Baked Lemon Pasta

This is a Pioneer Woman recipe and It is magnificent!  I am a lemon lover...so this was right up my alley! But the hubs in NOT a lemon lover but he LOVED this anyway! It's really simple and quick and just simply delicious!

1 lb think spaghetti

4 TB salted butter

2 TB olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 whole lemon, juiced and zested

2 cups sour cream

1/2 kosher salt

Parmesan Cheese to top

Flat-Leaf Parsley to top

Extra Lemon Juice (I used another whole lemon)

Preheat oven to 375.  Boil spaghetti until al dente (since it's thin it doesn't take long!)

In a skillet, melt butter with olive oil over LOW.  Once it's melted add garlic and let it infuse.  Squeeze Lemon Juice into mixture.  Turn off heat.
Add sour cream and stir.  Add lemon zest and salt.  Taste to see if more salt is needed.  Pour mixture into spaghetti and mix.
Pour it all into an oven safe dish (I did a big round Pyrex).  Cover with foil.  Bake 15 minutes.  Take off foil and bake another 7-10 minutes.  Be careful not to overcook since it will dry the pasta out!
When it's done, remove from oven and add a lil more lemon juice on the top.  Top with Parmesan and parsley! Voila!

Apricot Poppy Seed Chicken with Dill Potatoes

I thought I'd try out a new recipe tonight.  I got it from an old Racheal Rae Magazine but I changed it up just a bit.  It was VERY YUMMY!

2 lbs small red potatoes, halved

salt

2 TB extra virgin olive oil

1 and 1/2 lbs chicken breasts, cut into chunks

Pepper

2 shallots, thinly sliced

1/4 c apple cider vinegar

1 c chicken broth

1/4 c apricot preserves
3 TB honey

2 tsp poppy seeds

3 TB butter

1 TB dried dill

In medium pot add potatoes, and just enough water to cover about an inch over the top.  Salt the water and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and let simmer until fork tender (about 15 minutes)

While the pototoes work, place the oil in the skillet over med-high heat. Season with salt and pepper  and cook until browned, turning once.  Add shallots and cook another 3 minutes.  Add the vinegar and cook 1 minute until reduced a bit.  Add the broth, apricot preserves, honey, and poppy seeds and simmer over medium heat, stirring,  Add 1 TB butter.

Drain the potatoes, return to their pot and add 2 TB butter and dill.  You can stop at this and eat them at whole potatoes OR you can maked smashed taters like I did.  Just mash and add a lil milk, and some cream cheese.

YUMMMMMMMMY! TRY IT!

Banana Pudding 2 Ways

So I made two types of banana pudding tonight (one for a birthday party at work and one to take to Essie's daycare!)

First the "fancy" pudding (this one is Paula Deen)
2 bags Pepperidge Farm Chessman cookies
6-8 bananas, sliced
2 cups milk
1 (5 oz) French vanilla pudding
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (12 oz) CoolWhip

Line the bottom of a 13x9 pan with 1 bag of cookies (save 4 of them) and layer bananas on top.
In a bowl, combine the milk and pudding mix together until smooth.  In another bowl, combine the cream cheese and condensed milk until smooth.  Fold the whipped topped into the cream cheese mixture.  Add the cream cheese mixture to the pudding mixture and stir until well blended.  Pour the mixture over the cookies and bananas and cover with remaining cookies.  Refrigerate until set.

And second this one is a little more simple and not as rich as the first one.

1 (5oz) pudding mix, vanilla

3 c milk

1 can Eagle Brand Milk

1 container CoolWhip

bananas

Nilla wafers

Mix the milk and pudding mix together.  Add in the Eagle Brand and Cool whip.  Layer with bananas and cookies!

Meatball Subs

This is such a scrumptious meal...very hearty and you have enough leftovers to use for spaghetti later!

Meatballs:

1 &1/2 lbs groud sirloin

1 large egg beaten

1 cup Italian bread crumbs

1 medium onion, chopped fine

4 cloves garlic, crushed & minced

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

2 tsp Worchestershire sauce

1/4 c flat leaf parley, chopped (fresh)

1/4 c grated Parmesan cheese

Marnara Sauce:

2 TB olive oil

4 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

2 TB chopped flat leaf parsley

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1 (28 oz) crushed tomatoes

1 (14 oz) chunky crushed tomatoes

Salt & pepper to taste

4 semolina (or other hoagie type) roll

Provolone cheese (shredded or sliced)

Preheat oven to 450.

Place ground sirloin in bowl and punch a well into the middle.  Fill the well with egg, bread crumbs, onion, garlic, red pepper flakes, Worcestershire, parsley, cheese, and a lil salt and pepper.  Mix up ingredients until well combined. Roll into meatballs and place on nonstick baking pan.  Bake for about 12 minutes or until no longer pink in the middle.

Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Add oil and garlic.  When garlic starts sizzling, add herbs and crushed pepper.  Allow oil to infuse for half a minute, then stir in tomatoes and season sauce with salt and pepper.  Bring sauce to bubble then reduce to simmer.

Combine meatballs and sauce and pile onto sub rolls.  Top with provolone cheese and broil until cheese is melted.

Mexi-Pasta

I found a recipe for something similar to this but I decided to change it up a little bit!  And it was SO GOOD!

1 box penne pasta (I used the Piccollini little ones)

1 pound hamburger meat (the origianl recipe called for chicken)

1/2 green bell pepper

1 and 1/2 cups salsa ( I didn't have quite enough salsa so I added a can of diced tomatoes)

1 can corn

1 can black beans

Mexi blend cheese

Boil Pasta according to directions.

Brown hamburger meat.  Add bell pepper and cook til tender.  Add in salsa, corn, black beans.  Simmer for about 5 minutes.

Drain pasta and add the meat mixture.  Mix well.  When serving add cheese to the top.

Chicken Kabobs & Grilled Cabbage

So here's how I made these kabobs (I do it differently pretty much every time!)

• Chicken breast cut into pieces
• Squash cut into chunks
• Red Potatoes cut into chunks
• Zucchinis cut into chunks

Feed the meat and veggies onto skewer (I use the metal ones).  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with Cavenders. Place on grill!

To make the grilled cabbage:

Note: I do NOT typically like cabbage but my dad taught me how to make this awhile back and it's verrrrrry good!

• Cut cabbage into wedges. 
• Place a couple wedges on a sheet of foil.
• add a tab of butter
• sprinkle with cavenders
• wrap into foill packet
• grill until tender (it does take awhile so make sure to start these early!)

chicken florentine...

2 (10oz) frozen spinach, thawed and chopped

6 chicken breasts (cooked and diced)

2 cans cream of mushroom soup

1 cup mayo

1 cup sour cream

2 cup sharp shredded cheese

2 TB lemon juice

1 tsp curry powder

salt & pepper to taste

1/2 c dry white wine

1/2 c parmesan

1/2 c bread crumbs

2 tb butter

Preheat to 350

Thaw spinach and squeeze dry...chop it and put in small bowl. Add diced chicken.

In another bowl mix together the soups, mayo, sour cream, cheese, lemon juice, curry, salt, pepper, and wine. Add the spinach and chicken. Pour into a greased 13x9. mix together the parm and bread crumbs. Sprinkle on top of mixture and dot with butter. Bake 30 min!

olive nut spread

This is one of my favs...I serve it at showers alot and we even served it at our wedding reception! You can spread it on bread but my fav way is to spread it on Bistro crackers.

8 oz cream cheese

1/2 cup mayo

1 cup chopped green olives

1/2 c chopped pecans

2 tsp olive juice from jar

Mix all together with electric mixer...let sit overnight...yummmm!

Chocolate Buttercream Icing

This the most delicious chocolatey goodness EVER!  REALLY!  It's whips canned icing's bootie...trust me!

You need the recipe for buttercream icing in the post below AND

1 and a 1/2 cups cocoa AND an additional 2-4 TB milk (as needed).

You just make the regular buttercream as stated below and then add the cocoa powder and extra milk!

Buttercream Frosting...

I do NOT use canned icing...ick!  So here is my recipe that I use for regular ole' buttercream icing...I'll post the recipe for the chocolate version in a bit!

1 cup butter

1 cup Crisco (I use the sticks)

2 tsp vanilla extract (use the clear if you want true white)

1 bag powdered sugar

4 tb milk (or as needed)

Cream together your butter and crisco...add vanilla...slowly add powdered sifted powdered sugar...add milk until you get the right consistency!  To color...add Wilton icing colors!