Apr7

Meat Lover’s Baked Rigatoni

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Ingredients

  • 1 lb rigatoni pasta
  • 1 lb sweet Italian sausage
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 2 jars (1 small and 1 large) pasta sauce
  • 1 green pepper, diced
  • 1 sweet onion, diced
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 1 teaspoon sweet basil
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • one small pack (about 50 slices) small pepperoni
  • 20 ounces Italian blend cheese

Directions

Boil water and cook pasta al dente. Bake sausage in 400 degree oven. Cook green peppers and onions in an olive oil coated pan on medium for 5-7 minutes. Add pasta sauce, garlic, basil and red pepper flakes and simmer. Meanwhile, brown the ground beef. Drain and add to the sauce. When sausage is done, slice it thinly and add to the sauce.  In a lasagna pan, make three layers of pasta, pepperoni and cheese.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and browned.

Apr7

To Die For Blueberry Muffins

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I had to make two batches of these before I got them right. The recipe said to fill the muffin tin to the top but this resulted in all of the muffins spilling over and running together. So, I had one big blueberry blob instead of muffins. The second time, I knew better and they came out great.  My mom, dad and Scott really loved them.  They all loved the flavor that the cinnamon gave them so I am glad I chose this recipe. The recipe makes 8 muffins so they don’t last long! I will be making these again soon. The only minor change I would advise is adding a few more blueberries.

Blueberry Muffins

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup white sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 egg
  • 1/3 cup milk
  • 1 cup fresh blueberries
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup butter, cubed
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

  

DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease muffin cups or line with muffin liners.
  2. Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 3/4 cup sugar, salt and baking powder. Place vegetable oil into a 1 cup measuring cup; add the egg and enough milk to fill the cup. Mix this with flour mixture. Fold in blueberries. Fill muffin cups right to the top, and sprinkle with crumb topping mixture.
  3. To Make Crumb Topping: Mix together 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, 1/4 cup butter, and 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon. Mix with fork, and sprinkle over muffins before baking.
  4. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until done.

From: All Recipes

Apr2

Slow Cooker Pepper Steak

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My love for the crockpot has really grown in the past year.  If I can plan a meal ahead and have the time to let it cook, I love using the crockpot.  Slow cooker recipes are so low maintenance once you’ve made the initial preparations.  I made this meal to welcome my parents who are visiting from Virginia. 

Ingredients 

 

  • 1 1/2 pounds flank steak, thinly sliced
  • 1 large onion, sliced
  • 2 bell peppers, sliced
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons sesame oil
  • 2 tablespoons onion soup mix
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 3 cloves garlic – sliced
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Directions 

Put everything in the crockpot, sprayed with cooking spray, and mix well. Cook on low 8-9 hours.

 

 

 

 

Mar31

Cumin “Grilled” Sea Scallops and Roasted Asparagus

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I did not actually grill these scallops this time but sauteed them in a pan.  But here is the recipe from www.cdkitchen.com which calls for grilling. 

Ingredients 

20 large sea scallops
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

Heat your grill to high. Brush the scallops on both sides with the oil. Mix together the cumin, salt and pepper in a small bowl and season each scallop with the mixture. Grill the scallops until crusty, golden brown and just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes on each side.

I just started eating asparagus a few months ago and since then I can’t even count how many pounds of it I have eaten. I love this stuff! I don’t really measure anything but I lightly coat it with olive oil and season it with salt, pepper and minced garlic.  Sometimes, I add a dash of Italian seasoning or red pepper flakes to spice it up a little. I roast it in the oven for about 20 minutes at 425 degrees. I keep telling people how good it is and no one really believes me but when I made it tonight Scott said it looked so good that he wanted to try some. So, that’s a good sign!

(sorry for the blurry pic!)

Mar30

Carribbean Chicken Marinade

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This marinade has become a favorite in my house.  It has a wonderful sweet and spicy flavor.  I make it all the time when I want to grill or bake chicken.  For me, it is a great “last minute” marinade because I always have these ingredients on hand.  I have used it on chicken legs, breasts, wings and breast tenders. 

  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tsp dry Italian dressing mix
  • 1 tsp Jamaican Jerk seasoning
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 2 tsp garlic powder or minced garlic

Combine all ingredients and pour over chicken.  Cover and marinate for 6 hours or longer.

Mar30

Marinated Vegetable Salad

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This is a recipe passed down from my late Grandmother Brady.  It is easy and delicious.  These vegetables always make me think of days of my childhood visiting my grandparents in North Carolina. They were originally made with peas but my mom started making it for me using corn because I don’t like peas.

Marinated Vegetables

1 can French cut green beans
1 can green peas or 1 can corn
1 small jar pimientos
1 cup chopped celery (I rarely buy celery so I never add it)
1 chopped onion (I normally use onion but didn’t have one on hand for this batch)
1 cup sugar (I use 1/2 cup or less)
1 cup vinegar
1/2 cup salad oil
1 tbsp salt (sometimes I use celery salt)
1 tsp pepper


Drain vegetables. Mix remaining ingredients and pour mixture over vegetables. Chill thoroughly. Will keep for several days.

Mar29

Chicken and Corn Chili

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  •  1 teaspoon olive oil  
  •  1/2 sweet onion, diced
  • 2 cooked chicken breasts, diced or shredded 
  • 1 can (28 ounces) petite diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 1 can (14.25 ounces) white and yellow corn, drained
  • 2 tablespoons chili seasoning mix (recipe below)

 Chili Seasoning Mix

  • 2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon season salt
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 2 teaspoons cumin
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Directions

Cook onions in olive oil over medium heat for about four minutes.  Add chicken and allow it to warm up for a minute.  Stir in tomatoes, corn and chili seasoning mix.  Bring to a boil and cover. Reduce heat and simmer on low for 30 minutes.

Mar17

Salmon with Sweet and Spicy Rub

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This is an Ellie Krieger recipe.  I love salmon but have not made it in a while because I needed a new way to prepare it.  This was the solution!  It’s very easy and quick and is a nice combination of sweet and spicy.  The cumin was my favorite part of this dish. I love the flavor that it added.

Ingredients

Cooking Spray
2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 (6-ounce) salmon fillets, skin and any pin bones removed
1 tablespoon olive oil

Preparation

Coat your grill or a grill pan with cooking spray and preheat over medium heat. While the grill is heating, combine the brown sugar, chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper. Brush each salmon fillet with 1/2 teaspoon of the oil, then rub each fillet with about 1/2 tablespoon of the spice mixture.Grill the salmon, flesh side down, until charred, 4 to 5 minutes. Flip the salmon and cook another 5 to 6 minutes for medium doneness. For well done fish, cook an additional 1 to 2 minutes. Remove to a platter and serve immediately.

From: www.foodnetwork.com

Mar17

Garlic and Herb Scallops

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Ingredients

  • 1/2 pound sea scallops
  • 1/2 tbsp olive oil
  • Old Bay Garlic and Herb Seasoning, to taste
  • 2 tbsp Italian breadcrumbs

Preparation

Combine scallops, olive oil, Old Bay and breadcrumbs in a ziploc bag. Heat a small amount of olive oil over medium high heat.  Add scallops and cook for about 3-4 minutes on each side.

Mar17

Roasted Baby Dutch Yellow Potatoes

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I could eat roasted potatoes every day.  These are my favorite ones to make because they are so small and can be washed and cut very quickly. Some of them don’t need to be cut at all.  They get very tender and taste great without doing much to them. The skin is very thin and delicious. I just love them!

Ingredients

  •  20 Baby Dutch Yellow Potatoes, whole or halved, depending on size
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 tbsp Italian seasoning
  • 2 cloves or 1 tsp minced garlic
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation

Combine all ingredients in a large ziploc bag. Once potatoes are well coated with oil and seasoning, spread them evenly in a baking pan, lightly sprayed with Pam.  Bake at 425 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until potatoes are tender.