Spinach and Parmesan Orzo Pasta

This was absolutely delicious. I made it as a side to go with our grilled steaks. It was so tasty.

Ingredients
4 tbsp butter, divided
1 c uncooked orzo pasta
14 oz water
2 tsp chicken bouillon
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 bag baby spinach
1/2 c Parmesan cheese
Salt & pepper , to taste

Directions
Melt 2 tbsp butter in a medium skillet over medium high heat.  Add the orzo & stir until lightly browned. Add the water & chicken bouillon. Bring to a boil. Cover. Reduce heat & simmer for about 15 minutes or until the orzo is tender & liquid is absorbed. While the orzo is cooking, prepare the spinach. In a large skillet melt 2 tbsp of butter. Add the garlic & sauté for about 1 minute. Add the spinach & a pinch of salt. Sauté until the spinach is wilted. Remove from heat. When the orzo is done, add the spinach & Parmesan cheese. Add salt & pepper to taste.


Recipe courtesy Life Tastes Good via Pinterest s

Cilantro Thai Chicken

You must try this chicken - it was amazing. I love when a few ingredients give a BIG taste.

Ingredients
2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1/2 c chopped cilantro
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Directions
Place the first 4 ingredients in a food processor. Process until smooth. Pour marinade over chicken breasts & refrigerate for a minimum of 15 minutes (I let mine marinate for over an hour). Grill chicken until juices run clear.

Recipe adapted from Pinterest Artsy Foodie

Baked Chicken with Herb Stuffing

These stuffed chicken breasts were a big hit with the family. The herb stuffing gave big taste to the chicken.

Ingredients
5 tsp butter, divided
1/2 c finely chopped onion
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 c bread crumbs
1 tbsp fresh parsley
1/4 tsp salt, divided
1/8 tsp dried marjoram
1/8 tsp dried thyme
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 tsp lemon juice
Black pepper

Directions
In a small skillet, heat 2 tsp butter. Add onion & garlic. Cook & stir until tender. Stir in bread crumbs, parsley, 1/8 tsp salt, marjoram & thyme. Remove from heat. Cut a pocket in the thickest part of each chicken breast. Fill with bread crumb mixture; secure with toothpicks. Sprinkle chicken with remaining salt. Place chicken breasts into a baking dish. In microwave melt remaining butter . Stir in lemon juice. Pour lemon butter mixture over chicken. Sprinkle with black pepper. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until juices run clear.

Italian Sausage & Veggie Pockets

I saw something in a magazine that inspired me to create this. My husband & I love Italian sausage, but my kids don't typically eat it. Well, this dinner changed all that.  They loved this tasty version. The sausage was cooked perfectly & the veggies were full of flavor. This creation is a keeper.

Ingredients
2 sweet peppers, chopped
1 medium sweet onion, chopped
2 tbsp minced garlic
3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1/8 c olive oil
1/8 c apple cider vinegar
Italian seasonings
Salt
Pepper
5-6 Italian sausage links, sliced
1 bag frozen seasoned potato wedges

Directions
In a large bowl, toss the first 9 ingredients. Coat 5-6 large sheets of heavy duty foil with cooking spay. If you don't have the heavy duty foil, just make 2 layers of regular foil. Divide the sausage, potato wedges & the veggie mixture evenly on the foil sheets. Now seal the foil packs tightly.
Grill for 20-25 minutes or until sausage is done. Let rest 2-3 minutes before serving. Carefully open the packs & serve.

BBQ Burgers & Veggies

Ingredients
1 1/2 lb ground chuck
1 envelope onion soup mix
1 1/4 c barbecue sauce, divided
1 1/2 c sliced zucchini
1 1/2 c sliced yellow squash
1 1/2 c sliced carrots (or baby carrots)
2 tbsp. minced garlic
1/4 c Italian dressing
3 ears corn, halved

Directions
In bowl, mix beef, soup mix & 3/4 cup barbecue sauce. Shape into 6 patties. In a separate bowl, toss the next 5 ingredients. Coat 6 sheets of heavy duty foil (I use 3 layers of regular foil) with cooking spray. Add patties, top with remaining barbecue sauce. Add corn & veggies. Fold foil to enclose, double sealing seams. Grill 15-20 minutes, or until patties are done. Let sit 2-3 minutes. Carefully open & serve. I served ours right out of the tin foil pack. Easy clean-up!

 

 

 

Recipe courtesy First For Women 

Baked Garlic Brown Sugar Chicken

Ingredients
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp olive oil

Directions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Lightly grease a casserole dish. In a small pan, saute garlic with olive oil until tender. Remove from heat and stir in brown sugar. Place chicken breasts in the casserole dish. Cover with the garlic/brown sugar mixture. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes or until juices run clear.


Recipe adapted from Pinterest

Vegetable Minestrone Soup

Ingredients
1/2 medium onion, diced
2 stalks celery, sliced crosswise into 1/2 inch pieces
2 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1-35 oz. can crushed tomatoes
8 c low-sodium chicken stock
1-15 oz can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tsp red-wine vinegar
1 bag baby spinach
2 c cooked ditalini pasta
freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish

Directions
Heat oil in a large stockpot over medium high heat. Add onion, celery, potatoes and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes and their juices, chicken stock and cannellini beans; season with 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in vinegar and spinach; season with salt and pepper. Prepare the pasta to al dente by following the directions included with the pasta. Drain pasta and dump into soup. Garnish with cheese.


Recipe adapted from Pinterest

Savory Mustard Pork Roast

 

 

 

I wanted to try something different with a pork roast. I always buy one when they are on sale to have in my freezer. I usually make pulled pork. This month in Simple and Delicious, this pork recipe was a contest winner so I had to try it. It was delicious. A very nice change from the usual.



Ingredients

1 boneless pork shoulder butt roast (3 to 4 pounds)

3/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 tbsp canola oil

1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, drained

1 medium onion, chopped

1 can (14-1/2 ounces) beef broth

1/2 cup dry red wine

3/4 cup stone-ground mustard

6 garlic cloves, minced

2 tbsp honey

2 tbsp molasses

1 tsp dried thyme

2 tbsp cornstarch

2 tbsp cold water

Directions

Sprinkle roast with salt and pepper; brown in oil in a large skillet on all sides. Transfer to a 5-qt. slow cooker. Add tomatoes and onion; pour broth and wine around meat. Combine the mustard, garlic, honey, molasses and thyme; pour over pork. Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours or until meat is tender. Remove roast; cover and let stand for 15 minutes before slicing. Meanwhile, skim fat from cooking juices; transfer juices to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil. Combine cornstarch and water until smooth; gradually stir into the pan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Slice pork and serve with sauce.


Recipe courtesy: Simple and Delicious

Italian Sausage and Potato Soup

 

 

 

Wow! This soup was delicious. It smelled so good as it was cooking.

 

Ingredients

1 lb Italian sausage (can be sweet, mild or hot, link or ground)

1 onion, chopped

1-2 tbsp minced garlic

4 medium potatoes, cubed

2 c chicken broth

4 c water

1 bag of baby spinach

1 c heavy whipping cream

Salt and pepper

Red pepper flakes (optional)

Parmesan cheese

 

Directions

Brown sausage in pan until cooked. If using the links, cut into bite size pieces. Place sausage, onion, garlic, potatoes, chicken broth and water in crock pot. Add a little salt and pepper. Add red pepper flakes if you desire a little more heat. Cook on high for 3-4 hours. Turn the crock pot off and add the spinach. Wait 5 minutes. Add the whipping cream and stir well. Serve in bowls sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.

 

Grilled Pork Tenderloin

We love grilling!! One benefit of living in the south is we can do it 365 days a year. If you have never had a pork tenderloin here is a very simple but delicious way to try one. Pork tenderloin is by nature very tender but this marinade makes it even more tender. The entire family loved it.

Ingredients
1 lb pork tenderloin
1/2 c olive oil
1/3 c soy sauce
1/4 c red wine vinegar
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2-3 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
2 tsp dried mustard
3-4 tbsp minced garlic
Black pepper, to taste

Directions
Combine all marinade ingredients in a large Ziploc bag. Place pork tenderloin in bag and marinate in fridge for 4 hours. Place on hot grill and cook until internal temperature reaches 145 degrees. Let rest 5 minutes before slicing.

Freezer Directions
Follow all above directions above putting in a freezer bag.  Freeze flat.  Thaw and follow directions to cook.  (I have done this one in the crockpot, as well.)

Garlic Brussels Sprouts

 

 

 

I grew up eating Brussels sprouts and love them. Most people find it strange that we eat them. I found a recipe on Pinterest for roasted Brussels sprouts so I tweaked it slightly. They were delicious.

 

Ingredients

1 lb frozen baby Brussels sprouts (or fresh if in season)

2-3 tbsp minced garlic

1/2 c water

2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

Parmesan cheese

 

Directions

Move oven rack to upper third and preheat oven to 425 degrees. Mix all ingredients, but the Parmesan, in a large bowl. Pour into a 9x13 baking dish. Make sure the sprouts are in a single layer. Bake for 25 minutes. Toss the sprouts. Bake for an additional 20-25 minutes until caramelized. Remove from oven and sprinkle lightly with Parmesan cheese.

 

 

Recipe adapted from: Pinterest



Lemon & Sage Roasted Chicken

If you have never roasted a whole chicken, this is a easy recipe for you to give it a try. The chicken was moist & full of flavor. The potatoes were yummy.

Ingredients
1/4 c lemon juice

1/4 c plus 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

5 garlic cloves, minced

2 tbsp minced fresh sage

1 roasting chicken (6 to 7 pounds)

2 tbsp butter, softened

1 medium lemon, cut into wedges

8 medium potatoes, quartered

2 medium onions, quartered

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

Directions
In a 2-gallon resealable plastic bag, combine the lemon juice, 1/4 cup oil, garlic and sage. Add the chicken; seal bag and turn to coat. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Drain and discard marinade. With fingers, carefully loosen skin from the chicken; rub butter under the skin. Fill cavity with lemon wedges. Place chicken breast side up on a rack in a roasting pan. In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, onions, salt, pepper and remaining oil. Arrange around chicken. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 2-1/4 to 2-3/4 hours or until a meat thermometer reads 180°. Cover loosely with foil if chicken browns too quickly. Let stand for 15 minutes before carving.


Recipe courtesy: Simple & Delicious

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients
2-3 cups raw chicken, cut into pieces
1 can diced tomatoes with green chiles
1 8 oz can tomato sauce 
2- 14.5 oz can chicken broth
1 can cheddar cheese soup
2 cups carrots, chopped
1/2 bag frozen corn
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp cumin
1/2 tbsp chili powder
Handful of cilantro handful, chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 c cooked rice
Shredded cheddar cheese
Tortilla chips

Directions
Combine all ingredients in slow cooker (except garnishes). Cook on high 5-6 hours or on low for 8. Serve with shredded cheddar cheese & tortilla chips.


Recipe courtesy: Chrissy K of Ohio

White Pizza

White pizza is by far my absolute favorite kind of pizza. I grew up in Ohio & could find white pizza in almost every pizza shop. When I moved to Georgia it could not be found anywhere so of course I had to start making my own. Thanks to my brother (who was once a pizza shop guy) for teaching me how to make pizza!

Ingredients
Click for my pizza dough recipes: whole wheat using a KitchenAid mixer or white flour using your hands
Olive oil
Italian seasonings
Garlic salt
Parmesan cheese
Shredded mozzarella cheese
Banana pepper rings (mild or hot)
Black olives

Directions
Make pizza dough. Coat pizza pan(s) heavily with shortening (do not substitute the shortening, it gives a brown crunchy crust). Pat dough into pizza pan(s). Drizzle lightly with olive oil. Evenly smooth the olive oil with the back of a spoon. Sprinkle with Italian seasonings, garlic salt & Parmesan cheese. Then top with mozzarella cheese. Add banana pepper rings & black olives. Lightly sprinkle the top with juice from the banana peppers. Bake at 450 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

Vegetable Fettuccine

What a wonderful way to use all of those summer garden veggies & who doesn't love pasta. You will find this recipe so easy to prepare. And in about 30 minutes your meal will be on the table. Add a salad & dinner is done!

Ingredients
8 oz uncooked fettuccine (I use whole wheat)
2 medium zucchini, chopped
10-12 baby carrots, sliced
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup grape tomatoes, cut in half
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 c chicken or vegetable broth
1/3 c white wine
1/2 c Parmesan cheese


Directions
Cook fettuccine according to package directions. Saute the zucchini, carrot, Italian seasoning, salt & pepper in oil in a large skillet until vegetables are crisp-tender. Add tomatoes & garlic; cook 1 minutes longer. Add broth & wine. Bring to boil & cook until liquid is reduced by about half. Add the drained fettuccine & cheese to the skillet. Toss to coat.

Panko Chicken with Marinara

This chicken was delicious. It was nice & crispy. The marinara really gave a nice taste to the chicken. My kids preferred to just each the chicken without the marinara. That was fine by me because I ate some of it just plain. It was delicious.

Ingredients
1 egg
1 c panko bread crumbs
1 tbsp all purpose flour
1 tbsp parsley
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Dash salt & pepper
1 lb chicken tenderloins (I just use boneless skinless chicken breasts & cut them into tenderloins)
Parmesan cheese, optional
Mozzarella cheese, optional

Marinara
1 can petite diced tomatoes
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 small can sliced mushrooms, finely chopped (you can also use fresh)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp Italian seasonings
1/4 tsp salt

Directions
Combine the ingredients for the marinara in a small saucepan. Allow to simmer while you prepare & cook the chicken. Beat egg in a shallow bowl. Combine the bread crumbs, flour, parsley, garlic powder, salt & pepper in another bowl. Dip chicken in egg, then roll in crumb mixture. Cook chicken in batches in oil in a large skillet until juices run clear. Drain on paper towel. I topped each serving of chicken with the marinara, sprinkled with Parmesan cheese & a little mozzarella cheese.

The chicken would make a great appetizer. Serve the marinara as a dipping sauce. Perfect!


Recipe adapted from Simple & Delicious

Parmesan Chicken with Bow Ties

Five stars!!! The family loved this & so did I. I guess we were so in love with it that I forgot to even take a picture.

Ingredients
12 oz bow tie pasta
Salt & pepper
2 c small broccoli florets
2 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 lb chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces
1 small onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 c petite diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 c Parmesan cheese

Directions
Cook chicken, onion & garlic in 1 tbsp of olive oil. Sprinkle with salt & pepper. Saute for 5 minutes. Add tomatoes; saute for 2 minutes. Cook pasta according to package directions. Add broccoli for last 3 minutes of cooking. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Toss pasta & broccoli with 1 tbsp of olive oil. Once chicken is done, toss in the pasta, broccoli, Parmesan & half of the cooking liquid (add more if dry).


Recipe adapted from All You

Roasted Root Vegetable Medley

Ingredients

8 to 12 slender carrots, peeled and trimmed

8 to 12 baby turnips, peeled

6 to 8 fingerling potatoes, scrubbed and cut lengthwise in halves

1 or 2 large parsnips, peeled, trimmed, and cut diagonally into 1-inch-thick slices

1 or 2 medium onions, trimmed, peeled and halved, each 1/2 cut into quarters

1 or 2 large beets, peeled and cut into thick wedges

1 or 2 kohlrabi bulbs, peeled and cut into thick wedges

1 celery root, trimmed and halved, halves cut crosswise into 1-inch-thick slices

1 whole head garlic, separated into cloves, unpeeled

2 or 3 sprigs fresh rosemary, sage, or thyme

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Put all the vegetables and the herb sprigs in a large baking dish. Season well with salt and black pepper, drizzle generously with olive oil, and toss them with your hands to coat them evenly. Put the baking dish in the preheated oven and cook, stirring the vegetables occasionally, until they are tender and golden brown, about 45 minutes. Serve the vegetables from their baking dish or transfer them to a platter to accompany a roasted main course.

Note from Lisa - I did not use celery root, parsnips or kohlrabi in mine, because I could not find them. You can make this recipe with any root veggies you like.

Recipe courtesy - Lisa B of Tennessee

Root Beer BBQ

Here is a new recipe I tried for our No Football Super Bowl Party...YES! We actually did NOT watch the Super Bowl, but I did make some yummy food. Hope your family enjoys it. I made extra for my freezer and a Freezer Swap I am in. Delicious!

Ingredients
3 pound pork sirloin roast
1 cup root beer
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 cups onion, wedged
2 Tbl. garlic, minced

24 ounces root beer
12 ounce bottle chili sauce

Instructions
Trim any visible fat from roast. Cut it into 4 pieces and place in slow cooker. Pour one cup root beer over the roast and sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Add garlic and onions. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours (or on high for 4-5.) I put mine on right before bed and let it cook all night. (Warning: It fills the house with AMAZING smells.)

In a medium saucepan, combine the 24 ounces of root beer with the chili sauce. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Boil gently; uncovered; stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes or until sauce is reduced to 2 cups. (I actually just combined these 2 ingredients and added them after I shredded the pork and then cooked for a few more hours, but I am just kinda lazy like that.)

Remove roast and onions from the slow cooker and allow to cool enough to handle. Discard broth. Shred meat. Pour root beer sauce over all. Stir to coat. Allow to cool completely and place in freezer bags or containers.

FREEZE for later. (Of course, you may want to eat some now, too and then freeze the rest.)

To serve:
Thaw and heat. You can top sandwich buns with lettuce and tomato.

Happy Cooking.

10 servings
Recipe Credit- 30 Meals in One Day Software

Buttered Noodles

I think these noodles need a better name than just buttered noodles. The addition of both Parmesan and Mozzarella made them scrumptious. So much more than a buttered noodle.

Ingredients

2-1/4 c uncooked egg noodles

1/4 c shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

2 tbsp butter, melted

2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/8 tsp pepper

Directions

Cook noodles according to package directions; drain. Transfer to a serving bowl. Immediately add the remaining ingredients and toss to coat.

Recipe courtesy - Simple and Delicious