Rigatoni with Sausage

I know, I know...I've been beyond MIA! In my defense, I forgot my sign in information :)

Here's a household favorite that I tweaked from the original recipe that had 85 grams of fat PER serving - ACK!

2 tablespoons EVOO
1 small onion (or half of a large one), chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
5 links of Italian Turkey sausage (flavor is up to you, we use hot) - cut into small chunks
1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms (canned works too if you're in a hurry)
1/2 cup white wine (I use pinot grigio - feel free to sneak a glass while you're cooking haha)
1 cup half and half
2 eggs
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 package of rigatoni cooked al dente

Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Add the onion and garlic, stir over low heat until onion is tender. Add in the mushrooms and sausage and cook until the sausage is done. Stir in wine and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the liquid is reduced by half.

In a separate bowl whisk together the 1/2 and 1/2, eggs and half of the parmesan, the parsley and salt and pepper to taste. Add to the cooked rigatoni with the sausage mixture and toss. Serve with remaining parmesan cheese.

As MJ says it's deeeeeelicious

Mushroom Pork

I'm typically not a fan of pork. Actually, I tend to avoid buying it altogether unless it's a smoked ham. Something about the thought of it just grosses me out. I've had it prepared fabulously before, and loved it. I've had good recipes for it given to me, and enjoyed them. But in general, at the grocery store I tend to avoid picking any up.

The other day though they were on that same sale I mentioned in my last post. So I bought some. Then I realized that I had nothing that I would normally make with it. Nor did I have the time to spend frying it. So I threw something together, put it in the crockpot, and called it good. The family raved over it. And I even bought a package of pork blade steak this last time I was there to do it again. Here's what I came up with:

1 package of pork chops/loins/blade steaks(I think there were 4 in there)
2 cans of cream of mushroom
a handful of fresh mushrooms (optional of course)
1/4 medium sized onion chopped VERY small
a couple garlic cloves, pressed
salt
pepper

I literally dumped it in the cp. It was done on high in about 3 hours. (Stir it half way through if you want -- just to make sure everything is evenly coated.) I served it w/ mashed potatoes and green beans.


Again, the family adored it. So finally, a plus one for pork. :)

Tilapia with White Wine and Tomatoes

In recent days I have found myself in a constant search for good deals on great food. I desperately want to serve my family amazing meals but with grocery prices rising and my budget not growing, I've found myself having to learn to be creative with not only my grocery list but also when searching for good deals on food.

I typically avoid one of our local grocery store . They overprice their foods and then sell it at regular price a "discounted" price if you have the pleasure of holding one of their cards (which you nearly have to beg the cashiers to offer to you). Their customer service is terrible. And their vegetables are typically no where near being ripe or else are nearly spoiled.

However, in my new search for creative ways to inexpensively feed my family, I started looking at their ads again. They frequently run buy-one-get-ones on their meat. Now, they start out overpriced, so the deal isn't truly as great as it sounds ... but it's still a deal!

My favorite item that runs in this deal is the packages of tilapia. Certainly not as good as fresh, but when I can get 8 filets of tilapia for $7, I'll take it!


The last time I did this I went on a search for a good recipe. I remembered a friend of mine listing a tilapia with a garlic butter sauce on her Monday Menu Plan and she graciously linked me up. However, I was quickly reminded by one of my guests that their children wouldn't eat a food that had a strong garlic flavor. So I flipped gears and went searching. This is what I found:

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Easy-Tilapia-with-Wine-and-Tomatoes/Detail.aspx

• 4 (4 ounce) fillets tilapia
• salt and pepper to taste
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 3 cloves garlic, pressed
• 4 fresh basil leaves, chopped
• 1 large tomato, chopped
• 1 cup white wine

1. Preheat a grill for medium-high heat.
2. Place the tilapia fillets side by side on a large piece of aluminum foil. Season each one with salt and pepper. Place one tablespoon of butter on top of each piece of fish, and sprinkle garlic, basil and tomato. Pour the wine over everything. Fold foil up around fish, and seal into a packet. Place packet on a cookie sheet for ease in transportation to and from the grill.
3. Place foil packet on the preheated grill, and cook for 15 minutes, or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Open the packet carefully so as not to get burned from the steam, and serve.

I did it slightly differently, though, and would like to share my changes. First, after I had placed the tilapia on the foil and sprinkled it w/ the salt and pepper, I drizzled it with olive oil instead of butter. Then I took dried basil and sprinkled that on top in lieu of the fresh basil (just didn't have it around). Next came the garlic. I also didn't have any fresh tomatoes on hand so I went to grab (and drain) a can of diced tomatoes. However, upon inspecting my cabinets I realized that MY diced tomatoes came in only two different varieties (versus also having regular diced tomatoes): diced tomatoes with green chiles and onions, and diced tomatoes with basil and oregano. Of those two, the obvious choice was the can with basil and oregano. I poured the tomatoes over the fish. Then finally added the cup of wine and sealed the foil packet. Chris grilled it for us.


It was AMAZING. I loved it. The kids loved it. The husband (who is not a fish lover) loved it.

Spices that should always be available if I come to visit....

I'm currently visiting my mother-in-law's house and have done most of the cooking since I arrived. I'm not complaining about cooking, because we all know I love to. But I would like to tease her a moment for her very lacking spice cabinet! (And since she reads this blog, I don't mind teasing her about it. ;) Love you Becky!) When we first arrived we had to run to the store to buy some things that are considered staples in my home, such as cream cheese and cream of mushroom. But as my time is drawing to a close, I realize that she needs to have a general list of spices and other "things" that should be available anytime I'm here and cooking.

Now, I realize, Becky, that many of these you already have, but I wanted you to have a general list to double check. ;)

Sea Salt
Ground Pepper
Fresh Garlic
Garlic Powder
Onions
Onion Powder (for those dishes Chris insists I cook w/o onions but I know need the onion flavor ;) )
BASIL
Parsley
Oregano
Italian Seasoning
Fennel Seeds
Cayenne
Chili Powder (not the Mexican blend)
Cumin
Lemon Pepper
Thyme
Olive Oil
Red Pepper Flakes
Paprika
Ginger
Nutmeg
Cinnamon
Vanilla Extract
Soy Sauce
Balsamic Vinegar
White Vinegar
Honey
Active Dry Yeast
Cajun Seasoning (But, Becky, you only need one thing of this. You have like 5 in your cabinet. ;) )

Ok, so that's all I'm able to think of off the top of my head. So everyone else share in the comments. What should she ALWAYS have in her spice cabinet -- especially when I come to visit?

Chicken and Blackbean Soup

I saw a crock pot recipe for a chicken, salsa and blackbean soup and decided that that was what I was going to have for dinner tonight. But I wanted to use my leftover rotisserie chicken and I didn't want to use the crockpot. So after unsuccessfully trying to find a recipe I wanted to use here's what I came up with. The ingredient list is kinda long...but if you have a well stocked pantry you should have most everything on hand.

2 cups diced cooked chicken (I just tore the chicken into smallish pieces)
2 cans chicken broth
1 can of water
1.5 tbs cumin
1 tbs chili powder
1 tsp mexican oregano (optional)
2 cans black beans rinsed
1 can corn
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
4 cloves garlic minced
1 tbs olive oil
1 tbs hot sauce (optional)
2 cups salsa (I used Old El Paso)
optional add-ins:
cooked brown rice
sour cream
shredded cheddar
chopped green onions

In a large pot saute the garlic in the olive oil for about 3 minutes. Add the chicken broth plus fill one can with water and add to the pot. Add the black beans. Using a potato masher mash the black beans to your preferred consistency (I also added 1 extra can of black beans I had run through the blender to make the soup thicker). Add all other ingredients except the add-ins. Bring to a boil then turn down the heat and let simmer for 30-45 mins. Put rice on the bottom of your bowl then spoon in the soup and top with sour cream, cheese, and onions. Enjoy!

NOTE- I made two seperate pots of this. Once I added everything but the meat I set aside a small pot for the Vegetarian. Instead of adding chicken I added 2 veggie bugers that I had cut up. In retrospect I would have just added one to such a small pot. Though honestly, it really didn't need anything extra since I had already added that extra can of beans. We all loved it. And the Veggie's friend ate 2 bowls...which is a big deal, this boy eats like a bird. My toddler loved it, and it didn't take near as long to have her finish her dinner than the usual days. This is definately something we'll make again.

Chicken Curry Soup

I made this last night for the sick vegetarian staying with us. Her friend...who's a boy (but don't say boyfriend)...took her to the ER yesterday b/c she had a high fever and was feeling awful. Knowing they'd be there for quite a while and would be hungry when they came back I made this soup for her. It's pretty good. I liked it. I didn't add chicken but I would next time I make it for the rest of us.

1 cup thinly sliced chicken breast (this is easier to do if the meat is a slightly frozen)
2 tbs olive oil
2 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
2 cups water
1 chicken or veggie bullion cube
2.5-3 tbs curry powder
1/2 tbs parsley
4 cloves smashed garlic
1 clove smashed and minced garlic
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 butternut squash diced into larger pieces
1 med sweet potato diced
1 large diced carrot
1 small onion, diced
1 stalk celery diced

saute the chicken on med-high heat with salt and pepper and 1 clove of minced garlic until no longer pink. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Let simmer for 30 mins or until veggies are soft.

NOTE-My vegetarian doesn't mind chicken stock but to make this truly vegetarian stick with vegetable stock. You can also substitute the chicken for Quorn chik'n tenders or tofu. This soup isn't spicy but it has a lot of flavor and is perfect for what ails ya.

Borderland Chicken

Have you ever had those days when you realize you're running low on groceries but you still have to figure something out for dinner? That was me yesterday. I realized the only meats I had were frozen and if I were going to make something it would have to be in the crockpot (I hate waiting for meat to defrost). So I threw a bunch of things together and came up with a very yummy and flavorful recipe.

6-8 boneless chicken thighs (I used frozen boneless and skinless)
2 sliced bell pepper (red or green or both)
1/2 med onion sliced
2 tbs chili powder
1 tbs cumin
1 tsp pepper flakes
1 packet of McCormick fajita seasoning
1/4 cup white wine (optional)
1 can chicken broth

Mix wine, broth, and seasonings into the bottom of the crock pot. Add chicken pieces and flip so both sides are coated. Add onions and bell pepper. I cooked this on high for 4 hrs and it was on warm for another hour and it was perfect. The meat was tender but didn't fall to pieces. I did turn the pieces over half way into cooking. I served this over spanish rice and topped with extra juices to make it spicier for my husband and I.

NOTES-It wasn't too spicy for my 2 year old and she loved it. I didn't have any onions or bell peppers and made this without them but if I had them this is how my recipe would have went. And I'd probably add garlic if I had it...but I didn't add that into the recipe since the flavors were great even without garlic.