Lemony seafood pasta

Oh man. We made this for dinner tonight. Scott said automatically that it was one of the best things he's had in awhile. Feta cheese is definitely our kryptonite. I don't think there has been a single recipe with feta that we haven't loved.

One of the best things about this dish was the dressing. I got to use our new dressing shaker, which was a wedding gift. These things are awesome. It's much more fun gratifying to shake a bottle, than use a whisk. I just don't know that I've ever gotten the hang of whisks!

Overall, this pasta felt light, and having scallops and shrimp was a nice change from our normal chicken or beef routine. I think I would like the dish even with a different protein, or the dressing by itself!

Lemony seafood pasta-adapted from Perfect One-Dish Dinners by Pam Anderson
Total time: 25 minutes
Serves 8

• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 quarts water
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 8 ounce penne pasta (or pasta of your choice)
• 1 pound bay scallops
• 1 pound uncooked shrimp, peeled, deveined, and cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 cup jarred roasted red pepper, diced
• 6 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
• 2 tablespoons dried oregano

Place garlic, lemon juice, mustard, vinegar, salt, pepper and oil in a dressing shaker and shake well. If you do not have a shaker, whisk well and set aside.

Meanwhile, bring 2 quarts water and 1 tablespoon salt to a boil. Add the pasta and cook for about 10 minutes, just until tender. Add in the scallops and shrimp, and cook until the seafood is opaque, about 3 more minutes. Drain and pour into a serving bowl. Mix pasta, seafood, tomatoes, red peppers, feta cheese, oregano and prepared dressing. Toss to coat.

Slow cooker turkey breast

Do you get freaked out when you see a recipe for a turkey or whole chicken? I was nervous about these for awhile too. But now, I've realized, they're usually the easiest recipes there are! This was awesome to not have to buy an entire turkey, especially because it fit in the slow cooker. The gravy package that comes with the turkey was delicious as always!

Slow cooker turkey breast-adapted from New Slow Cooker Meals by Betty Crocker
Total time: 8 hours
Serves 10

• 6 1/2 pound turkey breast, thawed if frozen
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 1 dried bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules
• 1/2 cup water

Remove gravy packet from the turkey. Place onion, celery and bay leaf in the cavity of the turkey. Place the turkey in a 5 quart greased slow cooker.

Sprinkle turkey with salt, pepper and bouillon granules. Cover with water. Cook on low 8 to 9 hours or until turkey is tender. 

Shred turkey from the bones. Meanwhile, follow directions on the gravy packet for gravy. Use the liquid in the slow cooker as the drippings. Serve with turkey.

Roasted asparagus

I've finally figured out how to make the perfect asparagus. This is super simple, and you just need to season it however you wish.

If you don't know how to trim asparagus, it's really easy. Just take the end between your thumb and forefinger and bend until it snaps! It's perfect for those days you just want to snap something! It always breaks the wooden end off at the right spot-no more second guessing!

Roasted asparagus

Total time: 20 minutes

Serves 4

• 1 bunch asparagus, trimmed
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place asparagus spears in a 9x13 inch baking dish, doing you best to only have one layer. Drizzle with the olive oil, and toss the spears so they are well coated. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, add more to taste if you wish.

Roast in oven for about 7 minutes, then toss the spears with tongs. Cook for the remaining 7-8 minutes or until tender.

Sugar snap peas with mushrooms and tomatoes

Sugar snap peas are one of those vegetables you don't think about very often. For me, it's in stir fries. It's one of those items that gives the extra crunch that is just awesome. I really enjoyed making this side dish. A little bit of cheese and the tomatoes really made it pop!

One thing that I really love about this recipe-no need for added salt or pepper! I'm really not much of a salt fan, so I usually don't put it on unless it's really necessary in a dish. Pepper, I do love, but there was enough different flavor concepts going on for this side that it wasn't needed!

Sugar snap peas with mushrooms and tomatoes-adapted from Fast & Healthy Cookbook by Pillsbury
Total time: 20 minutes
Serves 5

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 4 ounces mushrooms, sliced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 3 cups frozen sugar snap peas
• 1/2 cup halved cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil leaves
• 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add mushrooms and garlic and cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently, until tender. Remove from saucepan; place in a serving dish or on a plate and cover with tin foil to keep warm.

In the same saucepan, heat 1/3 cup water to boiling. Add sugar snap peas and return the pan to boiling. Cover and simmer 3-5 minutes or until peas are crisp-tender. Drain then return peas to saucepan.

Return the mushrooms withs garlic to the saucepan along with tomatoes and basil. Cook until warm. Spoon into a serving dish and sprinkle with cheese.

Caprese lasagna roll ups

I have been on a total caprese kick lately. Mozzarella, tomatoes and basil-where can you go wrong?? When I came across this recipe I knew I had to make it. I surely wasn't disappointed! I can't tell you where I got this recipe from, it seems to have disappeared from my notes. I did, however, make a few of my own changes. I also used this recipe as a great opportunity to reuse the leftover sauce from the Italian pork chops! You can use regular tomatoes sliced thin and fresh basil as well-I just used what I had on hand!

Before

Final product!

Caprese lasagna roll ups

Total time: 45 minutes

Serves 8

• 8 lasagna noodles, uncooked
• 3/4 cup ricotta cheese
• 1 large egg white
• 1/3 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
• 14 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded and divided
• Black pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced thin 
• 1 tablespoon dried basil
• 1 cup marinara or pasta sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain pasta then lay flat to dry on wax paper. 

For filling, in a large bowl, mix together ricotta and egg white until blended. Mix in parmesan cheese, 12 ounces mozzarella and black pepper to taste.

Spread 1/2 cup marinara sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 inch grease baking pan. Then, for each noodle, spread 1/4 cup of the cheese mixture on each lasagna noodle, spreading evenly the length of the noodle. Top with and even amount of tomatoes and sprinkle with basil. Roll up from end to end and place in the baking dish seam side down. Repeat for remaining noodles.  Top with remaining pasta sauce and mozzarella cheese. Bake for 30 minutes or until cheese is melted

Heat's Homemade: Vanilla extract

I had always wanted to learn to make my own vanilla extract. New flash: It's incredibly easy! Vanilla beans are a bit expensive, but it makes a ton of vanilla extract so will be well worth it. Also, you can continue to add vanilla beans and vodka if you start to run low. In a weird way, it's self sustaining.

Vanilla extract-adapted from Simply Recipes
Total time: Store for at least two months
Makes 1 cup vanilla

• 3 vanila beans
• 1 cup vodka
• Large mason jar

With a small paring knife, slice the vanilla beans almost all the way down the center, leaving them together at the end. Place in the mason jar, cover completely with vodka and shake. Store for at least 2 months before using, shaking occassionally. You can continue to top off with vodka if desired. Lasts for years.

White chocolate cranberry cinnamon rolls

Hopefully this comes across in how much I cook, but I'm trying to stay away from all processed/packaged foods as much as possible. That being said, I've never made cinnamon rolls from scratch unless you count those that come from a can.

Normally Scott and I stick to a standard of eggs, bacon, toast and possibly hash browns for breakfast. I came across this recipe, decided to find a date I could prep them (as they need to rise for a day) and then have these as a treat. These were absolutely delicious. However, it's a little bit too much work for my normal breakfast that I don't know if I'd make them again anytime soon. This recipe makes a ton, and they would be awesome if you're having family or friends stay over or come for breakfast.

Prepped

Finished product

White chocolate cranberry cinnamon rolls-adapted from Taste of Home Cooking School

Total time: 1 hour 30 minutes + overnight rising

Serves 16

Rolls

• 4 1/2 teaspoons (or two packets) active dry yeast
• 2 cups warm water
• 1 cup butter, melted
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 5 to 6 cups all purpose flour

Filling

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 package (10 to 12 ounces) white baking chips
• 1 cup dried cranberries

Glaze

• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 5 to 6 tablespoons milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the butter, sugar salt and 4 cups flour; beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.

Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Punch dough down. On a lightly floured surface, roll into a 24 inch x 12 inch rectangle. For filling, combine the butter, brown sugar and cinnamon; spread over dough to within 1/2 inch of edges. Sprinkle with white chocolate chips and cranberries. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a long side; pinch seam to seal. 

Cut into 16 slices. Place cut side down in two greased 9x13 inch pans. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 45 minutes.

Bake at 350 degreese for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Combine glaze ingredients; drizzle over warm rolls.

Mongolian beef

I was so excited when I bought Bee Yinn Low's Easy Chinese Recipes. Chinese food is one of our favorite guilty pleasures, but if I can make a good stir fry, that's all I need. I also got a rocking wok for a wedding gift and it's the most amazing thing ever for stir fry. It's completely changed my life when it comes to stir fry. If you don't have one, go get one. If you don't have one-never fear-you can just use a skillet!

This Mongolian beef is one of our favorites so far! It has a lot of awesome flavor and is super easy to put together. The only thing I don't usually have on hand is the oyster sauce, but you should be able to find that in your local grocery store in the Asian food section (although, I did have to check a few times-it seemed to be hiding).

Scott is a huge fan of adding water chestnuts to stir fry. When I told him I was making Mongolian beef, he asked me to throw in some water chestnuts. I'd definitely recommend chopping them up a bit. But that's another great thing about stir fry-the majority of the flavor is in the sauce. Go ahead and add whatever veggies you like!

Mongolian beef-adapted from Easy Chinese Recipes by Bee Yinn Low
Total time: 25 minutes
Serves 4
Marinade

• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1/2 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 1 teaspoon hoisin sauce
• 1 teaspoon rice wine
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 dashes white pepper

Stir fry

• 8 ounces flank steak. Cut into bite sized pieces
• 2 1/2 tablespoons oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-1 inch piece garlic, peeled and sliced thin
• 3 green onions, cut into 2 inch lengths
• 1 can water chestnuts, chopped
• Cooked rice, egg rolls or crab rangoon, for serving

Place all the ingredients for the marinade in a resealable bag. Place beef inside and toss to coat. Let marinate for at least 15 minutes. 

When done marinating, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a wok or skillet over high heat. Stir-fry the beef until the beef is browned on  the outside but still pink inside. Place on a dish and set aside.

Heat the remaining oil in the same wok or skillet over high heat. Add the garlic, ginger, green onions and water chestnuts and stir from until aromatic. Add back the beef and good until no longer pink, about 1-2 minutes. Serve beef mixture with rice, egg rolls and/or crab rangoon.

Shredded pork burritos with tomatillo sauce

Aren't slow cooker's the greatest thing ever? I just love that I can put everything together the night before, and have minimal work to do when I get home. This pork recipe is more sweet than spicy for tacos-probably good if you have picky eaters.

But--those of you that like spicy food, do not dispair. I made the tomatillo sauce a bit spicy and it was absolutely heavenly. I wish I had more recipes for tomatillos. I will be honest, I don't really know what they are or how I should use them, but I always like when I do use them.

TIP: Since this is a bone-in roast, when I remove the bones, I put them in a gallon freezer bag, and keep in the freezer. Once the bag is full of bones, I'll make a bone broth out of it!

I will say though, I got to use my new Ninja blender for this, but ended up cutting my finger on the blade (it's really sharp!) :(  I am fine, but it definitely hurts!

Scott always makes fun of me for the amount of stuff I put in my tacos/burritos. Do you think it's too much for one girl to eat??

My burrito

Tomatillo sauce

Shredded pork burritos with tomatillo sauce-adapted from Taste of Home's Easy Back to School Meals

Total time: 9 hours

Serves 16

For the pork:

• 1 bone-in pork shoulder roast (5 pounds)
• 2 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup packed brown sugar, divided
• 3 teaspoons paprika, divided
• 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 12 ounces cola
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced

For the sauce:

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 tomatillos, husks removed
• 2 tablespoons dried cilantro
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced
• 1 envelope ranch dressing mix
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 garlic clove, peeled
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 16 flour tortillas
• Cheese, black olives, lettuce, sour cream-for serving

Place roast in a greased 5-quart slow cooker. Cover with 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 2 teaspoons paprika, pepper flakes, cumin, salt, cola, chicken broth, onion and garlic. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or until meat is tender. 

Shred the meat (sometimes I can do it right in the crock, sometimes I need to put it on a cutting board-do whatever is comfortable for you). Discard the bones. Return meat to slow cooker if removed. Stir in remaining brown sugar and paprika. Cover and continue to cook on low until heated through and sauce is done.

For the sauce, in a blender, combine the mayonnaise, milk, tomatillos, cilantro, jalapeno, ranch mix, lime juice, garlic and cayenne. Cover and process until blended. Pour into a small bowl and chill until serving.

Using a slotted spoon, fill each tortilla with your desired amount of pork, and top with you favorite toppings and the tomatillo sauce.

Italian pork chops

Oh man. You guys will love this recipe. It includes a tad bit more than a 'set it and forget it' to thicken the sauce, but it's still incredibly easy. I think my favorite part is that it makes a TON of sauce. I have a bunch left over that I plan on using this week for a recipe. We're working on moving into a new place, and once that is done, I want to learn to can, and I think this would be a great recipe!

Anyway, This is one of the easiest meals I've made! The flavors were fantastic even though there wasn't too much to it. The pork ended up super tender, you didn't even need a fork! I served over pasta for the extra sauce.

Italian pork chops-adapted from Taste of Home's Easy Back to School Meals
Total time: 6 hours
Serves 4

• 4 boneless pork chops
• 1/2 pound fresh mushrooms
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 cans (8 ounces each) tomato sauce
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/4 cup cold water
• Cooked pasta of your choice, for serving

In a 4-5 quart greased slow cooker, place the pork chops, mushrooms, onions and garlic. Top with tomato sauce, lemon juice, salt, oregano, basil and parsley. Cover and cook for 6-8 hours on low, or until pork is tender and cooked through.

Remove pork to an oven-safe dish, and place in an oven preheating to 250 degrees. This will keep them warm. Transfer the sauce to a medium sauce pan. 

In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and water and mix until smooth. Add to saucepan and bring mixture to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Serve over pork chops and pasta.

Herbed rib roast

As part of one of our Christmas presents, Scott's dad bought us a giant rib roast! I was so excited to make it, and it gave us a great reason to try out our rotisserie (don't worry, I have instructions if you don't have a rotisserie too). It was absolutely phenomenal, and I can't wait to make it again as we had to cut the roast in half it was so big!

Herbed rib roast-adapated from Taste of Home
Total time: 1 hour 30 miniutes (rotisserie), 2 hours (oven)
Serves 8-10

• 1 beef ribeye roast (4-5 pounds)
• 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon dried majoram

Cut slits into the roast and insert the slices of garlic. Rub the roast with the seasonings. If making in a rotisserie: follow rotisserie instructions for loading and cook times. Ours took about 1 hour, 20 minutes.

If making in the oven: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place roast on a roasting pan fat side up. Bake uncovered for 2-2 1/2 hours or until cooked to desired doneness. (Medium rare is 145 degrees).

Baked manicotti

When I was going to the store, I had to Google the difference between cannelloni and manicotti. The original recipe calls for cannelloni, but I was struggling to find it. From reading online, I couldn't tell much of a difference, so just went with manicotti

Although it's a pain in the butt to stuff the manicotti's it wasn't as bad for me this time (see the last time I made manicotti here). I actually read the box (weird, right?) and cooled the manicotti on a baking sheet. It helped so much--and, as an added bonus, the noodles didn't stick together!

Anyway, this recipe also calls for you to make your own bechamel sauce. Scott absolutely LOVED this recipe. I would definitiely make it again. I was actually surprised as I didn't add any extra seasonings (or salt). The original recipe calls for using brats and removing the casings, but just using a 16-19oz package of regular Italian sausage will work too. It takes awhile to make (you need at least an hour), but it's totally worth it. Plus, you could probably put it together a day or so ahead of time.

One last thing, when it says large skillet, definitely use the biggest one you have! I got everything to fit in our standard, what I would call medium, pan with a bit of a raised edge, but it got a bit messy when I started stirring.

Baked manicotti-adapted from Taste of Home Cooking School, original recipe from Johnsonville
Total time: 1 hour
Serves 6

• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 4 ounces mushrooms, chopped
• 16-19 ounces Italian sausage
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 6 tablespoons flour
• 3 cups milk
• 12 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 box (14 shells) manicotti
• 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded

For the filling

In a large skillet, add oil, onion and mushrooms over medium heat and cook for about 5 minutes. Add sasauge, stir and cook until the onion is softened and the sausage is no longer pink. Set aside.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package directions, minus 2 minutes (mine was about 5). Drain, place on a baking sheet to cool.

For the bechamel sauce

Preheat oven to 450 degreesMelt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and stirr until well incorporated. Slowly add milk and whisk together until smooth. Continue whisking as mixture comes to a slow boil and begins to thicken. Stir half the sauce into the sausage mixture and reserve the other half to pour over the manicotti. Add 12 ounces shredded mozzarella to the sausage mixture and stir while adding in the egg yolks. Cover and set aside if pasta is not yet cool enough.

Spread 3/4 cup of the sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 inch greased baking dish. Spoon filling into each pasta tube carefully by starting at one end and pushing through with a spoon or your finger.

Nestle the manicotti in the sauce and cover with remaining sauce (if there is any extra sausage mixture, but this on top as well). Top with mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.

Bake for 45 minutes or until heated through and the cheese starts to turn golden. Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Crunchy French Toast

French toast is something I rarely make, but decided to treat ourselves today! I was a bit hesitant of the flour, but it made them crunchy, which was just awesome!

Crunchy French Toast-adapted from Tasty Kitchen
Total Time: 25 Minutes
Serves 8

• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3 teaspoons sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups milk
• 1 loaf french bread, sliced into 1-inch slices
• 2 tablespoons butter
• Syrup for serving

In a large bowl, mix thoroughly salt, flour, baking powder, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract and milk. There may be lumps which is okay. Heat a skillet over medium heat and allow the butter to melt. Then dip each piece ofr bread into the flour mixture, coating both sides. Cook each side for about 2 minutes or until golden brown. Repeat with remaining bread slices.

Can be frozen, and reheated for 30 seconds in the microwave.

Dinner Bread

I've made this before and have an old blog post about it here. It's my dad's recipe, but what I originally posted was more of, add a bit of this to taste. I actually measured what I put in this time (and used a bit less butter!), so thought I would make a new post. My dad also calls this garlic bread, but there isn't any garlic in it, so I've renamed it.

You can use whatever wine you have on hand, but I recommend a white or a rose. If you use any sort of red, it tends to make the bread turn a purple color. I did forget to take a picture though. It's super easy and absolutely delicious.

Dinner Bread-adapted from my dad
Total Time: 45 minutes
Serves 8

• 1 loaf french bread
• 1 1/2 sticks of butter
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon parsley
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
• 1/4 cup white or rose wine

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Once butter has melted, add remaining ingredients and mix well.

Meanwhile, slice french bread into about 1-inch slices and place like a full loaf on tin foil that's on a baking sheet. The tin foil will be wrapped around the loaf in a bit.

Brush the butter mixture on both sides of each slice of french bread. Be generous! Wrap the loaf of bread in tin foil, and bake for 30 minutes.

Red Wine and Goat Cheese Risotto with Carmelized Mushrooms

Oh. Em. Gee. That's really all I have to say for this recipe. I could've eatn an entire saucepan of this stuff. It was so. Good. You need to make this. Like yesterday. You won't be disappointed.

Risotto can be intimidating. I know I was scared the first time I made it. But honestly, it's super easy. The worst part is that it's a bit time consuming as you have to stir it a lot, but it's not that bad! Even with that, this dish is totally worth it.

Red Wine and Goat Cheese Risotto with Caramelized Mushrooms-adapted from How Sweet It Is
Total Time: 30 Minutes
Serves 4

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 cups sliced mushrooms
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/4 cups arborio rice
• 1 cup red wine
• 3-4 cups chicken broth
• 6 ounces goat cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

In a large skillet, heat one tablespoon oil and one tablespoon butter over low heat, then add mushrooms. Let caramelize for 10-15 minutes.

While the mushrooms are cooking, heat a large saucepan over medium heat and heat the vegetable oil and butter. Add garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Add rice, tossing to coat in butter and oil and stir for 3-4 minutes. Add wine, stirring every few minutes until all liquid is absorbed. Once absorbed, add one cup stock, stir and let absorb like you did with the wine. Continue 2-3 more times until stock is absorbed. This should take about 15 minutes. Taste to determine if rice is cooked to your liking, if not, add one more cup of broth.

Reduce heat to low and stir in goat cheese, salt, pepper and cooked mushrooms.

Roasted Salmon

I love salmon, so I always like new recipes for it. This made the mark.

Roasted Salmon-adapted from Rachael Ray
Total Time: 15 Minutes
Serves 2

• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon worchestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons grainy mustard
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried rosemary
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 9 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 salmon filets

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a small bowl, combine vinesgars, brown sugar, worchestershire sauce, soy sauce, mustard, rosemary, salt, pepper and vegetable oil.

Place salmon skin side down on a greased baking sheet. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Brush with some of the vinegar mixture. Bake for about 5 minutes or until salmon is flaky. Top with remaining vinegar mixture.

Bisquick Chocolate Chip Cookies

I was a bit hesitant to try these, but I had everything on hand so decided to give it a whirl. They were actually some of the best cookies I've ever made. They stayed chewy for days. Yes, the picture looks like they fell apart. I think they just need to cool on the baking sheet instead of a wire rack.

Bisquick Chocolate Chip Cookies-adapted from Plain Chicken
Total Time: 20 Minutes
Makes 24 Cookies

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 egg
• 2 3/4 cups Bisquick
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl, mix butter, brown sugar, vanilla and egg well. Stir in Bisquick and chocolate chips. 

Drop dough by rounded teaspoon onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool, but eat warm.

Bruschetta Chicken Pasta

I've been on a huge bruschetta and caprese kick (they kind of go hand in hand, doncha think?). I just think the flavors are amazing and (usually) very, very fresh. This was a very simple pasta dish that had all the flavors I love.

Bruschetta Chicken Pasta-adapted from Katie's Cucina
Total Time: 30 Minutes
Serves 4

• 2 chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
• Seasoned salt and pepper, to taste
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 tomatoes, diced
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 pound uncooked spaghetti
• 15 basil leaves, chiffonade

Cook pasta according to package directions. Set aside.

Meanahile, in a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add chicken and salt and pepper to taste and cook until chicken is no longer pink in middle, about 8 minutes, turning frequently. Set aside once cooked.

In the same skillet, add remaining olive oil, butter, and garlic. Heat on medium-high for 1 minute. Add diced tomatoes, reduce heat to medium and saute for about 5 minutes.  Add lemon juice and cook for an additional 2 minutes.

Toss pasta with the sauce, add chicken and basil right before serving.

Beef Stroganoff

This is a super simple, throw it in the slow cooker, and eat when you get home. I've made this recipe twice now. This first time, I used my Homemade Cream of Anything Mix. I will say, I prefer using the canned stuff, but only because it makes it a bit thicker.

Using the Homemade Cream of Anything Mix

Using the canned cream of mushroom and cream of celery 

Beef Stroganoff-adapted from my friend Ashley's recipe
Total Time: 6 hours
Serves 4

• 2-3 pound sirloin, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 can cream of celery soup
• 1 package dry onion soup mix
• 1/2 cup water (more if it gets dry)
• 1 cup sour cream
• Noodles or rice for serving (I prefer egg noodles)

Place sirloin in the bottom of a lightly greased 5 quart slow cooker. Top with soups, soup mix and water. Cover and cook and low for at least 6 hours or until beef is cooked.

About a half hour before serving, stir in sour cream, recover and keep on low. Serve with egg noodles.

Egg Muffins with Sausage and Spinach

As much as I think putting food in muffin tins is a fad, I do like it. These are really great warmed up the next day, so if you know you have a busy week, whip these up on Sunday night! You can put your own favorite ingredients in them, but I did like the ones that were in this recipe as something a little bit different.

Egg Muffins with Sausage and Spinach-adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod
Total Time: 30 Minutes
Serves 6 (12 muffins)

• 3 sausage links
• 5 egg whites
• 2 whole eggs
• 1/4 cup low fat milk
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup spinach, chopped
• 1/4 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium skillet, cook the sausage links thoroughly. Cut into 1/2 inch pieces.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs. Whisk in milk, salt, pepper and spinach. 

Grease a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray. Pour egg mixture evenly into cups. Distribute cheese and sausage evenly between each cup.

Bake for 20 minutes or until muffins are firm in the center. Remove from muffin tins gently with a spoon.