Spaghetti with Spinach, Garlic, and Lemon

Spaghetti with Spinach, Garlic and Lemon

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

1 lb angel hair or spaghetti pasta (I used penne and it worked great and was easier to eat)

6 tablespoons olive oil

8 garlic cloves, crushed or minced

zest of one lemon

juice of one lemon

10 oz bag of baby spinach

Method

In a skillet heat,  6 tablespoons olive oil over medium low heat. Add garlic and cook for 10 to 12 minutes to gently cook the garlic. Add lemon zest and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper.

Bring a large pot of well salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package directions.  Drain pasta well and transfer to a large bowl. Immediately add spinach and garlic lemon oil and toss everything together. Mound the pasta on a large platter and serve.

Broiled Salmon with Rosemary & Spinach/Garlic Couscous

Got this recipe off SkinnyTaste website, but I tweaked it some. It has now become one of my favorite salmon recipes. I like salmon, but I have a hard time preparing it that it doesn't always end up tasting the same! I thought the Rosemary in this added a great flavor & pairing it with the garlic couscous made it really great. Super healthy and easy meal--definitely a keeper!

Ingredients:
3-4 pieces of salmon
olive oil spray
2 TBS melted butter
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
2 tsp fresh, chopped rosemary
2 cloves garlic, minced (I also added a little extra garlic powder to final mixture)
S&P to taste

Directions:
1.Combine melted butter with lemon juice, rosemary, s&p, garlic and/or a little extra garlic powder or garlic salt to taste.
2. Brush mixture onto fish
3. Broil for 10 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with fork.
May test halfway through cooking & gently turn fish over. Continue cooking until no longer pink inside.

Side dish: I found Roasted Garlic&Olive Oil Couscous in a box (the 5 minute prep kind). I prepared that. I also sautéed some fresh spinach in a skillet in a little olive oil with some garlic & adding a little garlic salt on top. When the spinach was wilted down & the couscous was done, I tossed them together. My kids even loved it!

Mexican Cornbread

Here is Trent's mom's recipe for Mexican Cornbread. Made this over the holidays with our tamales.
Trent raved about it (I think I might try it next time without the bacon drippings)

1Cup yellow cornmeal
2 eggs well beaten
1Cup milk
1/2 tsp. soda
3/4 tsp. salt
1 can cream style corn
1/4 Cup bacon drippings

Mix all above ingredients & set aside.
Saute 1/2 lb. ground beef--drain
1large chopped onion
1/2 lb. grated sharp cheddar cheese
2-4 chopped jalapeño peppers--seeded & deveined

Mix with other ingredients; heat 2 iron skillets w/oil & sprinkle a thin layer of cornmeal on the bottom. Pour batter in & bake at 360 degrees for 45-50 min. Or until it is done.

Baked Oven Fries

Baked Oven Fries

Ingredients:

3 russet potatoes (about 24 oz. total), peeled and cut lengthwise into even sized wedges
5 tbsp. vegetable, canola or peanut oil, divided (olive oil would work too)
¾ tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste
¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 475˚ F. Place the potato wedges in a large mixing bowl. Cover with hot water; soak for 10-30 minutes. Put 4 tablespoons of the oil onto a heavy, rimmed baking sheet. Tilt the sheet side to side to evenly coat the pan with oil (a pastry brush can also help with this). Sprinkle the pan evenly with the salt and pepper. Set aside.

Drain the potatoes. Spread the wedges out on layers of paper towels or on clean kitchen towels. Pat dry with additional towels. Wipe out the now empty bowl so it is dry. Return the potatoes to the bowl and toss with the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Arrange the potato wedges on the prepared baking sheet (I cooked in one of Pampered Chef stone baking sheets and it worked great) in a single layer. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 5 minutes.

Remove the foil and continue to bake until the bottoms of the potatoes are spotty golden brown, 15-20 minutes, rotating the baking sheet after 10 minutes. Using a metal spatula and tongs, flip each potato wedge keeping them in a single layer. Continue baking until the fries are golden and crisp, 5 -15 minutes. Rotate the pan as needed to ensure even browning.

When the fries are finished baking, transfer to a paper-towel lined plate to drain some of the grease. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm.

Homemade Spanish rice

Also from Lisa...

Ingredients:

1 C rice (not minute)

1/4 C oil

8oz can tomato sauce (& 3 cans of water)

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp garlic powder

Directions:

1. mix the 3 seasonings together in a small bowl, set aside.
2. in a skillet, saute the rice in the oil until it is lightly browned

3. when the rice has browned, add your water & tomato sauce to the skillet

4. toss your seasonings in, stir & bring to a boil--reduce to a simmer, cover your skillet & cook for approximately 20 minutes

This goes great with those enchiladas! Soo much better than a boxed version!

Stuffed Portobello Mushroom

This was a great side dish for the grilled steaks we had this weekend. Easy and yummy!

Portobello Mushroom caps (large size ones)
Baby spinach
Grated mozzarella cheese
Season salt to taste

Take Mushroom cap and lay several pieces of baby spinach on the the underside of it (where the stem would be attached). Use enough to make a good layer with spinach leaves overlapping.

Cover the spinach layer with grated mozzarella cheese (use a lot).

Sprinkle cheese with seasoned salt (I used my new Taste of Home Seasoned Salt)

Bake on a cookie sheet at 350 for about 20 minutes.

Country Green Beans

I hardly ever make fresh green beans since my kids prefer to eat a can of Del Monte, but Kroger had them on sale this week and this recipe for them was a hit! Everyone ate them (and Scott ate seconds and thirds)!

Country Green Beans

1 to 1 1/2 pounds fresh green beans, trimmed and snapped
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped ham
1/4 cup butter
1/2-1 cup water (enough to just cover the beans)
1 clove garlic
1/2 tsp salt (although I think I might leave this out next time since the ham adds that salty flavor)
1/4 tsp pepper

Simmer on medium heat approx 20 minutes or until beans are tender.

Crispy Ranch Fries

I found these in the Paula Deen magazine for this month (Aug '09)and served them last night with hamburgers from the grill. They were really good and the sauce was yummy too (I even put a little of the sauce on my burger). They were an easy, fun treat!

1 (26 oz) bag of frozen extra-crispy fast food fries
1 (1 oz) package of dry ranch dressing mix, divided
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup mayo

Preheat oven to 450. Spray a rimmed baking sheet (I used my pampered chef stone cookie sheet) with cooking spray.

Place fries in a single layer on prepared baking sheet. Spring evenly with 1 Tablespoon of dry ranch dressing mix. Bake for approx 12-15 minutes or until fries are lightly browned and crispy.

In small bowl, combine ketchup, mayo, and remaining ranch dressing mix. Serve with hot fries.

Paula Deen's Cheesy Garlic Grits

Kevin and I had been talking about grits for a few weeks and wanting some...so I made these last night. They were good and Sam & Seth even ate them! I served them with grilled shrimp on top -- yum!

6 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
2 cups regular grits
16 ounces Cheddar, cubed
1/2 cup milk
4 large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
8 ounces grated sharp white Cheddar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 4-quart casserole dish.

Bring the broth, salt, pepper, and garlic powder to a boil in a 2-quart saucepan. Stir in the grits and whisk until completely combined. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the grits are thick, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the cubed Cheddar and milk and stir. Gradually stir in the eggs and butter, stirring until all are combined. Pour the mixture into the prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle with the white Cheddar and bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until set.

Our Favorite Pasta Salad

I got this recipe from my sister-in-law a few years ago and it is one of our favorites in the spring & summer months! So easy, great for leftovers, can be made vegetarian, and used as a main dish (with the chicken) or as a side dish.

1 lb. box of bowtie pasta, cooked according to directions
4 oz package crumbled feta cheese
1 medium/large green bell pepper, chopped finely
1 pint grape tomatoes, quartered
olive oil (start with approx a 1/4 cup and then add more to your taste)
balsamic vinegar (start with approx a 1/8-1/4 cup and then add more to your taste)
chopped grilled chicken (optional)

Toss everything together in a large bowl and refrigerate in a tupperware container. Sometimes, I toss with extra olive oil and balsamic vinegar the next day to moisten the salad up before eating the leftovers.

Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Casserole

This is a great recipe coming from someone who did not like Sweet Potatoes until I was forced to try these. I don't even like pecans! They are always a hit and you will not take home any leftovers.

3 cups cooked sweet potatoes (I always use the canned)
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 stick of margarine, melted
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Topping:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1 cup pecans
1/3 stick margarine, melted

Mash the sweet potatoes. Add sugar, eggs, salt, margarine, milk and vanilla. Mix well. Put in shallow 1 1/2 quart baking dish. Mix topping. Spread over sweet potatoes, mine always seems to be a little thicker than a spread. Bake at 325 degrees for 30-40 minutes.

Easy and Yummy Crockpot Dressing

This is one of my favorites! It reminds me of my Grandmothers which was a lot more detailed than this one.

2 boxes of Jiffy Cornbread Mix - Cook the cornbread and set aside

Mix together the following:

4 Eggs
2 cans Cream of Chicken Soup
2 cans Chicken Broth
1 1/2 tsp Poultry Seasoning
1/2 Onion, chopped
1/2 stalk of Celery, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
Crumble and add the cornbread to the mix

Pour into the crockpot and cook 2 hours on high or about 4 hours on low. Enjoy!

Refridgerator Mashed Potatoes

* I was making these tonight for dinner and thought I would share. I make up the recipe and just scoop as much as I need and leave the rest in a covered dish in the fridge. I can't remember the last time I made "real" mashed potatoes -- these are really good and can be made ahead, therefore eliminating the timing issues with getting fresh mashed potatoes done at the same time as everything else on your menu. Hope you enjoy!

* Another note: these are also great if you ever have a party and do a mashed potato bar. Make them up ahead, serve them in small martini-style glasses, and have a toppings area (grated cheese, chives, bacon, etc.) for guests to add if they want. This is always a big hit!

Refrigerated Mashed Potatoes

5 lbs potatoes, cooked and mashed
6 oz cream cheese
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp salt
1 stick butter
pepper to taste
4 Tablespoons butter for top

Mix all ingredients (except for 4 T butter for top) together thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate for 10-14 days. When ready to bake, place in baking dish, dot with remaining butter, and bake at 350 for about 30-40 minutes.

To go with all that great soup...

Here's a little recipe I got off the online magazine where Karise is an author! (*plug* :)) Go to "blissfully domestic" dot com to see this coolio site! Anyway, I made this the other night with a vegetable chili (the chili was o.k., I didn't feel that it was post worthy, but the cornbread definitely was!) Enjoy!

Cornbread Supreme (makes one 9x13 pan)

1 (16oz) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (16oz) can cream style corn (I didn't use as much corn as it called for, but it was still good)
16 oz container sour cream
4 eggs, slightly beaten
1 C margarine or butter, melted
2 boxes Jiffy cornbread mix (7 1/2 oz each I just got that small sized Jiffy cornbread box--I don't think it was exactly this size??)
2 C shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

In a large bowl, combine cornbread mix, sour cream, butter, whole kernel corn, cream style corn, and eggs. Place in a lightly greased 9x13 baking dish and sprinkle with 2C shredded cheddar cheese. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until golden on top and cooked through.

Blue Cheese Bacon Dip

My friend gave me this recipe, and now it is possibly my most favorite dip!

7 bacon slices, chopped
2 garlic loves, minced
2-8 oz pkgs cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup half and half
4-6 ozs blue cheese
2 T chopped fresh chives
3 T chopped walnuts
crackers

Cook chopped bacon in a skillet until done. Drain bacon, and set aside. Add minced garlic to skillet and sauté 1 minute.

Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add half and half, beating until combined. Stir in bacon, garlic, blue cheese, and chives.

Spoon into individual baking dishes or one baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Sprinkle evenly with chopped walnuts and put back in oven to toast for a minute or so. Serve with crackers.

Summer Salad

Mixed salad greens or spinach (~1 bag)
1 pint Strawberries, topped & halved
1 Mango, peeled & cubed
3 Kiwi, peeled and sliced
handful dried cranberries
1 cup slivered almonds
1/3 cup sugar

Dressing:
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup sugar

In a medium skillet saute almonds with sugar over medium heat. Stir constantly until sugar caramelizes and is completely melted. Spread out on foil-lined cookie sheet to cool. Mix all dressing ingredients and set aside. Prepare fruit. Just before serving, wisk dressing vigorously once more, place lettuce in salad bowl, and toss with 2/3 of the dressing. Top with fruit and nuts and drizzle remaining dressing over top. Serve immediately.