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

  

Chocolate SUPER Shake

 This really is a SUPER shake. It is full of antioxidants and protein. It is also a sweet but healthy treat for those late afternoon cravings or great as an after-work-out shake.~BJ


Chocolate Super Shake
original recipe by BJ

2 cups milk
2 cups spinach
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 Tbs. honey
1/4 cup flax seed
1 scoop protein powder
1 cup of ice

Throw all ingredients into the blender and blend for a few minutes or until everything is smooth.

Corn and Chile

In our community we get lots of roasted green chile. Here is just another yummy way to enjoy all that chile. It is simple and easy but will impress at those Sunday dinners.~BJ


Corn and Chile
recipe by BarbaraJo

1 can corn
1 cup roasted green peeled chile
2 TBS butter
1 cup sour cream
1/2 onion

In a saucepan melt butter. Add diced onion, corn and chile. Saute until onion is soft. Turn heat down. Stir in sour cream. Serve warm.

Curried Butternut Squash Soup

Curried Butternut Squash Soup is a great way to get rid of all the squash your neighbors keep giving you from their garden. This is great for a cool fall evening. It is very filling and has great flavor. I could have eaten the whole pot myself! ~BJ

Curried Butternut Squash Soup
recipe from Ellie Krieger 

1 TBS olive oil
1 medium onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (2 1/2 lb) butternut squash
3 large carrots, peeled and cut (about 1 cup)***
5 cups chicken broth
1 TBS curry powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 TBS honey
Sour cream or plain yogurt

Slice  butternut squash in half length-wise, scoop out the seeds and then place cut side down in a roasting pan with about 1/2 inch water. Bake at 400 degrees until flesh is tender, approximately 30-45 minutes. After slightly cooled, scoop cooked squash into a separate bowl and set aside.

Heat oil over medium heat in a 6-quart stockpot. Add onions and garlic and saute until soft but not brown, about 6-7 minutes. Add the cooked butternut squash;, chopped carrots, broth, curry powder and salt . Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer about 30 minutes until carrots are very soft. Remove from heat and stir in honey and puree with an immersion blender or in batches in a blender until smooth. Season with salt to taste.

Dollop with yogurt.

***My secret ingredient....Use one bag of baby, peeled carrots. Place in saucepan with 1/4 cup of water, 1 TBS. honey, 1 TBS butter, and a dash of cinnamon and salt. Boil then simmer until tender. Use this for your carrots in the soup and I promise you will not be disappointed! 

Dill Dip

This dip is perfect for a nice little snack on a warm summer's evening. Enjoy!
1 Cup of Sour Cream
1 Cup of Mayo
1 Tablespoon of dill weed
1 Tablespoon of Bon Appetit*
Mix ingredients together and refrigerate. This makes 2 cups of vegetable dip.
*Bon Appetit is a part of the McCormik gourmet collection. You can buy this at Macey's. Not Walmart

Asparagus Soup

We have some friends that grow asparagus and they so generously share with us. I love grilling it...wrapping it in bacon and frying it... boiling it and dipping it in melted butter. I created this great soup recipe for this wonderful vegetable. My husband, who is NOT a soup person, LOVED this soup and went back for seconds.~BJ

Asparagus Soup

recipe by BarbaraJo 

2 bundles of asparagus

1 onion

3 cups chicken broth

2 TBS lemon juice

1/2 cup cream

Chop the asparagus and onion. Boil in the broth until tender. Remove from pot and blend until smooth. Return to soup pot and add cream and lemon juice. Serve warm or cold.

Poutine

My favorite comfort food.
I don't know why I haven't introduced this one to my husband until now.

Oh-so-good!

This is a standard dish in Canada.

(my picture was not as beautiful so I got this one from the web.)

Poutine

*french fries (I made my own)

brown gravy (from a mix or from scratch)

shredded cheese or cheese curds (I prefer Mozzarella)

* For the fries. Cut up several potatos into 1/4 inch wedges. Cover in Olive Oil, garlic salt and a little chile powder. Bake at 450 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Or until golden brown.

Smoother your fries in gravy and top with cheese.

Serve warm so cheese melts. Eat with a fork!

Sweet Potato Bread

Since sweet potatoes are one of my favorite types of produce, I love putting them in bread. It makes it so moist and sweet. Eat it warm, fresh out of the oven. Recipe from allrecipes.com`~ Christine

Sweet Potato Bread

1 1/2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup oil
2 eggs
1 3/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup water
1 cup cooked and mashed sweet potatoes
1/2 cup chopped pecans
* Combine sugar and oil. Beat well. Add eggs and beat. Combine flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Stir flour mixture into egg mixture alternately with water. Stir in sweet potatoes and chopped nuts. Pour batter into greased 9x5 inch loaf pan. Bake 350 for about an hour.

Buffalo Chicken Flatbread Wrap

First off, my apologies about the picture. I was in such a hurry to eat this, I just snapped a quick shot of it. The day before I tried this recipe, I had been to Subway. I went out on a limb and ordered the new flatbread sandwich with buffalo chicken. I was floored. It was soooo good. So naturally, I had to come home and recreate it. If you love soft, chewy flatbread and the incredible taste of buffalo sauce, and crunchy cucumbers and ripe tomatoes, then this is for YOU.  Flat bread recipe from My Sister's Cucina. -Christine

Soft Wrap Bread
3 cups of flour (I use half wheat, half white)
1 1/4 c. boiling water
1/4 cup of potatoe flakes
1 1/4 tsp salt
2 Tbl. oil
1 tsp. instant yeast

1. Place 2 cups of flour into a bowl or dough mixer. Pour boiling water over flour, and stir until smooth. Cover bowl and set aside for 30 minutes.
2. In separate bow., whisk together the potatoe flakes and remaining cup of flour with salt, oil and yeast.
3. Add this to the cooled flour mixture, stir and knead for several minutes until smooth and soft. Add additional flour only if neccessary.
4. Let dough rise, covered, for 1 hour
5. Divide dough into 8 pieces. Cover, and let rise for 15-30 minutes.
6. Roll each piece into a 7-8 inch circle. Cook them separately on the stovetop over medium heat for about one minute per side, until they are flecked with brown spots. Adjust the heat if they seem to be cooking too quickly or too slowly...cooking too quickly means they might be raw in the center, while cooking them too slowly will dry them out.
7. Serve immediately, or cover with a damp cloth. To store, seal in plastic bag.

Buffalo Chicken

1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken breast
1/2 cup Frank's buffalo sauce (you can add more if you love it)
1/2 cube of cream cheese (lowfat is good too)

* Place chicken in crockpot and pour buffalo sauce ontop. Since every crockpot is so different, cook until tender (serveral hours). Stir in the cream cheese the last half hour. Shred with fork.

Assemble the flatbread by adding the shredded chicken. Garnish with sliced cucumbers, tomatoes, and purple onion. Enjoy!

Rosemary Chicken and Potatoes

Dont kill me, but I made this scrumptious dinner tonight and forgot to snap a picture (I will blame my forgetfulness on pregnancy brain) but this is so delish that you just HAVE to try it. Lots of Love! -Rachel

2 tsp. Paprika
1 1/4 tsp. Crushed Rosemary Leaves
1 tsp. McCormick Brand Minced garlic
1/2 tsp. Ground Black Pepper
1 tsp. Salt
2 TBSP Olive Oil
4-5 Medium Sized Chicken Breasts
1 1/2 LBS. Small Red Potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Mix oil, and first five ingredients in a large bowl. Add chicken and potatoes; toss and coat well with spice/oil mixture. Arrange potatoes and chicken in a single layer on foil-lined and greased 11x13 pan.

Roast in preheated oven for 30-40 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and potatoes are tender, turning potatoes occasionally.

Asparagus Ham Pie

This is a great brunch food. I had some fresh asparagus the other day, and I found this recipe from Taste of Home Cookbook by Lorraine Danz. I actually didn't do the sourcream topping, and it was still extremely good. Try for yourself!

crust:
2 eggs
1 package of spaghetti (7 ounces), cooked and drained
1/2 cup grated parmasean cheese
2 Tbl butter, melted

Filling:
1 cup of cubed fully cooked ham
1 bunch of asparagus, cut into one inch pieces
1 1/2 cup of shredded white cheese (any white kind will do)
2 eggs
1/2 cup of sour cream
1 tsp dill weed
1 tsp minced chives

In a large bowl, beat eggs, add spaghetti, parmasean cheese and butter. Mix well. Press on to the bottom and sides of a greased 10 inch pie plate. Combine ham, asparagus. Spoon onto crust. Sprinkle with cheese. Beat eggs, sour cream, dill and chives. Pour over cheese. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes or until crust is set and center is lightly browned. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Makes 6-8 servings.

Zesty Oven Baked French Fries

This recipe taste so good with some mayo mixed with ketchup (fry sauce) and it's so easy and quick!-Louisa

• 2 large potatoes, peeled and cut into thin strips
• 1 tablespoon parmesan cheese grated 
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 450°.
2. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.
3. Combine all dry ingredients and combine with potatoes, tossing to coat.
4. Drizzle with oil, tossing again to coat.
5. Arrange potatoes in a single layer on baking sheet and bake for 35 minutes or until golden brown.

Cheesy Broccoli

Every Sunday dinner we have the traditional roast beef, mashed potatoes and gravy. The only thing that seem to change every week is the vegetable. This cheesy broccoli is super simple and delish!-BJ

Cheesy Broccoli

2 cups cream
2 cups cheese (any kind will work)
Salt and Pepper (to taste)

Simmer the ingredients on the stove until melted. Pour over freshly steamed broccoli.