Spaghetti all'Elsa (sort of)

Spaghetti all'Elsa (sort of)

Salt
1 pound Italian imported dried spaghetti (I used Muellers - my Publix doesn't sell imported dried spaghetti!)

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 3 turns of the pan
3 cloves garlic, crushed (I used minced roasted garlic out of a jar!)
3/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/3 cup chicken stock (wich I had some white wine)
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes (recommended: San Marzano), plus
1 (14-ounce) can crushed tomatoes (I used a small jar of pizza sauce)
Several leaves basil, torn or chopped, a handful
2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (I used half parmesan and half asiago)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water and add pasta. Cook to al dente, with a bite to it.

Heat a medium sauce pot over medium-low heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil, garlic, and red pepper and let them cook 5 minutes. Add stock or wine and stir 30 seconds, add tomatoes and combine. Season the sauce with salt, to taste, then stir basil in and reduce heat to low.

I didn't noticed the 14 oz can of tomatoes tacked onto the end of the original recipe and didn't have any in the pantry, so I used a small jar of pizza sauce. Hey, it's Italian! :-)

When pasta is cooked, turn off the heat, drain the pasta then add it back to the still-hot, deep pot. Add butter to spaghetti and toss to melt and coat. Add half the red sauce and all of the cheese, work in a handful at a time as you toss to combine. To serve, use tongs or a meat fork to swirl the pasta into buttery, cheesy mounds to pile onto each plate. Top each portion with spoonfuls of remaining sauce.

I made Italian Cheese Stuffed Chicken to go with this and spooned a bit of this sauce over each chicken roll.

This was OK....definitely not the best Marinara type sauce I've ever had, but not bad. It needs spicing up in my opinion. Adapted from a Rachael Ray recipe.

Italian Cheese Stuffed Chicken

Italian Cheese Stuffed Chicken

4 chicken cutlets
3 tbsp cream cheese
1 1/2 tbsp shredded asiago cheese
1/2 tsp My Spice Sage's tomato powder
1/2 tsp dried basil + a sprinkle
1/2 tsp greek oregano
Garlic Salt and Pepper
Olive oil
Chicken broth

Preheat the oven to 375^.

Pound the chicken cutlets until thin and of even thickness. (That doesn't really sound right - thin but thick? - but I think you'll know what I mean.) In other words, make is flat!

Combine the cream cheese, asiago, tomato powder, 1/2 tsp basil, and oregano and beat until well mixed. Divide cheese mixture into 4 portions and spread over the flattened chicken. Roll up the chicken like a jelly roll and place, seam side down in a baking dish. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle with basil, garlic salt and pepper. Pour some chicken broth around the chicken to just cover the bottom of the dish.

Bake, uncovered for 35-40 minutes or until chicken is completely cooked.

I served this chicken with Spaghetti all'Elsa and I spooned a bit of the sauce from that dish over the tops of the chicken rolls. Good chicken if I do say so myself! I saw a recipe somewhere a while back for chicken stuffed with cream cheese and sundried tomatoes, so that was the inspiration for this dish. next time I make this dish, I'm going to sprinkle some mozzarella over the sauced chicken rolls and broil it until the cheese melts!

BBQ Chicken BLT Salad

BBQ Chicken BLT Salad

1/2 cup mayonnaise
4 Tbsp barbecue sauce
1 tsp minced dehydrated onions
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp honey
1/4 tsp pepper
McCormick's Mesquite seasoning
Garlic powder
1 lb chicken tenderloins
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 bag salad greens, washed and spun dry
1 large tomato, diced
8 bacon strips, cooked crispy, drained and broken into pieces
2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
French Fried Onions (or croutons), if desired

In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, bbq sauce, onions, lemon juice, honey, pepper and a dash of McCormick's Mesquite seasoning. Whisk until well blended. Cover and refrigerate until serving time.

Season the chicken tenderloins with garlic powder, pepper and Mesquite seasoning. Heat the oil in a non-stick skillet and saute the chicken until completely and throroughly cooked. Remove from heat and let cool. Cut into bite-sized pieces.

Combine the salad greens, tomato, chicken chunks, bacon and eggs in a large bowl. Toss well and serve with the BBQ Dressing and a sprinkle of French Fried Onions.

Yum!

Peach Cobbler Bread

PEACH COBBLER BREAD

1/3 c. butter or margarine, softened
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
1/3 c. water
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/8 tsp. almond extract
1 c. diced peeled peaches
1 2/3 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 c. chopped pecans

TOPPING:
2 Tbsp. chopped pecans
2 Tbsp. brown sugar

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in water and extracts. Stir in peaches. Combine flour, baking soda, salt and baking powder; gradually add to the creamed mixture. Stir in pecans. Pour into a greased 9x5x3" loaf pan. Combine topping ingredients; sprinkle over batter. Bake @ 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. Makes 1 loaf

I don't remember where I got this recipe, but it's good! I had some ripe peaches I needed to use up today so I made this (minus the pecans cause I didn't have any and I left off the brown sugar topping too). I also doubled the recipe and baked it in a Bundt pan. Smelled so good while it was baking John was hanging out in the kitchen waiting for it to come out of the oven! It doesn't really taste very peachy, but I'll definitely be making it again.

Herb Baked Eggs

Herb Baked Eggs

1/2 teaspoon thyme leaves, minced
1/2 teaspoon oregano leaves, minced
3/4 tablespoons parsley, minced
1 tablespoons parmesan cheese, grated
Pinch garlic powder
6 extra-large eggs
3 Tbsp heavy cream
1 1/2 Tbsp unsalted butter
Salt and Pepper to taste, if desired
Toasted French bread or brioche, for serving

Preheat the broiler for 5 minutes and place the oven rack 6 inches below the heat.

Combine the thyme, oregano, parsley, parmesan cheese and garlic powder and set aside. Carefully crack 2 eggs into each of 3 small bowls (you won’t be baking them in these) without breaking the yolks.

Place 3 individual gratin dishes on a baking sheet. Place 1 tablespoon of cream and 1/2 tablespoon of butter in each dish and place under the broiler for about 3 minutes, until hot and bubbly. Quickly, but carefully, pour 2 eggs into each gratin dish and sprinkle evenly with the herb mixture, then sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Place back under the broiler for 5 to 6 minutes, until the whites of the eggs are almost cooked. (Rotate the baking sheet once if they aren’t cooking evenly.)

The eggs will continue to cook after you take them out of the oven. Allow to set for 60 seconds and serve hot with toasted bread.

Good eggs! Easy and quick. However, I left mine in for the entire 6 minutes and they were a bit over-cooked for my taste. Nest time I'll only cook them 5 minutes!

Adapted from http://www.thedragonskitchen.com/2008/07/herb-baked-eggs_25.html

Turkey Ranch Sub

Turkey Ranch Sub

2-3 oz soft cream cheese
1 heaping tbsp mayonnaise
1 tsp ranch dressing mix
1 loaf french bread, cut in half lengthwise
1/2 lb thinly sliced turkey breast
1/4 lb thinly slice swiss cheese
Shredded Lettuce
Thinly sliced ripe tomato
Pepper

Combine cream cheese, mayo and ranch dressing mix and stir until well mixed. Spread on both sides of bread. Layer lettuce, turkey, cheese and tomato on bottom half. Sprinkle tomatoes with pepper. Top with the other half. Cut into 2 or 3 servings.

Yummy with Bread and Butter pickles!

Bowties with Sausage, Tomatoes and Cream

Bowties with Sausage, Tomatoes and Cream

1 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed and crumbled
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup diced onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (28 ounce) can Italian-style plum tomatoes, drained and coarsely chopped
1 tbsp chiffonade of fresh basil
1 cup heavy cream
Garlic salt to taste
12 oz pkg bowties, cooked al dente and drained
Grated Parmesan and minced fresh parsley top garnish

In a heavy skillet, cook the sausage, pepper flakes and onions in a little bit of water until browned and cooked through. Add garlic and cook, stirring 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes and basil and simmer aout 8 minutes. Add cream and garlic salt to taste and continue cooking, stirring occasionally over low heat for about 10 minutes. Stir in cooked bowties and sprinkle with parmesan and parsley, if desired.

Very good! Adapted from allrecipes.com

Brazilian Lemonade

I don't know why they call this lemondade, when it's made with LIMES! But it's really good! Might be the 2nd best "lemonade" I've ever had!

Brazilian Lemonade

2 limes
1/2 cup sugar
3 Tbsp sweetened condensed milk
3 cups water
Ice

Wash limes thoroughly. Cut off the ends and slice into eight wedges. Place limes in a blender with the sugar, condensed milk and water.

Blend in an electric blender, pulsing 5 times. Strain through a fine mesh strainer to remove rinds. Serve over ice.

From allrecipes.com

Roman Style Chicken

Roman-Style Chicken

2 chicken breasts, with ribs
4 chicken thighs, with bones
Garlic salt and pepper to taste
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 bell peppers, sliced (mixture of red, yellow and green)
3 ounces prosciutto, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup white wine
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon fresh oregano leaves
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 tablespoons capers

Season the chicken with garlic salt and pepper. In a heavy, large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot, cook the chicken until browned on both sides. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Keeping the same pan over medium heat, add the peppers and prosciutto and cook until the peppers have browned and the prosciutto is crisp, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, wine, and herbs. Scrape the browned bits off the bottom of the pan while stirring.

Return the chicken to the pan, add the stock, and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the chicken is cooked through, about 20 to 30 minutes.

Add the capers. Stir to combine and serve with pasta.

This was very good!

Adapted from a Giada De Laurentiis recipe from the Food Network.

Naked Linguine

Naked Linguine

1 (16 ounce) package linguine
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp minced roasted garlic
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil and cook the linguine until al dente (see package for time). In the meantime, in a small saucepan, combine the olice oil, garlic and pepper flakes and cook over a low heat until hot.

Drain the pasta. Pour the olive oil mixture over it and toss well. Toss in the parmesan cheese and serve.

Not bad...

Found at allrecipes.com This recipe is called "Pasta, Hot, Hot, Hot!" on their side, but I liked my husband's name for it better! He said it looked naked!

Brazilian Feijoada

Brazilian Feijoada

4 slices applewood-smoked bacon
1 pound boneless pork shoulder (Boston butt), trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
Garlic Salt and Pepper
3-4 bone-in beef short ribs
2 medium onions, finely chopped
10.5 oz low-sodium chicken broth
3 tsp minced roasted garlic
1 smoked ham hock
2 cans black beans
1 tablespoon white vinegar (I used Apple Cider Vinegar)

In a large, heavy skillet cook bacon slices until crisp. Remove from pan, drain on paper towels and set aside.

In the same skillet, add the pork cubes to the bacon grease. Season with garlic salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally until browned. With a slotted spoon, remove the pork cubes from the skillet and put them in a large slow cooker.

Again in the same skillet, brown the short ribs (season with more garlic salt and pepper). Place the browned short ribs in the slow cooker. Add the onions, chicken broth, garlic and ham hock and cook 4-6 hours. Add black beans and continue cooking for another 2-3 hours. Serve over hot cooked rice.

These were the best black beans I've ever eaten! Seriously.

Lemon Blueberry Marble Cake

I found a link to the inspiration for this cake on pinterest and it looked so incredibly good that I just had to try it. Problem was, I had no fresh or frozen blueberries and I was too lazy to go to the grocery store to buy some. I DID have a jar of blueberry preserves though and a well stocked pantry! Hmmmm....let's try this:

Lemon Blueberry Marble Cake

12 oz jar blueberry preserves
1 large lemon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 pkg lemon cake mix, plus whatever other ingredients that mix calls for
1 stick butter, softened
1 lb confectioner's sugar

Zest the lemon. Reserve the lemon for the frosting.

For the Blueberry Filling: Combine 1 tsp of the lemon zest, the ginger and 3/4 of the jar of blueberry preserves in a small bowl and stir until thoroughly combined. Set aside.

Prepare the cake mix according to the package directions, adding about half of the remaining lemon zest to the batter. Remove 3/4 cup of batter to a small bowl and reserve. Divide the remaining batter between 2 greased and floured (or hit 'em with Baking Pam!) 8" round pans.

Add 2 Tbsp blueberry preserves from the amount left in the jar to the reserved batter and beat well. Spoon/drizzle blueberry batter over the filled pans and swirl/marble with a knife or skewer. Bake at 350^ F until cakes are done. Remove from pans and cool thoroughly on wire racks.

For the frosting, beat the softened butter, remaining lemon zest, powdered sugar and enough lemon juice (I needed all the juice that lemon had!) to make a smooth and spreadable icing.

Spread the blueberry filling over the top of one of the cake layers. Top with remaining cake layer and frost the top and sides with the Lemon Frosting. Refrigerate until serving time.

I loved it! I bet the original is phenomenal and I'll have to try it one day (when I have blueberries!)

Cajun Chicken Pasta

Cajun Chicken Pasta

3 large chicken breasts, cut into cubes
3 tsp Cajun seasoning, divided
3 Tbsp Olive Oil
1/2 large red onion, sliced
2 bell peppers, sliced (I used a mixture of red, green and yellow)
1 tsp minced roasted garlic
1/2 cup white wine
10.5 oz can low sodium chicken broth
28 oz can diced tomatoes (I used a can with basil, garlic & oregano)
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
Garlic salt and pepper to taste
1 cup heavy cream
1 lb pasta (I used Rotelle)

Season the chicken chunks with 1 tsp cajun seasoning and brown lightly in a large skillet in the hot olive oil. Remove chicken from pan and add onions and bell pepper slices. Season with another tsp of cajun seasoning and cook about 5 minutes, stirring often. Add garlic and wine and cook until most of the wine evaporates. Stir in chicken broth, diced tomatoes and cayenne. Taste and season with garlic salt and pepper as desired. Stir the chicken into the mixture and simmer about 20 minutes.

Toss the pasta with the sauce and serve. If you're feeling fancy, feel free to throw some chopped parsley on top!

This is my lazy woman's version of a recipe found on the Pioneer Woman's blog! (I love her!) I always keep sliced peppers in the freezer so I only had to slice the onion tonight, which suited me fine after a long day at the office. This was easy and DEElicious!

Sausage & Red Beans with Cajun Rice

Sausage & Red Beans with Cajun Rice

2 cups long-grain white rice
4 cups water
1 tbsp instant chicken bouillon
1 tsp Cajun seasoning
1 tbsp olive oil
1 lb smoked sausage, cut into 1/2-inch slices
1 onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 tsp roasted minced garlic
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 can sliced stewed tomatoes
2 cans light red kidney beans
1 can dark red kidney beans
2 splashes hot sauce

Combine rice, water, bouillon and cajun seasoning and cook in a rice cooker until done. Keep hot.

In a large skillet, brown the sausage slices in hot olive oil. Remove from pan and drain on paper towels. Keeping only 1 tbsp oil in the pan, add onion and bell pepper and cook about 5 minutes, stirring often. Add garlic and worcestershire sauce and stir well. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Return sausage slices to the mixture and cook 10 minutes more. Serve over Cajun Rice.

This was a spur of the moment creation and it was REALLY good! I'll be making this again.

Herb Roasted Potatoes

Herb Roasted Potatoes

2 large baking potatoes
2 Tbsp minced shallots
2 Tbsp butter, melted
1 Tbsp lemon juice
4 springs fresh thyme
Salt & pepper to taste
 
Preheat oven to 450^. Slice potatoes, peeled or unpeeled, into slices ¼-inch thick and arrange them in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Combine shallots, melted butter and lemon juice; pour over the potatoes. Arrange thyme sprigs on top.
 
Approximately 15 to 20 minutes before serving time, put potatoes in oven. Roast 10 to 15 minutes, turning them over as they brown. When potato slices are tender inside and browned on the outside, season with salt and pepper, turn off the oven, and leave them in the oven with the door ajar.

These were OK. I've had better roasted potatoes though....

Brick Chicken with Garlic & Thyme

Brick Chicken with Garlic & Thyme

2 clean bricks wrapped in foil
2 chicken breasts
4 chicken thighs
Salt and pepper to taste
3 tbsp olive oil
8 cloves garlic, smashed
8 sprigs thyme
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

Heat 3 tbsp olive oil in a large iron skillet until hot (over medium heat). Season chicken pieces with salt & pepper and place, skin side down in the hot skillet. Scatter garlic, thyme and pepper flakes around chicken. Place another clean iron skillet on top of the chicken and place the bricks in that skillet. Cook 10 minutes.

Remove the bricks/skillet. Carefully turn the chicken and stir the garlic. Return the bricks/skillet to the chicken and continue cooking another 10 minutes or until the chicken is completely cooked and golden brown.

Smelled wonderfully garlicky, but the taste was not worth messing with those heavy bricks! And I can't recommend cooking the breast meat this way...too dry.

Adapted from a Woman's Day recipe.

Crockpot Braised Short Ribs

Crockpot Braised Short Ribs

3 tbsp olive oil
4 lbs beef short ribs
Salt, Pepper and Garlic Powder to taste
2 onions, cut into quarters
1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 cup red wine
32 oz beef broth

Heat oil in a large iron skillet. Season the short ribs with salt, pepper and garlic powder and brown well on all sides in the hot oil. When browned, place the ribs in a large crock pot and add remaining ingredients. Cover and cook for 6 to 8 hours or until the ribs are very tender.

Skim off the fat and thicken gravy if desired. Good stuff!

Chicken Carbonara over Garlic-Butter Rice

Chicken Carbonara over Garlic-Butter Rice

2 cups long-grain rice
3 tbsp butter
1 tbsp instant chicken boillon granules
1 tsp garlic powder
7 slices thick sliced low-sodium bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 lb chicken tenderloins, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 tsp garlic minced
2 green onions, sliced
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 cup frozen petite peas thawed, drained
1/2 - 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cook rice as directed on package, adding butter, bouillon granules and garlic powder.

Cook bacon until crisp; remove and drain off all but 2 tbsp of drippings. Season chicken with salt and pepper as desired. Add chicken, saute until seared on all sides.

Add garlic, green onions, peas, cream and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese; simmer until it begins to thicken. Add extra cheese if necessary to thicken to your taste. Add bacon just before serving.

Serve over rice; garnish with extra green onion, if desired.

I don't remember where I got the original recipe for this, but I think it might have been an Uncle Ben's Rice recipe, since it called for Uncle Ben's Garlic & Butter Rice mix. Since that's impossible to find here (if they even still make it!) I make my own as shown above. This recipe is delicious over the rice or over pasta and it's very easy and fast!