Sausage and Spinach Gnocchi

This quick and easy one skillet dinner will taste like you've been cooking all day!

Sausage and Spinach Gnocchi

1 lb ground Italian sausage
sweet onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 pkg gnocchi (find it in pasta aisle)
1 can diced Italian tomatoes
1/4 c chicken broth
4 c fresh baby spinach
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 c mozzarella
1/2 c parmesan
Brown sausage with onion and garlic, don't drain. Add gnocchi, stir 1 min, breaking up clumps. Stir in tomatoes, broth, and pepper, cover and cook 5 minutes on medium. Remove from heat, stir in spinach until wilted. Sprinkle with cheese and cover until melted.

Chicken and Rice Casserole

Chicken and Rice Casserole

2 chicken breasts, boiled and shredded
2/3 c brown rice
1 c chicken broth
1 squash, sliced thin
1 small onion, diced
1 zucchini, sliced thin
1 4oz can green chiles, drained
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 c shredded cheddar cheese
Cook rice according to package directions in chicken broth.  Mix all ingredients and 1 c cheddar in a large bowl and spread in a greased 9x13 casserole dish.  Sprinkle remaining cheese on top.  Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  Remove cover and continue baking for 10 minutes.

Fish Tacos

Fish Tacos

White fish, grilled or pan seared (we used fresh rockfish)
Slaw
1/2 c mayonnaise
1 tsp sriracha sauce
Avocado
Sour cream
Salsa verde
Soft taco shells

Season the fish with salt and pepper or a fish seasoning. Cook the fish in a large pan drizzled with olive oil or on the grill. Prepare the slaw with mayo and sriracha. Break up the fish on the taco shells, top with slaw, avocado, sour cream, and salsa verde.

Salmon Cakes

Salmon Cakes

Vegetable oil, for frying
3 6-oz portions cooked salmon
1 1/2 c cracker meal
1/4 c panko breadcrumbs
2 large eggs, beaten
2 tsp Old Bay seasoning
1/2 red bell pepper, minced
20 blades fresh chives, snipped
2-3 tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped
3 tsp cayenne pepper sauce
1 lemon, zested and juiced
Salad greens
Coarse salt
Olive oil, for drizzling
1/4 c mayonnaise
1/4 c chili sauce
1 tbsp dill pickle relish

Flake the cooked salmon with a fork. Add cracker meal and panko to the bowl and work through the fish with your hands. Add the eggs, seasoning, pepper, chives, dill, 1 tsp pepper sauce, and the zest of one lemon to the bowl. Combine the ingredients well with your hands. Form 3 inch patties of salmon cakes about 1 inch thick. You should yield 8-10 cakes. Fry cakes until golden in a single layer 3-4 minutes on each side. Drain on a paper towel lined plate.

Toss salad greens with coarse salt and lemon juice. Drizzle the greens with a little olive oil and re-toss to coat.

Combine mayo, chili sauce, relish, and remaining pepper sauce in a small dish. To serve, place salmon cakes on a bed of greens and top with chili sauce.

Smothered Chicken Pasta

Smothered Chicken Pasta

2 chicken breasts

4 slices bacon

Caesar salad dressing

1 1/2 tbsp butter

1 1/2 tbsp flour

3/4 c heavy whipping cream

1 1/2 c chicken broth

4 oz sliced mushrooms

1 can diced Italian tomatoes, drained

Onion, chopped

1 c gruyere cheese

1 tbsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 c fresh parsley, chopped

8 oz angel hair pasta

Marinate chicken breasts in caesar dressing overnight. 

Cook bacon in large skillet until crispy, drain and crumble once cool. Cook chicken in bacon grease until browned (don't worry about it being cooked completely through). Move chicken to square glass baking dish, drain bacon grease. 

Melt butter in skillet, add onion and mushrooms and sauté for 5-7 minutes until starting to caramelize. Stir flour into skillet with onions and mushrooms, cook 1 minute. Stir in heavy cream and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, stirring continuously for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and add lemon juice, salt, pepper, gruyere cheese, and 1/8 c parsley; stir well. Pour sauce over chicken and top with diced tomatoes. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

While baking, cook pasta and drain. After 30 minutes, top pasta with chicken and pour over sauce. Top with crumbled bacon and more parsley.

Greek Chicken

Greek Chicken

Chicken thighs, bone-in

1 c plain Greek yogurt

2 tbsp olive oil

4 cloves minced garlic

1/2 tbsp dried oregano

Lemon zest from 1 lemon

Juice from 1/2 lemon

1/2 tsp salt

Freshly cracked pepper

1/4 bunch fresh parsley, chopped

Mix all ingredients except chicken in mixing bowl. Place chicken in large ziplock bag, pour marinade over chicken and toss to coat. Marinade overnight. Bake for an hour at 375 degrees.

Grilled Pizza

Grilled Pizza

Refrigerated pizza dough (from deli section)

Olive oil

Flour

Salt

Pepper

Nonstick grill spray

Roll out the pizza dough on a lightly floured surface. The dough will plump while grilling, so go thinner than you want the crust to be in the end. After rolling out the dough, brush one side with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat grill to high heat, spray grill with nonstick grill spray. Grill dough olive oil side down for 2 minutes with grill lid open. While grilling, brush other side of dough with olive oil and salt and pepper. Flip the dough over after 2 minutes, then turn grill heat down to medium. Immediately put toppings on pizza, then close grill lid for about 5 minutes until cheese is melted and crust is brown.

Chicken (boiled and diced)

Bacon (cooked and crumbled)

Feta cheese

Olive oil

Minced garlic

Fresh oregano

Italian seasoning

Shredded mozzarella

Mix olive oil, minced garlic, and Italian seasoning in small bowl. Allow to sit for a few minutes. After flipping pizza over, spread olive oil mixture as sauce on crust. Top with mozzarella, chicken, bacon, feta, and oregano.

Pepperoni (lightly cooked)

Italian sausage (sliced and cooked)

Cappicola

Gorgonzola

Fresh oregano

Pizza sauce

Mozzarella

Spread pizza sauce on crust after flipping. Top with mozzarella. Add pepperoni, Italian sausage, and cappicola. Top with crumbled gorgonzola and fresh oregano.

Grilled Flank Steak

Grilled Flank Steak

juice from 1 lemon
1/4 cup soy sauce
2-3 tbsp olive oil
celery seed
garlic salt
Montreal steak seasoning
1 flank steak
Mix all ingredients in large ziploc bag.  Add flank steak and marinate over night.  Grill over medium high heat until medium-well (or until cooked how desired).

Grilled BBQ Ribs

Grilled BBQ Ribs

4 lbs baby back ribs
3 garlic cloves, minced (I used the already minced kind)
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp paprika
2 tsp salt
2 tsp pepper
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp cumin
For BBQ sauce:
1 small onion, finely diced
2 tbsp butter
1 c ketchup
1/4 c brown sugar
3 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp cider vinegar
1 1/2 tsp ground mustard
1 tsp celery salt
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
Rub ribs with garlic; place in a shallow roasting pan.  Cover and bake at 325 degrees for 2 hours.  Cool slightly.  Combine first 6 seasonings and rub over ribs.  Refrigerate covered overnight (or at least 8 hours).
In a small saucepan, saute onion and butter.  Stir in remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and cook 10 minutes or until thick.  Remove from heat, reserve 3/4 cup sauce.
Grill ribs, covered, over medium heat for 12 minutes, turning and basting with remaining sauce.

Southwestern Sausage Quiche

Southwestern Sausage Quiche

3 eggs
1/3 c milk
1/4 c sour cream
1/4 c ranch dressing
1 1/2 c cheddar cheese
1/2 lb hot sausage
1 can Rotel, drained
1 pie crust
Brown sausage and drain.  Mix all ingredients in large mixing bowl.  Pour into prepared pie crust.  Cook on 350 degrees for one hour.  Allow to sit 10 minutes before serving.

Jalapeno Popper Chicken

We love jalapenos around our house, so when I saw this recipe, I just had to try it!  It was a pretty quick, easy dinner for a weeknight.

Jalapeno Popper Chicken

1/2 c panko bread crumbs
2 tsp olive oil
2 tsp taco seasoning
1 egg
2 oz reduced fat cream cheese, softened
1/4 c shredded cheddar cheese
2 jalapenos, minced
2 chicken breasts
salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 375 and place an ovenproof rack onto a rimmed baking dish.  Spray with cooking oil.  In a small skillet, combine panko and oil.  Cook over medium heat until panko is golden brown and crispy.  Remove to a shallow bowl, stir in taco seasoning.  In another shallow bowl, beat the egg.  Cut a pocket into the side of each chicken breast, not quite cutting through.  Season the chicken lightly with salt and pepper.  In a bowl, combine softened cream cheese, cheddar, and minced jalapenos.  Stuff each chicken breast with the cream cheese mixture, using toothpicks to secure if needed.  Dip the chicken in the egg, then in the panko mixture.  Place the chicken on the rack and cook 25-30 minutes.

Greek Fish with Gremolata

School started back a couple of weeks ago and in all of the craziness, Brent took time to cook dinner for me one night.  It was a delicious fish dish, so I hope you enjoy!

Greek Fish with Gremolata

2 fish filets (snapper, tilapia, whatever you prefer)
zest of 1 lemon
1/2 bunch fresh Italian parsley, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 c Italian style panko
1 tsp chipotle hot pepper sauce
5 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp Greek seasoning
Combine lemon zest, parsley, garlic, panko, pepper sauce, and 2 tbsp olive oil.  Mix well, set aside.  Brush both sides of fish with 1 tbsp olive oil, then sprinkle with pepper and Greek seasoning.  Place a small amount of olive oil in large skillet, cook fish until opaque.  When fish is done, remove from heat and add bread crumb mixture over top of fish in skillet.  Serve with salad.

Creamy Spicy Sausage Pasta

This is a quick easy meal for a busy weeknight.  You can change a few things in the recipe to make it more/less spicy.  I used freshly made pasta from our local farmer's market, but feel free to use whatever pasta you like.

Creamy Spicy Sausage Pasta

1 lb smoked sausage, sliced
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 large onion, diced
2 cloves minced garlic
1 can (or 2 c) low-sodium chicken broth
1 can RoTel (or I used diced tomatoes w/ jalapenos)
1/2 c heavy cream
8 oz pasta
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 c monterey jack cheese
Place olive oil in large skillet; brown sausage, onion, and garlic.  Add broth, tomatoes, cream, pasta, salt, and pepper.  Bring to boil, cover.  Reduce heat and simmer about 15 minutes or until pasta is tender.  Remove from heat and stir in cheese.



Slow Cooker Fiesta Chicken

This is such an easy weeknight meal!  Often when we have busy nights with softball games and Bible studies, this is a good meal to cook all day and enjoy when we can.  You can serve it with tortillas, tortilla chips, or on its own.

Slow Cooker Fiesta Chicken

2 frozen chicken breasts
1 can corn
1 can black beans, drained
1 can Rotel (I use the hot version with habaneros)
1 8oz pkg cream cheese (I usually use Neufchatel cheese to save a few calories)
1 packet dry ranch dressing mix
1/2 cup water
Tostitos Baked Scoops
Fat free sour cream
Place first 6 ingredients in a slow cooker.  Cook on low all day (about 8 hours).  Serve with tortillas or tortilla chips and top with sour cream.

Homemade Meat Lover's Pizza

We are big fans of pizza in our house!  Take-out pizza can often be greasy and expensive.  This is a simple pizza that you can adapt to what you like.

Homemade Meat Lover's Pizza

bakery pizza dough (in the refrigerated area of the bakery)
pizza sauce
2 c shredded Italian blend cheese
sliced pepperoni
hot Italian sausage
3 tbsp butter
2 tsp pizza seasoning (or you can sub Italian seasoning)
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp garlic salt
Drizzle olive oil in medium skillet.  Brown Italian sausage links for about 5-10 minutes, until browned on each side.  Add water to skillet and boil Italian sausage links for 15-20 more minutes until cooked through.  Remove from water and slice thin.  Prepare pizza dough by rolling with a floured rolling pin to desired thickness.  (You can also try tossing it if you want!)  Spread pizza sauce over pizza dough, sprinkle with pizza seasoning.  Top with cheese and desired toppings.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes (or until dough has browned).  While pizza is cooking, place butter in bowl and top with garlic salt and Italian seasoning.  Melt butter in microwave.  Brush over crust immediately after removing from oven.  Allow pizza to sit 5 minutes before cutting.

Italian Shepherd's Pie

I've never had shepherd's pie before.  It never really sounded appetizing to me, but after seeing this Italian-style recipe on Rachael Ray a couple of weeks ago, I knew I had to try it.  I changed the recipe some to make it a little easier.  You must try this one!

Italian Shepherd's Pie

3 large potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
1/2 c milk
3 tbsp butter
1 large egg, beaten
1 1/2 c grated parmesan cheese (I bought the real stuff...Parmigiano-Reggiano)
1 lb ground sirloin
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 tsp dried rosemary
1 lb hot Italian sausage (I bought links, removed the casing, then broke it up as I was cooking)
1 onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
5 tsp minced garlic, divided
3 tbsp tomato paste
1 c dry red wine
1 1/2 c beef broth
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Cover potatoes with water, bring to boil.  Salt water and cook potatoes for 12-15 minutes, or until tender.  Drain potatoes and return to warm pot.  Add 3 tsp minced garlic and 1/2 c milk.  Add butter and mash with a potato masher.  Stir in beaten egg and half of the parmesan cheese.  Mash until smooth, adding more milk if needed.  Cover until meat mixture is prepared.
Brown ground sirloin in large skillet.  Once brown, season with salt, pepper, and rosemary.  Add sausage and brown, breaking up into small pieces as cooking.  Add onion, red pepper, and 2 tsp minced garlic.  Stir in tomato paste, cook 1-2 minutes, mixing well.  Add 1 cup of red wine and reduce by half.  Add stock and simmer for about 10-15 minutes until most liquid has boiled out.
Transfer meat to large casserole dish, top with potatoes and remaining cheese.  Bake 20-25 minutes until potatoes are brown and crispy on the edges.

Chicken and Black Bean Enchilada Casserole

I've had this recipe for a while and have been wanting to try it.  That's one of the reasons I love my summers off...having the time and energy to try these new recipes!  This was a really good casserole, it was fairly easy to put together, and we had plenty of left-overs.  I think this is a recipe that you could really adapt to fit your own likes...add jalapenos, green enchilada sauce, etc.  Enjoy!

Chicken and Black Bean Enchilada Casserole

3-4 chicken breasts, boiled and shredded
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp ground coriander
1/2 packet taco seasoning
2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
1 15-oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can red enchilada sauce (I used medium to give it a little spice)
1 4-oz can diced green chiles
8 6-in corn tortillas
16 oz sour cream
2 cups Mexican style shredded cheese
In a large skillet, heat cooked chicken, cumin, coriander, garlic, and taco seasoning with 1/4-1/2 cup of water.  Allow to simmer 5-10 minutes.  Add black beans, chiles, and cilantro to chicken; mix well.  Grease a 11x7 baking dish, spread 1/2 can of enchilada sauce in bottom of dish.  Place 4 tortillas over the sauce, overlapping if necessary.  Spoon half of the chicken mixture over the tortillas, and sprinkle 1 cup of cheese over the top.  Top with half of the sour cream, spreading evenly over the cheese.  Layer 4 more tortillas, then top with remaining enchilada sauce.  Spoon remaining chicken into dish.  Cover and bake for 30 minutes on 375 degrees.  After 30 minutes, remove the cover, sprinkle with remaining cheese and top with dollops of sour cream.  Bake an additional 5-10 minutes until cheese is melted.  Allow casserole to sit 10 minutes before serving.



From the Sea to the Table

This past week, my husband and I were on vacation at the beach with my parents.  Brent wanted to go deep sea fishing, which I was a little worried about, since I often deal with motion sickness.  But, since I'm such a good wife, I went with him ;)  We had so much fun!  I did not get sick at all (although I would recommend taking Dramamine one hour before leaving just in case) and I caught 6 fish!  Unfortunately, you could only keep certain fish, but we ended up with 3 nice fish (1 seabass, 2 porgies) to bring home.  The fish were delicious!  I have posted this recipe before, but it makes a great Cajun style seasoning for fish.  Hope you enjoy seeing pictures from our adventure!

Cajun Seasoning for Fish

1 tbsp paprika
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp butter
lemon juice
parsley

Mix first five ingredients.  Pat onto fish.  Over medium-high heat, add oil and 2 tbsp butter to skillet; melt.  Add fish, cooking on first side for about 4 minutes (depending on the thickness of the fish).  Add 1 tbsp butter to skillet, flip fish to continue cooking on other side.  Cook an additional 4 minutes.  Top with lemon juice and parsley.

White Chicken & Artichoke Lasagna

I've always wanted to try a white lasagna recipe and when I found this one with artichokes and sun-dried tomatoes, I just had to make it!  It has a great flavor and makes enough for a crowd!  I froze at least half of it and we'll still have left-overs this week.  I listed the spinach as optional because I honestly forgot it when I made it.  The dish was great without it, but I do think the spinach would go well, so feel free to add it if you want.

White Chicken & Artichoke Lasagna

3 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1 can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
2 c mozzarella cheese
1/2 c grated parmesan
1/2 c sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped
2 pkg cream cheese, softened (I used Neufchatel)
1 c milk
2 tsp dried basil
1 tsp garlic salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
12 lasagna noodles, cooked (I always use whole grain noodles if available)
spinach, drained (optional)
Heat oven to 350 degrees.  In a medium bowl, beat softened cream cheese, milk, garlic salt, and garlic until well blended.  Stir in basil.  Set aside.  In a large bowl, combine shredded chicken, chopped artichokes, 1 c mozzarella, parmesan, tomatoes, and drained spinach.  Mix half of cream cheese mixture into the chicken mixture.  Spread 1/2 of the remaining cream cheese mixture in the bottom of a 9x13 dish.  Cover with 3 noodles and 1/3 of the chicken mixture.  Repeat twice.  Top with remaining noodles and cream cheese mixture.  Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese.  Cover and bake for 25 minutes.  Uncover and bake an additional 5 minutes.  Allow to stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Honey Chipotle Turkey Meatballs

I have never used ground turkey before, and although others had told me that it really wasn't that bad, I was still a little scared of it.  This recipe turned out to be great though.  It has a really spicy sauce that keeps the meatballs really moist.  Hope you enjoy!

Honey Chipotle Turkey Meatballs

1 1/2 lbs ground turkey

1 small onion, diced very small

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

4 tbsp honey

2-4 tbsp chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, chopped (depending on how hot you want it)

4 tsp apple cider vinegar

1 tbsp olive oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  In a mixing bowl, stir the onion, garlic, salt, and pepper together.  Add the ground turkey and use your hands to mix until combined (do not overhandle the meat).  Form into meatballs about the size of a golfball (made about 16-17 meatballs).  In a small bowl, stir together the honey, chopped chipotle chiles, and vinegar.

Put a greased cast-iron skillet in the oven to preheat.  Heat oil in another large skillet over medium heat.  Once it is shimmering, add the meatballs.  Cook until browned, flipping meatballs onto all sides to brown evenly (about 10 minutes).  Pour the meatballs and the drippings into a preheated cast-iron skillet and place in oven.  Bake for 5 minutes.  Remove pan from oven (it will be hot!) and pour sauce over meatballs.  Bake for another 5-7 minutes, swirling the pan once or twice while cooking).  When the meatballs are cooked through, serve with pasta or rice.  (I did not have an oven proof skillet that could be used on my glass cooktop, so I used the method above.  If you have a skillet that you can move from your stove to the oven, then you can use one less pan!)

Adapted from http://traceysculinaryadventures.blogspot.com/