Ravioli with Arugala, Tomatoes and Pancetta

1 pound cheese ravioli
6 oz thinly sliced pancetta, chopped (or just use bacon)
1 (15-oz) can diced tomatoes, drained
3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper, plus extra for seasoning
3 cups arugula
1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh basil, divided
2 tbsp butter, at room temp.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.  Add the ravioli and cook for 7-9 min. until tender. Drain.
In a large nonstick skillet over med.-high heat, add the pancetta and cook stirring frequently, until crispy, about 8 minutes. Remove to paper towels to drain.  Add the tomatoes, olive oil, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper and cook for 2 minutes until tender.  Add the arugula and 1/4 cup basil and cook until wilted, about 30 seconds.  Stir in the butter and melt.   Add the ravioli and cooked pancetta and toss until coated.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste.  Transfer the ravioli to a large serving bowl. Garnish with the remaining basil and serve.

New Recipes

I've tried a couple of good recipes from Pinterest and wanted to share. Especially because they are super easy!

Cheesy Crockpot Chicken and Rice

This is SO easy and SO yummy! I prepped everything in the morning, turned the crockpot on and dinner was done. I already crave it again.

Ingredients
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 large onion, chopped
1 -8 ounce box Zatarain's Yellow Rice Mix, cooked according to directions
1 cup cheddar cheese
1 - 10.5 ounce can cream of chicken soup (regular or fat free)
1 -15 ounce can whole kernel corn, drained

Instructions
Place chicken in bottom of slow cooker. Scatter chopped onion over top. Spoon cream soup over top of that. Cover and cook on low 7-8 hours or on high 3-4 hours. A few minutes before serving, add in cooked rice, corn, and cheese. Stir to combine. Serve hot.

Here's a link for pictures and more detailed instructions.

http://www.southernplate.com/2010/09/slow-cooker-cheesy-chicken-and-rice-the-downside-of-being-a-swan-princess.html

Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta

This recipe comes so highly recommended that I wonder if my expectations might have been to high. It is yummy and easy to make but I felt like it was missing something. A freshness to it if you may. Like a squeeze of lemon juice and some zest? I don't know. The flavor was good. It just felt like something was missing to complete the flavors. Maybe fresh basil? I don't know. If you try it and figure it out let me know. I substituted fresh tomatoes at the end instead of cooking them. I also used fresh garlic. The recipe serves two so you may need to double to feed a family.

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips

4 ounces fettuccine, cooked

2 teaspoons cajun seasoning

2 tablespoons butter

1-2 cup heavy whipping cream

2 tablespoons chopped sun-dried tomatoes

1 green onion thinly sliced

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon dried basil

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder (I used fresh minced garlic)

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Place chicken and Cajun seasoning in a bowl and toss to coat. In a large skillet over medium heat, sauté chicken in butter or margarine until chicken is tender, about 5 to 7 minutes. Reduce heat add green onion, heavy cream, tomatoes, basil, salt, garlic powder, black pepper and heat through. Pour over hot pasta and toss with Parmesan cheese.

Creamy Shrimp and Mushroom Pasta

I guess you could say that today was All New Recipes day in the Nielsen house.

I found this recipe here and that's also where the picture came from. I have a house of seafood lovers so this was a giant hit here. I imagine it takes a lot like a shrimp Alfredo would, but I wouldn't exactly know because I'm not a fan of Alfredo. This is so yummy! It's easy to cook but paired with garlic bread and a green salad you could serve it at your fanciest of dinner parties. As I was cooking it I thought it would make a great anniversary or valentine's dinner. (Why was I thinking that? Who knows?!?!?!)

4-8 oz. fettuccine or linguine. (I used fettuccine. The author says she prefers less noodles but I had a family to feed. I used about 12 oz. of fettuccine.)

10 TBS butter (The author says, I know, but I've tried it with less and it's just not the same.)

8 oz. fresh, sliced mushrooms

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 oz. cream cheese, cut into small pieces

2 TBS fresh parsley, chopped

1 TBS fresh basil, chopped. (The author says you can use dried herbs if that's all you have, but I(Kristen) know dried and fresh measurements are not the same and I don't think the flavor is as good with dried.

2/3 cup boiling water (from your noodle pot)
1 lb. cooked shrimp (feel free to buy frozen)

1. Boil and salt a large pot of water and cook your pasta.

2. While your pasta is cooking, cook your shrimp if necessary and reserve. If your shrimp are pre-cooked and frozen, quickly thaw them under running water.

3. In a large skillet melt 2 TBS butter over medium heat and saute mushrooms until soft and brown. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Reserve cooked mushrooms and melt remaining butter in the skillet. Add minced garlic, cream cheese and herbs. At this point, I generally fell like something has gone terribly wrong. The cream cheese doesn't really melt and starts to look almost curdled, don't worry about it It will all smooth out and be wonderful when we add the water, I promise.

5. Simmer cream cheese mixture until well blended. Get a scoop of boiling pasta water from your noodle pot and mix it in, stirring quickly to smooth out the sauce.

6. Keep sauce hot and add shrimp and mushrooms. Mix well and simmer (stirring often) until everything is hot and thickened, about 10 minutes. You won't ruin this sauce by accidentally boiling it so don't worry.

7. Toss sauce with cooked noodles and serve.

Easy Lasagna Cups

1 pkg wonton wrappers
1 jar spaghetti sauce (add your meat of choice if you like it in lasagna)
2+ cups of cheese (any kind you like in lasagna: italian mix, mozarella mixed with ricotta, etc.)

Spray muffin tins with a little cooking spray, put down one wonton wrapper at the bottom of each muffin spot, then layer sauce, cheese, another wonton wrapper cut in a circle about the size of the muffin tin by a cookie cutter or a rounded edge glass, then keep layering in that order until it is to the top of the muffin tin and you end with cheese.

Bake at 375 for 15-20 min.  So easy, not a huge mess, the kids prefer these to regular lasagna.  You could also mix it up and use chicken and alfredo sauce.  The possibilities are endless.  I made 18 with about 2 1/2 cups of cheese.

I have a picture but blogger won't let me put it on.  So I will do it as soon as it will let me.

Baked Chicken & Potatoes Italiano

This recipe is courtesy of The Food Nanny. I like it because it's super simple, and there aren't too many ingredients. It's also healthy!

Baked Chicken & Potatoes Italiano

6 medium russet potatoes (about 2lbs), quartered lengthwise. (Peeling optional)

1 large white onion, thickly sliced

Olive or Canola Oil

6 chicken thighs

6 chicken drumsticks

2 Tbsp fresh rosemary leaves, or 2 tsp dried

Kosher Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Place the potato & onion pieces in a sheet pan or other large baking pan. Drizzle 2 Tbsp of the oil over them & stir to coat.

3. Remove the skin from the chicken pieces if desired. Rub oil over the chicken and place in pan between the potatoes & onions. Sprinkle w/ rosemary, salt, & pepper.

4. Bake for 30 minutes. Turn the potatoes & continue baking until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender, 15 to 25 more minutes. Transfer to large platter & serve immediately.

Chicken or Turkey Lasagna

Chicken or Turkey Lasagna

12 cooked lasagna noodles

16oz grated mozzarella cheese (the picture shows cheddar cheese, because I didn't have any mozarella. It was still yummy!)

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, boiled and shredded or chopped. (Or use turkey)

8oz Frozen broccoli or spinach (I used spinach this time)

White sauce:

7 C. Milk

1 C Margarine or butter

1 C Flour

Salt & Pepper to taste

To make white sauce, melt butter in sauce pan, and stir in flour with a whisk until smooth. Add milk and whisk constantly on medium heat until it thickens, (may take several minutes). Turn off heat and it will thicken more as it cools. Set aside 2 C white sauce and 1 C cheese for the top.

Spread a few Tbsp white sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 pan.

Mix the broccoli or spinach, cheese, and chicken with remaining white sauce.

Layer from the bottom: 4 noodles, mixture, 4 noodles, mixture, 4 noodles, mixture, leftover sauce, leftover cheese.

Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 1 hour. Take foil off for the last 10-15 minutes to brown the cheese.

**Warning, this recipe tends to overflow in a regular 9x13 pan, so maybe put a cookie sheet under you pan to catch the drippings, or separate into 2 smaller baking dishes!**

Kung Pao Noodles

Instead of copying and pasting and posting the recipe just go to this link for what we had for dinner tonight.

http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2011/04/kicked-up-ramen-noodles-kung-pao-style.html

Let me just say, this is the fourth night of dinners in a row that all five of my family members ate everything without a tiny bit of complaining.  They are either just really hungry or I've been on my game this week.

Smothered Burritos

This was all that was left from a 9x13 pan of these burritos (we all like them at our house)

2 tbsp. vegetable oil
3 tbsp. flour
1 or 2  four-ounce can of green chilies
about three cups cubed or shredded cooked pork divided (mine was just a pork roast cooked in the crock-pot so it was shredded)
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp. chicken bouillon
about 1 cup water or chicken broth
8-10 flour or corn tortillas
3 cups refried beans
Grated cheese

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large skillet. Stir in flour to make thick paste.  Add 1 cup of pork (juice included if there is any), green chilies, chili powder, chicken bouillon, and about a cup of water (or chicken broth) if you don't have enough juice from the pork.  Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly.  Turn to low until you need it.  Spread about 1/3 cup refried beans, some pork, and a little cheese, in each tortilla.  Fold up burrito style.  Place burritos in greased 9x13 dish.  Cover with all the pork/green chile sauce and a little more cheese.  Bake at 350 for 30 min. or until cheese is melted and sauce is a little bubbly.
Optional: after plating add a little sour cream on top.

Super Easy Manicotti

Ingredients:

About 12 string cheese

Your favorite Spaghetti sauce

Manicotti noodles

Grated mozzarella Cheese

Directions:

Boil the noodles according to package directions.  Drain and cool enough to handle.  Spoon some sauce over the bottom of a casserole dish.  Stuff each noodle with 1 string cheese.  If the Manicotti has fallen apart just wrap around the cheese and tuck under the edges.  Spoon more sauce on top and cover with the mozzarella.  

Bake at 350 just until the top cheese is about melted. 

Salmon and Wild Mushroom Casserole

*Courtesy of Josi Kilpack in "Blackberry Crumble"

I don't like salmon so I substituted chicken

1 12oz package wide egg noodles

4 tbsp butter plus 2 tbsp (divided)

1 (14 oz) can salmon*

1/2 onion chopped

3 celery ribs, diced

4-8 oz wild mushrooms (oyster, shitake, etc.) washed and sliced

1/2 tsp salt

4 tbsp flour

1 tsp double mustard powder

1 cup milk

1 can chicken broth

1 cup crushed oyster or saltine crackers

Preheat oven 350.  Butter a 2 qt casserole dish.  Cook the noodles according to the package directions (don't forget to add salt to the water). Drain, then return to the pot and toss with 2 tbsp. butter. Set aside.

While the noodles are cooking, open and drain the can of salmon. Remove any round bones and discard them.  (Other bones are soft enough to mix with the fish) Mash the salmon with a fork, set aside.

Melt 4 tbsp butter in a large skillet over med. heat.  Add the onion and celery and saute until transluscent, about 3-4 minutes.  Add the mushroom and salt.  Cook, stirring often, until mushrooms give up their juices, about 4 minutes.

Add flour to the skillet and stir well.  Add mustard powder.  Stir until combined.  Cook 2 min.  Slowly add the milk and broth, stirring constantly (remember to scrape up any browned flour on the bottom of the pan for extra flavor).  Stir until thick and bubbly.  Add the salmon.  Turn off the heat.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Pour the vegetable-salmon mixture over the buttered noodles and mix until combined.  Pour into the casserole dish.

Melt remaining 2 tbsp butter and toss with cracker crumbs. Spread buttered crackers on top of the casserole.  Bake 30 min.

* Could use canned chicken in place of salmon*

Family Favorite

It's been a while since a new post on here.  Hopefully, everyone is busy having fun. This year's menu for us (so far) has been full of dishes that are "all-in-one"type dishes- with a little something from each food group to make it a complete meal.  Ham Fried Rice: rice, ham, carrots, peas, scrambled eggs.  Pesto Pasta: topped with turkey bacon, tomatoes, and a little cheese. And this Dorito Taco salad. I'm sure you all have this recipe, but I thought I'd share anyway.

1 pound ground beef or turkey

3/4 head of lettuce 

3 tomatoes

Doritos (you can use baked if you want)

1 can kidney beans (we like black better) drained and rinsed

a little onion

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

3/4 bottle Thousand Island dressing (you can use light or Fat Free)

Chop and mix tomatoes, lettuce, and cheese.  Mix with dressing.  Brown hamburger, drain, and add the beans. Simmer for 10 min. Add to salad.  Serve with crushed Doritos.  I like it topped with sour cream and avocados.

Southwestern Sloppy Joes with Honey Lime Coleslaw

It seems like I've started most of my posts lately with "I don't normally like such-and-such" or "Ben doesn't usually eat yada-yada". This post is no different.....

Ben is not a fan of sloppy joes. I think I've asked him why about 10 times in the course of our relationship. Do I remember? Nope. Either I'm a very bad wife or the answer was just that vague.

Anyway, when I saw this recipe on Debbi Does Dinner I was fairly sure that this sloppy joe would be the exception. And I was RIGHT! Boo-yah! In fact, Ben's review, simply stated, "This is good. And not just for a sloppy joe."

I didn't take a picture, sorry, but Debbi has two yummy pictures on her post.

enjoy!

Southwest Sloppy Joes with Honey Lime Coleslaw

Honey Lime Coleslaw:

2 tbsp. mayonnaise

2 tbsp. sour cream (or use all mayo)

3 tbsp. honey

2 tbsp. lime juice

2 tbsp. chopped cilantro

Salt and pepper

Pinch of cayenne

about 4 cups of coleslaw mix

Sloppy Joe

1 lb. ground turkey

1 onion, chopped

1/2 cup ketchup

1 can black beans

1/2 cup frozen corn

1 can diced green chiles

1 tbsp. brown sugar

2 tsp. mustard

1 tsp. ground cumin

Salt and pepper

Combine coleslaw mix and coleslaw ingredients, mix and refrigerate until ready to use.

Cook ground turkey and onion. Add the rest of the ingredients, stir to combine. Let simmer for about 10 minutes or until it thickens and is the desired consistency. Serve on sandwich thins with coleslaw on top if desired.

White Chicken Chili with Tomato Garnish

A friend from High School posted this recipe to her blog. Now, before I list the ingredients and directions I need to put on record that I am a picky eater. One of the things I do not like is uncooked tomatoes. I also have never been a fan of white chili, mainly because I don't like white beans. My husband is not a picky eater, but he has never liked white chili and was skeptical and slightly disappointed when I told him that this dish was on the menu. With that said, we both LOVED this chili. After this picture was taken, we both crushed up some tortilla chips and added it in. YUM.

Jean's White Chili with Tomato Garnish

Soup:

3 cans white navy beans, drained and rinsed

1 white onion, diced

6 cups chicken broth

4 cups chicken breast, cooked and cubed

7 oz can diced green chiles

4 tsp cumin

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

2 tsp dried oregano

1 cup sour cream

3 cups Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

In a large pot, slightly saute onion until tender. Add beans and broth. Cook until onions and beans are tender. Add chicken, chiles, and seasonings; continue to simmer until the sauce is thickened. (Approx. 30 min. - 1 hour). Take the pot off the heat and add the sour cream and cheese. Stir until the cheese melts. Serve with tomato garnish.

Garnish: (there are no measurements, it's to your taste.)

tomatoes, chopped

cilantro, chopped

sweet and sour dressing

Sweet and Sour Dressing:

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

juice from 1 lemon

1 tsp dried onion powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp paprika

1/3 cup vegetable oil

2 tsp celery seed (optional, and I opted not to use it)

In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and vinegar and bring to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved. In a dressing container, combine lemon juice and seasonings. Add vinegar mixture and then add oil. shake to combine. Dressing will keep up to a week n the refrigerator. Add only enough to coat the tomatoes and cilantro.

Pineapple Enchiladas

(the innards- look at the lovely colors!!)

Pineapple Enchiladas

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 large yellow onion, chopped

1 medium red bell pepper, chopped

1 (20-ounce) can pineapple, drained (save juice)

1/3 cup pineapple juice (reserved)

1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained

1 (4 1/2-ounce) can chopped green chilies

1 teaspoon salt

1 t. cumin

1 t. chili powder

1 t. garlic powder

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

3 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided

1 (10-ounce) can green enchilada sauce

8 flour tortillas (8 or 9 in) 1 cup cooked chicken, chopped (optional)

Heat oil in a large skillet. Add onion and bell pepper, cook 4 to 5 minutes or until softened. Stir in pineapple, beans, chilies, and spices. (Add chicken.) Cook and stir until thoroughly heated. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro. Spread a thin layer of enchilada sauce on the bottom of the 9x13 pan. Spread 1 tablespoon enchilada sauce on each tortilla, then spoon about ¾ cup vegetable/meat mixture and cheese on each. Roll up tortillas and place in baking dish. Mix reserved pineapple juice and remaining enchilada sauce and pour over enchiladas. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese. Bake tightly covered for 30 minutes, then remove foil and bake for 5-10 more minutes, until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbly. Top each enchilada with a dallop of sour cream and a sprinkling of fresh chopped cilantro. *VEGETARIAN OPTION: Omit chicken and add another can of black beans instead.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

If we were giving prizes away at Fabulous Friday I think this soup would have been a blue ribbon winner for sure. I'm pretty sure I saw people licking their bowls and weeping over the empty crockpot. :)

Thanks Alyssa for sharing this yummy recipe with us.

Cheesy Cream of Vegetable Soup

2 cups diced potatoes
1 cup diced onion
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup diced celery (I replaced with broccoli)
6 teaspoons or cubes of chicken bouillon
Simmer above to semi-soft.

1/4 cup butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon powdered mustard
3 Tablespoons flour
2 cups milk

Do not drain vegetables. Add the white sauce to cooked vegetables. Add 2 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese. Heat together but do not boil.

Thai Peanut Chicken

I first tried this dish at my sister's house and FELL. IN. LOVE. I crave it often. It is not for people watching their waistline, but if you ever give yourself a "free day", I suggest you make this.

Thai Peanut Chicken

Dressing
1 1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup oil (I use olive, but any will do)
1/3 cup + 2 tbsp rice vinegar
1/8 cup soy sauce

Chicken
1 lb chicken, cubed
3/4 cup carrots
3/4 cup onion, diced
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp peanut butter
8 oz angel hair pasta
crushed red pepper flakes, to taste

Garnishments- optional
Peanuts
Lime
Cilantro

Directions:
Mix ingredients for dressing. Use 1/4 cup to marinate the chicken and marinate 3 hours.

Cook chicken. Drain of excess liquid and brown the meat. Cook vegetables until tender. Add to chicken. Add honey, peanut butter and red pepper flakes to remaining dressing. Cook Pasta. Mix everything together. Garnish with cilantro and peanuts as well as squeeze lime juice over the dish, if desired.

Sausage Soup

Here's another soup recipe from Fabulous Friday. This one comes from Teresa Throop.

Sausage Soup

3-4 large potatoes
4 -6 tsp. chicken bouillon
4-6 cups water
1 lb. sausage
2 cups chopped kale
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup crumbled bacon (about 8-10 slices) *
Salt to taste

Cube potatoes and place in sauce pan. Cover with enough water to boil, about 4-6 cups and add chicken bouillon. While potatoes are boiling, brown sausage and bacon. When potatoes are tender, add sausage, bacon and kale to sauce pan. Boil for 2 minutes and then add cream and salt if desired.

*I use Hormel real bacon bits for ease.

Cornmeal Crusted Chicken with Peach Salsa

My parents visited recently and left behind a few peaches. And, to be honest, I've been wanting to actually cook lately instead of just thawing a frozen meal or throwing stuff into the crock pot. This meal was quick and easy to make and tasted yummy. The recipe is from Betty Crocker

Cornmeal Crusted Chicken with Peach Salsa

Salsa-
5 medium peaches, peeled and chopped (3 cups)
1 large tomato, chopped (1 cup)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp white vinegar
1/4 tsp salt

Chicken-
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/4 lb)
2 tbsp vegetable oil

In large bowl, mix all salsa ingredients. Cover and refrigerate until serving time. In shallow dish, mix cornmeal, salt and pepper. Coat chicken with cornmeal mixture. In 10-inch skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Cook chicken in oil 15-20 minutes, turning once, until juice is clear when center of thickest part is cut. Serve with salsa.

Taco Soup

Here is the soup I made for our Fabulous Friday. This is Tammy Thompson's recipe, but I have tweaked it a little bit.

1 lb ground beef
chopped onion
2 cans petite diced tomatoes
1 can kidney beans undrained
1 can corn undrained
1 cup salsa (I use Pace Chunky Salsa, Medium)
1 packet taco seasoning

Brown ground beef with onion. Drain. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Ladle into bowl. Top with cheddar cheese and sour cream. Serve with tortilla chips.

I put mine in a crockpot and cooked on high for about 2 hours.

Chicken Zucchini Casserole

Sometimes I have way too much zucchini, and I don't have any idea what to do with it all. I stumbled across this recipe & thought I'd share. It's really yummy!

Chicken Zucchini Casserole

6 C. chopped zucchini/summer squash

1 chopped onion

1 C. chopped carrots

1 16oz. container sour cream

1 can Cream of Chicken soup

1 C. Shredded cheddar cheese

4 C. cooked chicken cubes (3-4 chicken breasts, or I just buy a whole rotisserie chicken & shred it.)

1 6oz. pkg Stuffing

1/2 C. melted butter

salt & pepper

Put zucchini, carrots, and onions in a large pot. Cover with water and add 1 tsp. salt. Bring to a boil and boil for 5 min. Drain. Put vegetables back into pot. Add sour cream, soup, cheese and chicken and stir until combined. In a separate bowl, stir together the stuffing & butter. In a 9 x 13 pan spread 1/2 the stuffing mixture. Pour on the zucchini mixture. Top with the other 1/2 of the stuffing mix. Sprinkle w/ salt & pepper. Cover with foil and bake at 325 for 1 hour. (Take foil off for the last 15 minutes.)