Lemon Garlic Spaghetti

We have no frilly foods, meats, or vegetables in the house and grocery shopping was bumped when I had to drive all over town for wedding stamps I needed for a client. But I still did it! I didn't order pizza!

Here's a throw-together meal you may also be able to prepare in a pinch. I started with this recipe I found while pinteresting and turned it into something a guy might make.

Cook spaghetti for 4 - 6 people

Don't drain because we're going to use the cooking water!

Saute 3 to 4 garlic cloves chopped well in liberal oil

(I use grape seed or conola oil)

Add dried Basil to the oil and garlic

Now in a large bowl toss -

spaghetti

garlic, basil & oil

1/2 cup of pasta cooking water

3 or 4 tablespoons of lemon from the plastic fruit in the fridge

salt and pepper to taste

a hearty sprinkling of Parmesan cheese from the shaker until it's all covered a little when tossed

Pair with peas from the freezer or carrots. Not bad for scraping the bottom of the barrel!

I hope your new year is going GREAT!

♥

Easy Butternut Soup

I'm not a big veggie soup person but last year as I was trying to get my family to eat vegetables in different ways I tried squash soup - and G-boy LOVED it. This was not for dinner tonight, I was just making it to keep in the fridge for the rest of the week but guess who had two bowls for DESSERT!? Yes, G-boy.

And tonight I accomplished my soup in half the time and effort I usually put in so I felt I should share. Normally I peel, chop, boil, then puree. But tonight I slipped it in the oven with my sweet potatoes.....ahhhh, much better!

Easy Butternut Soup

Halve your medium to large butternut squash and lay cut side down on a foil lined pan.

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or so until soft.

Let cool and scoop squash from skin with a big spoon.

Put your squash in the blender and add:

3 cups of chicken stock

(vegetable stock if you're a vegetarian)

1/2 cup water

a generous shake of onion powder

a generous shake of garlic powder

a little shake of cinnamon

a little shake of nutmeg

a pinch of salt to taste

Puree in blender until smooth, add more water if needed for your favorite consistency.

Reheat to eat.

After the baking it should just take 10 minutes to put together. No cream and no butter - because it tastes good with out it, and you can use those calories to make the salad taste good! Add breadsticks if you got 'em. Enjoy!

♥

Sweet and Spicy Crock Pot Chili

Sunday was the famous chili-lunch at church so it's time to share my winter favorite: Sweet and Spicy Crock Pot Chili! I don't eat soup much but I'll eat a hearty chowder or this chili anytime! This one is not messing around!

I haven't used the actual recipe in a while. I actually just found it. My recipes are printed sheets of paper stuffed inside my Better Homes and Gardens Bridal cook book. One cook book of 4 I own. It's the biggest so it seems to make the best home.

This recipe was sent via e-mail from my fabulous sister-in-law and is now cut in two pieces as it almost died being mistaken for scrap paper at work! I'm editing it as I type to show exactly how I do it.

Throw in your crock pot in the am on low:

1 lb ground beef - brown and drain

15 oz tomato sauce

14 oz petite diced tomatoes

2 14 oz cans of chili beans drained

1/2 a large onion chopped and sauteed

two cloves of garlic chopped finely and sauteed with onions

(if you're feeling lazy onion powder and garlic powder will do)

1 1/2 tbsp of chili powder

1 pack of McCormicks chili seasoning

1/3 cup brown sugar

Taste for final sugar, spice, or salt additions.

Serve with cour cream and/or cheese.

Don't be afraid to double the recipe.

I can't believe I gave you the recipe. I like to be the one getting all the compliments. Use this power wisely!

♥

Lasagna Filling Upgrade

I had waaaay too many lasagna noodles in the pantry so it was time for some cookin! Finding myself low on cheese I threw in a 1/2 a jar of Alfredo sauce.

That's why Tim and I drink when we cook together. He gets super aggressive with his spices, looking over my shoulder all the time, and I like substituting ingredients that make him say "ew" a lot. There is a lot of laughing and hitting happening in my tiny kitchen these nights. That's probably why we only cook together once a week.

But I think we are on to something here! I want to use this new lasagna filling whenever I can now. Try making your traditional lasagna {layering noodles, tomato sauce, ground beef, mozzarella} and add:

16 oz Ricotta Cheese

1 jar Alfredo Sauce

1/2 package of frozen spinach

1 beat egg

garlic powder

pinch of salt

{mixed all together}

It would have been perfect it I didn't have to skimp on the mozzarella. There's nothing better than a thick, hot layer of cheese baked on top of .... well, everything.

♥

Oven Chicken and Veggies

I'm on a roll just making stuff up so I tried again.... and it worked... AGAIN!

I usually make casseroles when I bake dinner which means I brown the beef...and then cook a casserole. Or I boil some chicken...and then cook a casserole. They are really good dinners but I'm feeling gipped. I want to put everything in the oven and be done. This took 10 minutes prep, 45 in the oven.

I added Risotto on the side for dinner (my first attempt - totally out of a box) that took 20 minutes of babysitting - so omit that and go for this Oven Chicken and Veggies and a piece of bread.

Bake 45 minutes or so at 350*

Raw chicken breast to feed the family and season with:

- squeeze lemon from the plastic fruit (4 tbsp-ish)

- cumin

- salt and pepper

- dry stuffing mix

Cut in medium to large cubes (pick your favorite 4)

Tomatoes (my garden gave me another harvest)

Sweet potatoes

Carrots

Apples

Squash

Kale

season/toss with:

- salt and pepper

- cumin

- cinnamon

- grape seed oil (enough to get everyone wet)

I figured chicken and veggies could live together in the a pan so the oil and chicken-dripping juices are shared but don't put the chicken on the veggies or they get too done and squishy. Cover with foil.

Half way thru cooking I sprinkled the chicken with two crushed handfuls of dry Stove Top Stuffing. Flip the chicken and sprinkle again with two more handfuls. Put it back in the oven to finish cooking with foil on top. I give the final 5 minutes without foil in the oven.

Pretty easy don't you think?! The apples turned into a little mini dessert in the dinner! That was fun!

And...is that what Stove Top is for?? Well I guess it's for stuffing (duh) but I use the recipe on the back of the box for a good chicken casserole. It has had that job alone for three years in my home. Maybe they figured you'd sprinkle it on chicken? I'm not really sure.

♥

Linguine and Shrimp

Somehow my business gets Parenting Magazine for free now. I didn't know it before but now I really like it! So here's a plug for them. Last week I made a dish based on this recipe by "The Cake Boss".

Preheat oven to 450 degrees

In a baking dish toss 1/2 pint cherry tomatoes

1 tsp chopped garlic

1/4 cup olive oil

salt and peper to taste

Roast for 10 minutes

Sprinkle with bread crumbs

Roast another 5 minutes

Boil Linguine

Sautee

2 tbsp butter

1 tsp chopped garlic

add 1 lb peeled/devained shrimp

3 to 4 minutes until cooked

add 1/2 cup chicken broth

Combine pasta, roasted tomatoes, and 2 cups of baby spinach

Toss well and serve.

Here's how I killed/modified the recipe:

I didn't have Linguine so I used spaghetti

I don't use olive oil - I use grape seed

(I'll post more on that next)

I only had a few cherry tomatoes in the garden

so I cut a few medium tomatoes in 4's.

I also didn't have spinach but I always have kale!

I sauteed it soft and threw it in. You couldn't tell the difference!

And one last tweak.

I felt like this would be better if after it was mixed up

I threw it in a cast iron skillet and put mozzarella cheese on top.

I slid it in the over for 15 minutes.

ahhh. That's the stuff!

Try it this way or my way (if you aren't on a diet).

♥

My Chicken Strips

I'm sure there's a recipe out there for these but this is my version after a few years of making not as great chicken strips in a pan of oil or stuck to a baking sheet. I must thank Rachel Ray for teaching me about Panko crumbs and baking on a pan rack. She has a real nice baking rack-thing.... I don't know where to find it but it will be on my christmas list if she sells it. I made one from two $2.00 cooling racks I got at the grocery store.

They overlap and have larger slat sizes but work very well to get the chicken up off the pan and the hot air all around to crisp!

I used boneless, skinless thighs tonight

(they were on sale and we're broke...again)

Dip in Egg and Milk

Pat down in a bowl of

Panko Crumbs

Mashed up Croutons

Lawry's Seasoning Salt

Garlic Powder

and my new Parsley Flakes for fun

These will help make a giant caesar salad fabulous! The breading is a little work but they are really great chicken strips or nuggets.

I asked Tim if I should line the baking sheet with foil (he does the dishes). He promptly replied I should line EVERYTHING with foil....

Enjoy! ♥

Veggie Spaghetti

Having this blog is pushing me past sharing what I do in the kitchen to trying new things! A friend let me borrow Jessica Seinfeld's cookbook - you know sneaking vegetable purees in your kids food and.... surprise, surprise.... I didn't follow the recipe. Problem number 1: I don't have a food processor. GASP! I know. I'm admitting another thing. I have a food blog and I don't own a food processor. I do own the mini chopper from Tupperware so hopefully that helps your view of me.

So anyway, to get around this problem, I'm going to use my blender again! Here's what I did:

half a head of cauliflower

half a blender of Prego sauce

half a red pepper

But I gotta be honest, the pepper flavor wasn't my favorite. The Cauliflower on the other hand was completely hidden. And G boy (age 5) ate 2 bowls. He NEVER eats two bowls of anything! I'm probably most proud of my picture with the parsley flakes on top. I picked up four spice bottles, including the parsley, at Wal-Mart for $.50 each!

And I learned a new tip from my mom after talking about this recipe. Did you know you can freeze green and red peppers? She says you can! So I used half and sent the other cleaned half to the freezer. I'm not going to tell you to freeze everything (like my mom would) because I have about two shoe boxes of room in my tiny fridge/freezer but I do have the money and the freezer space for half a pepper.

♥

Teeny Tostadas & Left-over Burritos

My mom bought tostada pans a while back. I love a good tostada-opposite-salad (you know, mainly beans and meat with lettuce as the accessory). But guess what, I don't have the money or the space for more pans! So I started making mini flour tostadas in my muffin tin. Yes. I'm totally white. This is totally white Mexian food. It may sound crazy but putting the typical family burrito in a crispy little shell makes it taste richer! Try it!

Tonight's burrito filling wasn't great as I still need to go shopping and money is tight. A can of chicken breast (I scored this free from my mom), black beans, corn, and fajita seasoning. I'd rather use refried beans and beef or black beans and chicken not from a can plus burrito or taco seasoning. You know what your family likes; do that.

I'm sure somebody made these up before me, it's not rocket science, but this is what I figured out in my kitchen:

I cut my shell (large or small) in half with an "s" shape. Then I wrap it like a cone and fold the bottom over. It doesn't need to be perfect, just fold it up and mush it into the tin gently.

Then you want to spray it or brush it with some oil and bake it for a few minutes until the edges are brown and the shell keeps a crisp, nice form.

Fill them up and top them with veggies, cheese, and sour cream. Serve 2 large or 4 small tostadas per adult.

WARNING: Although these look beautiful, this is not a date food. It's a bit messy. Do not overfill.

_________________ wanna make another? ______________

When I make mexican these days I always make double filling because I can get a quick free dinner out of it in 5 minutes. I have two jobs and two kids, I'm not cooking every night!

My Aunt Renee taught me all about the baked burrito. Fill a shell and wrap - both sides in first, flap one side in, and roll over onto itself so the flap is sealed by the weight of the burrito. I line up three in a glass pan and throw red sauce and cheese on top. Now this goes in the freezer and comes out a few days later. Defrost and bake for a new Mexican arrangement! Add sour cream and fresh veggies after it comes out of the oven.

Have fun with this white-Mexican, non-recipe - and don't forget a sprinkle of lime juice!

♥

Spanish Style Ham and Eggs

I'm admitting it.... I can't do it.... I can't follow a recipe.

I can't help but think I can do it without going to the store. And plus, I usually add more cheese.

Enter my new blog: The Recipe Killer. Here you'll see my floundering knock offs of Rachel Ray, magazines, and more - creations by a mom that has little money, little time, and most of the time makes two dinners a night (because moms that don't eat all day and stay up until midnight need second dinner) (and so do dads who are in grave danger of weighing less then their wives).

Creation of the day: Spanish Style Ham and Eggs by Rachel Ray

(2nd dinner)

Rachel's Ingredients

• 2 starchy potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 1 cup chicken stock
• Salt and pepper
• A sprinkle of paprika
• 1 cup shredded young Manchego cheese
• A small handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 4 hand-cut pieces of country/peasant bread
• 1 tablespoon EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus some for drizzling
• 4 organic eggs
• 2 grapefruit or oranges, halved and sectioned
• A drizzle of honey
• A pinch of cinnamon
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 overly ripe tomato, cut in half
• 4 slices Serrano ham

My Ingredients

the rest of the potato flakes

• milk, butter, and salt to taste
• two pieces of sandwich sourdough bread
• two eggs
• onion flakes
• garlic powder
• shredded sharp cheddar for potatoes
• (no ham, because lunch meat was just not going to cut it!)
• 
  
• It took me 10 minutes because our toaster oven just blew its top burner today and I didn't put in the bread until last (I'm so not a line cook).

We've been in such a rut lately in the the kitchen (especially with our new tiny budget). What's for dinner?....burritos or pasta....pasta or burritos? I would have never thought of making something like this, and my knock off wasn't bad! Tim didn't leave a crumb and gave it an 8. I'll take it!

(sorry it's half eaten - I didn't know it was blog-worthy when I started)

♥