Pasta

My brother Josh made this for my Grandma's birthday dinner last night and it was amazing! He made a complete meal with an appetizer and dessert that was delicious! I wish I had pictures of all the things but I forgot my camera. Anyway, this is the pasta recipe. It is very simple and has very clean, bright flavors. I don't know exact measurements, sorry. We made this for 7 people and had half left over, it made so much so I will list the amounts as half of what we used, then you can half it again if you want depending on how many people you are cooking for and how much you want for left overs the next day.

Ingredients:
uncooked shrimp 1 pound
Penne pasta 1 pound
tomatoes, the smaller the better 1 pound
Arugula half pound - 1 pound, depending just add a little at a time till it looks good to you.
Garlic
Olive Oil

**Substitutions: If you don't like shrimp or you don't want to spend that much money use Chicken
Arugula is a little bitter and peppery, if you don't like it or aren't sure, use spinach or half arugula and half spinach.
Of course you can always add other things too, zucchini, asparagus tips, artichokes, etc.

Directions:
Boil water for penne. Add lots of salt as this is the only time to really season the noodles.
Drizzle olive oil on tomatoes and roast in oven till they begin to split. If you don't have cherry or grape tomatoes cut the tomatoes into bite size pieces.
Saute shrimp (or chicken) in olive oil and minced garlic, start with a couple cloves of garlic then add more to your liking.
When everything is done toss it all together adding your greens a handful at a time. Add salt and pepper to taste. If you want more acidity you can squeeze a bit of lemon juice on top. Serve and enjoy!

Bambinos

Amy worked at La Pizzeria for a long time so she told me how to make these. I don't have the pizza dough recipe though.
2 cans refrigerated pizza dough OR a recipe of your own (1 can makes 3 Bambinos)
Pizza sauce (from the store or a recipe of your own)
Pizza toppings of your choice.

I used the pizza dough out of the can for sake of time. They tasted fine but next time I will use a homemade dough. I laid it on a cookie sheet, one can at a time, and pressed it out, but don't press the dough too thin. Cut the dough with a pizza cutter in half the long ways, then into thirds. You should now have 6 even squares of dough. Put pizza sauce and toppings on one row of three, leaving the other three empty. Be careful to leave the edges bare so you can seal the bambino. Brush the edges with a beaten egg. Carefully fold the empty pieces of dough over onto the topped pieces. Seal edges tightly. If you have a hole in one or it is not sealed good it will make a mess in your pan. Fry in 375 degree oil one at a time till golden brown, turning once. Remove from oil and set on paper towels.
*If you use your own dough you can roll it out and cut out big circles or squares, what ever is easiest for you to do.

Doughnut Holes

I couldn't stop eating these!
1 cup sugar
6 TBS melted shortening
3 cups flour
1 tsp soda
1/2 tsp nutmeg
3 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk

Mix everything together and drop by scanty tsp in 370 degrees hot oil.
Cool on paper towels then roll in sugar
*This makes a TON! I made 3 dozen and still had at least 3/4 of the batter left over. Maybe cut it in thirds if you don't want that much or try freezing it.

White Chocolate No-Bake Cookies

Tyler loves white chocolate and we love no-bake cookies so I came up with this little gem. They are pretty rich and sweet but SO good!

Boil:
1/2 cup butter
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup milk

Add:
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups white choc chips (can also use milk chocolate if you want regular chocolate)
When Choc chips are melted add:
3 1/2 - 4 cups quick oats (depending on how gooey you like them!)
*You can also add extracts like orange, raspberry or mint or add colors for hollidays!

Quickly spoon on to wax paper, cool and devour!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

2 large chicken breasts
2 Tb olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 cup chicken broth
1 can corn
1 can black beans
1 can diced tomatoes OR 1 small can tomato sauce if you don't like chunks of tomato
1/2 - 1 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
2 Tb Lime Juice
2 Tb cilantro, chopped
7-8 small corn tortillas cut into small slices
Salt and Pepper to taste

In a large pot cook chicken, onion, and garlic in olive oil. Add cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper. Then add chicken broth, corn, beans, tomatoes, lime juice and cilantro. Add most of tortilla strips but reserve some to broil in the oven to top soup with. Allow soup to simmer for about 10 minutes, the tortilla strips will thicken the soup. Top with shredded cheese, sour cream, cilantro and broiled tortilla strips.

Pork Tenderloin

Tyler and I hadn't really had pork tenderloin until just recently while eating at Outback. They had this amazing sauce on it that I love but I'm not good enough to figure out what's in it. Anyway, I have a couple sauces that I've used that you can try, or come up with your own!

The tenderloin is super easy. Just marinate it overnight in whatever marinate you like. I often use lemon juice, garlic, maple syrup, and whatever else catches my eye at that moment. Then, take it out of the marinate and place it in a shallow baking pan, a 9x13 is fine, bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes until done. Top with sauce or gravy. That's it! Way easy!

Honey Grape Sauce: 2 teaspoons olive oil
1/4 cup minced shallots
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 cups seedless red grapes, halved
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root
**I also add a bit of brown sugar, and a dash of Worcester sauce. Add what you want to make it your own.
Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook shallots and garlic in oil until tender. Stir in grapes, soy sauce, honey, ginger, and five-spice powder. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes. Process cooled sauce until smooth in a blender or food processor. Serve over sliced tenderloin.

Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
I just kinda made this up and didn't really measure anything, sorry! Its a lot like the grape sauce.
2 red peppers roasted - broil peppers till skin is dark, remove from oven and cover with plastic wrap or put them in a plastic bag. Let them cool about 45 min. Remove skins, they should peel off easily. Remove seeds and cut into chunks.
Put in sauce pan with oil, (the peppers will have a bit of natural oil and juice inside of them, you can use this too) garlic, Worcester sauce, brown sugar, a little honey, onion powder, Italian seasonings, salt and whatever else you think it needs to taste better! Simmer for 10-15 minutes, allow to cool a bit then put in blender or food processor. Serve hot over sliced tenderloin.

Chicken with Mushroom & Balsamic Vinegar Sauce

I got this recipe from allrecipes.com, greatest website ever! It was a super easy recipe and only took about 25-30 minutes to make! We really liked this and the mushroom sauce was so good! I served it with mashed potatoes and added some of the sauce to the gravy. You could also serve this over pasta.

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
salt and pepper to taste
3/4 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 cloves garlic
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon butter

* Before you start: The only thing I would have done different is that the chicken breasts were a bit to thick so next time I will either slice them, like butterfly them, or pound them flat with a mallet. Also, I only used 2 chicken breasts and the sauce was just about the right amount so if you do 4 chicken breasts you might want to add a bit more broth and vinegar.
Directions
1.Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Rinse the mushrooms and pat dry. Season the flour with salt and pepper and dredge the chicken breasts in the flour mixture. Heat oil in a skillet over medium high heat and saute the chicken until it is nicely browned on one side (about 3 minutes).
2.Add the garlic. Turn the chicken breasts and scatter the mushrooms over them. Continue frying, shaking the skillet and stirring the mushrooms. Cook for about 3 minutes, then add the vinegar, broth, bay leaf and thyme. Cover tightly and simmer over medium low heat for 10 minutes, turning occasionally.
3.Transfer the chicken to a warm serving platter and cover with foil. Set aside. Continue simmering the sauce, uncovered, over medium high heat for about 7 minutes. Swirl in the butter or margarine and discard the bay leaf. Pour this mushroom sauce mixture over the chicken and serve.

Chicken Ranch Burritos

Sorry, no picture for this one. Tyler and I love the Crispy Chicken Ranchero from Taco Time so this a spin off of that. Its another one of those things you can add whatever you like to make it how you like it. This is how I made it:

~Fresh uncooked flour tortillas (They should be by the cheeses in the refrigerator section) they cook up in just a couple minutes in a frying pan or griddle and they are AMAZING!
~Chicken - you use any type: grilled, sauteed, fried, baked, pre-made chicken strips, whatever you fancy
~Cheese
~Rice
~Black Beans
-I cheated and used a rice and black bean mix from a box by Zataran's.
~Ranch - your favorite ranch dressing. I used Chiz's.
~Lettuce
~Fresh tomatoes or salsa

You can also add avocado, corn, olives, onion, jalapenos, peppers, etc.
Cook the tortilla, fill it, roll it, and enjoy!

This is a great leftover meal. You can use chicken or rice from the night before and just go from there!

Chicken Cacciatore Stoup

This is one of Rachael Ray's Thirty Minute Meals. (I just copy and pasted the recipe from Food Network) Because I can't chop as fast as her it takes me about 40-45 minutes. This is a cheap meal and you can just use whatever you have in your pantry.

Ingredients
1 package boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 1 to 1 1/3 pounds, diced
Coarse salt and black pepper
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3 to 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 3 turns of the pan
2 russet potatoes, peeled and cubed into 1-inch squares
4 portobello mushroom caps or 16 cremini mushrooms, sliced or chopped
4 ribs celery hearts, chopped
1 medium onion, peeled and quartered lengthwise then thinly sliced
1 red or green bell pepper, seeded and quartered lengthwise then thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup dry Italian red wine, eyeball it
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (28-ounce) can fire-roasted crushed tomatoes
2 cups chicken stock
3 tablespoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped, 3 or 4 sprigs
1 cup basil, arugula or baby spinach leaves, shredded or torn
Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Romano, to pass at table
Crusty bread, to pass at the table
**Just a couple of Melissa notes:
*I leave out the wine and just deglaze the pan with chicken stock.
*I add 2 carrots, chopped added at the same time as potatoes
*Choose tomatoes according to what flavor and how much heat you like. I really like chipotle so I will usually use 1 can of tomatoes with chipotle(1 can provides plenty of heat). If you don't like any heat, choose plain or tomatoes with lime or garlic.
*I have never added the rosemary, greens, or cheese and it tasted just fine without it. Those items can be a bit pricey so if you don't have them, it will turn out great without them too.
*For the bread we just use toast or bread and butter.

Directions
Heat a deep skillet or a medium soup pot over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons EVOO, 2 turns of the pan, and the chicken. Season it with coarse salt and pepper and red pepper flakes.

While the chicken cooks, chop up the veggies.

When the chicken is evenly and lightly browned all over, 3 or 4 minutes, remove it to a plate and reserve. Add another tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil, 1 more turn of the pan. Add the potatoes to the pan. Cook a couple of minutes, then add in the mushrooms, celery, and onion and cook another couple of minutes. Add in the peppers and garlic and cook another 1 to 2 minutes. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper. Add chicken back to the pan. Toss it with the vegetables. Add red wine to the pan and deglaze it, picking up drippings. Add tomatoes and stock to the stoup and stir to combine. Stir in rosemary and reduce heat to low. Cover and cook 8 to10 minutes.

Turn off stoup and ladle into shallow bowls. Top with basil (for a sweet finish and balance to the spice in the soup) or arugula (for a peppery finish) or with spinach (for a woodsy finish). At the table, pass grated cheese for sprinkling on top of the stoup and bread for mopping up the bowl.

Dinner in a Roll

I love this one! Its so easy to make and I think its kinda pretty! But I will warn you, I don't really have a recipe and the measurments I use are ones like, a handful of this and some of that, sorry!

Start with the rolls. I usually use Rhodes rolls because they are so easy but you use your favorite roll recipe too. For our family I usually make 6-8 and will have a couple left over. If you are using rhodes rolls, flatten and strech the roll out till its about 3 inches across, as if you were making a scone. Add 1-2 TB of filling (recipe below) then pull all edges up and seal on top. Put filled rolls into a greases cupcake tin. Brush tops with one beaten egg and sprinkle with parmasean cheese. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes.
**(Optional)Serve with appropriate gravy (if you like gravy) chicken, sausage, or any other sauce you like

I have a few different filling recipes and you can use whatever you want or change them to your liking.

Filling 1: Is the same filling I use for creamy white enchiladas.
12-16 oz cooked chicken cubed or shredded.
sour cream about 1 cup
cream cheese half cube, 4 oz
1/2 can cream chicken soup
whatever seasonings you like; onion powder, crushed garlic, pepper, salt,

Filling 2: Sausage and veggies
1 lb sausage
1 cupish carrots chopped very fine
1 cupish celery chopped very fine
Saute sausage and veggies in saute pan till sausage is done and veggies are tender.
Add a few TB of flour and combine well. Then add a few TB of water, just to make a bit saucy, but not watery.

Filling 3: Chicken Alfredo
I'll be honest, I haven't made this one but I just thought of it and it sounds amazing! I will make this one next time. Since I haven't made it I don't have measurments so you will have to play with the flavors and adjust as needed.
12-16 oz cooked chicken, cubed or shredded
1 Jar of garlic alfredo sauce - this often don't have enough garlic for me so I add a little more.
OR a homeade alfredo sauce (Its so easy to make your own! Most cookbooks will have a recipe)
fresh tomotoes diced maybe 1/2-3/4 cup

StoveTop Chicken

This is a favorite in our house.
1 box StoveTop Chicken Stuffing
2 large chicken breasts
1/2 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup milk
onion powder, garlic poweder, salt & pepper to taste

prepare stovetop as directed. Cube chicken. drizzle olive oil or butter on bottom of a 9x9 baking dish. Put Chicken in pan. Combine soup, sour cream, milk, and seasonings. Pour mixture on top on chicken. Top with prepared stoptop. Cover and bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes or till chicken is done.

*You can add swiss cheese to the top of the chicken if you like swiss cheese.

Serve with veggies of chioce.

Meal #1 Crock Pot Ribs with Roasted veggies

Sorry, no picture.
I made this last night and it was AMAZING! Plus, you can't really screw this one up!
I bought boneless Texas style ribs, country style works great too. Throw as many as you need to feed your family (I eat 2, my husband eats 3, my toddler eats 2 bits) into a crock pot. Give an onion a rough chop and throw that in to. Completely cover with any tomato sauce, juice, paste, etc. It just needs to be tomato base. Throw in whatever seasonings you like. I tossed in some garlic, bay leaves, and salt. Set to low and cook 8 hours. Pull them out of the cooking juices and cover in your favorite BBQ sauce. If you have access to a grill you can grill the ribs to caramelize the BBQ sauce onto them, but if not, that's okay too.

For the veggies: cut up into bit size pieces any of your favorite veggies. I use potatoes, carrots, zucchini, yams...whatever I've got. Toss in olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian Seasoning, salt, pepper, a little cayenne if you want a kick. Put in 9x13 or sheet pan and bake on 400 for about an hour or until veggies are tender, stirring a couple of times. (If I need it to cook quicker I turn heat up to 425 and bake about 35-45 minutes)