Chicken Enchilada Pasta

Happy Friday everyone! How has your week been? Is it just me, or does October always feel uncharacteristically busy? Maybe it's the upcoming holidays, or maybe I'm finally just getting my stuff done instead of reading a book for a change, ha! Either way, it's flying by.



Pinterest came to the rescue with this dish after realizing that it was 5'oclock and I had absolutely no idea what we were going to eat that night. It was honestly one of the best pasta dishes I've ever had, the flavors were delicious, and it was so easy to make. My husband and I had to fight over who got the leftovers :) And of course, any dish that my kids will eat is an instant winner in our house. Make this pasta, I promise you won't regret it.

Check out the recipe here, Pearls, Handcuffs, and Happy Hour is an adorable blog. Enjoy!

Zucchini Pasta Pancake

One of the things I miss most about having a yard of my own is my garden. How can you beat all of those homegrown summer veggies? And while the season for that is ending, I've still been hearing people ask what to do with the zucchini that continues to fill their kitchens to the brim.


To be honest, this recipe started out as something cheap and convenient. I had most of what I needed, and I really wasn't expecting much more than to be fed quickly. I was very pleasantly surprised with the outcome, these were delicious! And it wasn't just me and my husband that thought so. Our kids gobbled them down faster than we could flip more up for them. They were just delicious slathered in marinara and Parmesan. I highly recommend these veggie packed flap jacks.

Zucchini Pasta Pancake
Adapted from Cooking Light July 2011

Ingredients

3 cups shredded zucchini
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1 (8-ounce) package angel hair pasta, broken into 3-inch pieces, I used Orzo
1/2 cup lower-sodium marinara sauce
1 1/2 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1/3 cup)
1/3 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons minced shallots
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon butter

Directions

1. Place zucchini in a colander, and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Toss well. Drain for 20 minutes, tossing occasionally. Press zucchini between paper towels until barely moist.

2. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat.

3. Bring marinara to a simmer in a small saucepan; keep warm.

4. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup, and level with a knife. Combine remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, flour, and the next 9 ingredients in a large bowl. Add zucchini and pasta to bowl; toss well.

5. Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add zucchini mixture to pan, pressing down. The recipe originally says to cook it all as one big pancake, but it worked better for us to do smaller ones one at a time. Cook for 5 minutes or until bottom is lightly browned. Carefully turn pancake over; cook 5 minutes or until bottom is lightly browned. I loved them extra crispy. Cut into 8 wedges. Serve with marinara.

Homemade Tartar Sauce

I'm playing a little game right now, it's called, "I'm Not Going Grocery Shopping Until I've Managed To Use Up Most of the Food That Is Already In My Freezer Or Pantry."

And it's taking FOREVER!

I guess I'm just in a spring cleaning mode right now, but I'm having an increasingly harder time buying food when I have a ton of food, just not food that fits in my meal planning. So that's what we've been eating lately. And while on occasion I don't mind whipping up a box of Hamburger Helper (just finished the last box, thank you!), I just don't think I can take many more freezer or boxed meals.



The bonus to having frozen salmon burgers for dinner, is at least it lends itself to something homemade, which is why I happily whipped up this fantastic tartar sauce. It was really easy to put together, and since I apparently have a ton of random food to use up, it didn't require an extra trip to the store either. This is one of those things that you want to make a day or two in advance with time, the flavors just get stronger and more delicious. We all loved this tartar sauce, it's so tangy and perfect for all of your seafood needs.



Homemade Tartar Sauce
Adapted from Food.com

Ingredients

1 cup lowfat mayonnaise
1/2 cup chopped sweet onions (less if you're not big on onion flavor)
2 tablespoons dill pickle relish
1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning, or any preferred seasoning, seasoned salt would be good too
1 teaspoon dried dill
1 fresh garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon capers, chopped

Directions

1. In a small bowl, combine all ingredients.

2. It is best to make this about an hour before you plan to serve it so the flavors can blend.

Roasted Chicken Thighs with Green Pea and Garlic Sauce

I've heard that it's important to eat a lot of colors. Red, orange, purple, yellow and especially green food. Color means nutrients, which I'm convinced is why I'm so attracted to chocolate glazed donuts covered in pretty rainbow sprinkles!

Seriously though, I love colorful food. Not only is it pretty, but I know that I'm filling my body with things that will increase my immunity, fortify my blood, bones and muscles, and just make me feel better overall. And there's nothing hard about it when it comes in the form of a sweet creamy puree to slather on a meaty, tender chicken thigh. Not only is this crazy delicious, it's also a snap to make, and requires very few steps. We all loved this meal, including my pea-hatin' hubby. You've got to give this a try!


Roasted Chicken Thighs with Green Pea and Garlic Sauce
Adapted from America's Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook

Ingredients

6 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided (I used a garlic infused olive oil for an extra kick)
1 shallot, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 cup frozen peas
salt and pepper

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400. Arrange chicken thighs in a 9x13 inch casserole pan. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil and salt and pepper. Roast chicken thighs for 20 minutes, or until cooked through and juices run clear.

2. While chicken cooks, heat remaining oil in a small saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the shallot and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Whisk in the broth and wine and bring to a boil. Stir in the peas and cook until tender, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a blender and puree until completely smooth, about 30 seconds. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Serves 6

Per Serving (1/4 cup sauce, not including chicken): 70cal, 2.5gfat, 7g carb, 2g prot, 2g fiber

Glazed Apple Fritters

I'm usually not very good at posting food items for specific holidays, simply because by the time I make it, the holiday is over and we've all moved on. However, I do have a lovely little treat for you for Valentine's Day. But I don't get the credit for this one.

A few Sundays ago we had friends over for a game night and desserts. Our friends brought the stuff for apple fritters and fried them up in our kitchen so we got them hot and fresh. Now, I'm really not a huge dessert girl. I'd much rather spend my calories on the savory foods like pizza, burgers and nachos, but OH. MY. GOSH. I could not stop eating these. They were sweet, perfectly oily, tender, but chunky...yeah, sorry I have to stop before the drool hits my keyboard. It took me a whole week to work these babies off, but it was worth every step on the treadmill, they were to die for!

Glazed Apple Fritters
By Cooks Country, made by Deborah, muah!

Ingredients

2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut in 1/4-inch pieces
2 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 cup apple cider
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3 cups peanut or vegetable oil

Glaze:
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup apple cider
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions

1. Spread prepared apples in single layer on paper towel-lined baking sheet and pat thoroughly dry with paper towels. Combine flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg in large bowl. Whisk cider, eggs and melted butter in medium bowl until combined. Stir apples into flour mixture. Stir in cider mixture until incorporated.

2. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat to 350 degrees. Following step 1, use 1/3-cup measure to transfer 5 heaping portions of batter to oil. Press batter lightly with back of spoon to flatten. Fry, adjusting burner as necessary to maintain oil temperature between 325 and 350 degrees, until deep golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer fritters to wire rack set inside rimmed baking sheet. Bring oil back to 350 degrees and repeat with remaining batter. Let fritters cool 5 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, whisk confectioners' sugar, cider, cinnamon and nutmeg in medium bowl until smooth. Top each fritter with 1 heaping tablespoon glaze. Let glaze set 10 minutes. Serve.

Bacon Pierogi Bake

Pierogi is a word that I had never even heard until I was twenty seven and moved to Philly, what had I been missing out on? I see them everywhere now, there's even a delightful take out kitchen close by that sells several different types of pierogi. Sour kraut, loaded baked potato, even Philly cheese steak Pierogi is on their menu. They're delicious, creamy and full of stuf that fill the belly and warms the soul.

For those of you unfamiliar with pierogi, they are a dumpling originating from Eastern Europe (think Russia, Poland etc). They are filled with a variety of different things, but potato seems to be the most common. And then they are usually served with sauteed onions and sour cream, oh, I'm hungry just thinking about them!

Aside from getting them at restaurants, you can also get them frozen from grocery stores. But to be honest, I've never been that impressed with the frozen version, and consequently have had a box of them hanging out in my freezer longer then I'd like to admit.

So this recipe came in very handy to dress up the poor neglected pierogi in my freezer, and made them SO delicious. The sauce and cheese coats the already cheesy pierogi and adds so much great flavor. And let us not forget that there is bacon in there too. Need I say more?

Check out the recipe here!

Homemade Blue Cheese Dressing

I'm a bit of a salad dressing hoarder. It drives my husband crazy. At one time I've been known to have up to ten dressings in our fridge. The problem is, I always want a light dressing, but it's usually rare that I actually like it enough to eat it again and again. So I finally decided to make my own.

Enter angels, or a great white light, or whatever it is that signifies a life changing moment.

Seriously, after all these years, I've finally found a light dressing that makes me excited to eat a salad again, and they're so easy! I only have to look as far as what's already in my fridge or pantry, and it's not as full of all the chemicals and preservatives that might be in regular dressing.

I made this after having a nice hunk of Stilton left in my fridge from Christmas. The great thing about having such a strong flavored cheese is that a little goes a long way, and did it ever. This dressing had the wonderful pungency of blue cheese, as well as the nice tang you get in a dressing. It was chunky, it was creamy, and you would never guess that you were eating something light. Give it a try, you might never buy it out of a bottle again!



Blue Cheese Dressing
America's Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook

Ingredients

1/4 cup crumbled strongly flavored blue cheese, such as Roquefort or Stilton
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup light mayonnaise
1/4 cup lowfat sour cream
2 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions

Mash the blue cheese and buttermilk together with a fork in a bowl until the mixture resembles cottage cheese with small curds. Stir in the remaining ingredients until well combined.

Per 2 Tablespoons: 45cal, 3g fat, 1g carb, 1g prot, 0g fiber

Salisbury Steak with Mushroom Gravy

I would tell you that the mushroom party is over and this will conclude my mushroom posts, but that would be lying, and I love you all too much to do that to you.



A few days ago, Shelby from Grumpy's Honey Bunch wrote about how she's been inspired by other bloggers. Well, Shelby had inspired me with this Salisbury Steak from Cooking Light's December edition. I've eaten quite a few salisbury steaks in my day, but when I say Salisbury steak, what I mean are those gelatinous disks that come in low calorie frozen meals, usually served with a side of mac and cheese and an antacid. Turns out the homemade version is much better, who knew! And it's low calorie to boot.

This is one of those meals that yielded no leftovers because it's so dang good. The flavors are so rich and full of the familiar comforts of home. My kids snarfed it down, which guarantees that it will be made again!



Check it out here. Thanks Shelby!

Coconut Shrimp with Fiery Mango Sauce

Back when I was getting to know my husband, the ever important question came up, "do you like shrimp?" His answer, which remains his answer still is "not unless it's been breaded and deep fat fried!" Not being one to fry things often, I resigned myself to a happy but shrimp-less life with my husband, crossing my fingers that his non-shrimp loving genes wouldn't be passed on to my kids. It was.

So you can imagine my joy in finding this recipe from Cooking Light (for those of you new to my blog, I'm in love with Cooking Light. If Cooking Light was a religion, I'd be their first follower.) Big fat shrimp, coated in a crunchy, sweet layer of coconut and panko, and skillet fried to a browned crispy perfection. They're accompanied by a sweet and HOT mango sauce. I think I used jalapenos instead of habaneros, I haven't quite reached that level of bravery when it comes to hot foods.

During these cold, post-holiday days of winter, give this tropical dish a try, it might give you that bit of hope that you need to get you through it!

Coconut Shrimp with Fiery Mango Sauce
Cooking Light January 2010

Ingredients

Sauce:
1 teaspoon canola oil
2/3 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
1 garlic clove, minced
1 (12-ounce) can mango nectar
1/4 Scotch bonnet pepper, unseeded
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/8 teaspoon salt

Shrimp:
28 jumbo shrimp (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1/2 cup flaked sweetened coconut
1/2 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1/3 cup cornstarch
3 large egg whites, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 teaspoons canola oil, divided
Cooking spray

Directions

1. To prepare sauce, heat a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion, ginger, and garlic; sauté 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add nectar and pepper; bring to a boil. Cook 10 minutes or until reduced to 3/4 cup. Remove from heat; let stand 10 minutes. Place mixture in a blender; process until smooth. Stir in juice and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Cool.

2. Peel and devein shrimp, leaving tails intact; discard shells.

3. Place coconut in a food processor; pulse 6 times or until finely chopped. Add panko; pulse to combine. Place coconut mixture in a shallow dish. Place cornstarch in a shallow dish. Place egg whites in a shallow dish. Sprinkle shrimp evenly with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Working with 1 shrimp at a time, dredge shrimp in cornstarch, shaking off excess. Dip in egg whites; dredge in coconut mixture.

4. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 teaspoons canola oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add 7 shrimp to pan; coat tops of shrimp with cooking spray. Cook shrimp 2 1/2 minutes on each side or until done. Repeat procedure 3 times with remaining oil and shrimp.

Serves 4

CEiMB: Kind-a, Sort-a...Not really...

I am crazy for spring rolls. I love how fresh and healthy they are, but with a ton of flavor. So when my turn to host Craving Ellie in My Belly came up, I immediately went for the Soft Asian Summer Rolls with Sweet and Tangy Dipping Sauce. I went to the grocery store(s), only to find that rice paper rounds are no where to be found...anywhere! Arrrrgh! I thought about a variety of substitutes, including the nori wraps used for sushi, but I just couldn't see myself using that for something as delicate as a spring roll.

Finally it hit me that the closest thing to rice paper would be a soft butter lettuce leaf. They're velvety and mild in flavor, plus you get the extra benefit of nutrients and vitamins. This was the moment that Spring Rolls became Lettuce Wraps.



Instead of assembling all of the wraps like you would a spring rolls, I simply laid out all of the ingredients for people to pick and choose what they wanted. I had shredded carrot, cilantro, salted peanuts, cucumbers, rice noodles tossed in sesame oil, chopped chicken and shrimp. I also made the Sweet and Savory sauce in the spring roll recipe, as well as giving the option for a peanut sauce and a sweet chili sauce. I used all three in each of my wraps!

The result? A lunch that I will have again and again! It's quick, easy to assemble, and I feel healthier when I eat it! Later that night since I hadn't quite had enough, I filled a bowl with the rice noodles, piled on a bunch of ingredients with the sauces and went to town. Oh! I love this stuff!

My apologies to CEiMB for not making the Spring Rolls that I in fact chose, but I really did try! Hopefully the lettuce wraps will make a good substitute!

Bertolli-Fest!

Being a Foodbuzz Publisher definitely comes with it's perks. Like when you get to sample sauces like these.

I was given the Four Cheese Rosa sauce and Arrabbiata sauce to do whatever I wanted with. The possibilities are endless, and the sauce was delicious.

The Arrabbiata sauce is probably my very favorite jarred spaghetti sauce I've tried thus far. It's got a very subtle and pleasant heat to it, and is packed with a strong, chunky tomato flavor, which I love. It was put to wonderful use in this cheesy lasagna.


Delicious! I mean, come on, who doesn't love lasagna?

The Four Cheese Rosa sauce was another fun one. I browned four chicken breasts in olive oil, put them in a dish with artichoke hearts and capers and poured the Rosa sauce over all of it. After baking, it was accompanied by a bed of fettuccine and adored by the whole family. The sauce by itself is very good, I love the hint of tomato flavoring in the creamy white sauce, but I loved it even better after being baked in the briny capers and artichoke hearts. The saltiness marinated throughout the whole dish and gave it it's own unique flavor. I highly recommend both dishes, as well as these great Bertolli products!



Creamy Chicken with Capers and Artichoke Hearts

Ingredients

4 medium sized chicken breasts
1 jar Bertolli Four Cheese Rosa sauce
3-4 tablespoons capers
1 jar quartered artichoke hearts, drained
Parmesan cheese, if desired
2 cups cooked fettuccine noodles

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350. Salt and pepper both sides of chicken breasts. Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Brown each side of chicken breast, about 2-3 minutes on each side. Place chicken in an 8x8 baking dish.

2. Arrange capers and artichoke hearts evenly over chicken. Pour sauce over dish and spread evenly over all ingredients. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.

3. Serve over fettuccine noodles and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Dijon Croque Monsieur with Elderberry Jelly

Nothing beats having dirty, exhausted kids. That sounds like a strange statement, but when my kids are cranky, tired and filthy then it probably means that our day has been spent outside, digging in the dirt, climbing jungle gyms and soaking up as much of this beautiful weather as possible. I love it, and although it means having to double up on baths and showers, it's absolutely worth it. However, it also means that my time in the kitchen and at my computer will be significantly lessened, so my posts my be a bit more sporadic than normal. I'm going to do my best to keep up with you, but if you don't see me around for a while, it hopefully means it's because we're getting delightfully kissed by the sun! Ah, I love the spring!

I probably wouldn't have made these cheesy gooey sandwiches if it wasn't for a little trip I took to Kitchen Kettle in Lancaster, PA with one of my friends. I am in love with this place as it's full of fantastic foods made by the Amish, and they allow you to sample just about everything that they made. I went specifically for a jar of their pickled beets (most of you are probably grimacing at that, but don't knock 'em till you try 'em, they're awesome!), but along the way we discovered this elderberry jelly, which was delicious. It's hard to describe the taste except to say that it has that dark "three berry" sweetness in it and it's wonderful. My friend had mentioned that they had a jelly like this to accompany some Monte Cristo sandwiches and that it was to die for. Not being able to get the idea out of my head, I found this recipe in my Cooking Light mag (where else), and got to work. I can't tell you what the difference is between a Croque Monsieur, and a Monte Cristo (can you?) but I will tell you that the jelly is honestly what topped this sandwich off beautifully. Since the sandwich is very savory with it's buttery Gruyere cheese, salty ham and tangy Dijon, the elderberry jelly cuts right through it with it's sweetness. I warmed it just a bit before serving it to thin it out a bit and it was perfect! If you don't have elderberry jelly, you could probably try this with any sweet jelly you have on hand. Apricot or raspberry would be excellent!



Dijon Croque Monsieur with Elderberry Jelly
Cooking Light Jan/Feb 2010

Ingredients
1 tablespoon whole grain Dijon Mustard
1 tablespoon fat-free mayo
8 slices Italian Bread (I just used whole wheat)
6 ounces thinly sliced ham
1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup egg substitute
1/4 cup fat free milk
cooking spray
1/2 cup warmed elderberry jelly for dipping

Directions

1. Combine mustard and mayo in a small bowl. Spread 3/4 teaspoon of mustard mixture over each of 4 bread slices; evenly distribute ham and cheese on each slice of bread. Sprinkle evenly with pepper. Spread remaining mustard mixture on each remaining bread slice and assemble sandwiches.

2. Combine egg substitute and milk in a shallow dish. Dip both sides of each sandwich into the egg mixture.

3. Heat a large nonstick griddle or skillet over medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add sandwiches to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side, or until lightly browned and cheese melts. Use jelly for dipping.

Serves 4

Per Serving (not including jelly): 350 cal, 11.7g fat, 25.1g prot, 34.6g carb, 1.7g fiber

Points per Serving: 8

Enjoy the Spring!!

CEiMB: Pork Au Poivre

I literally just ate this dish about 30 minutes ago, and I'm still basking in the glory of this dish. You must. make. this. pork.

This is hands down my very favorite CEiMB dish that I've made yet. It's simple, but the flavors are amazing. It's also so easy to make, with readily available ingredients, and takes about twenty minutes from start to finish. However, promise me that if you make it, you won't skip the sauce, you promise? It takes two ingredients, chicken broth and red wine, to basically change your life as you know it today. I poured a little on my mashed potatoes as well and well, pure heaven. I already can't wait to make this again, and as far as I know, there are no dinner plans tomorrow night...

Thank you Rachel Hearts Food for hosting!

Pork Au Poivre
Ellie Krieger

Ingredients

1 1/4 pounds pork tenderloin
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon black peppercorns, coarsely ground or crushed
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup dry red wine
Salt

Directions

1. Slice tenderloin lengthwise, being careful not to cut through to other side. Split meat into 1 large, flat piece. Spread mustard over both sides of the meat and rub in the pepper, pressing gently so it adheres well. Cut meat crosswise into 4 even portions.

2. In large skillet, heat oil over medium flame. Put tenderloin in the pan and cook for about 10 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer registers 155 degrees F, turning once. Transfer meat to a plate and tent with foil to keep it warm. Add chicken broth and wine to pan and cook over medium-high heat, scraping up any bits that have stuck to the pan. Continue to cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until sauce is reduced to about a half cup. Pour sauce over meat, season with salt, and serve.

Serves 4

Per Serving: 235cal, 10g fat, 30g prot, 0g fiber

Points per Serving: 6

I'm going to be absent for about a week. Glenn has family coming in Saturday for Spring Break baby! So we will soaking up our free time with family as much as possible. Have a wonderful week and I'll look forward to catching up with you all soon!!

Spaghetti and Meatballs

Do you ever make a dinner, that's so good that you feel like the household culinary champ of the world? It's not too often that I make a dish that every single person in my family not just likes, but absolutely loves, sending them back for seconds. This was that meal for us, and I know that it's nothing fancy and new, but let me just tell you about these meatballs.

I had made meatballs in the past, and was totally turned off by them. Since I browned them before baking them, I felt like I was basically eating spaghetti, with big hunks of burger on top, and it wasn't very good. So, I didn't make any for a while. But when I got my Newman's Own Spaghetti sauce, I thought it might be fun to give meatballs another chance.

I found a great meatball recipe on recipezaar. Nothing fancy, just your regular meatball ingredients. But I didn't brown them this time, instead, I rolled them into balls and placed them on a cooling rack, on top of my baking sheet, which was covered in foil to catch all the fat that the meatballs rendered off when baking. The result were soft, flavorful, melt-in-your-mouth meatballs that my family couldn't stop eating. They were also wonderful as sandwiches in your favorite marinara a few meals later. These are a definite new favorite at our house.


And the Newman's Own sauce? Not bad! I'm normally not one for jarred spaghetti sauces, I always feel like they are too sweet and lacking a lot of flavor, but this stuff was much more robust and full of great flavor. I still added a bunch of minced onion and garlic, but I just can't help myself there! I also used some of it for a Shepherd's pie that I'll post soon. I'm all about the classics right now baby!

Spaghetti and Meatballs
Adapted by Recipezaar

Ingredients

Hot cooked spaghetti noodles
Newman's Own Spaghetti Sauce, or preferred Spaghetti Sauce
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 lb ground beef
2 eggs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1 dash pepper

Directions

1. Cover a large baking sheet with tin foil and place a cooling rack on top of that. Preheat oven to 375.

2. In a large bowl, blend bread crumbs, beef, eggs, cheese, parsley, oregano, salt and pepper. Roll into 1 inch balls and place on top of baking rack. Bake for 15 minutes, or until cooked through.

3. Assemble spaghetti, meatballs and sauce, and be sure to have lots of napkins!

CEiMB: Marinated Flank Steak with Gorganzola Sauce

Well, the snow has stopped falling and the sun is shining, now it's just a matter of digging ourselves out! I actually can't complain too much about the snow storms though, I've had my husband and kids home to myself for two great days, and we've done a lot of playing and tromping through the snow.

I was really excited about this one, because I love steak, and I love blue cheese. My husband is not a fan of blue cheese, but he like Gorgonzola...I know, apparently he can REALLY taste a difference.

I made a few changes with this recipe. Rather then grilling the onions, I caramelized them. I also made my sauce with fat free half and half instead of buttermilk, added fresh parsley and lots of ground black pepper. This was a really good dish, and the flavors were outstanding. I was still the only one that liked the Gorgonzola sauce, but I'm kind of used to that :) Thanks for hosting Blair, from Deliciously Golden!

The recipe can be found here.

Is everyone getting ready for Valentine's Day? Glenn and I are thinking about making our own dinner at home? Does anyone have any good suggestions for a nice dinner at home for two?

Brisket

My husband was raised in Texas, which has given him a taste of good old southern food. One particular thing he asks for quite a bit is brisket, a cut of meat that I'm not very familiar with, and definitely never cooked before. So finally a few Sundays ago we thought we'd try our hand at some good old southern brisket. We found a lovely cut at Costco (I love Costco, I really do), and I found a recipe for a marinade at Recipezaar. Now, from what I understand brisket is normally dry rubbed and then smoked, but we thought we'd try something different. We cooked it in the oven for about five hours. We went about our business while it was cooking, and when we walked into our apartment complex (mind you, we live on the second floor), we could smell the brisket in the lobby! And it smelled GOOD! I made two briskets and I shredded the first one, which I thought it would be okay since it was practically falling apart after being cooked for so long. Not a good idea, it was tough, stringy and dry after I shredded it. Slice it, against the grain, and it will be juicy and rich with a great bark on the outside. I'm definitely sold on brisket now, but I do think next time I'll be more traditional and make it with a dry rub.

Brisket
Recipezaar

Ingredients

4-6 lbs beef brisket trimmed
2 tablespoons liquid smoke
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons celery seeds
1 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Mix ingredients and cover both sides of meat. If you do this with your hands, you may want to use gloves so you don't smell like liquid smoke for four days, it's strong stuff!
2. Wrap in foil and seal.
3. Marinate overnight in refrigerator.
4. Bake in 300°F oven for 5 hours, or at 275°F for 6 hours. May cover with barbecue sauce during last hour, leaving uncovered. I suggest Sweet Baby Ray's!

I served this with a broccoli salad, which I will post later and these mixed fingerling potatoes, that I also found at Costco. They are white, red and purple little potatoes that are so good coated in olive oil, herbs and roasted. Look for them next time you're there, they're so fun!

Honey Mustard Pork Loin with Bacon

About two months ago the good people at Newman's Own contacted me asking if I would be interested in trying their products and reviewing them. Heck yes I would! So when I got back from my vacation, I was greeted with a big old box filled with these goodies...Merry Christmas to me, again!

The first thing I decided to work with was the Honey Mustard dressing, one of my favorites. The first thing I wanted to do with it was make this salad again. But I thought I'd try something different instead, and this pork loin was born.


I realize it's not the prettiest thing to look at, but it sure was tasty! I combined the honey mustard with garlic and rosemary, brushed it all over the surface of the pork loin, covered it in bacon and roasted it slow and low until the pork was tender and juicy and the bacon was crisp. It turned out to be a very delicious dinner, however I think next time I'm going to try marinating the pork loin in the honey mustard for a few hours to let the flavors penetrate a bit more. Of course that was a problem easily solved by just pouring a little extra dressing right onto my cut after it was cooked! I thought the honey mustard was perfect for this pork loin, definitely try it!

Honey Mustard Pork Loin with Bacon

Ingredients

3/4 cup Newman's Own Light Honey Mustard Dressing
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried rosemary (fresh would be even better if you have it)
1 (3 1/2lb) center cut pork loin
5-8 slices of bacon, enough to cover your pork loin

Directions

Place oven rack on bottom third of oven. Preheat to 350.

Combine dressing, garlic and rosemary. Dress pork loin generously with dressing in a casserole pan or roasting pan. Layer bacon over pork loin, covering the entire roast. Secure with either toothpicks or kitchen string. Roast for 1 hour, cover with foil and roast for another 10-20 minutes. Remove from oven and allow pork to rest for 20 minutes, keeping it covered in foil. Slice and enjoy!

Here's a much prettier, and healthier looking shot for you.

Stay tuned for more Newman's Own reviews and don't forget to enter in my giveaway for a silpat, just below!

Baked Spaghetti

I just love a baked pasta. It's bubbly, it's gooey, and the noodles have soaked up all that delicious flavor. Ah, it's heaven in a dish!

I don't make spaghetti that much because, even though I really like it, I like to save it as a bake up dish when I've completely run out of food, energy, or creativity. But when I saw this recipe on Mommy's Kitchen, I knew it was time to pull out the beef and noodles! I adapted this recipe a bit, but make sure you check out the original one at Tina's blog too, she's got some awesome stuff!

I made this with my own spaghetti sauce that I posted a long time ago.

Baked Spaghetti
Adapted from Mommy's Kitchen

Ingredients

9 ounces spaghetti, cooked and drained
1 batch spaghetti sauce
2 tablespoons either olive oil or basil oil (basil infused olive oil)
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup cheddar cheese

Directions


Heat oven at 375. Prepare spaghetti sauce according to directions. Toss noodles with oil and Parmesan cheese. Spray 9x13 pan with cooking spray and arrange noodles in pan. Pour spaghetti sauce evenly over noodles. Sprinkle cheese. Bake for 30-45 minutes, or until cheese is browned and bubbly.



I would also like to send a huge thank you out to Kathy at Three On Food and Katherine at Smoky Mountain Cafe for this adorable award.


These are the guidelines for the award:

1. Thank the person who nominated you for this award.
2. Copy the logo and place it on your blog.
3. Link to the person who nominated you for this award.
4. Name 7 things about yourself that people might find interesting.
5. Nominate 7 Kreativ Bloggers.
6. Post links to the 7 blogs you nominate.
7. Leave a comment on each of the blogs letting them know they have been nominated.

So here it goes:

1. My passion for food is a fairly new one. It wasn't until I was on maternity leave with my second baby that I discovered the Food Network channel. Ina Garten was the first TV chef I watched and I immediately fell in love. Shortly after that I became very excited about trying new things.

2. I've always prided myself on being a very non-picky eater, but to my dismay, I've realized that there are a few things I just can't get myself to like. Goat cheese, tofu (at least when I prepare it), and ricotta being the biggest ones.

3. I'm pretty much always on a diet, which means that when you see me diving headfirst into a plate of cookies, I'm cheating.

4. Standing at 5'0 I've always had the ability to make everyone feel very tall. Luckily, being short has never bothered me.

5. Even though I've been a stay-at-home mom for two years, I still feel like I'm getting the hang of it. Sometimes I wonder if that feeling ever goes away.

6. I am enjoying every minute of living in the east. I don't honestly know how long we'll be out here, but we're having a lot of fun with our new experiences.

7. I can't wait to have my dream kitchen. It may not be for a long time, but I think all the time about how I want to build my kitchen when I get the chance. It gets a bit bigger everytime lol!

And I'd like to pass this on to:
1. Sophia at Burp and Slurp
2. Sara at Sara in the Kitchen
3. Alissa at Spunky Girl Eats
4. Barbara at Barbara Bakes
5. Denise at Keeper Worthy Recipes
6. Reeni at Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice
7. Aggie at Aggie's Kitchen

I also want to thank Emaline at The Open Pantry for this lovely award:


I'd like to pass this on to:
1. Sarah at Delectable Dining (did I get your name right?)
2. Rachel at Rachel vs Kitchen
3. Itzy at Itzy's Kitchen
4. Judy at Judy's Kitchen

Whew! Congratulations ya'll and keep on cookin!

Apricot-Glazed Grilled Chicken

Another great thing about summer food is all the grilling you get to do! I love grilling for two reasons, it's a healthy and delicious way to eat your food, and it requires few ingredients for lots of deliciousness! I also love how every time I turn around, there are more and more fun ways to grill your food.

I wasn't quite sure about this recipe at first, mostly because of my grumbling husband who can't seem to grasp the magic behind combining fruit and meat. However, our whole family came out very pleasantly surprised by this recipe. The meat has more of a tang then a sweetness, and the flavor is so mouthwatering. This recipe calls for using bone in breasts, thighs, and legs, which I would really stick to. We used boneless, skinless chicken breasts, and while it was still delicious, I don't think it was quite as juicy and flavorful as if we had followed directions! This recipe calls for mostly your common pantry items, so get busy and let me know how you like it!

Apricot-Glazed Grilled Chicken
Found in Cooking Light June 2009

Ingredients

3 tablespoons apricot preserves
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
2 bone-in chicken breasts halves, skinned
2 bone-in chicken thighs, skinned
2 chicken drumsticks, skinned
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cooking Spray

Directions

1. Combine first 4 ingredients in a small bowl, stirring well.

2. Prepare grill for indirect grilling. If using a gas grill, heat one side to medium-high and leave one side with no heat. If using a charcoal grill, arrange hot coals on one side of charcoal grate, leaving the other side empty (this will probably be how we grill our chicken from now on, it keeps it from charring).

3. Let chicken stand at room temp for 30 minutes. Sprinkle chicken evenly with salt and pepper. Place chicken, meaty sides down, on grill rack coated with cooking spray over direct heat; grill five minutes, or until browned.

4. Turn chicken over; baste with apricot mixture. Grill 5 minutes over direct heat or until browned. Turn chicken over, moving it over indirect heat; baste with apricot mixture. Cover and cook 15 minutes. Turn chicken over; baste with apricot mixture. Cook 20 minutes, or until done.

Serves 4: serving size one piece of chicken

Per Serving: 247cal, 10.7g fat, 26.5g prot, 10g carb, 0.1g fiber, 82mg chol, 1.2g iron, 370mg sod
Points per Serving: 6

Also, a thousand apologies to Rachel and Rachel vs. Kitchen and Julie at Sporadic Cook. These lovely ladies were nice enough to award me these awards a few weeks ago, and I have let way too much time go by before expressing my appreciation. This one is from Rachel...

And this one is from Julie...

Thank you so much ladies, and if you haven't visited Rachel and Julie yet, I can assure you that you are missing out on some good stuff! I am going to pass these out, but it's pretty late right now and my brain has pretty much shut down for now. So with that I bid you adieu and wish you a wonderful week!