...and then I found $5.
This "blog" is a collection of useless things including, but not limited to:
• Pictures of my dog Macho
• Pictures of my other dog Beamer
• Things I try to DIY
• Races I run
• Tales of Love + Marriage
• Beautifying our Home Sweet Home
And many more random things!
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This is the recipe I used for last night’s stuffed peppers which, by the way, were delicious!
Here’s my notes/what I did slightly differently:
- This recipe, as written, is only enough to fill 4 regular-sized peppers—not 6.
- I seasoned beef (you could also use turkey) with salt, pepper, onion and garlic powder, and Italian seasoning while browning.
- I added 1-1/4 cans of tomato sauce to beef/rice mixture instead of just 1.
- I covered the peppers with tin foil, only taking off the last 5 minutes when you cover with the cheese of your choice. This eliminates the need for “basting” with leftover tomato sauce.
They came out perfectly and will definitely be making these again!
We do substitute some chicken broth for some of the heavy cream. I like how it makes the sauce a little thinner. We also halve grape tomatoes and add in at the last minute.
Barefoot Contessa can do no wrong! I love Ina’s recipes so much- this one included. This is a light pasta for summer that involves no cooking (besides boiling noodles)- perfect for hot days. Another bonus: leftovers are fabulous cold from the fridge.
Summer Garden Pasta
Recipe from Ina Garten
*Note: I cut this recipe in half and still had leftovers!
Ingredients:
- 4 pints cherry tomatoes, halved
- Good olive oil
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic (6 cloves)
- 18 large basil leaves, julienned, plus extra for serving
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- Kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound dried angel hair pasta
- 1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
To make:
- Combine the cherry tomatoes, 1/2 cup olive oil, garlic, basil leaves, red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon salt, and the pepper in a large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, and set aside at room temperature for about 4 hours.
- Just before you’re ready to serve, bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the pasta. Cook al dente according to the directions on the package (be careful - it only takes 2 to 3 minutes!). Drain the pasta well and add to the bowl with the cherry tomatoes. Add the cheese and some extra fresh basil leaves and toss well. Serve in big bowls with extra cheese on each serving.
You had me at pasta.
And then again at “extra cheese”.
Spaghetti with Hot Italian Turkey Sausage
Eric and I got home from Maine at 10 p.m. on Sunday night, leaving no time to go grocery shopping for the week. In an effort to have food for dinner I ran to the grocery store during my lunch break and picked up the ingredients for this recipe, which I found on MyRecipes.com.
It was easy, quick, delicious, and healthy—plus, we have leftovers! Since I already had a lot of the spices on-hand, this meal—which we’ll get 4 servings out of—cost less than $13.
You really can’t go wrong with this one…
Ingredients
- 3 hot Italian turkey sausage links (I used Shadybrook Farms brand. You can get sweet sausage if you aren’t a fan of spicy foods.)
- 1 lb spaghetti (I used Ronzoni Garden Delight)
- 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup torn fresh basil
- 1/2 cup (2 ounces) shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Preparation
- Preheat broiler.
- Arrange sausage on a small baking sheet. Broil sausage 5 minutes on each side or until done. Remove pan from oven (do not turn broiler off). Cut sausage into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Arrange slices in a single layer on baking sheet. Broil sausage slices 2 minutes or until browned.
- Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. (Toss in olive oil if you plan on having leftovers so it won’t stick together in the fridge!)
- Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add crushed red pepper and minced garlic; sauté 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes, sugar, salt and sausage; simmer about 15 minutes until slightly thick.
- Top pasta with sauce, fresh basil and Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Nutritional Information per Serving
- Calories: 460
- Fat: 16.9g
- Saturated fat: 5.1g
- Monounsaturated fat: 8.1g
- Polyunsaturated fat: 2.8g
- Protein: 24.4g
- Carbohydrate: 53.3g
- Fiber: 4g
Tonight was Lime Chicken Soft Taco night! These are so delicious, I needed to share with all y’all. When I remember to buy it at the store, I substitute fresh cilantro for the oregano and I also add a little hot sauce to the chicken to give it an extra kick. Here is the recipe (serves 10):
- 1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast meat - cubed
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1 lime, juiced
- 2 teaspoons white sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 green onions, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon cilantro, chopped (or oregano)
- 10 (6 inch) flour tortillas
- Sauté chicken in a medium saucepan over medium high heat for about 10 minutes. Add vinegar, lime juice, sugar, salt, pepper, green onion, garlic and cilantro/oregano. Simmer for an extra 10 minutes.
- Serve lime chicken mixture in warm tortillas topped with tomato, lettuce, cheese and taco sauce.
Made some delicious tortilla soup today in our slow cooker. It was fabulous! Here is the recipe I used. Obvi I subbed real veggies for canned ones. Yuck.
I came across a recipe for Summertime Lasagna and wanted to share because it looks SO delicious! I can’t wait to try it!
Summertime Lasagna
Serves 4
1 cup ricotta
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
3 tablespoons olive oil
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
8 lasagne noodles, broken into thirds, cooked according to package instructions and drained
1 minced garlic clove
2 pints cherry tomatoes, halved
2 small zucchini, thinly sliced
1/2 cup torn basil leaves
1. Combine ricotta, Parmesan and olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
2. Heat oil in skillet over medium high and add garlic and tomatoes. Cook until slightly broken down, about 3 minutes. Transfer to bowl.
3. Add zucchini to skillet (with a little more oil if needed). Season with salt and pepper and cook about 5 minutes until tender. Transfer to another bowl.
4. Scatter a few tomatoes over four plates. Top with one noodle, a spoonful of ricotta mixture, zucchini and more tomatoes. Repeat layering twice, ending with noodle and tomatoes. Drizzle a little more olive oil on top. Garnish with basil and serve.
(via Discovery)
This is what we had for dinner tonight and let me just tell you - it was delicious! I saw the recipe on a wine website as it’s supposed to be paired with a pinot grigio. Since I’m not feeling so hot, I skipped the wine, but I would definitely make this again! However, we did 2 things differently. 1) Cut everything in half and 2) Added fresh shrimp to the skillet in Step 2.
SPAGHETTI AGLIO OLIO
Ingredients
- 1 lb spaghetti
- 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (divided)
- 10 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
- Crushed red pepper (to taste)
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
Preparation
- Cook the pasta, semi-covered, stirring occasionally, until tender but firm.
- Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, shaking the skillet and stirring, until it’s a pale golden color. Remove from the heat and add crushed pepper.
- Ladle about 1 1/2 cups of the pasta cooking water into the sauce. Add the parsley, the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and salt to taste.
- Drain pasta, return it to the pot and pour in the sauce. Over low heat, sprinkle shredded cheese over the pasta and stir until fully coated.
- Serve immediately.
