Category Archives: Easy

June 7, 2011 · 8:42 am

Baked Penne with Italian Sausage

The original recipe got some flat reviews, so I spiced things up a bit with some added garlic and basil…no flat reviews in our house. Yum!

Ingredients:
1 (12 ounce) package dry penne pasta
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 pound mild Italian sausage, casings removed
1 cup chopped onion
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 cup white wine
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes with garlic and basil
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.

Heat oil in a large, deep skillet. Place sausage, onion and garlic in the skillet and cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain excess fat.

Pour in wine, and cook for 1 minute, stirring, to deglaze the pan. Stir in tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Toss with cooked pasta, and place in a 9×13 inch baking dish. Sprinkle top with mozzarella.

Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Did I change anything? I added the garlic and also changed the type of diced tomatoes to ones that have a little more flavor.

What did the family think? Hubby and our oldest went back to seconds and our oldest also asked to have the leftovers in his thermos the next day. This was a hit with everyone!

Where did this recipe come from? Allrecipes

photo from allrecipes.com

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Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Everybody Ate It, Italian

June 6, 2011 · 12:17 pm

Quick and Easy Breadsticks

I have mentioned before that I am not a big fan of using yeast…all the waiting and kneading. I know, I know, it’s not really all that bad, but if I can find a recipe that gives me the same result without the yeast, then I am all over it. So when I was looking for recipes to make homemade breadsticks I chose this one as opposed to the gazillion others that are out there that require yeast. I am also not a big fan of breaking out the rolling pin either, but there wasn’t really any way to get around that.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine
1 tablespoon oil
3 cups flour (I use part whole wheat, part unbleached)
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
1-1 1/2 cups milk

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Place butter and oil in 9×13 pan and put in oven so butter melts as the oven heats up. Be careful not to let it burn!

Stir dry ingredients together, and gradually add milk, stirring until dough forms and leaves sides of bowl.

Knead 5-6 times in bowl; place on floured countertop and roll out into 9×13-inch rectangle.

Lay dough in pre-heated 9×13-inch pan, atop the melted butter/oil. Cut into 1/2″ strips.

Bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes.

Did I change anything? I didn’t use quite as much butter as this recipe calls for. It just seemed like a lot.
I changed the amount of milk in this recipe. I used a little bit more than the original recipe called for. Just add it a little at a time until the dough comes together.

What did the family think? We don’t usually say no to carbs, especially ones that taste really good slathered in butter and honey.

Where did this recipe come from? Tammy’s Recipes

Photo from Tammy’s Recipes

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Filed under After School Snacks, Bread, Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Everybody Ate It, Side Dish, Six Ingredients or Less, Vegetarian

June 1, 2011 · 11:39 am

Pasta Salad

Every once in a while Food Network Magazine will have a great recipe where they give you choices so you can assemble a salad, a pizza, a pasta dish, etc. to your liking. You can mix and match ingredients hundreds of different ways and get a yummy result every time. This month’s focus was pasta salad.
Here is the combo we tried:

Ingredients:
1/2 lb. Fusilli pasta
1 cup hard boiled egg, chopped
1 cup shredded carrots
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

For the dressing:
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
Pinch of red pepper flakes
1/3 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:
Cook the pasta according to the directions on the box. Drain and rinse under cold water. Transfer to a large bowl.

Add eggs, carrots, cherry tomatoes, and cheese. Stir to combine.

For the dressing: In a small pan over medium heat, cook garlic, red pepper flakes and olive oil for three minutes, stirring occasionally. Let cool. Season with salt and pepper.

Pour dressing over pasta salad. Toss. Chill for up to three hours.

We had this with cheeseburgers and fruit salad.

Did I change anything? I think next time I will make a little more dressing.

What did the family think? The kids weren’t super excited about it, but they ate it. Hubby and I liked it and it went really well with the cheeseburgers and fruit salad. This would make a great picnic dish, too.

Where did this recipe come from? Food Network Magazine, June 2011, pg. 79

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Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Make Ahead of Time, Salad, Side Dish, Vegetarian

May 31, 2011 · 11:00 am

Baked Vermicelli

Since we love pasta around here, I thought I would give this version from Parents magazine’s June issue a try.

Ingredients:
Nonstick cooking spray
1/2 lb. vermicelli or angel hair pasta, broken into thirds
16 oz jar mild chunky salsa
2 cups cooked cubed chicken breasts
1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend, divided
1 T chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Lightly coat a 2-qt. baking dish with cooking spray; set aside.

Cook pasta according to package directions. When done, drain and rinse under cold water.

Mix pasta, salsa, chicken, 3/4 cup cheese and cilantro in baking dish.

Cover with foil and bake 20 minutes.

Uncover, sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake uncovered for 10 minutes.

We had this with some fresh strawberries and blueberries.

Did I change anything? The only thing we ended up doing differently with this is that my oldest thought it might be a good idea to crumble up some tortilla chips and sprinkle them on top. He thought it made the dish ten times better. 🙂

What did the family think? Everyone who normally likes dinner at our house loved it and had seconds. The leftovers were even requested by our oldest to be sent to school in his lunchbox.

Where did this recipe come from? Parents Magazine, June 2011, p. 58

photo from goodapples.com

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Filed under Chicken, Easy, Mexican, Six Ingredients or Less

May 30, 2011 · 2:18 pm

Poached Salmon with Dill Sauce

I love poached salmon because it is really hard to mess up. You can not dry out poached salmon…it will be moist and tasty no matter what.

Ingredients:
2 cups water
1 cup white wine or reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup chopped celery
4 salmon fillets (4 ounces each)

Sauce:
1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1/4 cup plain yogurt
2 teaspoons snipped fresh dill
1-1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
Dash hot pepper sauce

Instructions:
In a large nonstick skillet, combine the water, wine, onion and celery. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; add salmon and poach, uncovered, for 5-10 minutes or until fish is firm and flakes easily with a fork.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the sauce ingredients. Serve with salmon.

Did I change anything? I cooked all of the fish, but it was too much for us to eat so I am going to save the rest of it for salmon salad later on this week.

What did the family think? Hubby and I were the only ones who ate the salmon. The boys had fish sticks…fish nuggets to be exact.

Where did this recipe come from? Taste of Home

photo from Taste of Home

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Filed under Easy, Fish, Lent

May 29, 2011 · 12:10 pm

Fruit, Nut or Berry Whole Wheat Muffins

The boys went on a campout last night in our neighbor’s backyard. I made these muffins for them to take along since I knew they would be eating breakfast there. Little did I know (or maybe I DID have an inkling of an idea) that these would end up being a peace offering. Apparently the birds woke the boys up at 4:15 and my dear sweet neighbor got up with them and made them breakfast. Perhaps I should have sent along a little cash, too. (Did I mention that the kids didn’t even go to sleep until midnight?)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour (I used King Arthur’s white whole-wheat flour-my ABSOLUTE favorite.)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
2 eggs
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup oil (vegetable or canola)
3/4 cup orange juice
About 1 cup of total filling (berries, fruit, nuts, etc. – see below for details)
Muffin/Cupcake liners
Cooking Spray

Instructions:
Heat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a large bowl with a fork or whisk mix the flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg.

Make a well (hole) in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the eggs, honey, vanilla, oil and orange juice. Mix the dry and wet ingredients together – do not overmix.

Line a muffin pan with liners, lightly spray with cooking spray and fill 2/3 to 3/4 of the way full with batter. Sprinkle 1 – 2 teaspoons of whatever you would like (from the list below or from your own creation) onto the top of each raw muffin in the pan. Then gently mix each one with a fork or spoon. Here are some options to consider for the fillings:

blueberries-this is what I used
diced strawberries
peeled and diced pears
applesauce
either diced or mashed up bananas and chopped walnuts
raisins and chopped pecans (I add an extra pinch of cinnamon to the muffins with this filling)
grated carrot and chopped walnuts
orange or lemon zest (only add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of zest per individual muffin)
a mix of dried fruit bits
jelly

After the filling has been mixed into each muffin slide the tray into the warm oven and bake for 10 – 15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Serve warm or at room temperature and freeze some for a later date. Enjoy!

This recipe made 9 muffins.

What did the family think? Everyone loved them except for our one family member who only likes fresh blueberries.

Where did the recipe come from? 100 Days of Real Food

Photo from 100 Days of Real Food

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Filed under After School Snacks, Bread, Breakfast, Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Super Easy to Make, Vegetarian

May 28, 2011 · 10:09 am

GORP

I have no idea what GORP stands for, but it surely must stand for something. (I looked it up on Wikipedia, it means good ol’ raisins and peanuts.) Anyways, GORP is also better known as trail mix in some circles. I have been making this lately to pack for snacktime at the boys’ school as well as to put in their lunches. I used to make it for them a lot when they were younger, too, for a snack on the go. There are a zillion combinations you could make but this is what’s in my pantry right now.

Ingredients:
1 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
1 cup Multi-grain Cheerios
1 cup raisins
1 large Zip-loc baggie
Other ingredients you might consider: M&M’s, Chex cereal, Craisins, pretzels, Goldfish, banana chips, popcorn, dried fruit bits

Instructions:
Pour all ingredients in bag and shake to mix.

What did the family think? Yum!

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Filed under After School Snacks, Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Everybody Ate It, Six Ingredients or Less, Super Easy to Make, Vegetarian

May 27, 2011 · 9:33 am

Chicken Bruschetta Pasta

I have been wanting to try Philadelphia Cream Cheese’s new cooking cremes, so I bought the “original” version and tried out the recipe on the back of the container.

Ingredients:
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/3 cup chicken broth
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1 tub (10 oz) Philadelphia Original Cooking Creme
2 cups grape tomatoes, cut in half
2 cups hot cooked farfalle
12 fresh basil leaves, chopped

Directions:
Cook chicken in large nonstick skillet on medium heat until done. Add broth and garlic powder, stir and let simmer for about three minutes.

Add cooking creme, basil and tomatoes; stir and simmer for three minutes.

In a large serving bowl, combine pasta and tomato mixture. Stir to combine and serve.

What did the family think? Everyone loved it!

Where did this recipe come from? It came from the back of the cooking creme container, but they have lots of other recipes using their various cooking creme flavors
here.

photo from Philadelphia Cream Cheese

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Filed under Chicken, Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Everybody Ate It, Italian

May 25, 2011 · 12:52 pm

Skillet Lasagna

I LOVE lasagna, but this was way too meaty for me. I changed the recipe a little and will be trying it again in the near future with the revisions I have made below.

Ingredients:
1/2 lb lean ground beef, chicken or turkey
1/4 lb Italian sausage, removed from casings
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 medium green pepper, chopped
3/4 cup ricotta cheese
1 jar (26 ounces) spaghetti sauce with mushrooms
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
6 lasagna noodles, cooked
3 cups (12 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions:
In a Dutch oven, brown beef, Italian sausage, onion and pepper. Drain fat, if necessary. Stir in ricotta, spaghetti sauce, oregano and basil. Simmer, uncovered, 10-15 minutes.

In a 10-in. skillet, spread 1/4 cup of the meat sauce. Top with 3 noodles, cutting to fit as needed. Spread half the remaining sauce and half the mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Top with remaining noodles, meat sauce and Parmesan.

Bring to a simmer. Cover and reduce heat to low; cook for 35 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and let stand for 10 minutes covered. Yield: 6-8 servings.

Did I change anything? I changed quite a few things in this recipe like adding the ricotta and Italian sausage and reducing the amount of beef and green peppers. I also didn’t have the herbs that the recipe calls for so I used Italian seasoning instead.

What did the family think? Everybody ate it…no complaining!

Where did this recipe come from? Taste of Home

photo from Great Meals in 30 Minutes

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Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Everybody Ate It, Italian

May 23, 2011 · 9:07 am

Penne with Sausage Meatballs and Kale

There was very little talking going on at the dinner table last night…we were too busy eating. Seriously. Good.

Ingredients:
1 T olive oil
12 ounces Italian sausage, casing removed
1/2 bunch Italian kale, center rib removed, leaves chopped (about two firmly cupped packed cups)
1 tsp minced fresh rosemary
3 T tomato paste
1/4 cup white wine
Salt and pepper, to taste
8 oz penne pasta
1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Instructions:
Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat.

Break off small meatball-sized bits of Italian sausage (1 heaping tsp) and roll between your hands to make into a ball. Place them in the pan.

Reduce heat to medium and saute, stirring occasionally until the sausage is cooked through.

Add the kale and rosemary and saute until the kale is wilted. Add the tomato paste and wine, stir to combine, cover, and reduce heat to low.

Cook pasta per the directions on the package. When you are ready to drain the pasta, reserve 2/3 cup of the pasta water.

Add the pasta and the reserved cooking water to the sausage mixture, bring to a simmer, stirring to coat the pasta with the sauce. Season with salt and pepper.

Pour the pasta mixture into a large serving bowl, toss with Parmesan and serve.

Did I change anything? The original recipe called for 2T of tomato paste. I added a little more. Also, I added maybe 2T more wine than the recipe calls for. Also, I didn’t use spinach, but I bet if you didn’t want to use kale you could substitute fresh spinach instead.

What did the family think? This was the best dinner we have had in a long time.

Where did this recipe come from? I found it in our local newspaper. They got it from Ivy Manning.

photo from barillaus.com

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Filed under Definitely Making it Again, Easy, Everybody Ate It, Italian