The Salt & Pepper Diva

Baby Apple Dumplins'

2011-10-14T20:15:00.002-04:00

I've said this before and I'll say it again. I like to cook, but not so much bake. Way too much measuring for my tastes. So, whenever I do bake it has to be simple. These little dumplings were right up my alley.

Baby Apple Dumplins'

2 granny smith apples
2 cans of crescent rolls
2 sticks of butter
1.5 cups of sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 can of Mountain Dew
cinnamon **I used cinnamon sugar that I got at the Amish store**

Peel apples and slice each apple into 8 wedges. Wrap each wedge in a crescent roll. Place in a greased baking dish. Mix together melted butter, sugar and vanilla and pour over dumplings. Pour Mountain Dew into dish around dumplings. Sprinkle all with cinnamon. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes.

Serve warm, preferably with vanilla ice cream.

Jalapeno Popper Dip

2011-10-14T20:09:00.000-04:00

OMG! If you like jalapeno poppers, you must give this a try. It is super good!
We ate it with Fritos scoops.

Mix together 8oz softened cream cheese, 1/2 cup of mayo, 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar, 1/2 cup of parmesan and a can of sliced jalapenos.

Place in a baking dish.

Mix together 1/4 cup of panko bread crumbs and 1/4 cup of parmesan and sprinkle on top.

Bake at 375 for 20 minutes.

Black Bean and Corn Salsa

2011-10-14T20:01:00.000-04:00

I made this awhile back and it was quite good. I made it to put on top of taco salads we had for dinner one night, but it was also good with just tortilla chips which is what we did with the leftovers.

Black Bean and Corn Salsa
1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can of corn, rinsed and drained
green onions, chopped
tomato, chopped
avocado, chopped
1 jar of pimentos
fresh cilantro
salt
lime juice
garlic powder

Mix all well and let chill before serving.

Bada Bing Potatoes

2011-07-20T17:18:00.004-04:00

I found this recipe on Allrecipes.

Here is what I did, which was pretty close.

Boil potatoes as directed, but for only 15 minutes instead of 20. After reading reviews this seemed to eliminate the too mushy factor. Then smash each as directed. I used the bottom of a glass measuring cup.

In a large bowl, I mixed together melted butter, evoo, fresh basil, some McCormick's Italian Seasoning, fresh garlic, Parmesan cheese, red pepper flakes, season salt and pepper.

Layout on a greased baking sheet and bake at 400 for 20-30 minutes until crispy.

These were so delicious! I will make them again and again!

Portobello Pizza

2011-07-19T17:57:00.002-04:00

Homemade Pizza Sunday. My kiddo did a bagel pizza. Hubby did a FlatOut Bread Pizza. I'm eating as few carbs as possible right now, so I made a Portobello pizza.

Remove stem and gills from mushroom. Brush with olive oil and bake about 4 minutes. Top with sauce and desired toppings. Then cheese. I also sprinkled on some fresh basil from my plant. So good. :-)

Oh Snap Shrimp!

2011-07-16T21:22:00.003-04:00

I recently concocted this and it turned out super yummy. Fresh ingredients are a must for this one. No dried basil, garlic powder or fake lemon juice will do..use the real stuff!

Toss peeled and deveined shrimp into a bowl with a drizzle of sesame oil, the juice of one lemon, 1 tbsp of garlic, 2 leaves of chopped fresh basil, 1 tsp of hot chili paste, 1 tbsp of coconut flour and a dash or two of salt and pepper. Mix well.

The longer it sits, the more the flavors will meld together.

Saute it all in coconut oil until done.

Bacon Ranch Poppers

2011-07-15T20:16:00.003-04:00

Cut tops off of fresh jalapenos and cut in half lengthwise. Remove seeds and membranes.
In a bowl mix together softened cream cheese, some shredded sharp cheddar and dry ranch mix. Stuff peppers. Wrap with bacon and broil until bacon is crisp.

Lovely Lemon!

2011-04-24T20:39:00.002-04:00

This year for Easter I wanted something lemony. I traditionally make lemon bars but decided I wanted a pie or something, but I didn't want the gel type pie filling. This reminds me more of a lemony cheesecake.

Lovely Lemon Pie

1 can of sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup of lemon juice
half a container of cool whip
graham cracker crust

Mix together condensed milk and lemon juice until it starts getting thick. Fold in whipped topping. Spoon into crust. Chill in fridge, preferably overnight.
Eat!
Could it be any easier??

Crab Rangoon Cups

2011-04-13T16:31:00.003-04:00

I made this appetizer a bit back when I was craving Crab Rangoon, but wanting to be relatively healthy and not eat the fried version. Not exactly the same, but good nonetheless.

Cut egg roll wrappers into four squares. Spray mini muffin pan and place a wrapper in each hole. Brush with some sesame oil. Other will do, but I think sesame oil is always a better flavor for anything oriental.

Mix together flaked crab meat, chopped green onions, chopped water chestnuts, garlic powder, salt and pepper.

Stuff wrappers and bake at 350 until lightly browned and mixture is bubbly.

Snowy Day Soup

2010-12-04T17:38:00.002-05:00

It's beginning to look alot like Christmas.....in other words, its snowing today.
Dinner tonight was just what we all needed. A big ol' bowl of warm comfort.

Vegetable Beef Soup
First I took beef stew meat and put in a pot just covered with water. Bring to a boil and then simmer for two hours. Skim fat scum off the top and drain the water from the beef.
In a large Dutch Oven, place beef. Pour in a large can of V8 and 3 cups of water. Add 2-3 bay leaves, 1 tsp of basil, 1 tbsp parsley and 1 tsp of salt. Stir well. Sprinkle black pepper completely over the top of the soup. Mix well. Add one large, unchopped but peeled onion(this definitely gives it awesome flavor in my opinion!)

Now, you can use an assortment of veggies of your choice, either fresh, canned or frozen. I prefer fresh or frozen because I think canned gets mushy. If you do use canned, drain off all the liquid or it will be too thin.

This time around I used fresh potatoes and carrots. And frozen corn, green beans, lima beans and green peas.

Add any of the fresh vegetables to the pot now because they take longer to cook. Bring to a boil and simmer for one hour. Then add the frozen veggies and simmer another hour.
I served it with cheddar garlic biscuits. Yum Yum.

Turkey Leftovers...

2010-12-04T16:31:00.002-05:00

We ended up having a 20lb turkey's worth, plus some that was sent home from my dad's so I tried to get pretty creative with the turkey.

-We had two nights and one lunch of turkey with all the other leftover Thanksgiving sides.
-Our standard turkey clubs(turkey, bacon, sharp cheddar, a slice of cranberry sauce and fancy mustard
-Turkey and avocado paninis
-Turkey salad made with grapes and almonds in wraps
-turkey noodle soup, made with from scratch stock made by boiling the carcass
-buffalo chicken dip(made with turkey)
-white chicken chili(made with turkey...)
-turkey and black bean enchiladas

While we still have a little left, its going in the trash.
I think I'm starting to see feathers growing on my back end. :)

What did you make with your turkey leftovers?

Pass the Turkey Please!

2010-11-22T14:52:00.009-05:00

So, we are headed to my family dinner for the actual holiday meal, but I always have to cook my own Thanksgiving bird at home. I love spending the weeks before Thanksgiving watch the marathons of shows on The Food Network and browsing the internet and my cookbooks for new recipes to try. So, I made my dinner this past weekend and here was the menu:

White Wine and Butter Basted Turkey
stuffed with Sage and Mushroom Stuffing
Mashed Potatoes and Gravy
Roasted Root Vegetables
Green Bean Casserole
Corn
Cranberry Orange Relish
Rolls
Apple Caramel Cake

With the exception of the dessert...I do not really dig baking...everything was from scratch of course, as it should be, for the holidays. Here is a sampling of a few things in more detail...

White Wine and Butter Basted Turkey
I make a different turkey recipe every year, just to try something different. However, this year I made Martha Stewart's Cheesecloth Turkey and I may be hooked. It was to die for juicy and delicious and one of the most brown and beautiful birdies I think I ever did see.

First, wash your bird, inside and out. Stuff the cavity and the neck cavity. Secure the neck flap and tie up your bird.

Before doing all this to your turkey you'll want to simmer three sticks of butter and a bottle of white wine on the stove top. Soaking a piece of cheesecloth(big enough to cover your breast, not yours, the turkey's...and the tops of the legs.
Season your turkey with salt and pepper and then cover it with the cheesecloth.

Roast your bird at 325 for three hours, basting with the butter/wine mixture every half hour. Remove from oven to remove cheesecloth. Your cheesecloth will be black! Don't be alarmed...

Baste with the turkey drippings...bake another hour or until done, basting with drippings every half hour.
Enjoy!

Roasted Root Vegetables

Cranberry Orange Relish

Apple Caramel Cake

Korean Beef Bulgogi and Sauteed Bok Choy

2010-11-18T13:24:00.002-05:00

While this STILL did not turn out as good as the Bulgogi I've had at the Korean restaurant, it was quite tasty just the same.

Korean Bulgogi
Cut beef sirloin into strips and marinate in a combination of pear juice and white wine and black pepper for 30 minutes. Next add soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, sesame seeds, garlic and green onions. Then marinate at least two hours and up to overnight.

Heat sesame oil in a wok and saute mushrooms and onions. Next add beef mixture and stir fry until done. Bring to a boil and then turn to low. Add a corn starch slurry to sauce and then simmer until thickened. Serve over rice.

On the side I sauteed bok choy in sesame oil with some fresh minced garlic and a splash of rice wine vinegar.

Ravioli with Creamy Pumpkin Sage Sauce

2010-10-19T12:17:00.003-04:00

I love fall and everything that goes with it. I try to make a new pumpkin recipe every year and here was the one for this year. It was quite good!

Here is the original recipe.
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup shallots
10oz prepared alfredo sauce
1/2 cup pure pumpkin
1 Tablespoon of sage
2-9oz packages of cheese ravioli
2 Tablespoons of chopped green onions

Cook wine and shallots in medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until reduced to about 1 tablespoon. Stir in sauce, pumpkin and sage. Cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through.
Prepare pasta according to package directions; drain, reserving cup cooking water. Stir reserved water into sauce; toss with pasta. Sprinkle with green onion. Season with ground black pepper.

I made the following changes:
Sauteed my shallots in butter and then added the wine.
I also added a little minced garlic in with the shallots.
And seasoned with a little black pepper while cooking instead of later.
I sprinkled the top with more sage instead of green onions.

Pretty Pad Thai

2010-09-11T20:21:00.002-04:00

I recently made this and tasted so good. I can't wait to make it again.

-sesame oil
-1 egg
-rice noodles
-shrimp
-bean sprouts
-red chile pepper(optional, but we love spicy!)
-lime
-peanuts, crushed
-fresh cilantro

Sauce
1/4 cup hot water
1 tbsp tamarind paste
2.5 tbsp fish sauce
3 tbsp brown sugar
Mix well.

Cook noodles according to package and set aside. In a large skillet or wok, heat oil and add egg and scramble. Remove and set aside. Add more oil if needed and shrimp and sauce ingredients and cook until done. Add in noodles and cook until they absorb sauce. Add bean sprouts, pepper and egg and cook 2-3 minutes more. Place noodle mixture in bowls and garnish with cilantro, peanuts and lime wedges.

Oven "Sun Dried" Tomatoes

2010-09-11T20:11:00.004-04:00

I love sun dried tomatoes, but I do not love the cost, so I decided to try making them myself. I would love to actually dry them in the sun, but we just have so many critters running around our backyard that the thought of that disturbs me, so I did them in the oven instead and they turned out delicious!

Roma tomatoes
kosher salt
olive oil

Halve and seed the tomatoes and cut into strips. The smaller the strips, the faster they cook. Place on a baking sheet(I used my pampered chef stone) and sprinkle with salt. Bake at 200 for 4-8 hours depending on size and quantity of tomatoes. Just keep checking them. When finished store in olive oil in the fridge for up to a month. I put mine in a garlic infused olive oil that I recently got from Tastefully Simple and is some good stuff.

Diva Dinner in a Dash

2010-09-02T13:40:00.002-04:00

Okay, us busy mommas aka divas need quick dinners often because we are on the go-go-go! So, tell me some of your favorite diva dinners in a dash...something you can make quickly with five ingredients or less..I have an arsenal full, but here is one of our favorites.

Mock Chicken Cordon Bleu

-boneless, skinless chicken breasts
-ham lunchmeat( I prefer the really thin kind, you know, those little packs you ate as a kid that cost like 50cents)
-lite string cheese
-your favorite coating( I use OvenFry. It's like Shake and Bake. My favorite is the extra crispy.
-one egg(or egg white if being healthier)
-toothpicks

Lay out chicken breasts and flatten out with a meat tenderizer. Lay about 3 pieces of lunchmeat on top of each breast. Place a piece of string cheese on one end and roll up. Secure with toothpicks. Dip each roll in beaten egg and then roll in coating. Bake at 425 for 40 minutes.

Tuscan Lemon Chicken & Roasted Italian Vegetables

2010-08-29T18:40:00.003-04:00

Tuscan Lemon Chicken
courtesy of Barefoot Contessa

Mix together:
zest of two lemons
juice of two lemons
3 cloves of minced garlic
1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil
1 Tablespoon of fresh rosemary( I used thyme because I'm not a big fan of rosemary)
kosher salt
black pepper

Rub chicken well with the above.

Stuff the cavity with a cut up lemon and a couple whole cloves of garlic.

Roast in the oven at 375 for 2 hours or until done depending on chicken size.

Roasted Italian Vegetables

-vegetables of your choice( I used zucchini, yellow squash, red & green bell pepper, baby carrots and onion)
-extra virgin olive oil
-kosher salt
-black pepper
-Italian seasoning

Cut veggies in large chunks and place on a cookie sheet lined with foil. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with spices and toss well. Roast at 375 for an hour.

Shrimp Curry and Crispy Edamame

2010-07-28T14:32:00.005-04:00

Shrimp Curry

-garlic, minced
-onion, diced
-bell pepper, diced(prefer it with red, but I had green on hand this time)
-sesame oil

Saute the above in a wok or large skillet until tender.

Add:
-curry paste
-curry powder
-garam masala
-coconut milk
And bring to a boil

Add raw, peeled and deveined shrimp and cook until pink. Add a couple of pats of butter and once melted add a slurry of water and cornstarch to thicken sauce. Stir in fresh cilantro and serve over rice.

Crispy Edamame
-frozen edamame, thawed
-salt
-pepper
-olive oil
Spread out on a baking sheet. Drizzle with oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake at 400 for 15 minutes.

I sprinkled mine straight onto the curry for a little extra layer of flavor.

Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches

2010-07-23T00:05:00.002-04:00

This one is easy peasy for dinner!

Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken

3-4 chicken breasts, depending on size
1 cup of buffalo sauce
1/2 package of dry Hidden Valley Ranch Seasoning
a little cornstarch

Place chicken in slow cooker. Mix buffalo sauce and ranch mix together and pour over chicken. Cook on low 6-8 hours. Shred chicken. Use a tablespoon or so of cornstarch to thicken sauce. Scoop onto buns with blue cheese or ranch dressing.

Red, White & Green!

2010-07-18T18:45:00.004-04:00

Taken from Wikipedia:
Insalata Caprese (salad in the style of Capri) is a simple salad from the Italian region of Campania, made of sliced fresh buffalo mozzarella, tomatoes and basil, and seasoned with salt, pepper, and olive oil.[1] In Italy, unlike most salads, it is usually served as an antipasto (first course), not a contorno (side dish).

Fresh tomatoes and basil from the garden and fresh mozz made this one of the freshest tasting dishes I've had all summer!

Caprese Salad

Layer slices of tomato, mozzarella and basil leaves. Drizzle with EVOO. I also added just a splash of red wine vinegar. Sprinkle with salt and fresh ground pepper.
Chill for at least an hour or longer.

Gone Country...

2010-07-13T22:38:00.005-04:00

This meal was definitely not lite, but it spoke summer to me. Some good ol' down home country eatin'.

Breaded Pork Chops with white gravy, slow simmered green beans and fried green tomatoes.

Fried Green Tomatoes
-cooking oil
-sliced green tomatoes
-Ky Colonel seasoned flour.

Dredge both sides of tomato with flour. Cook in hot oil, 2-3 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels.

Chicago Style Hot Dogs and Watermelon Lemonade!

2010-07-03T20:58:00.006-04:00

In my opinion, you cannot celebrate 4th of July weekend without at least one hot dog and one glass of lemonade. Of course, I can't go with just the ol' plain jane kind. So...here's my version.

First, the Chicago style hot dog...definitely not for everyone, but we love em' Generally, we get them at a local place, Lonnie's Taste of Chicago, but this time we decided to give them a try ourselves.

The goods:

Assemble as follows:
-Poppy Seed Bun
-Hot Dog
-smear of yellow mustard
-kosher dill pickle slice or spear
-diced onions
-green sweet relish( I really wanted the BRIGHT green kind from Lonnie's but could not find it available anywhere without purchasing online)
-tomato wedges
-sport peppers
-sprinkle of celery salt

Consume:

Wash it down:

Watermelon Lemondade

Puree watermelon chunks in blender until smooth. Strain through wire strainer to get out any remaining pulp. Make a simple syrup. Mix together simple syrup, watermelon puree, fresh squeezed lemon juice and cold water. Serve over ice.

Happy 4th of July!!

Spinach Shells & Cheese

2010-06-23T15:10:00.003-04:00

Just a little concoction that I whipped up.
I had a bar of cheese and fresh spinach from the farmer's market that needed to be used, so I thought "hmmmmm"....

Spinach Shells & Cheese
-1/2 box of shell pasta
-8oz of gouda cheese
-1/4 cup milk
-salt and pepper
-fresh spinach leaves
-paprika

Cook shells according to box and drain. Shred cheese. Cover the bottom of a casserole dish with 1/2 the spinach. Mix together pasta, cheese, milk and salt and pepper until combined well. Pour half over spinach. Top with other half of spinach and then other half of noodles. Sprinkle with paprika and bake at 350 for 10 minutes.

Fresh Polish Kielbasa

2010-06-23T14:58:00.003-04:00

Okay, this is the real deal in my opinion. The stuff at the retail grocery stores for one is pre-cooked, not fresh. And chock full of crap for lack of a better word. Of course, getting it around here is somewhat difficult. But I finally found some at a local store, International Star Market located in Jeffersontown, KY.

My mom was Polish and so I was always raised on the good stuff. We would have it shipped from Michigan where my uncle was a butcher and made it fresh there daily. Also, the trick is cooking it right. You want it done, but not overcooked and NEVER pierce the casing!!

Anyway, here it is....

Get skillet nice and hot. Pour in a bottle of beer(can also just use water, but beer makes for a more intense flavor), add sausage. Bring to a boil and then turn down to a "low boil". Cook until all liquid has evaporated. Add 4 tablespoons of butter and half an onion sliced. Brown sausage on both sides and caramelize onions.

All Day Brisket

2010-06-16T22:03:00.005-04:00

So this one takes a little prep and cook time, but is still really easy and so worth it.

All Day Brisket
-boneless beef brisket
-liquid smoke
-garlic powder
-onion salt
-bbq sauce of your choice
-aluminum foil

Coat both sides of brisket with liquid smoke, garlic powder and onion salt. Wrap tightly in foil and refrigerate overnight. In the morning unwrap and place in a baking dish, fat side up. Cover dish with foil and bake at 300 for 5 hours. Remove from oven. Cut off top layer of fat and discard. Slice meat into 1-2" slices depending on how you like it and pour on your bbq sauce. We chose a Hickory Honey one this time around. Cover dish with foil and bake another 30 minutes.

Farmers Market Fresh Omelets

2010-06-15T13:01:00.004-04:00

I love love love all the farmers markets and fresh produce of summer. I'm using everything up as creatively as I can to get the most of it all this year.

For these tasty treats I sauteed up fresh spinach, mushrooms and garlic. And then added it to the mix of farm fresh organic eggs and Kentucky made sharp white cheddar cheese. So fresh and delicious. I'm not sure what it is about fresh farm eggs but they always taste so much better to me.

Flattened Chicken

2010-06-15T03:21:00.006-04:00

Flattened Chicken

1 whole chicken
extra virgin olive oil
salt
pepper
paprika

Remove the backbone from chicken using kitchen shears so that chicken will lay flat. Generously rub with oil, salt, pepper and paprika.
Grill breast side down.
Flip
Grill breast side up.
Eat!

Served it up with some grilled corn and veggie kabobs.

A little inspiration from Julia...

2010-05-21T15:47:00.005-04:00

So I recently watched Julie & Julia which was quite entertaining to me because I love Julia Child. I also love that someone got famous off of a blog. You go girl!
Anyway, this movie had me recently browsing through my copy of Mastering the Art of French Cooking and realizing that I need to dust it off and make something out of it. So I went with the whole artichokes.

These were pure indulgence!

Julia Child's Lemon Butter Artichokes

- serves 2 -
Ingredients

2 globe artichokes
1 stick unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces and chilled
Juice of two lemons to make 1/4 cup
1/8 teaspoon salt
Pinch of white pepper (optional)
Procedure

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil.

2. Trim the artichokes for boiling: lay each on its side and cut off about an inch or so off the top, break off the small leaves near the base, and cut off all but an inch or so of the stem (you can also snap it off where it naturally breaks, like an asparagus). Snip off the ends of the leaves all around the artichoke with scissors to rid it of any sharp points. Rinse it well under cold water.

3. Boil the artichokes, uncovered, for about half an hour. They are done cooking when the leaves pull out easily and the bottoms are tender when pierced with a knife.

4. In the meantime, prepare the lemon butter. Gently reduce the lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a small saucepan until about one tablespoon. Over low heat, whisk in the chilled butter pieces, one at a time, until creamy. Remove from heat, and, when ready to serve, whisk in 2-3 tablespoons dribbled hot water to warm.

5. Serve the artichokes with the butter for dipping, and a large bowl for unused stems. The edible parts of each leaf are nearest their base. Bottom teeth are especially good for scraping off the flesh.

My Favorite Chef

2010-05-21T15:41:00.003-04:00

Most people would go with Emeril, Julia Child, Rachel Ray, etc. But me I prefer someone local. Someone that loves to measure and pour and scoop and does it with passion. Someone that likes to sit and watch cooking shows on Food Network with their momma.
Me and my son have countless amounts of fun together in the kitchen and its finally getting him to venture out of his picky mode a little bit...

Here's my favorite chef sporting my old chef's hat from culinary school.

It makes me grin from ear to ear when he says he wants to be a chef when he grows up. Of course he also says he wants to be a doctor, a painter and a pirate...lol
It's good to have goals, right?

Fondue Night!

2010-05-21T15:29:00.007-04:00

What is more fun than fondue for dinner? Seriously? And it is so cheap and easy to do at home with so many different options. This time around we did a little surf and turf and asparagus.

I marinated my steak all day and then cut into cubes. And then thawed, peeled and deveined some shrimp. Broke the ends off the asparagus. Made my dips. And let the fun begin.

I made a dill dip for the shrimp consisting of sour cream, fresh dill, capers with a bit of juice and lemon juice.

Dill Dip

For the steak I made a french onion dip. Sour cream, dry french onion soup mix, a little worch. sauce and merlot.

French Merlot Dip

Heat the oil in the fondue pot. Sizzle up your goodies, dip and enjoy!

Japanese Chicken Tenders

2010-05-14T00:21:00.003-04:00

I recently bought a big bag of panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) at the local Asian store, so have been trying to come up with a few original ideas to make with them. This was tonight's dinner.

Japanese Chicken Tenders

-boneless, skinless chicken tenders
-1 egg, beaten
-panko
-ground ginger
-black and white sesame seeds

Mix panko, ginger and sesame seeds in one bowl. Egg in another. Dip tenders in egg and then coat with crumb mixture. Bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until cooked through. Drizzle with honey before serving.

I served this up with some Jasmine rice and a simple stir fry of long beans, grape tomatoes, black Chinese mushrooms and garlic.

Asian Beef Bundles

2010-05-12T00:05:00.002-04:00

These turned out really good. Next time I need to up the amount of sauce for drizzling though.

Asian Beef Bundles
-flank steak, cut into pieces and pounded thin
-green onions
-asparagus spears
-salt and pepper

Sprinkle steak pieces with salt and pepper. Place an onion and an asparagus spear in the center of each and roll up securing with toothpicks. Set aside in a dish.

Marinade
-6 tablespoons of soy sauce
-6 tablespoons of rice wine vinegar
-2 teaspoons of sugar
-2 teaspoons of sesame oil
-1 teaspoon of chili oil
Whisk all together and pour over bundles. Let marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or longer.

Remove from marinade and broil for 5-7 minutes depending on your desired preference.
While broiling heat remaining marinade in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and then simmer until syrupy. Drizzle over bundles before serving.

Steakhouse Mushrooms

2010-05-11T23:57:00.003-04:00

I make these all the time and they never get old to me.

Steakhouse Mushrooms
-button mushrooms
-butter
-worcestershire sauce
-steak seasoning
-parsley

Melt butter in skillet. Toss in mushrooms. Whole or sliced both work. Saute 2-3 minutes. Add 2-3 tablespoons of worcestershire sauce. Sprinkle with a pinch each of steak seasoning and parsley and saute another 3-4 minutes until tender.

Get Your Greek On!

2010-05-04T10:31:00.005-04:00

As in a Greek pita that is....
This was my version of a quick gyro. The cucumber dill sauce, also known as Tzatziki sauce, is what makes it so good.

-cube steak
-dry ranch seasoning
-greek yogurt
-lemon juice
-fresh dill
-kosher salt
-fresh ground black pepper
-cucumbers
-black olives
-feta cheese
-pita bread

First I made the sauce. I mixed together the yogurt, lemon juice, dill, salt and pepper. Then I peeled and grated in some fresh cucumber. I just did this to taste so I don't have any exact measurements on the ingredients. Then chill in fridge until ready to serve.

Second, I sprinkled the cube steaks with dry ranch seasoning on both sides and then broiled for about 10 minutes or until cooked through.

Then stuff your pita with the meat, sauce, cucumbers, black olives and feta. I generally prefer chopped tomatoes on my gyro too, but we were already having a side salad with tomatoes in it, so I didn't want to overdo it.

Strawberry Spinach Salad

2010-05-04T01:06:00.003-04:00

I had this tasty salad at my good friend Maria's house. I'm not sure if I made it exactly like hers, but you get the idea.

-fresh spinach
-sliced strawberries
-almonds I used some roasted garlic flavored ones
-sliced onions
-feta cheese
-raspberry dressing

This one is hard to mess up folks.

Hail Caesar!

2010-04-29T16:58:00.003-04:00

I've said it before and I'll say it again...I'm a mom and sometimes I just need something quick and healthy to throw together because I don't have time to devote to the kitchen even if I want to or not. This slaw is so easy to throw together and tastes quite good. Picnic perfect!

Caesar Coleslaw

1 bag of coleslaw mix( I used the broccoli kind)
1 cup of grape tomatoes, cut in halves
1 cup of lite Caesar dressing
a dash or two of cracked black pepper
Mix all well and chill until serving.

The Salt & Pepper Diva: Now on Facebook....

2010-04-26T23:38:00.000-04:00

The Salt & Pepper Diva: Now on Facebook....

Now on Facebook....

2010-04-26T23:36:00.000-04:00

Okay, since I'm ALWAYS on facebook....yes its a sick addiction. lol I thought I might as well start a page there and maybe, just maybe, that will keep me more current on my posts.

Bloody Mary with Oyster Shooters

2010-04-26T22:30:00.004-04:00

I probably gross most people out eating oysters, but I can't help it. I love them, they are good for you, low fat and a natural aphrodisiac to boot. :)

Anyway, my favorite way to eat them lately is to wrap in bacon, squirt with some fresh lemon juice and a sprinkle of sea salt and cracked black pepper.

Serve up with the spiciest of bloody marys and blue cheese stuffed olives.

Grab your chopsticks!!

2010-04-26T22:17:00.007-04:00

My first attempt at making my own sushi went relatively well. My rolls were far from perfectly shaped, but they weren't too bad. I went with two simple rolls. Yum Yum roll which is a spicy crab mixture and nori(pictured). And I made a version of a California roll, but instead of imitation crab I used cooked shrimp...sooo much better! I somehow missed getting a picture of that one though.

Salad with Ginger Dressing

Yum Yum Roll

Who lives in a pineapple under the sea?

2010-04-26T22:08:00.004-04:00

I'm finally getting ready to start scrapbooking this past years Christmas pictures, which my son's 4th birthday closely follows. This year he had a custom mommy made SpongeBob cake complete with Pineapple Punch.

Pineapple Punch
1 46oz can of pineapple juice
1 can frozen orange juice concentrate
1 2liter of lemon lime soda

Garlic Parmesan Monkey Bread

2010-04-26T21:58:00.003-04:00

Forget the sweet alternative...the savory is so much better.

Garlic Parmesan Monkey Bread
* 3 tablespoons finely chopped green onions
* 3 tablespoons parsley
* 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 5 tablespoons butter, melted
* 2 eggs
* 2 (1 pound) loaves frozen bread dough, thawed
* 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

1. Grease a 10 inch Bundt pan or tube pan.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together the green onion, parsley, garlic powder, salt, butter and eggs until well blended. Break the bread dough off in walnut-sized pieces, and dip each piece into the egg mixture.
3. Place coated dough balls into the prepared pan. Once there is a layer of balls covering the bottom of the pan, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Repeat, sprinkling each layer with cheese until everything is in the pan. Cover loosely, and let rise until doubled in size, about 45 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
4. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown.

Chicken from "that steakhouse"

2010-04-26T21:47:00.003-04:00

I rarely eat at chains...way too many good locally owned places to eat at and support where I live, but I still occasionally find something I like from a chain so instead of supporting them I generally just try and recreate it at home and save my "going out" money for something more original. Anyway, here's one that I do like from "that steakhouse". You know the one. You have to go out back to get there and the dish is named after a girl named Alice.

Move Over Alice, It's Amy's Chicken

-boneless skinless chicken breast
-fresh sliced mushrooms
-cooked bacon slices
-sharp cheddar cheese
-honey
-dijon mustard
-parsley

Season chicken with salt and pepper and bake at 375 for 25 minutes. Remove and cover with mushrooms, bacon. Mix together dijon and honey and pour on top. Sprinkle with cheese and parsley and bake another 20 minutes.

Soooo behind....

2010-04-26T21:46:00.000-04:00

Time for some catching up!

My first blog award!!

2009-11-25T18:20:00.003-05:00

Thanks Dianna!!! You are so sweet!!

My 'acceptance speech' consists of 35 quickly answered questions ... meaning concise answers, and not my usual rambling ones.

1. Where is your cell phone? in my purse
2. Your hair? ponytail right now
3. Your mother? in heaven
4. Your father? probably at home
5. Your favorite food? seafood, especially sushi or shrimp
6. Your dream last night? none that I remember
7. Your favorite drink? diet wild cherry pepsi or champagne if we are venturing to the drunken side. :)
8. Your dream/goal? to finish nursing school
9. What room are you in? playroom/computer room
10. Your hobby? cooking, reading, scrapbooking
11. Your fear? losing another loved one
12. Where do you want to be in six years? a nurse
13. Where were you last night? at home doing school work
14. Something you aren’t? co-dependent
15. Muffins? take em or leave em
16. Wish list item? new bedroom furniture
17. Where did you grow up? the ville
18. Last thing you did? discussion boards for Nutrition class
19. What are you wearing? sweatpants and a t-shirt
20. TV? foodie shows, medical dramas and too much reality tv
21. Your pets? Daisy & Slyvester, my fur kitties
22. Your friends? totally fab of course!
23. Your life? crazy beautiful
24. Your mood? happy
25. Missing someone? my mom
26. Vehicle? Chevy Blazeer
27. Something you’re not wearing? socks
28. Your favorite store? World Market
29. Your favorite color? blue
30. When was the last time you laughed? today
31. When was the last time you cried? last week
32. Your best friend? so many for so many different reasons
33. One place that you go over and over? Wal-mart
34. One person who e-mails me regularly? Jenny
35. Favorite place to eat? seriously depends on my mood, but generally I can always go with Ramsi's

I get to bestow this award on 6 others .... be sure and check out these wonderful women.

Deanna- because she is definitely a fun mama!

Smitten Kitchen

The Denia Interlude

Chasing Cheerios

What do you want for Christmas?

2009-11-25T18:11:00.002-05:00

So, I'm making my list and checking it twice....

Okay, so not a year goes by that I don't put some kitchen/foodie stuff on my list for Christmas. Anyone else? What are you asking for for Christmas for the kitchen or otherwise?

My foodie Christmas wish list...
- a new wok(mine has a dent and I can't take it anymore...I'm throwing it out!)

-saffron(most expensive spice ever but so darn good...I can't wait to get creative with it)

-Barefoot Contessa, Back to the Basics cookbook (sometimes her personality gets on my nerves, but I love her recipes! I love her use of fresh ingredients!

-And for the stocking...silicon muffin cups and some chocolate. I specifically requested the chocolate bars from World Market this year...chocolates infused with chili peppers, green tea and honey and sea salt...yum yum!

Festive Fall

2009-11-09T20:01:00.004-05:00

I always get festive with the fall cooking the week of Halloween. Here were my adventures this year.

Dinner in a Pumpkin
2 lb. lean hamburger
1 (8-12") diameter fresh pumpkin

3 garlic cloves, minced
1 med. onion, chopped
12 sm. mushrooms, sliced
1 med. bell pepper
1 1/4 c. uncooked rice
1 1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
5 tbsp. butter
1 #303 can stewed tomatoes
2 c. beef broth
1/4 c. grated Cheddar or Longhorn cheese
Parsley sprigs
8 to 12 cherry tomatoes
Wash the pumpkin and cut the top stem out to create a lid. Scoop out the seeds and stringy fibers. Melt the butter but only 2 tablespoons and take a plastic sandwich bag to dip into the melted butter to oil the inside of the pumpkin. Turn the pumpkin on its side and remove to sprinkle inside with 1/2 teaspoon salt.Saute onion, mushrooms, bell pepper, and garlic in the remaining 3 tablespoons butter. Add the 2 pounds lean hamburger, brown, and drain. Then add the rice and stir until thoroughly mixed. Add the remaining salt and pepper, the stewed tomatoes, and the beef broth and bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes then fill the pumpkin with this mixture. Replace the pumpkin lid and place the pumpkin in a shallow greased baking pan. Bake approximately 1 to 1/2 hours at 350 degrees. Pumpkin is ready when tender and should remain firm enough to hold the filling without danger of collapsing. If necessary, more beef broth can be added as needed. When baked, remove from the oven, lift lid and sprinkle inside with the 1/4 cup cheese. Return pumpkin to oven, lift lid and sprinkle inside with the 1/4 cup cheese. Return pumpkin to oven without lid until cheese is melted. Remove from oven, replace lid and garnish around the bottom of the pumpkin with fresh parsley and cherry tomatoes. Serve from the pumpkin, scraping some of the pulp into each serving. Serve with green salad and French bread. Serves 12.

Maryland Pumpkin Seeds
4 cups pumpkin seeds, raw, rinsed and dried on papertowels
1/4 cup Old Bay seasoning
a good drizzle of olive oil

Drizzle the oil over the seeds. Sprinkle with the Old Bay and toss well to coat. Spread out in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes at 300 degrees.

And lastly here are the "kitty kat" cookies me & my 3 year old son put together...

Two Childhood Favorites Combine

2009-11-09T19:50:00.003-05:00

I of course like every other kid grew up eating macaroni and cheese and with my mom it almost always was homemade instead of the blue box powdered stuff. I also grew up eating plain macaroni and tomatoes. Still one of my favorites today. So I decided to combine the two for a retro rewind with a twist.

I don't really have an exact science to my mac and cheese. I also used boiled noodles, topped with a little cracked black pepper and butter. Mix in 2-3 cheeses of your choice and a little milk and bake. So in addition to that I added some stewed tomatoes. I thought it was pretty darn good actually, but I think I still prefer both dishes separately.

Salmon Pouches

2009-10-03T20:38:00.004-04:00

I just kinda whipped this up one evening. It was healthy, quick and quite good.

On a piece of foil I placed some bell peppers & banana peppers. Salmon on top. I sprinkled with salt and pepper and some minced garlic. Then threw in some grape tomatoes and a drizzle of white wine. Make a foil pouch, stuck in the oven for about twenty minutes and viola!

I was short on my fresh veggies but I think this would be extra special with some fresh asparagus.

Baked Spaghetti

2009-10-03T20:25:00.003-04:00

I try not to make this too often because its definitely not the healthiest dish in the world although I do try to make it as healthy as possible, but we sure do love it in this house. Its a great dish for taking to someone as well. I recently took it to a friend that just had a baby.

Baked Spaghetti

8 oz spaghetti, cooked according to package
2 T butter
1 cup fresh grated Parm
24oz cottage cheese( I use low fat)
1 lb ground beef ( I use lean)
24oz spaghetti sauce
8oz shredded mozzarella

Toss cooked spaghetti in butter and place in a foiled lined pan. Top with Cottage cheese and then parm. Brown ground beef in pan. Drain and add sauce and simmer for about 10 minutes. Pour on top of cheese layer. Top with mozzarella. Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes at 400. Remove foil and bake 15 more minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Bridal Shower Treats

2009-10-03T20:07:00.008-04:00

I also recently hosted a bridal shower. I went with a finger food theme and the bride requested a chocolate cake with peanut butter icing. I think everything turned out rather nicely if I do say so myself.

Here are a few peeks of some of the fare.

Bacon & Tomato Tarts

Fig, Goat Cheese & Prosciutto Crostini

Smoked Salmon & Cucumber Roulades

Devil's Food Cake with Homemade Peanut Butter Icing
(this icing was quite greasy, but wow was it ever sinfully delicious!)

Hummingbird Cake

2009-10-03T19:48:00.004-04:00

I am not a baker. I love to eat the sweets, but I do not like to make them really. Too much measuring and following of instructions. I'm way too crazy for all that. lol I like to cook so I can tweak and do my own thing, thus, always breaking the rules. With that being said I was asked to make the dessert for a friend's baby shower and she requested a Hummingbird Cake. I did some searching took a couple of recipes and put them together to still make it my own creation. It got rave reviews unless everyone was lying. :) Seriously though, I would have picked chocolate any day myself, but this did turn out really moist and flavorful.

Hummingbird Cake
1 yellow cake mix, mixed up using directions on box
Add to mix:
1 can crushed pineapple drained
2 cups of banana, mashed
1 cup of chopped walnuts
Bake at 350 in two nine inch pans for 1 hour and cool.

Frosting:
8oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 pound butter, softened
1 pound powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Blend all together and frost middle, top and sides of cake.
Sprinkle with more chopped walnuts.

Salt & Pepper Calamari & Shrimp

2009-09-11T18:26:00.003-04:00

I love the salt and pepper calamari at a local chinese buffet, so this was my attempt at making it myself. I was quite pleased with the results. The addition of shrimp was good too!

Salt & Pepper Calamari & Shrimp
Toss cleaned shrimp and squid in a little cornstarch, kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper. Be generous with the pepper. Saute all until crispy in sesame oil and a drizzle of chile oil. Drain on paper towels.

Buffalo Chicken Salad

2009-09-11T18:23:00.003-04:00

This is one of our new favorites for a quick dinner.

Buffalo Chicken Salads
Toss together:
Salad greens of your choice
tomatoes
cucumbers
hard boiled egg
croutons
shredded cheese
Cut up buffalo chicken tenders

Cauliflower Salad

2009-09-11T18:18:00.003-04:00

This was quite tasty. The original recipe called for cauliflower and broccoli, but I only had cauliflower on hand.

Cauliflower Salad
1 cup broccoli florets
1 cup cauliflower florets
2 cups hard-cooked eggs, diced (optional)
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
6 slices bacon
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Crumble and set aside.
In a medium sized salad bowl, layer in order the broccoli, cauliflower, eggs, cheese and bacon.
Prepare the dressing by whisking together the mayonnaise, sugar and vinegar. Drizzle dressing over top and serve.

Going Greek

2009-07-04T15:48:00.004-04:00

One of my favorite chicken recipes. Minimal ingredients and impossible to mess up.

Greek Chicken

Chicken thighs, with skin left on
extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt
Greek Seasoning

Rub chicken with oil and then seasonings. Bake on 200 for 2-3 hours depending on size until chicken is cooked through and skin is crisp.

Last time I served this up with a Greek salad: cukes, tomatoes, black olives, feta and dressing.

Salmon with Pecan Coating

2009-05-27T01:54:00.003-04:00

Salmon with Pecan Coating
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons butter, melted
5 teaspoons honey
1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
3 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
6 (4 ounce) fillets salmon
salt and pepper to taste
6 lemon wedges

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). In a small bowl, mix together the mustard, butter, and honey. In another bowl, mix together the bread crumbs, pecans, and parsley.
2. Season each salmon fillet with salt and pepper. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Brush with mustard-honey mixture. Cover the top of each fillet with bread crumb mixture.
3. Bake for 10 minutes per inch of thickness, measured at thickest part, or until salmon just flakes when tested with a fork. Serve garnished with lemon wedges.

**The only change I made was to use a whole plank of salmon instead of fillets**

Teddy Bear Snack Mix

2009-05-27T01:50:00.005-04:00

I made this for my sweet little boy and his friends when we hosted a teddy bear picnic at the park.

Teddy Bear Snack Mix
-chocolate chip teddy grahams
-chocolate chocolate teddy grahams
-honeycomb cereal
-mini marshmallows
Toss all together and snack away!

Linguine with Clams

2009-05-27T01:47:00.003-04:00

Whole clams, EVOO, parmesan cheese, garlic, parsley, lemon juice, mushrooms...
Tossed with pasta...

Devil's Chicken Thighs & Braised Leeks

2009-05-27T01:29:00.007-04:00

This recipe was courtesy of Smitten Kitchen.
It was quite time consuming, but very worth it.

Devil’s Chicken Thighs with Braised Leeks and Dijon Mustard
Adapted from Sunday Suppers at Lucques

We halved this but made a full recipe of the braised leeks. Hey, we all have our priorities.

Serves 6, or more if you have the kind of guests who only would want one thigh apiece.

12 chicken thighs, trimmed of excess skin and fat
1 cup thinly sliced onion
3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon thyme leaves
2 chiles de arbol, thinly sliced on the diagonal
2 fresh bay leaves, thinly sliced, or 2 dried leaves, crumbled
3/4 cup dry vermouth
2 cups fresh breadcrumbs
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup finely diced shallots
1/2 cup dijon mustard
1 extra-large egg
2 teaspoons chopped tarragon
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 cup chicken stock
Braised leeks (recipe below)
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place the chicken thighs in a large bowl with the sliced onion, 2 tablespoons thyme, chiles, bay leaves, and 1/4 cup vermouth. Using your hands, toss to coat the chicken well. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.

Place the breadcrumbs in a medium bowl. Heat large saute pan over medium heat for 1 minute. Add 3 tablespoons butter, and cook until it’s brown and smells nutty. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the brown butter over the breadcrumbs. Wait 1 minute, and then toss well with the parsley and 1 tablespoon thyme.

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Return the saute pan to medium heat for 1 minute. Swirl in the remaining tablespoons butter, and when it foams, add the shallots and remaining 1 teaspoon thyme. Saute about 2 minutes, until the shallots are translucent. Add the remaining 1/2 cup vermouth and reduce by half. Transfer to a bowl and let cool a few minutes. Whisk in the mustard, egg, chopped tarragon, and a pinch of black pepper.

Remove the chicken from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking, to bring it to room temperature. Discard the seasonings, and pat the chicken dry with paper towels. After 15 minutes, season the thighs well on both sides with salt and pepper.

Return the same saute pan to high heat for about 2 minutes. Swirl in the olive oil, and wait 1 minute. Place the chicken thighs in the pan, skin side down, and cook 8 to 10 minutes, until the skin is a deep golden brown. Turn the thighs over and cook a minute or two on the other side. Place the chicken on the braised leeks. Turn off the heat and discard the fat. Add the chicken stock to the pan, and scrape with a wooden spoon to release the crispy bits stuck to the bottom. Pour the chicken stock over the braised leeks.

Toss the chicken thighs in the bowl with the mustard mixture, slathering them completely, and then rearrange them over the braised leeks. Spoon any remaining mustard mixture over the chicken thighs. Top each thigh with breadcrumbs, patting with your hands to make sure they get nicely coated. (You want lots of mustard mixture and lots of breadcrumbs.) Bake about 40 minutes, until the chicken is just cooked through. To check for doneness, piece the meat near the bone with a paring knife; when ready, the juices from the chicken will run clear.

Turn the oven up to 475°F and cook the chicken thighs another 10 minutes, until the breadcrumbs are golden brown.

Serve in the baking dish, or transfer to a large warm platter.

Braised Leeks
Adapted from Sunday Suppers at Lucques

You can pair these with the chicken dish above but seriously, if this recipe seems too daunting altogether, at least promise you’ll make these alone. With a hard or soft-cooked egg, a mustard vinaigrette, a sharp salad and crusty bread, you’ll have the best meal ever. And this dish reheats great — we actually made this part a day or two in advance.

6 large leeks
About 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil (though I always skimp and use less)
1 cup sliced shallots
1 tablespoon thyme leaves
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 to 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock or water
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Remove any bruised outer layers from the leeks. Trim off to the roots, leaving the root end intact. Trim the tops of the leeks on the diagonal, leaving 2 inches of the green part attached. Cut the leeks in half lengthwise, and submerge in a large bowl of cold water to clean them. Shake the leeks well to dislodge the dirt stuck inside. Let them sit a few minutes, to allow any grit inside the layers to fall to the bottom of the bowl. Repeat the process until the water is clean. Place the leeks, cut side down, on a towel and pat dry completely.

Turn the leeks over so their cut sides are facing up, and season with 2 teaspoons salt and a few grindings of black pepper.

Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Pour in 1/4 cup olive oil, and wait 1 minute. Place the leeks in the pan, cut side down, being careful not to crowd them. (you will probably need to saute them in batches or in two pans. Add more olive oil to the pan as needed, for each batch.) Sear them 4 to 5 minutes, until they are golden brown. Season the backs of the leeks with salt and pepper, and turn them over to cook another 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer them to a large gratin dish, lining them up, cut sides facing up. (Choose a baking dish or gratin dish that can go from oven to table and that will accommodate all the leeks and chick thighs, or use two smaller dishes.)

Pour 1/4 cup olive oil into the pan and heat over medium heat. Add the shallots, thyme, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and a pinch of pepper. Cook about 5 minutes, until the shallots are just beginning to color. Add the white wine and reduce by half. Add 1 1/2 cups stock, and bring to a boil over high heat.

Pour the liquid over the leeks. The stock should not quite cover them; add more stock if necessary.

Braise in the oven 30 minutes, until the leeks are tender when pierced. (This always takes longer in my oven, but is less to be concerned about if you’re going to top them with the chicken, in which case they’ll have plenty of additional baking time.)

And I have to admit...it does not look pretty at all, but wow did it ever hit the spot. We ate it with sliced hard boiled eggs. So so so devilish indeed!

Happy Shrimp!

2009-05-27T01:23:00.001-04:00

I can't remember for the life of me where I got this recipe. I just had it saved on my computer, so I apologize for not giving credit where credit is due because this was quite tasty.

Happy Shrimp!
The Cast of Characters: Shrimp, Olive Oil, Tabasco, Worcestershire, Salt, Pepper, Butter, and Lemon. Get ready to party!

First, thoroughly rinse raw shrimp w/ shells still on. I used 21-26 count (that means 21-26 shrimp per pound) but I’ve certainly used bigger. Any smaller than this, and it’s difficult to peel, so stick with 21-26 or bigger.)

Place the shrimp in large baking pan

Arrange them in somewhat of a single layer.

Now take Extra Virgin Olive Oil…and drizzle it over the shrimp.
I probably used about 1/2 cup

begin GENEROUSLY sprinkling black pepper all over the shrimp

Now for the salt. I use Kosher because I’m madly in love with it, but of course, regular table salt will do just fine.Sprinkle generously with salt

Now cut some lemons in half. I used about three or four.Generously squeeze lemon juice all over the shrimp.

GENEROUSLY drizzle Worcestershire all over the shrimp.1/4 to 1/2 cup

GENEROUSLY you choose to add Tabasco depends entirely upon how much heat you can stand.maybe twenty shakes

Cut the butter into pats and begin placing it on top of the shrimp.two sticks of butter.

Now put the pan under the broiler in your oven for just about ten minutes, until the shrimp are no longer translucent. Don’t overdo it; you don’t want the shrimp to dry out.

Now, for your party you’ll want to have a loaf of crusty French bread on hand. Warm it in the oven, then wrap it in a nice napkin.

Just take a chunk of bread.And dip it into the pan, absorbing the juice.

Italian Meatloaf

2009-05-27T01:18:00.003-04:00

Okay, so I realized lately I must be on a huge tomato kick...lol
But that's always true I guess...I love tomatoes.
Anyways, this has become our new favorite meatloaf.

Italian Meatloaf

1 1/2 pounds ground beef
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup dry bread crumbs
1/4 cup ketchup
1 teaspoon Italian-style seasoning
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a large bowl, mix together ground beef, eggs, bread crumbs and ketchup. Season with Italian-style seasoning, oregano, basil, garlic salt, diced tomatoes and cheese. Press into a 9x5 inch loaf pan, and cover loosely with foil.
Bake in the preheated oven approximately 1 hour

Roasted Tomato Soup

2009-05-27T01:05:00.005-04:00

I got this recipe from Family Fun Magazine. It was so so good! With grilled cheese sandwiches for dunking of course.

Roasted Tomato Soup

6 cups(3 pints) of cherry tomatoes
3 T olive oil
1 t salt
1/2 t pepper
2 T unsalted butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup onion, chopped
1 (28oz) can of diced tomatoes
4 cups of chicken broth
1/2 t thyme
1 cup whipping cream

Heat the oven to 400. On a baking sheet combine cherry tomatoes, 2 T olive oil and the salt and pepper. Toss to coat evenly and spread in a single layer. Roast 30-45 minutes.

In a large pot, heat the butter and the remaining oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and saute until softened, about 6 minutes. Add the canned tomatoes with their juice, the broth, thyme and the roasted tomatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, 40 minutes.

Using a food processor or blender, puree the soup until its smooth. Return to the pot and stir in the cream. Warm over medium heat, stirring often. Do not let boil. Ladle into bowls and enjoy!

**Again I forgot to take the final picture after it was done....***

***My only change was that I used fresh basil instead of thyme because I had it on hand and just love the flavor of basil with tomatoes.***

Tomato Basil Chicken

2009-05-27T00:59:00.002-04:00

I'm so behind on blogging, so time for some quick catching up.

These turned out really good. I forgot to take a picture after they cooked because we gobbled them up too quickly.

I pounded some chicken breasts thinned and marinated them in fat free italian dressing. Placed some mozzarella, sundried tomatoes and fresh basil in the center, rolled up and held closed with toothpicks. Wrapped in bacon and broiled.

Crunchy "Oven Fried" Chicken

2009-02-20T17:12:00.004-05:00

So, I'm a Southern girl at heart, so I of course love me some fried chicken, but let's face it, my body doesn't and I'm trying to make some healthier lifestyle changes, not saying I'll never eat fried chicken again because that would be a bold faced lie, but its nice to have a healthy option in my recipe rotation.

I found this recipe on one of my favorite websites for Weight Watchers recipes and it was a pretty darn good substitution.

Crunchy "Oven Fried" Chicken
3 tablespoons buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoons lime juice
1/4 teaspoon dijon mustard
dash garlic powder
dash white pepper
dash salt
8 ounces boned and skinned chicken breasts -- 2 4-ounce pieces
1 1/2 ounces corn flake crumbs -- or bread crumbs
2 teaspoons vegetable oil -- divided

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

2. Pound chicken to 1/4-inch thickness.

3. IIn small mixing bowl combine buttermilk, lime juice, mustard and seasonings; stirring to combine.

4. Dip chicken in buttermilk mixture.

5. On sheet of wax paper or a paper plate dip chicken in cornflake crumbs, turning to coat both sides. Arrange on non-stick baking sheet.

6. Drizzle 1/2 teaspoon oil over each piece of chicken and bake until lightly browned, 8-10 minutes; turn chicken and drizzle with remaining oil and continue to bake until chicken is tender and coating is crisp, about 10 minutes longer.

**I followed it close to exact except cut my chicken into tenders instead of leaving as whole breasts and I didn't have buttermilk on hand, so made my own substitute using milk and white vinegar. I also used olive oil instead of vegetable oil**

Candied Grapes

2009-02-20T17:04:00.003-05:00

I recently had these at a friend's house for lunch and they were just that little extra spark I needed to add to my boring ol' midday fruit snack.

Candied Grapes
-Red or Green Seedless Grapes
-Sugar Free Jello Mix

Rinse grapes and then while still wet roll them around in the sugar free jello mix of your choice. Chill in the fridge and serve.

**I used red grapes and orange flavored jello because I had it on hand. The cherry flavored ones I had at my friends were even better!!**

Edamame Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing

2009-02-20T16:57:00.005-05:00

I follow this blog of Camille's from Enlightened Cooking. I first saw her as a contest in a cooking competition on The Food Network and have just kept up with her. Here is her recipe for Edamame Salad. It was tops with me!

http://enlightenedcooking.blogspot.com/2009/01/new-years-resolutionsmade-better-with.html

Here Chick Chick...

2009-02-19T15:58:00.004-05:00

Ah the chickpea and I have become friends. I've always loved them so because of hummus, but have recently been indulging in these chickpea snacks as well. They are both so yummy and healthy to boot.

Chickpea Salad

1 can of chickpeas rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons of onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tomato, seeded and chopped
1/2 cucumber, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
3 T olive oil
1 T lemon juice
2 T red wine vinegar
salt & pepper to taste

In a large bowl combine all and chill for two hours before serving.

Roasted Chickpeas

1 can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained

Put on a baking sheet in an even layer. Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat. Sprinkle with your desired seasonings:
-garlic powder, salt and pepper, a pinch of cayenne
-Lemon Pepper
-and Mrs. Dash seasonings are great
-Greek seasoning
-basically whatever tickles your toes

Bake at 375 for 15 minutes. Give pan a good shake. Bake another 15 minutes.
Eat warm and enjoy!

Spicy Beef Curry

2009-02-10T15:35:00.003-05:00

I've made this a couple of times now and its really good. The original recipe wasn't spicy enough for us so I added extra heat. My changes are **starred** below.

Spicy Beef Curry

* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 1 pound beef stew meat
* salt and pepper to taste
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 teaspoon chopped fresh ginger **used ground because I had it on hand**
* 1 fresh jalapeno peppers, diced ** used serrano peppers**
* 1 tablespoon curry powder **used 2 Tablespoons of red curry paste**
* 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
* 1 onion, sliced and quartered
* 1 cup beef broth

1. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, and brown the beef on all sides. Remove from skillet, reserving juices, and season with salt and pepper. Cook and stir the garlic, ginger, and jalapeno in the skillet for 2 minutes, until tender, and season with curry powder. Mix in the diced tomatoes and juice.
2. Place the onion in the bottom of a slow cooker, and layer with the browned beef. Scoop the skillet mixture into the slow cooker, and mix in the beef broth.
3. Cover, and cook 6 to 8 hours on Low.

I served it over rice and steamed long beans.

Crabby Artichoke Fondue...

2009-02-05T14:29:00.004-05:00

At my dear friend Maleesa's request I'm reposting this with the recipe included.
I just kinda took two or three recipes I found and picked my favorite ingredients of each and vamped it to make my own.

Crabby Artichoke Fondue

- 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
-1/2 cup chopped roasted red bell pepper
- 1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
- 8oz shredded fontina cheese
-4oz cream cheese
-1/4 cup milk
- 1/4 cup sliced green onions
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped jalapeno peppers
- 1/2 pound crab meat
- 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice

Warm oil in fondue pot. Add bell pepper, artichoke hearts, green onions and saute 2-3 minutes. Add cheeses and milk and melt on low until nice and smooth. Lightly fold in crab meat and other ingredients. Serve with cubes of warm crusty french bread.

Buffalo Chicken Rolls

2009-02-05T14:16:00.004-05:00

Buffalo Chicken Rolls

* 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - pounded to 1/4 inch thickness
* 4 tablespoons butter, melted
* 1/2 cup hot sauce
* 1/2 cup shredded provolone cheese

1. In a small bowl, stir together the melted butter and hot sauce. Place chicken breasts in a glass bowl, and pour the sauce over. Turn to coat, cover and refrigerate for 15 to 20 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Remove chicken breasts from the hot sauce, and place 1 tablespoon of cheese in the center of each one. Roll up, and secure with a toothpick. Repeat with remaining breasts, and place them seam side down in a glass baking dish.
3. Cover the dish, and bake for 30 minutes, or until chicken is fork tender. Increase the temperature of the oven to 450 degrees, and place the chicken 8 inches from the heat. Uncover, and bake for 5 minutes, until browned. Garnish with remaining shredded cheese, remove toothpicks, and serve with ranch or blue cheese dressing.

**These were pretty darn good. I served them with blue cheese dressing for dipping. I did use mozzarella string cheese instead of provolone which the chicken wrapped around perfectly**

Pan Grilled Sea Scallops

2009-02-05T14:05:00.005-05:00

This recipe came from one of my new cookbooks that I got for Christmas, The New England Clam Shack Cookbook.

1.5 pounds of sea scallops
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
2 tsp olive oil
Lemon wedges

If the scallops are damp or wet, pat dry with paper towels. To make the seasoning mix, in a small bowl, combine the salt, sugar, basil, thyme, garlic powder and onion powder. Stir well.

In a large skillet heat the oil over the medium-high heat. Sprinkle the scallops very lightly on both sides with the seasoning mix. When the oil is hot, arrange scallops in the pan in a single layer, without touching. Cook, adjusting the heat if necessary, until the bottoms are nicely browned and caramelized, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn with tongs and cook on the other side until the scallops are just firm to the touch and lightly browned on the bottom another 2-4 minutes, depending on their size.

Serve with lemon wedges.

Sausage Apple Quiche

2009-02-05T13:53:00.008-05:00

I found this on www.allrecipes.com and it is apparently a Bob Evans recipe. The apples in this were a nice change to your ordinary breakfast dish. And it turns out kinda pretty. I used the maple syrup flavored sausage in mine.

Sausage Apple Quiche
* 1 (9 inch) refrigerated pie crust
* 3/4 cup shredded Swiss cheese
* 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
* 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
* 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
* 1 (12 ounce) package Bob Evans® Original or Maple Sausage Links
* 4 eggs
* 1 1/2 cups milk
* 3/4 teaspoon salt
* 3/4 teaspoon sugar
* 1 dash cayenne pepper (optional)
* 1 medium apple, cut into 1/4-inch slices

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line 10-inch quiche or pie pan with pie crust. Sprinkle cheeses, chives and parsley over bottom of crust. Cook sausage in large skillet over medium heat until no longer pink in the center. Arrange in spoke fashion over cheese layer. Beat eggs in medium bowl with wire whisk until light in color. Whisk in milk, salt and sugar until well blended. Carefully pour egg mixture over sausage layer; sprinkle with cayenne pepper, if desired. Arrange apple slices around outside edge of quiche, pressing down slightly into egg mixture to coat apples. Bake 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F; bake 15 to 20 minutes more or until knife inserted into center comes out clean. Refrigerate leftovers.

Slow Cooker Carnitas

2009-01-22T09:19:00.004-05:00

These were very good! The meat was fall apart tender. We stuffed it into tortillas and topped with diced tomatoes, a little cheese and sour cream.

Slow Cooker Carnitas

2T tomato paste
2T adobo sauce(from canned chipotles)
3T chopped garlic
1T chili powder
1t salt
1t pepper
3lb boneless Boston butt, cut into 2" pieces *I actually used boneless country style ribs cut into 2" pieces because I already had them. I'm sure they actually ended up making it even more flavorful**
1c beer of chicken broth **I used the beer which I think is a must!**

Combine first six ingredients in slow cooker. Stir in meat pieces. Microwave beef on high for 2 minutes. Pour over meat. Do not stir. Cover and cook on high for 6 hours. Shred meat using two forks.
**Be sure to spoon some of the sauce over the meat.**

Ringin' in 2009

2009-01-22T09:09:00.005-05:00

We always stay home on New Years Eve and just cook, eat, watch movies, eat, play games, eat, drink and eat. Well, you get the picture. The menu always varies, but always includes at least one item of seafood. Here are a few things from this year...

Buffalo Wings

Buffalo Shrimp

And Crabby Artichoke Fondue

And my personal favorite...a little champagne to get the party started.

Happy New Year Everyone!! Hope its been great so far!

A few Christmas goodies...

2009-01-22T08:52:00.006-05:00

Here are a few things that we had for Christmas this year.

Ranch Chex party mix...although I took the original party mix and the ranch party mix and picked my favorite ingredients out of each recipe and vamped it to create my own party mix. lol

Lots of Christmas cookies. My favorites are the toffee bars that are the ones on the end and they are super easy to boot! I love to cook, but am not really into baking all that much(I hate to have to measure ingredients!), so these cookies are right up my alley.

Toffee Bars
1 sleeve of graham crackers, crushed fine
1/2c of butter
1 can of sweetened condensed milk
1/2 pkg of mini chocolate chips
1/2 pkg of Heath toffee chips

Melt butter and pour in a 9x13 pan. Sprinkle graham cracker crumbs on top and press down. Pour milk on top and spread evenly. Sprinkle with chocolate and toffee chips, press down. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown.

Polish Roses
**my mom always made these and my DH loves them**

Polish Roses
8oz cream cheese, softened
2T prepared horseradish
5oz jar of sliced dried beef
green onions

Mix together cream cheese and horseradish. Spread onto each piece of beef. Place onion in center and roll up.

And last but most certainly not least I cooked my first prime rib this year for Christmas dinner. It was a hit!

2009-01-22T08:51:00.001-05:00

Wow, I haven't blogged in awhile. I have taken some pictures though(when I remember) and I've been cooking, so I'm going to just get to posting where I left off...

Happy Thanksgiving...and leftovers!

2008-11-30T21:18:00.003-05:00

I hope everyone had a Happy and Blessed Thanksgiving! We did! Now we are eating the mountain of leftovers. Here are my attempts at being creative with them so far.

The beautiful bird:

The BEST turkey sandwich ever:

No kidding. This was sooo good. Toasted wheat bread, turkey breast, smokey onion mustard(from Target, Archer Farms brand), a slice of jellied cranberry sauce and sharp cheddar cheese. On the second go round we added bacon.

Turkey Soup:

Turkey, rice, carrots, celery, onions, spices and herbs. Very comforting on a cold day in.

An Old Standby...

2008-10-07T16:14:00.004-04:00

at our house anyway is Salsa Swiss Steak. Its comforting and not too bad on the calories and it can be thrown in the crockpot. As much as I love to cook sometimes my days escape, so when I know I'm going to have an exceptionally crazy day I'm not at all ashamed to use the ol' crockpot to save dinner!

Salsa Swiss Steak
( I can't for the life of me remember where I originally found this recipe or I would give credit where credit is due.)

4 pieces of lean round steak
1 can of reduced fat cream of mushroom soup
1 cup chunky salsa
1 bell pepper
1 onion

Place round steak in crockpot and season with salt and pepper. Cut bell pepper and onion into rings and layer on top of steak. In a bowl, mix together soup and salsa. Spread on top of peppers and onions. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

**Excellent served over mashed taters or rice.

Meal Plan Monday(except on Tuesday)

2008-09-30T16:13:00.001-04:00

Monday- chicken casserole
Tuesday- Salsa Swiss Steak, mashed taters and carrots
Wednesday- grilled chicken salads
Thursday- Chicken Empanadas
Friday- homemade pizza
Saturday- Dinner at my Family's Ocktoberfest

My Take on Leftovers

2008-09-30T15:34:00.003-04:00

I try to get creative when I have leftovers, so it doesn't seem so boring. I love taking things like a roast and stretching into three different meals. Roast one night, stroganoff another, vegetable beef soup the next. You get the idea. Anyway, this time I threw together some stuff and it came out exceptionally well.

Beef Curry Bake
Leftover meatloaf, crumbled up
leftover rice pilaf with mushrooms and almonds
leftover steamed string beans
1 tomato diced
1/2 cup of sour cream
2 T curry paste
Mix all up well and bake in a greased casserole dish at 350 for 30 minutes.

Buffalo Chicken Lasagna

2008-09-30T15:31:00.003-04:00

This turned out very well. I even had someone tell me to enter it into a recipe contest they thought it tasted so good. Talk about making you feel good about your cooking. I basically used my normal lasagna recipe, except for the sauce I mixed together 2 cups of spaghetti sauce and 2 cups of alfredo sauce and 1/4 cup of Frank's Red Hot to make my own buffalo sauce. When alternating the layers I also sprinkled in crumbled blue cheese in the layers. Hubby doesn't like blue cheese and still thought it was tasty.

Salad Chinois

2008-09-30T15:23:00.004-04:00

I got this recipe from a Semi-Homemade Sandra Lee cookbook. As much as I like making stuff from scratch, let's face it, I'm a busy mom and sometimes I need something quick. Her ideas are great for just that and for the most part they are usually pretty healthy to boot.

Salad Chinois
2/3 cup mayo ( I used lite)
2 T soy sauce
2 T rice wine vinegar(my addition)
1 tsp ground ginger
1 10oz can of chunk chicken breast
2 cups of coleslaw mix(cabbage and carrots)
1 can of chow mein vegetables, drained
1 bag of prepared green salad( I left out and really didn't miss it)
1 can of mandarin orange segments
1 can of crunchy chow mein noodles( I just sprinkled on top)

Mix all together except chow mein noodles. Sprinkle them on top before serving.

Pork & Sauerkraut

2008-09-30T14:55:00.003-04:00

This is so good. One of my favorite fall dishes.
I just kinda made it up so don't really have a set recipe for it.

Basically, I brown some pork chops on both sides in a little olive oil in a Dutch Oven. Remove chops and add cut up apples, garlic and onion and brown. Throw in some sauerkraut, a pinch of cinnamon, black pepper and some caraway seeds. Put chops bake in and slow cook in the oven at 200 degrees for about an hour. Delish!

Weekly Meal Plan

2008-09-08T12:44:00.002-04:00

I'm trying to get back into planning my meals for the week so I thought I would start posting it here. I also got the idea from Organizing Junkie.

Monday- Twisted Taco Packets
Tuesday- Chef Salads
Wednesday- Beef Stroganoff(using leftover roast from Sunday)
Thursday- Salmon Patties
Friday- dinner out with playgroup mommas

Corn Salad

2008-09-03T16:16:00.002-04:00

I forgot to take a picture of this one, but it is easy and good. I got the recipe from a friend of mine after she brought it to a potluck.

Corn Salad
1 package of frozen corn, thawed and drained
1 green pepper, chopped
1 cup of mayo
1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup of crushed chili cheese fritos

Mix together the first four ingredients and chill in fridge for an hour or more. Top with fritos before serving.

Stuffed Rainbow Trout

2008-08-07T13:42:00.003-04:00

I made this with my daddy years ago. Jason, my hubby, doesn't really like fish so much, unless its fried and I love it. So, when he went out of town last weekend I treated myself to this. It was as good as I remembered from years ago.

4 rainbow trout, butterflied and deboned
2 medium green peppers, chopped
1 cup of fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup of butter
20 cherry tomatoes, cut in half
2 cups herb seasoned croutons
1/4 cup of lemon juice
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp thyme

salt for trout

Heat oven to 350. Cook and stir(in butter) green pepper and mushrooms about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in cherry tomatoes, croutons, lemon juice, salt, pepper and thyme. Lightly salt the cavity of each trout, fill with 1/2 cup of stuffing. Place remaining stuffing in a greased baking dish. Arrange stuffed trout on top. Wrap tails in buttered aluminum foil. Bake until trout flakes easily with a fork, about 30-35 minutes. Remove foil from tails. Garnish with lemon slices.

Farmers Market

2008-08-07T13:24:00.005-04:00

I am just loving the farmers market this summer. I can go every Saturday and get my fruits and veggies for the week for about $15.00. Plus, I know where its all coming from, it tastes way better and I'm supporting the local farmers.

Here is a recipe I made using some yellow squash from the market. It was so good. We've already fixed it twice in two weeks.

Skillet Squash

4 slices of bacon
2 medium yellow squash, thinly sliced
1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced
2 tsp minced garlic
2 serrano chiles, chopped (optional)
1 dash of soy sauce
salt and pepper to taste

1. Place bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, and set aside. Add the squash, onion, garlic and jalapeno to the skillet. Fry in the bacon drippings until tender, but still firm, stirring frequently. Crumble bacon into the skillet, and season with soy sauce, salt and pepper. Stir, to blend in seasonings, and serve.

Coconut Macaroons

2008-07-19T17:42:00.004-04:00

Coconut Macaroons

I love these! They are also good half dipped in chocolate.

1 bag of coconut
1 can of sweetened condensed milk
2 tsp vanilla

Mix all together well. Drop by the spoonful onto greased cookie sheets and bake at 375 for 12-13 minutes. Cool on wire racks.

Happy 4th of July!

2008-07-04T22:28:00.008-04:00

I hope everyone had a great holiday. We did. Just chilled at home. We had good intentions of grilling ribs outside, but due to the rain, we had to throw them under the broiler. They were still delish.

BBQ Rib Goodness!

Pasta Salad throw together!

Wild Cherry Chocolate Cookies

Wild Cherry Chocolate Cookies
( I got this idea from the Vicarious Foodie, but adapted to my own version of chocolate cookies instead of oatmeal)

one Betty Crocker Sugar Cookie Mix
1/2 cup of melted butter
1 egg
1/2 cup of cocoa powder
Wild Cherry M&M's

Mix sugar cookie mix, butter and egg together well until dough forms. Add in cocoa powder. Add M&M's and mix lightly. Drop by the spoonful onto greased cookie sheets. Bake at 375 for 12 minutes.

Cheeseburger Pie

2008-07-03T15:51:00.007-04:00

This is a family favorite around here.

Cheeseburger Pie

2 cups cooked rice
1 lb hamburger
1/2 onion, chopped fine
1/2 green pepper, chopped fine
6 oz shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 can tomato sauce
1 tsp of chili powder
1 tbsp of fresh garlic, minced
1 tbsp of dijon mustard
2 tsp of worcestershire sauce
2 tsp of sugar
2 tsp bouillon granules

Brown hamburger and drain. Add onions, green pepper and garlic. Saute until softened. Pour in tomato sauce, chili powder, sugar, mustard, worcestershire and bouillon granules. Bring to a boil and reduce to low and simmer about 10-15 minutes. Pour mixture into a greased casserole dish. Add cooked rice and 4 oz of the cheddar. Mix well. Top with remaining 2oz of cheddar. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.

We ate with sliced whole grain bread and avocados drizzled with lime juice.

Broccoli Salad

2008-06-28T02:18:00.004-04:00

Definitely a keeper!!

Broccoli Salad

2 heads of fresh broccoli
1 cup chopped red onion
1/2 lb bacon, cooked and crumbled
3/4 cup of regular or golden raisins
3/4 cup of sliced almonds or sunflower seeds
1 cup mayo
1/4 cup of sugar
2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar

Cut the broccoli into bite size pieces. Mix broccoli, onion, bacon, raisins and nuts or seeds in a large bowl. In a small bowl, mix together mayo, sugar and vinegar. Stir mayo mixture in with broccoli mixture and combine well. Can be served immediately, but even better if chilled in fridge overnight.

**I used the almonds this time but have had it with the sunflower seeds as well. Both versions are great!

Happy 2.5 Birthday Simon!

2008-06-28T02:10:00.002-04:00

Yeah I know I'm silly. But my son's birthday falls in two days after Christmas and having a birthday that falls two days before Christmas myself I know too well what its like for it to get kinda dismissed. I would never forget my son's birthday, but his half birthday also falls exactly one day before my mothers birthday. And after losing her to cancer in October of 2006 this gives me a way to honor her as well. So Happy Birthday Mom and Simon!!! I love you both!

Here is my turtle cake I made for Simon. Definitely not perfect, but I think it turned out pretty cute.

Caramel Apple Salad

2008-06-25T01:23:00.005-04:00

So simple, yet so good. Nuff said.

Caramel Apple Salad

8oz cream cheese, softened
7 oz marshmallow fluff
5-6 granny smith apples
1 bag of mini snickers

Mix together cream cheese and marshmallow fluff well in a large bowl. Cut apples into bite size chunks. Unwrap snickers and cut into fourths. Toss cream cheese/fluff mixture with apples and snickers. Chill & Serve.

Chicken Noodle Soup is good for the soul(and the sick)

2008-06-20T23:49:00.005-04:00

I was yucky sick this past week and where generally I'm not above eating some Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup with Stars, this time I wanted chicken noodle soup like momma used to make.

Rotisserie Chicken Noodle Soup.

-2 chicken breasts, pulled and shredded from a store bought rotisserie chicken, skin removed
-8 cups of water
-8 tsp of chicken bouillon granules
-2 carrots, finely chopped
-2 celery stalks, finely chopped
-1/2 an onion, finely chopped
-1 tsp of garlic
-1 tsp of dill
-1 tsp of parsley
-1/2 tsp of black pepper
-3 cups of egg noodles

Put water and bouillon in a large soup pot. Bring to a boil and stir until bouillon is dissolved. Reduce to a simmer and add everything except noodles. Simmer for 20 minutes. Return to a boil, add noodles, reduce to simmer and cook 15 minutes.

This soup made me smile.

Diva Pasta- Rattlesnake Pasta

2008-06-20T23:18:00.004-04:00

Okay, I swear we really do eat more things than pasta. That just seems to be all the new things I have been trying lately or I forget to take pictures....

Anyway, I have had this recipe stored up for a long time to try. It is my version of Rattlesnake Pasta that I had at J. Alexander's, which I loved. Well, I loved mine as well. I did use shrimp instead of chicken like I had at J's.

Rattlesnake Pasta

8 T butter
1 c heavy cream
12 T parmesen cheese
2 T flour
1 pinch of ground cayenne pepper
s&p to taste
1/4 c finely chopped jalapeno peppers
3 T minced garlic
1 lb medium shrimp
4 cups penne pasta, cooked & tossed in 2 T olive oil

Combine butter, cream, parmesan, flour, salt, pepper & cayenne. Heat slowly until thickened. Add the jalapeno, garlic and shrimp. Simmer until shrimp are cooked through. Serve over pasta.

P.S.- I didn't make that bread. I bought it at The Fresh Market. And it was fab. Kalamata olives, garlic, sun dried tomatoes...

Diva Pasta

2008-06-06T01:33:00.004-04:00

BLT Pasta

penne pasta, cooked
4oz cream cheese
1/4 cup of milk
1/2 bag of fresh spinach leaves
1 cup of cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup of cooked bacon, crumbled
1 tsp italian seasoning
a couple turns of fresh ground pepper

Cook cream cheese, milk, italian seasoning and pepper on low until creamy. Stir in spinach, tomatoes and bacon. Toss with pasta.

This was just okay...I think it was just missing something. Maybe some dry ranch seasoning thrown in would jazz it up.

Stuffed Peppers

2008-05-13T11:54:00.005-04:00

My boss gave me two big bags of green bell peppers and I needed to do something with them before they went bad on me, so I decided to make a batch of my stuffed peppers. I love them, they are low in fat, high in fiber and one green pepper contains more vitamin C than an orange.

Stuffed Bell Peppers
1 lb ground turkey breast
11 green bell peppers
4 cups cooked rice
1 can black beans, drained
1 cup onion, chopped
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 can of diced tomatoes
1 can of tomato sauce
2 tsp worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp cajun seasoning
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp black pepper
a sprinkling of salt

Cut off tops of green peppers and remove seeds and veins. Set 10 aside and chop the remaining one up for filling and set aside. Boil a large pot of water and cook peppers for 3 minutes. Remove and sprinkle the insides with salt and turn upside down onto a towel to drain. Meanwhile, cook turkey and drain off fat. Add onion, garlic and reserved chopped pepper and saute. Add in all of the remaining ingredients and mix well. Place upright peppers in a greased casserole dish and fill with mixture. Cook at 375 for 35 minutes. These can also be frozen by individually wrapping peppers in plastic wrap and then putting in freezer bags.

Happy Mothers Day!

2008-05-12T14:45:00.003-04:00

Mothers Day for me is bittersweet since I lost my mom a little over a year ago, but I do my best to make it good for me and my boy. This year the inlaws cooked a big Mothers Day dinner for everyone. Grilled steaks, baked potatoes, salads, ice cream cake. I mean the works. I was told I didn't have to bring anything but I just can't go empty handed to things like that, so I made my famous spinach dip.

Diva Dip as follows:

Amy's Spinach Dip
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onions
1 tsp minced garlic
1 box frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 cup of sour cream
2 Tbsp mayo
1/4 tsp cayenne powder
1 roasted red pepper, chopped
1 envelope of dry ranch dressing mix
1 can of water chestnuts, chopped
a couple turns of fresh ground black pepper

Mix all together well and chill.