Zesty Tomato, Sausage Pasta

Remember a little while ago I shared Pioneer Woman's seafood pasta in a foil package on Instagram? I made it again the other night! But, this time I did sausages instead of shrimp and I skipped the baking part. It was delicious!! I love the little kick it has and how fresh tasting it was. You can of course make her recipe, which is great too! But I actually like this a little better. Let me know what you think!

Zesty Tomato, Sausage Pasta

Ingredients

1 lb Curly Pasta, or favorite pasta
4 Cloves Garlic, minced
2 T Butter
2 T Olive Oil
1/2 c Dry White Wine (or white wine vinegar) 
3 - 14.5 oz Cans Diced (or whole) Tomatoes
Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper
Red Pepper Flakes1 lb Smoked Sausage Links, sliced

Cook the pasta according to box directions.

In a skillet, cook the garlic in the butter and olive oil for a few minutes, and then pour in the wine. Allow this to reduce for a couple of minutes, and then pour in the tomatoes. Stir the mixture together, season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes.  Stir in sliced Sausage and allow to cook for 10 minutes.

Mix the drained pasta with the sauce.  Optional: Drizzle warm cream over the top and sprinkle with torn basil and parsley. Or just top off with shredded Mozzarella Cheese. Enjoy!


Recipe Adapted from: Pioneer Woman

Beef Stew (Crock Pot)

After being sick the last few weeks, and morning sickness in the evenings the last couple of months, I figured it was high time I made my man one of his favorite dishes.  Beef Stew, a man's food!  But, I had yet to find one I really loved or could perfect.  So, I went searching for one that wasn't tomato based,  b/c I just don't like them, like really at all.  Then, I found this one and it was perfect bc it was a brown gravy and Lipton onion soup mix base. We all loved it! Especially my husband!  Another bonus? It's all literally just thrown in the crockpot and that's it!

Beef Stew (Crock Pot)

2.5-3 lbs Beef Stew Meat

4-5 Large Carrots, Sliced

4 Large Potatoes, cubed (skin still on)

1 c Frozen Corn

1 Small Onion, diced

1 Package Powdered Brown Gravy Mix

1 Package Lipton Onion Soup Mix

2 1/4 c Water

2 T Flour

Combine all ingredients in the order listed (minus 1/4 c water and flour) in a slow cooker.
Cook on low for approx 10 hours or on high for 5 hours.
Stir ingredients half way through to mix items together.

In the last 15-30 minutes of cooking, if thickening is required, stir remaining water and the flour in a small bowl until the mixture is smooth. Stir the flour mixture in the cooker. Cover and finish cooking.

Serve with crackers or buttered bread. Enjoy!

Recipe Adapted from: Food.com

One Pan Tuscan Pork Chops

 

I'm sorry I'm just now getting around to posting this recipe! But, as promised here's the recipe! It's so quick and easy, and I love the combination of flavors.  I think my favorite way to serve the pork chops so far was on a bed of brown rice.  I feel like it's a pretty guilt free meal as well! Last time I made this I made it in my dutch oven and followed the steps all the way up until simmering the last few minutes, instead I put the lid on and put on low for an hour or two until we were ready to eat.  It was very tender and cooked to perfection. 

Heat a large, heavy pan on high until warm.  Add oil and heat until shimmery (but NOT burning/smoking) about 20 seconds.  Brown pork chops on each side, about 1 minute each.  Reduce heat to medium-low, add onions.  Stir onions and flip pork chops after 2 minutes on each side.  Add tomatoes, garlic and spices, mix.

Mix spices and tomatoes.

Simmer until tomatoes are soft and sauce has set up- about 5-8 minutes.

Serve on a bed of pasta or brown rice....

One Pan Tuscan Pork Chops

4 pork chops, fat trimmed
1 tbsp oil (olive, coconut, butter)
5 cloves of garlic, diced
1 1/2 cups fresh or 14.5 oz canned tomatoes, diced (include liquid if cutting)*
1 large onion, diced
2 tsp oregano
1 tsp sage
1 tsp basil

Heat a large, heavy pan on high until warm.
Add oil and heat until shimmery (but NOT burning/smoking) about 20 seconds.
Brown pork chops on each side, about 1 minute each.
Reduce heat to medium-low, add onions.
Stir onions and flip pork chops after 2 minutes on each side.
Add tomatoes, garlic and spices, mix.
Simmer until tomatoes are soft and sauce has set up- about 5-8 minutes.
Serve on a bed of pasta, brown rice or zucchini noodles. Optional, garnish with cilantro, parsley or basil. Enjoy!!

*Double the tomatoes if you want more sauce, I prefer my rice or noodles to be drenched.  If you are eating by its self or you prefer a dryer sauce, then follow directions above. Canned diced tomatoes work great!

Update, this can also be made in a dutch oven ahead of time, see my comments up top for details.

Recipe Source: Sweet C's Designs

Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

Isn't it funny the different ways each of us were all brought up? One thing that stands out about the way I was raised, that might be different than most people, is the fact that I never had jarred or canned spaghetti sauce until I went to college and had roommates cook for me.  My mom always made her own spaghetti sauce.  I figure this was one way she was able to save money with having 10 kids.  Her recipe makes a lot more than one jar and tastes amazing too.  I first made this on my own when I started cooking in college. I would make it for me and my roommates, then freeze leftovers to make goulash for another day. (What is goulash? It's like spaghetti but you mix the sauce and any noodles together in a 9x13 baking dish and top off with cheese and bake.) Anyways, I love this spaghetti, it's a little taste of home for me.

One Pot Salmon Coconut Curry Pasta

Remember how I told ya'll how much I love one pot meals? Well I really do! The other night I planned on making salmon, but last minute decided I was tired of the same salmon fillet I always end up making, so Pinterest shopping I went.  I came across this amazing looking dish, and bonus, it was one pot!  I wasn’t sure about adding a large piece of uncooked salmon in with everything else but it ended up being cooked perfectly at the same time the pasta was done. By cooking everything together, the salmon was perfectly tender and flavored and the creamy sauce was amazing.  My husband said, "If Cheesecake Factory's bang bang chicken and shrimp were a pasta then this would be it." I myself loved every bite. This dish will be making another appearance in our home very soon.

Herb and Citrus Oven Roasted Chicken

I have been wanting to try this recipe out ever since my friend Emily, over at Little Momma and Company, made it.  It looked so refreshing and delicious.  Well, you know what? It is! It was really quick to throw together too.  It calls for quite a few ingredients, but you seriously just toss those on the chicken, that simple! My middle kid ate more than all of us, he at 4 whole drumsticks! He loved it, and as I'm posting this he's drooling over the picture and reminding me of how much he loved this dish.  Anyways, I'd say this is a must try dish.

Basil Artichoke Chicken Bake

 After a crazy Summer of being home all day, every day, with my busy 3 boys, visitors and a recent cruise, I should probably get back into the game. 

So, to start out this game, here's an amazing recipe I just made  last night! Basil Artichoke Chicken Bake.  I've had this recipe pinned on my Pinterest for a while now, I finally made it! And, it did not disappoint.  It was honestly so great, fresh tasting and really pretty healthy! My hubby loved it! The great thing about this dish is you can eat they chicken with noodles or without, it all depends on how good you wanna be.  I was only so good to eat it over healthy choice noodles ;)

Brown Paper Bag Picnic Sandwiches

Do you ever want to make a fancier sandwich than just plain ol' pb&j or a ham sandwich on regular bread?  Especially when you're taking a sack lunch somewhere or to have a picnic w/? I surprised my husband w/ these when my sons and I took him lunch to work on Valentine's Day. I think we were all impressed! We even made them for dinner the next night w/ all the leftovers. Not only are these yummy, but the presentation in the paper bags are adorable! It's much better than just stuffing them in a plastic baggy. When you're all about presentation, this is a great option! These would even be adorable for a girl's luncheon, a baby shower, parties, ect.

Double Marinated Basil Lime Chicken

This was one amazing, fresh and yummy tasting dish! I even dusted off the grill and cooked these puppies up all by myself! In fact, I'm making them again today! (I was supposed to yesterday, but thanks to a HUGE birds next found in my grill yesterday, it has been delayed until today. Click here or here to see what I'm talking about.) Don't let the double marinade thing scare you off, both super easy to make, just look at it as a double bonus for your taste buds.  FYI, the chicken is really good w/o the second marinade too, not as full of taste, but still great! Let me know what ya think!

Spinach Artichoke Pasta

I thought this recipe was amazing! I love pasta! I love fresh spinach and artichokes, and...ya'll all know I like a little kick, this recipe had it!  If you don't like cooked spinach, like my hubby, than you won't like it as much as I did, but you can always leave it out too! My kids loved it, I'd recommend not sprinkling any of the red pepper flakes on the kid's pasta though.  But, seriously, this is restaurant quality pasta! Let me know if you try it!

One Pot Tomato Basil Pasta

Seriously, can I just tell ya'll how much I love these one pot dishes?! What's your favorite one pot dish? Please share!  This one was delicious! I loved how fresh tasting it was, I had no guilt eating pasta w/ this dish, especially b/c I used whole grain noodles.  My kids even gobbled it all up, which was amazing, b/c it had a little kick to it...which I love a little kick!  This was the perfect dish to make a few days ago for our lazy Sunday.  After church, much needed Sunday naps and playing w/ our kiddos, I didn't feel like making anything time consuming, especially b/c I didn't prep for anything ahead of time.  So, this was perfect! It took no time at all to make and was very filling.  Let me know what ya'll think! And seriously, no joke, plz share any of your favorite one pot dishes.

Creamy Philly Cheese Steak

If I ever go to a restaurant where a Philly Cheese Steak is on the menu, it's honestly a true battle w/ in myself to even consider ordering anything else.  I LOVE Phillies! I have no idea why I haven't shared this recipe with y'all yet!! I have had this recipe for years! I actually found two recipes I liked and combined them to make this. It's been so long that I can't even remember where the two recipes came from. But seriously, this is seriously so delicious! My 4 year old couldn't eat a bite without making an, "mmmm..." sound last night. My 5 year old was turned off by it when he asked what was in the sandwich and I told him, "roast beef." He quickly ran off screaming, "you want us to eat that?! I don't wanna eat 'gross' beef!!!" Hahaha as much as I tried to reassure him I had said "roast" beef, he wanted nothing to do with it. But, the rest of us loved it! My favorite way to serve these are with steak fries and a pasta salad. You will not disappoint if you serve this, I promise. (Just make sure to clarify you're not serving gross beef.)

Who else loves Phillys as much as me?! Where's your favorite place to buy one?

Look at all that deliciousness!

Guiltless Buffalo Chicken Salad

I shared this a while back on my Instagram and Facebook account (which you can access from the right column here --->), but I'm just now getting around to posting it on here.  I'm so sorry for the wait!  This salad was so good and very healthy.  And, as the title describes, totally guiltless! My friend Kristy shared the recipe w/ me last October, and I finally got around to making it.  Definitely wouldn't regret making it if you're a salad lover, especially if you like a little kick (ya know from the hot sauce). Go ahead, try it, let me know what ya think.  What's your favorite salad?

Doesn't it look beautiful! I love a good loaded salad! YUM!

Tacos Al Pastor

I've had this recipe pinned on my Pinterest account for a long time now.  I finally made it! Once again, while I was searching for healthy, yummy recipes I came across this recipe again.  This was so, so easy to make!  Seriously, you cut up the pork, throw it in a large baggy and refrigerate until you're ready to throw it all into a frying pan to cook.  While that's cooking you heat up the tortillas! So, so easy! And they taste amazing! It sweet and spicy! Seriously, you will not be disappointed.  

Who else loves tacos as much as I do? I L.O.V.E them!

Chicken and Rice with Spicy Avocado Sauce

At the beginning of the new year, as I'm sure a lot of you have, we made a goal to eat healthier.  So, we set out to find healthy, yummy recipes.  This recipe I came across when I was watching some show that was on tv on the LiveWell Network, have you heard of it?  I hadn't!  Anyways, I tried it, and I thought it was great!  It was a little too spicy for my husband, but I liked the kick.  If you can't handle the jalapenos, just switch them out for green chilies. For the kiddos, I gave them everything but the avocado sauce, it worked out great! Do you think you can handle the heat? Or are you more like the hubs who was whimpering like a baby? (Not really, but he was downing his water for sure!)

One Pot Cheesy Smoked Sausage Pasta Skillet

One pot dishes are officially now my favorite easiest meal to cook, and this recipe was above all the best one pot dish I've ever tried.  It was delicious! My husband finished off the pot after everyone was done eating, that says a lot since he's not a huge pasta fan.  It was so fresh tasting and easy to eat, I loved it! Oh, and did I mention, it's so extremely quick and easy to make?! B/c it is!

Do you have a favorite one pot dish? If so, please share!!

Cheesy Green Chicken Enchiladas

I was asked to share this recipe, so here it is!

I grew up on Sour Cream Enchiladas, who didn't right?  But, I guess I over made them when I got married, along w/ several other cream of soup recipes, so I was encouraged by my very sweet husband to try out new recipes.  Needless to say, I haven't made Sour Cream Enchiladas in years.  But, last night when our sweet cousin came over and made us dinner, he introduced us to this new recipe.  It's the same concept of sour cream enchiladas but uses less cream of soup and uses a can of green enchilada sauce, which overpowers the taste of the soup.  So, I loved it!  I believe I found my replacement Hubby! ;)

White Chicken Chili

I started making this recipe when my husband when on a very strict diet of...who even remember which diet it was at the time.  This recipe is great if you're really trying to watch your calorie intake and wanting to eat more healthy, otherwise it tastes great anytime, especially on these chilly fall days.  This recipe is perfect to experiment and change things around to your taste.

Fresh Cilantro, Lime, Fish Tacos

Who likes fish tacos?  I know the first time I ever heard of them I thought they were the weirdest thing!  But, I tried them, and you know what?  I thought they were great!  But, I've never had them where the fish wasn't fried.  You know what? This is the first time I've ever made fish tacos, and you know what?  The fish isn't fried!  Much healthier right?  And very, very tasty!  Like seriously, not a fishy taste at all, just freshness all around.  I loved it!  My husband and kids gave me a hard time when I tole them I was making fish tacos, I told them not to judge it before tasting.  You know what?  They all loved them!  My middle boy thought it was made with chicken!  Anyways, this is a must try, way easy and super fresh and yummy!  All credit has to go to my good friend Janel though, thanks for the recipe!

Creamy White Chicken and Artichoke Lasagna

When my friend, Kychelle, first made this dish for us I thought it sounded so weird.  But when I tasted it, I thought it was great!  I loved all the flavor combos and it was so light and fresh tasting.  It's completely cheesy and creamy, what's better than that?  As much as I looove lasagna, this is a nice option if you want to try something else.  I finally gave it a go a couple of weeks ago, and I loved it all over again.  The leftovers even taste great, you can even make it ahead of time and cook it when you're ready and it will still taste great.  It really gives the flavors have time to "marry."