Marinara Sauce

Marinara Sauce
Inspired by Martha Stewart Living

A good Marinara Sauce is a standard basic that everyone with a kitchen needs in their repertoire. As much as you may like your recipe, it never hurts to try someone else’s. Most of them, are pretty similar with maybe quanitites or an extra herb etc. My marinara is the most basic you can get since I stay away from dried herbs and peppers (you wouldn’t believe how mildewy/moldy those things can be from the way they are processed to the pepper cores etc.)

In the January issue of MSL, there is a whole section on Parmigiana with several recipes starting with their basic marinara sauce. I decided this was a great idea to try. So without further ado, I give you my take on MSL Recipes with some annotations for those that don’t have the pesky allergies I do.

MSL Marinara Sauce
3 tbs vegetable or olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
4 tsps chopped garlic
1 28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes
2 14 oz cans of whole tomatoes, pureed in food processor
Salt and pepper
(MSL uses ½ tsp crushed red-pepper flakes, ¼ cup fresh torn basil leaves, and 1 tbs fresh oregano as well. I enjoyed it without these additives though I’m sure its scrumptious with them).

Directions:
Heat oil over medium heat in stock pot. Cook onion and garlic for 5-10 minutes until translucent. Add tomatoes, salt and pepper. Simmer for about 25 minutes or until it thickens up some. (If you choose, add in herbs at the end).

MSL Notes: Sauce can be refrigerated up to 3 days or frozen up to 3 months.

MSL Chicken Parmigiana

Coincidentally, it was about this time, last year, when I posted a Chicken Parmiagiana recipe. While they vary a little bit, I think its always important to change things up, revisit, improve, expand. Cooking is like working with horses. You can never learn all there is to know, or know too much. There is always something to improve on.

Yesterday was National Spaghetti day, and so what better dish to serve in the winter, on National Spaghetti Day than Chicken Parmigiana with spaghetti. (According to MSL, serving parmigiana with noodles is an American tradition anyway, so I will argue you can’t get more appropriate!)

I followed the recipe petty closely with only slight variations, but you will find the recipe in its whole in the link. Below is how I did it.

Chicken Parmigiana


2 cups plain breadcrumbs
½ cup grated Parmesan
2/3 cup flour
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 package (8-10) Boneless, skinless chicken tenders
¼ cup vegetable oil

Marinara Sauce
1 cup finely shredded sharp cheddar
1 cup shredded Jack cheese (or Mozzarella)
¼ cup grated Parm
1 lb spaghetti noodles (small box)

Directions:
While Marinara Sauce Simmers, boil noodles and heat oil in sauté pan.

Mix breadcrumbs, flour, ½ cup Parm in a shallow dish or pie plate. Beat eggs in a separate shallow dish or pie plate. Dip Chicken first in egg, then in breadcrumb mixture, then repeat before placing in hot oil. Cook 3-4 minutes on each side until crispy and dark golden brown. Drain on plate lined with paper towels.

In a 9 x 13 baking dish, add 1 cup marinara sauce, top with Chicken tenders followed by another 1 ½ cups of marinara Sauce. Top with Cheeses. Cover with tinfoil. Bake at 375 for 20-30 minutes.

Drain pasta and add noodles to remaining Marinara, tossing gently. Serve Chicken Parmigiana over pasta.

Beef and Pasta Stew

This makes the most tender delicious steak stew EVER and is perfect for these unseasonably cold nights we’ve been having here in NC the past few weeks.

Beef and Pasta Stew

4 cups Beef Broth
1 cup water
2 cups chopped onion
3-4 pounds of quartered small red potatoes
2 large carrots coined
2 ½ lbs boneless round steak cut into ½ inch pieces
1 can diced tomatoes
3 tbs chopped garlic
1 cup fresh spinach
1 box frozen broccoli florets
1 cup uncooked ziti
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
½ cup grated parm

Directions:
In large stock pot, combine first 8 ingredients. Cook on medium high for 1 ½ hours. Add remaining ingredients except Parmesan and continue to cook on medium high for 30 minutes. Top with cheese.

Pepper Broccoli Fettucine

1 (8 Ounce) carton of sour cream
1 tbs milk
1 tbs pepper
1 tbs butter
¼ cup finely diced/minced onion
2 tbs minced garlic
8 ounce box of linguine (cooked)
2tbs grated Parm.
1 box frozen chopped broccoli-thawed and boiled till heated through (optional)

Directions:
Combine Sour Cream, milk and pepper in a bowl. Stir well.

Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic. Saute 3 minutes until tender. Remove from heat and add the sour cream mixture. Mix and toss with pasta and broccoli. Sprinkle with Parmesan and Serve Hot.

Chicken Noodle Casserole

I was looking for something I could throw together quickly and inexpensively. We are on a budget crunch for the next few weeks as a lot of things have been going on above and beyond our normal bills (birthday party, Steve’s birthday present, T’s birthday present, shutting down the pool –chemicals and maybe a new cover- etc.) So one of the area’s to cut back is the grocery bill. If any of you have an Aldi’s grocery store, you know how cheaply you can shop but you also know there are certain items to stay away from. I am a brand snob when it comes to certain things so I’m a two grocery store person now a days. Considering our completely bare pantry/fridge, I did pretty good to cut our normal $150ish food bill down to 80 this week (includes non food items such as laundry detergent as well as my husbands soft drink addiction). This recipe is one of my new inventions to suit a budget crunch. Needs a bit of tweaking but it is well on its way.

Chicken/Turkey Noodle Casserole
Ingredients:
1 pack Chicken tenders (or leftover pieces of turkey etc.)
1 tbs oil
1 medium yellow onion diced
1 pack egg noodles al dente
2 cans cream of chicken soup
½ cup milk
1 cup frozen green peas
1 can coined carrots
1 can mixed veggies
1 cup shredded cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1 cup French’s Fried Onion topper
1 cup Bread crumbs (or stuffing mix)

Directions:
Heat oil on stove and cook chicken WITH diced onions until chicken is cooked through. I sprinkled my salt/pepper/garlic powder on the chicken before cooking to flavor the chicken.

While chicken is cooking (and noodles are cooking), in a 13 x 9 casserole dish, pour strained cans of veggies and frozen peas. Add cans of chicken soup and mix. Pour hot noodles over this mixture and add milk and cheese. Mix well. Layer over the top: chicken and onion mixture, French’s onion toppers and bread crumbs. Bake for 30 minutes in a 350 degree oven until bubbly and browned. Serve hot.

Michael Simonesque Lasagna

I was watching Paula Deen this past weekend (DVR’d show) and her guest was Michael Simon (my favorite Iron Chef). They were making his Mom’s lasagna. It intrigued me because he made a thick meat sauce that wasn’t really a sauce so the lasagna was thickly layered without a lot of juice. While I can’t use all the same meats and spices he does (those pesky food allergy fears you know), I did mimic his method to create my own version. It came out quite well in my opinion. (There is very little similarity between the two recipes other than taking inspiration to make a super meaty drier lasagna).

I liked this recipe for many reasons. By cutting down the sauciness it came out cleaner and held its form better than my traditional lasagna. It was fast and easy to make and very hearty. This would be an easy recipe to adapt by adding some sliced veggies to it or taking to a potluck since its not as messy.

Meat Lasagna
1 Large box of noodles (boiled in salted water till al dente)
2 lbs ground sirloin
1 ½ medium large yellow onion-diced
2 tbs finely diced garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp celery salt
Parsley and Italian Seasoning (amounts are up to you)
1 ball Fresh Mozzerella Cheese
1 bag shredded Mozzerella
½ cup shredded or grated Parmesan
12 oz cottage cheese
16 ounces Ricotta Cheese
1 can tomato Paste
2 cans Diced tomatoes

Directions:
In a cast iron Dutch oven, brown hamburger meat along with garlic and onion. I had to add a tidbit of water to mine as the hamburger doesn’t have enough fat to provide a cooking base. Add Tomatoes, seasonings, and tomato paste. Simmer for 30 minutes.

In a bowl, combine cottage cheese, parmesan, and ricotta. Stir until blended and smooth.

To assemble: Spread some of the meat mixture on the bottom of pan and layer lasagna noodles over the top so no meat shows. Spread about half of the ricotta mixture over and layer on another set of noodles. Spread some meat sauce and sprinkle with shredded mozzarella. Repeat with ricotta mixture. Top off with meat sauce. Tear the mozzarella ball into pieces and layer over the top.

Bake for 45 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

Spaghetti and Stuffed Meatballs

I’m not a Rachel Ray Fan. I think she’s adorable and vivacious and once in a blue moon has a good idea. I’m not a hater of Rachel Ray either. (My husband loves her). Her recipes though are lacking. They either have too much of a particular spice or are very bland. I haven’t really found a recipe that if followed exactly was exceptional or worthy of making again. I definitely have to majorly tweak her recipes and therefore rarely bother with one.

I don’t mind tweaking to take it up a notch or to suit my style better etc. I don’t want to have to tweak to give it flavor period. I did give one of her recipes a try yesterday though. It sparked an interest. I tweaked before I even began for dietary reasons this time and while a tiny bit bland, I’m not going to blame the recipe. I think it was actually pretty tasty considering how quick/easy it was. If I were a busy mom with younger kids, I could definitely see this being a life saver meal. It has the fun elements I see the kids enjoying and its fast, which I see mom (or Dad) enjoying. It’s definitely affordable and filling. A few more tweaks (like adding some shredded carrots and zucchini for added vegetable nutrition). Me personally, I would also add some onion next time for a boost of flavor.

Spaghetti with Stuffed Meatballs

Ingredients:
¼ cup breadcrumbs
¼ cup milk
1 tbs Olive Oil
3 cloves garlic,smashed/chopped fine
3 cans diced tomato
1 small can tomato sauce
1 lb ground turkey
¼ cup fresh grated parmesan
2 eggs
Fresh Mozzerella cut in 1/4 -1/2 inch cubes
1 lb spaghetti noodles
½ cup Gruyere for topping
Salt

Directions:
In a medium bowl whisk eggs and milk together. Stir in Breadcrumbs and one clove of garlic. Add some salt to taste (about 1 tsp) and gently break up ground turkey into bowl. Add Parmesan cheese and gently combine all ingredients. Take about two tablespoons of mixture into hand. Gently flatten it out and place a mozzarella cube in center. Fold Meat up around cube and roll into a ball. Place on greased baking sheet. Repeat until all the meat is used. Set meatballs aside.

In a large sauce pan, heat up the Olive oil and add the rest of the garlic. Cook about 2 minutes or until garlic is golden. Add the tomatoes and sauce. Season with Salt (and pepper if you like) to taste and bring up to a medium low simmer. Carefully place meatballs down into sauce making sure they are submerged. Cook without stirring for about 20 minutes. Stir gently and cook for another 15 minutes.
About half way through the cooking time, heat another pot of boiling salted water. Add spaghetti and cook until al dente (about 10 minutes or so). Toss the cooked noodles with the tomato sauce and meatballs during the last five minutes of cooking. Serve hot topped with a little Gruyere.

Spinach Shells: Two Ways

In my garden, I have an abundance of spinach, which is great because I LOVE spinach. Spinach and peas find a way into almost everything I make! LOL I wanted to play with dishes that feature spinach as a main ingredient, like my Spinach Lasagna which is to die for. (Okay I wouldn’t DIE for it but it is really good).

As I was experimenting with a recipe very loosely inspired by Giada De Laurentiis I went even further to try it with two types of shells: tiny shells and large stuffable shells. While both were good, and they both had the exact same ingredients, I have to admit the small shells were better. Something about how the ingredients blended together with the shells. I will definitely be making this again, very soon. (Especially since my spinach needs picking after all this rain we’ve had!)

Spinach Stuffed Shells and Spinach Shell Pasta
Ingredients:
½ box jumbo pasta shells OR
2 cups tiny shells
1 gallon bucket of fresh spinach leaves (I would guess about 2 bags but I pick my spinach in a 1 gallon strawberry bucket)
½ container of whole milk ricotta
1 cup cottage cheese (You can use a whole container of ricotta but I always cut some calories by substituting some cottage. It works well)
Salt and pepper to taste
½ cup parmesan/gruyere mix
1 small onion
1 garlic clove,minced

Sauce:
½ stick butter
3 tbs flour
1 cup cream
1 cup grated parmesan
½ cup gruyere

Directions:
Boil shells in salted water until al dente. If you are using the large shells definitely do not over cook or they will fall apart when you try to stuff them.

In a food processor, combine garlic and onion. Add washed spinach and chop until spinach is fine and combined. In a bowl, combine ricotta, cottage, gruyere/parm mix, salt and pepper and spinach mixture. Blend well. Set aside.

In a sauce pan, melt butter over medium heat. Add flour and whisk until smooth. Cook for 1 minute. Add cream and cook until smooth and it coats the spoon. Remove from heat and add in cheeses.

For Stuffed shells: Use spinach mixture to gently fill shells and place in a greased casserole dish. Pour Sauce OVER shells. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes until bubbly.

For Spinach and Shells: Mix Sauce into Spinach mixture. Gently add mini cooked shells and stir until well blended. Place in a casserole dish. Sprinkle with ½ cup mozzarella cheese and bake at 350 for about 12-15 minutes until bubbly and cheese topping is turning golden brown. (You could also add some bread crumbs to the top and drizzle with olive oil for a firm crust).

Baked Spaghetti-the NEW way

I do not normally post every meal I make, repeats or randomness. I also do not cook fancy new recipes EVERY day of EVERY WEEK. Occasionally there will be a whole week where I rely on tried and true rotation recipes and have very few posts. (What, you really thought I cooked gourmet EVERY NIGHT? PAHLEASE..southern farm girl here...with a big garden and a full time corporate america job...I do not have time for all that).

However, every once in awhile, something mundane and boring jumps out at me. A creative use of leftovers (in my effort of not wasting food)for example that made an extremely yummy quick and easy meal. A "new" way of doing Baked Spaghetti and planning out meals that I think is worth sharing. Plus, I'm posting for Mama Bird's Whatcha Cooking Wednesdays (since I cooked absolutely NOTHING of interest last wednesday! LOL


So here goes:

Baked LeftOver Spaghetti
Ingredients:
4 cups (or so) of Leftover Homemade Tomato Soup (which was also used in the pizza so this recipe got a lot of use and none was wasted!)
1/4 cup fresh grated Parmesan
1/4 cup fresh grated Gruyere
1/4 cup Fresh grated American
1 cup shredded cheddar
1 fresh Mozzerella Ball (crumbled)
1 1/2lbs spaghetti noodles
1/2 pound ground turkey browned(leftover from the pizza as well)

Directions:
Boil noodles in salted water till al dente. Spread in a 9 x 13 casserole dish with about 1/4 cup pasta water (to thin out chilled soup). Pour soup (cold) over noodles and mix well. Layer cheeses and turkey over the top. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes until cheese is melted and has formed a crust.

Serve.

Surprisingly, I liked this BETTER than making regular spaghetti sauce and baking it up. This had so much more flavor and the noodles absorbed all the soup.

Spaghetti with Spinach Sauce

Don't worry, this is not a variation of my Creamy pea Pasta. They are actually NOTHING alike. Last night I was planning on Asparagus and Goat Cheese Lemon Pasta. However, for the second time in a row, the asparagus I bought from a particular vendor at the Farmer's Market was molded inside the bunch. Given the fact that I do have a mold allergy, I have to throw the whole bunch away. (which last night was two bunches). That's $6.00 in the trash. I was highly pissed and scrambling for something to substitute for dinner. I pulled out one of Giada's recipes and let it inspire me to suit what I had on hand. It came out very well, though I believe next time I would prefer to saute off the onion's and garlic first. I will definately be making this again in the future. It's so easy and quick.

Spaghetti with Spinach Sauce
Ingredients:
1 lb spaghetti
3 garlic cloves
1 small onion
4 ounces Goat Cheese
1/4 cup mascarpone cheese
pinch of salt
pinch of pepper
1 box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Directions:
Boil noodles in salted water till tender. Drain.

In a food processor, chop onion and garlic. Add spinach, salt and pepper and blend. Add Goat Cheese and mascarpone and pulse until mixed well. Pour mixture over hot noodles and mix until well blended. Top with Parmesan. This is a "dry" recipe. The "sauce" just coats the noodles but do not look for an actual sauce. You can add some pasta water to loosen the mixture up a little bit if needed.

Creamy Pea Pasta

Creamy Pea Pasta has become one of my go to recipes. Quick lunches, easy dinners, and easy to change up. I know I make this atleast once a week, most of the time just so I can have three or four lunches prepacked and ready to grab. Steve? Yea, he's not so keen on it though he does't complain if I add some meat to his portion.

The beauty of this recipe is that its a basic cheese pasta. You can add onions and garlic and spinach and bake it in the oven for extra pizzazz or just leave it as it is for a macaroni and cheese style dish. My favorite way is with the Peas ofcourse. I love that burst of sweet green flavor and it gets that serving of veggies in!

*Pic of basic pasta without peas*

Creamy Pea Pasta
Ingredients:
1/2 box of spaghetti noodles (or one small package)
1/4 cup flour
1/2 stick of butter
2 cups green peas (frozen but thawed)
1/4 cup fresh grated parmesian
1/8 cup gruyere grated
1/2 cup cheddar grated
and I love throwing in one or two small cubes (about 3 tbs) of Velveeta for the cream factor.
2 1/4 cups milk

Directions:
Boil noodles in heavily salted water till tender.

Melt butter in sauce pan. (add onions and garlic if doing so here and cook for a minute or two). Add flour and whisk until smooth. Pour in milk slowly and stir until smooth. When milk mixture is thick enough to coat spoon, turn off heat and add cheeses. Stir until well blended. Toss in peas (and spinach or whatever else you are using at this point) into cheese mixture. Toss mixture with noodles. Serve warm.

Simple, quick and delicious! Dress it up by throwing it in gratin dishes and sprinkly with bread crumbs and baking with a side of garlic bread and fresh salad or keep it simple for weekly lunches. YUM!
*Picture with Peas and Thawed Chopped Spinach*

Spinach Lasagna

I’ve been in the mood for spinach lasagna and have seen several recipes surfing around Food Network and blogs of late. None of them were quite exactly what I was looking for. I did not want the sauce to mimic my chicken lasagna with its tangy cream cheese. I chose to go with a simplified cheese sauce made from a standard roux but mix it with a traditional lasagna stuffing. What was produced was EXCELLENT! A great base to any veggie lasagna and I can’t wait to make this again. It went too fast. So fast, I didn’t even get a chance to snap a picture before we dug in. This is one recipe that will definately be added to the rotation.

Spinach Lasagna
Ingredients:
¾ of a container of Ricotta (about 11-12 ounces)
¾ cup of cottage cheese
1 egg
1 large bag of frozen chopped spinach (two-three of the boxes)
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
12 lasagna noodles (boiled till al dente in salted water)
1 stick of unsalted butter
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic minced
¼ cup flour
3 ¼ cups milk
1 ball of fresh mozzarella (3-4 ounces)
2 cups shredded mozzarella
1 1/2 ounces of fresh parmesan flaked

Directions:
In large mixing bowl, mix ricotta, cottage, egg, spinach and salt and pepper.

Melt butter in sauce pan and add onions for about 2-3 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1-2 minutes more. Add flour and stir until smooth and thick. (about 1 minute). Add milk and stir. Cook until sauce just coats the spoon. Add fresh mozzarella (lightly chopped into cubes) and parmesan. Stir until thick and mozzarella is just melting.

Add cheese sauce to spinach mixture and fold in until well mixed. Use a 9 x 13 pan and layer spinach sauce, then noodles, and repeat (about three times). Top with remaining sauce and shredded mozzarella cheese.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 45 minutes until lasagna is bubbly and cheese crust is golden brown.

Grown-up Mac and Cheese

When you get a hankering for comfort food, it can be an overwhelmingly powerful thing. I had a massive craving for Macaroni and Cheese but trying to eat well without all the preservatives doesn't bode well for the cherished blue box with the name of Kraft. It's been quite a long time since I've made homemade Mac and Cheese but I decided it was definately time to try again.

Much like Brownies, mac and cheese really is one of the easiest things in the world to make. There is absolutely no need to keep the cheap boxed stuff around unless it is merely a money issue. Just remember a few easy steps: blend of cheese, basic Rou. EASY PEASY.

Grown Up Mac and Cheese (based loosely on Ina Garten's version)
Ingredients:
6 slices of Turkey Bacon
2 cups elbow macaroni noodles
1 1/2 cups heated milk
2 tbs unsalted butter
2 tbs flour
1/3 cup grated Gruyere Cheese
1 cup shredded mild cheddar
1/4 cup asiago cheese (grated)
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup Panko

Directions:
Heat oven to 400 degrees and bake bacon slices for about 15 minutes or until crispy.

Cook macaroni in salted water until tender. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a medium pot and add flour. Whisk until smooth about 2 minutes. Slowly add heated milk (heated through but not boiling) whisking constantly until smooth. Off the heat add the cheeses, 1 tsp salt and pepper. Once sauce is smooth and melted add macaroni noodles and stir gently. Pour into baking dish and top with Panko and crumbled bacon. Bake for about 35 minutes or until hot and bubbly and browned.

Roasted Vegetable Pasta with Lemon Vinaigrette

My second dish for Pasta week is a creation of my own comprised of reading SEVERAL recipes. There wasn't anything quite like I was looking for so I just made it up. It was a pretty big hit. Fresh and lively with strong flavors that tantalize your tongue. This healthy eating thing's not so bad after all! And it was QUICK. Just use leftover chicken from a Garlic Lemon Roasted Chicken and the rest of the recipe takes max 30 minutes! Enjoy!

*Pictures coming this weekend*

Roasted Vegetable Pasta with Lemon Vinaigrette

Ingredients:
1 large eggplant, diced large
2 straight neck squash, diced large
1 zuchini, diced large
1 small onion, sliced thick
1 shallot, sliced thick
4-5 cloves garlic, deskinned (either whole or halved)
4 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper
1-2 cups diced chicken
1 lb fusilli pasta (or penne)
1/2 cup parmesan cheese (optional)
1 can diced tomatoes

Lemon Vinaigrette:
1/2 cup olive oil
Juice of One lemon
1 1/2 tsps of dijon mustard
1/2 tsp sugar
(I did not use lemon peel or shallot since I'm mixing with lemon chicken and roasted veggies.)

Directions:
In a large bowl coat ALL the veggies with olive oil. Spread out on greased baking sheet and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for about 15-18 minutes on 450 in the oven.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in salted water till tender. In large bowl, combine drained pasta, chicken and roasted vegetables (and cheese if you opt to use it).

Whisk vingaigrette ingredients together and pour over pasta mixture and mix well. Serve warm or cool.

Penne with Asparagus and Tomatoes

First Recipe of Pasta Week! It was far different from most pastas I cook. Here in the south we smother everything with, creams, gravys, sauces, and cheese. Literally. If its not fried, its smothered in something. I'm trying to expand my horizons.

I'm not sure how you feel about Giada on the FoodNetwork but other than the fact that her arms are short and I feel like I'm watching a pretty little Tyranasaurus Rex (and I don't mean that to be mean in anyway, I have a lot of respect for her), the girl can cook up some pasta! So I have taken note of a few of her pasta dishes that incorporate veggies and barely any "sauce" to speak of other than some light broth and olive oil. So I'm kicking up our pasta palatte with the help of inspiration by Giada and so far, SO GOOD!

Unlike my love affair with all things spaghetti, I don't think I'll be making this dish once a week, but once a month? Yea, I can see that! Especially in the spring when asparagus is fresh! Definately worth a try and I felt NO GUILT eating it, AT ALL.

*Pictures coming this weekend*

Penne with Asparagus and Cherry Tomatoes
Ingredients:
8 ounces penne pasta
3 tbs olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 bunch thin asparagus (about 1 1/2 lbs), tough ends trimmed
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups cherry tomatoes (my cherry tomatoes had mold on them -1 DAY after buying them, stupid Aldi's- so I used two roma's diced from the farmer's market)
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup grated moneterey jack cheese (My addition)
1 cup diced roasted chicken breast (my addition)

(Giada calls for parmesan and fresh basil but I didn't do this).

Directions:
Boil pasta in salted water till Just Tender.

Saute over medium-high heat the garlic in the oil for about 1 minute. Add asparagus and season with salt and pepper. Cook about 3 minutes. Add tomatoes and peas and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Add the chicken stock and simmer about 3-5 minutes.

Add the chicken just to heat it up. (1 minute). Combine drained pasta, vegetables and cheese in a large bowl and toss well. Serve hot.

Simple, tasty and pretty healthy.

Simple Chicken Soup

On a cold blustery winter day, there is nothing more comforting then a pot of soup, stew or chili. Many people go after bread, milk and eggs. Not me. I'm going after soup fixings. When bad weather strikes, I made a big pot of soup. If we lose power, I can heat it up on the grill and if you are stuck in a cold house, you definately want something WARM to eat, not cold sandwiches! This recipe can be done in the crock pot or on the stove. I at least start it in the crock pot.

Simple Chicken Soup

Ingredients:
4 carrots, peeled and coined
2 ribs of celergy, finely diced
1 onion, diced
1 whole chicken
1/2 pint of cream
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 box elbow macaroni noodles, cooked just under al dente

Directions:
Cook chicken in crock pot (covered in water) for 8-10 hours until it falls off the bone. Debone chicken and use 3/4 of the meat. (I save enough meat out to do a small dinner or make chicken salad for lunches) as this recipe will feed a family for a few days.

Use about 4-6 cups of the broth, and place all your ingredients (except cream) in a pot and simmer until noodles are finished cooking. Add cream. Serve hot.

Chicken Parmigiana

I've been looking for very simple dishes that I can keep on the bland side ingredient wise but still have a nice flavor to them so that I can eat them and my husband doesn't get bored.

With my sister coming over last night for a night of girl talk and scrabble, the pressure was on! She was going to make me eat! So I put together a simple Chicken Parmigiana that was both mild enough for me to eat and flavorful enough that everyone enjoyed it!

(and sorry about the picture quality. I didn't realize how blurry it was till I downloaded it!)

Chicken Parmigiana

Ingredients:
3 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
salt and pepper
1 1/2 cups flour
3 eggs beaten (with a little water added)
1 1/2 cups fine bread crumbs or panko (with 1/4 cup grated parmesian added if you wish)
1/2 cup olive oil
2 cups shredded mozzerella or cheese blend
Italian herbs/parsley (optional)
1 Quart Home Canned Tomatoes (1 can diced plus 1 can stewed of storebought)
1 shallot
1 small yellow onion
1 can diced tomatoes
salt and pepper
2 tbs tomato paste
Italian seasoning (optional)

1 lb spaghetti noodles

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Pour oil in pan and heat to medium high heat. Dip chicken breasts in egg, then flour, then egg again, then breadcrumbs. Place in heated oil and brown both sides (about 4 minutes each).

While chicken is browning, chop onion and shallot and place in blender with tomatoes, tomato paste, salt and pepper. Pulse till tomatoes are not in chuncks and mixture is blended.

Place browned chicken in 9 x 13 casserole dish. Pour tomatoe sauce over it and spread cheese over top of chicken breasts. BAke for about 30 minutes till cheese is golden and bubbly and chicken is cooked through.

While chicken is in oven, cook pasta in salted boiling water till tender. Serve chicken with sauce over pasta.

Simple Chicken Alfredo

Adapted from the Joy of Cooking Book. I needed a simple quick recipe for chicken and I really wanted a creamy pasta. With a little modification, this was perfect for what I had on hand.

Simple Chicken Alfredo
Ingredients:
Boneless Skinless Chicken breasts
8 tbs butter (one stick)
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup shredded/grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
1 lb fettucine or angel hair noodles (any noodles will work really)

Directions:
Grill chicken (I use George Foreman Grill). Cook pasta in salted water till tender. In a sauce pan, melt butter. Add cream and stir. Season with Salt and Pepper. Add cheese and stir. As sauce gets thick with the melting cheese (one-two minutes) add drained noodles and toss gently until all noodles are coated. Serve with chicken breast or cut up the chicken into chuncks and mix in with noodles.

So easy, simple and delicious.

Momma's Southern Goulash

Goulash is derived from a Hungarian word for Cattle Stockman- Gulyas. In food circles, it can mean a variety of things but is basically a soup or stew made up of vegetables, beef and onions.

Growing up, Goulash was a comfort close to my heart that was a simple thick hearty version of spaghetti in essence. Its basic. It's simple and its cheesy gooey deliciousness brings me home no matter where I am, but only if my momma makes it!

Bless her heart she did! So here is the recipe (finally, I know you have been waiting on it!)

Momma's Southern Goulash

Ingredients:
1/2 box of elbow macaroni noodles (cooked al dente)
1 Jar of home canned tomatoes (or 1 can of diced and 1 can of stewed store bought)
1/2 block KRAFT American Cheese
One Onion
1/2 green pepper
salt, pepper
2 tbs butter
2 tbs garlic
1 lb ground beef

Directions:
Brown beef. Run tomatoes in blender or food processor to course chop them (don't want runny sauce but do not want chunks).
Chop fine pepper, onion and garlic and saute in the butter. Pour tomatoes in and simmer. Add browned beef and noodles. Cook till noodles are tender. Add shredded cheese. When cheese is melted, serve warm!

BTW: Using a cast iron pan only makes it better!

Minestrone Soup from Stephanie

Sorry it has been a while. I meant to help Krista out while her lungs were on the fritz. But here we go. I made a phenomenal (if I do say so myself) minestrone soup.

Here's what you need:

Stock

Carrots

Onion

Green beans

Kidney beans

Crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce (I hate tomato chunks, but do what you like)

Tomato paste

Garlic

Dried rosemary, basil, oregano, thyme (or the italian seasoning mix in your cupboard)

Parmesan cheese rind

1 lb box of pasta of your choice

I had some chicken stock and a ham bone, so I made broth with the bone and combined the two.

There it is simmering away. Then I had to let it sit in my tundra of a garage to chill for a day or so. This way, I can scrape the fat off the top and the flavors have a chance to get cozy and wonderful together. Keep in mind, you can use stock in a box too. Don't be scared away!

Dice up your veggies and pop them into the pot. Please for the love of all that is holy, drain your beans and rinse them under fast running water until they stop "sudsing." If you don't, then I claim no

responsibility for the gas that will ensue. That thick sodium packed liquid your beans are packed in will throw your gut for a very unpleasant and uncomfortable night. Just sayin'.

Pour in your crushed tomatoes (I had made some tomato sauce

the other day and just used my leftovers) and your tomato paste and herbs.

Cut up your parmesan rind into a few big chunks (yes, you can leave it out and use a few tablespoons of grated parm) and plop that in your pot too. And finally, a box of pasta. I had shells. Let your pasta cook till al dente and then top with a sprinkle of more parmesan and Serve!