Baked Mac and Cheese

Classic Mac and Cheese
via Myrecipes.com

Ingredients

• 1 (8-oz.) package elbow macaroni
• 2 tablespoons butter 
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups milk $
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 1 (8-oz.) block sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded and divided

Preparation

1. Prepare pasta according to package directions. Keep warm.
2.  Melt butter in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-low heat; whisk in flour until smooth. Cook, whisking constantly, 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in milk, and cook, whisking constantly, 5 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in salt, black and red pepper, 1 cup shredded cheese, and cooked pasta.
3.  Spoon pasta mixture into a lightly greased 2-qt. baking dish; top with remaining 1 cup cheese.
4.  Bake at 400° for 20 minutes or until bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
5. One-Pot Macaroni and Cheese: Prepare recipe as directed, stirring all grated Cheddar cheese into thickened milk mixture until melted. Add cooked pasta, and serve immediately.

Cashew Sweet and Sour Pork

This was an easy dish and really tasty! I loved the cashews in it. They added a yummy crunch. :)



Cashew Sweet and Sour Pork
from Our Best Bites

2 Tbsp. cornstarch, divided
1 Tbsp. apple juice
1 lb. pork tenderloin or boneless pork chops, thinly sliced
1/3 c. water
¼ c. sugar
¼ c. cider vinegar
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
3 Tbsp. ketchup
1 Tbsp. oil
1/3 c. chopped cashews (or exactly one of those little .99 bags of Fritos cashews at the front of the grocery store)
¼ c. green onions
2 tsp. minced or grated fresh ginger
2 tsp. fresh garlic, minced or pressed
6-8 oz. snow peas, trimmed ( I used a bag of those microwavable peas)
1 8-oz. can pineapple chunks, drained

Now…to get your pork super thin, you’ll need to partially freeze it. When it’s semi-frozen (or mostly-frozen), you can either cut it very thinly with a sharp knife or pop it into your food processor fitted with the slicing blade.

Combine 1 tablespoon cornstarch, sherry, and pork. Toss well.

Combine 1 tablespoon cornstarch, water, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, and ketchup. Stir with a whisk; make sure there are no clumps with the cornstarch.

Now collect everything that’s going into the stir fry next to the stove so you can access it easily.

Heat 1-2 Tbsp. canola oil in a large frying pan or wok over medium-high heat. Add pork and stir-fry 3 minutes. Add onions, ginger, and garlic.

Stir-fry 1 minute. Add snow peas and pineapple. Stir-fry 3 minutes more. Whisk sauce ingredients again and add to pan, bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Stir in cashews and serve over hot rice. Garnish with more cashews and green onions if you want.

Brown Sugar Spiced Pork

I usually make this with garlic mashed red potatoes, and it is YUM-licious. I mean, YUM!!! Go make it soon. It's a great dish for when you have guests over, because it's easy, impressive, and mouth-watering. Seriously, my sister begs me to make this. Regularly. I almost had to cut her off, it was getting ridiculous. She was turning into an addict. A sugary, delicious, spicy pork addict. Oh well, I might as well join her.


Brown Sugar Spiced Pork Loin
adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

INGREDIENTS:

Rub Ingredients:
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 pork tenderloin cut into 3-4 chunks
1 tablespoons olive oil

Glaze ingredients:
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic (about 6-8 cloves)


DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, stir together salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, and cinnamon, then rub the pork with the spice mixture. Heat the oil in an ovenproof 12-inch heavy skillet  over medium high heat until the oil is hot and rippling. Brown the pork, turning to brown each side, about 4 minutes total. Leave pork in the skillet. If you don’t have an ovenproof skillet, brown the pork in a skillet and transfer it to a foil-lined baking pan.

Stir together the brown sugar and garlic and pat on top of each tenderloin.  If you have extra, dump it in as well! Roast in the middle of the oven for about 25 minutes. Let pork stand in the skillet at room temperature for 10 minutes. Slice on the diagonal and serve, spooning the sauce from the skillet on top of the pork.

Homemade Tortillas

Homemade Flour Tortillas

recipe courtesy Raley's "Something Extra" Magazine

Ingredients

2 cups flour

3 tbsp shortening

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

3/4 cup water

Directions

Mix together flour, shortening, salt and baking powder in a medium bowl with a fork until mixture resembles course crumbs; stir in water. Place on a lightly floured surface and knead several times to form a smooth dough.

Cover with a cloth and let stand for 30 minutes. Divide dough into 12 equal parts. Roll each into a 7 inch circle.

Cook each tortilla in a skillet over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes on each side or until lightly browned and puffed.

I know the picture doesn't look like much, but these tortillas did prompt my very picky daughter to tell me that I make the best tortillas ever. They were very yummy!

Cassy

One-Pot Southwest Chicken and Rice

From Mel's Kitchen Cafe
(can you tell I love this blog?)

*Serves 4-6
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 2 pounds)
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (10-ounce) package frozen corn
4 ounces cheese (used a combination of Monterey Jack and sharp cheddar)
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
Salsa and sour cream for serving

Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper on both sides. In a large pot, heat the canola oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the chicken and cook until golden, about 3 minutes on each side. The chicken will cook more in a subsequent step. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.

To the pot, add the onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook over medium heat, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom, until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, chili powder and cumin and cook until fragrant, stirring constantly, about 30 seconds. Add the rice and cook until the edges are just slightly translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in the broth and bring the mixture to a simmer.

Return the chicken to the pot. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook at a simmer until the chicken is cooked through and the rice is tender, about 25 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a platter or plate. Stir the black beans and corn into the pot. Add the cheese and cilantro. Season the rice mixture with salt and pepper to taste. Serve the rice with the chicken, adding salsa and sour cream, if desired.


This was tasty and satisfying. And I only used ONE skillet...I adore those meals.

Cowboy Quesadillas

Delicious, easy, and fast! Plus the whole family loves them, and they are great for using up leftover rice!

Cowboy Quesadillas
Recipe by Our Best Bites

1/2 C white rice
1/3 C black beans
1 cup diced cooked chicken
1/3 C fresh frozen corn kernels (no need to thaw)
2/3 C diced tomato
3 Tbs sliced green onion
1 1/2 C shredded cheese (any type or combo you like)
1/4 C bbq sauce (our fav and hands down best, is Sweet Baby Ray's)
6 small tortillas (fajita size, about 6″)

Dipping Sauce
equal parts bbq sauce and ranch dressing

Combine rice, beans, chicken, corn, tomato, green onion and shredded cheese.  Add bbq sauce and stir to combine.  Place about 1/3 C of mixture on half of each tortilla and fold over to close.
Heat a skillet to medium heat on the stove top.  When hot, spray lightly with cooking spray, or drizzle with canola or olive oil.  Place quesadillas in pan and cook for 2-4 minutes or until golden brown and slightly crisp.  Flip and repeat on opposite side.  Cool for a few minutes and then serve with BBQ-Ranch dipping sauce.

Skillet Lemon Chicken

Skillet Lemon Chicken
adapted from Ready, Set, Eat

I used the recipe on Ready, Set, Eat as a basic guideline, but there were quite a few things I changed due to what we had on hand :) This is how I did it, but you can go to the website for the original recipe.

Ingredients:

2 cups uncooked white rice

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips

3 Local Deals for:
boneless skinless chicken breast

Store Brand Chicken Breasts Breasts, boneless / skinless
$1.88 thru 2011-05-10
Lucky

Store Brand Chicken Breasts Breasts, boneless / skinless
$4.49 thru 2011-05-10
Raley's & Bel-Air

Store Brand Chicken Breasts Split
Loyalty Card Required
$2.49 thru 2011-05-10
Safeway

1• 2

3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

16 ounces fresh broccoli florets 
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 cloves garlic, minced 
2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon lemon zest

Directions:

Start cooking the rice.  While it's cooking, place chicken in medium bowl, add 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt and pepper and toss slightly. At this point I cooked the fresh broccoli so it would be ready to add to the skillet by the time the chicken was done cooking.

Use the rest of the olive oil to coat a large skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook and stir 4 to 5 minutes or until no longer pink. Add broccoli and garlic; stir-fry 1 to 2 minutes. 

Stir together broth and cornstarch in small bowl until well blended. Gradually add to chicken mixture; cook 3 to 4 minutes or until sauce thickens, stirring constantly. Stir in lemon juice and zest. Serve over rice.

Enjoy!

This was really simple and had a lot of good garlic and lemon flavor. After we had dinner we started to think of what else we could use this with. It would work really well over pasta with some freshly grated parmesan cheese, or by itself alongside some garlic mashed potatoes. Bonus: my daughter ate it all! Yes! Really good basic recipe to have on hand, I didn't even have to go shopping for ingredients on this one!

~Cassy

Tortellini with Lemon Cream Sauce

 

Tortellini with Lemon Cream Sauce 

from The Cottage Home

Ingredients:

1 package fresh cheese tortellini (8 oz.)

3 tablespoons butter

1.5 cups heavy cream

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 lemon
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:
Begin cooking fresh tortellini according to package directions.

In a large pan, melt butter over medium heat.  Add in heavy cream and bring to a boil.  Once you've reached a boil, reduce the heat to medium.  Add in the juice of one lemon, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.  Taste the sauce to check for salt and pepper.  I like a lot of pepper in my cream sauce and if it doesn't taste savory enough, it probably needs more salt.

Allow the sauce to bubble lightly until it reaches your desired consistency.  Once you are happy with the thickness of your sauce, reduce the heat to low until your tortellini is ready.

Drain tortellini and add to the large saucepan.  Toss to coat.  Serve with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese, freshly grated black pepper and a slice of lemon.


Uh, DELISH. That's all. Not the most healthy meals, so only make it once in awhile. Or when you really need something satisfying!

creamy taco mac

Creamy Taco Mac

adapted from Annie's Eats

Ingredients:

1¼ lbs. ground turkey

  8oz. dry pasta shapes (I used a whole 16 oz box)

1 clove garlic, minced

1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes, drained

4 tbsp. taco seasoning

3 oz. cream cheese

½ cup sour cream

Salt and pepper

Shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

Directions:

Bring a large pot of water to boil.  Cook pasta according to the package directions.  Drain, reserving ½ cup of pasta water.  Set aside.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet or sauté pan, cook the ground turkey over medium-high heat until no longer pink.  A few minutes before the turkey is cooked through, add the chopped onion to the skillet.  Once the turkey is cooked through, mix in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Mix in the diced tomatoes and taco seasoning and let simmer over medium heat for about 5 minutes.  Stir in the cooked pasta, cream cheese, sour cream and reserved pasta water, and continue stirring until the cream cheese is melted and the sauce is well blended.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Simmer over medium-low heat 3-5 minutes to reduce the sauce a bit.  Remove from the heat and top with shredded cheddar cheese, if desired.

**my notes...this was delicious, fast, and easy. A staple in our house! Leftovers are just as good too!

Corn Chowder

Please forgive my poor photography skills, I'll work on it :) But believe me when I tell you that this was yummy and easy to make (two of my favorite things!).

Corn Chowder

"Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book"

Ingredients

6 ears fresh corn or 3 cups frozen whole kernel corn
1/2 c. chopped onion (I used dried onion since the man is anti-onion texture)
1/2 c. chopped sweet green pepper (I skipped this)
1 tbl cooking oil
1 14 ounce can chicken broth
1 c cubed, peeled potato
4 tsp all-pupose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 c milk
3 slices bacon, crisp cooked, drained and crumbled
2 tbl snipped fresh parsley

Directions

1. If using fresh corn, use a sharp knife to cut the kernels off the cobs, set aside.

2. In a large saucepan cook onion and sweet pepper in hot oil until the onion is tender but not brown. (I skipped this step and moved right into the chicken broth. I added the dried onion at the same time I added the corn). Stir in the chicken broth and potato. Bring to boiling: reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 10 min. Stir in corn. COok, covered, about 10 min or until potato and corn are tender, stirring occasionally.

3. In a small bowl combine flour, salt, and pepper. Stir milk into flour mixture; add to corn minture in saucepan. Cook and stir until slightly thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir for 1 min more. Add bacon; heat through. If desired, garnish each serving with parsley.


~Cassy

BBQ Chicken Pasta

Since I can pretty much guarantee that Rory will eat almost anything slathered in BBQ sauce...(minus eggs and maybe cookies, cause that's just gross)...I knew this dish would be a hit with him. I just wasn't expecting it to be such a hit with the Sadester. She gobbled her portion up and was begging for more, before we had even taken a bite or two of it. No. Joke. So...it's a kid favorite as well as a hubby favorite...at least in our house. I loved it too, by the way.

The best thing? One. Skillet. For the whole meal! Hooray for less dishes!


BBQ Chicken Pasta
from My Kitchen Cafe

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size chunks
1 red onion, diced (I left these out since Rory is not a fan)
3 cups water
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 ounces penne pasta
2/3 cup barbecue sauce
1/3 cup sour cream
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
In a large 12-inch nonstick skillet heat the olive oil over medium heat (you could also use a large pot if you don’t have a skillet this big). When hot, add the chicken and onions and saute, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is browned and cooked through. Remove the chicken and onions to a plate and set aside.
In the same skillet, add the water, chicken broth, penne and salt. Bring to a boil and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes, until the liquid is almost absorbed, the pasta is tender and the mixture is thick and syrupy. Stir in the barbecue sauce and sour cream. Once mixed, add in the reserved chicken, onions and shredded cheese. Stir to combine and cook until everything is heated through.
Serve immediately and garnish with additional red or green onions and shredded cheese.

bourbon chicken

Bourbon Chicken
adapted from My Kitchen Cafe

Ingredients:

2lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
1-2 tablespoons oil (for pan-frying)
cornstarch (for dusting, optional) (i didn't use it, out of laziness)

Sauce:

1 garlic clove (minced)
¼ teaspoon ginger (I used ground ginger)
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
¼ cup apple juice
1/3 cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoon ketchup
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
½ cup water
1/3 cup soy sauce

Cut chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces, and if you choose lightly dust with cornstarch. Heat oil in your wok and fry chicken bits in batches until lightly browned. Drain on paper towels and set aside. In a bowl combine all sauce ingredients. Pour into wok and bring to a boil. Add chicken bits back to the pan, reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Serve over rice.

**easy peasy chicken! and oh so flavorful! and don't worry, no booze in it, though the name might make you think otherwise. rory liked it a lot, and so did I, it had a great kick at the end from the red pepper flakes. yum...another great way to serve chicken!

swei jows

All you have to do in my family to reduce any of us to salivating weirdos, is to say two words.

Swei Jows.

Let me explain. Swei Jows are our family dish. My dad went to Taiwan on his mission for the LDS church in the olden days (sorry Dad, hehe), and he ate these almost every day. They're kind of like boiled pot stickers...at least that's the way we usually try and explain them to newcomers. That, or we shove their faces in it and yell, "See? Aren't they yummy!?"

You should be so lucky.

Anyways, my dad had his birthday last week, so we celebrated by cooking up a couple hundred or so of these yummy treats, and then gorged ourselves.


Here's how you make them, if anything for future generations, should the Swei Jow love get lost in the shuffle somehow.

Swei Jows

1 lb of ground pork
1 egg (per lb of pork)
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp garlic
1/2 head shredded cabbage
1 package wonton wraps

Mix ingredients together in a large bowl, fill wraps, and press edges together with water. Boil in water for 5-6 minutes until edges are sealed together and they float to the top. Eat with soy sauce, hot pepper oil, and/or vinegar. (see my lovely instructions below for step by step directions)

Yes, this is really how much filling we use. (I think we usually quadruple the recipe)

You'll need: (as shown in the picture below)

Thanks to my brother Justin for his lovely swei jow instructional hand modeling. He has a future, I think.

So, take some of your filling, and plop it in the middle of your wrapper. (not too much or it will burst open while cooking and everyone will blame each other)

dab some water around the edges, and press together into a half circle shape.

crimp your edges like so...although Justin didn't do the neatest job, it will still taste delicious.

Repeat a bajillion times until you've run out of meat or wrappers, whichever happens first! Once in awhile you run out of both at the same time. I call that the Perfect Storm.

Prepare your bowl...with some soy sauce, hot oil, and vinegar, whichever combo you prefer. I usually do soy sauce with some hot oil. YUM!

Boil for 5-6 minutes or until they float to the top. Next: eat (with chopsticks unless you are chopstick-handicapped like Rory) by dipping into your soy sauce mixture, and try and eat as many as you can before the tray disappears. We have two trays on either end of the table, and everyone is always after the coveted middle spot that gets to eat from both trays.

By the way, liking Swei Jows is one of the requirements for marrying into the Lance family. That, and you have to like camping. Just so you know. In case any of you want to marry one of my siblings someday.

(and yes, Rory passed both tests)

Creamy Chicken and Pasta Bake

i've noticed my food photography got progressively worse as it got darker earlier this winter. last summer, i had great light when i finished dinner...now...not so much. well, anyways, this dish is simple, quick, and so yummy! sorry again about the craptastic pic.

rory was sick all day yesterday and sadie woke up er..being sick last night too...poor things. luckily they're doing better, but cross your fingers/pray i don't get it!


Creamy Chicken and Pasta Bake
adapted from Kraft Foods

Ingredients

1-1/2 cups small pasta (bow tie, rotini...)pasta, uncooked

1 small bunch broccoli, cut into florets (about 3 cups)

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces

1/2 cup fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth

4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) cream cheese, cubed

1 cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese, divided

2 Tbsp. Grated Parmesan Cheese

HEAT oven to 375ºF. Cook pasta in large saucepan as directed on package, adding broccoli for the last 3 min.
MEANWHILE, heat large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 3 min. or until no longer pink, stirring frequently. Stir in broth; simmer 3 min. or until chicken is done. Add cream cheese; cook and stir on low heat 1 min. or until cream cheese is melted. Stir in 1/2 cup mozzarella.
DRAIN pasta and broccoli. Add to chicken mixture; mix lightly. Spoon into 8-inch sq. baking dish; cover.
BAKE 15 min. or until heated through. Sprinkle with remaining cheeses. Bake, uncovered, 3 min. or until melted. Let stand 5 min.

***the kraft recipe calls for 2 oz. cream cheese, but i like the sauce to be thicker, so i use 4 oz. changes shown above! :D

Navajo Tacos

i've actually never tried navajo tacos...i don't know if the way we made them was legit or not, but they were pretty dang tasty nonetheless! rory was frustrated that i called them tacos. he thinks they don't fold well...i don't think you're supposed to fold them, hun. anyways, the bread was a snap to make and easy to cook as well. filling, inexpensive, and easy! three of my favorite words. ;) i just made some taco meat and added a can of pinto beans, to top them off. and of course, cheese, sour cream, tomatoes, and lettuce. 
  Navajo Tacos
from Chocolate on my Cranium

2 cups flour
1 TBSP baking powder
1 tsp. salt
3/4 - 1 cup hot water
oil for frying

Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in mixing bowl. Add the water a little at a time to make a soft dough. Knead a few times then let rest. You can actually let this rest for up to an hour but we cook them right away.

Pinch off balls of dough about the size of a golf ball. Roll out each ball on a floured surface with a rolling pin until dough is about 1/8 thick. Heat about 2 inches of oil in a deep pan to about 375 degrees. Fry dough one piece at a time until golden. Turn to cook other side. Drain on paper towels. If done correctly the fry bread will puff up with several bubbles in the dough. Makes about 7 pieces of fry bread.

Pile them high with chili or beans, shredded lettuce, shredded cheese, sliced olives, diced tomatoes, sour cream, and salsa. For dessert you can slather them with honey and butter. YUM!

Olive Oil Pizza Dough/Garlic Chicken Pizza

so when i was a teen, friday nights, my brother and i would go to papa murphy's and get a huge garlic chicken pizza to split...and eat it all! (pretty evenly too, i might add) i always said that their garlic chicken pizza was the thing i would choose to eat if someone made me choose only one thing to ever eat again. yumm. so of course, i had to try and recreate it at home! and this was pretty darn close.


Olive Oil Pizza Dough
from Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day

(makes about 4 pizzas)

2 3/4 cups lukewarm water
1 1/2 tablespoons granulated yeast
1 1/2 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
6 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

Mix the water, yeast, salt, sugar and olive oil in a 5-quart, lidded container (or bowl).

Mix the flour in, without kneading. Use a wooden spoon, a stand mixer, or a food processor.

Cover, not airtight, and let sit at room temperature for about 2 hours, until the dough rises and then flattens on top.

Store in the fridge, keep it covered, but not air tight, and use within 12 days.

On the day you are going to make pizza, bring the dough out of the fridge. Dust the surface of the dough with some flour and pull off a one pound chunk (using a serrated knife or kitchen shears), a about grapefruit size. Put the rest of the dough back in the fridge to be used another day. Using floured hands quickly shape into a ball and then roll out to the thickness you like, just like you roll any other pizza dough. Using flour when needed to keep it from sticking. There is no need for it to rest, you can proceed directly with your pizza recipe!

so...it seems their garlicky sauce is a combo of ranch dressing and garlic! huh. so simple. so, mix up your sauce of ranch dressing and chopped garlic (whatever amount you need...rory doesn't eat this so it's just me, and janae if she's over. she always manages to make it over on pizza night. hmmm...) spread it on your dough, and top with cooked diced chicken (i use canned stuff to make it super easy), chopped tomatoes and green onions, and mozzarella cheese.

Bake at 525 degrees for about 8-10 minutes. then....devour! yumm...

chicken stir fry

i love this recipe because i love easy and quick meals, and hey-this one has quick right in the title! obviously i swapped rice for pasta, since we had a pasta-filled week. also i used a frozen stir fry veggie mix, but since rory picked out most of those veggies, i think i'll stick with just broccoli. at least he'll eat that!

link here

Speedy Chicken Stir-Fry from kraft

1/2 lb. angel hair pasta (capellini), uncooked

2 cups small broccoli florets

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips

1/2 cup KRAFT Asian Toasted Sesame Dressing

2 Tbsp. soy sauce

1/4 tsp. each: ground ginger, garlic powder, crushed red pepper

1/3 cup chopped PLANTERS Dry Roasted Peanuts

COOK pasta in large saucepan as directed on package, adding broccoli to the boiling water for the last 3 min.
MEANWHILE, spray large nonstick skillet with cooking spray; heat on medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 6 to 8 min. or until done, stirring occasionally. Stir in dressing, soy sauce, ginger, garlic and pepper; cook 1 min., stirring occasionally.
DRAIN pasta mixture; place in large bowl. Add chicken mixture; mix lightly. Spoon evenly into 4 serving bowls; sprinkle with peanuts.

grilled chicken pasta with tomato cream sauce

this is what we had for dinner last night...and it was scrumptious! i've never had a tomato cream sauce before but it was very flavorful and yum. sadie loved it too.

I used half and half instead of heavy cream cause it was a lot less $$ and i am a cheapskate. rory liked it ok. he would be happy if i baked bread every night for dinner though. or pizza. foodie he is not. i'm not either, but i like to mix it up. whatever. it's good, and i'm making it again, so there.


link here

Grilled Chicken Pasta in a Tomato Cream Sauce

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Montreal Steak seasoning
1/2 pound pasta of your choice
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup chicken broth
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 to 1 tsp salt & pepper (to taste)
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
6-8 fresh basil leaves, chiffonaded

Rinse chicken breasts in cold water. Layer between sheets of wax paper and pound to even thickness. Season both sides with Montreal Steak seasoning. Preheat grill for medium high heat, lightly oil grate, and grill chicken breasts on medium high heat for 6-8 mins each side. OR heat 2 tbsp butter & 2 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the butter and olive oil is nice and hot, add chicken breasts and cook 5 mins each side. Set chicken aside to cool.

In a large pot, boil water with 1 tbsp salt. Add 1/2 lb penne pasta noodles and boil according to package directions.

Heat 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil in the skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until garlic is tender, but do not let the garlic turn brown (about 3-5 mins). Add the chicken broth to the pan and allow to reduce by half. Meanwhile, slice chicken. Once the broth has reduced, stir in tomato sauce. Add the heavy cream and stir well to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Turn heat to low.

Chop the parsley and basil, add to sauce and mix well. Drain pasta and add to sauce. Stir well to coat. Serve pasta on plates, top with sliced chicken.

Pasta with Broccoli and Sausage

wow this sure was delicious! and seriously easy too. i've had this recipe tucked away for FOREVER. look at that date! 4 years ago people. sad that i've been living this long without trying this recipe. now i don't want you to suffer the same fate! so try this soon. you won't regret it. (unless you don't like sausage, or broccoli, or pasta, or parmesan cheese, in which case you are very strange.)



Pasta with Broccoli and Sausage
adapted from Real Simple Magazine Sept 05 issue

1 pound pasta (would work with any type, i think!)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 pound sweet italian sausage, casings removed
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
1 head broccoli, cut into bite size pieces
4 tbsp unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups grated parmesan
salt and pepper to taste

Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Mean while in a large saucepan, over medium heat, heat the oil. Add the sausage and cook, crumbling it with a spoon, until browned, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add the brother and red pepper flakes and bring to a boil. Then add the broccoli, cover, and cook until tender, about 3-5 minutes. Stir in the butter and parmesan and cook, uncovered, until the sauce thickens slightly, about 2 minutes. Add the drained pasta, season with salt and black pepper, and toss to combine.

Polynesian Glazed Meatballs

i love a good meatball. seriously we eat them like once a week at least. swedish style (ish), with the traditional spaghetti and sauce, and one of my faves, these polynesian glazed meatballs. it's one of the easiest meals, and i love to make it over and over. rory likes it too, he just picks out all the red peppers so all i get for my leftovers is red peppers and rice. good thing they're delectable.

i love using frozen meatballs, cause, for $5 a bag, you can't beat that. plus a bag usually lasts us three meatball meals. although it's getting tight with sadie eating "regular food" now. she loves her some meatballs.


Polynesian Glazed Meatballs
from Kraft Foods

1 tsp. oil

1 large red pepper, chopped

1 onion, chopped

1/4 cup Kraft Original Barbecue Sauce (or, rebel and don't use the name brand!)

1 tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp. garlic powder

2 cans (8 oz. each) pineapple chunks, drained, liquid reserved

12 oz. (3/4 of 1-lb. pkg.) frozen cooked meatballs
2 cups white rice, uncooked

HEAT oil in large skillet on medium-high heat. Add peppers and onions; cook 5 min. or until crisp-tender, stirring frequently.
STIR in barbecue sauce, ginger, garlic powder and reserved pineapple liquid. Add meatballs; mix lightly until evenly coated. Cook 10 min. or until meatballs are heated through, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, cook rice as directed on package.
STIR pineapple into meatball mixture. Serve over the rice.