Pasta Parma Rosa

This has always been one of my favorite dishes. First time I made it was the powdered version you can get from your grocery store (I know, Im ashamed enough as it is). But when my palate matured, I started making this version from Scratch. This is an other easy dinner that will please anyone in the family, especially your pasta lover.

What you will need to make 6 servings:

1 teaspoon Olive Oil

2 Bacon slice, Diced

1 small Onion, Chopped small

3 Garlic cloves, crushed

2 cups of Heavy Cream

1 5 oz Tomato can

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 oz of Vodka

1/2 cups Parmesan Cheese

3 green onions

1 pound Pasta

Directions:

Dice bacon and chop onions in food processor. Add first the bacon then the inion to heated non-stick skillet and cook until translucent. Add garlic, cook 1 more minute. Add cream, tomato pasta, salt, pepper and vodka. Simmer 10 minutes, add 1/2 of the parmesan, reserve the other half to sprinkle on top.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

I came across this on Pinterest while I was doing my weekly menu planning, the picture looked inviting. After looking over the recipe I saw how easy this would be for a Monday night meal which always seems to be a hectic night at home. I invite you to make this yourselves no matter your culinary skills, it's sure to be a hit!

What you will need to make 4-6 servings:

Chicken:

3-4 Boneless, skinless Chicken breast

Salt and Pepper

1 cup of Cornstarch

2 large Eggs, beaten

1/4 cup Oil

Sauce:

3/4 cup granulated Sugar

4 Tablespoons Ketchup

1/2 cup Apple Cider Vinegar

1 Tablespoons Soy Sauce

1 teaspoon Garlic Salt

Directions:

Pre heat oven at 325 Degrees F.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. While the oil is heating up, cut the chicken breasts into 1 inch pieces. Season with Salt and Pepper. Place the cornstarch in a gallon-sized ziplock bag, Put the chicken in the bag with the cornstarch and seal, tossing to coat the chicken. Whisk the eggs together in a shallow pie plate. Dip the cornstarch-coated chicken pieces in the egg and place them carefully in a single layer in the hot skillet. Cook for 1-2 minutes and then flip each piece over to cook on the other side until nicely golden but not all the way cooked through. Place in a single layer in a baking dish and repeat with the remaining chicken.

Mix the sauce ingredients together in a medium bowl and pour over the chicken in the baking dish. Bake for one hour, turning the chicken once or twice while cooking to coat evenly with sauce. Serve hot over steamed rice. 

-Credit goes to Mel's Kitchen Cafe for such a great recipe!

Cheesy Turkey Baked Pasta

I stole this recipe from Pinterest, the night I planned to make it, I accidentally fell sleep on the couch (it's great to not have children). My husband asked me what I planned on making and I threw my phone with the recipe on it to him. I woke up and dinner was almost ready and heading into the oven. For those of you who know my husband knows he does NOT cook and it just shows how easy this little treat is to make.

To Make Enough for 6-8 Servings, You will need:

1 Tablespoon of olive oil

1 medium Onion, chopped

2 large Garlic Clove, minced

¼ teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes

¾ pound Ground Turkey

4 Cups cooked Pasta Shells

2 ½ Cups Marinara Sauce (canned or homemade)

¼ Cup chopped fresh Parsley

1 ½ Cup shredded Monterey Jack Cheese (divided)

¼ cup grated fresh Parmesan Cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 9X13 dish with nonstick spray.

2. In a large pan, heat the oil over the medium-heat and add onion, garlic and red pepper flakes. Sauté until onions have softened, about 4 minutes. Crumble in the ground turkey and cook until the turkey is browned about 5 minutes. Stir in pasta, marinara sauce, parsley and 1 cup of the cheese. 

Spoon the pasta mixture into the prepared dish. Sprinkle remaining ½ cup of cheese on top and the Parmesan cheese too.

3. Bake until cheese is melted and bubbly about 20 minutes.

Slow Cooker Raspberry-Balsamic Glazed Meatball

Although this is not one of my recipes, I completely stole it from a slow cooker cook book but, it's so delicious I wanted to share with everyone. It's very good, this is easy to prepare and even good for the picky eater in the family.

To Make enough for 6 to 8 servings you will need:

1 Bag (2 pounds) frozen fully-cooked meatballs

1 Cup of raspberry preserves

3 Tablespoons of Sugar

3 Tablespoons of Balsamic Vinegar

1 ½ Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce

¼ teaspoons dried pepper flakes

1 Tablespoon grated fresh Ginger (optional)

Directions:

1. Coat 6 quart Crock pot slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. Add frozen meatballs; set aside

2.Combine preserves, sugar, vinegar, worcestershire sauce and pepper flakes in small microwavable bowl, Microwave in HIGH for 45 seconds. Stir, microwave 15 seconds longer or until melted (mixture will be chunky). Reserve ½ cup mixture. Pour remaining mixture over meatballs and toss gently to coat well. Cover; cook on LOW for 5 hours or on HIGH for 2 ½ hours.

3. Turn slow cooker on HIGH. Stir in ginger, if desired and reserved ½ cup preserve mixture. Cook, uncovered, on HIGH 15 to 20 minutes longer or until thickened slightly, stirring occasionally

Serving Suggestions:   Serve as main dish, toss with chopped green onions and serve over hot rice.

Mrs. Orson's Chicken Kebabs

Before my mother she became quite the chef, she had a few old favorites she would rotate between, there was the usual taco night, spaghetti and this delicious savoury dish. This is an extremely easy recipe to make during the summer, on the grill.

To Make Enough for 4 Servings, You will need:

4 Chicken Breast, Boneless skinless

Marinade

2 Tablespoons Sherry
2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
2 Tablespoons Canola Oil
½ teaspoons ginger, ground

Sauce

2 Tablespoons of smooth Peanut Butter
2 Tablespoons Canola Oil
2 Tablespoons of Soy Sauce
2 teaspoons of Sugar
2 teaspoons of White Wine Vinegar
½ teaspoon of Sesame Oil
¼ teaspoon of Cayenne
1 Tablespoons Green Onion, minced

8 Skewers

Directions:

Cut Chicken into 2 inch cubes, place into holding bowl. Combine sherry, soy sauce, canola oil and ginger. Pour over chicken, toss well to coat chicken, skewer chicken and allow to marinate for 2-4 hours.

Sauce: Combine remaining ingredients, peanut butter to green onions. Mix well to combine into a spoon sauce.

Remove chicken from marinade, shaking off excess marinade. Grill skewers over pre-heated grills, brushing with the marinade from the container until cooked through, 4-5 minutes per side. Make sure chicken is cooked through before service.

Warm sauce in microwave for 30 seconds before serving.

I suggest serving this with a side of White Rice, and a side salad, Enjoy :)

Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

I decided to try a new recipe I found on Pinterest. I did not conceptualize this dish, I never grew up with any sort of Mexican food other than usual tacos. Since I've moved down to California, I've been bombarded with Mexican influenced flavors, I've always liked tortilla soup... so I decided to give it a shot, and it was pretty darn good.

To make enough for 6 servings, you will need:

1 lbs Chicken Breast, trimmed

15 oz. can sweet whole corn kernels, drained

15 oz. can diced Tomatoes, drained

5 cups Chicken Stock

3/4 cup Onion, chopped

3/4 cup Green Pepper, chopped

1 Serrano Pepper, chopped

2 cloves Garlic, chopped

1/4 teaspoon chili powder

1 1/2 teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon ground pepper

Monterrey Jack Cheese, divided

Seasoned Tortilla Strips

Directions:

To your slow cooker, add first 9 ingredients plus 1 teaspoon of Salt and 3/4 teaspoon of pepper. Cook on high for 4 hours or slow for 8.

Prior to serving, remove chicken breasts. Transfer chicken to the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment for easy shredding. Alternately you may shred chicken by hand. Season chicken and salt and pepper, Return shredded seasoned chicken to slow cooker bowl. Stir gently.

Instead of purchasing seasoned tortilla strips for this recipe, you can crisp up your own by buying the small corn tortillas, adding them to a large pan with Olive Oil at the bottom and letting them crisp up on medium heat, add a little pit of salt. Spoon soup into the bowl, add cheese and top with tortillas.

BBQ Meatloaf with Hash Brown Casserole

I made an other old school favorite with a new side dish. This is my Grand-Mothers recipe, we did not change it... we dare not. This delicious savory meatloaf is comforting for the soul.

For the Meatloaf, to make a serving of 6 you will need:

3 Pounds Ground beef, extra lean

1 cup Breadcrumbs (I use the Italian Seasoned)

1 medium Onion, chopped fine (using the food processor)

2 teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon of pepper

2 Eggs, lightly beaten

1 8 oz. can of Tomato Sauce

1 20 oz. can of Tomato Sauce

4 Tablespoons of Vinegar

4 Tablespoons of Brown Sugar

1 Tablespoon of Worcestershire Sauce

3 Tablespoons of prepared Mustard, heaping

Preparation:

Combine ground beef, breadcrumbs, onions, salt and pepper, egg and 8 oz. can of tomato sauce. Place in a 9/13 baking dish, shape into a loaf and bake at 350° for 60 minutes to set meat.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, combine remaining ingredients and simmer while meatloaf cooks. Once the meatloaf has been cooking for 60 minutes, pour sauce over top and continue to bake for 30 minutes more (internal temperature must reach 160°). Remove loaf from oven, allow to rest for a few minutes, slice and serve topped with some of the sauce.

To make these as individuals you can use muffin trays (sprayed with pam). When using individual loaved, reduce initial baking time to 30 minutes.

For the Hash Brown Casserole, makes a serving of 6 you will need:

1 can Cream of Chicken Soup

1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup

1 cup Cheddar cheese grated

5 oz. half and half

2 pounds Hash Brown Potatoes, cubed frozen

salt and pepper

cooking spray

1/3 cup Margarine, melted

2 cups Corn Flakes, slightly crushed, 2 cups = 4 oz.

Directions:

Spray containers with pam

Thoroughly combine soups, cheddar cheese and half and half. Add frozen half crowns, mix well. Pour into prepared containers.

Preheat oven 350°. Combine corn flaked and malted butter. Sprinkle over top of casserole. Bake for 30 minutes and serve.