Summer Salad

I really enjoy a good salad in the summer, they just taste better than any other time of the year. Tonight I threw together a salad with seasonal berries, the fruits of my labor after picking blueberries yesterday.

To make this salad I cut up a head of romaine lettuce, a handful of blueberries, a handful of strawberries quartered, a handful of dried cranberries and sprinkled sunflower seeds on top for crunch. (Any nut would be good, a slivered almond...yummo)!

For dressing I used Annie's Poppyseed dressing (Lite). If you have never had poppyseed dressing it is slightly sweet and goes perfect with salad that have fruit in them. I can make my own poppyseed dressing but it always goes bad before I finish it, this way was easier. Having a busy little boy on my hands makes cooking already hard so easy is good!

Hope you try this salad & enjoy!

The best homemade Chinese take-out recipe!

As I have said before, I love Asian food. It is one of the types of good though that always seems to taste better at a restaurant though but I always like to try dishes with Asian flavors. I found this recipe but was nervous to try it because I feel like I am not the best at cooking beef. I do not like the flavor of over cooked beef so that is always a concern. I found this recipe on Pioneer Woman & knew I had to give it a try. I am happy to report it is a great recipe & turned out really well. Probably the best result & flavor I have ever had at making a stir fry recipe at home. I am going to make this recipe at home again soon, I am just waiting for my snow peas to grow in my garden. Try this recipe today, http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/10/beef-with-snow-peas/.

Ah ha moment!

So my little man is done with his homemade baby food & is devouring any big people food that is put in front of him. I had just made a big batch of organic baby food a month ago & was sad it was going to have to go to waste but then a light bulb went off. Ah ha! I am going to use the sweet potato & butternut squash purees to make two recipes I have been wanting to make. First, I'm going to make sweet potato & butternut squash enchiladas. Second, I want to make Ravioli using wonton wrappers. So I will let you know how it goes after I make them!

Sesame Noodles-Hot or Cold

I found this recipe a long time ago on Pioneer Woman and thought it looked extremely simple & good. I finally tried it tonight because I though the leftovers would be great cold for a picnic. If you had shredded carrots or some cooked chicken those would be great add-ins to this simple dish. I adjusted it from the original recipe, as I do with a lot of recipes and was satisfied with the way it turned out. If you think you can't cook, you can cook this recipe, I promise!Ingredients

-12 ounces thin spaghetti noodle, cooked & drained

-1/4 cup soy sauce

-2 tbsp sugar

-4 cloves garlic, minced

-2 tbsp rice vinegar

-1 tbsp tabasco

-4 tablespoons olive oil

-1/4 tsp minced ginger

-4 whole green onions thinly sliced

Directions

1. Whisk all the ingredients together in a bowl (except the noodles & green onions).

2. Pour sauce over warm noodles and toss to coat. Sprinkle with green onions & some sesame seeds if you have them on hand!

3. Enjoy!

BBQ in the crockpot-a working mom's dream...

Now that I have been back to work full-time I have been trying to make at least one meal a week in the crockpot. Last week I made another "whatever" I have in the pantry crockpot dinner. It was my first time doing boneless chicken breasts in the crockpot and it turned out amazing! So tender, tender enough in fact that my 11 month old could eat it. I also loved the fact I could just throw the chicken breasts in frozen because I HATE thawing chicken. I never can get it right before it starts to actually cook part way.

So a couple days ago was another day I needed to come up with a dinner right out of my pantry and I wanted to utilize my reliable crockpot. I decided I wanted to make bbq chicken. I found a recipe and I can report back that it turned out wonderful.

The first night I served it over rice and the next night we made bbq sandwiches. I also got a package of coleslaw to serve on the sandwich with the chicken, I love that combo! I can also report my little boy loved this recipe too! So a picky little one who is discovering his taste buds loves this recipe, I'm sure you will too!

Ingredients

1 cup kethup

4 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp honey

1-2 tbsp of brown sugar

2 tbsp Worchestire sauce

2 tbsp vinegar

2 tbsp dijjon mustard

salt & pepper

4 large boneless chicken breasts ( I put mine in frozen)

Directions

1. Place chicken breasts in crockpot.



2. Combine the rest of the ingredients in a bowl.



3. Pour bbq mixture over chicken.
   


4. Cook on low for 6-8 hrs!

Better than take-out sweet & sour chicken

I love any type of asian food; chinese, vietnamese, korean, japanese. You name it, I love it. I found this recipe in my issue of Rachael Ray magazine and knew I had to try it. I had most of the ingredients already in my pantry but if you do not, it is a cheap meal to make anyways. This dish was so delicious and probably way better for you than any sweet & sour chicken you would get at a restaurant.

Ingredients

• salt & pepper


• 1 cup rice ( I like brown rice)


• 1 can (20 oz) pineapple chunks, drained, 1/2 cup juice reserved


• 2 tbsp white vinegar


• 2 tbsp soy sauce


• 4 tsp cornstarch


• 1 tbsp ketchup


• 2 tsp finely grated fresh ginger


• 1 1/4 lbs skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces


• 1 tbsp red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, bring 1 3/4 cup water and 1/2 tsp salt to a boil; stir in the rice. Cover, lower heat and simmer until the liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Let stand, covered, for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork. (or use a rice cooker, that is what I do!)


2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the pineapple juice, vinegar, soy sauce, 2 tsp cornstarch, the ketchup and ginger. In a bowl, toss the chicken with the remaining 2 tsp cornstarch, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper.


3. In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook, turning occasionally, until browned, about 5 minutes, transfer to a plate. Add the bell pepper and cook, stirring, until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Stir in the pineapple chunks and reserved chicken.


4. Whisk the pineapple juice mixture into the chicken mixture and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened and the chicken is cooked through, about 2 minutes. Serve over rice.


5. Enjoy!

Turkey, Cheddar & Apple Meatballs with Egg Noodles

I found this recipe in my Rachel Ray magazine and thought it looked good. The original recipe called for pork, but I do not buy ground pork and always have ground turkey on hand. I enjoyed this recipe so much I have already made it more than once in a 3 week period. It is easy and very good. I even fed it to my 10 1/2 month old and he loved it too! So it is a great recipe for kids and adults alike. If you need a new pasta and meatball recipe, try this one out!

Ingredients

• 1 to 1 1/2 lbs ground turkey


• 1 cup grated cheddar cheese


• 1 cup bread crumbs


• 1 granny smith apple peeled & grated


• 1/2 onion grated


• 1/2 cup chopped parsley


• 1 egg, beaten


• salt & pepper


• 1 (12 ounce) bag of egg noodles


• 4 tablespoons of butter cut into pieces

Directions

1. Pre-heat the broiler. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. In a large mixing boil combine; turkey, cheese, bread crumbs, apple, onion, 3 tablespoons of parsley, the egg, 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt & 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Shape into small meatballs ( I like to use a cookie scoop). Broil meatballs until golden brown & cooked through, about 15 minutes.


2. Meanwhile in a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the noodles until al dente. Drain noodles and return to the pot and toss with butter and remaining parsley.


3. Add cooked meatballs to pot of noodles and enjoy!

Not your average Sloppy Turkey Joes

I am not a kid who grew up eating sloppy joes and I feel like I missed out a bit. I have been wanting to make a sloppy joe recipe for awhile and when I found this one in my Rachael Ray magazine I knew I had to try it and I'm glad I did. It was filling, slightly sweet and made me want to go back for seconds.....but I resisted so it would stretch to the next meal time. If you have young eatters I really think they would enjoy this meal. I bought Dave's Killer bread buns to serve it on and it was pure perfection. Get sloppy!!!

Ingredients
-1 tablespoon of olive oil

-1 1/2 lbs ground turkey

-1 tablespoon poultry seasoning

-salt and pepper

-1 small bell pepper chopped (red, orange, or yellow), whichever you prefer (or is on sale)

-1 small onion chopped

-1 garlic clove chopped

-1 cup tomato sauce

-1/4 cup pure maple syrup

-About 3 tablespoons soy sauce

-About 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

-About 2 tablespoons brown sugar

-1 tablespoon dijon mustard

-8 soft burger buns

-shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

1. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil, over medium-high heat. Add turkey and season with poultry seasoning, salt and pepper. Cook until browned, then stir in the bell pepper, onion, and garlic and cook until the vegetables are tender, 5 to 6 minutes. In a bowl, stir together the tomato sauce, maple syrup, soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, and mustard. Pour the sauce over teh meat and simmer over medium-low heat for a few minutes to combine the flavors. Serve the sloppy turkey on the rolls with the cheddar cheese.


2. Enjoy

Casserole Kathy

Growing up two of my best friends mom often made casseroles and her name was Kathy so her kids jokingly called her Casserole Kathy. It was a joke to them because they thought their mom was not the most adventurous cook, as my mom was. As I have grown in age and in the kitchen I have a new found love and appreciation for casserole, I guess t you could call me a Casserole Kathy. I love casseroles so much I could probably create a blog just around them.....hmmmmmmmmmmm.

Here is one I made this week, it was divine...yes I used the word divine to describe this casserole. Try it and be wowed!

Tex-Mex Barley Bake

Directions

• 2/3 cup pearled barley
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced
• One 15-ounce can corn,drained
• One 15-ounce can black beans, drained & rinsed
• 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 1/4 cups milk, warmed
• 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• salt and pepper
• 2 cups crushed tortilla chips

Directions

1. In a small saucepan, bring 3 cups water to a boil, add barley, lower the heat and simmer for 40 minutes. Drain, transfer to a bowl and let cool. Reserve the saucepan.
2. Meanwhile, position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees. In a large skillet, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium-high heat, add the scallions and sautee. Stir into the barley with the corn, black beans and tomatoes.
3. Using the same saucepan, melt the remaining 3 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour for 1 minute, slowly whisk in warmed milk and bring to a simmer, then cook for 1 more minute. Stir in 2 cups cheese, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Stir this into the barley mixture, transfer to a shallow 13 by 9 baking dish.
4. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Sprinkle the chips and remaining 1 cup cheese on top. Bake, uncovered, until the cheese is melted and the chips are toasted, 10-15 minutes.

2nd chance dinner with pork tenderloin cont....

On my March 2nd, 2011 blog I made a pork tenderloin and then made little sandwiches out of the leftovers. We enjoyed this pork tenderloin so much we made it again last week. I wanted to think of another 2nd chance dinner with it and when I went to the grocery store I saw a fruit salsa that caught my eye and helped spark my idea for this 2nd chance dinner.

This time I made what I called California burritos because it made me think of California, duh!

Ingredients

• leftover pork cut into small pieces
• leftover cooked rice
• 2 onions caramelized
• black beans
• shredded lettuce
• shredded pepper jack cheese
• tortillas
• fruit salsa ( such as mango)

I think when it comes to burritos it is everyone's personal taste on what they want or like in it. We had guests over and I set up the ingredients and let them choose what they wanted in their burrito and how much. These were amazing, I really like the Californian twist I put on them. It is fun at times to step out of the culinary box on what you expect from a recipe.

Giada's balsamic chicken

Although Giada's recipe just called for drumettes, I used a Foster Farms picnic pack which had drumettes and thighs in it. These packs are good if you want to entertain on a budget. I got a pack that would easily feed 4-5 people (depending on appetites) and it was only $5.00. You can even get a picnic pack that size for cheaper but Foster Farms is a more expensive brand.

This recipe was easy, cheap and really good. We had it with some brown rice and it was delicious. I am thinking about making this recipe again for an italian dinner because I know this will be a crowd pleaser!

If you are entertaining soon try this recipe for your guests! I know they will not be disappointed.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 5 sprigs of rosemary
• 5 garlic cloves, halved
• 10 to 12 chicken drumsticks or a picnic pack which is usually a mix of drumsticks/thighs
• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions

Combine the balsamic, honey, brown sugar, soy sauce, rosemary sprigs, and garlic cloves, in a large, re-sealable plastic bag. Shake and squeeze the contents of the bag to dissolve the honey and the brown sugar. Add the chicken drumsticks to the bag and seal with as little air as possible in the bag. Place in the refrigerator and marinate for 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Place the chicken drumsticks on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake until the skin is caramelized and very dark in spots, about 30 to 35 minutes.

Meanwhile, place the marinade in a small saucepan. Bring the marinade to a boil (in order to kill bacteria). Reduce the heat to simmer and cook over low heat until thick, about 15 minutes. Reserve.

Use a pastry brush to brush some of the cooked marinade on the cooked chicken. Place the chicken on a serving platter. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds and the chopped parsley.

Cook's note: I like the rosemary and garlic flavors in the background. Brushing the cooked drumettes with the reduced marinade helps the flavors along. Also, re-moistening helps the parsley and the seeds to adhere.

Mushroom barley soup throwdown!

I love soup. It is probably one of my favorite foodie things. I am probably one of the few people who crave soup on even a summer day. Even on the worst of days, a warm, hearty soup just makes the day better.

Some days when I'm out running errands I have my lunch at Whole Foods market. On this particular afternoon my brother met me for lunch and we decided to split a sandwich and some soup. The soup that caught both our eye was a mushroom barley. It looked hearty and healthy. I really enjoyed it. So when I got home I decided I had to duplicate that soup. I had some mushrooms on hand I wanted to use up so I started cooking. This is what I came up with. I love this soup and so did my meat loving husband.

If you love soup but are tired of the same ol' chicken noodle, give this a try.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup of olive oil
• 1 cup of diced onion
• 3/4 cup diced carrot
• 1/4 cup diced celery
• 3 cloves of minced garlic
• 1 lb of sliced mushrooms
• 6 cups of beef broth
• 3/4 cup of pearl barley
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery and garlic; cook and stir until onions are tender and transparent. Stir in mushrooms and continue to cook for a few minutes. Pour in the beef broth and add barley. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer until barley is tender, about 50 minutes. Season with salt and pepper before serving.

Friday pizza creations

Usually by friday I am out of my leftovers from the dinners I made for the weeks, and by then I'm tired and want a quick easy dinner to make. I always have pillsbury pizza dough, pizza sauce and some kind of cheese on hand. From there I look in my pantry and fridge to see what type of pizza creation I can throw together. This friday was slim pickin's but I got an idea and it turned out well. This friday's pizza creation ended up being; pineapple, green chillies and basil pizza. I use Pillsbury dough because it is quick and easy. The two cheese I had in my fridge this week were Monterey Jack and Parmesan. This pizza was quite delicious, Bri and I even were even guilty of finishing the whole thing by ourselves. What pizza creation have you thrown together???

Hot and Sweet drumsticks

These were very easy and a crowd pleaser. Would be a great chicken dish to bring to your next summer picnic!

Ingredients

• 1 cup apricot preserves
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons of tabasco or another hot sauce
• 3 lbs drumsticks

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F. In a small saucepan, combine preserves, ketchup, soy sauce, garlic and hot pepper sauce. Cook and stir over medium-low heat until preserves are melted.

   Arrange drumsticks in a single layer on a 13 x 9″ baking pan. Pour sauce over drumsticks, turning to coat. Bake, uncovered, for 40-45 minutes or until chicken is done, spooning sauce over drumsticks while baking. Serves 6.

   
   

Creamy Spaghetti Chicken Casserole

I found this recipe and I'm always looking for something to do with the Costco roasted chickens. I usually buy one every couple weeks and make two different recipes out of one chicken. This week I made chicken enchiladas and this Spaghetti Chicken. I do like casseroles because they stretch during a busy work week for my husband and I. I was pessimistic that my husband would enjoy this dish because he usually does not like stuff that is "creamy". Well I was quite wrong, he loved this dish and couldn't figure out the unusual ingredient he liked so much....It was the pimentos. So if you love casseroles, recipes to make with Costco chicken, or simple comfort food, give this dish a go.

Ingredients

• 2 cups Cooked Chicken
• 3 cups Dry Spaghetti, Broken Into Two Inch Pieces
• 2 cans Cream Of Mushroom Soup
• 2 cups Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese
• ¼ cups Finely Diced Red Pepper
• ¼ cups Finely Diced Onion
• 1 jar (4 Ounce) Diced Pimentos, Drained
• 2 cups Reserved Chicken Broth From Pot
• ⅛ teaspoons (to 1/4 Teaspoon) Cayenne Pepper
• Salt And Pepper, to taste
• 1 cup Additional Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Directions

Cook 1 cut up roast chicken and pick out the meat to make two cups. Cook spaghetti until al dente. Do not overcook. When spaghetti is cooked, combine with remaining ingredients except additional 1 cup sharp cheddar.

Place mixture in casserole pan and top with remaining sharp cheddar. Cover and freeze up to six months, cover and refrigerate up to two days, or bake immediately: 350 degrees for 45 minutes until bubbly. (If the cheese on top starts to get too cooked, cover with foil).

2nd chance dinner with pork tenderloin

The day after we made the pork tenderloin was the Academy awards. It is a tradition with my mom to watch it and have yummy food. I thought of making little sandwiches with the leftover pork on my way to the gym that morning. I bought little potato rolls, made caramelized onions, thinly sliced the leftover pork and put a little apricot marmalade on the roll. My mom, husband and me all loved this little sandwich. I will surely make these again, and they would be great for a party!

Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Apricot Marmalade glaze

We bought some pork tenderloins from Costco the other night for our weekly saturday dinner. I hadn't planned on that so I had to find a recipe using the ingredients I already had in the pantry. I found this and thought it sounded good. It was originally with orange marmalade but I had apricot and pork really tastes good with any fruit so I thought I'd give it a try. It was really good and I did a second chance recipe the next night, which were little sandwiches.

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup of soy sauce
• 1/3 cup apricot marmalade
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon of rice wine vinegar
• Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 lb pork tenderloin
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced

Directions

1. In a small saucepan, bring the soy sauce, marmalade, honey, rice wine vinegar, and red pepper flakes to a simmer over medium heat. Remove from the flame and let cool to room temperature. Distribute the glaze evenly in 2 bowls. Marinate the tenderloin roast for a min of 1 hour in the glaze.

2. Heat the grill to 350°F or medium. Put on the tenderloin. Grill 8 minutes on one side (check at 6 minutes), depending on size of pork loin. Then flip it, baste it. Grill another 6-10 minutes. Start checking with a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat, at about 6 minutes on the second side. Cook until internal temperature reaches 140°F. Remove from heat.

3 If you have let the temp get above 140°F, you may need to slice the pork immediately or the meat will continue to cook as it rests and become overcooked. If you have taken it out in time, let the pork rest 10 minutes. Thinly slice, sprinkle with the remaining glaze and scallions.

Serve with rice.

Easy asian dumpling soup

Found this recipe in a magazine and knew instantly I had to try it! It was quick and easy but I actually liked it better as leftovers than when it was first made!

1. Saute 1 diced onion, 2 diced carrots, 2 sliced celery stalks, and 8 oz of sliced mushrooms in 2 tablespoons of olive oil until tender.

2. Add 5 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken stock, 2 cups of water, and 1 bay leaf; bring to a boil.

3. Add a bag of gyoza (you can get a bag at Trader Joes's or Ling Lings at any grocery store); simmer 6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley.

4. Enjoy!!!

Stuffed Bell Peppers

I really love this dish. This time it was more unusual than I normally make it. This time it was made with Elk, which is an extremely lean meat. I usually use ground turkey meat, and it is what I still prefer but when someone gave us Elk meat to try I thought I'd use it on this dish. If you like a comfort meal that will give you some leftovers for the week, make this dish.

Ingredients

• 6 large bell peppers (I prefer red or yellow)
• 1 lb ground turkey (but you can use a pound of any ground meat you prefer)
• 1/2 onion chopped
• 1 cup cooked rice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 can (15 ounce) tomato sauce
• 3/4 shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

1. Cut thin slice from stem end of each bell pepper. Remove seeds and membranes, rinse peppers. Cook peppers in enough boiling water to cover about 5 minutes, drain.
2. Cook turkey and onion over medium heat 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally until turkey is brown, drain. Stir in rice, salt, garlic and 1 cup of the tomato sauce, cook until hot.
3. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
4. Stuff peppers with mixture. Stand upright in ungreased baking dish. Pour remaining tomato sauce over peppers.
5. Cover and bake 45 minutes. Uncover and bake about 15 minutes longer or until peppers are tender. Sprinkle with cheese.
6. Enjoy!

Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

Brian and I have made it a tradition to make a special dinner together on saturdays. We put the babes down to bed, open a bottle of wine, put on some tunes and cook together. It is special time together to reconnect after another hectic week. It is so nice to cook in the kitchen together too. Usually he has been bbq'ing but a real rainy saturday ruled that out this week.

This is just a idea on a method you can do with whatever you want to stuff your mushroom with. I love the earthy, meatiness of a portobello. For this dish I made some sauce and then mixed in a half pound of my favorite spicy italian chicken sausage from whole foods. So the filling should be more on the meaty side versus saucy side, you don't want it to be too runny. If you don't make your own sauce, use your favorite jarred one.

1. We took out the gills of the portobellos first.

2. Drizzled the portobellos with some olive oil.

3. Broil for 5-6 minutes.

4. Stuff with your filling.

5. Put some cheese on top (I did mozzarella slices).

6. Put back under the broiler until cheese melts and is bubbly!

Hawaiian Chicken with Citrus Cilantro Rice

This is a great recipe for you ladies to have your men to put together. My husband was on vacation this week so I had him marinade the chicken while I was at work. When it came to dinner time I had him man the chicken while I took care of the rice. This chicken was very delicious and flavorful. I find ginger can be overpowering at times but it was just the right amount that added subtle flavor. I can't wait to make this chicken for a summer bbq!

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup pineapple juice
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 2 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced peeled ginger
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• Cooking spray
• 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 cups hot cooked rice (I use brown rice) but use whatever you prefer
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2 lime

Directions

1. Combine first 5 ingredients. Reserve 1/4 cup marinade, placing remaining marinade in a zip-top plastic bag. Add chicken to bag, seal. Chill 4 hours.
2. Heat a grill pan or bbq over medium high heat. Coat pan or grill with cooking spray. Remove chicken from bag, discard marinade in bag. Sprinkle chicken with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and pepper. Add chicken to grill pan or bbq, baste with 2 tablespoons of reserved marinade. Cook 6 minutes. Turn chicken over, baste with 2 tablespoons reserved marinade. Cook 6 minutes.
3. Combine rice, 1/4 teaspoon salt, cilantro and juice from 1/2 lime.

Penne with Shrimp

We made this dish for New Years, and it was the perfect dish to celebrate the New Year. This dish was easy to make and so good. We couldn't stop giggling while we were eating it because it was just that yummy! You may see whipping cream and think this is a heavy sauce, but don't be fooled it is light and so flavorful!

Ingredients

• 1 pound penne pasta
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled, and deveined
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus extra for seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus extra for seasoning
• 1 (15-ounce) can whole tomatoes, drained, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 cup white wine
• 1/3 cup chicken stock
• 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the pasta and set aside.

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Cook, stirring frequently until the shrimp turn pink and is cooked through, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the shrimp and set aside.

Add the tomatoes, 1/4 cup basil, 1/4 cup parsley, and the red pepper flakes. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the wine, chicken stock, and heavy cream. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 7 to 8 minutes until the sauce thickens. Add 1/4 cup of the Parmesan, the cooked shrimp, the cooked pasta, and the remaining herbs. Toss together until all ingredients are coated. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Transfer the pasta to a large serving bowl. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and serve immediately.