Made it up as I went along...
Shrimp and Pesto Pasta
Prepare angel hair pasta and add a generous/to taste amount of fresh pesto.
Prepare bacon, set aside.
Heat precooked shrimp in butter.
Prepare a garlic white sauce with a dash of nutmeg in it.
Layer the Plate:
Start with the pesto noodles
Top that with white sauce.
Sprinkle a portion of shrimp on top of that.
Crumble bacon on top next
Chop a small/medium amount of fresh tomato
Sprinkle fresh grated parmesan over all.
enjoy
Monday, October 29, 2007
Stuffing Baked Chicken
3 boneless chicken breasts
1 stuffing mix (I used italian)
clove of garlic
1/3 c butter
tsp lemon juice or juice from 1/2 fresh lemon (optional)
salt, pepper
preheat oven to 350°
divide stuffing mix in half - set aside 1/2 (prepare other 1/2 as directed cutting other ing. by 1/2)
spray glass pan with pam, add butter and put pan in oven til butter melts, remove pan from oven, chop garlic into butter and add lemon juice if desired, dip both sides of chicken in butter and add to pan. Add salt and pepper (you could also add other herbs here - chopped fresh chives, a sprinkle of oregano...) sprinkle the chicken with the set aside stuffing mix and then sprinkle generously(but not too much) with the good(fresh - not the powdery kind) 3 cheese parmesan/romano/asiago kraft shredded cheese blend. Bake for 40 min to 1hr or more depending on the size of chicken pieces. I have also used bone in breasts before, works great just make sure you cook the chicken long enough. Add a salad, makes a great fairly easy dinner.
Note: I usually like this crunchy - hence no added water once it's all in the pan, If I am sharing with others or not wanting it so crunchy you can add some water up to the amount appropriate for 1/2 pack of stuffing
1 stuffing mix (I used italian)
clove of garlic
1/3 c butter
tsp lemon juice or juice from 1/2 fresh lemon (optional)
salt, pepper
preheat oven to 350°
divide stuffing mix in half - set aside 1/2 (prepare other 1/2 as directed cutting other ing. by 1/2)
spray glass pan with pam, add butter and put pan in oven til butter melts, remove pan from oven, chop garlic into butter and add lemon juice if desired, dip both sides of chicken in butter and add to pan. Add salt and pepper (you could also add other herbs here - chopped fresh chives, a sprinkle of oregano...) sprinkle the chicken with the set aside stuffing mix and then sprinkle generously(but not too much) with the good(fresh - not the powdery kind) 3 cheese parmesan/romano/asiago kraft shredded cheese blend. Bake for 40 min to 1hr or more depending on the size of chicken pieces. I have also used bone in breasts before, works great just make sure you cook the chicken long enough. Add a salad, makes a great fairly easy dinner.
Note: I usually like this crunchy - hence no added water once it's all in the pan, If I am sharing with others or not wanting it so crunchy you can add some water up to the amount appropriate for 1/2 pack of stuffing
Chicken Ravioli Soup
I got this from a free walmart calendar. My version went like this: I started with a raw, frozen chicken breast in a small soup pot filled with water, cooked the chicken with a clove of chopped garlic and about 1 small sliced onion, added 1 cube of chicken bouillon, removed the chicken when cooked and pulled it into pieces and returned to the pot. Added two heaping tablespoons of vegetable dip & soup mix, brought to a boil, and added about 12 - 16 cheese ravioli's, turn down to about 3 not all the way to low to simmer til ravioli is done. Was good :)
Tilapia
This is supposedly the fish that Jesus fed the multitudes.
It's also cheap and good lol. Freezer section @ IGA has packages w/~6 filets 4 2.99...
Had it the other night and wanted to do something different ... lol with limited supplies... what? - I wanted some crunch to it somehow. In a glass pan sprayed with pam I spread mayo on each fish filet, then squeezed 1/2 lemon over all three filets. Put some salad croutons in a baggie and used the bottom of a glass to smash them into crumbs, sprinkled over the fish and baked til done. It really was good, we had couscous & sauteed onions & peppers with it. The peppers were frozen and from my mother-in-law's garden. :) mustard mixed with the mayo would have been good too...
It's also cheap and good lol. Freezer section @ IGA has packages w/~6 filets 4 2.99...
Had it the other night and wanted to do something different ... lol with limited supplies... what? - I wanted some crunch to it somehow. In a glass pan sprayed with pam I spread mayo on each fish filet, then squeezed 1/2 lemon over all three filets. Put some salad croutons in a baggie and used the bottom of a glass to smash them into crumbs, sprinkled over the fish and baked til done. It really was good, we had couscous & sauteed onions & peppers with it. The peppers were frozen and from my mother-in-law's garden. :) mustard mixed with the mayo would have been good too...
Even better Tilapia
Pan Fried Tilapia
4-6 tilapia fillets
3 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons peanut oil
4 tablespoons butter
1 lemon juiced
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
salt and pepper to taste
Season tilapia with salt and pepper. Dust portions lightly with flour.
Sauté the fish in peanut oil until they are nicely browned and cooked all the way through (about 2-3 minutes per side).
When done, remove Tilapia, drain oil, add lemon juice, butter and parsley. Whisk to blend. Pour over Tilapia and serve.
Serves 4.
Did a search for Pan Fried Tilapia and the above recipe was the first one I looked at. I used Olive Oil and didn't have parsley - served it with Fried Green Tomatoes - will post my version of that soon :) and corn sauteed in butter with green pepper, red onion & spinach. Made a great dinner.
4-6 tilapia fillets
3 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons peanut oil
4 tablespoons butter
1 lemon juiced
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
salt and pepper to taste
Season tilapia with salt and pepper. Dust portions lightly with flour.
Sauté the fish in peanut oil until they are nicely browned and cooked all the way through (about 2-3 minutes per side).
When done, remove Tilapia, drain oil, add lemon juice, butter and parsley. Whisk to blend. Pour over Tilapia and serve.
Serves 4.
Did a search for Pan Fried Tilapia and the above recipe was the first one I looked at. I used Olive Oil and didn't have parsley - served it with Fried Green Tomatoes - will post my version of that soon :) and corn sauteed in butter with green pepper, red onion & spinach. Made a great dinner.
Fried Green Tomatoes
What you need:
Cornmeal, salt, pepper, sugar, milk, green tomatoes, olive oil
heat a few tbsp of olive oil in skillet just under med high heat probably lol
slice the green tomato put some cornmeal 1/4 - 1/3 cup? lol in a bowl, pour a splash of milk in a different bowl 1/4 cup? maybe lol
dip tomato slices in milk then coat with cornmeal sprinkle with sugar salt and pepper and place in hot oil, turn when browned and remove to plate with paper towel when done
dinner suggestion: we had these last night with the pan fried tilapia from my blog post: even better tilapia, and this potato galette recipe from epicurious: Potato Galettes
Cornmeal, salt, pepper, sugar, milk, green tomatoes, olive oil
heat a few tbsp of olive oil in skillet just under med high heat probably lol
slice the green tomato put some cornmeal 1/4 - 1/3 cup? lol in a bowl, pour a splash of milk in a different bowl 1/4 cup? maybe lol
dip tomato slices in milk then coat with cornmeal sprinkle with sugar salt and pepper and place in hot oil, turn when browned and remove to plate with paper towel when done
dinner suggestion: we had these last night with the pan fried tilapia from my blog post: even better tilapia, and this potato galette recipe from epicurious: Potato Galettes
Cheese quesadilla
melt a layer of 4 cheese mexican cheese blend between two flour tortillas in the microwave on microwave safe plate for 40 sec to 1 min depending on the size of the tortilla's, cut like a pizza serve with small bowl of salsa in the middle or ranch dressing for dip.
Chicken skillet
nothing like making it all up as you go along
ingredients:
1 large boneless skinless chicken breast
1 carrot, long angled slices cut in half
1 garlic clove, chopped small
1 tbsp olive oil
2 sm to med green onions chopped
1 tbsp chopped fresh chives
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 large tbsp veg. dip & soup mix
1/2 c rice
~1 tsp cajun spice blend or whatever u prefer
1 c water
salt & pepper to taste
heat oil & garlic, med to med high - cut chicken into chunks, add to skillet, add cajun spice, salt & pepper to taste - once chicken is no longer pink add carrots, cook and stir for another minute or 2, then add the rice and the dip mix, stir well until rice is coated well, add water - bring skillet to a boil, reduce heat to low - med low - cover & cook for 20 - 25 min
stir in chopped onion, chives, & parsley before serving
ingredients:
1 large boneless skinless chicken breast
1 carrot, long angled slices cut in half
1 garlic clove, chopped small
1 tbsp olive oil
2 sm to med green onions chopped
1 tbsp chopped fresh chives
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 large tbsp veg. dip & soup mix
1/2 c rice
~1 tsp cajun spice blend or whatever u prefer
1 c water
salt & pepper to taste
heat oil & garlic, med to med high - cut chicken into chunks, add to skillet, add cajun spice, salt & pepper to taste - once chicken is no longer pink add carrots, cook and stir for another minute or 2, then add the rice and the dip mix, stir well until rice is coated well, add water - bring skillet to a boil, reduce heat to low - med low - cover & cook for 20 - 25 min
stir in chopped onion, chives, & parsley before serving
Creamy Crab Sauce
This is one of my make it up as you go along favorites from years ago....
Melt 4 Tablespoons Butter in skillet on medium heat. Chop 1 clove garlic into butter as it melts. Add enough flour (doesn't matter what kind) to absorb butter and make a paste (not too thick). Stir and continue to cook until the mixture begins to look clear. Add about ¾ cup of milk and continue to stir. Pull apart the Louis Kemp crab meat (kinda in shreds) and add to skillet. If the sauce becomes to thick add enough water to achieve the desired consistency(continue to do this if and as needed). Add about 1/3 to ½ cup of parmesan cheese into the mixture. Season with salt and pepper and a dash of nutmeg if desired.
I like it best over angel hair pasta or no yolks dumpling egg noodles, also great on a piece of toast.... Top with more parmesan cheese. Could also top with fresh chopped green onions or chives, fresh parsley, crumbled bacon, chopped tomato.... if desired.
Melt 4 Tablespoons Butter in skillet on medium heat. Chop 1 clove garlic into butter as it melts. Add enough flour (doesn't matter what kind) to absorb butter and make a paste (not too thick). Stir and continue to cook until the mixture begins to look clear. Add about ¾ cup of milk and continue to stir. Pull apart the Louis Kemp crab meat (kinda in shreds) and add to skillet. If the sauce becomes to thick add enough water to achieve the desired consistency(continue to do this if and as needed). Add about 1/3 to ½ cup of parmesan cheese into the mixture. Season with salt and pepper and a dash of nutmeg if desired.
I like it best over angel hair pasta or no yolks dumpling egg noodles, also great on a piece of toast.... Top with more parmesan cheese. Could also top with fresh chopped green onions or chives, fresh parsley, crumbled bacon, chopped tomato.... if desired.
cholesterol dieting
The doctor put me on a diet a while back to get my cholesterol level down. Really kind of simple and I didn't really follow the diet that well. But here's what I did:
limit eggs - no more than one egg yolk a week ( I make great egg-white omelets )
I only cook with olive oil and smart balance butter - the one exception to this is the occasional pot of chicken and dumplings which requires shortening to make the dumplings so I buy shortening in the smallest quantity and keep it in the fridge.
I buy smart balance peanut butter and mayo when I can find it
I quit trying to cook so much and we eat a lot of gourmet sandwiches(subway type toppings), soups, salads, baked potatoes, snack platters, etc., and try to buy more whole grain bread...
I buy only chicken or turkey sandwich meat about 95% of the time
we hardly ever have beef anymore - the occasional pot of chili or some spaghetti or whatever... but I probably decreased the amount of beef consumed in the house by 80% when I do cook meat, it is usually chicken or fish
I drink lots more water, some powerade, more milk and less soda, more tea
we still eat too much cheese and bacon, however I buy more provolone and reduced fat cheeses than before, we also eat the bacon as a condiment to a meal, crumbled on baked potatoes, salad, etc.
and this is probably the most important thing - take fish oil pills 3xday, am still trying to get good at taking all 3 every day lol. if you freeze those... there's no fishy problem...
oh yeah as a long time wic mother 95% of the cereal I buy is wic approved and I only buy 100% juice and REAL cheese.... didn't know what I was missing when I was a kid... one more side note,. this healthier eating is definitely more expensive...
so my cholesterol came down from the 240 range to the 190 range
I lost 43 lbs so far (this also decreases risk of heart attack and stroke from the severe obstructive sleep apnea factor) have to admit here that the weight loss is not entirely due to the cholesterol dieting, and that the walking to catch the school bus twice a day deserves some credit
in spite of all that hard work, my last visit to the dr. showed that my homocysteine levels were elevated which is yet another heart attack/stroke risk factor, good news is I can take a b12, a b6, & folic acid every day and it should bring that down. so now, faced with all that risk and the fact that while I was trying to limit risk from two directions, another risk factor popped up elsewhere... I realize I need to do more and am renewing my efforts to practice daily meditation, and yoga every now and then till it hurts less and for less time afterward lol then I'll step it up a little, and so on.
limit eggs - no more than one egg yolk a week ( I make great egg-white omelets )
I only cook with olive oil and smart balance butter - the one exception to this is the occasional pot of chicken and dumplings which requires shortening to make the dumplings so I buy shortening in the smallest quantity and keep it in the fridge.
I buy smart balance peanut butter and mayo when I can find it
I quit trying to cook so much and we eat a lot of gourmet sandwiches(subway type toppings), soups, salads, baked potatoes, snack platters, etc., and try to buy more whole grain bread...
I buy only chicken or turkey sandwich meat about 95% of the time
we hardly ever have beef anymore - the occasional pot of chili or some spaghetti or whatever... but I probably decreased the amount of beef consumed in the house by 80% when I do cook meat, it is usually chicken or fish
I drink lots more water, some powerade, more milk and less soda, more tea
we still eat too much cheese and bacon, however I buy more provolone and reduced fat cheeses than before, we also eat the bacon as a condiment to a meal, crumbled on baked potatoes, salad, etc.
and this is probably the most important thing - take fish oil pills 3xday, am still trying to get good at taking all 3 every day lol. if you freeze those... there's no fishy problem...
oh yeah as a long time wic mother 95% of the cereal I buy is wic approved and I only buy 100% juice and REAL cheese.... didn't know what I was missing when I was a kid... one more side note,. this healthier eating is definitely more expensive...
so my cholesterol came down from the 240 range to the 190 range
I lost 43 lbs so far (this also decreases risk of heart attack and stroke from the severe obstructive sleep apnea factor) have to admit here that the weight loss is not entirely due to the cholesterol dieting, and that the walking to catch the school bus twice a day deserves some credit
in spite of all that hard work, my last visit to the dr. showed that my homocysteine levels were elevated which is yet another heart attack/stroke risk factor, good news is I can take a b12, a b6, & folic acid every day and it should bring that down. so now, faced with all that risk and the fact that while I was trying to limit risk from two directions, another risk factor popped up elsewhere... I realize I need to do more and am renewing my efforts to practice daily meditation, and yoga every now and then till it hurts less and for less time afterward lol then I'll step it up a little, and so on.
Cherry Yum Yum
Credit for this one goes to my mother-in-law, and it's been around for about 30 years!
For crust use 1 1/2 sticks melted butter & 3 cups graham cracker crumbs. Mix crumbs and butter with a fork in the dish you've chosen for your completed cherry yum yum and mash into place evenly all over the bottom of the pan.
if using a square dish one 8 oz pack of cream cheese is probably enough, for rectangular dish you probably need two packs, let cream cheese sit out at room temp for awhile to soften.
For cream cheese mixture, mix 2 packs of dream whip according to package directions, add in the cream cheese, 3/4 cup sugar, & 1 tsp vanilla, and put on top of your crumb mixture. Top with 1 or 2 cans cherry pie filling. refridgerate.
For crust use 1 1/2 sticks melted butter & 3 cups graham cracker crumbs. Mix crumbs and butter with a fork in the dish you've chosen for your completed cherry yum yum and mash into place evenly all over the bottom of the pan.
if using a square dish one 8 oz pack of cream cheese is probably enough, for rectangular dish you probably need two packs, let cream cheese sit out at room temp for awhile to soften.
For cream cheese mixture, mix 2 packs of dream whip according to package directions, add in the cream cheese, 3/4 cup sugar, & 1 tsp vanilla, and put on top of your crumb mixture. Top with 1 or 2 cans cherry pie filling. refridgerate.
gazpacho
1 can whole peeled tomatoes
~1/2 cup chopped cucumber
~1/2 cup chopped green pepper
~1/2 cup chopped onion (purple's good)
dash of tabasco
1 tsp olive oil
salt & pepper to taste
you need a blender or a good food processor that can handle liquid save out 1/4 cup each of the cucumber, pepper, and onion for garnish, blend all the rest together. sometimes I like croutons with mine.
~1/2 cup chopped cucumber
~1/2 cup chopped green pepper
~1/2 cup chopped onion (purple's good)
dash of tabasco
1 tsp olive oil
salt & pepper to taste
you need a blender or a good food processor that can handle liquid save out 1/4 cup each of the cucumber, pepper, and onion for garnish, blend all the rest together. sometimes I like croutons with mine.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)