October 15, 2011 · 1:41 pm

Jamie Oliver’s Evolution Potato Salad

I checked out Jamie Oliver’s cookbook from the library last week. In the book there is a pledge to learn a recipe from each chapter of the book and teach two or more other people on the condition that they do the same. So, here is my recipe from the salad chapter. Learn it, love it and pass it on.

Ingredients:
1-3/4 pounds baby potatoes, peeled our not peeled, you decide
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
small bunch of fresh chives
1/4 cup yogurt
2-3 slices bacon

Instructions:
Bring a pan of salted water to a boil. Peel 1-3/4 pounds of baby potatoes, if you like, or leave them unpeeled, chopping any larger ones in half; leaving the smaller ones whole. When the water is boiling, add the potatoes to the pan and bring back to a boil for about 10-15 minutes, depending on the size of your potatoes. Test them with the point of a knife to make sure they’re cooked through. As soon as they’re ready, drain them well in a colander and put them into a bowl.

The trick is to dress the potatoes while they are still hot – mix 6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice in a bowl. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and stir well. Toss the hot potatoes in the dressing.

Finely chop a small bunch of fresh chives and sprinkle them over the potatoes. Toss well before serving.

Toss the dressed potato salad and chives with 1/4 cup of yogurt.

Put a frying pan on the heat and add a splash of olive oil. Thinly cut slices of bacon into small pieces and add to the pan. Toss and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the bacon is crispy and golden. Remove from the heat. Sprinkle over your potato salad and serve.

We had this with hamburgers and fruit salad.

Did I change anything? I left out the lemon zest that was in the original recipe.

What did the family think? Hubby and I liked it. I liked the yogurt and lemon in it and the bacon was a nice finish. The boys don’t like potatoes.

Where did this recipe come from? Jamie Oliver

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Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Salad, Side Dish

October 13, 2011 · 9:18 pm

Brazilian Stroganoff

I love stroganoff, so when I saw this on a friend’s Facebook page I just had to try it out. I had never heard of this before though, so I did a little research (which means I Googled it) and found out that there are a lot of different ways to make this particular dish. This recipe makes a lot of food and as I discovered today as I was eating some of the leftovers, it tastes even better the second day.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
3 cups sliced mushrooms
56 oz. ground peeled tomatoes
3/4 cup dry red wine
3 T Dijon mustard
1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 qt. heavy cream
1 1/2 lbs. cooked and shredded chicken
Salt and pepper, to taste
Rice

Instructions:
In a stockpot, sauté onions in oil until translucent. Add garlic and mushrooms. When mushrooms are halfway cooked, add tomatoes, red wine, mustard and Worcestershire sauce.

Let simmer 10 minutes; add cream and chicken. After 30 minutes, add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve over rice.

Did I change anything? The original recipe called for shallots and soy sauce. I didn’t have those, so I used onions in place of the shallots and just left out the soy sauce. Also, my hubby does not do mushrooms, so I only put in three cups of them. The original recipe called for five cups.

What did the family think? Well, hubby wasn’t feeling well, so he didn’t eat at all. We had a VERY late dinner and I really didn’t want to fight with the kids about eating this because I knew one of them would put up a Class A stink, so they had Subway instead. I, however, ate all of mine and went back for seconds.

Where did this recipe come from? I found this on my friend Erin’s FB page from her friend, Shannon.

photo from Mazzu’s

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October 12, 2011 · 12:22 pm

Tuscan Pasta with Sun Dried Tomato Alfredo Sauce

This could have easily come from a restaurant. It was so good and so different than the pasta dishes I usually make. Everyone loved it and we even had enough left over for the boys to take it in their lunch boxes to school too.

Ingredients:
1 (20-oz.) package refrigerated four-cheese ravioli (or whatever kind you like)
1 (16-oz.) jar sun-dried tomato Alfredo sauce (I found some by Classico)
2 tablespoons white wine
15 oz. can diced tomatoes, throughly drained
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions:
Prepare pasta according to package directions.

Meanwhile, pour Alfredo sauce into a medium saucepan. Pour wine into sauce jar; cover tightly, and shake well. Stir wine mixture into saucepan.

Stir in tomatoes and basil and cook over medium-low heat 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Toss with pasta, and top evenly with 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese.

What did the family think? Thumbs up from everyone!

Where did this recipe come from? My Recipes

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Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Everybody Ate It, Italian, Lent, Six Ingredients or Less, Super Easy to Make, Vegetarian

October 11, 2011 · 8:40 am

Lasagna Rolls

What makes this dish so special? Instead of using ricotta cheese, it uses goat cheese and cream cheese. Yum!

Ingredients:
8 whole Lasagna Noodles
¼ cups Shallots, Finely Diced
2 whole Garlic Cloves, Finely Minced
3/4 pounds Italian Sausage
5 ounces, weight Frozen Spinach, Thawed And Excess Water Squeezed Out
1 teaspoon Dried Thyme
¼ teaspoons Dried Chili Flakes
¼ cups Goat Cheese
¼ cups Cream Cheese
3 cups Marinara Sauce
1-½ cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
Salt
Olive Oil

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cook lasagna sheets until they are cooked enough that you can roll them, but not cooked all the way.

In a skillet over medium heat, heat a dash of olive oil and sauté shallots until they are translucent. Add garlic and cook for an additional minute. Add the sausage to the pan. Use a wooden spoon to crumble the meat and break into small pieces. Once the meat is no longer pink, add the spinach, thyme and chili flakes. Season with kosher salt. Remove pan from the heat and add goat cheese and cream cheese. Stir to combine.

Spread about one cup of the marinara sauce on the bottom of a lasagna dish. Set aside.

Spoon/spread about 3-4 tablespoons of the spinach-sausage mixture across each lasagna sheet. Carefully roll up each sheet and place the rolls, seam side down inside the baking dish. Cover the tops of each roll with a few spoonfuls of marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese.

Transfer to the preheated oven and bake for about 20 minutes.

Did I change anything? The recipe above reflects the changes I will make the next time. There was WAY too much spinach in the original recipe. I like spinach, but that was a lot of spinach. I also increased the amount of Italian sausage.

What did the family think? Everyone loved it even with all of that spinach.

Where did this recipe come from? Tasty Kitchen

photo from Tasty Kitchen

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Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Everybody Ate It, Italian

October 10, 2011 · 8:46 am

Pesto Salmon

I bought some salmon at the store yesterday, but I didn’t have any really big plans for it until I remembered that I had some leftover pesto in the frig…

Ingredients:
1 lb. salmon
2-3 T pesto
cooking spray

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Coat glass baking dish with cooking spray.

Place salmon, skin side down, in the baking dish.

Spread pesto on salmon.

Bake for about 10-12 minutes (depending on how thick the salmon is).

What did the family think? The boys don’t normally eat salmon, but hubby and I thought it was fantastic.

Where did this recipe come from? Me

photo from Cook Everyday

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Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Fish, Lent, Six Ingredients or Less, Super Easy to Make

October 9, 2011 · 9:27 am

Mini Pancake Muffins

These are a quick, easy and fun way to have pancakes without having to make pancakes. The kids think it’s fun because they get to use their hands, too.

Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
2/3 cup buttermilk
1 egg
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons melted butter
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips, blueberries…whatever fun things you like to add to pancakes

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar in a medium bowl. Sift together with a wire whisk.

In another bowl, stir buttermilk, egg, maple syrup and melted butter until just combined.

Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir with a spoon until combined.

Stir in chocolate chips, blueberries, etc.

Bake for 8-9 minutes.

Did I change anything? The original recipe called for chocolate chips. We had some blueberries, so I used those instead.

What did the family think? They went back for seconds and thirds.

Where did this recipe come from? Bakerella

Photo from Bakerella

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Filed under After School Snacks, Bread, Breakfast, Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Everybody Ate It, Vegetarian

October 4, 2011 · 9:37 am

Tomato and Italian Sausage Risotto

I am SO glad this made enough for lunch leftovers today. It’s a cloudy, chilly fall day today and a little risotto will make the perfect lunch.

Ingredients:
1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes, in juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 pound sweet or hot Italian sausage, casings removed
1 small onion, finely chopped
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 cup Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 bunch flat-leaf spinach (10 to 14 ounces), washed well, tough stems removed, chopped (about 7 cups)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving (optional)
2 tablespoons butter

Instructions:
In a small saucepan, combine tomatoes (with their juice) and 3 cups water. Bring just to a simmer; keep warm over low heat.

In a Dutch oven, heat oil over medium. Add sausage and onion; season with salt and pepper. Cook, breaking up sausage with a spoon, until sausage is opaque and onion has softened, 3 to 5 minutes.

Add rice; cook, stirring until well coated, 1 to 2 minutes. Add wine; cook, stirring until absorbed, about 1 minute.

Add about 2 cups hot tomato mixture to rice; simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until absorbed, 4 to 5 minutes. Continue adding tomato mixture, 1 cup at a time, waiting for one cup to be absorbed before adding the next, stirring occasionally, until rice is creamy and just tender, about 25 minutes total (you may not have to use all the liquid).

Remove pan from heat. Stir in spinach, Parmesan, and butter; season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately (risotto will thicken as it cools), and sprinkle with additional Parmesan, if desired.

Did I change anything? I added a little Italian seasoning, but I think next time I will just buy the Italian-style diced tomatoes instead. I also didn’t use as much spinach because I didn’t buy enough.

What did the family think? Hubby and I really liked it. The kids were not impressed with the tomatoes or the spinach. They avoided them, but did manage to eat their dinner with minimal complaints. (These are the same kids who happily ate their spinach salad that was sitting right next to their risotto.)

Where did this recipe come from? Martha Stewart

photo from Martha Stewart

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Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Everybody Ate It, Italian

September 30, 2011 · 9:05 am

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars

It’s that time of year again…time to break out all things pumpkin. These are full of chocolatey pumpkiny goodness and your family will LOVE them.

Ingredients:
2 c flour
1 & 1/2 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp allspice
1/8 tsp cloves
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp coarse salt
1 c unsalted butter, room temp
3/4 c sugar
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla
1 c pumpkin puree
12 oz chocolate chips
Cooking spray

Ingredients:
Preheat oven to 350. Line bottom and side of 13×9″ pan with foil, leaving an overhang on all sides. Spray with cooking spray.

Whisk together the flour, spices, baking soda and salt.

Cream together the butter and sugar on medium-high until smooth. Beat in the egg & vanilla. Beat in the pumpkin puree.

Add the dry ingredients and mix on low just until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Using an offset spatula (or the back of a spoon), spread the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for about 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean (or with a few crumbs, not batter). Cool completely in the pan.

Did I change anything? The recipe above has the amount of sugar I used. I cut the original amount in half. I figured it already had a whole bag of chocolate chips in it, so it was going to be pretty sweet anyways. I sprayed the aluminum foil with cooking spray because I was worried about these tasty treats getting stuck to the aluminum foil. That would ruin all of the fun.

What did the family think? Hubby won’t eat them because there is pumpkin in them. I know, he’s weird.

Where did this recipe come from? Bake at 350

photo from Bake at 350

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Filed under After School Snacks, Definitely Making it Again, Desserts, Easy, Vegetarian

September 29, 2011 · 8:46 am

Chicken Florentine Bowtie Pasta

It’s a good thing that this dish went over pretty well last night because it made a lot of pasta and we will be having it for dinner again tonight.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 cup finely chopped white onion
1 clove minced garlic
4 cups baby spinach leaves
2 cups cooked shredded chicken breast
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 Cups Philadelphia Cooking Creme
1 pound bowtie pasta or other small noodle
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and spray a 9×13 inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

Cook pasta according to package directions, drain and run under cold water to stop cooking.

Place oil in Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring until tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring for 1 minute.

Stir in spinach leaves, cook, stirring until wilted about 2 minutes. Add chicken, salt, and pepper, and cook until heated through, about 3 minutes. Add cooking cream, stirring to combine.

Add pasta to chicken mixture stirring to combine. Transfer to prepared baking dish and top with cheese.

Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until cheese is melted.

What did the family think? The only person who freaked out a little about the spinach was our youngest which is so funny because sitting on his plate, right next to the pasta, was a salad which he happily ate that had spinach in it. He also, of course, was not pleased that there was chicken in it. There was enough cheesy pasta to make up for all of the other offensive ingredients though, so he was fine.

Where did this recipe come from? Picky Palate

Photo from Cooking with Karyn

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Filed under Chicken, Everybody Ate It, Italian

September 27, 2011 · 9:28 am

Baked Penne with Chicken and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

This makes a lot of pasta. The family really liked this and I probably should have just baked it all at once so they could have had seconds, but instead I divided it into two casserole dishes. I baked one and froze the other for later.

Ingredients:
6 tablespoons butter, plus more for baking dishes
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 pound penne rigate
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (8 ounces each), halved horizontally
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
4 garlic cloves, minced
6 cups whole milk
10 ounces white mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced
1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups shredded provolone (6 ounces)
1 1/2 cups finely grated Parmesan (4 ounces)
Salt and pepper, for seasoning

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400.

Butter two shallow 2-quart baking dishes. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta 3 minutes short of al dente; drain pasta, and return to pot.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Season chicken with salt and pepper; cook until opaque throughout, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Halve each piece lengthwise, then thinly slice crosswise.

In a 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy pot, melt butter over medium. Add flour and garlic; cook, whisking, 1 minute. While whisking, gradually add milk; bring to a simmer, whisking frequently. Add mushrooms and tomatoes; cook 1 minute. Off heat, gradually stir in provolone and 1/2 cup Parmesan.

Add chicken and pasta to pot; season with salt and pepper. Divide pasta mixture between baking dishes; sprinkle each with 1/2 cup Parmesan.

Bake, uncovered, until top is golden and bubbling, about 25 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Did I change anything? I boiled and shredded the chicken instead of cooking it the way the recipe states. I used 1% milk instead of whole and used cooking spray instead of butter on the casserole dishes.

What did the family think? Honestly, this was not my favorite dish, but everyone else LOVED it and there wasn’t enough for everyone to have seconds.

Where did this recipe come from? Martha Stewart

photo from Martha Stewart

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Filed under Chicken, Everybody Ate It, Italian