Tortellini Primavera

We loved this dinner, and I can not wait to make it again! It was simple, with ingredients we always have on hand, and it was so flavorful and delicious. The leftovers were great for lunch the next day also, which doesn't always happen with pasta. Head on over to Annie's Eats for hundreds of other great recipes just like this. Seriously, I love her blog, she is always posting something that I just have to make!



Tortellini Primavera

Ingredients:
1 cup mushrooms, chopped (omitted for Michael's sake)
½ cup chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tbsp. margarine
10 oz. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
8 oz. cream cheese
1 tomato, chopped
¼ cup milk
¼ cup parmesan cheese
1 t. Italian seasoning
salt and pepper, to taste
family size cheese-filled tortellini, cooked and drained
1 large chicken breast cooked and cut into bite size pieces (not in original recipe, I added for Michael)

Directions:
Heat margarine in a skillet. Add mushrooms, onion and garlic and saute. Add all remaining ingredients except tortellini. Heat until all have melted together and are well blended. Cook until the mixture just begins to boil, stirring occasionally. Stir in tortellini.

Yummy dinner from Elly says Opa

This was a great dinner, though a little time consuming for company. I should have gone with some stuffed chicken breasts that I could have just popped in the oven, but this recipe was so good I didn't want to make anything else! Everyone enjoyed this dinner served over some goat cheese mashed potatoes with the pan sauce drizzled over the top. I doubled everything to serve our group of 4. Yummy!



Chicken with Goat Cheese and Sundried Tomato Sauce

INGREDIENTS:
2 chicken breast halves, about 5 oz. each
1/2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup white wine (I used Chardonnay)
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 Tbsp sundried tomatoes, chopped and drained, if they are oil-packed
2 ounces herbed goat cheese (this is what I had on hand; if you have plain you may want to saute a clove of garlic and add a fresh herb like basil to the sauce)
salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS:
Sprinkle chicken breast halves with salt and pepper.
Heat skillet over medium heat and add oil.
When oil is hot, add chicken breasts. Cook through, about 3-6 minutes per side depending on how thin they are. Set aside and keep warm. Drain the pan if there is a lot of excess oil.
In the same skillet, add wine and chicken broth. Increase heat to medium-high and cook liquids down until reduced by half, being sure to scrape up the browned bits from the chicken.
Add in sundried tomatoes and heat through. Take skillet off the heat and stir in goat cheese

Barefoot Contessa's green beans

I know, you are thinking what is exciting about greens beans, but trust me, when you use this recipe, lots! I got this recipe from Barefoot Contessa's Family Style Cookbook, and it did not disappoint. If you're looking for something a little bit different for your green beans, try this!



String Beans with Shallots

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound of french string beans (haricots verts)
salt
2 tbl unsalted better
1 tbl olive oil
3 large shallots, large-diced
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Blanch the string beans in a large pot of boiling salted water for 1 1/2 minutes only. Drain immediately and immerse in ice water.
Heat butter and oil in a very large saute pan and saute the shallots for 5-10 minutes, tossing occasionally until browned.
Drain the string beans and add them to shallots with 1/2 tsp salt and the pepper, tossing well. Heat only until the beans are hot.

More Comfort Food

This is another one of those comfort foods that is nothing special or fancy, but in my mind it always takes me right back to my parents house, which is as comforting as it gets for me anymore. Enjoy!



Tuna Noodle Casserole

INGREDIENTS:

1 pkg of egg noodles, cooked
2 cans of tuna
2 cans of cream of mushroom (I use cream of chicken because Michael won't eat mushrooms)
2 cans of milk (we use FF)
2 cups of frozen peas and carrots
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350.
While noodles are cooking, mix tuna, cream of mushroom, milk measured in the empty soup can, and vegetables together in a 9x13 pan.
Drain noodles and mix together with sauce in 9x13, cover with cheese, and bake for 35-40 minutes.

Amish Cake

This cake is one of my favorites, because it is easy, and it always impresses. If you like coconut you have to try this cake, don't let the sour cream frosting scare you off, just try it. You will be grateful you did. I always use a box cake for this, but for those of who do everything from scratch, feel free to make your own cake, okay. Also, the photos do not do it justice, white on white on white doesn't make for a great picture, especially when the photographer is no good either.



Amish Cake
Recipe from my mom, who got it from Grandma Will in Indiana

INGREDIENTS:

16 oz sour cream (I used FF)
1 pkg coconut (5 1/2 cups)
2 cups of sugar
1 french vanilla cake mix, prepared as directed (I can't find french vanilla here in
CA, so I just use a white cake)

DIRECTIONS:

Mix together the coconut, sour cream and sugar and let sit in fridge for at least 12 hours!
Prepare cake according to directions on box and pour into two rounds (8 inch is best, but 9 inch works fine, you'll just have thinner layers)
After cake is cooled slice each round in half so you have two layers, ending up with four layers total.
Frost between each layer lightly, and then cover the whole cake. Refrigerate for another 12 hours, and then enjoy!

I make this frosting in the morning before I go to work, the cakes right when I get home from work, and then frost it all before I go to bed so it can be enjoyed the next day.


Happy 29th birthday to brent!

Banana Crumb Muffins

This recipe has been popping up on quite a few blogs lately, and for good reason. It is a great banana muffin, although it doesn't quite edge out the banana coconut muffins that I love just a little bit more. They got rave reviews at work, the crumb topping definitely makes them a bit more special. Check out Brooke's blog Desert First for this recipe and many other great ones!


not a great picture, sorry

Banana Crumb Muffins

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 bananas, mashed
3/4 cup white sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease 10 muffin cups, or line with muffin papers.

In a large bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cups flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, beat together bananas, sugar, egg and melted butter. Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture just until moistened. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.

In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, 2 tablespoons flour and cinnamon. Cut in 1tablespoon butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle topping over muffins.
Bake in preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.

Chicken Pesto Farfalle

This was a Dinner Divas recipe that was too good to pass up. It was Carrie's choice, and it really delivierd an outstanding meal. I stumbled upon it on Bettylou's blog, a fellow dinner diva. I loved it for dinner and lunch the next day, and I honestly can't wait to make it again!! I thought that it was a bit time consuming, but in the end, worth it.



Adapted from Cooking Light

1 3/4 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves ( I used 2 chicken breasts)
1 teaspoon salt, divided
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
Cooking spray
20 ounces uncooked farfalle (bow tie pasta) (I used the best garlic basil pasta from TJ's)
1 tablespoon butter
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups 1% low-fat milk, divided (I used fat free)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 (3.5-ounce) jar commercial pesto (about 1/3 cup)
3/4 cup half-and-half (I again used fat free)

2 cups (8 ounces) shredded fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
4 cups halved grape tomatoes (about 2 pints)
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil (I omitted)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Grill chicken however you prefer, I threw mine on the panini press, which I wouldn't recommend, it dried out a bit

2. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain,reserving 1/4 cup cooking liquid (I forgot this, oops). Place pasta in large bowl and set aside.

4. Heat butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic to pan; cook 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Combine 1/2 cup milk and flour in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add milk mixture to pan, stirring constantly with a whisk. Stir in pesto. Gradually add remaining 1 cup milk and half-and-half, stirring constantly with a whisk. Cook 8 minutes or until sauce thickens, stirring frequently. Add 1/4 cup reserved cooking liquid, remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and 1 cup cheese; stir until cheese melts.

5. Add chicken and sauce to pasta, tossing well to coat. Add tomatoes and basil; toss gently. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese. Serve immediately.