Clean Pantry Pasta Bake

Daddy Rating: 4



My hubs was hungry and I wasn't fast enough to take a picture...it was that good!

 I have a small kitchen....tiny, really. I have no idea how the woman who cooked in it before me fed SEVEN children there. I have no pantry space so I usually wind up keeping crackers in the 'fridge just because there is more room. So, last week I went through the pantry to make room for more groceries. Going through the food I realized I may have the ingredients for something yummy - so I tried it...and it worked. Below ingredients are just suggestions, go through your pantry and you may find a different yummy twist - think of it as a challenge. Or as we call it in my house "Adventures in Eating"

I used:
1 Package bow tie pasta
1 Jar pasta sauce
1 28oz can whole peeled tomatoes
1/2 Jar roasted red peppers, chopped
1lb Italian sausage,
1/2 an onion, chopped
1.5 cups Italian shredded cheese
1 tablespoon capers
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 teaspoon dried basil

Boil water for the pasta. In another pan, cook the sausage. Once sausage is mostly cooked add onion and garlic (add a little olive oil, too, if the pan is dry) and cook until translucent. Add tomatoes and break apart with a spoon, then add basil, roasted red peppers, pasta sauce, capers and let simmer.

While the sauce is filling the house with great smells, cook the pasta and drain. Combine pasta, sauce and a little cheese in the pasta pot, put into a glass baking dish and top with the remaining cheese.

I covered this with saran wrap in the 'fridge and cooked it a few nights later. Heat oven to 350* and cook for 25 min or so until warmed through. ENJOY!

Toasted Ravioli

I went to school at the University of Missouri - in Missouri, they have this thing called "Toasted Ravioli" which it turns out isn't "toasted" at all, but rather is deep fried. What's not to like!? A bit messy to make, but if your little one is anything like mine, she will love anything that you can dip-dip.

You'll need:
- Frozen ravioli (meat or cheese - use whatever you have left over from making the Ravioli Lasagna)
- 2 tablespoons whole milk
- 2 eggs
- Bread Crumbs (either use Italian flavored or add Italian seasoning)
- Jar of marinara sauce
- Veggie oil
- Parm cheese

Set up your assembly line; Beat eggs in a shallow dish with milk, put bread crumbs in another shallow dish, and then at the end put a plate with paper towels or something else for the ravioli to cool/drain.

Heat a few inches of oil in a deep sauce pan or dutch oven on high until oil is hot. Dip frozen ravioli in egg mixture, cover with breadcrumbs and plop in oil for approx 3 min. Remove from oil and drain. Sprinkle ravioli with parm and serve with heated marinara sauce. ENJOY!

Soo Yummy Thai Pasta & Chicken



Yummier than it looks!

Perfect weeknight dinner even if there is homework to do - Less than 30 min to make, one pot and flavor to boot. I tried and tried to get a good picture of this one, but you're going to have to take my word for it, it's fantastic. Many birthdays ago my mom put together a bunch of her favorite recipes in a book for me - this recipe card has "EASY & YUMMY" written on it, she's right!
You'll need:
3/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
3/4 lb linguine
Roasted chicken, torn, as much or as little as you like
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons lime juice (or the juice of 1 lime)
2 tablespoons chopped peanuts

Bring water to a boil for pasta, cook, drain, set pasta aside in a colander. In the same pot you made the pasta, mix together, broth, vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and chili flakes. Simmer for 5 minutes. Stir pasta in with broth mixture. Add chicken, lime juice. Put on plates/bowls and sprinkle cilantro and peanuts on top. Enjoy!!

Fun Ravioli Lasagna

Daddy Rating: 3/4

Lining the pan with raviolis

I have a fantastic lasagna recipe from my mom that I make...when I have a couple extra hours. But THIS is a perfect "everyday" lasagna and it took me all of 15 minutes to prep. It's so easy, it's fun - be sure to get the kiddos involved on this one. FYI: You will have more ravioli than you need - save it and make some "Toasted Ravioli" - recipe coming soon.

Ingredients:
1 package frozen meat ravioli
1 package frozen cheese ravioli
3 cups shredded mozerella
2 - 26 oz jars of your favorite marinara sauce (you'll have about half a jar left over)
2 - 10 oz packages of frozen chopped spinach (defrosted and water pressed out)
shredded parmesean for topping

Preheat oven to 350*

In a 9x13 baking dish spoon some marinra sauce on the bottom of the dish. Place a row of meat ravioi, sprinkle half of the spinach, sprinkle cheese, pour more sauce. Do another row of cheese ravioli, sprinkle the rest of the spinach, sprinkle cheese, and some Parmesean cheese.

Cover the dish in foil (I use the non-stick kind) and bake for 20-25 minutes, remove foil and bake for another 10-15 min or until brown  and bubbly.  I made this on a Sunday and it is currently waiting in my basement 'fridge until we are ready to cook! (I'll post the finished picture then)

Enjoy!

Halloween Tortilla Pumpkin Crisps

Daddy Rating: 7 (he's a sweet tooth)

I love the 'warts' that appear on the faces when they are cooked

I remember my mom making these for my entire second grade class. This is a fun project to do with the kids on the weekend - a bit messy, but the return of "Ohhhhs" and "YUMs" is well worth it. If you have older kids, they can help cut out the faces. A great project for a chilly weekend.

Ingredients:
Fajita-size flour tortillas (I prefer Mission brand)
Veggie Oil
Sugar
Cinnamon

Cut out jack-o-lantern faces from the tortillas using a paring knife or if kids are doing it, a butter knife will work fine, too - I have tried many a face on the pumpkins, and the simpler the better, too many sharp teeth tend to curl and not look right. Best to keep it easy.

Mix cinnamon and sugar in a pie pan to your liking and keep near the stove.

Pour enough oil in a deep pan to submerge a tortilla. Heat it up nice and hot. Put one tortilla in the hot oil (kids will want to be away from the stovetop for this part - the hot oil can spatter a bit) turning with a pair of tongs. The oil will need to be changed out every 8 tortillas or so as they will start getting more and more brown.

Immediately from the oil put tortilla in the cinnamon and sugar, flipping over a few times and scoop the sugar mix over the tortilla to make sure it's completely coated. Shake gently and set aside.

You'll be a hit! Don't serve this one with wine, but you may want to have a glass while cooking.

Cheesy Pasta Primavera

Daddy Rating: 3/4

This picture does not do it justice - this meal is fantatic!

Rich yet light, veggies, cheese, pasta all in one pot. I'm not sure if I would attempt this on a week night because it requires some attention while cooking, I got this done on a Saturday during two episodes of Wonder Pets. It makes SO much, that we have plenty left over for a dinner during the week as well. This is from my favorite Everyday Food Magazine.

Ingredients:
coarse salt and ground pepper
12 oz whole wheat fusilli (or other twisted pasta)
3 tablespoons butter
1 yellow onion, deced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2.5 cups whole milk
2 zucchini or yellow squash, sliced and quarterd
1 cup cherry tomatoes (I wish I used more...I love tomatoes)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
1/3 cup fresh basil
Rotisserie Chicken

Cook pasta according to package instructions and save 1 cup of pasta water (I always forget to do this).

In a large pot (I used my favorite Dutch Oven) melt butter over medium high heat. Add onion and cook until translucent, about 6 minutes. Add flour and whisk to combine. Whisk in milk and cook on low heat, whisking frequently until simmering and thickened, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add zucchini and cook until crisp-tender, about 6-8 minutes. Stir in Pasta, tomatoes, Parm and basil. If it seems too thick, add some of the reserved pasta water to your desired consistency. Sprinkle with more Parm for serving. Rip up chicken and stir into bowls before serving.

Little Miss has been picky-pants lately...but she liked the CHEESE.

Enoy with a nice glass of wine!

Chicken with Tomatoes & Thyme

Daddy Rating: 2/3

I'm not sure if there could be an easier meal to prepare and it is YUMMY, I can't believe I have't posted this sooner. I make it in the morning before work and put half in a Zip-loc bag in the freezer for a future yummy dinner. What's great is all of the prep is in the morning, and it doesn't require any attention when it's cooking so you can have quality time or help kids with homework.

AM Prep - how good does this look!

Ingredients
1 lemon
1 28oz can of diced tomatoes with basil
8 sprigs thyme
1 (or so) tablespoons capers
4 small chicken thighs (bone-in, skin on)
4 small chicken drumsticks (bone-in, skin on)
salt/pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
Freezer bags
Cooked rice for serving

Slice the lemon into rounds, keeping the peel on. In a bowl combine tomatoes and their liquid, lemon, thyme, and capers. Put about half of the tomato mixture into a 9x12 baking dish. Arrange 3-4 thighs and 3-4 drumsticks in the dish so they aren't touching. Cover with plastic wrap and refridgerate until you are ready to cook. Put the rest of the tomato mix and chicken in a freezer bag and freeze up to 3 months.

As soon as you get home from work, preheat the oven to 400*, remove the platic wrap and drizzle olive oil over the chicken. Roast until the chicken is is brown and cooked through (about 40-50 minutes). Serve over rice.

Enjoy with a nice glass of wine

Greek Turkey Patty Pockets

Daddy Rating: 3/4 (that's pretty good!)

From Martha Stewart Everyday Food Magazine, inspired by Emeril Lagasse's recipe. This is a kid friendly recipe, just may want to cut back on the cayenne. Also uses ONE bowl to mix the meat – the meat cooks on a cookie sheet, but use foil for super easy clean up. If you are able to prep this beforehand, it takes only about 15 min to get dinner on the table once you get home from work. If you have older kids, they can help you with all of this.

Ingredients:
1lb Ground Turkey (the recipe originally calls for ground chicken, but turkey is on sale more often)
2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
1/2 c. plain dried breadcrumbs
1/4 c. finely chopped onion
1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley (I have never used this...)
1 tablespoon minced garlic (I always add more garlic to everything)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander (I left this out a few times and it was still good!)
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Olive oil
Pita Pockets

Yogurt Sauce:
1 cup plain greek yogurt
Add lemon or lime juice, cumin, coriander, pepper and cayenne until you like the taste

In the morning before you leave for work or when your kids are napping, in a large bowl, using your hands mix together turkey, egg whites, breadcrumbs, onion, parsley, garlic, salt and spices until well blended. Cover bowl and put in the fridge until it's dinnertime.  If you have time, also make the yogurt sauce, chop the cucumber and tomatoes now and save for dinner time.



When you are ready to cook, heat broiler on high. Take the yogurt out of the fridge so it's not so cold in the pitas. Line a cookie sheet with foil and spread some olive oil on the foil. Divide turkey mixture into balls (I did this beforehand too) about the size of golf balls, squish flat into a little patty and place on the sheet.

Broil until lightly browned, about 4 min. Flip the patties and cook under broiler for another 4 minutes. While cooking, spread yogurt mixture, and veggies in the pitas and add one or two turkey patties when they are done cooking.

Tonight, I made a quick side salad with greens, tomatoes and feta cheese, but usually I just serve the pita pockets alone – the veggies are already in there, so you’re covered

Always serve with a glass of wine. ENJOY!

BONUS:

My hubs took the leftover patties and made an awesome pasta sauce by just doctoring up jar sauce with mushrooms, cilantro, tomatoes. Was PERFECT for lunch at my desk!

Love him!

Cugino's Chicken Enchilada Soup

Daddy Rating: 4

(I picked up this soup mix as a total after-thought while I was at the grocery store and, boy, am I glad i did! This made such good soup, it is going to become a go-to staple in our house! I deviated a bit from the instructions on the package by replacing 2c of water with chicken broth and adding tomatoes, but I LOVE chunks of tomatoes in my food, so I had to. )

Ingredients:
1 package Cugino's Chicken Enchilada Soup Mix
2 cups Chicken broth
4 cups water
1 15oz can tomato sauce
As many canned whole peeled tomatoes as you would like
Rotisserie Chicken - a much as you would like torn by hand and added to soup

For serving:
Shredded Cheese
Corn Chips
Yummy Bread

Bring water and chicken broth to a boil. Add soup mix, tomato sauce, tomatoes and chicken and let simmer, stirring occasionally for 25 min.

Of course our neighbor stopped by RIGHT when we were about to put dinner on the table, but no worries, I just kept the soup warm until he and hubby were done chatting.

I crushed up corn chips in the bottom of the empty bowl and added cheese, then I filled the bowl with soup. It was like a yummy little treat waiting at the bottom of the bowl. I also served with some yummy focaccia bread with jalapenos - YUM. The soup is thick, hearty and perfect for our drizzly evening, the best part - only ONE POT to clean.

I wish I had taken pictures, but my mom was over and I totally forgot. I brought some to work for lunch today and swore I would take a picture. Unfortunately I was so excited to eat it....I remembered to take a picture after I finished...



What was fantastic soup



Pesto Steak Pizza

Daddy Rating: 4 (but I think he was really hungry)

So Hubby and I had a date over the weekend where, of course, he ordered the Fred Flintstone size steak. Surprisingly, he only ate half, so I used the other half for this dinner. There is no recipe to quote from - I saw a picture of a pizza like this in a magazine and it inspired me.

Ingredients:
Boboli Pizza Crust (I had to use 2 since my husband ate one pizza himself)
Red, yellow green bell peppers
Pesto
Onion
Leftover steak
Italian shredded 4 cheese
Olive Oil

Preheat oven to 325-350-ish. Warm oil in skillet. Add onions until soft, add peppers until just soft - keep in mind they will still cook on the pizza in the oven. Spread pesto on pizza crust. Slice leftover steak into strips and arrange on pizza. Cover with a little cheese. Add Onions and peppers. Add more cheese on top.

 Bake on a cookie sheet until bubbly and a little browned. My husband was quite pleased with this dinner and ate the entire pizza in one sitting.

Always serve with a glass of wine. ENJOY!

Brats, Peppers, and Polenta

Daddy Rating 4/5

I think my husband will rate anything with pork products on the higher end. this was easy and Yummy, Baby girl even liked it! I just happen to have yummy gourmet brats from the meat counter at our "farmstand" grocery store, but this would be just as good with your standard Johnsonville Brats. Polenta is a bit of a splurge for us, but is such a nice alternative to rice.

Ingredients:

1 package Brats

Bell Peppers (colors are pretty, but whatever is on sale!)

Yellow Onion

I package Polenta

Olive Oil

Cover a cookie sheet with foil and brush with olive oil. Slice Polenta and arrange on cookie sheet and brush tops with oil. Broil on high until slightly browned, then turn over - (this took longer than I thought, just keep an eye on it)

Warm oil in a 12" skillet (about 1 turn of the oil). Cook onions until they begin to soften, then add peppers until they begin to soften. Set aside on a plate. Cook Brats on each side until almost done, dump veggies back in the pan and cover.

You can keep the brats and veggies warm in the pan until the polenta is done and then everything will be on the plate nice and hot!

Always serve with a glass of wine. ENJOY!

Ro-Tel Quesadillas

Daddy Rating: 3

This is a fantastic, stand-by, go-to, yummy dinner. My sister discovered it on the back of the Ro-Tel can and shared the idea with me when I was new ideas. Two pans, kid friendly, easy clean up - Love it.

Ingredients:
- Canola oil (recipe calls for PAM spray, but oil is more yummy)
- Big can Ro-Tel diced tomatoes with green chilies
- Roasted chicken
- Shredded cheese
- Med onion
- Burrito-size tortillas
- Guacamole

Easy Ingredients

Heat a little oil in a skillet and saute chopped onion until soft. Add can of tomatoes and shredded chicken into skillet until warmed.

Place tomato mixture on half of a tortilla and cover with shredded cheese and fold in half. Coat the bottom of a second 12"-ish skillet with oil and place filled tortilla in skillet. When it gets warm and the cheese melty, gingerly flip quesadilla in skillet to brown other side (I use two spatulas to achieve this task).

Eddie the dog wishing the Quesadilla to fall off the counter

Remove from pan to plate - cut into 3rds with a pizza cutter and serve with Guacamole. My husband was full from ONE of these, but I think he snaked on too much Chips and Guac while I was getting dinner ready.

Always serve with a glass of wine...or beer...or margarita

Super Good and Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup

(Daddy Rating: 5)

I don't usually make a lot of soups because my husband is more of a full, hearty meal kind of a guy. But he actually LOVED this I think it may become a staple in our house. I got this recipe out of my latest Rachel Ray Magazine, she called it "Jane Fox's Famous Tortilla Soup". This makes pretty much, you'll have enough to bring for lunch the next day.

If you don't have a Dutch Oven, I highly recommend getting one - perfect for dishes that will sit and simmer for a while which happens a lot in my house!

Ingredients:
- Corn Tortillas (or corn chips out of the bag!)
- 4 tbsp Corn Oil (I used Canola)
- 1 large yellow onion
- 2-3 cloves garlic (I always use the kind in a jar)
- A handful coarsely chopped cilantro leaves
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 6 cups chicken stock
- 1 small can diced green chilies
- 1 15oz can diced tomatoes (I used the fire roasted kind, yum!)
- 1 rotisserie chicken (you won't need the whole thing, you'll have plenty left for lunches/snacks)
- 2 avocados (I didn't use this)
- 2 limes cut into wedges (I skipped this, too)
- 1 small red onion (didn't do this...there's already onion in it and I'm not chopping two onions)
- 2 large jalapenos, seeded and chopped (I didn't do this, there is already enough flavor)
- shredded cheese
- sour cream

Cooking the spices makes the house smell sooooo good.

In a large soup pot or dutch oven over medium heat, add oil, yellow onion, garlic, cilantro, bay leaves, chili powder, cumin, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until spices are toasted and onion is soft (about 7 minutes or so). Add the stock, green chilies, and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Add however much chicken you want in the soup. I just tore it into big chunks. Reduce to a simmer until you're ready to eat!

Slice corn tortillas into strips and bake until crispy - OR open up a bag of chips...both work fine. Put tortilla chips on the bottom of the bowl, pour soup into bowls and top with cheese, red onion, more chips, jalapenos, lime wedges if you feel like it...again, I didn't have time for the additional toppings and it was still really, really good.

Always serve with a glass of wine.

Crunchy Chicken on Greens

(Daddy Rating: 2/3)

It's pretty obvious I don't have a future as a food stylist or photog...still tastes good tho!

(This recipe is based off a recipe I pulled out of Real Simple Magazine - I served it over salad this time, but is also good over reduced spinch. Every time I make this (no matter if the chicken is frozen or fresh) it turns out the juiciest chicken breast ever. I would think this would be pretty kid friendly with whatever they would like on the side.)

Ingredients:
- How ever many chicken breasts you need
- Special K Cereal (make sure it is the plain kind, I bought "vanilla-flavor one time on accident...yech)
- Olive Oil
- Pepper
- Spicy Mustard
- Mixed Greens
- Your favorite salad dressing
- Hard Boiled Egg

Preheat oven to 400*.  In a shallow dish (I use a pie tin) pour the Special K cereal and press on it with a spatula to break it into small pieces. Drizzle olive oil over the cereal - about one turn of the dish, and add however much pepper you would like. On another plate, make a puddle of spicy mustard.

For some reason the chicken breasts I buy are huge, but one satisfies my husband, so I'm going with it.

Set up an assembly line, coat the chicken breast with mustard, press into the cereal on both sides and place on a foil lined baking sheet. Cook for 45 or so minutes or whatever the package of chicken directs.

Toss greens with your favorite salad dressing (I used poppy seed) and sliced hard boiled egg. Top with whole or sliced crispy chicken breast. ENJOY!

Always serve with a glass of wine.

First Birthday Dinner

My Little one had her first birthday over the weekend. I had ambitions visions of a big party and BBQ for lots of friends. So what did I make for dinner - NOTHING. I wanted to enjoy the day with my baby and soak it all in from her point of view and I'm so glad I did.

Lou Malnati's Pizza
Hands down the best pizza on the planet. I'm a Chicago girl and this is the best out there. There is a Lou's near my house and I just grab the pizza's to go from their 'fridge and stuck them in the oven while we were opening presents.

Cupcakes
Okay, I couldn't let the day get away without making the cake that would be in the standard frosting pictures. I usually try to stay pretty wholesome and organic, but that went out the window. Cake mix from the box, artificial lots of stuff, but with pretty pretty colors and, you know what!? It was soooo good!

Artificial Everything Yummy Cupcakes

For this dinner, I bought a BOX of wine for the first time since I had my parents over. I was pleasantly surprised with this as well and will definitely buy it again!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABY GIRL!