Fettuccine with Spinach Pesto

the goods:

12 oz. fettuccine noodles

Course salt and ground pepper

1 (10 oz) pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed

1/3 c. grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

2 T. pine nuts, plus more for serving

1 garlic clove

1 tsp. grated zest, plus 2 T. juice from 1 lemon

1/4 c. EVOO

1. Cook pasta in pot of boiling salted water until al dente, according to package directions. Reserve 1/2 c. pasta water; immediately drain pasta and then return to the pot.
2. While pasta is cooking, place spinach, Parmesan, nuts, garlic and lemon zest and juice in a food processor. Process until a paste forms. While the processor is running, add oil and 1/4 c. cold water; process until smooth and creamy. Season with salt and pepper. Add to pasta; toss. Adding reserved pasta water a little at a time until sauce is thinned slightly and coats fettuccine (you may not need all the water).
3. Serve. Sprinkle with additional Parmesan and pine nuts, if desired.
   

   photo, compliments of martha stewart

Vegetarian Burrito Bar

the goods:

1 c. brown rice

1 3/4 c. chicken broth or vegetable broth

1 (15 oz) can refried beans

flour tortillas

sour cream

shredded cheddar cheese

romaine lettuce, shredded

salsa

guacamole

In a small pot, bring rice and broth to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and cook for 30 minutes (if white rice reduce cooking time to 15 minutes). Remove pan from heat and let it stand, covered, for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in another saucepan, warm beans and 1/4 c. water over low heat, stirring occasionally.

Wrap tortillas in foil and place in the oven at 350 degrees to warm them, about 8-10 minutes.

Let everyone build their own burrito and chow down!

Chicken and Asparagus Stir-Fry

This is one of our favorite meals. Chad and I Chinese food. So I'm always looking for new things to make to help our cravings so we're not eating out all the time. This recipe is not only yummy, but extremely easy!

the goods:

2 T. cornstarch

1/4 c. cooking wine (optional)

1/4 c. vinegar

1 T. oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp. dried ginger

2 chicken breasts, sliced

1/4 c. green onions

6 1/2 oz. fresh asparagus (i usually put the amount that we like as a family in)

2 T. soy sauce

1/4 c. water

1/3 c. slivered almonds

brown rice

1. Heat pan or wok over high heat, add oil and swirl to coat.


2. "Velvet" chicken. Add cornstarch, cooking wine, and 1/4 c. vinegar in a bowl. Mix. Add sliced chicken and coat with mixture.


3. Meanwhile, add garlic, ginger, and chicken. Stir-fry for 1-2 minutes, or until the chicken changes color.

4. Add green onions and asparagus and stir fry for a further 2 minutes or until onion is soft.
5. Stir in soy sauce and 1/4 c. water. Cover and simmer until chicken is tender and veggies are tender crisp. Sprinkle with almonds.

Serve over brown rice or noodles.

Cheeseburger Chili Mac and Cheese

Like I said earlier, my camera is not working properly right now and is making it difficult to take pictures of the meals we've been eating lately. This recipe I got from Rachael!
My kids LOVED THIS! I was a little sceptical at first, but they asked to have it for lunch the next day! I'd say that's a success!

the goods:

2 T. EVOO

1 1/2 lbs. lean ground sirloin

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 T. chili powder

salt and ground black pepper

1/2 c. ketchup

1/4 c. yellow mustard

1-2 c. beef stock (depending on how liquid-y you want it)

1 lb. whole wheat elbow macaroni

1 1/2 c. shredded sharp yellow cheddar (sharper the better!)

1. Preheat broiler. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat for the pasta.
2. Place a medium pot over medium-high heat with 2 turns of teh pan of EVOO, about 2 T. Add the meat to the pan and cook until golden brown, 5-6 minutes.
3. Add the onion and chili powder to the pan, season with salt and pepper, and cook until the onion is tender, 4-5 minutes. Add the ketchup, mustard and beef stock to the pot, bring up to a bubble and simmer until sightly thickened, 4-5 minutes.
4. While the chili is working, salt the boiling water and drop the pasta in. Cook to al dente according to package directions. Then drain thoroughly and return it to the pot.
5. Add chili to the pot with the pasta and give everything a good toss. Transfer to a casserole dish and top with the shredded cheese. Place the casserole under teh broiler to melt and brown the cheese. Serve with a simple salad alongside.

Vegetarian Chili

the goods:

1 T. olive oil
1 small onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 carrots, thinly sliced
1 T. chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
2 cans (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
1 (10 oz) package frozen corn kernels, thawed
1-2 c. water

toppings:
avocado, sour cream, cheese tortilla chips, scallions

1. In a 5-quart heavy soup pot, heat oil over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions begin to softened, about 4 minutes.
2. Add carrots, chili powder and cumin. Cook, stirring occasionally (be careful not to let the spices burn onto the bottom of the pan), until carrots are crisp-tender, about 6-8 minutes. Add beans, tomatoes, corn, and 1 to 2 cups of water. Simmer until slightly thickened.

Serve with desired toppings.

Linguini with Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto and Feta Cheese

the goods:

1 (9 oz) pkg. linguine
3/4 c. oil-packed sun-dried tomato halves, drained
1/4 c. loosely packed fresh basil leaves
2 T. slivered almonds
2 T. pre-shredded fresh Parmesan cheese
1 T. bottled minced garlic
1/2 tsp. salt1/4 tsp. pepper1/2 c. (2 oz) crumbled Feta cheese

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt. Drain through, reserving 1 c. cooking liquid. Return pasta to pan.
2. While pasta cooks, place tomatoes and next 6 ingredients (through black pepper), in a food processor; process until finely chopped.
3. Combine tomato mixture and the reserved 1 c. cooking liquid, stirring with a whisk. Add to pasta; toss well to coat.
4. Sprinkle with Feta.

This is another one of Melessa's recipe's. It is delicious and super dooper easy! We all really enjoy this one. It's definitely one of those meals you can throw together really quick, when you don't have a whole lot of time.

Chicken with Artichokes & Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto

the goods:

4 chicken breasts
salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbls. olive oil
1 1/2-2 cans petite diced tomatoes
1 can rotel tomatoes
1/2-3/4 c. sun-dried tomato pesto (you can buy it at Target)
1 can artichokes, drained and chopped
Brown Rice

1. Take thawed chicken and dice it it up. In a skillet, over medium-high heat, warm olive oil. Add diced chicken and season with salt and pepper. Cook until chicken is browned and cooked through.
2. Remove from skillet and set aside.
3. Now add tomatoes to skillet. Warm for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add pesto and artichokes and cook for 5 minutes. Return chicken to pan and cook all together for 5-10 minutes. Serve over brown rice.

My dear friend Melissa served this to us when we first moved to Kansas. It was really good. I sort of made some changes to it, but it is really good. We have this alot! If you don't like spicy food, then I wouldn't add the Rotel tomatoes. =) You can also serve this meal with couscous and have the chicken as a side, if you don't dice up the chicken.

Brown Rice and Black Bean Burritos with Jicama Salad

the goods:

2 cups chicken stock or water
1 cup brown rice
Salt and ground black pepper
3 Tbls. EVOO - Extra Virgin Olive Oil, divided
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
1 jalapeño, chopped
1 tsp. cumin
1 (15 oz.) can fire-roasted tomatoes, diced
2 (14 oz.) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
4 large, whole wheat tortillas
1 cup of smoked white cheddar
1/2 head iceberg lettuce, chopped
4 small tomatoes, seeded and diced
2 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
1/2 bunch (about a handful) of cilantro leaves removed from stems

1. Place a medium pot over medium-high heat with the stock or water and brown rice. Season with salt and pepper, and bring up to a bubble. Cover the pan, reduce the heat to low and simmer until the rice has absorbed all the liquid, about 25 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork.


2. While rice is cooking, place another pot over medium heat with 1 turn of the pan of EVOO, onion, garlic, jalapeño, salt and ground black pepper. Cook until tender, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in cumin and cook about 1 minute then add tomatoes and beans, and heat through, about 2 minutes. Keep warm until the rice is ready.


3. Just before the rice and beans are ready, place a dry skillet over medium heat. Warm the tortillas in the pan until hot and lightly blistered. Transfer finished tortillas to a plate and cover them in a clean kitchen towel to keep them warm.


4. When everything is ready, lay down the tortillas and divide the cheese evenly between them. Divide the rice and beans between the tortillas as well as the lettuce, tomatoes, scallions and cilantro. Roll up each burrito.

Salad goods:

1 Tbls. honey
Juice of 1 lime
A few dashes hot sauce
1 jicama, peeled and cut into matchsticks
1 red onion, sliced
2 carrots, peeled and cut into matchsticks

1. For the salad, whisk together honey, lime juice, hot sauce, salt and ground black pepper and remaining 2 tablespoons EVOO. Toss with jicama, red onion, and carrots. Serve on the side with a burrito.

Ham and Cheese Pasta with Chopped Walnuts

This pasta meal might seem odd, but it is really good. I know I say that about all of them, but it really is great! And using the fresh parsley makes a HUGE difference! And having a food processor to chop the walnuts and parsley up, really helps. The girls also picked out these miniature bowtie noodles. It was fun to eat and the girls could actually fit the whole noodle in their mouth. They thought it was fun. This meal is fast, easy, and tasty. What more could you ask for?!

the goods:

1 pound bow tie pasta
Salt
1/2 cup walnuts, finely chopped
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
10 slices Canadian bacon or breakfast ham, cut into thin strips
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Juice of 1 lemon
3/4 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves (3 generous handfuls), chopped
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano, plus some to pass at the table

1. Bring a large pot of water up to a boil over high heat to cook the pasta. Once the water boils, salt it and cook the pasta to al dente. Right before draining the pasta, remove and reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water. Place a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the chopped walnuts and toast them, stirring every now and then, until they are golden and smell toasty -- a couple of minutes. Remove nuts from the skillet and reserve.

2. Once the pasta is close to being done, return the same skillet you cooked the walnuts in to the stove top over medium-high heat with 3 turns of the pan of EVOO, about 3 tablespoons. Once the EVOO is hot, add ham and cook for 2-3 minutes or until it starts to lightly brown.

3. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, cook it for another minute. Add the reserved pasta cooking liquid and cook until liquid has reduced by half. Add the pasta, toasted walnuts, lemon juice and parsley, toss it to coat the noodles and continue to cook until the pasta has soaked up almost all of the liquid. Turn heat off, add the butter and grated cheese, and toss until the butter has melted. Serve with extra Parmigiano at the table.

Twist-A-Roni's and Spring Salad

My girls think this is a fun way to eat pizza. Chad and I really enjoy them as well. They're easy and fun to make and eat. It's a fun way to put a new "twist" on pizza. Try 'em!

the goods:

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, finely chopped
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 15-ounce can fire-roasted crushed tomatoes
Salt and pepper
1 tube ready-made pizza dough,

Pillsbury
24 slices pepperoni
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Unflavored cooking spray

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• For the dipping sauce, heat a small saucepot over medium-high heat with 1 turn of the pan of EVOO, about 1 tablespoon. Add the onions, pepper and crushed red pepper flakes, and cook; stirring every now and then until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the fire-roasted tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Bring up to a bubble and simmer the sauce for about 10 minutes.
• Once you have the sauce going, unravel the pizza dough onto a lightly floured surface and stretch to make an even rectangle. In an even layer, on half of the rectangle, place the pepperoni down leaving a 1-inch border and sprinkle with the mozzarella cheese.
  
• Fold over the other half of the dough and press down gently on the edges to close the halves together. With a rolling pin or your hands, gently roll over or pat down the folded dough.
• Use a knife or a pizza cutter to cut 8 to 10 thin, strips about 1-inch thick.
• Holding each end of the strip, twist it a few times and transfer to a baking sheet. Spray the entire tray, including the twist-a-ronis, with cooking spray and pop in the oven until golden brown in color, about 10-15 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve with the dipping sauce alongside.

The salad is easy:

lettuce, cherry tomaotes (sliced), fresh chopped parsley, thinly sliced onions, EVOO salt and pepper. Mix around in a bowl and serve. Very light and good.

Hot Taco Rice

the goods:

1 lb. lean ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 1/2 c. salsa
1 chicken boullion cube
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
Tortilla chips
Rice
Cheddar cheese
Tomatoes
Sliced black olives
Lite sour cream

Start preparing rice as directed on package.

In pan start cooking hamburger. Add onions when hamburger is just about done cooking. Cook until onions are translucent.

Add salsa, tomato sauce, and boullion. Bring to a full boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

When beef mixture is finished, layer in individual bowls the following:
tortilla chips, rice, beef salsa mixture, tomatoes, black olives, and sour cream

Hot Ham and Cheese Sandwiches with Broccoli Salad

This sandwich recipe was given to me by Melessa as well. It is so easy and good that it's hard not to make it. Plus I usually have everything on hand. They are really good and SUPER easy.

the goods:

Shaved ham

Swiss, provolone, or white cheddar cheese

Hoagie buns

1/4 butter, softened

2 T. Dijon mustard

1 tsp. poppy seeds

1 tsp. dill

In a small bowl, combine the butter, Dijon, poppy seeds and dill. Stir until very well mixed. Then spread a small amount of the butter mixture on both sides of the hoagie bun. Then add your cheese and your ham to your liking.

Wrap each hoagie in foil.

Bake @ 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

For the Broccoli Salad:

1 head of fresh broccoli, chopped

1 can mandarin oranges, drained

1/4 c. red onion, chopped

8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled (I used turkey bacon)

2 c. mozzerella cheese, shredded

1/2 c. sunflower seeds

Craisins, optional

Dressing:

1 c. mayo

3 T. apple cider vinegar

1/2 c. sugar

Mix together dressing and pour over salad right before serving.

**This salad is nice because you can add things to how you like them. Chad was out of town the night I fixed this meal, so the salad I made wasn't as big and I didn't even need to use all the dressing because it made to much for just me to eat. So just eye it and see what you like and dislike. But it is REALLY good.

Taco Salad

I know that this one is self explanatory, but the whole idea of this blog was to give us more meal ideas to fix for our families, right? So here is another idea. I LOVE mexican food! LOVE, LOVE, LOVE IT!! I actually think I'm 1/2 mexican....seriously, I could live off of it. One of our favorite (and easy) things to eat is taco salad. I know everyone does something different but this is ours.

the goods:

1 lb. hamburger

1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained

Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning (you can buy in the spice section at most grocery stores)

Cook hamburger over the stove. Add kidney beans. Cook until beans are warmed through. Season with salt and pepper and Tony Chachere's.

Layer the following:

Handful of doritos, slightly crushed

Shredded lettuce

Cooked hamburger and bean mixture

Shredded cheddar cheese

Tomatoes, diced

Onions, chopped

Avocado, chopped

Ranch dressing

Salsa

Sour cream

Enjoy!

Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes

the goods:

1 pound LEAN ground sirloin
1 medium-sized onion, chopped
1/4 cup steak sauce
1 cup beef stock
Salt and ground black pepper
4 dinner rolls

1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
3/4-1 cup milk
1 cup provolone, shredded

For the salad:
1/2 pound salami, chopped
1/4 pound provolone cheese, chopped
1 small jar pepperoncini (I don't really love these)
1 head Bibb lettuce
1 bunch arugula
2 tablespoons EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

In large skillet over medium-high heat add LEAN ground sirloin and brown, about 5-6 minutes. Add the onion and cook another 3-4 minutes, until the onions start to get tender. Stir in the steak sauce and beef stock, season with salt and pepper, bring up to a bubble and cook about 2 minutes.

Split open rolls and toast under broiler, keep your eye on them so they don't burn!

While the meat is cooking, melt the butter in a medium-size skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in the flour and cook about 1 minute. Whisk in milk, bring up to a bubble and let thicken, about 2 minutes. Turn off heat and stir the cheese in a figure-eight motion until it is all incorporated.

In a salad bowl, toss the salami, cheese, pepperoncini, Bibb lettuce and arugula with the EVOO and red wine vinegar. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

To serve, place a scoopful of the meat mixture onto the bottom of the rolls, then top with the cheese sauce and replace the top of the roll. Serve the salad alongside.

Margot Chicken & Asparagus

the goods:

1 c. Apricot preserves (I used the sugar free kind)

8 oz. Russian dressing--Wishing Bone brand

1 envelope Lipton Onion Soup mix

3-4 chicken breasts, cubed

Mix together first 3 ingredients.

Cut up chicken and place in a 9x13 baking dish. Pour mixture over chicken and mix until chicken is coated. Cover dish with foil.

Bake @ 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes.

Serve over egg noodles or rice.

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

My girls call this "Mimi's soup". We went down to visit last year and my mom fixed this for everyone. It's delicious and my girls loved it. Now they always say that they want "Mimi's soup."

the goods:

1/2 c. onion, chopped

1/2 c. celery, chopped

1/2 c. carrots, chopped

1/4 c. butter or margarine

1/4 c. flour
4 c. chicken broth

1 c. heavy whipping cream

1 pkg. Uncle Ben's 90 second Long Grain & Wild Rice, cooked (follow instructions on packet)

2 c. cooked chicken, shredded

Chop veggies. (I use my food processor!)

Put butter in soup pot and melt. Add veggies and cook until tender.

Add flour and mix. Add chicken broth. Cook until it begins to thicken.

Add cream, cooked rice, and chicken.

Heat through and serve.

**I make this soup whenever I need to bring dinner to families for whatever reasons. It's so fast and easy AND I always get comliments on it as well.

Turkey Sausage Pasta

the goods:

Whole wheat angel hair pasta--cooked
1 lb. turkey sausage, sliced 1/2" (could use regular sausage if you want)
3 garlic cloves, minced
5 tsp. fresh basil
1 T. EVOO
1 c. julienned seeded tomatoes
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper

Saute' sausage, garlic and basil in oil.

Drain pasta and add sausage mix to the pasta.

Add tomatoes and salt and pepper. Serve.

Melessa told me about this recipe and I was really excited try it! This is an EXTREMLY easy meal to make. Very quick and very light. I thought I had whole wheat pasta in my pantry, but ended up using regular. It would be even healthier with the whole wheat pasta. And the best part was is that all 3 of my kiddos scarfed it down!! Yay!

Mediterranean Chicken

the goods:

1 (5.6-ounce) package Near East pine nut couscous mix

3 cups chopped cooked chicken (about 1 rotisserie chicken)

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

1 (4-ounce) package crumbled feta cheese

1 pint grape tomatoes, quartered

1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon grated lemon rind

1/4 teaspoon pepper

**If you have a family of 4-5, and not making anything else for dinner, then you might want to double this recipe.
-Prepare couscous according to package directions.
-While couscous is cooking, prepare and chop other ingredients.
-Fluff couscous with a fork; stir in chicken and next 6 ingredients. Serve.

***This meal is REALLY GOOD!! Thank you Melessa for the recipe. We enjoyed it alot.

I didn't use all the tomatoes or the whole 4 oz. of feta cheese. I also used a rotisserie chicken, but not the WHOLE chicken. Basically I just eyed everything to see what looked good and what I think my family would eat.

Veggie Burritos

the goods:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 package (10 oz.) frozen corn, thawed

2 cans (15 oz. each) black beans, rinsed and drained

1 package (10 oz.) frozen leaf spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

flour tortillas (10-inch), could also use whole wheat tortillas

8 ounces pepper jack cheese, shredded

salsa

lite sour cream, for serving

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium. Add onion, garlic, and cumin; cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Add corn, beans, and spinach. Cook until warmed through, 4 to 6 minutes; season with salt and pepper, and set aside.


Stack tortillas, and wrap in a double layer of damp paper towels; microwave until hot, about 2 minutes. Place tortillas on a work surface. Spread cheese, then filling, then salsa in a line down the center of each tortilla.

Fold bottom of tortilla up, then each side to tightly roll burrito. Serve with sour cream.

***I was actually a little nervous to try this without any meat. AND I didn't think my girls would eat it either (because of the green). But we made them try the burritos and they both LOVED them! They were really good.