Creamy Chicken Primavera

This is a picture of the primavera cooking in the pan. I didn't get a picture of the finished meal, but the primavera is best served over hot linguine. Its very good, and I was even able to convince Brent to eat despite the peas, which he detests.

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon EVOO
2 medium green peppers, chopped coarsely
1 medium onion, chopped
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces
1/2 cup peas, frozen or canned
1 jar Parmesan Alfredo Sauce (I used Ragu Cheesy)
1/4 teaspoon pepper
8 oz linguine (or spaghetti)

In a nonstick skillet, heat EVOO on medium-high heat. Cook the green peppers and onion for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chicken and peas and cook 5 minutes. Meanwhile, cook the linguine according to package directions. To the chicken, add the Alfredo sauce and pepper. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly cooked. Serve over hot linguine.

4 servings

Source: "25 Years of Favorite Name Brand Recipes" cookbook - Seriously one of the best cookbooks I've ever bought.

Rigatoni Toss Baked

I am on a vegetable kick lately, as you can tell. Brent is not good about eating vegetables by themselves, so I've been putting them in any foods I can. This turned out so good. I wish I had made more.

Ingredients:
1 pound extra lean ground beef
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 can (20 ounces) tomato sauce
1 can (2-1/4 ounces) sliced black olives, drained (optional - I did not use)
1 beef bouillon cube
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 pounds rigatoni pasta
3/4 cup mozzarella cheese

In soup pot, brown beef and drain. Add bell pepper, carrots, onion, and garlic. Cook 5 minutes. Add all remaining ingredients, except rigatoni. Mix well and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 20 minutes. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. Preheat oven to 300. Toss the pasta with the sauce and mix well. Pour into a greased casserole dish. Top with mozzarella cheese. Cover loosely with aluminum foil and bake 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

5 - 6 servings.

Oven Roasted Red Potatoes with Rosemary and Garlic

These are so delicious. For the recipe, check out Celeste's blog at http://sugarandspice-celeste.blogspot.com/2008/01/oven-roasted-red-potatoes-with-rosemary.html
She's a very talented food photographer, and as her pictures show, these are as good as they look.

Balsamic Pork Chops

I can't say enough about how good these pork chops were. I served them with baked beans.

Ingredients:

2 center cut pork chops
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
2 sprigs rosemary
2 garlic cloves, minced
salt and pepper

Directions:
In zip lock bag or resealable container, mix vinegar, honey, brown sugar, soy sauce, rosemary, and garlic. Shake well to mix. Add a dash each salt and pepper. Place the pork chops in bag or container to marinate. Marinate at least 3 hours. Cook on grill.

2 servings.

Source: http://ellysaysopa.vox.com/

Chocolate Chip Poundcake

This is my twist on a great recipe.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup chocolate chips

2 cups butter, softened
2 3/4 cups sugar
6 large eggs
3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/8 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg or cinnamon
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer 2 minutes or until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating 5 to 7 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating just until yellow disappears. Combine flour, salt, and nutmeg in a large bowl; add to butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Mix at low speed after each addition just until mixture is blended. Stir in vanilla and chocolate chips. Spoon batter into a greased and floured 10-inch tube pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour and 15 to 20 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 to 15 minutes; remove from pan, and cool completely on wire rack.

Source: Thanks, Celeste!! http://sugarandspice-celeste.blogspot.com/

Mushroom Burger Steaks

Sorry, we were so hungry, we ate these before I remembered to take a picture. These turned out great. Its just a new twist on a traditional burger.

Ingredients:

1/2 onion, diced
5 oz small mushrooms
1 lb extra lean ground beef
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 teaspoon Parsley
1 Tablespoon tomato puree

Directions:
Mix onion and mushrooms in food processor. Add beef, breadcrumbs, tomato puree, and parsley. Process for a few seconds. Divide into 4 pieces and shape into 4 burger patties. Cook in non-stick pan for 12 -15 minutes, turning once.

Serving option: (1) on a bun, as a traditional burger, or (2) with beef gravy and mashed potatoes - my personal favorite

4 servings.

Meatball Soup

This "soup" is very hearty, more like a stew. It was so good and easy to make, this will become a go-to meal for me when I'm too busy to cook dinner. Just place this in the crock pot in the morning and dinner will be ready when you get home.

Ingredients:

Meatballs - either 12 oz pkg frozen cooked meatballs or make your own like I did (recipe below)
6 - 7 red potatoes, quartered
16 oz pkg baby carrots
1 large onion, chopped
1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed tomato soup
1 can (10 1/2 oz) beef gravy
1 cup water
1 envelope onion soup mix
2 teaspoons beef bouillon granules

Directions:
Place potatoes, carrots, onion and meatballs in crock pot/slow cooker. In bowl, mix all remaining ingredients. Pour over meatball mixture. Cover and cook on LOW for 9 - 10 hours.

6 servings.
Source: Taste of Home Slow Cooker Classics Cookbook


Meatballs:

Ingredients:
3/4 lb extra lean ground beef
1 egg
1/4 cup diced onion
1/3 cup bread crumbs
1 teaspoon Parsley
2 Tablespoons ketchup

Preheat oven to 400 F. In a bowl, mix all ingredients together with mixer. Mix for about 3 minutes, until well blended. Divide into pieces and shape into 1 inch meatballs. Place in greased glass pan about 1/2 inch apart. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes. Cool in refrigerator over night.

Pesto Chicken

This turned out great, and it took me literally 20 minutes to make.

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Ingredients:

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1/4 cup chicken broth or white wine

3 Tablespoons pesto

2 Tablespoons EVOO

salt and pepper

Parmesan cheese

Rice

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Directions:

Make rice according to package directions. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Cook chicken in oil until lightly browned. Add the broth or wine to pan to deglaze it. Add the cooked rice. Stir in pesto, coating the chicken and rice. Cook for 2 minutes. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese over top.

2 servings.

Source: http://sweet-savory-southern.blogspot.com

Creamy Chicken Linguine

I made this when my sister was in town. We all loved it, and even my dietitian sister was impressed.

Ingredients:

8 oz linguine

1/4 cup EVOO

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves minced

8 oz button mushrooms, sliced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

3 green onions, thinly sliced

1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes

1 can (5 oz) evaporated milk

Directions:

Cook the linguine according to the package directions. In a large skillet, cook the chicken, onion, garlic, and mushrooms in EVOO over medium heat. Saute until onions are tender and chicken is lightly browned. Stir in salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper. Add green onions, tomatoes with juice, and evaporated milk. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 5 - 6 minutes. Toss with pasta before serving.

4 servings

Source: "25 Years of Favorite Brand Name Recipes" Cookbook

Swedish Meatballs

This is reminiscent of stroganoff, but it still turned out great.

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Ingredients:

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1 lb extra-lean ground beef

1 cup evaporated milk

1/2 cup onion, minced

1 egg yolk

1/4 cup bread crumbs

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon allspice

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 Tablespoon butter

1 1/2 cup beef broth

2 Tablespoons flour

1 Tablespoons lemon juice

Egg noodles, cooked

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Directions:

Heat skillet with EVOO. Add onions and salt and cook well. Mix 1/4 cup evaporated milk with bread crumbs. Mix well. Add cooked onions, yolk, salt, allspice, and pepper. Add meat and blend well. Shape into 1 inch balls. In skillet, melt butter and cook meatballs. When cooked, remove from skillet. Add flour to skillet and cook for 1 minute. (Add more butter if necessary). Whisk in broth and mix well. Simmer for 2 minutes. Add remaining 3/4 cup evaporated milk. Heat over medium. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add meatballs and lemon juice. Heat until sauce thickens. Serve over cooked egg noodles.

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2 - 3 servings

Tomato Minestrone Soup

I made a large pot of this soup, which means a week worth of healthy lunches for me. This soup is so good, I didn't even realize I was eating healthy. This recipe comes highly recommended.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 garlic clove, minced

3 1/2 cups water

2 (10.5 oz each) cans beef broth

2 1/2 cups Navy beans and split peas

1 can (6 oz) Tomato Paste

1/4 cup chopped fresh Parsley

1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves

1 teaspoon dried basil leaves

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 cup dried pasta (I used bow tie and shells)

1 package (16 oz) frozen mixed Italian vegetables

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

If beans are dried, soak overnight in water. Saute onion and garlic in saucepan until onion is translucent. Stir in water, broth, beans, tomato paste, parsley, oregano, pepper, basil, and pasta. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Mix in vegetables and cook an additional 15 minutes. Serve with cheese.

Servings: 5 - 6

Source: "25 Years of Favorite Brand Name Recipes" Cookbook

Teriyaki Pork Kabobs over Rice

I cannot rave enough about how delicious these were. My only regret is that I didn't make more.

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Ingredients:

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1 package dirty rice mix (we used Uncle Ben's)

Teriyaki seasoning (we used Ken's Steak House Marinade)

1 (12 oz) pork tenderloin, cut into 1 inch cubes

1 green bell pepper, cut up

1 onion, cut up

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Directions:

Cook rice according to package directions. In the last 5 minutes, add 2 Tablespoons of Teriyaki seasoning and blend well. Meanwhile, preheat grill. Thread pork, green peppers, and onions on 4 skewers. Pour Teriyaki seasoning over top and allow to marinate for about 30 minutes. Cook the kabobs on grill until cooked. Serve over rice.

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2 servings.

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Source: Me and DH trying to eat healthier (ie, pork instead of steak)

Crockpot Chicken Cacciatore

I'm the process of getting my new (Christmas present from DH) camera charged and ready, so I've been slack about the pictures. I will have the camera ready soon. This turned out great, although DH had already eaten all of it before I even got home from work. He really liked it.

Ingredients:

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1/2 can (7 oz) diced tomatoes
1 can (4 oz) tomato sauce
1/2 can (2 oz) mushroom pieces, drained
1/4 cup water or white wine
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon basil
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 bay leaf
cooked spaghetti noodles

Directions:

In a crockpot/slow cooker place all ingredients except pasta. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 hours. Serve the chicken and sauce over pasta.

2 servings

Source: Taste of Home Magazine

Zesty Red Wine Steak

I usually don't post steak seasonings, because seasoning a steak is easy, and everyone has their own way. However, after trying this recipe, I had to post it. These steaks were delicious, and they tasting like something you would order at a restaurant. DH and I made these while we were on vacation, so I didn't get a picture. DH and I will swear by this recipe. ENJOY!

Ingredients:

2 steaks (top round, fillet, or sirloin)
1/4 cup EVOO
1 Tablespoon steak seasoning (we used Montreal steak)
1/4 cup red wine
1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Directions:

Mix all the ingredients, except steaks, together until well blended. Add to a resealable bag or dish. Add the steak. Turn to coat well. Refrigerate for at least one hour. (We marinated the steaks overnight, turning once to coat well). Remove steaks and place on grill. Discard the remaining seasoning.

2 servings.

Easy Chicken Noodle Soup . . .

. . . for a sick DH. DH was diagnosed with a "severe sinus infection." All he wanted at 11 pm was chicken noodle soup. I didn't have any on hand, but I whipped this together in about 30 minutes. I couldn't find a recipe in one of my cookbooks, so I just made one up. DH enjoyed it and ate several bowl fulls before going to sleep.

Ingredients:

1 - 2 chicken breasts, boneless skinless
1 - 2 cans of cream of chicken soup
spaghetti noodles
salt
pepper
poultry seasoning

Directions:

Cut the chicken up into bite-size pieces. In a large pot, mix the cream of chicken soup with 2 cans of water. For a thicken soup, use 2 cans of soup. Mix the soup well and stir in the uncooked chicken pieces and spices. Bring to a boil. When the soup boils, turn it down to medium-low, cover it, and simmer until the chicken is well done (about 15 - 20 minutes). Return the soup to boiling and stir in the noddles. Boil for about 10 minutes until the noodles are cooked.

Servings: 2