Sauteed Pasta Bar

I got this recipe from my mom, and it has become a regular at our house. I love that it is so versatile and so easy. Just a simple extra step changes this meal from boring, home cooked pasta noodles and sauce to something worthy of the Olive Garden. (Maybe this is an obvious step to everyone else, but it's new to me!)

Anyway, it's so delicious! It's also great because it can feed our small family of three or a huge crowd with very little extra effort. Also, if you have any picky eaters, this meal makes it so everyone can have exactly what they want (or DON'T want), and so everyone is happy.

Ingredients:

• pasta noodles of your choice (my favorite is penne)
• garlic, minced
• pesto
• pasta sauce of your choice
• olive oil
• any meat you want: Our favorite is Italian sausage rolled into one inch balls and cooked. You could also do chicken or hamburger... And of course, meat is optional.
• any vegetables you want: mushrooms, tomatoes, green peppers, olives, etc.
• Parmesan cheese (optional)

Cook any meat you plan to use thoroughly. Cook the pasta noodles al dente according to the directions on the package. Then, have each person take a bowl and assemble the following in their bowl: cooked noodles, a scoop of minced garlic to taste, a scoop of pesto to taste (in my opinion you can NOT skip the pesto - trust me), and any meat and vegetables they want. Do not add any sauce yet. Meanwhile, heat about 2 T. of olive oil in a skillet. Dump the contents of one person's bowl onto the heated skillet and saute for about 5 minutes or until warmed through and mixed well. (If you are serving a bigger group, you can have several skillets going at once.) Remove from the pan and return to the bowl or the person's plate. Top with the sauce of your choice and parmesan cheese. Enjoy! 

Here is a picture of my pasta before I put my sauce on the top, but after it had been sauteed. 

Side Dishes: This is yummy with a fresh green salad and a piece of Tuscan Flat Bread (recipe below).

Tuscan Flat Bread

I like this recipe because not only is it delicious, but it's pretty fast for a homemade bread.

Ingredients:

• 1 T. yeast
  
• 1 T. sugar
  
• 2 c. warm water
  
• 4 c. flour
  
• 2 tsp. salt
  
• 2 tsp. crushed rosemary
  
• 1/2 c. melted butter
  
• parmesan cheese (optional)
  

Preheat over to 400 degrees. Dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let sit for 2 - 3 minutes. Add flour and salt. Knead 2 - 3 minutes (optional). Spread dough to the edges of a greased, lipped, jelly roll pan (12 x 16). Pour butter on dough and spread to cover all the dough. Sprinkle rosemary and Parmesan over surface of dough. Let rise for 30 minutes. Bake 20 minutes. Serve warm.

Chocolate Passion Bowl

3 c. cold milk
2 (4 oz. size) pkg Jello chocolate instant pudding
1 tub (8 oz) cool whip French Vanilla (can use any cool whip you want)
1 brownie mix, baked (I like the chocolate chunk because the chocolate chunks get cold and are delicious)
1 pt raspberries
Pour milk into large bowl. Add dry pudding mixes. Beat with wire whisk 2 minutes or until well blended. Gently stir in 1 c. of the whipped topping.
Place half of the brownie cubes in 2 quart serving bowl; top with half of the pudding mixture, half of the raspberries and half of the remaining whipped topping. Repeat all layers. Garnish with a few raspberries, if desired.
Refrigerate at least 1 hour or until ready to serve. Store leftover dessert in fridge.

(If you've always wanted a trifle bowl than this is a good excuse. You can get one at Walmart for $8.00)

Exquisite Chicken Enchiladas

One of my favorite meals...

• package of flour tortillas
• 2-3 chicken breasts
• 2 cans cream of chicken soup
• 1 to 1 1/2 c. sour cream
• grated cheese
• 1 - 1 1/2 c. salsa

Cook chicken until well cooked and shred-able. (Sorry, I know that's not a word!)  Shred the chicken.  Mix the soup, sour cream and salsa in a bowl.  Set aside 1 cup of this mixture for the top.  Stir shredded chicken into remaining mixture.  In each tortilla place some of the chicken mixture and some grated cheese.  Roll up each tortilla.  Top with the extra sauce, spread evenly.  Sprinkle grated cheese on top.  Makes 8 - 12 enchiladas - about one 13 x 9 pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 - 45 minutes.  

snacks?

We're kind of in a rut at our house when it comes to snacks...what do you like to have or give your kids for a snack? A couple of our favorites are fruit and cheese or a slice of homemade wheat bread with 1/3 less fat cream cheese (Neufchatel) spread on it. What are your favorites?

Microwave Minestrone

This is another Martha Stewart recipe that we tried tonight. I love that you can cook it in the microwave in 10 minutes, it's full of veggies and really yummy with some good French bread!




Serves 4 ( it was enough for our family of 5 because the kids had smaller servings)
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 carrots, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
1 red bell pepper (ribs and seeds removed), cut into 1/2-inch pieces
8 ounces green beans, stem ends trimmed, cut into 2-inch lengths
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/3 cup couscous
1 can (14.5 ounces) reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 can (15.5 ounces) navy beans, drained and rinsed
coarse salt
flat-leaf parsley leaves(optional)
shaved Parmesan cheese, for garnish (optional) *we shredded our cheese and we liked it with a good 2 tbs of it at least!*


Directions
In a 3-quart microwave-safe dish, place oil, carrots, bell pepper, green beans, and garlic; stir to coat. Cover and microwave on high for 5 minutes.


Add couscous, broth, tomato paste, navy beans, 1 cup water, and 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt. Cover; microwave on high until vegetables and couscous are tender, 5 minutes. If desired, stir in parsley, and garnish with cheese.

Berry Almond Crumble Oatmeal

I've been feeling bad that I have not posted anything lately. To be honest, I haven't really cooked much (that first trimester will get you every time!). But, today the only thing I wanted was some oatmeal. Here is one of my favorite recipes (from quakeroats.com)



Ingredients
1/2 cup Quaker® Oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 cups fat-free milk or lowfat soy drink
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 cups Quaker® Oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)
1 cup frozen (do not thaw) or canned (drained) blueberries

Preparation
For topping, combine oats and almonds in medium skillet. Cook over medium-low heat 4 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until both are lightly browned. Cool completely. In small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon. Add oat mixture; mix well.


For oatmeal, bring milk and cinnamon to a boil in medium saucepan; stir in oats. Return to a boil; reduce heat to medium. Cook 1 minute for quick oats, 5 minutes for old fashioned oats, stirring occasionally. Gently stir in blueberries. Continue cooking, until blueberries are heated through and most of liquid is absorbed, about 1 minute.
Spoon oatmeal into five cereal bowls. Sprinkle topping over oatmeal.


*I have also made the topping in smaller quantities for when I am just making a bowl of oatmeal in the microwave. I love the crunchy-sweet topping and it's great because it adds some protein!

English Toasting Bread

11 Cups flour
5 ½ Cups water
2-3 Tbs. sugar
3 Tbs. yeast (rounded)
2 Tbs. salt
Mix dough and let rise. Divide into 4 loves. Let rise again and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
(dough is sticky)

I have to be honest here...I've never actually made this. But my mother-in-law makes it and I absolutely love it, so I finally got the recipe from her. She says it is simple to make and I can't wait to try it!

Snowy Day Treat!

In honor of the great winter weather we've been having here is my kids favorite snow day treat:



Snow cones:

make a simple syrup using 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil, cooking until sugar dissolves. You can also do this with fresh squeezed orange or lemon juice. Today we did it with fresh squeezed orange juice and a little bit of zest (strain before serving) and then I added 1/2 tsp vanilla once I had removed it from the heat. It tasted so yummy.



Next take some bowls outside and fill with well-packed fresh, clean snow. Pour syrup over snow (some of snow will melt so make sure you have plenty) and enjoy. The kids think it's so cool that you are actually giving them a bowl of snow to eat and it tastes pretty good too! An added bonus-I just read that kids who eat snow have stronger immune systems (see the Deseret News)! So, as long as it's not yellow or brown, let 'em eat it!

Pecan Crunch And Cranberry Dip

If any of you like Peanut Brittle. This is even better because it is made with pecans and so easy.

In a heavy saucepan stir with a wooden spoon, cook the following over high heat:
1 cup + 2 Tablespoon sugar
scant cup butter ( just under a cup)
1/4 cup water
1 Tablespoon vinegar
pinch of salt

Cook until the color of a brown paper bag
Turn off heat and add:
1/2 teaspoon soda
1 3/4 cup frozen pecans

Work fast. Spread on cookie sheet, use 2 forks to spread. Don't need to grease pan.


Also another dip that is very good.

Cranberry Dip

1 bag fresh cranberries (12 0z)
1 cup sugar
1 cup apricot preserves ( smooth kind with no chunks in it)
1 cup chopped pecans

Put cranberries in baking pan with 1 cup sugar. Stir to coat.
Bake at 350 covered until cooked down into a liquid ( 25-30 minutes)
Remove from oven.
Stir in 1 cup of chopped pecans and 1 cup apricot preserves.
Refrigerate overnight.
To serve, pour over half mixture a brick of cream cheese. (80z)
Serve with Ritz crackers or small pretzels for dipping.

Ham help!

I am attempting to bake a ham for Christmas this year (for the in-laws...yikes) and I need a good recipe. I keep hearing that it's so simple but I am having a hard time believing that. Any great and EASY recipe ideas out there??