Random meal

This is a REALLY last minute meal. I wasn't going to take a picture and add it to the blog but Porter and Daddy insisted that we take a picture as always. It is kind of Halloweenie though :)

It's a RANDOM combination of potato wedges (cut up potatoes and seasoned with a 'potatoe wedge season package') Boney breadsticks (breadstick dough shaped like bones and salted with kosher coarse salt) and Beanie Weenies (sliced hot dogs, Pork-n-beans, diced chilli peppers and of course cheese, warmed up in the microwave)

Chipotle Shrimp Taco with Avacado salsa Verde

Chipotle Shrimp Taco with Avocado salsa Verde

Ingredients

Avocado Salsa:

• 1 small onion, quartered
• 1 jalapeno, quartered, seeds optional
• 1 garlic clove, smashed
• 4 medium tomatillos, (about 8 ounces) husked, rinsed, and coarsely chopped
• 1/2 Hass avocado, peeled, seeded, and cut into chunks
• 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/4 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped

Shrimp:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon chipotle or blended chili powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 pound medium shrimp (about 20), peeled and deveined
• 8 corn tortillas
• 8 sprigs cilantro for garnish
• 2 limes, cut into wedges

Directions

Put the onion, jalapeno, and garlic in a food processor and finely chop. Add the tomatillos, avocado, and salt and pulse until chopped but still chunky. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the cilantro.

Heat a stovetop or outdoor grill to medium-high. Mix the olive oil, chipotle or chili powder, and salt in a large bowl. Add the shrimp and toss to coat. Grill the shrimp until translucent, about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes on each side.

Grill tortillas, until slightly charred and pliable, about 20 seconds per side. (Alternatively, wrap in a damp paper towel and heat in a microwave.) Spoon sauce on the tortilla, then top with about 2 or 3 shrimp and a sprig of cilantro. Serve 2 tacos per person, with a lime wedge on the side.

Easy Potatoe Casserole

Ingredients:
5-6 Med Potatoes
1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
1/3C Sour cream
3 Green Onions (chopped)
1/4 C Bacon Bits (or ham cubes)
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375. Cook Potatoes till soft. (I usually just stick them in the microwave) Remove and cut in cubes. Mix all ingredients in medium size bowl. Leave out 1/4C of cheese. Spread in casserole dish and top with cheese. Cook for 20-25min

Penne alla Norma

Penne alla Norma

(A delicious and simple Martha Steward recipe, that I got from Nikaela, with tomatoes, onions, eggplant, penne noodles, ricotta cheese and a side of garlic french bread)

Ingredients

• 1 pound penne rigate
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 large eggplant, cut into 3/4-inch chunks
• 1 1/2 pounds plum tomatoes, cored and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/2 cup torn fresh basil, plus more for garnish
• 3/4 cup ricotta cheese

Directions

1. Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, according to package instructions. Drain pasta; return to pot.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and crushed red pepper; cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes.
3. Add eggplant to skillet; season generously with salt and pepper. Cover, and cook until eggplant begins to release juices, about 5 minutes. Uncover; cook, stirring, until tender, 3 to 4 minutes (if bottom of pan browns too much, add a few tablespoons water, and scrape with spoon).
4. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, and 1/4 cup water to skillet; cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes.
5. Toss sauce and basil with pasta; gently reheat if necessary. Top each serving with a spoonful of ricotta, and garnish with more basil.

Twisted Spaghetti

This is my easy, no brainer meal when I need to make something quick! It's yummy too!

I actually never measure so these measurements are aproxamates...good luck
Ingredients:
1 bag Spiral noodles
3/4 jar Spaghetti Sauce
3/4 lbGround sausage or beef
1/3 C Mozzarella cheese
1/3 C Cheddar cheese
1-2 Yellow or green squash (optional, It adds a lot and makes it more healthy!)

Cook noodles and drain. While noodles are cooking cook meat (sausage needs no seasoning and ground beef needs to be seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic and italian seasoning). If adding the squash slice, boil and drain. Once everything is cooked seperatly, combine all but the squash. Mix on a low-med heat, till cheese is melted. Then add squash and carfully stir in so they don't break apart too much.

Meatball Subs

Sub bread
Meatballs (4-5 per sandwhich)
Swiss cheese (or your favorite white cheese)
Spaghetti sauce

Just take those lovely meatballs you just made or pull them out of the freezer (remember to thaw first) place 4-5 on sub bread top with cheese and cook on broil till cheese is melted. Top with spaghetti sauce and or dip it into the sauce.

Italian Meatballs

Italian MeatballsThese are very versitle and freezable which is GREAT! I like them for meatball subs, spaghetti and will often times thaw a few out, break them apart, and stick it in a dish that reqpires ground beef so I can skip cooking the meat that night.
1lb ground beef
1/2 C italian bread crumbs
1/3 C water
1/4 C grated Parmesan cheese
1 med onion, finely chopped
Season with garlic, salt and pepper to taste

Heat Oven to 400 degrees F. Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Mix (I just get down and dirty and use my hands) and form into balls (small or big, whatever floats your boat). Place on broiler and cook for 30-40 min. till nice and brown and cooked through.

7-Layer Bean Dip

7 Layer Bean dip

Layer these ingredients in this order:

Refried beans
guacamole (optional)
Sour cream
Taco seasoning (lightly sprinkle over)
Cheese, grated
Tomatoes, diced
Green Onions, chopped
Black Olives (optional)

Dip away with tortilla chips

Chicken Lo Mein

Chicken Lo Mein

Ingredients:
12oz angel hair pasta
3 t sesame oil
5 T soy sauce
1 1/2 t corn starch
1/8 t ground black pepper
1T Vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves pressed
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts halves cut in strips (I only used 3 and it was plenty)
3 C cabbage, finely shredded
3 carrots, coarsly shredded
1 1/2 C fresh mushrooms, sliced
3/4 C onions, chopped

Cook Pasta, transfer into a bowl; add sesame oil and toss until coated. In a sm bowl, stir together the broth, soy sauce, cornstarch and pepper; set aside.
In a skillet, heat oil over med-high heat and add garlic, stir fry for 30 secs. Then add chicken strips and stir fry for about 3 min, till no longer pink. Remove and and cover to keep warm.
Add cabbage, carrots, mushrooms and onions to skillet and stir -fry another 3 mins . Add broth mixture to skillet. Stir-fry, mixing well for 2 mins. Return chicken to skillet and heat through. Serve.

Mummy Dogs

Mummy dogs

Ingredients:
Long Hot dogs
Pilsberry Doughboy Breadsticks

Wrap 3 seperate doughs around hot dog and cook as directed

Sheppers Pie

Shepperds Pie

Ingredients:
6 med Potatoes (cooked and made into mashed potatoes)
2 cans Green Beans
1 can tomato sauce
1/2 can shredded beef
1/4 C cheese
Optional seasonings: salt, pepper, italian seasoning, garlic

Preheat oven to 350. Cook and mash potatoes (however you normally like it). In a casserole dish combine green beans, tomato sauce, beef and seasonings. Mix together, spread in dish, then cover with mashed potatoes and top with cheese. Cook for 20min, or till cheese is melted.

Brascher's Summer Sausage Special

Ingredients
1-2 lb. summer sausage
1 med. onion or 2 sm. onions
1 can (12 oz.) corn or (15 oz.)
1 jar (1 lb.) spaghetti sauce
1/2 stick butter
1 box (8 oz.) macaroni

1. Cook macaroni according to package and drain.
2. Melt butter in large pan.
3. Cut sausage into 2 inch slices, then cut each slice into 4 pieces. Chop onion finely. Add onion and sausage to melt butter and saute, for 10-15 minutes or until sausage and onion looks fully cooked. Drain off butter.
3. Heat spaghetti sauce and corn over top onion and sausage. After it is hot and bubbly.
4. Add everything to macaroni, mix well and serve with Parmesan cheese on top.

Chicken Parmsan

MMM...I loved this one, never made it before and it was so easy. Brent and the boys loved it too!! YEAH! It is from my 'Saving Dinners' recipe book.
*this recipe serves 6 but I cut it into 3rds and only made 2 chicken breasts for my family of 4

6 boneless skinless chicken breasts halves
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 C Italian Seasoned bread crumbs
1T Olive Oil
1 Jar spaghetti Sauce
3/4 C mozzarella cheese, shredded
3 T grated Parmesan cheese
Spaghetti Noddles cooked

-Heat oven to 350. In a large sipper-topped plastic bag, place 2 chicken breasts halves at a time and use a rolling pin to flatten.
-In a bowl, place your lightly beaten eggs; in another bowl , place the bread crumbs. Dip chicken in egg first, then in bread crumbs to coat thoroughly. In a large skillet, heat oil; add chicken. Cook on both sides untill lightly browned; drain well on paper towel.
-Pour 1/2 cup spaghetti souce into an 8-inch-square backing dish. Layer chicken in the dish and pour about 3/4 C sauce evently over the checken. Sprinkle with the cheeses and bake 25 min or until bubbly.
-Meanwhile , cook noddles according to package directions and drain, Heat remaining sauce . To serve, place noodles on the bottom, spoon sauce over noodles and arrange chicken piece on top.

Swedish Beef Crock-Pot

Swedish Beef Crock-Pot

Ingredients:
16oz egg noodles
1 pound round steak, cut into 2-inch cubes
1 Onion, sliced
salt and pepper to tast
3/4 C Chicken Broth
1/4 C flour
1/4 C cold water
1t dill weed
1 C sour cream

Directions:
In crock pot, place the beef, onion, and sallt and pepper to taste. Add the broth and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Remove meat from crock pot. Pour remaining juices in a saucepan, heat on medium-high heat, and thicken with flavor dissolved in 1/4 cup cold water and mix well. When sauce is thickened, remove from heat and stir in sour cream. Serve with sauce spooned over the top of the meat.

Serve over egg noodles

Hazelnut-Crusted Chicken with Gorgonzola Sauce

Hazelnut-Crusted Chicken with Gorgonzola Sauce

Ingredients:
2 T flour
1t Poultry Seasoning
1t Garlic powder
2 lg egg whites
1C chopped hazelnuts (I used almonds)
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
salt and freshly ground pepper
2T extra-virgin olive oil
1 C milk
1/2 C Gorgonzola cheese
2 T chopped fresh sage (or 1t dried sage for garnish)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 F
-Mix the flour, poultry seasoning, and garlic powder on a dish. Beat the egg whites in a shallow plate or bowl. Place the hazelnuts on a piece of wax paper or plastic spread out.
-Preheat nonstick skillet with an oven-safehandle over medium to medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Turn in flour to dust the breasts, then turn them in the egg whites, then press the breasts into the nuts on both sides. Wash hands. Add oil to the pan and add the chicken. Brown the nuts-crusted chicken for 2 min on each side, then transfer to the oven and finish cooking the chicken through, 8-10mins.
-Shortly before serving, warm milk over medium heat in a small pot. Add the cheese and melt it into the milk. If using dried sage, stur it into the sauce. Simmer for 5 mins
-To serve drizzle sauce over chicken and sprinkle sage on top

Heres a quick peek at what's to come!!

Swedish Crock-Pot

(this recipe is from 'Saving Dinners' cook book round steak strogonoff on wheat noodles with a side of steamed carrots and broccoli)

Penne alla Norma

(A delicious and simple Martha Steward recipe, that I got from Nikaela, with tomatoes, onions, eggplant, penne noodles, ricotta cheese and a side of garlic french bread)

Hazelnut Crusted Chicken with Gorgonzola Cheese
(This is a Rachel Ray recipe. ok so I used almonds instead, but this was a DELICIOUS meal! The chicken was so flavorful, esp with the sauce. I added Herb angel hair pasta with a spinach salad)

Chipotle Shrimp Taco with Avocado Salsa Verde

(A recipe I found online. Brent loved it. It's all homemade baby. We learned how to make tortillas at my mom's house the other day, the salsa is made from the recipe I got and after seasoning the shrimp Brent grilled them for me. Just assemble everything and Vwalah)