Homemade Mac and Cheese

I haven't really been posting because I had a very busy end of April, and a very fun vacation in May.  Also, I have started a rigorous diet where I can't really consume a lot of calories, and almost no carbs.  It's been hell, but I am currently at my lightest in over a year.  I do have a ways to go.  I look forward to it.

One of my favorite things to make for my husband is homemade mac and cheese.  He's a big velveeta van, and he could eat it out of the box every other night.  One night on a boycott, I stumbled across this recipe.  However fattening, it's simply amazing.  I always have tons of leftovers, especially this time since I am not eating carbs.  :)

Homemade Mac and Cheese


1 (8 ounce) package medium shell pasta
1 (8 ounce) package shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1 (12 ounce) container small curd cottage cheese
1 (8 ounce) container sour cream
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup dry bread crumbs
1/4 cup butter, melted


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil, add pasta, and cook until done; drain.

In 9x13 inch baking dish, stir together macaroni, shredded Cheddar cheese, cottage cheese, sour cream, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. In a small bowl, mix together bread crumbs and melted butter. Sprinkle topping over macaroni mixture.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until top is golden.

My husband likes this on it's own, but it's a great side dish to bring to a BBQ.  Fabulous! 

Easy Foil Baked Fish

I love white fish.  When I go home to see my mom, she always makes breaded sole and swiss chard.  It's one of my absolute favorite meals, and super easy to make.  I ran across this one, and realized it might be just a tad healthier.  Yes, the olive oil is still there, but the fish isn't breaded and its baked and not fried.   I served it with cous cous and spinach. 

Easy Foil Baked Fish

2 tilapia filets
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons garlic salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 fresh jalapeno pepper, sliced
1 lemon
3 cloves of garlic, chopped

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Rinse fish, and pat dry.

Baste fillets with olive oil, and season with garlic salt and black pepper. Place each fillet on a large sheet of aluminum foil. Top with jalapeno slices, and squeeze the lemon over fish. Arrange lemon slices on top of fillets. Carefully seal all edges of the foil to form enclosed packets. Place packets on baking sheet.
Bake in preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, depending on the size of fish. Fish is done when it flakes easily with a fork.

Healthy and delicious!

Cheesy Ham Breakfast Casserole

I made this on a whim since I was having some friends over for breakfast.  I don't do that usually, I am more of a dinner girl.  Never have been much of a breakfast person.  I was caught off guard by this one since it's extremely simple...doesn't call for eggs or anything like that.  However, it was fantastic. I totally believe in butchering this recipe too. It's a great base.  Possibly adding some sausage, mushroom and peppers would be good.

Cheesy Ham Breakfast Casserole


Cooking spray
1 (30 ounce) package frozen hash brown potatoes (I used shredded ones)
8 ounces cooked, diced ham
2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of potato soup
1 (16 ounce) container sour cream
2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper (optional).


Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, mix hash browns, ham, cream of potato soup, sour cream, and Cheddar cheese. Spread evenly into prepared dish.  Add salt and pepper, and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Bake 1 hour in the preheated oven, or until bubbly and lightly brown. Serve immediately.

Turned out yummy, and it was a big hit.  I served it with toast, orange juice and fresh strawberries.

Celebratory Country Ribs

I made these the other night to celebrate Tim's first full week at his new job.  I would have made them on the BBQ like I used to, but I decided to pop them in the oven to see how they turned out.  Take my advice- throw them on the grill.  They were still good, I mean how can you really mess up ribs?  Still, there is nothing that compares to that open BBQ flavor.

Celebratory Country Ribs  

2 1/2 pounds pork spareribs
2 (18 ounce) bottles barbeque sauce
1 onion, quartered
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Place spareribs in a large stock pot with barbeque sauce, onion, salt, and pepper. Pour in enough water to cover. Bring to a low boil, and cook approximately 40 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line baking dish with foil. Remove spareribs from the stock pot, and place on the foil.  Cover with foil, and bake for 30 minutes. Turn once or twice, and baste with liquid from stockpot. 10 minutes before serving, remove foil and let ribs crisp up.

Like I said, I made these in the oven, but they would be much better on the grill.  Enjoy!

Shrimp Lemon Pepper Linguine

I thought this was so good a couple of years ago, I submitted it to my family cookbook.  Yes, my Italian family has a cookbook.  It's the greatest thing.  Since I no longer have wireless in my house, it was very convenient to go old school and bust out the actual book, instead of putting my laptop on the kitchen counter. 

Shrimp Lemon Pepper Linguine   


1 (8 ounce) package linguine pasta
1 tablespoon olive oil
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup white wine
1 lemon, juiced
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
salt to taste
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 pound fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 cup butter
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1/2 cub fresh Parmesan cheese


Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add linguine, and cook for 9 to 13 minutes or until al dente; drain.

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, and saute garlic about 1 minute. Mix in chicken broth, wine, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Reduce heat, and simmer until liquid is reduced by about 1/2. Add cornstarch to thicken sauce if necessary.

Mix shrimp, butter, parsley, and basil into the saucepan. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, until shrimp is opaque. Stir in the cooked linguine, and continue cooking 2 minutes, until well coated.  Top with additional fresh parsley and fresh Parmesan cheese.

I HATE deveining shrimp.  I think it actually ruins the meal for me since I am grossed out about an hour before I eat it.  It seriously makes me sick.  I hear a rumor that the guy behind the seafood counter can shell and devein shrimp for you....but I have yet to experience this.  I asked him, and he kind of looked at me like I was crazy and then handed me a package of cooked shrimp.  It didn't help that he looked like he was in high school.  I decided to purchase the raw shrimp and shell and devein on my own.  I vow to never do it again.

Very buttery and garlicky.  Delicious.

Greek Chicken

So here's the thing.  I made this as recipe as posted, but I have some very good suggestion in which I will input on this blog.  There is no way that I can post it exactly as I have seen it...which I never do anyways.  That would be plagerism.  I am not a plagerist...college is over right?

Greek Chicken

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 pound feta cheese, crumbled
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon dried oregano
6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 cups loosely packed torn fresh spinach leaves
1 ripe tomato, chopped

On large plate, combine 1 tablespoon flour, salt, and pepper. Set aside. In a small bowl, combine cheese, lemon juice, and oregano. Add some torn spinach to cheese mixture.  Set aside.

With a meat mallet, pound each chicken breast to 1/2 inch thickness. Spread cheese mixture on each chicken breast, leaving 1/2 inch border. Roll chicken and secure each with toothpicks.   Coat chicken breasts with flour mixture.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Cook chicken breasts for 1 to 2 minutes on each side, until golden  Spray a glass casserole dish with cooking spray.  Add chicken to dish, and bake for 20 minutes or until juices run clear.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together chicken broth, and remaining flour.  Add chicken broth mixture to the skillet.   Add spinach and tomato to skillet, and bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes.  Pour sauce over chicken and serve.

I served this with rice.  The original didn't call for baking the chicken.  They wanted me to cook everything in the skillet...which I started to do, but the chicken came out mushy.  Terrible.  I quickly threw it in a casserole dish and baked it, which crisped up the outside...and made it a lot better.  It was pretty good with my changes.

MGD

Pork Chops Marsala

I have been on the marsala kick lately, I'll be the first to admit.  Sadly I just used the last of my California Paul Masson Marsala wine that I carted all the way up here from California.  This is a truly beautiful dish.  The sauce is thinner than my previous marsala recipe...but I think it works. 

Pork Chops Marsala   


1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 pound bone in pork loin chops
2 tablespoons of butter
2 tablespoon of olive oil
2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
3-4 cloves chopped garlic
1 cup Marsala wine


Mix flour, salt ,garlic salt, garlic powder, and oregano together in a medium bowl. Add pork chops, and toss until well coated.

Heat butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place pork in skillet in a single layer, and cook, turning occasionally, until brown on both sides.  Remove pork chops from skillet.  Keep warm.

 Add mushrooms and minced garlic; cook and stir briefly. Add more olive oil if necessary.  Stir in wine, scraping the skillet to loosen any brown bits. Return pork chops to skillet.  Cover and simmer over medium heat until pork is tender and sauce is thickened, about 15 minutes.

Of course I served this with spinach and mashed red potatoes.  I spooned the sauce over everything, and it was superb

MGD.

Creamy Mushroom Chicken Marsala

I just looked at the ingredients I had off hand last night, and ran across this one.  I sure am glad I did...it was one of the best things I have ever made.  The two things everyone needs to have in their house at all times is Marsala wine, and cooking sherry.  This dish doesn't call for sherry, but I have found it (along with Marsala) to give unique flavoring for my favorite basic dinners.

Creamy Mushroom Chicken Marsala  

2 tablespoons of butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
salt and pepper to taste
6 ounces button mushrooms, sliced
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
3/4 cup Marsala wine, divided
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
3/4 cup reduced fat milk (or half and half)
1/2 teaspoon rosemary
1/4 teaspoon  thyme
1 (12 ounce) package uncooked linguine pasta
dash cayenne pepper (optional)




Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium high heat.

Season chicken with salt and pepper and add to skillet. Cook until halfway done and golden brown on both sides, about 4 to 7 minutes each side. . Set chicken aside.

In skillet, scrape drippings, and add olive oil.  Saute mushrooms over medium high heat.  Add garlic and onion, and cook about 3-4 minutes until flavors blend.

Add 1/4 cup of the wine and stir; let reduce over low heat for 5 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Add cream of chicken soup and cream of mushroom soup to skillet along with mushroom mixture. Mix soups well with drippings, making sure no lumps remain. Slowly add milk, stirring constantly, then add remaining 1/2 cup wine; season with rosemary and thyme. Adjust amount of wine as needed to make a nice, thick gravy consistency. Add cayenne pepper if desired.

Let mixture simmer over medium heat until bubbly. Pour soup/mushroom mixture over chicken in baking dish, cover and bake in preheated oven for 30 to 45 minutes.

About 15 minutes before serving chicken, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add linguine and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain. Serve chicken breasts and sauce over the hot cooked pasta.

I about died when I tasted this dish.  Since I used milk, as well as the soups for the sauce...it wasn't as unhealthy as it could be.  I almost didn't use butter for the chicken, but I think you have to to compliment the other flavors.  Also the linguine pasta held the sauce really, really well.  I will definitely make this again, and my anti-chicken husband actually said it looked and smelled really good.  If I didn't make him an entire pot of spaghetti the hour before, I truly believe he would have tasted it.

Greek Garlic Lime Chicken

This is an old favorite.I stumbled across this recipe in the "escrow selling" days at the beginning of my sales career.  I used to work with a girl that loved to cook as well, and we frequently exchanged recipes.  This one is pretty easy and light, so I will throw it in the rotation again.  My husband hates chicken and Greek olives...so I will save this for company, or on those nights when it's just me.  :)

Greek Garlic Lime Chicken

Cooking spray
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup diced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lime, juiced
1 tablespoon molasses
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
dash salt

dash pepper
1/2 cup pitted and sliced Greek olives (kalamata)

Heat a Teflon pan on medium high heat with cooking spray.  Salt and pepper both sides of the chicken.  Cook on both sides, about 30 seconds to seal in flavor.  Remove chicken from pan and transfer to casserole dish or roasting pan.

Combine onion, garlic, lime juice, molasses, Worcestershire sauce, cumin, and oregano in pan.  Toss chicken with sauce to coat.  Arrange olives over chicken, and roast for 30-35 minutes until done and juices run clear.  Of course I threw it in with some mashed potatoes.  I used red potatoes, sour cream, and a little milk.  These potatoes were way better than any other ones I make...I think I am getting off the "Russet bus."

MGD

Olive Martini Chicken

I love my martini, that is no joke.  I made this one night on a whim, and it's become one of my favorite meals. I love to serve the rich sauce over the chicken and mashed potatoes.  You can also substitute vodka for gin, but I have an affinity for gin.

Olive Martini Chicken

2 tablespoons olive oil
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons butter 3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup gin
1 tablespoon dry vermouth
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 cup sliced pimento-stuffed green olives
1/2 cup chicken broth
corn starch (as necessary)


Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Place chicken in the skillet, and cook until browned on each side, about 5 minutes per side.

Remove chicken from skillet and set aside.Reduce heat to medium, and add the butter and garlic. Saute for about 3 minutes. Pour in the gin, vermouth, lemon juice, and olives. Add chicken broth and corn starch. Whisk until sauce thickens. Add chicken and simmer with sauce, about 5 minutes.

Serve over mashed potatoes or over rice.  Always a big hit.  Delish!  

Mardi Gras Etouffee

I'm not sure how I stumbled across this dish, but my best friend make it every Mardi Gras to celebrate Fat Tuesday.  Being a die hard Catholic...we must celebrate these things.  This is a new recipe for me.  It takes  a lot of work because you have to chop everything up before making the roux.  Amy had some good tips for me on making the roux, as I was never really that good at it.  Just commit to the fact that it's going to take twenty minutes or so, and it's going to be as dark as peanut butter.  Once I got that in my head, I made a pretty darn good roux.

Mardi Gras Etouffee

1/3 cup vegetable oil (Amy uses butter- I just didn't have any)

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 small green bell pepper, diced

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 stalks celery, diced

2 fresh tomatoes, chopped

2 tablespoons Louisiana-style hot sauce

1/3 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons seafood seasoning

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 cup clam juice

1 pound medium raw shrimp - peeled and deveined

Heat the oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Gradually stir in flour, and stir constantly until the mixture turns 'peanut butter' brown or darker, at least 15 or 20 minutes. I use a wooden spoon and do figure 8's to make sure I get all the flour. This is your base sauce.  It is very important to stir this constantly. If by chance the roux burns, discard and start over.

Once the roux is browned, add the onions, garlic, celery and bell pepper to the skillet, and saute for about 5 minutes to soften. Stir in the chopped tomatoes and clam juice, and season with the seafood seasoning. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Season the sauce with hot pepper sauce and cayenne pepper and add the shrimp. Cook for about 10 minutes, or until the shrimp are opaque. I covered this to make sure the shrimp cooked thoroughly, but make sure you keep an eye on it to not overcook the shrimp.  Serve over rice.

So I was impatient at the store, and couldn't for the life of me find "seafood seasoning."  I just figured I'd use Cajun seasoning, but then I got home and started looking at homemade recipes.  I realized that this seafood seasoning would be very flavorful, and I could blow it if I didn't use it.  I ran across a separate recipe online, and I just made my own.  It was delicious!  I would suggest though, if you make the seafood seasoning, only use one tablespoon.  It was very "seasony."  Possibly too much.

Seafood Seasoning

1 1/2 Tbsp Celery Seed
1 1/2 Tbsp Salt
2 tsp Cayenne Pepper
1/2 tsp Dry Mustard
1/2 tsp whole Thyme
1 Tbsp Paprika
1 tsp freshly ground Black Pepper
1/2 tsp ground Ginger
2 Bay Leaves, crushed

I threw all this stuff in the "Magic Bullet," and got a delicious blend of flavor.  I had some left over, so I took this pic.  I think the celery seed gives it a nice flavor. 

All in all, the dinner was good.  I will definitely make again when I have about an hour to prepare, and you can bet on me making  my own seafood seasoining as well!  Enjoy!

MGD

Chocolate Bundt Cake

I am not much of a baker, I will be the first to admit that.  Baking is tough, you can't really improvise.  It's like if you make one mistake the whole thing is shot.  If I am able to have something come out right, it has to be easy.  :)  I made this for my sister in law's birthday, and it went over a big hit.

Chocolate Bundt Cake

1 (18.25 ounce) package devil's food cake mix

1 (5.9 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix

1 cup sour cream

1 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs

1/2 cup warm water

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In a large bowl, mix together the cake and pudding mixes, sour cream, oil, beaten eggs and water. Stir in the chocolate chips and pour batter into a well greased 12 cup bundt pan.

Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until top is springy to the touch and a wooden toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool cake thoroughly in pan at least an hour and a half before inverting onto a plate. Dust the cake with powdered sugar.

I had to actually bake this a but longer, it was about an 1 hour and 10 minutes.  It still was pretty moist and tasty though.  I have also seen pictures with melted chocolate over the top, but of course....I don't know how to do that.  I went with the less pretty powdered sugar.

Penne with Spinach and Bacon

I made this on a whim, and it was amazing.  It definitely tasted like the Amatriciana, but it was better because of the spinach.  I think I will replace the original Amatriciana recipe with this one.  I especially enjoyed the penne.  It was perfect with the sauce.

Penne with Spinach and Bacon

1 (12 ounce) package penne pasta

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

6 slices bacon, chopped

2 tablespoons minced garlic

1 small onion, chopped

2 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes (with green chilies)

1/2 can tomato paste

1 bunch fresh spinach, rinsed and torn into bite-size pieces

1 dash cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

1/2 tablespoon basil

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the penne pasta, and cook until tender, 8 to 10 minutes.

Meanwhile place bacon in the skillet, and cook until browned and crisp. Drain all grease except for two tablespoons. Add garlic and onion, and cook for about 1 minute. Stir in the tomatoes, and cook until heated through. Crumble bacon and add to sauce.  Stir in tomato paste. Add cayenne pepper, garlic salt, and basil. 
Add spinach, and put lid over sauce.  Simmer on low heated until spinach wilts.

Drain pasta, and rinse with cold water. Toss with sauce, and add fresh Parmesan cheese over the top.

It was a little spicy, but delicious!

MGD

Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff

My husband and I recently moved into a bigger place, and I finally pulled the crock pot out of a box two days ago.  When he saw it sitting on the counter full of food the next day he couldn't help but laugh.  He said, "I knew the second you pulled that thing out you would use it immediately.  You love that thing."  I do.  This is one of my top 5 recipes.

 

Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff  

1 pound cubed beef stew meat

2 (10.75 ounce) can condensed golden mushroom soup

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 packet onion soup mix

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup water

1 cup beef broth

salt and pepper

3-4 garlic cloves chopped

1/2 cup fresh mushrooms

4 oz cream cheese

1 dollop of sour cream (optional)

Salt and pepper stew meat.  Combine soup, onion, soup mix, Worcestershire sauce, water, broth, garlic in crock pot.  Cook on for 4-5 hours on low.

30 minutes before serving, add fresh mushrooms, cream cheese and sour cream.  Stir. Serve over egg noodles.

I hadn't made this in a long time, and I thought it would be good to cook it all day.  I left it for 8 hours, and I was sorry. I like my stroganoff with large chunks of meat.  While the flavor was great, the long cook time shredded the meat, and the pieces were too small.  Still tasty....just going to stick to my recipe for 4-5 hours on low.

Lemon Chicken with Fresh Spinach

I love cooking with soups.  It makes everything so easy, and I can always whip something up that tastes pretty good with stuff I have off hand.  I realized this weekend how much I love lemon flavor.  My husband hates it of course, so I don't really get to experiment as much as I would like to.  I am also going to always have a bag of spinach.  It's so easy to make, and it's pretty much the greatest vegetable ever.

Lemon Chicken with Fresh Spinach

3 table spoons olive oil divided

4 chicken breasts

1 can cream of chicken soup

2 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/4 cup chopped green pepper

1 bag washed fresh spinach
1/2 cup water

4-5 cloves chopped fresh garlic

garlic salt (coarse ground with fresh parsley)

salt and pepper

Salt and pepper both sides of chicken breast. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil medium high heat for 1 minute. Add the chicken and cook for 10 minutes or until well browned on both sides. Remove the chicken from the skillet, and set aside. I like to cut the chicken breasts in large chunks, but that's up to you.

Meanwhile, add 1/3 of spinach to a saucepan over water.  Layer with fresh garlic, garlic salt, olive oil. Continue layering until all spinach is in the sauce pan. Cover, and cook on medium until cooked down. Stir, and leave on low until ready to serve.

Whisk together soup and water till blended. Stir the soup, water, parsley, lemon juice, paprika and pepper in the skillet and heat to a boil. Return the chicken to the skillet. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

Squirt a little lemon juice over spinach and serve with chicken.

I put this over rotini pasta because that's what I had. I also spooned some of the sauce over the pasta. You can make this with egg noodles or rice as well. Amazing!

Burgundy Pork Tenderloin

A few people insist on using burgundy wine for this dish.  I remember making it with merlot one time, and it turned out fine.  It's up to you.  The only burgundy wine I can find at the grocery store in Washington State is Carlo Rossi...so slim pickins there.  This particular night I did make it with Mr. Rossi, and it was great.  I had my second set of parents over, as well as my brother, sister in law, and mom.  The second set of parents are my sister in laws mom and dad.  Every time they come to town, it's pretty epic.  I hope to be just like them one day. 

Burgundy Pork Tenderloin

2 pounds pork tenderloin

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves chopped garlic

1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms

2 cups red wine

2 (.75 ounce) packet dry brown gravy mix

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Place pork in a 9x13 inch baking dish, and sprinkle meat with salt, pepper and garlic powder.

Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes.

When done baking, remove meat from baking dish, and place on a serving platter.

Sautee onions, mushrooms, and garlic in some olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper.

Pour gravy mix into small sauce pan with wine and cooking juices, and whisk until thickened. Slice meat, and cover with the gravy, mushrooms and onions.

I should have made green beans with this dish, but instead I used mushrooms, bell peppers, zucchini, onions.  It was overpowering since I feel these veggies should cover the meat.  It makes for a better presentation.  I also made mashed potatoes, and added the gravy mix to the top of them.  That worked out great. 

Special Occasion Lasagna

I make this lasagna for special occasions.  It takes awhile, but it's my husband's favorite.  I am locked into this recipe every Christmas, birthday, anniversary, and sometimes Sundays.  :)  I enjoy making it though!  You will have leftovers for a week. 

Lasagna

1 pound sweet Italian sausage

3/4 pound lean ground beef

1 small onion , chopped

5 cloves garlic, chopped

1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes

2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste

2 (6.5 ounce) cans canned tomato sauce

1/2 cup water

2 tablespoons white sugar

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon oregano

1 tablespoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

12 lasagna noodles

16 ounces ricotta cheese

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 16 oz bag shredded mozarella cheese 

3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Soak lasagna noodles in warm water.  Set aside.

In a Dutch oven, cook sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until well browned. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water. Season with sugar, basil, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning,oregano, 1 tablespoon salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons parsley. Simmer, covered, for about 30 minutes to an hour, stirring occasionally.

 In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese with egg, remaining parsley, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

To assemble, spread 1 1/2 cups of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Arrange 6 noodles lengthwise over meat sauce. Spread with one half of the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with a third of mozzarella cheese. Spoon 1 1/2 cups meat sauce over mozzarella, and sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers, and top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil: to prevent sticking, either spray foil with cooking spray, or make sure the foil does not touch the cheese.

Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil, and bake an additional 10 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes before serving.

It's amazing.  I really feel that the combonation of beef and sausage along with the fennel seeds make this dish perfect. 

Amatriciana

Love this recipe so much that I included it in our family cookbook.  I am a big fan of spicy, even though more often than not it's not a crowd pleaser.  I think a recipe like this can follow you for years to come.  My husband's favorite dish is spaghetti and meatballs, and this is a great variation to make it a little different.

Amatriciana

4 slices thick cut bacon, cooked and diced.
1 small chopped yellow onion
1/2 teaspoon olive oil
3-4 cloves chopped garlic
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 (28) can crushed tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1 pound linguine pasta
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons fresh grated Parmesan cheese

Cook diced bacon in a large saucepan over medium high heat until crisp, about 5 minutes. Drain grease from pan.

Add olive oil and onion to pan. Cook over medium heat about 3 minutes. Stir in garlic and red pepper flakes; cook 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, undrained; simmer 20 minutes along with bacon. Add garlic salt and oregano.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of 4 quarts boiling salted water until al dente. Drain.

Stir basil into the sauce, and then toss with cooked pasta. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese

The only thing I screwed up here is that I didn't have fresh parm.  That makes all the difference really.  Don't use the cheese in the plastic container...it definitely takes away from the dish.  Delicious!

Salisbury Steak in Mushroom Gravy

This is hearty.  I have to admit, I am posting some pretty tasty recipes.  However, if I don't want to gain 10 more pounds on account of writing a blog...I might have relax a bit.  This recipe was absolutely amazingly flavorful and delicious.  I can't wait to have Derek and Jill over to try it. 

Salisbury Steak in Mushroom Gravy

1 pound ground beef
3 tablespoon bread crumbs (or crushed up crackers whatever you prefer)
1 finely chopped onion divided
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoons flour
1 cup of milk
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup beef stock (Better Than Bouillon)

First of all, I have discovered Better Than Bouillon.  I found in with the beef stock a few weeks ago, and it was crazy.  It's pretty much the best thing ever invented.  On the back of the jar it measures out exactly how much you are supposed to use. Instead of 1 cup of beef stock, I mixed in 1 teaspoon of BBB into one cup boiling water.  It's bursting with flavor.

In a medium bowl, mix together the ground beef, egg, cracker crumbs, half of onion, salt, pepper and poultry seasoning using your hands. Shape into 6 patties about 1 inch thick.

Fry the patties in a large skillet over medium-high heat for 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until browned. Drain off grease, and remove patties to a platter; keep warm.

Add olive oil to semi deep skillet.  Add the rest of the onion and mushrooms and saute until softened.  Sprinkle flour over, and stir until blended.  Stir in milk and beef stock.  Cook and stir until it thickens, and add can of cream of mushroom soup.  Return beef patties to skillet, and heat through on medium low until flavors blend together.

I served this over mashed potatoes, and it was to die for.  Enjoy!!!!

MGD

Chicken Enchiladas (Enchi's)

There are so many enchilada recipes, I guarantee I will post more recipes as I come across them.  This one is definitely my old faithful.  Flavorful, and basic. 

Chicken Enchiladas

2 lb skinless, boneless chicken breast meat (I just buy a rotisserie chicken and just shred the breast)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 1/4 cups sour cream
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion chopped
1 (4 oz) can diced chilies
1 package taco seasoning
1 bunch green onions chopped
1 cup of water
1 lime juiced
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
5 (soft taco size) flour tortillas
1 (16 oz) bag shredded cheddar cheese
1 (10 oz) can red enchilada sauce
1 (6 oz) can sliced black olives

Boil chicken breasts for about 10 minutes, remove and shred.  To save time, I just get a rotisserie chicken and shred the breast and set aside.  Combine cream of chicken soup, sour cream, and chili powder and put over medium low heat.  Whisk together to mix, heat and bring heat to low.  Keep warm.

Heat olive oil in skillet over medium heat.  Add onion, and cook until done, about 5 minutes.  Add shredded chicken, green chiles, taco seasoning, half the bunch of green onions, and water.  Stir and simmer for about 10 minutes.  Stir in lime juice, onion powder, and garlic powder and simmer for 10 more minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Stir 1 cup of soup mixture on the bottom of 9x13 baking dish.  Fill each tortilla with chicken mixture.  Tuck handful of cheese into tortilla along with chicken.  Fold tortillas over filling and place seam side down in baking dish.

Pour enchilada sauce over enchiladas.  Cover with remaining cheese, and add the rest of the green onions and olives.  I added avocados as well, but of course this is optional.  It doesn't really go with this dish as well as I would have hoped. 

I love this dish, and I make them about once every two weeks.  Enjoy!

MGD

Mediterranean Pasta Salad

I used to make this amazing antipasto pasta salad, but it was getting really expensive to make.  I'd get that really great salami out of the deli, as well as smoked fontina cheese...it was too much.  I started searching for recipes online for an alternative, and came across a nice Greek pasta salad recipe.  I decided to combine the best ingredients of the two, and came up with this creation.

Mediterranean Pasta Salad (for lots of people)! 

2 (12 oz) boxes tri colored rotini pasta
3/4 package Italian dry salami chopped
1 small can sliced mushrooms drained
1 red bell pepper chopped
1/3 cup calamata (greek) olives
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes halved
1 package dry Italian dressing mix
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 1/2 packages feta cheese (garlic & herb)
salt and ground black pepper to taste

Cook pasta according to package directions in salted pot of water until al dente.  Rinse, drain, and cool.  Set aside.

Whisk together olive oil, vinegar, oregano, parsley in a bowl.  Set aside.

Combine pasta with dried Italian seasoning, all veggies, and chopped salami.  Pour olive oil mixture over pasta salad.  Cover, and chill overnight.

This pasta salad is on the drier side,  you can add more dressing if you like.  I find that it adds a lot of oil, so I like mine like this.  All ready to go for the Superbowl party tomorrow!  Go Packers!

MGD

Mi Tierra- Woodinville, WA

To correspond with my recent obsession with Groupon, I decided to include our outings on this food blog.  I mean, it's only appropriate right?  No one cooks something new every single night.  Typically on Fridays, Tim and I like to go to an early dinner to celebrate the weekend.  We both close up shop around 3:30, so happy hour is a must.  Also, Tim has this fascination with Mexican Family Restaurants.  It's definitely endearing.  It all started with his love for El Burro in San Jose.  To be honest, nothing has been able to stack up...but we try.  Onto last night. 

We decided to hit up Mi Tierra since we just moved to a new area outside of Woodinville, WA.  Since we have only been here a year, we find most of our fun stuff to do off Yelp and from recommendations from friends...well and of course Groupon.  It's amazing how many resources are out there if you own a smartphone.  This place is right up Tim's alley, so we gave it a shot.  When trying a new Mexican restaurant, I always get the same thing to get a read on the place.  Margarita on the rocks with salt, and Chile Colorado.  I feel like those are the two typical Mexican items in where you can't go wrong really. 

Well- let me first start with the margarita.  Nothing special, more average.  It wasn't huge, it wasn't expensive, it wasn't overly saturated with alcohol.  Skip it.  I did take a photo though, so here it is. 

Tim always entices me with happy hour, and then gets a coke.  He's such a good boy.  Me on the other hand...hey it's Friday...time for a drink.  It's almost 5 o'clock right?  The chips and salsa (which I should have snapped a picture) was amazing, and my favorite part of the night.  Yum.

Next came time for dinner, and it came quickly.  I do have to say this place is pretty cute.  There is a bar area on the other side completely separated from the restaurant, and the eating area is a nice size.  It wasn't one of those big drafty Mexican restaurants with way too much seating.  There was a good amount of people in there too.  The food arrived very fast, and I was excited to try.  It was about 13 bucks for a huge plate of chile colorado, that I could easily take home and make three more meals out of which was nice.  Well, I'm sad to say it wasn't that tasty.  Usually this dish is bursting with flavor...but this one missed the mark. I only had two bites, not because it wasn't edible...it totally was...it just wasn't worth the calories to me.  If I am going to eat something that fatty, I want it to be amazing. 

So if you are tooling around Woodinville and get a hankering for Mexican food...I'd say skip this place.  It's inexpensive and has great salsa, but the margaritas and food just don't measure up.  Thanks ya'll.

MGD

Spicy Chicken Pesto

Okay ladies and gentlemen.  I stumbled across this recipe about 2 years ago and modified it slightly to my liking.  The original called for bowtie pasta and chili paste. I will always take corkscrews over bowties. It s a great twist on classic "chicken and pasta" dishes.  The combination of rooster sauce, pesto, cilantro and fresh Parmesan is amazing!  Do not make the mistake of buying reduced fat pesto sauce...you're eating pesto...just admit it to yourself. 

Spicy Chicken Pesto

I (16) oz package Rotini pasta (corkscrews)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon Sriracha (rooster) sauce
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1 package refrigerated package prepared pesto
1/2 cup grated FRESH Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
Salt and pepper to taste

Fill a stockpot with lightly salter water and boil.  Add pasta and cook till al dente.
Rinse, drain, and add pasta back to the stockpot.


Add olive oil to skillet over medium heat.  Salt and pepper both sides of the chicken breasts.  Add chicken to the skillet, turning once until done...about 10 minutes. Cut up chicken into medium size pieces. When done, combine chicken, pesto sauce, Parmesan cheese, cilantro and pasta in the stock pot and mix over low heat, until heated.  Sprinkle some cheese over pasta and serve.  Delish!

Classic Homemade Pizza

I always wanted to make my own pizza like mom did at home when I was a kid....but this was a bit of a fail. I will provide the recipe, but with modifications to make it great. Tim can't get enough homemade pizza, he'd have it every other night if he could. he doesn't like veggies, but I can sneak them in there underneath as much mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.

Classic Homemade Pizza

1 package 17.3 oz Pepperidge Farms Puff Pastry (Substitute Pillsbury refrigerated pizza dough)

1 cup Prego Tomato Basil & Garlic Spaghetti Sauce (substitute Boboli Pizza Sauce)

Handful of chopped pepperoni

half green pepper sliced

2-4 sliced fresh mushrooms

1/2 can chopped olives

5-6 leaves fresh basil chopped

5-6 cloves of garlic chopped

1 (8oz) package mozzarella cheese

handful fresh Parmesan

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tsp garlic salt w/ parsley

1 tsp oregano

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roll out thawed puff pastry on a lightly floured surface. Spread pastry in 15X10 baking sheet. Puncture with fork all over the base of the pastry. Bake for 10 minutes until golden brown. Mix olive oil in small bowl with garlic salt and parsley.  Brush crust with olive oil mixture.

Spread sauce over pastry. Add garlic to sauce and mix in. Add 3/4 cheese to the sauce. Mix chopped basil in with the cheese. Layer the pepperoni, mushrooms, green pepper, and spread olives over the top. Cover with remaining cheese, and spread handful of fresh Parmesan over the top. Bake for 8 minutes in preheated oven.

This was good, however, I'd switch out the Prego for Boboli sauce, and the puff pastry for refrigerated pizza dough. Not sure how that will change the timing...but it would be about the same I'm sure. It was still good...I just don't like my pizza on flaky pastry with watery sauce. Enjoy!

Roast Beef with Mashed Potatoes and Swiss Chard

I walked by the meat section of Safeway, and came across a $6 chuck roast. What a perfect excuse for the all American roast beef, mashed potatoes, and gravy. I threw a little Italian in there and made some swiss chard. Swiss Chard is my absolute favorite vegetable. Now that I am blogging and cooking...I am realizing how much I use the same seasoning. I will start with what I am comfortable with, and then move on to being more adventurous.

Let's start with swiss chard shall we?

Gates Swiss Chard

1 bushel of swiss chard
4-5 cloves of garlic chopped
2-3 tablespoons of olive oil (eyeball it)

I'm sure most of you don't know what it is...and I wouldn't either if my mother didn't cook it at least once a week. When I was a kid, I used to have the babysitter warm it up to eat as a snack. My mother attributes my constant rosy cheeks as a toddler to swiss chard. It's a green leafy vegetable over by the collard greens and kale. It's not bitter though, rather sweet when it cooks down. I tear the leaves and throw them in a strainer, rinse and then transfer them to a pot with about 1/2 cup of water. I layer the leaves with fresh chopped garlic, olive oil, and garlic salt, and then cover. Set to medium for about 10 minutes until it cooks down a bit, and serve.

Nothing Special Mashed Potatoes

4 russet potatoes peeled

2 tablespoons sour cream

1 tablespoon of butter

chicken broth (until you get the consistency you need)

salt and pepper to taste

I kind of made these up. I know a lot of people use milk, but I don't. I don't have anything against milk or anything, I just always have chicken broth in the fridge. And a sack of russet potatoes. Cut up potatoes, boil on high for about 10-15 minutes. Combine potatoes and rest of ingredients, and mix with a hand mixer. Add chicken broth as necessary.

Roast Beef with Savory Gravy

1 (4lb) chuck roast

2 cups beef stock

salt and pepper to taste

3 tablespoons of all purpose flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place chuck roast fat side up in roasting pan and roast for 1 hour or until done. Pour 1/2 cup stock over beef, and baste occasionally. Remove beef when done, and keep warm. Heat remaining beef stock in sauce pan Scrape brown bits from roasting pan, and pour into sauce pan with stock. Bring heat to high, and whisk until thick gravy emerges, adding flour as necessary. Slice meat, and pour gravy over meat.

I sauteed fresh mushrooms, onions, and garlic separately. I poured these veggies over the meat before adding gravy, dressing it up a bit.

It was fabulous. My husband was done within 10 minutes and asked for more. We have leftovers for sandwiches and for the next few days. Thank you http://www.campbellskitchen.com/, for letting me slice up your roast beef recipe to make it great!

Welcome!

It was about 8 in the morning on a Sunday, and I just told my husband in passing what we were having for dinner. All of the sudden he came up with a great idea. He said, "Marissa...you should start a cooking blog, that way you can share all the great stuff you cook." I pondered about this for a few...and then thought why not? I am always sharing recipes with my friends and coworkers, I might as well start posting since cooking is one of the things I love the most. It's not something I am too terribly good at, but I do enjoy myself when I make a mess of my own kitchen and present something new for my family to eat.

My husband Tim doesn't make it easier on me though. He doesn't like most vegetables, chicken, pork chops, and if he could...he'd eat spaghetti, tacos, and pizza on a rotating schedule. However, lately he has been surprisingly open minded. I think that writing this blog could help him enjoy certain foods a little more. Also, it will give me a fun hobby to share with friends. I will update when I can...when I try something new and post a pic.

I'm also open to new ideas and changes. I am not as creative as I would hope, so the input of others always carries a lot of weight with me. I also finally have the pleasure of having a kitchen with a ton of space. So here we go, first dinner is tonight. We will start off with a new favorite I stumbled across about 3 weeks ago. Can't wait!