Roasted Veggie Tortellini with Alfredo

 Inspired from Jamie Cooks It Up! and Fashionably Foodie

Roasted Veggies:

2 pints grape tomatoes

1 pound fresh asparagus

5-6 cloves garlic

Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

1. Cut about 1 inch of the bottoms off each lovely stalk of asparagus. The bottoms are really tough and woody tasting. Chop the rest of the asparagus into 2 inch pieces.

2. Spread the asparagus pieces and the grape tomatoes out evenly over a large cookie sheet. 

3. Peel and roughly chop 5-6 cloves of garlic. Do not  be mistaken. You don't want to peel and chop 5 or 6 whole garlic bulbs, now. Just 5-6 of the little cloves that come in a bulb. 
4. Add the fresh garlic to the tomatoes and asparagus and drizzle olive oil over the top of them. You just need about 2-3 tablespoons.   
5. Grind a bit of salt and pepper over the top as well. 
6. Then, using two large spoons, toss the ingredients together. Make sure all of the veggies have a bit of oil on them. Toss your pan in the oven to roast at 400 degrees, for about 20 minutes, or until the asparagus is fork tender.  

While veggies are cooking, start making the alfredo sauce.

Alfredo Sauce:
1/4 cup butter
1 Tablespoon flour
1 cup milk
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups fresh parmesan, grated
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne

1. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. use a whisk and stir in flour and cook for 30 seconds.
2. Add milk and garlic. bring to a boil (barely, just at the edges of the pan,)
3. Stir in parmesan. Whisk until melted. sauce will thicken as it cools.
(If your sauce is too thick, add more milk till desired consistency)


SERVE VEGGIES AND ALFREDO OVER COOKED TORTELLINI.  
Dont be cheap people, go buy the good fresh stuff. 


Enjoy! -Rachel

  

Mexican Lasagna

I found this recipe on another food blog and it looked like something that I would love to make. Why? Because it's a mexican dish (enough said) and it looks deliciously cheesy and the directions are simple! Recipe and pic from weelicious.com. -Christine 
Mexican Lasagna (Serves 6-8)
Cooking Oil Spray
6 Corn Tortillas, cut into quarters
1 Large Egg
1/4 Cup Milk
1/4 Cup Sour Cream
1 Cup Mild Chunky Salsa
1 lb Chicken Breast, cooked and shredded
4 oz Cream Cheese, half inch cubed
2 Tbsp Fresh Cilantro, chopped
3 Scallions, chopped
1 Tsp Kosher Salt
2 Cups Mexican Cheese Blend (or a blend of Monterey Jack and Mild Cheddar), divided



1. Preheat oven to 350 F°.

2. Place the quartered tortillas on an oil sprayed baking sheet, then spray the tops with additional oil.

3. Bake for 5 minutes, remove and set aside.

4. In a large bowl, whisk one egg. Add the milk, sour cream, salsa, shredded chicken, cubed cream cheese, cilantro, scallions and salt. Stir to combine.

5. Arrange half of the par-baked tortillas on the bottom of an oil sprayed 7×11 baking dish. Layer half the chicken mixture on top of the tortillas, then layer 1 cup of the cheese blend on top.

6. Continue to layer the rest of the tortillas on top, followed by the remaining chicken mixture and cheese.

7. Bake uncovered for 35 minutes.

8. Serve.

Artichoke Chicken Pasta in Cream Sauce

Sorry, no picture but this one was defiantly a crowd pleaser! ~BJ

Artichoke Chicken Pasta in a Cream Sauce

1 pound artichoke hearts
3-4 chicken breasts, thawed
1 Tbs. olive oil
salt and pepper
red pepper flakes
2 tsp. dry Italian dressing mix

*Toss all ingredients together and place in a greased casserole dish.

1/2 cup chicken broth

*Pour over the top of chicken.

2 Tbs. melted butter
1/3 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/3 cup Parmesan or Romano cheese

*Mix together with a fork and sprinkle over the top of chicken and artichokes. Bake at 400 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until the chicken is done.  Toss with pasta of your choice and cream sauce.

Cream Sauce

1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
2 cups heavy cream
2/3 cup Parmesan cheese
2 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste

Simmer all ingredients in a heavy sauce pan for 20 minutes.

Alfredo with Ham

 If you are looking for a great way to use the rest of your left-over honey baked ham, you've got to try this one. Add your left-over meat to a cream sauce and serve with pasta. Delicious! Excuse the HORRIBLE picture. It was late at night.- BJ

Alfredo with Ham
recipe by BarbaraJo

1 pint of heavy cream
1/2 cup butter
2 cups parmesean cheese
salt and pepper
Ham
Pasta

Cook the pasta as per box directions. Melt the butter, cheese and cream in a heavy sauce pan over medium heat until it is melted. Stir in the meat and serve over your favorite pasta.

Pasta Momma

I was watching the Food Network and all the superstars were telling everyone what the Best Thing They Ever Ate was. This one jumped out at me and I had to recreate it. It is so easy and a new breakfast item.~BJ

Pasta Momma
recipe created by BarbaraJo

1 box of spaghetti
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese or Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. basil
2 TBS. olive oil
1 TBS butter
8 eggs
1/2 cup milk
salt and pepper
1 tsp. garlic powder

In a bowl whisk the eggs, milk, garlic, basil, cheese and salt and pepper. Boil pasta as per instructions. Drain and place in a hot skillet with butter and oil. Add the egg mixture to the pasta. Stir around until eggs are cooked and cheese is melted. Serve Hot.

Stuffed Shells

Not my picture. Picture taken from google images. 

If any of you know my husband, you know he is probably the pickiest eater in the universe (this is not a joke). For example, He will not eat any type of fruit, I can count on one hand the types of vegetables he will eat, he rarely likes/eats chicken, no salads, no peppers/pickles/olives, he hates almost every spice in the spice cabinet etc etc. I think you get the idea. So when I say a recipe is APPROVED BY JORDAN, you know it must be good and will be liked by everyone in your household. This recipe was most definitely approved by Jordan. He ate it all! We even had a few couples over last night for dinner, and they ate it all up too. I think everyone went back for seconds and thirds until it ran out. This is a great go-to-recipe when you are short on time and you need a crowd pleaser. Serve it with salad and garlic bread and you have an amazing Italian dinner. Enjoy! --Rachel

Stuffed Shells:

1 (16 ounce) package jumbo pasta shells

2 cups large curd cottage cheese

2 cups ricotta cheese

12 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 pinch garlic powder

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried parsley

1 (26 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce (I like Prego)

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

(You could add a little chopped spinach too if you want!)

Directions

1.Cook shells according to package directions (see note below). Place in cold water to stop cooking. Drain.

2.Mix together cottage cheese,ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, eggs, garlic powder, parsley, and oregano. Put mixture into a zip lock bag and snip the end of the bag.  Pipe cheese mixture into the shells.

3.Spread 1/3 of spaghetti sauce in the bottom of a 15 x 10 inch pan. Place shells open side up, and close together in pan. Spread remaining sauce over top, and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.

4.Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 35 minutes, or until bubbly.

**Note about cooking shells: Make sure you put lots of salt into your water when boiling and stir regularly, otherwise your shells will stick to each other and rip. I only cooked my shells 11 minutes, the were still a little hard, but remember they will cook in the oven.

Fruity Pasta Salad

 This is so good!!!! I was a bit skeptical because of the honey but it totally makes this salad. Great chick food...for those luncheons, or would be a great picnic side. This is another www.josiskilpack.com recipe. You've got to let me know what you think! ~ BJ

Fruity Pasta Salad

2 cups mayonnaise
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1/2 cup honey
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 to 3 chicken breasts, diced*
1 (16-ounce) package tri-colored pasta (Rotini, wacky mac, penne, etc.)
2 (15-ounce) cans mandarin oranges, drained (Shawn likes fresh mangoes, for a more tropical taste)
1/4 pound sugar snap peas, sliced diagonally
1/2 cup chopped green onions
Chow mein noodles


In a medium-sized bowl, mix the mayonnaise, minced garlic, celery seed, honey, salt, and pepper together. Cover and place in the refrigerator. Cook the chicken in a pan, then dice and place in a large bowl. While the chicken is cooking, cook the pasta, then drain and add to chicken. Add the mandarin oranges, sugar snap peas, green onions, and mayonnaise sauce to the bowl. Gently mix together until everything is covered with the sauce. Refrigerate for one hour before serving. Top with chow mein noodles.
Serves 12.

*Can use canned chicken in a pinch.

Asian Takeout Style Noodles

Whenever I go to an Asian restaurant, I always have to have a noodle dish or it just wouldn't seem right. I am obessed with this meal. I got this recipe from http://www.ourbestbites.com/. I also like to add chicken to make it more substantial. Chances are, you probably don't have Sriracha chili sauce in your pantry, but it is well worth the trip to the grocery store to get it.  Trust me. -Christine

1/2 c. chicken broth
3 Tbsp. creamy peanut butter
1 tsp. Sriracha chili sauce (It is the red bottle with the green cap in your asian food isle).
1 1/2 Tbsp. honey
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 1/2 Tbsp. fresh minced ginger
2-3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
8 oz. Udon or soba noodles (found in the Oriental/Asian food isle)
Chopped green onions
Chopped cilantro
2 limes, cut into quarters
Chopped peanuts

Cook noodles in salted water. In the meantime, combine chicken broth, peanut butter, chili sauce, honey, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk until smooth and remove from heat. Toss cooked noodles with sauce and divide among 4 bowls. Sprinkle with green onions, cilantro, chopped peanuts, and garnish each serving with 2 lime quarters. Before eating, squeeze lime juice over noodles and stir to combine.

Fabulous Homemade Pesto

I love love love pesto and love it even more when it is homemade. For those of you who prefer a less fattening version, I have supplied that one as well and they are both awesome. I like to add  steamed broccoli and cooked chicken to my dish for some extra nutrition. Add some cooked pasta to this and you have a great dish. -Christine

PESTO: Original Version                                    
1 cup fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped              
1/2 cup fresh parsley                                                
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup pine nuts                 
1/2 cup olive or canola oil                                                                                         
3 tsp minced garlic                            
salt and pepper to taste

PESTO: Lower Fat Version
1 cup fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
1/2 cup fresh parsley
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
2 Tbs. canola or olive oil
1/4 cup pine nuts
2 tsp minced garlic
salt and pepper to taste


Directions (works for both versions):  Read carefully because it this is really difficult....Add everything to your blender. Blend until smooth. Add to your pasta, chicken and veggies.

Chicken Pasta Bake

I remember the first time I had this dish. I was sitting in my mother in law's kitchen and I ate about four helpings of this stuff. I had to immediately have the recipe. Every time one of my friends has a baby, I make this for them because it appeals to most taste-buds, and  it has a great buttery topping.- Christine

10 ounces of penne pasta
2 cups sour cream
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 box of your favorite stuffing
1 pound of COOKED, cubed chicken
1/2 cup butter, melted

Boil the pasta until al dente. While it's cooking, mix the sour cream and cream of chicken soup together. Stir in the chicken. Once the pasta is cooked and drained, layer the noodles on the bottom of a 9 x 13 dish. Top with the chicken mixture. Spread. Sprinkle the stuffing (unprepared) on top and pour the melted butter over. Garnish with shredded cheese (optional). Bake at 350  for 30 min. or until warmed through.

Single Skillet Supper

I got this recipe from my friend Rachelle. I know my sisters will love it so I have to share. The number one reason I LOVE this recipe is because you only get one skillet dirty and...viola...dinner is ready! Who could ask for more?! Since I live in Mexico I have learned to improvise with numerous ingredients so I will give you the original recipe and insert where I have improvised for this dinner.- BarbaraJo

single skillet baked ziti
recipe inspired by ATK

1 quart tomatoes, with juice
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 cups water
12 ounces ziti pasta ( I used whatever pasta I had on hand)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon rosemary
1/2 teaspoon basil (1/4 cup fresh)
1/2 cup parmesan
1/2 cup cream ( I have used milk before or evaporated milk)
1 cup mozzarella cheese, grated

put tomatoes and juice in blender and pulse once, just to break them up. heat oil in a large skillet. add garlic and cook for a minute or so. add in tomatoes and juice and water. add salt, sugar and pepper. add ziti. stir well and reduce heat to medium-ish. cover and stir every few minutes, maintaining heat for a vigorous simmer, for a total cooking time of 12-15 minutes. after pasta is cooked, stir in rosemary, basil, parmesan and cream. top skillet with mozzarella and place in a preheated 475 degree oven for 10 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly and browned.

*i have successfully made this with less oil (2 tsp.) and less parmesan. if you are using the green can of parmesan cheese only use 1/4 cup, but if you have freshly grated, use 1/2 cup. if you have fresh basil, omit the rosemary. let that basil sing!