Pasta with Quick Meat Sauce

Yum - even though this meat sauce didn't simmer for hours on the stove - it was so good! I have to remember this one when I want to have meat sauce but don't have a lot of time on my hands.  I'd say you can definitely sub in any type of pasta you enjoy, I had fettuccine so that is what I used. The leftovers are just as good the next day, or maybe even better?! Using some of the pasta cooking water is something I learned from Rachael Ray years ago. It really ties the sauce together somehow and makes a big difference. 


Pasta with Quick Meat Sauce      

Serves 4-6

Pasta with Quick Meat Sauce

ingredients

• 1 lb fettuccine pasta
• 1 Tbsp EVOO
• 1 lb Ground beef (90% lean)
• 1 onion, diced
• 14 oz can diced tomatoes (organic)
• 1/4 cup fresh oregano leaves, roughly chopped
• 1/2 Tbsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for topping

• Kosher Salt & Freshly Cracked Black Pepper

directions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the noodles and cook according to the package instructions. Right before draining, reserve at least 1 cup of the cooking water and set aside.

2. Place a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the EVOO and then the beef and a pinch of salt. Cook, until brown and then scoot to the side of the pan. Add the onions, a pinch of salt and stir for about 1 minute.

3. Add the reserved cooking water to the skillet and deglaze the pan, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the tomatoes, oregano and pepper flakes and bring to a simmer.

4. Toss the pasta with the meat sauce with the Parmesan. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Top each serving with a bit more Parmesan cheese.

Enjoy!

This recipe was adapted from Michael Simon.

Shrimp & Kielbasa Packets

This recipe sounded a bit odd - the ingredients didn't seem like they would flow together, so I made it a bit hesitantly. To my pleasant surprise, it turned out pretty tasty. I used beef kielbasa versus chorizo (we just haven't found a cured chorizo that we like) so I wasn't sure how it would turn out. But, we both enjoyed the new flavors this dish brought to the table.

Shrimp & Kielbasa Packets      

Serves 2

Shrimp & Kielbasa Packets

ingredients

• 1/2 lb shelled & deveined large shrimp
• 1/4 lb beef kielbasa, sliced
• 2 Tbsp fresh oregano
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 7 oz diced tomatoes with juices
• Grated zest and juice of 1 orange
• 2 Tbsp EVOO

• Kosher Salt & Freshly Cracked Black Pepper

directions

1. Preheat oven to 425º.

2. Lay out 2 large pieces of foil. In the center, divide the ingredients between the two. Bring up all 4 corners of the foil and begin to form a pouch. Tightly seal each packet. Place on a baking sheet and then place in the oven.

3. Bake the packets 15 minutes.

Remove and serve with warm crusty bread for mopping.

Enjoy!

This recipe was adapted from Michael Simon.

Spaghetti with Olive Oil, Garlic & Red Pepper Flakes

This was yet another quick meal to remember when I wanna throw something together fast - this really came out delicious and paired with a simple salad it was just perfect. Yes, it doesn't have any meat, but it has loads of flavor! I used whole wheat spaghetti - it's just what I had in the pantry but you can use any type of pasta with this recipe. The garlic infuses the oil and creates super powers that coat each noodle so that they just do a little dance on your tongue. :-P

Spaghetti with Olive Oil, Garlic & Red Pepper Flakes      

Serves 4-6

Spaghetti with Olive Oil, Garlic & Red Pepper Flakes

ingredients

• 1 lb whole wheat spaghetti
• 1/4 cup EVOO
• 5 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1 Tbsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves, chopped
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 Tbsp butter

• Kosher Salt & Freshly Cracked Black Pepper

directions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the spaghetti according to the package instructions. Right before draining reserve about 1 cup of the cooking water and set aside.

2. Place a skillet over low heat and add the EVOO and garlic. Cook until the garlic becomes fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add the red pepper flakes and the reserved pasta water to the garlic. Increase the heat and bring to a simmer.

3. Toss the sauce with the cooked pasta, stirring until the noodles are coated evenly. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter, parsley and Parmesan cheese. Toss the noodles until they are coated.

Serve with a simple salad.

Enjoy!

This recipe was adapted from Michael Simon.

Roasted Chicken Drumsticks

I found this recipe online and it turned out to be quite a success... I changed the recipe just a bit as shown below. I added some fresh veggies and potatoes to create a wonderfully comforting Sunday dinner. I prefer to make pieces of chicken versus a whole chicken if it is just going to be the two of us because chicken just isn't good as leftovers to us. Most of the ingredients to make this recipe are staples and can be made on a whim if you already have the chicken.

Roasted Chicken Drumsticks      

Serves 4

ingredients

• 1/2 stick butter
• Juice & Zest of 1 lemon
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 5 Chicken drumsticks

• Kosher Salt & Freshly Cracked Black Pepper

directions

1. Preheat oven to 450º. Melt the butter in a saucepan with the lemon juice/zest, S&P, cayenne and garlic, stir to combine. Set aside.

2. Rinse and pat the chicken dry. Dip the chicken in the butter mixture and place on a metal rack on a baking sheet. Baste the legs with any remaining butter mixture. Bake for 35 minutes, turning once during cooking.

3. Remove and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

I served these with some leftover mashed potatoes and freshly roasted asparagus.

Enjoy!

This recipe was adapted from Pioneer Woman.

Pizza Bagels

What's not to love about bagels and pizza, well put them together and you have a quick delicious meal on your hands. We had some everything bagels from Costco in the freezer so for a quick cheap meal I threw these together and they were fantastic. We had some olives that we threw on there as well, but you can put anything you'd like as toppings or just do cheese.

Pizza Bagels      

Serves 2-4

Everything Pizza Bagels

ingredients

• 2 everything bagels
• Shredded mozzarella cheese
• Marinara Sauce (I had some frozen homemade that I used)
• dried oregano, crushed red pepper flakes

• Kosher Salt & Freshly Cracked Black Pepper
• Black olives, sliced
• Jalapeno, thinly sliced

directions

Preheat oven to 375º. Spread some sauce on each bagel half, then seasonings to taste, toppings of choice and finish with some cheese. Place on an oiled baking sheet and cook for 15 -20 minutes until the cheese is melty and the bagel is toasted and crispy.

Enjoy!

This recipe was adapted from Me.

Penne with Broccoli, Cheddar & Bacon

This turned out to be such a great weeknight meal, the 5 in 5 cookbook really has been a great investment. I've been using it a lot lately, and it has turned our weeknight meals into less prep, money & time but lots of great dishes.

This dinner is a play on broccoli with cheese, only it has a few more ingredients to kick that dish up about 10 notches. I made the full batch to have some leftover for lunch. You could serve a salad and bread with this or just the pasta all by its lonesome. I used walnuts in place of pine nuts because they are cheaper and just as yummy to us.

Penne with Broccoli, Cheddar & Bacon      

Serves 4-6

Penne with Broccoli, Cheddar & Bacon

ingredients

• 1 lb penne pasta
• 1 head broccoli, cut into bite size florets
• 1 tbsp EVOO
• 6 slices thick apple wood smoked bacon, diced
• 3/4 cup roughly chopped walnuts
• 1 1/2 cups sharp aged cheddar, shredded, plus more for topping
• 1 tbsp crushed red pepper flakes

• Kosher Salt & Freshly Cracked Black Pepper

directions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the package directions. (until al dente). Reserve 1 cup cooking water and drain the pasta.

2. Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook until crispy. Remove from skillet with a slotted spoon and drain paper towel lined plate. Drain the bacon grease from the skillet and add the EVOO, broccoli and nuts. Cook for 1-2 minutes until nuts are light golden brown.

3. Add the bacon back to the skillet and toss. Add 1 cup reserved pasta water to the skillet and deglaze the pan. Cook for 1 minute then reduce the heat to low and stir in the cheese & red pepper flakes. When cheese has melted and in fully incorporated add the cooked pasta. Stir until well combined and serve with more cheese on top.

Note: if the sauce seems too thick then just add a few more splashes of the pasta cooking water until it's the consistency you want. I saved 2 cups for that reason. I just ladle the pasta water out into a glass measuring cup right before I drain the pasta for these type of dishes.

Enjoy!

This recipe was adapted from Michael Simon.

Grilled Swordfish and Pepper Salad

One word about this meal... YUM! Oh wow this dinner was fantastic... we both really enjoyed it. It was very simple to make with very few ingredients but full of flavorama! The swordfish came out perfectly cooked on our charcoal grill. The pepper salad had a hint of spice to it but also lots of sweetness behind the tangy vinaigrette. You could probably sub in any type of fish but if you haven't tried swordfish, you must give it a whirl!

Grilled Swordfish and Pepper Salad      

Serves 2

Grilled Swordfish and Pepper Salad

ingredients

• 2 Swordfish Steaks (5 oz each)
• 6 Tbsp EVOO
• 3 Tbsp sherry vinegar
• 1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1/2 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 1 jalapeno, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup fresh basil, thinly sliced

• Kosher Salt & Freshly Cracked Black Pepper

directions

1. Preheat a grill to high heat.

2. Season the fish on both sides with EVOO, S&P and place on grill. Cover and cook until nicely charred and fish released from the grill, about 3 minutes. Flip, cover and cook until cooked through, about 2 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, make the salad by whisking the oil and vinegar, S&P until combined. Toss with the onions, peppers and basil. Set aside until ready to serve.

4. Serve the fish with the salad and a few spoonfuls of the vinaigrette on top of the fish.

Enjoy!

This recipe was adapted from Michael Simon.

Spicy Sausage & Pepper Pizza

This pizza can be served for breakfast, lunch or dinner in my opinion. We chose breakfast over the weekend - it was a nice change from the usual. It was a meal that we threw together based upon what was leftover in the fridge from other meals and this creation evolved - yum! Leftovers can be eaten cold or warmed up in the oven. Here is how we made it...

Spicy Sausage & Pepper Pizza      

Serves 4

Spicy Sausage & Pepper Pizza

ingredients

•1 lb pizza dough
• flour and cornmeal for dusting
• 3/4 lb bulk hot sausage
• 1 c green chile sauce
• 1/4 c hot rotel
• 1/4 c chopped onion
• 1/2 c chopped mini yellow bell pepper
• 1/2 c shredded mozzarella
• cilantro and avocado for serving

directions

1. Let dough sit out at room temperature for 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 450º.

2. Brown the sausage in a skillet over medium high heat until crispy and cooked through. Remove from skillet and let drain on paper towel lined plate.

3. Puree the green chile sauce with the rotel in a blender, set aside.

4. Roll out on a lightly flour dusted surface into an oval shape. Place the dough on a cornmeal dusted baking sheet. Spoon on the green chile/rotel sauce evenly on the dough all the way to the edges. Add the sausage, peppers, onions and cheese evenly across the pie.

5. Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is all melty and gooey. Let pizza rest on board for 5 minutes before cutting. Serve topped with cilantro and diced avocado.

Enjoy!

Iced Coffee... and Coffee Milkshakes!

We had probably one of the best coffees around when we were in Boston a few years ago. It was from a little dive we had a tasty breakfast in and we all raved about the Iced Coffee. This reminded me of that experience with my family and made me smile. We used an Italian Roast Coffee bean that we ground coarsely before soaking in the water. I am not a big coffee drinker myself, however, this was very tasty and a nice way to end this hot summer.

Iced Coffee      

Makes approx 1/2 gallon coffee concentrate

Iced Coffee

ingredients

• 1/4 lb freshly coarse ground coffee

• 2 quarts cold water
• Milk or half & half (a healthy splash per serving)
• Sweetened condensed milk (2 Tbsp per serving)

directions

1. Place the grounds in a large container that has a lid. Pour in the cold water and stir well to make sure all the grounds get wet. Cover and let sit at room temperature for 24 hours.

2. Using a coffee filter or cheesecloth in a fine mesh strainer. Slowly pour the mixture through the strainer to a clean container that you can put in the fridge later. Gently press the grounds at the end to ensure all the liquid has made it through. Discard the filter/cheesecloth.

3. Put the coffee concentrate into the fridge overnight to chill.

When ready to serve, pour some concentrate into a glass. Splash in the milk or half/half, and the sweetened condensed milk. Stir and fill the glass to the brim with ice, then drink and enjoy!

Another variation that PW threw out there was to mix some concentrate with vanilla ice cream and you have a coffee milkshake - YUM.... so we tried it and....

Enjoy!

This recipe was adapted from Pioneer Woman.

BBQ Chicken & Pineapple Quesadillas

Quesadillas are quickly becoming a new favorite in our house and they are pretty quick to put together. This time, I used a recipe from trusty, PW and it once again did not disappoint. A combination of savory BBQ grilled chicken breast and sweet pineapple with spicy hints of flavor in between - yes please! Here is how we made them...

BBQ Chicken & Pineapple Quesadillas      

Serves 4

BBQ Chicken & Pineapple Quesadillas

ingredients

• 1/2 pineapple or 1 can sliced pineapple
• 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, pounded thin
• BBQ sauce
• 4 large flour tortillas
• 1 jalapeno, thinly sliced
• 3/4 cup grated extra sharp cheddar
• 3/4 cup grated hot habanero cheddar

• Kosher Salt & Freshly Cracked Black Pepper
Toppings Ideas: Sour Cream, Pico de Gallo, Avocado

directions

1. Grill the pineapple over medium-high heat turning until you have nice char marks on all sides. Remove and chop into bite size pieces.

2. Season the chicken with S&P on both sides and I used a homemade BBQ seasoning as well. Grill the chicken over medium-high heat until cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Brush the BBQ sauce on and grill for another minute or two. Remove from the grill and let rest a few minutes then slice thinly.

3. Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium heat, lay a tortilla flat in the pan and brush on BBQ sauce to the edges. Add the chicken, pineapple, cheeses, jalapeno and a dab of BBQ sauce to one half of the tortillas. Fold the tortilla in half and cook about 2 minutes per side until browned. Remove from the skillet and let rest on a cutting board for 2 minutes or so before cutting into triangles. Serve with your favorite salsa and/or toppings, with rice on the side.

Enjoy!

This recipe was adapted from Pioneer Woman.

Cheesy Chicken Stuffed Green Chile

We got our annual shipment of Green Chile straight from Hatch, NM a few weeks ago and since then we have been craving more green chile dishes. This meal was inspired by a recent meal we had at a local Mexican restaurant - they had the most incredible version of chile rellenos so we decided to try to recreate our own. They came out delicious and I prefer them to the traditional fried rellenos. We seasoned the chicken with a blend of mexican spices and grilled the chicken. We are still trying to perfect the green chile sauce so that's a work in progress but we will get there!

Cheesy Chicken Stuffed Green Chile      

Serves 2

Cheesy Chicken Stuffed Green Chile

ingredients

• 4 large green chiles, roasted, peeled & seeded
• 1 boneless chicken breast, seasoned, grilled & sliced into thin strips (we seasoned it with EVOO, S&P, Ground cumin and garlic powder)
• Shredded Sharp Cheddar & Pepper jack cheeses (we used extra sharp cheddar & habanero jack cheddar cheeses)

Toppings: Green Chile Sauce/Salsa/Avocado/Fresh cilantro leaves for topping
Optional: Refried Beans

directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400º.

2. Lay the chiles open faced on an oven safe dish. Stuff with chicken and cheeses. Bake until golden and bubbly.

3. Serve topped with green chile sauce, salsa, sliced avocado and/or fresh cilantro leaves.

Enjoy!

This recipe was created by us!

Spicy Breakfast Burritos

Quinton introduced me to breakfast burritos on our very first camping trip together and I have loved them ever since. We try to make them on the weekends because they are so wonderful! Plus, it's a great way to use up extra potatoes and/or veggies that you have lying around. I always seem to have sausage on hand but you can make these with bacon or leave out the meat altogether. This version came out incredible because of the combination of fresh bell peppers AND green Chile.

Sausage & Egg Breakfast Burritos      

Serves 8

Spicy Breakfast Burritos

The filling...

ingredients

• 1 lb bulk spicy sausage
• 1 small green bell pepper
• 1 small yellow bell pepper
• 1 green onion, thinly sliced
• 4 medium potatoes
• 8 eggs, scrambled
• 4 green chiles, peeled, seeded & chopped

• Kosher Salt & Freshly Cracked Black Pepper to taste
• Large Tortillas

Toppings:  shredded cheese, avocado, cilantro 

directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350º and bake the potatoes whole for 30 minutes until almost tender. When cool enough to handle dice into bite size pieces. Set aside.

2. Brown the sausage in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Drain on a paper towel lined plate and set aside. Cook the potatoes in the skillet until crispy on all edges, add the peppers and onions and cook for a few minutes, stirring. Add the sausage back in and warm through.

3. Meanwhile warm the tortillas on a flat skillet over medium heat. Fill each tortilla with some cheese, egg, potato/sausage mixture, cilantro, avocado. Roll the tortilla and brown on all sides on the same flat skillet to seal the burrito up. This will give it a nice crisp texture, plus will help to melt the cheese.

We kept the ingredients separate to make during the work week. Simply heat up the egg and potato mixture in the microwave until warmed through then prep your burrito to go! They are delicious!

Enjoy!

This recipe was created by ME!

Kielbasa & 'Kraut

Wow! This dinner was soooo good and it really couldn't have been more simple to put together. So much flavor bursting out of these little foil packets. The recipe called for grilling them but we just popped them in a 425º oven for 15 minutes and they came out just great. I doubled up the foil just in case because of the liquids in the packets, I didn't want it to spill out everywhere. I also placed them on a large baking sheet so I didn't have to try to perform a balancing act pulling them out of the oven. You have to have some warm, crusty bread for mopping the tasty broth that forms from cooking these.

Kielbasa & 'Kraut      

Serves 2

Kielbasa & 'Kraut with Crusty Bread

Kielbasa & 'Kraut

ingredients

• 1/2  beef kielbasa sausage link, sliced in half on the bias
• 1 cup fresh sauerkraut
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
• 1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 tbsp caraway seeds
• 6 oz beef broth

• Kosher Salt & Freshly Cracked Black Pepper
• Crusty Bread

directions

1. Preheat oven to 425º.

2. Lay out 2 large pieces of foil. In the center, divide the kielbasa, kraut, red onion, parsley, caraway seeds and S&P. Bring up all 4 corners of the foil and begin to form a pouch. Before sealing it up pour in the beef broth evenly in the 2 pouches. Tightly seal each packet. Place on a baking sheet and then place in the oven.

3. Bake the packets 15 minutes. Remove and serve with warm crusty bread for mopping.


We also made some quick jalapeno poppers for an easy appetizer (still have plentiful amount from the garden!)...

Jalapeno Poppers

Enjoy!

This recipe was adapted from Michael Simon.

Ultimate BLT and Crispy Oven Fries

I guess this isn't a "true" BLT, but it sure was tasty! We used a variety of simple ingredients in this delicious sandwich. Then added some baked crispy oven fries as a side and it was a great meal. The mustard/hot sauce mixture sounds kinda strange but believe me it works very well together. I cut the bacon slices in half because they stay on the sandwich better that way. It's a nice way to end this hot month with these tasty and fresh ingredients.

Ultimate BLT      

Serves 2

Ultimate BLT and Crispy Oven Fries

ingredients

• 6 slices thick cut apple wood bacon
• 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp hot sauce, such as Frank's
• 2 buns, split and toasted
• 1/2 avocado, sliced
• 1/2 large tomato, sliced thickly
• 1/4 cup torn fresh basil
• 2 large lettuce leaves

• Kosher Salt & Freshly Cracked Black Pepper

directions

1. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and fry the bacon until crisp. Remove and drain on paper towel lined plate.

2. Whisk the mustard and hot sauce together in a bowl. Spread the mustard onto the toasted sides of each bun.

3. Build each Sammie by topping the bun bottom with 1 slice tomato, half the avocado, half the lettuce, 3 strips bacon and 1 tbsp basil. Top the other half of the bun.

 

Q made us some crispy oven fries that we have made before and we just love them, they come out crispy and delicious every time. You can find the recipe HERE.

 

Crispy Oven Fries

Enjoy!

This recipe was adapted from Michael Simon.