Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Tortellini and Shrimp


Ingredients


Directions
Peel/de-vein shrimp and set aside.  Cook the tortellini by following the package directions; drain and set aside.  In a big skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter.  Add in the shrimp, shallot, and basil.  Saute/stir for about 5 minutes.  Add tortellini and parmesan cheese; toss; season with salt and pepper if desired, then serve.


Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Fried Pork Chops









  • Ingredients
  • 1 cup vegetable oil for frying
  • 1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
  • 1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt, or to taste
  • Dash of garlic powder
  • Dash of minced onions
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 4 (3/4 inch) thick pork chops








Directions

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Combine flour, seasoning salt, salt and pepper in a paper or plastic bag. Place pork chops into the bag, and shake to coat.  When the oil is nice and hot, shake off excess flour from pork chops, and fry in the hot oil. Cook on each side for about 4 to 5 minutes, or until golden on the outside, and juices run clear.

As for the potatoes in the picture, I cut on some red skinned potatoes, skinned them and roasted them for 50 minutes with a little salt.  They are THE YUM!








Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Honey and Soy Glazed Salmon

Ingredients

2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon water
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 6-ounce salmon fillets

Directions 
In a small bowl whisk together honey, soy sauce, lime juice, mustard, and water.  In a small non-stick skillet heat oil over moderately high heat and cook salmon 2 to 3 minutes on each side, or until golden and just cooked through. Transfer salmon to 2 plates.  Add honey glaze to skillet and simmer, stirring, 1 minute. Pour glaze over salmon.
Meoooow!





Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Chicken Parmesan


Come on now, everyone loves chicken parm.  I especially love this recipe because you do not have to put anything in the oven.  To spice up a jar of spaghetti sauce, saute 1/4 cup onion, 1 clove garlic and 2 tablespoons of olive oil for about 5 minutes in a small saucepan.  Add the spaghetti sauce and simmer for about 10 minutes.  Enjoy!

Preparation: 10 min.   Cooking: 10 min.   Total: 20 min.

Ingredients











  • 3/4 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
  • waxed paper
  • 1/4 cup milk (skim, 1%, 2% or whole)
  • 1 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/3 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
  • 2 tsp all-purpose flour
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed
  • 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese
  • 1/2 cup spaghetti sauce
Directions


Place chicken between two sheets of waxed paper and pound lightly with a mallet or other heavy flat object to flatten to .25 in. thickness. Combine buttermilk and Parmesan in a bowl. Place breadcrumbs on a piece of waxed paper. Dust chicken with flour and season with salt and pepper to taste. Dip both sides of chicken in buttermilk mixture. Dredge both sides of chicken in breadcrumbs. Heat oil in a heavy nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté garlic 1 minute. Discard garlic and sauté chicken 4-5 minutes, or until golden. Turn and sauté another 3-4 minutes, or until browned and chicken is cooked throughout. Garnish with shredded mozzarella cheese and spaghetti sauce.  Serve with pasta.



Monday, February 8, 2010

Haddock Divan

  • This is seriously yum and one of my new favorites.  I know, I know...the ingredients look a little creepy all together.  But trust me, when you take it out of the oven - it's just delicious! 

  • Preparation: 15 min.   Cooking: 20 min.   Total: 35 min.

Ingredients
  • 10 oz frozen broccoli spears, cooked and drained, or 1 lb fresh, cut into spears, cooked and drained
  • 1 lb haddock fillets, or cod or scrod fillets ,fresh or thawed
  • 1 can condensed cream of broccoli soup
  • 1/3 cup milk, 2% reduced fat, or skim milk
  • 1/4 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 2 tbsp dry breadcrumbs
  • 1 tsp unsalted butter, melted
  • 1/8 tsp paprika

Directions 

Preheat oven to 450°F. Arrange broccoli in a shallow baking dish. Top with fish. Combine soup and milk in a bowl and pour over fish. Sprinkle cheese over soup mixture. Combine breadcrumbs, butter and paprika in a bowl and sprinkle over cheese. Bake 20 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.




Friday, February 5, 2010

Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients

1/2 cup of bread crumbs
1 tablespoon melted butter
2 tablespoons butter (not melted)
8 ounces uncooked pasta (any shape)
1/4 cup diced onion
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups milk
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Directions


Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 2 quart casserole dish


Boil pasta as directed on package

While pasta is boiling, melt two tablespoons of butter in small saucepan.  Add onion and cook on low until it is translucent (should take about 5 minutes).

Stir in flour, salt, pepper and milk.  Simmer on low for 10 minutes.

Remove saucepan from heat and stir in cheddar cheese until melted.

Mix cheese with pasta and pour into casserole dish.  Sprinkle evenly with bread crumbs.

Bake uncovered for 20 minutes.




    My friend thought the macaroni and cheese was a bit too "oniony".  I really enjoyed it.  I love me some onions.








Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Slow Cooker Vegetarian Enchilada



Ingredients

2 cans crushed tomatoes in puree (approximately 30 ounces)
1 cup prepared chunky salsa (I use mild)
6 ounces of tomato paste
1 15 ounce can of black bean, rinsed
1 15 ounce can of kidney beans, rinsed
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon of garlic
5-6 corn tortillas
1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

Combine first 7 ingredients in a bowl. Mix thoroughly. Pour about 1 cup of mixture into the bottom of an electric slow cooker on low heat. Spread evenly and top with 1-1/2 tortillas, cutting to fit pot. Spread 1/3 of remaining tomato mixture over top. Repeat layering process, ending with tomato mixture. Spread top evenly and cover with shredded cheddar cheese. Cover and cook about 5 hours. Serve hot.








Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Italian Stuffed Chicken

Ingredients

1 can (14.5 oz) Italian-style tomaotes, undrained
2 cups shredded low-moisture part-skim Mozzarella Cheese, divided
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1 pkg (6 oz) Stove Top stuffing Mix for Chicken
8 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (2 lb)
1/3 cup Italian Dressing

Directions

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix tomatoes, 1/2 cup cheese and basil in medium bowl. Add stuffing mix; stir just until moistened.

Place 2 chicken breasts in large freezer-weight resealable plastic bag. Pound with meat mallet or side of heavy can until chicken is 1/4 inch thick. Remove from bag; place top sides down, on cutting board. Repeat with remaining chicken. Spread chicken with stuffing mixture. Starting at 1 narrow end, tightly roll up each breast. Place, seam-sides down, in 13X9-inch baking dish. Drizzle with dressing.

Bake 40 minutes or until chicken is done. Sprinkle with remaining cheese; bake 5 minutes or until melted.







Monday, February 1, 2010

Stuffed Peppers







Ingredients
6 green bell peppers
1 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon dried leaf oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried leaf basil
2 teaspoons salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, divided
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef or chuck
1 1/2 cups cooked long-grain rice
shredded mild mozzarella cheese, about 1/2 to 3/4 cup, optional

Directions

Cut tops off peppers and remove the seeds and membranes. 
Rinse peppers under cold water. Place peppers in a large pot filled with salted water and bring to a boil for 5 minutes. 
Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat until hot. 
Sauté chopped onion, and chopped celery for about 5 minutes. 
Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, crushed garlic, oregano, basil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper and continued to simmer for 10 minutes.
Combine egg with remaining 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and Worcestershire sauce. 
Add ground beef, cooked rice, and 1 cup of the tomato mixture. 
Stuff peppers with meat mixture and place in a baking dish. 
Pour remaining tomato mixture over the stuffed peppers. 
Bake at 350° for 50 to 60 minutes.  10 minutes before removing the peppers from the oven, top with shredded cheese.



Sunday, January 31, 2010

Crock Pot Chicken and Dumplings

This is a simple and budget friendly recipe that is perfect for a cold day. In order to make it healthier, I use fat free/reduced sodium cream of chicken soup. I also buy reduced fat biscuits. Feel free to add frozen or fresh vegetables to make the meal more substantial. Enjoy!

Ingredients

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 tablespoons butter
2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of chicken soup
1 onion, finely diced
1 (10 ounce) packages refrigerated biscuit dough, torn into pieces
12 ounces vegetables (optional - I added carrots and celery)

Directions

Place the chicken, butter, soup, and onion in a slow cooker, and fill with enough water to cover.
Cover, and cook for 5 to 6 hours on High. About an hour before serving, place the torn biscuit dough in the slow cooker. Cook until the dough is no longer raw in the center.

Did I mention that it makes your house smell delicious? Dang.


Before the biscuits were added...




After the biscuits were added...



Finished with a side of roasted broccoli...