

In a bowl, combine the crackers, cheese, garlic, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper.
Dip the chicken in the butter, then in the cracker mixture, pressing gently to help it adhere, and place on a foil-lined baking sheet.
Sprinkle any remaining cracker mixture on the chicken and drizzle with any remaining butter. Bake until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through, 25 to 30 minutes.

Serve with rice and green beans.

Stuffed Green Peppers

(modified recipe from allrecipes.com)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1 onion, chopped
3/4 cup uncooked instant rice
3/4 cup water
1 (14.5 ounce) can peeled and diced tomatoes with juice
1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes, chopped
garlic
salt and pepper to taste
6 large green bell peppers
1 (16 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
mozzarella or italian cheese

Instructions:
In a large skillet or medium stock pot, brown the beef and onion over medium heat. Drain fat. Add rice, water, garlic, diced tomatoes, and stewed tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer until rice is tender. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (165 degrees C).
Cut the tops off the bell peppers and clean out the seeds and membrane. (Note: You may have to slightly slice the bottom of the peppers to make them stand up.) Fill peppers with meat mixture.
Place in a casserole dish and bake (covered) in a preheated oven for 45-60 minutes or until peppers are as tender as you like. With 10 minutes left ass the sauce and cheese and continue to cook uncovered.

Carmen's Caper

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 lb spagetti
19 oz crushed tomatoes
10 oz can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup grated cheese


Instructions:
1. Brown Beef with onion, salt and pepper
2. Cook spagetti
3. Assemble casserole in layer in a greased 13 x 19 pan
Grated Cheese - TOP
Mushroom Soup
Tomatoes
Spagetti
Beef-BOTTOM
4. Cook uncovered @ 350 degrees for 30 minutes

BBQ Turkey Burgers

(from Cooking Light, March 2001)

Ingredients:
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup BBQ sauce, divided
2 Tablespoons dry breadcrumbs
2 teaspoons prepared mustard
3/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/3 teaspoon salt
1 pound turkey
cooking spray
4 large leaf lettuce leaves (optional)
4 slices tomato (optional)
4 hamburger buns

Instructions:
1. Combine onion, 2 T. BBQ sauce, breadcrumbs, and the next 5 ingredients in a medium bowl. Divide turkey into 4 equal portions, shaping each into a 1 1/2 inch-thick patty.
2. Heat a grill pan coated with cooking spray over medium high heat. Place patties in pan and cool 7 minutes on each side or until done.
3. Place one lettuce leaf, 1 tomato slice and 1 patty on the bottom half of each bun. Spread each patty with 1 1/2 teaspoons BBQ sauce. Cover with buns.

White Chicken Chili

I made this tonight and Ryan actually tried it AND liked it. Whoa. You could probably do this in the crock pot if you wanted for a couple hours.

Ingredients:
1 lb. Chicken
2 teaspoon cumin
1 small onion
1 jar salsa
1 bag shredded cheese
3 15 oz. jars of northern beans
1 can chicken broth

Instructions:
1. Bring beans (do not drain), chicken broth and cumin to boil in large pot
2. Cut chicken into cubes and cook until done (salt and pepper if desired)
3. Sautee onions in with the chicken
4. Add chicken and onions to the beans and broth pot
5. Add salsa and cheese and bring to a boil
6. Simmer until done

I like to serve with bread for dipping. Yummy on a cold winter day!

(recipe from Jenna Slate)

Ravioli with Pumpkin Sage Sauce

(from Buitoni Pasta)

Ingredients:
1/3 cup dry white wine (I used 2 T. butter instead)
1/4 cup shallots
1 container (10 oz) alfredo sauce
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1 T chopped fresh sage or 1 tsp. ground sage
2 packages (9 oz. each) four cheese ravioli (about 5 cups)
2 T. chopped green onion (take it or leave it)

Instructions:
Cook wine (or butter) ans shallots in medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until reduced to about 1 tablespoon. Stir in sauce, pumpkin and sage. Cook, stirrin occasionally, until heated through. Prepare pasta according to package directions and drain, reserving 1/4 cup cooking water. Stir reserved water into sauce; toss with pasta. Sprinkle with green onion and season with ground black pepper. Makes 4 servings.

Crunchy Buttermilk-Coconut Chicken Fingers

(from Cooking Light Magazine)

These crispy chicken fingers appeal to kids, so serve them with ketchup for dipping. Grown-ups will enjoy them atop a salad.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 5 chicken fingers)

Ingredients:
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 1/2 cups fat-free buttermilk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour (about 2 1/4 ounces)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
3/4 cup crushed cornflakes
3/4 cup flaked sweetened coconut, chopped
1 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
Cooking spray

Preparation:
1. Cut chicken into 20 (1/4-inch-thick) strips. Combine chicken and buttermilk in a shallow dish; cover and chill 1 hour. Drain chicken, discarding liquid. Combine chicken and flour in a medium bowl, tossing to coat.
2. Preheat oven to 475°. Place baking sheet in oven.
3. Combine egg and egg white in a small bowl. Combine crushed cornflakes and next 5 ingredients (through ground red pepper) in a shallow dish.
4. Working with 1 chicken strip at a time, dip into egg mixture; dredge in cornflake mixture. Repeat procedure with remaining chicken, egg mixture, and cornflake mixture. Arrange chicken in a single layer on preheated baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Lightly coat chicken with cooking spray. Bake at 475° for 6 minutes or until done. Serve immediately.

Works well with Apricot Dipping Sauce.

Chicken Pot Pie

Recipe From Our Best Bites

Ingredients:

2 unbaked pie crusts

1 lb leftover chicken, chopped into smaller pieces

1 12-16 oz bag of peas and carrots, thawed

1 onion, minced

2-3 cloves garlic

butter

5 medium-small red potatoes, diced

2 cans cream of chicken soup

salt and pepper

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and boil until soft. Meanwhile, heat 1 T. butter in a medium skillet. Sauté the onion (and optional garlic) til it's translucent and fragrant. Set aside.

in a mixing bowl, combine 2 cans of soup, chicken, veggies, onion and potatoes. Season to taste.

Place one pie crust on bottom of pie plate (may have to roll it a bit). Add filling. Top with other pie crust. Crimp the edges and cut a few vent holes in top.

Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Remove from oven and let stand for a few minutes before serving.

Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas

(from Cooking Light Magazine)

Preheat Oven to 350.
You will need:
13x9 baking dish
canola oil cooking spray
8 tortillas
1/2 cup finely shredded reduced fat sharp chedder cheese
1/4 cup chopped green onions

Combine the below 9 ingredients in large bowl and set aside 1 cup of mixture.

2 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken
2 cups (8 oz) preshredded reduced-fat 4-cheese Mexican blend cheese
1 2/3 cups plain low-fat yogurt
1/3 cup butter (melted)---I accidentally left this out, oops
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 t. minced garlic
1/4 t. freshly ground black pepper
1 (10 3/4 oz) can condensed reduced-fat, reduced-sodium cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 (4.5 oz) can chopped green chiles, drained

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working with 1 tortilla at a time, brush oil over both sides of the tortilla. add tortilla to pan; cook 5 seconds on each side or until toasted and soft. Remove from pan; arrange 1/2 cup chicken mixture down center of tortilla. Roll jelly roll style; place filled tortilla, seam side down, in a 13x19 inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Spread the last 1 cup chicken mixture you set aside evenly over top of enchiladas. Cover and bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with chedder cheese and green onions; bake an additional 5 minutes or until cheese melts.

I added a little dab of sour cream and salsa on the top when I went to eat it. I don't think Cooking Light would have liked that addition, but it sure was good! Enjoy!

Honey Mustard Pork Tenderloin

From Kasey Keller

Ingredients:
1 cup spicy mustard
1 cup honey
1/4 cup rosemary - chopped
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2 lb pork tenderloin

Instructions:
Mix first 5 ingredients and rub on tenderloin.
Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Roast in oven at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes until meat is 150 degrees.
Remove from oven and let sit about 10 minutes. Temperature should rise to 160 degrees.
Slice and serve.