Sep17

Taco Pasta

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Ingredients

  • 10 oz bowtie pasta
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • salt, pepper
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 cup salsa
  • 1/4 cup taco sauce
  • 2 cups taco cheese

Directions

Cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain and return to pot. Brown ground beef, seasoning with salt and pepper. Drain and return to pan. Add remaining ingredients except for cheese. Cook for 3-4 minutes. Add ground beef mixture to pasta and mix well.  Stir in one cup of cheese. Add more salsa and/or taco sauce if necessary. Pour into a round casserole dish and sprinkle the top with remaining cup of cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes.

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Sep17

Broiled Salmon with Lime and Cilantro

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Ingredients
1/2 c Cilantro leaves, finely chopped
1 Garlic clove, lg, fine chopped
2 tb Lime juice
1 tb Olive oil
1/2 ts Salt
4 Salmon steaks, 3/4″ thick

Directions
Combine cilantro, garlic, lime juice, oil and salt in bowl. Reserve 2 tablespoons. Pour remainder over fish on plate. Let stand, covered, 10 minutes.

Spray broiler rack with nonstick cooking spray. Place salmon on rack. Brush with 1 tablespoons marinade.

Broil 6″ from heat for 3-4 minutes. Turn steaks over. Brush with remaining tablespoon marinade. Broil 3 more minutes or until cooked through.

From: Epicurean

Sep16

Tomato Corn Salad

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This is a quick and flavorful salad that goes great with grilled chicken.  I found that it’s good cold, warm or even room temperature.

Ingredients

  • 2  cups  cherry tomatoes, quartered
  • 1/4  cup  sliced green onion tops
  • 2  tablespoons  thinly sliced fresh basil
  • 1  tablespoon  balsamic vinegar
  • 1  teaspoon  olive oil
  • 1/4  teaspoon  salt
  • 1/8  teaspoon  black pepper
  • 1  (7-ounce) can whole-kernel corn, drained

    • Directions

    Combine all ingredients, tossing well.

    From: My Recipes

    Sep14

    Cilantro Lime Rice

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    I made this rice a couple of years ago and for some reason totally forgot about it.  I made it today to eat with jerk shrimp and roasted asparagus.  Scott liked it so much that he said he wanted to have the entire meal every week. So I won’t be forgetting about it again!

    Cilantro Lime Rice

    Ingredients

  • 1 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 cup basmati rice*
  • 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
  • 2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
  • zest from one lime
  • 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
  • 1 tsp. salt

    • Directions

    Add the oil to a sauce pan and heat on low. Add the garlic and rice to the oil and saute for 2 minutes on medium heat stirring frequently.

    Add the chicken broth, salt, lime juice and bring to a boil. Cover and cook on low for 15 minutes or according to rice package directions.

    When the rice is done, add lime zest and chopped cilantro and stir to mix in. Serve immediately.

    *If you are using regular long grain rice, follow the cooking directions on the box regarding the amount of liquid to use and the cooking time.

    From: Rockin Robin’s Cooking Mexican Recipes

    Aug31

    Lemon Sugar Cookie Bars

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    These are made using the recipe for lemon sugar cookies and just spread into a pan instead of rolled into balls for cookies. Just a faster way to get the same great taste and texture of the cookies.

    These take about 12 minutes to bake in my oven at 350 degrees.  Instead of sprinkling these with sugar, I make a simple glaze using confectioner’s sugar and warm water. Slowly drizzle water into a few cups of sugar, mixing as you add it, until you get a nice glaze to drizzle over the bars while they are still warm.  Let set for a few minutes before cutting.  

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    Aug31

    Olive Garden’s Capellini Pomodoro

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    This has been the only meal I will order at Olive Garden for several years. I finally got around to making it at home and couldn’t believe how easy it was.  This is a simple pasta dish that is great by itself but also good topped with grilled chicken or shrimp.

    Olive Garden’s Capellini Pomodoro

    Ingredients:
    3 garlic cloves — minced
    2 pounds plum tomatoes — seeded, diced
    1 ounce fresh basil leaves — minced
    1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
    3 ounces Parmesan cheese — grated
    12 ounces dry angel-hair pasta — cooked
    1/4 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper

    Cooking Directions:
    Heat olive oil and add garlic; cook until it turns white. Add tomatoes
    and pepper and heat through, stirring constantly, about 2 to 3 minutes.
    Tomatoes should not lose their shape. Remove from heat.

    Transfer hot, cooked pasta to large bowl. Toss pasta gently with tomato
    mixture, basil and half of Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately and pass
    remaining Parmesan.  I also added a little salt, to taste.

    This recipe yields 4 servings.

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    From: Secret Restaurant Recipes

    Aug8

    Strawberry Cake and Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting

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    I made a strawberry cake that started with white cake mix several years ago.  This year, Shania asked for a strawberry cake for her birthday and I realized I’d lost the recipe!  This Paula Deen recipe is very similar to the one I made before and was delicious! Do not buy a strawberry flavored cake mix. This is just as easy but so much better.

    Strawberry Cake

    Ingredients

    • 1 (18.25-ounce) box white cake mix
    • 1 (3-ounce) box strawberry-flavored instant gelatin
    • 1 (15-ounce) package frozen strawberries in syrup, thawed and pureed
    • 4 large eggs
    • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
    • 1/4 cup water
    • Strawberry cream cheese frosting, recipe follows
    • Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
    • 1/4 cup butter, softened
    • 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
    • 1 (10-ounce) package frozen strawberries in syrup, thawed and pureed
    • 1/2 teaspoon strawberry extract
    • 7 cups confectioners’ sugar
    • Freshly sliced strawberries, for garnish, optional

    Directions

    Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease 2 (9-inch) round cake pans.

    In a large bowl, combine cake mix and gelatin. Add pureed strawberries, eggs, oil, and water; beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Pour into prepared pans, and bake for 20 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.

    Let cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks.

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    For the frosting:

    In a large bowl, beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Beat in 1/4 cup of the strawberry puree and the vanilla extract. (The rest of the puree is leftover but can be used in smoothies or on ice cream for a delicious treat.) Gradually add confectioners’ sugar, beating until smooth.

    Spread frosting in between layers and on top and sides of cake. Garnish with sliced fresh strawberries, if desired.

    Jul24

    Funfetti Cookie Bars

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    Pillsbury’s Funfetti cake mix is my favorite mix, hands down. It’s one cake mix that I don’t have to add anything to. A few years ago, I discovered Funfetti cookies. The recipe has been on the side of the box for years. I don’t know what took me so long to try them! They are divine.

    A couple months ago, I was craving something sweet at the lakehouse and there was a box of Funfetti mix there that I’d bought a while back and never used.  To be honest, these bars came about because I was too hungry and too lazy to make the cookies.  It takes a while to roll the dough into balls, flatten them out, etc.  So, I made the dough the same way and just spread it all on a cookie sheet. Within 15 minutes, I had my dessert! 

    Whether you use Funfetti mix to make cake, cupcakes, cookies or bars, you just can’t go wrong. It will always make you happy! 🙂

    Funfetti Cookie Bars

    Ingredients

    • 1 package Pillsbury Funfetti cake mix
    • 1/3 cup oil
    • 2 eggs
    • flour
    • Pillsbury Creamy Supreme Funfetti Vanilla Frosting

    Directions

    Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine cake mix, oil and eggs until well moistened. Spread dough evenly onto a cookie sheet. Sprinkle a little flour on  the top to make this easier. When making cookies, you do not need to grease the sheet but for cookie bars lightly spraying the pan helps, particularly around the edges. Bake for about 8-9 minutes. Watch carefully- they bake fast! Allow to cool before frosting. If you use sprinkles, add them immediately after frosting.

    Jul20

    Crockpot Lasagna

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    I’ve made this a couple times before but it’s been a while! Today, I used ground Italian sausage instead of ground beef. This is another easy dish that is ready for the crockpot in 15 minutes or so and then you don’t worry about it until it’s done!

    Crockpot Lasagna

    Ingredients

    1 lb. ground beef
    1 large onion, finely chopped (I also added green peppers and mushrooms)
    2 garlic cloves, crushed and minced
    1 large jar spaghetti sauce (such as Ragu in the 1 lb. 10 ounce jar)
    1 package (8 ounces) no-boil lasagna noodles
    16 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
    1 lb. ricotta cheese
    1/4 cup milk
    1 egg
    1/2 cup shredded Parmesan/Romano cheese
    Salt and pepper to taste

    Directions


    1. Brown the beef, onion, and garlic in a little oil in a frying pan. Drain off any grease.

    2. Add the spaghetti sauce into the browned meat mixture. Mix well.

    3. In a separate bowl, mix the ricotta cheese, milk, and egg.

    4. Beat until thoroughly mixed and smooth. Then mix in the mozzarella cheese and the grated cheese, so that all the cheeses are combined.

    5. Grease the slow cooker/Crock Pot with some vegetable shortening on the bottom and sides.

    6. Put about 1/4 of the meat and sauce mixture in the bottom of the slow cooker/Crock Pot. Put a layer of noodles on top of that (break or cut them if needed). Put about 1/3 of the cheese mixture on top of that. Then repeat with sauce, noodles, cheese for another 2 layers. Top with meat sauce. Cook on low for about 3 hours or until noodles are tender.

    From: About.com