Mimi's Chicken Noodle Soup

This is an old family recipe and it's definitely a family favorite around here!  It's rare that we have a meal of which everyone (even the baby!) requests second helpings.

Mimi's Chicken Noodle Soup
for the noodles:
1 1/3 c all-purpose flour
2 eggs
2 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt

for the soup:
2 tablespoons olive oil or butter
2 celery ribs, sliced
2 carrots, sliced
1/2 white onion, diced
1 small baking potato, peeled and diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
4-5 sprigs fresh thyme
salt and pepper, to taste
6-8 cups chicken broth
2 chicken breasts, cooked and diced (or you can substitute a store-bought rotisserie)

For the noodles, add flour to the mixing bowl of a stand mixer.  In a small bowl, combine eggs, water, oil and salt.  Pour liquid into the flour and mix with a spoon until a dough forms.  With the bread hook attachment, "knead" the dough for about 10 minutes.  (Alternatively, you can do this with your hands if you don't have a stand mixer - I'm sure that's what Mimi did originally!)  Cover and let rest an hour.

Meanwhile to start working on the soup, place a large pot over medium-low heat and heat oil or butter. Add celery, carrots, and onion and cook 6-8 minutes, or until vegetables are softened and onion is translucent.  Add the garlic, potato, thyme, salt and pepper and cook another 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until garlic is fragrant.  Add chicken broth and let simmer while you finish working on the noodles.

After an hour, roll the dough out on a floured surface.  (If the dough keeps shrinking, let it rest another 10-20 more minutes.)  Roll dough out to about 1/8-inch thick and use a pizza cutter to slice into noodles.  Let the noodles dry out another 30 minutes.

Once the noodles have dried, add them and the chicken to the soup.  Cook another 10-20 minutes, or until the noodles are cooked through.  If the noodles are chewy, let them cook another few minutes.

Read more...

Roasted Tomato Basil "Cream" Sauce

This whole 'dairy free' thing has turned out to be a wonderful change of pace for the family.  Finley is actually eating more (and hopefully gaining weight since she's a skinny minnie), Andrew has already lost two pounds and while I haven't lost any weight (but I'm crossing my fingers I do!), I feel great because we're eating so much healthier than we did before.  I'm also enjoying that going dairy free has pushed me out of my cooking comfort zone and forced me to try new recipes, like this one!

This sauce truly felt decadent while we were eating it, but I loved not feeling guilty about it since there wasn't actually any cream or butter in it!  The sauce is so flavorful from the roasted tomatoes, garlic and loads of fresh basil.  Really, how could you go wrong with those ingredients?!?  Even my carnivorous husband happily ate every bite without any comments/complaints about the lack of meat.  Finley and I happily ate our dinner and then we had leftovers for lunch the next day.  While the leftovers still had a wonderful flavor, the sauce had disappeared (i.e. absorbed by the noodles), so these noodles are definitely best served immediately.  Or just serve the sauce on the side rather than tossing them together.

Roasted Tomato Basil "Cream" Sauce 
adapted from Oh She Glows

1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon olive oil, divided
6-7 oz whole wheat spaghetti
1/2 cup raw cashews
1/4 cup chicken broth or water
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup fresh basil, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.  Place tomatoes on baking sheet and drizzle with 1 teaspoon olive oil.  Roast for about 25-30 minutes, or until tomatoes are slightly charred and bursting.  Let cool.

Meanwhile, put water on to boil for the noodles.  When boiling, add noodles and cook according to package directions.  Drain.

In a blender or food processor, add tomatoes, cashews, chicken broth and tomato paste.  Blend until fairly smooth.

In a saucepan over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon olive oil.  When hot, add garlic and saute for 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until fragrant.  Add tomato mixture and stir to combine.  Taste and season with salt and pepper.  You may need to add a few tablespoons of water to the sauce if it is too thick.   Let sauce simmer for 4-5 minutes, stirring often.  Remove from heat and stir in most of the basil (reserving some for garnish).

Toss sauce with hot pasta.  Garnish with reserved basil.

Read more...

Sneaky Spaghetti Sauce

When I hear people say that if you prepare vegetables well enough and often enough, then your child will eat them and love them, I automatically think one of two things.  First, they are incredibly lucky to have a child who apparently isn't a picky eater.  Or secondly, they don't have kids.  These naysayers also judge those parents who choose to 'hide' vegetables in the food they prepare their children.  "I mean, by hiding vegetables in food, how will the poor child ever learn to eat and appreciate vegetables on their own?!?"

I used to be one of these people.  Being somewhat of a foodie, I naively believed that by offering Finley the same foods I prepared for Andrew and myself, she would naturally develop a sophisticated palate.  And compared to most kids her age, maybe she has.  But she's still only two and a half and will choose a (veggie, organic) chicken nugget over broccolini any day of the week.

But here's what I've learned through my short years of motherhood.  Most kids are fickle eaters and they go through phases (usually fairly quickly!) of what they like and don't like.  For instance, one night Finley ate 10 spears of asparagus with her dinner.  I was so proud, pretty much ecstatic really, that I had a toddler who loved a green veggie besides canned green beans!  I marched to Costco the next day and bought the 6-lb bag of asparagus only to come home to a toddler who adamantly refused to eat. a. single. bite. of. asparagus. ever. again.

And this is why I am a firm believer of offering tasty, fresh vegetables at every meal (because sometimes Fin surprises me and eats her carrots or broccoli) BUT also hiding vegetables in meals wherever I can.  I mean, really what is the harm in packing more vegetables into a meal?  It's healthier all the way around!  This is a spaghetti sauce recipe I created when Fin was going through her 'I-only-want-to-eat-pasta-and-ice-cream' phase.  We enjoy the sauce so much, it's now the only meat sauce I ever make anymore.  It's jam packed with vegetables (onion, tomatoes, bell pepper, mushrooms, carrots, celery, zucchini and squash) so it's healthy and tasty.  When I make this spaghetti, I can rest easy because if Finley refuses to eat any of her vegetable side dishes that night, I don't have to worry since she ate some of the dreaded veggies without even knowing it.  And that makes me happy :-)

This recipe makes enough for about 10-12 servings.  I always make the full recipe - I serve it for dinner and then divide the leftovers into two or three large ziplock bags and throw them in the freezer for another night. Also, if you need to clean out your veggie drawer, feel free to throw in any other vegetables too!

Sneaky Spaghetti Sauce
a Baking and Eggs original

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 white onion, chopped
2 large carrots, finely chopped
2 ribs celery, finely chopped
4-8 oz fresh mushrooms, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 zucchini, shredded
1 yellow squash, shredded
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon fennel seed
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon rosemary
1/2 cup red wine (or substitute with more beef stock)
1/2 beef stock
1 lb Italian sausage or Italian turkey sausage, casings removed
1 lb ground beef or ground bison
2 29-oz cans tomato sauce (not spaghetti sauce)
1 14.5-oz fire-roasted diced tomatoes with garlic, drained
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan, plus more for serving (omit if you're dairy free)
2 bay leaves
salt and pepper, to taste
1 small can tomato paste
cooked spaghetti noodles, for serving

In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add bell pepper, onion, carrots, and celery.  Cook, stirring often, until onion becomes translucent.  Add mushrooms, garlic, zucchini, squash, basil, fennel seed, oregano and rosemary and cook for another 2-3 minutes.  Stir in wine and beef stock and let simmer while the meat cooks.

Meanwhile, in a large saute pan cook Italian sausage and ground beef over medium heat, breaking up any big lumps, until meat is browned.  Drain fat.  Add meat to vegetable mixture.

Add tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, parmesan cheese, bay leaves, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper.  Stir well to combine.  Cover and lower heat to medium-low.  Cook, stirring every 10 minutes or so, for at least one hour.  Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.  About 20 minutes before serving, stir in tomato paste if the sauce is too watery.  Continue to cook sauce over medium-low heat until ready to eat.  Serve over cooked noodles and sprinkle with extra parmesan.

Read more...

Chicken Gnocchi Soup

I found this recipe via Pinterest (no surprise there!) and I thought it looked like a great, almost Italian alternative to the traditional chicken noodle soup.  I am so glad we tried it because it was a big winner!  As soon as we sat down to eat, the talking completely ceased because we were too busy shoveling this soup into our mouths as quickly as possible.  Even sweet two year old Finley loved it and commented how "yummy" it was.  After dinner, Andrew suggested that we should bring the leftovers to friends who had a new baby last week.  I have to be honest though, I really don't want to give the leftovers to someone because I want to eat them all!

The broth has a great flavor from the veggies and simple herbs.  The soup is hearty enough (thanks to the gnocchi) without being heavy.  I felt like there were enough vegetables in the soup that I didn't need to make an additional vegetable side dish.  I love one dish meals!  I served the soup with a loaf of crusty garlic bread, and it was a wonderfully simple meal that I can't wait to have again soon.

Chicken Gnocchi Soup
as seen on Our Little Family, recipe adapted from All Recipes

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 small white onion, chopped
3 carrots, sliced
3 celery ribs, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1 rotisserie chicken, meat removed and chopped (or 2 cooked and chopped chicken breasts)
5 cups chicken broth
1 16-oz package mini potato gnocchi (I used potato and spinach gnocchi)
1 6-oz bag baby spinach, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream, half and half or fat free half and half
kosher salt and pepper, to taste

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Cook onion, carrots and celery in the oil until onion is translucent, about 5-7 minutes.  Stir in garlic, parsley and basil, and cook until fragrant, stirring often, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.  Stir in chicken and broth; bring to a simmer.

Add gnocchi into the simmering soup and cook until they begin to float, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in spinach and cook until wilted, about 3 more minutes.

Stir cream into soup and lower heat to medium-low.  Taste soup and season with salt and pepper.  You can eat the soup immediately to let it cook awhile longer.  I let mine cook about 30 more minutes because Andrew was running late.

Read more...

Lasagna Soup

I made this for dinner last night and was really looking forward to it.  Yesterday ended up being such a dreary day with overcast skies and a misty rain, so it was perfect soup weather.  This soup had all the goodness of lasagna, but with a much faster prep and cook time!  The broth was so wonderfully flavorful that I ended up not even needing to add any salt to it.  Even though the cooking time is rather short, the soup tastes like you've been simmering it all day.

If you're not feeding a crowd, then you'll probably have a lot of leftovers, which is why you don't want to add the noodles to the soup.  The noodles will continue to soak up the broth and retain a mushy texture.  I only cooked 4 oz of noodles and made a half recipe of the cheese mixture (rather than the full amounts that the recipe calls for) because I anticipated we'd have leftovers.  I froze the soup leftovers to eat at a later time, at which point I'll mix up additional cheesy goodness and cook more noodles.


Lasagna Soup
adapted from A Farmgirl's Dabbles

for the soup:
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 lb Italian seasoned ground turkey
12 white onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
4-8 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon fennel seed
1/2 teaspoon rosemary
1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
2 14-oz fire-roasted diced tomatoes
2 cups chicken broth
2 cup fresh spinach, roughly chopped
8 oz. fusilli pasta
salt and pepper, to taste

for the cheesy goodness:
8 oz. part skim ricotta cheese
1/4 cup grated parmesan
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella
2 pinches ground nutmeg
salt and pepper, to taste

for garnish:
8-10 fresh basil leaves, chopped
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated or shredded

In a large pot over medium heat, add olive oil.  Once oil is heated, add turkey, onions and mushrooms and cook until turkey is browned.  Add oregano, fennel, rosemary, red pepper and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds to one minute.  Add one can of diced tomatoes.  Using an immersion blender (or food processor or stand blender), puree the second can of tomatoes.  Stir into the soup.  Add chicken broth and spinach.  Simmer, covered, for 20 - 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a separate pot, cook noodles according to package directions.  Drain and set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, parmesan, mozzarella, nutmeg, salt and pepper and mix well.

To serve, place a generous dollop of the cheese mixture in the bottom of each bowl.  Top with a scoop of noodles and pour soup over noodles.  Sprinkle with parmesan and chopped basil.

Read more...

Scooter's Spaghetti Pie

As a self-proclaimed lover of anything pasta, I knew I had to make this recipe when I first spotted it on Pinterest. It looks like a simple, classic spaghetti casserole with a fun layer of cream cheese and veggies thrown in to spice things up a bit. Oh, and it's topped with French Fried Onions!

While I'm sure the original recipe is to die for, I wanted to try to 'healthify' it a little bit. I substituted whole wheat pasta, low fat cream cheese, replaced butter with olive oil and added a shredded zucchini. Also, I've never cooked with Fried Onions before - I didn't even know where they were located in the store! I was pleasantly surprised that my grocery store sold an all natural French Fried Onion option, so I didn't have to feel guilty about serving my family something packed with tons of preservatives. Bonus! But of course, they are still fried...but every little bit helps, right?!

Also, this recipe made enough for two pies, one to eat for dinner and one to freeze for later. Double bonus!

Sccoter's Spaghetti Pie

adapted from Salad in a Jar

16 oz whole wheat spaghetti

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 small white onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped

1 zucchini, shredded

1 8-oz package low fat cream cheese

1 lb ground turkey, bison, or beef

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1 large jar (26.25 oz) of spaghetti sauce

1/3 cup parmesan cheese, grated

1 6-oz can French Fried Onions

Cook pasta one or two minutes shy of al dente. Drain.

Spray two deep dish 9-inch pie plates (or one 9-x-13-inch pan) with nonstick spray. Divide the pasta evenly between the two plates.

Meanwhile, in a saute pan over medium heat, add olive oil. Add onions and bell peppers, stirring occasionally, and cook until softened and translucent. Add zucchini and cook 1 more minute. Lower heat and stir in cream cheese until just melted. Spread cream cheese mixture evenly over the noodles.

In a large pan, cook meat over medium heat. Drain grease. Stir in Italian seasoning and cook 1 minute. Add spaghetti sauce and parmesan cheese and let cook for a few minutes. Pour sauce evenly over the cream cheese mixture.

Bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Remove pan and sprinkle with French Fried Onions. Return to oven and bake 5 more minutes, being careful not to let them burn.

* If you're freezing half, let the casserole cool completely (do not bake or top with Fried Onions), wrap tightly with foil and freeze. If the casserole is defrosted, bake at 350 for 60-75 minutes, or until heated through. If it is still frozen, bake at 350 degrees for about 2 hours. Sprinkle Fried Onions on top and cook 5 more minutes.

Read more...

Roasted Red Pepper Pesto with Pasta

I absolutely adore pasta. I eat it at least three to four times a week, and I've been getting bored with my usual/traditional sauce recipes. I pinned this recipe on Pinterest (big surprise there!) and thought it sounded like a wonderful change of pace.

I came up with a few quick reasons why you too should try this recipe:

1.) I love that I was able to make the sauce from all fresh ingredients - nothing canned or processed here.

2.) Not only was it healthy, it was really tasty to boot!

3.) The brilliant red-orange sauce flecked with green from the basil and zucchini was beautiful as well as delicious.

4.) Texas has returned to 100 degree weather (ugh!) + a no-cook sauce = a much cooler kitchen

5.) By grating the zucchini and adding it to the sauce, you can sneak in an extra veggie and make it a one-dish meal.

Roasted Red Pepper Pesto with Pasta

adapted from Annie's Eats

3 red bell peppers, halved and seeded

1/2 cup pine nuts

2-3 garlic cloves

1/2 cup tightly packed basil leaves

1/2 cup parmesan cheese, plus extra for garnish

1/3 cup olive oil

salt and pepper

1 lb. penne pasta (or your favorite small pasta)

1 zucchini, coarsely grated

heavy cream, optional

Preheat broiler. Place bell peppers on a cookie sheet, cut side down. Broil peppers until their skin is blistered and charred, about 10 minutes. Place bell peppers on a plate and cover with plastic wrap for 10-15 minutes, or until cool enough to handle. Peel off the skin of the peppers.

Place pine nuts and cloves in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add bell peppers, basil, and parmesan. Pulse until well combined. Taste and season with salt and pepper. With the motor running, drizzle in olive oil until incorporated.

Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and return pasta to pot. Add zucchini and pesto and stir well to combine. Add heavy cream, a tablespoon at a time, if you desire a creamier consistency. Garnish with extra parmesan.

Read more...

Basil Spaghetti with Cheesy Broiled Tomatoes

Well, the name pretty much sums it all up, so I'll just go now...

Just kidding! I really had you going there, right?!?

I'm such a dork.

Back to the food. This dish was a wonderful, hearty - but not too hearty - vegetarian dish. My meat-eating man cleaned his plate and asked for more. This meal was just the perfect summer meal - a lightly seasoned pasta, fresh tomatoes, fresh basil, and melted, gooey cheese. Yes, please! If it weren't brutally hot in Texas, I would have loved to eat this out on the back deck with a glass of crisp white wine while reminiscing about our Italian honeymoon. But it's over 100 degrees (which totally qualifies as brutally hot in my book), so we ate inside with the air conditioner on full blast while intermittently telling Finley not to feed her tomatoes to the dog. Just keeping it real!

Basil Spaghetti with Cheesy Broiled Tomatoes

recipe from Real Simple - serves 4

12 oz spaghetti

3 large beefsteak tomatoes (about 1 1/2 lbs), each cut into 4 thick slices

3 T olive oil

salt and pepper

8 oz fresh mozzarella, grated

1/4 cup parmesan, grated or shaved

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

3/4 cup torn fresh basil leaves, plus more for serving

Heat broiler. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and return to pot.

Meanwhile, arrange tomato slices on greased baking sheet. Season with each slice salt and black pepper. Dividing evenly, sprinkle tomato slices with mozzarella and parmesan. Broil until the cheese is bubbly and golden, 3 to 7 minutes.

In a small saucepan, warm the oil with the garlic and red pepper over medium heat until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Toss sauce with the pasta. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve tomato slices over spaghetti. Garnish with extra basil leaves.

Read more...

Taco Pasta

Even though the Taco Lettuce Wraps were fantastic, we still had lots of leftovers that I wanted to use up. Knowing Andrew and I aren't fans of leftovers, I decided to re-use the ingredients in a pasta dish to make them seem less like leftovers. While this recipe isn't going to win any gourmet recipe contests, we really liked it and it was a quick meal to put together because there wasn't any prep work. Two meals for the effort of one - we all need at least a couple of these kinds of dishes in our recipe arsenals!

Taco Pasta

adapted from Annie's Eats

8 oz macaroni pasta (or other short pasta)

4 oz cream cheese

6 oz sour cream

1 c shredded sharp cheddar cheese (plus more for garnish)

1/2 lb seasoned taco meat (leftover from yesterday's Taco Lettuce Wraps)

2 c leftover Black Bean & Corn Salad

In a large pot, cook pasta according to manufacturer's directions. Drain and return pasta to hot pot. Reduce heat to low and add cream cheese. Stir until cream cheese has melted. Add sour cream, cheddar cheese, taco meat and salad. Stir well to combine. Garnish with extra cheese.

Read more...

Spinach and Boursin Mac & Cheese

I love macaroni and cheese, and I've almost convinced myself that this recipe is healthy as it contains spinach and uses whole wheat pasta! Even better, Finley ate it all - including spinach. Praise the Lord! Finley has developed a nasty habit of separating anything green from the rest of her food and then refusing to eat the greens. So getting her to eat spinach is a major feat!

Spinach and Boursin Mac & Cheese

8 oz whole wheat rotini (or other short pasta)

1 T butter

1/2 white onion, diced

2 heaping T flour

1 1/2 c whole milk

1 (5.2-oz) pkg Shallot & Chive Boursin cheese

1/4 c grated parmesan

1 (10-oz) pkg frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry of excess moisture

salt and pepper, to taste

1/8 t ground nutmeg

3 T walnuts, finely chopped

3 T panko breadcrumbs

1 1/2 T grated parmesan

2 t olive oil

Cook pasta according to package directions and drain. Preheat broiler.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan over medium heat, saute onion in butter until onion is soft. Add flour and stir to coat onion. Let cook one minute. Add milk and whisk constantly to prevent lumps. Let sauce simmer 1-2 minutes, or until thickened.

Lower heat to medium-low and stir in Boursin a little at a time until melted. Take pan off of heat and stir in parmesan, spinach, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Carefully stir in cooked pasta. Pour into a greased casserole pan.

In a small bowl, stir together walnuts, panko breadcrumbs and parmesan. Slowly drizzle in olive oil and mix well. Sprinkle topping evenly over casserole. Broil about 5 minutes to toast topping. Watch carefully since each broiler is a little different and the topping can go from toasted to burned quickly.

Serves 6-8 as a side dish or 4 as a main dish

Read more...

Creamy Baked Ziti

I love this dish for all the veggies packed into the red sauce and the creamy tang that the sour cream gives it. Yum! It makes a lot so I always freeze half and serve half for dinner (and usually a couple of lunches too.)

If you're in a hurry, you can always skip making my red sauce and use a store-bought sauce.

Creamy Baked Ziti

2 T olive oil

1 small white onion, chopped

1 small eggplant, chopped

1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped

8-oz mushrooms, sliced

1/4 c wine (you can use red or white - I always just use whatever I already have open)

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 28-oz cans tomato sauce

1/4 c parmesan cheese, grated

1 T worcestershire sauce

assorted fresh herbs - rosemary, basil, oregano, parsley

16 oz ziti, penne, or rigatoni

16 oz sour cream

2 1/2 c shredded Italian cheese blend, divided

1/4 c parsley, minced

salt and pepper, to taste

In a large sauce pan over medium heat, add olive oil. When oil is hot, add onion, eggplant, bell pepper, mushrooms and wine. Saute 5-7 minutes or until veggies are soft and wine has mostly evaporated. Add garlic and saute another minute. Add tomato sauce, parmesan, worcestershire sauce and fresh (or dried) herbs. Stir well. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Cover and allow to simmer while the noodles are cooking.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In another large pot, cook noodles according to package directions.

In a small bowl, stir together sour cream, 2 c Italian cheese blend and parsley.

Spray two casserole dishes with non-stick spray. Spoon a little red sauce on the bottom of each pan. Top with noodles. Gently spread a couple of tablespoons of the sour cream mixture on top of the noodles. Spoon red sauce over that. Repeat the layers one more time or until all parts have been used.

Bake uncovered for 30 minutes. Top with remaining 1/2 c mozzarella and bake 5 additional minutes.

(If you're freezing one of the casseroles, freeze it without baking.)

Read more...

Ground Beef Stroganoff

I love the flavor of beef stroganoff, but I hate using tenderloin because it's so expensive. You can use a cheaper cut of beef but a lot of the time it isn't tender and/or it takes a long cooking time to make it tender. So for quick and economical weekday cooking, I use ground beef. I made this tonight and everybody (Finley included - and she doesn't usually eat meat or mushrooms!!) cleaned their plates. I call that a winning recipe!

Ground Beef Stroganoff

serves 4

1 lb ground beef (or ground turkey or bison)

4 T butter

1 small white onion, diced

8 oz button mushrooms, sliced

1 garlic clove, minced

4 T flour

1 14.5-oz can beef broth

1 T Dijon mustard

1 T worcestershire

1/3 c white wine

1/2 c sour cream (you can use low fat)

salt and pepper to taste

fresh dill, chives, or parsley, for garnish

cooked egg noodles, for serving

In a large skillet over medium heat, brown ground beef and drain off fat. Add butter, mushrooms and onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 7-9 minutes or until vegetables are softened. Add garlic and saute another 30 seconds.

Stir flour into mixture. Pour in beef broth and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Lower the heat and stir in mustard, worcestershire, wine, salt and pepper. Let simmer while the noodles are cooking.

When the noodles are finished cooking, add the sour cream and stir well to incorporate and heat through. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and/or pepper, if needed. Serve over noodles and garnished with dill.

Read more...

Lobster Lasagna Roll-Ups

I'm sorry I didn't get a picture of this recipe! Even without a picture, it was too good not to share.

I was at the store and saw that they had lobster tails on sale - like a really good sale! - so I had to buy two of them even though I had no idea what to do with them. Since I was already planning to make lasagna, I decided to combine to two to make Lobster Lasagna Roll-ups!

They were wonderful and really elegant - they'd be perfect to make when you're having company. You can even prepare them ahead of time and just bake them right before dinner time.

Lobster Lasagna Roll-Ups

1 8-oz box of lasagna noodles, cooked according to pkg directions

1 15-oz tub of part-skim ricotta cheese

1/2 c grated parmesan

2 T chopped parsley

2 shallots, finely chopped

1 egg

2 lobster tails, meat removed and chopped

salt and pepper

1 T olive oil

3 slices pancetta or bacon, chopped

1/2 white onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 14-oz fire roasted diced tomatoes, pureed in food processor

salt and pepper

1/2 t dried basil

a pinch of red pepper flakes

1 c heavy cream

chopped parsley or chives, for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large pan over medium heat, add olive oil. Once the oil is heated, add diced pancetta and onion and cook for several minutes, or until onion is softened and diced is starting to crisp up. Add garlic and cook another 30 seconds. Stir in pureed tomatoes, salt, pepper, basil and red pepper flakes. Lower heat to medium-low and continue to cook as the noodles are cooking.

Meanwhile, prepare lasagna noodles according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water.

Combine ricotta, parmesan, parsley, egg and shallots together in a bowl.

Add cream to the red sauce and stir well. Remove from heat.

Spray a casserole dish with non-stick spray. Spread a little of the tomato cream sauce on the bottom of the pan. To assemble the roll-ups, lay the lasagna noodles out flat. Spread each noodle with several tablespoons of cheese mixture and top with raw lobster meat. Roll up and place seam side down in the pan. Repeat until you have used all the cheese mixture and lobster. (You may have a few noodles left over.) Gently pour or spoon the tomato-sauce over the rolls.

Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until sauce is bubbly. Sprinkle with chopped herbs and serve.

Read more...

My Favorite Chicken Casserole

When I got married, my mom put together a recipe box of all of our family recipes and a few new ones she thought I'd like. It was a wonderful gift and I use those recipes all the time. This chicken casserole is one of the new recipes that I have grown to absolutely love. I don't make it often as it's not very healthy but sometimes, especially if I need to feed a crowd, I just have to make it. Luckily for me, tonight was one of those times!

My Favorite Chicken Casserole

1 rotisserie chicken, meat removed and chopped

4 T butter

1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped

1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped

1 small white onion or 1/2 large white onion, chopped

2-3 celery ribs, chopped

1 8-oz pkg fresh mushrooms, sliced or chopped

1/2 lb velveeta, cut into chunks

1/2 t black pepper

1 can reduced sodium cream of mushroom soup

1 3-oz jar stuffed green olives, sliced

1 c chicken broth

12 oz farfalle pasta

Shredded cheddar cheese or breadcrumbs, for topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bring water to boil for pasta. Cook pasta according to pkg directions.

Meanwhile, in a large saute pan over medium heat melt butter. Add bell pepper, onion, celery and mushrooms. Cook until veggies are soft but not brown, about 10 minutes. Add velveeta and stir until melted. Blend in pepper, soup and olives. Add chicken and broth. Stir until well combined. Pour over cooked and drained pasta. Stir together.

Pour into a greased 9' x 13' casserole dish. Top with shredded cheese or breadcrumbs. Bake in preheated oven 10-15 minutes or until bubbly.

Read more...

Sloppy Lasagna

I saw this recipe on another cooking blog that I really like (www.tasteandtellblog.com) and thought it would be perfect for the cooler weather we're finally getting here in Texas. It's a Rachael Ray 30 minute meals recipe but since I don't enjoy running around the kitchen like a chicken with my head cut off, I didn't attempt to make it in 30 minutes. Okay, I lied. I did try, failed miserably, had a glass of wine and told myself that cooking is supposed to be relaxing and not an Olympic sport. So I finished the recipe in about 45-50 minutes and I followed the recipe pretty exactly. I thought it was pretty good, but it could be better with a few changes, I think.

So next time I make this (it is much easier and faster than traditional lasagna, so I will make it again), I plan on making the following changes:

1.) I'll cook some finely chopped veggies - onion, mushrooms, spinach, zucchini, whatever I have on hand really - before cooking the meat. I like to try to add as many veggies as I can to make sure we get our daily recommended number of vegetable servings.

2.) I'll cook the meat and then DRAIN the fat off. I didn't realize until it was too late that the recipe never says to drain the fat. Gross!

3.) To the sauce, I'll add a can/jar of tomato sauce in with the diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Andrew and I both felt that the lasagna had plenty of bechamel sauce but not enough red sauce. This was especially true when I reheated the leftovers the next day - they were still good but on the dry side.

Another thing to make note of - this recipe makes scads so unless you're having 6 or more people for dinner or want tons of leftovers, I'd cut the recipe in half. Here is the link to the Sloppy Lasagna recipe. Enjoy!

Read more...

Penne a la Vodka

I'm a little embarrassed to make this confession, but I was watching a Jersey Shore marathon and had a strong craving for some Italian food. I decided on Penne a la Vodka because I'd never tried making it before and they were having it on the show. It only seemed fitting that I use the Penne alla Vodka recipe from my The Sopranos Family Cookbook!

Penne alla Vodka

adapted by Erin from The Sopranos Family Cookbook

3 T butter

2 shallots, finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced

2 oz pancetta, chopped

1 28-oz can Italian peeled tomatoes, coarsely chopped and sauce reserved

1/4 to 1/2 t crushed red pepper, depending how spicy you like it

1/2 c heavy cream or non-fat half-and-half if you're feeling healthy

1/4 c vodka

salt to taste

1 lb penne

1/2 c parmigiano-reggiano, freshly grated

parsley or basil, for garnish

In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook until it is softened and slightly translucent. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the pancetta and cook for 2-3 minutes or until slightly golden.

Add the tomatoes, sauce and red pepper and simmer for about 5 minutes. Stir in the cream and cook, stirring often, for about 1 minute. Add the vodka and cook for 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt.

Meanwhile, bring water to a boil in a large pot. Cook penne to al dente according to package directions. Drain and reserve 1/2 c cooking water.

Add the pasta to the sauce and toss to combine. Add reserved cooking liquid if the sauce seems too thick. Add the cheese and basil or parsley and toss again. Serves 4-6.

Read more...

Summertime Orzo and Chicken

Delicious! I've already made this recipe three times in the last month! I found this recipe on one of my favorite food blogs - www.noblepig.com - so if you haven't checked it out, you should. Anyway, I tweaked the recipe a little bit by adding fresh spinach, arugula, and orange tomatoes to it. Always trying to sneak in a few more veggies!

http://www.noblepig.com/2010/07/28/summertime-orzo-and-chicken.aspx

Read more...

Mediterranean Pesto Pasta with Grilled Chicken

Okay, this recipe isn't going to be an exact recipe by any means because I can't remember the measurements. My memory is not what it used to be! But if you're comfortable in the kitchen, then I'm sure you can look at the ingredients and go with your gut.

Mediterranean Pesto Pasta with Grilled Chicken

8 oz penne pasta

2 chicken breasts

kalamata olives

sun-dried tomatoes

artichoke hearts

hearts of palm

2 T red wine vinegar

1/4 to 1/3 c basil pesto

1/4 to 1/3 c Greek salad dressing

feta cheese

Cook the penne pasta according to package directions. While the pasta is cooking, heat a grill pan to medium-high heat, cook on one side for about 4 minutes, flip and lower heat to medium. Continue to cook until juices run clear, about 5 to 7 more minutes. Remove chicken from heat and let rest until pasta is finished cooking.

Chop olives, tomatoes, artichoke hearts and hearts of palm. Set aside. In a small bowl, mix together vinegar, pesto and salad dressing.

Drain pasta and return back to pot. Combine pasta with vegetables and pesto mixture. Place in serving bowls. Slice grilled chicken and place on top of pasta. Sprinkle with feta.

Read more...

Giada's Carbonara

As soon as I saw this recipe, it had me intrigued - a fried egg on top of pasta and asparagus?! It was also the first time I made my own homemade aioli, which was so simple that I know I'll do it again. But back to the recipe, I thought it was only okay and I probably won't be making it again. To me the egg and basil-y pasta didn't pair well together and the aioli became really oily when heated from the cooked pasta. To me, it just wasn't very appetizing. That being said, the recipe was very highly rated on the Food Network website, so maybe I did something wrong. This blog is supposed to chronicle my cooking triumphs and failures afterall...

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/giadas-carbonara-recipe/index.html

Read more...

Healthier Pesto

After returning from vacation, my pants were feeling a little tight and I decided to try and make some healthier meals. The first one I made was this healthier pesto and I was really surprised at how good it was. I really couldnt tell a difference from traditional pesto! An added plus was that it reheated well so I was able to have the left-overs for lunch the next day.

Healthier Pesto

1 cup fresh basil leaves, tightly packed

1 cup fresh baby spinach leaves, tightly packed

4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

2 T pine nuts, toasted

2 T parmesan, grated

2 T olive oil

3 T pasta cooking water

salt & pepper to taste

In a blender or food processor combine basil, spinach, garlic, pine nuts and parmesan. Pulse a time or two to finely mince ingredients. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Pulse until well combined. Season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Boil water and cook your pasta according to the package's directions. When pasta is al dente, reserve 3-4 T pasta water before draining the pasta. Slowly add pasta water to pesto, one tablespoon at a time until you reach the desired consistency. Spoon onto pasta and serve!

On a side note, you can always add in some other ingredients to make it even tastier. I added halved grape tomatoes and cubed fresh mozzarella. Other ideas are sun-dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, kalamata olives, grilled chicken...

Read more...