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.

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.

Biscuits and gravy

Biscuits and gravy are one of the things that Scott almost always orders for breakfast when we go out. This recipe was incredibly easy, and for the most part I almost always have everything in the house for it! I loved having these for dinner with some scrambled eggs and ham! Side note: these were not very good the next day (we did store the gravy and biscuits separately).

I realized when I went to make these that I didn't have buttermilk on hand. Here's a handy tip for a subsitute: Get a one cup measuring cup out, put 1 tablespoon lemon juice in it, and then top the remaining space with milk. Let sit for about five minutes.

The biscuits!

The final product! (Yes, I added some additional pepper, just becasue)

Biscuits and gravy-adapted from Lighten up America! by Cooking Light

Total time: 35 minutes

Serves 6

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 cup vegetable shortening
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 tablespoon salted butter
• 1/4 pound pre-cooked breakfast sausage, cut into small pieces
• 1 teaspoon minced onion
• 2 1/4 cups 2% milk, divided
• 1 teaspoon dried sage
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and kosher salt. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add buttermilk; stir just until moist.

Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead five times. Take off pieces of the dough into biscuit sized pieces (about 3 1/4 inches), and flatten slightly before placing on a baking sheet coated well with cooking spray. Repeat with remaining dough. Bake for about 10 minutes or until golden.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt butter over medium  heat. Add sausage, onion, 2 cups milk, sage and black pepper. 

In a small bowl, combine remaining 1/4 cup milk and 2 1/2 tablespoons flour, stirring well with a whisk. Add to the sausage mixture. Cook, stirring constantly for about 3 minutes or until sauce is thick and bubbly. Spoon gravy over biscuits.

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.

Tex-Mex Chicken Salad

I could not believe how unbelieveably good this chicken salad was. It's a Weight Watcher's recipe too, so if you follow the serving guidelines it's good for you as well! It's super fast and keeps well as leftovers too, so you could definitely make it at the beginning of the week for your lunch!

Tex-Mex Chicken Salad-adapted from Weight Watchers
Total Time: 25 Minutes
Serves 6

• 1 1/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1/2 cup fat free mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup fat free sour cream
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 1 orange pepper, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 can corn, drained
• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake chicken in a casserole dish for about 25 minutes or until no longer pink inside. Cut into bite-sized pieces.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine mayonnaise, sour cream, cumin and chili powder. Stir in the remainder of ingredients. You can chill for up to two hours for best results, but we ate it right away. 

Chicken Stuffing Skillet

When I came across this recipe, I knew I had to make it. Scott is a fan of anything cooked with a sauce and green beans. The original recipe doesn't call for you to make sure the chicken is fully cooked before you put everything else on top of it, but that's how I'm writing the recipe because that's what I'd do next time. The flavors were great and I used this Cream of Anything Soup Mix instead of cream of mushroom soup! I would liken this to a green bean casserole with chicken & stuffing. YUM. I would also take out the flour mixture and just season the chicken next time. It didn't add anything to the dish.

Chicken Stuffing Skillet-adapted from Easy Back to School Meals from Taste of Home

Total Time: 30 Minutes

Serves 4

• 6 ounces corn bread stuffing mix
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground mustard
• Next time just season with salt and pepper
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 can condensed cream of chicken soup (or this mix)
• 1/2 large onion, chopped
• 2/3 cup milk
• 2 cans cut green beans, drained
• 1/2 cup shredded Monterrey jack cheese

Prepare stuffing mix according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large resealable plastic bag, combine the flour, salt and mustard. Add chicken and shake to coat.

In a large skillet, cook the chicken in the oil over medium heat until cook through, about 7-9 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine the soup, onion, milk and green beans. Pour over chicken and top with stuffing. Cover and cook for 7 minutes.

Sprinkle with cheese and cook 3-4 minutes longer or until heated through and cheese is melted.

Cranberry Meatball Skillet

To be honest, this recipe scared me. I think it was the cranberry sauce. I love dried cranberries in any sort of baked good, but have never been a cranberry sauce fan. Personally, I think that stems from my Perkins waitressing days and interesting looking turkey dinners.

Either way, I bought the whole cranberry sauce instead of the jellied stuff, which I think made quite the difference. Surprisingly, the cranberry sauce sweetness didn't override the dish. Scott shared it with coworkers and they loved it! It was very easy and quick to make too.

Cranberry Meatball Skillet-adapted from 30-Minute Dinners by Better Homes and Gardens

Total Time: 30 Minutes

Serves 4

• 16 ounce can whole cranberry sauce
• 1/3 cup water
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 16 ounce package frozen cooked Swedish-style meatballs
• 1 cup baby carrots
• 8 ounces fingerling potatoes, halved
• Salt and pepper for seasoning

In a large skillet, combine all ingredients. Bring to boiling, then reduce heat to medium and cover. Simmer for 15-20 minutes or until potatoes and carrots are tender. Season with salt and pepper.

Crab Cakes with Tartar Sauce

Scott had never tried a crab cake until I made these. Then this weekend we went to a wedding where some of the hor dourves were crab cakes (which were much better than mine). And we went out to dinner last night and he had crab cakes again. I think I started a trend...

I actually kind of made these twice. The first time we were in a hurry and I definitely didn't let them cook long enough. Make sure that you cook them until they are brown and cooked before you go to flip them. If you don't, they will likely fall apart. Like mine did. But as you can see from the picture  the second batch went much better and were still really tasty! The homemade tartar sauce was also really good-it had just a bit of tabasco that gave it a good bite.

Crab Cakes with Tartar Sauce-adapted from Fresh Home Magazine
Total Time: 45 Minutes
Makes 16 crab cakes
Tartar Sauce

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon dill pickle relish
• 1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon tabasco sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon worcestershire sauce

Crab Cakes

• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 green onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon seafood seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon tabasco sauce
• 3-6 ounce cans lump crab meat, drained
• 1/4 cup olive oil

In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the tartar sauce. Cover and chill until serving.

In a large bowl, combine the egg, bread crumbs, mayonnaise, onion, parsley, mustard, seafood seasoning and tabasco sauce. Fold in crab. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

With lightly floured hands, shape the mixture into 1/2 inch thick patties. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook crab cakes in oil in batches for 3-4 minutes per side until golden brown. Serve with tartar sauce.

Chicken Coleslaw

I kind of picked up these ingredients without really thinking about the recipe as a whole. As I was making it, I got a little worried because Scott isn't always the greatest fan of cole slaw. In the end, it was a fantastic recipe! It was very refreshing and had a lot of flavor to it.

Normally, I don't have a problem interchanging mayonnaise for Miracle Whip, but from making a cole slaw or two in the past, I knew the Miracle Whip brought some extra flavor that I didn't want to miss out on.

This is definitely a dish I would consider bringing to a party or get together. It's really simple to put together, and stays rather well for an extra day or two.

Update August 20, 2013
Scott made this for a work gathering. In playing around with it, we added two sliced green onions. We also seasoned the chicken with seasonsed salt and pepper, as well as adding additional lemon pepper to the dressing mix after the fact. Keep playing around with it til it tastes like you want it!

May 29, 2014

Chicken Cole Slaw-adapted from Shortcut Recipe Cards by Taste of Home
Serves 4
Total Time: 20 Minutes

• 3 chicken breasts, diced
• Seasoned salt & pepper for the chicken
• 16 ounce bag of cole slaw mix
• 2 celery ribs, chopped
• 2 hard cooked eggs, diced (here's my favorite website to learn how to make hard boiled eggs)
• 6 tablespoons Miracle Whip
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
• Dash celery salt
• Dash or two of lemon pepper

Season chicken with seasoned salt & pepper. Cook over medium heat in a large skillet until no longer pink in the middle. In a large salad bowl, combine the chicken, cole slaw, celery and eggs. In another bowl, combine the remainder of the ingredients. Pour over chicken mixture and toss to coat. Continue to season with lemon pepper and celery salt until desired taste. Refrigerate until serving.

Peanut Butter Chicken

When I told Scott I was making peanut butter chicken, he was very excited! He stated that whenever he goes to a Chinese buffet (yes, we still do from time to time), he always looks for the peanut butter chicken! The best part--he said this tasted just like it! It was a very simple recipe that I'll be making again!

Peanut Butter Chicken-adapted from More Make it Fast, Cook it Slow by Stephanie O'dea
Total Time: 8 hours
Serves 4

• 1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch chunks
• 1/2 cup peanut butter (crunchy or creamy-your choice)
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 2 cups cooked white rice for serving, if desired

Grease a 4-5 quart slow cooker. Place chicken in the bottom of the slow cooker and top with the rest of the ingredients. Stir gently to combine. Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours (high for 4). Serve over rice.

Guacamole

I love guacamole. And homemade guac is the best. But I really hate prepping the avocados. They just get so messy for me! Either way, the best thing about homemade guacamole is that you can make it however you like. If you like it spicy, add more peppers or jalapeno juice. If you like it a little more salty, add some salt. This is a great guideline!

**12/5/2013**
I've made a slightly different version of this recipe here. This one is still my favorite, but if you're looking to change it up, give it a try!

**January 2014 Update**
This continues to be my go-to guacamole recipe, and I have a few additional pictures to share! For one, this is the GREATEST kitchen tool for avocados you will ever find. It does everything, and is dishwasher safe! Click here for info on it:

We received this amazing bowl for our wedding! 9/27/2014

Guacamole for the taco bar at my cousin's shower!

April 28, 2014

Early Thanksgiving 2014

January 2015

Guacamole - adapted from Every Day with Rachael Ray
Serve 6
Total Time 15 Minutes

• 4 avocados, chopped
• 4-6 slice jalapenos, chopped (from a jar of jalapenos)
• 1/2 teaspoon juice from jar of jalapenos
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 tablespoon finely chopped white onion
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped tomato
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• 2-3 teaspoons fresh lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• 1 bag good-quality tortilla chips

In a medium bowl, mash the avocado with a for until somewhat chunky. One at a time, stir in the jalapeno, garlic, onion, tomato, cilantro, lime juice and salt. Cover with plastic wrap touching the surface and let sit for about 2 hours to allow the flavors to develop.

Season with salt to taste. Serve with tortilla chips.

Greek Chicken Pasta

Whenever a chicken recipe calls for rotisserie chicken I'm excited to make it! Having the chicken already cooked and juicy makes everything go so much easier! This is a very simple dish that is super yummy!

A very simple recipe that is awesome! Scott finished all the leftovers the next day it was so good!

I've made this again and it was good! I ran out of feta cheese and substituted cheddar. It wasn't quite as good this time around, but still good. I also added mushrooms to the mix and it was awesome. I also poached the chicken myself. It wasn't quite as tender as the rotisserie chicken, but when you don't want to run to the store it's still good!

October 2014

I just keep updating pictures on this post. I don't change the recipe-ever-its the same every time. It's seriously that good.

January 2015

Greek Chicken and Pasta-adapted from Pillsbury

Total Time 55 Minutes

Serves 5

• 2 cups uncooked penne pasta 
• 1/4 cup butter or margarine
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1 3/4 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup crumbled feta cheese 
• 3 cups chopped cooked chicken
• 1 jar (6 ounces) marinated artichoke hearts, drained, chopped
• 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained, chopped
• 1/3 sliced kalamata olives
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 11x7 inch (2 quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray.

Cook and drain pasta as directed on package, using minimum cook time. Meanwhile, in 3-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Cook onion in butter 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in flour; cook and stir 30 seconds. Slowly stir in broth; heat to boiling. Cook 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently, until thickened.

Remove from heat; stir in cheese. Gently stir in pasta, chicken, artichokes, tomatoes, olives, and parsley. Spoon into baking dish.

Bake, uncovered 25-30 minutes or until hot. Garnish with additional fresh parsley, if desired.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

I got this recipe from my boyfriend's uncle's neighbor.  We go to his house every Fourth of July and Katie always makes this dip and it is AMAZING!!!

**UPDATE 12/25/2011**
I have made this dip multiple times now. It is definitely a crowd pleaser! With the exception of shredding the chicken, this is a very simple recipe. I think from now on, I'm going to use a food processor to shred the chicken. Go make this dip--everyone will love it. It has just enough heat to be interesting, but not enough where non-buffalo dip loving people won't eat it. I know--I normally hate buffalo sauce and I love this dip!

**1/11/2013**
This is still a favorite! And I remembered to take a picture this time :)

I made this again, but this time, put everything together and heated in the slow cooker. I also used a food processor to shred the chicken which makes it so much better!

Thanksgiving 2014

Buffalo Chicken Dip
8oz. Cream Cheese, softened
3-4 Boneless Chicken Breasts, poached and shredded (I've started using my food processor to shred the chicken and it works great!)
1 Jar Chunky Bleu Cheese Dressing
1 Small Jar Franks Hot Sauce
8oz. Finely Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Cover bottom of 9x11 pan with cream cheese
Mix remaining ingredients in a bowl and spread over cream cheese, saving some of the mozzarella cheese for over the top, if desired
Bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes.
Serve with chips.

**Slow cooker version**
Combine all ingredients in a 3 quart slow cooker. Put on high until warm then set to low. Serve with chips.