Italian Tilapia

Ingredients:

4 Tilapia loins

2 Tbs Olive oil

1/2 large onion (diced)

5 button mushrooms (sliced)

1-2 cloves garlic (minced)

1 Italian zucchini (sliced)

salt and pepper to taste

1 tsp. dried basil

1 Tbs Olive oil

1 can Fire Roasted diced tomatoes

Sprinkling of Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 375. In a 13X9 pan drizzle the 1 Tbs of Olive oil in the pan. Add in the tilapia loins. Salt and pepper fish. In a medium saucepan add the 2 Tbs of Olive oil, diced onions, mushrooms. Saute them for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and zucchini and saute in extra 2 minutes. Salt and pepper this. Next add the basil and Fire Roasted tomatoes. Spoon the mixture of ingredients onto the fish.

Cook in the oven for 15 minutes or until fish is flaky.

Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the top.

The Results:

This is one of my concoctions on a night I couldn't think of anything to make. It was delicious. I love zucchini and mushrooms so they got thrown in the pot. My boys gobbled it up and my oldest son told me this is good chicken mom. He didn't care if it was fish or chicken as long as he could dip it in ranch. Whatever, he ate all his dinner. I served this with a side salad and some rice. Enjoy!

Deep Dish Lasagna

Sorry, I didn't clean up the picture. The sauce draining down the plate makes it more real, right?

So as you can tell by most of my pictures they are quick and in a hurry. With no background or anything. What can I say my family can not wait for the dinner. My husband sighs every time I break out the camera. We had company the night I made this lasagna and they asked "Why are you taking a picture of the food?" I just laughed because I know it looks kinda weird. Oh well, I do it for the viewing pleasures of you guys. I just wish my family didn't have to starve an extra 5 minutes longer.

INGREDIENTS :
12 uncooked lasagna noodles
1 pound sweet Italian sausage (I used half ground beef and half sausage)
2/3 cup chopped onions
1/2 tablespoon minced garlic
2/3 cup chopped fresh parsley, divided
3 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
2 cups water
1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil leaves
1 pound part-skim ricotta cheese
1 (10 ounce) package chopped spinach, thawed and squeeze dried
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 eggs
2 teaspoons garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add lasagna and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
In skillet over medium heat, brown the sausage with the onions, garlic and 1/2 the parsley; drain. Add tomato paste, tomato sauce, water, Italian seasoning, oregano, and basil; mix well. Simmer, covered, for 5 minutes; stirring occasionally.
In a bowl, combine remaining parsley and Ricotta, spinach, Parmesan, eggs, garlic salt, and pepper; mix well.
In lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish, spread 2 cups sauce mix. Begin layering with 4 noodles, 1/2 cheese mix, 1/3 remaining sauce, and 1 cup mozzarella. Repeat this layer again and the last layer will be noodles, sauce and mozzarella cheese.
Bake covered in a preheated oven at for 45 minutes. Bake uncovered an additional 10 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.

The Results:
I made this for company a couple days ago. It was really good. I did change a couple things. I did half ground beef and half sausage and I added about 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of salt to the sauce. Also you only need 10 noodles. Everything else was just perfect. Yummy! I served it with a salad and garlic bread. Also if you wanted just use your own spaghetti sauce. You can make it or pour it out of your favorite bottle of sauce. I won't judge you.:) I got this recipe from allrecipes.

Baked Penne and Meatballs

Mushroom Marinara:

2 tsp olive oil
1/2 sweet yellow onion, diced
6 oz of button or cremini mushrooms, sliced thinly ( I used canned mushrooms)
3-4 cloves of garlic, chopped finely
1 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes ( I used diced tomatoes and smashed them)
1 15 oz can of tomato sauce
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp fennel seeds, crushed ( I didn't have any)
1 tsp white sugar (I didn't use sugar because I'm not a big sweet sauce fan)
1 pinch of red pepper flakes
Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil in a dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions and mushrooms and saute until tender; add the garlic and cook for 60 seconds, stirring frequently. Add the remaining ingredients. Simmer for at least 2 hours.

Meatballs:
1 lb lean ground beef (I used 93/7)
7 button mushrooms, diced finely (I had to use canned mushrooms )
1/4 sweet yellow onion, diced finely
1/4 cup of Italian style breadcrumbs
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 egg
1 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
1/2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 tsp fennel seed, crushed ( I didn't have any so I didn't use it.)
Sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper
1 tsp olive oil (for cooking)

Put the onions, garlic and mushrooms in a food processor to chop, otherwise chop them as small as you can. Combine all ingredients (except for olive oil) together gently. Form into small meatballs and set aside. Once the meatballs are prepared. Heat a skillet over medium heat with 1 tsp olive oil. Cook the meatballs until golden brown on all sides. Remove from skillet and place the cooked meatballs in the mushroom marinara.

Penne pasta, prepared per instructions
1 cup of mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese, shredded
1 tbsp fresh basil

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cook the pasta per instructions and drain. Pour the pasta into the sauce with the meatballs. Add the fresh basil and cheese - reserving a bit for the top, then mix VERY gently. Top with remaining cheese and bake for 30 minutes. Enjoy!

The Results:

This is sooo yummy! I had to improvise a little because I didn't have a couple things but it all turned out good. The meatballs were soooo prefect. My husband was wishing I was making meatball sandwiches though. Anyways, well once again I went to the best food bloggers page

http://fortheloveofcooking-recipes.blogspot.com/search/label/Beef and she never fails at providing good recipes for my family to enjoy.

Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo

I wish I had a better picture because this was so good. But everyone was just too hungry to wait for a plated perfect picture.

Ingredients:
2 boneless chicken breasts
salt and pepper or use Mrs. Dash original blend seasoning

Directions:
Grill, stove top or bake the chicken. I grilled it and it turned out great.

Ingredients:

10 ounces fettuccine pasta
1/2 cup butter

1 cup heavy cream
2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons dried parsley

Pepper

Directions:

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add fettuccine pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente, drain. In a large skillet melt the butter. After the butter is melted add the heavy cream and whisk for 2 minutes. Then add in the freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Whisk till it all comes together. Add the parsley and pepper. Enjoy!

The Results:

This was awesome. There are a couple things to know though. I used Imperial stick butter which is 65% vegetable oil spread. A lot of the Alfredo sauce recipe ask for unsalted butter. If you do choose to use unsalted butter put salt into your Alfredo sauce. If you choose to use butter with vegetable oil in it just use pepper. I served this to company and it was just so good. Who would have thunk that a couple little ingredients could be so good together. I will have a better picture for you next time. Also I would say that if you don't have heavy cream you could use 2% percent milk.

Skillet Noodle Lasagna

Click on Skillet Noodle Lasagna to get the recipe.
The Results:
This really is quick, easy and good. Served with garlic french bread. I used sausage in this one and I made my own Spaghetti Sauce .But I have made this exactly how the recipe is before and it is just as good.

Creamy Ranch Chicken

Creamy Ranch Chicken
adapted from Better Homes and Garden's Quick and Easy Recipes
start to finish: 20 minutes
serves about 4

6 slices bacon
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into bite size pieces
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons ranch dry salad dressing mix
1 1/4 cups milk
3 cups dried medium noodles(I used bowtie noodles)
1 tablespoon finely shredded Parmesan cheese

**Also, I added mozzerella to the top and let it melt.

Directions:
1. Start your water for your pasta. Cook noodles according to package directions.
2. Cut bacon into narrow strips. In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Drain bacon on paper towels; discard all but 2 tablespoons drippings.
3. In the same skillet, cook chicken in reserved drippings until no longer pink, turning to brown evenly. Sprinkle flour and salad dressing mix over chicken; stir well to coat the chicken. Stir in milk. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir 1 minute more. Stir in bacon.
4. Serve the chicken over the noodles. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

The Results:

This was quick and easy. It was good but the mozzerella on top made it even better. I served this with a side of steamed broccoli. I got the recipe from www.stephanieskitchen.com.

Shrimp Scampi Saute with Tomatoes and Spinach

Ingredients:

1/2 carton SeaPak Shrimp Scampi (frozen) ( I got this at Costco the shrimp are in garlic butter sauce)

1 bag (about 6-10 ounces)fresh baby spinach

1 can (14.5) diced tomatoes

1/2 of a 16 ounce package Linguine, cooked and drained (about 4 cups)

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Cook the shrimp in a 12 inch skillet for 6 minutes

Add the spinach and tomatoes. Cook and stir for about 5-6 minutes more or until the shrimp turn pink, and spinach wilts.

Add pasta to the skillet and toss to coat. Portion onto plates and top with sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. Serve Immediately.

The Results:

I thought this was soooo good. I served this with the breadsticks left over the other day. It was super quick and easy. I picked this shrimp up the other day at Costco. I sampled it and thought that was good. So I bought some. I have served it with pasta and rice. I'm sure you can get shrimp scampi at the grocery store too. I got the recipe from the back of the SeaPak Shrimp Scampi box.

Spaghetti Sauce

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef (or you can use Italian sausage)

1 cup onions (chopped)

3 cloves garlic (minced)

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

2 (15 oz) cans tomato sauce

1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes

1 (4oz) can mushrooms

3/4 cup water

1 1/2 tsps. Italian dried seasons

1/4 tsp. dried basil

1/4 tsp. dried parsley

dash salt and pepper

Directions:

In a large ( big enough for the sauce and meat) pan cook your ground beef until done. Add onions, garlic, salt and pepper. Once the onions turn translucent add the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, mushrooms, water, Italian dried seasons, basil, parsley, salt and pepper. Cover.Turn it on medium heat for about 10 minutes. Then turn it down to low heat for about 2 hours. Covered. ( You can let a little steam out.So the lid is just off a little.) Stirring sauce occasionally. The sauce will have a thick consistency once done.

The Results:

This is my own recipe for spaghetti sauce and my family loves it. A good sauce is always nice to have. Serve with spaghetti noodles and top with parmesan cheese. Also if you want this sauce to take less time only use about a 1/2 cup or less of water. Letting this sauce simmer for 2 hours makes it sooo good though.:)

Breadsticks

Ingredients:

1 ½ cup warm water

1 Tablespoon yeast

2 Tablespoons sugar

3 ½ cup flour

½ tsp salt

Butter for pan

Directions:

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Add sugar and let it sit and bubble for a few minutes. Add the salt and flour. Knead for 3 minutes. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes. (I do all of this in my Bosch--any mixer would work great) Melt 3-4 Tbsp of butter and pour most of it onto a cookie sheet. Roll dough to cover cookie sheet. Cut to desired width, then twist or lay flat on cookie sheet. Brush remainder of butter on breadsticks and sprinkle with garlic salt, parmesan cheese, and parsley (or whatever seasonings you like). Raise for 10-20 minutes. Preheat your oven to 375 and bake for 20 minutes, or until golden. You can roll them out to fit a cookie sheet and they will be pufffy and soft. If you prefer a thinner, crunchy breadstick roll them out to fit a cookie sheet and a jelly roll pan. Either way they are great!

The Results:

These were super good and super easy. I got the recipe from http://sisterscafe.blogspot.com/search/label/bread. I sprinkled garlic salt and parmesan on my breadsticks and only cooked mine for 17 minutes. I would suggest only cooking them till they are golden brown. These were tasty little breadsticks with my spaghetti.

Skillet Noodle Lasagna

Ingredients:
1/2 pound wide egg noodles
1 container (1 pound) cottage cheese
1 package (10 ounces) frozen creamed spinach, thawed
1 jar (32 ounces) extra-meaty pasta sauce ( *Use whatever sauce you want)
1 package (8 ounces) shredded pizza cheese blend (mozzarella and cheddar)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Directions:
1. Cook noodles for 8 minutes, following package directions. Drain.
2. Meanwhile, in small bowl, mix together cottage cheese and spinach.
3. Spread 1 cup pasta sauce over bottom of large (12-inch) skillet. Evenly arrange one-third of cooked noodles over sauce. Spoon half of remaining sauce over noodles. Top with another third of noodles. Spread cottage cheese mixture over noodles. Sprinkle 1 cup cheese blend over cottage cheese. Top with remaining noodles; spread with remaining sauce.
4. Cover skillet. Bring to rapid hard simmer over high heat. Reduce heat to medium; simmer 10 minutes.
5. Sprinkle remaining pizza cheese blend and grated Parmesan over top. Cover and simmer 2 minutes. Remove from heat; let stand 10 minutes. Makes 8 servings.
The Results:
** This meal is so fast and easy. I got it out of Family Circle magazine in 2003. I use to make this all the time when I came home from work. It was quick, easy and good. I served it with a salad and garlic bread of course.