Bow-tie Lasagna

Lately the weather has just had a "fallish" feel to it... it seems the minute the calendar turns to August and they get school supplies back in the stores, fall is just in the air. I came home from work craving something with pasta and cheese in it, and all I had thawed out was hamburger. So I began to browse my favorite food blogs and of course! I found just what I was looking for on the Pioneer Woman's blog.... but I tweaked it just a bit... I will post what my recipe ended up being  here but if you want to see the original recipe go to this link http://tastykitchen.com/recipes/ then type in bow tie lasagna in the search. This is just what I was hungry for and was easy and pretty quick to make. I served mine with sauteed zucchini and Sizzler toast!(see earlier posts) yum!! When I think of Fall I think of Casseroles, and comfort food and this was just what I needed (except the for second helping I ate... not sure if I needed that!) but it was YUMMO!

Bow-tie Lasagna

4 cups uncooked Bow-Tie Pasta
1-1/2 pounds ground beef
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1/2 medium onion, diced
1 heaping teaspoon minced garlic, (or 1 large garlic clove, minced.. I used the already minced in a jar)
1 jar Newman's Own 'Sock-a-rooni' Spaghetti Sauce (or your favorite jarred/canned Marinara Sauce you need about 3 cups)
1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning (or more to suit your taste... or you can use fresh basil leaves, fresh thyme, and rosemary like I did if you have it)
1 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 to 1/2  teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional.. I like a slight spicy kick to my lasagna)
½  (15-oz) carton ricotta Cheese (**see note below)
½ cups Mozzarella Cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
Preparation Instructions:
Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, brown ground beef in a large, deep skillet along with the diced onion and garlic.

When browned, drain excess fat from the beef and add your spaghetti sauce
and seasonings and let simmer for about 5 to 10 minutes so the seasonings can disperse into the sauce. Then stir in your ricotta and mozzarella cheese, stirring to combine.
Drain your pasta and add to the sauce mixture. Toss to coat the pasta and let cook about 3 to 5 minutes more so the cheese can melt. Top with the Parmesan Cheese and Serve! Yummo!

**I always use Ricotta cheese in my lasagna so I used it in this as well so it tasted more like my lasagna. The Pioneer Woman used 1/2 cup Sour Cream instead, use what suits your taste.

Sauteed Zucchini with Basil and Parmesan Cheese

I love summer time and having a garden. One of my favorites is Zucchini... you can make cakes, cookies, breads, zucchini parmesan, but my favorite easy side dish is to simply saute the zucchini and add a few seasonings. One evening while experimenting with flavors I did this recipe. It was simple but delicious. Enjoy!!

Sauteed Zucchini with Basil and Parmesan Cheese

3 or 4  Zucchini's (depending on size and how many servings you need)

1/2 medium size onion, chopped

1 tablespoon minced garlic, (about 2 cloves)

4 to 6 leaves fresh basil leaves, chopped (I usually place one on top the other and roll up, and then slice into thin strips, then chop again)

1/4 cup grated Parmesan Cheese

Salt and Pepper to taste

Olive Oil

Wash and slice the Zucchini into 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick slices. Preheat a large skillet over medium high heat. Drizzle with about 2 tablespoons olive oil, add the chopped onions and cook for 2 or 3 minutes and then add the sliced zucchini. Cook over medium heat for about 5 to 7 minutes stirring occasionally, until slightly tender. Add the garlic and basil and cook for 1 to 2 minutes more. Reduce heat to low, add Parmesan cheese and salt and pepper to taste. Toss to combine.

YUMM!

Sizzler Toast

I know.. this is a really simple recipe... and most of you probably know it, but I made this blog originally for my daughter....so I'm posting it. After all, the toast is one of our favorite things at Sizzler... it goes great with most anything from Salads to casseroles... YUMMO!

Di's version of Sizzler Toast

1 loaf Texas Toast, or French Bread slice 1- inch thick (Texas Toast is best)
Butter
Parmesan cheese, grated

Butter your bread on the generous side. Preheat a large skillet over medium high heat. While skillet is heating, sprinkle about a Tablespoon of grated Parmesan cheese on each slice, and press slightly so the cheese sticks to the butter. Lay slices of bread, cheese side down in hot skillet and grill a minute or two until the cheese is golden brown, flip over on the other side, and grill for a minute so this side gets kind of toasty. Slice in half and enjoy with a salad, casserole, you name it! YUMMM!
For variation you could add a little garlic powder to the butter, and make a garlic Parmesan toast.

Captain Crunch French Toast

I saw them do this to French Toast on one of the episodes of Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, and HAD to give it shot! French Toast has always been a favorite Breakfast of mine since I was little, just ask my Mom and Dad, every family vacation we went on, when going to Breakfast, I didn't even have to look at a menu, I just wanted French Toast. Captain Crunch has been a fav of mine forever too. I thought this turned out quite good!  Use a good heavy bread, like Texas Toast, Brioche, or Thick sliced French Bread, it turns out best thicker sliced. You ought to give it a try too! YUMMO!

Captain Crunch French Toast

Texas Toast or Thick sliced French Bread
2 cups Captain Crunch Cereal (Plain, no crunch berries)
3 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
dash or two of salt

In a blender, whip the eggs, milk, vanilla, sugar, cinnamon and salt until light, fluffy and well blended. In a food processor or ziploc bag, crush the Captain Crunch until it's chunky crumbs.
Place egg mixture into a shallow bowl, wide enough to put your slices of bread in. Place crumbled captain crunch on a plate with sides.

Heat a large skillet or griddle to medium/high heat. Drizzle with a little vegetable oil or spray with a non-stick cooking .
While skillet is heating, dip a slice of bread into the egg mixture, let sit a few minutes, turn so it's well coated on both sides. Then place into captain crunch, slightly pressing down so you get a good coating of cereal on the bread, flip and crumb the other side. Then, place on hot skillet. Cook for a minute or two until golden brown, flip over and cook other side until golden brown.

 Continue cooking your slices of bread until you have the amount of servings you need.
Serve hot,  topped with butter and maple syrup and enjoy!! YUMMMOOO!

Homemade Ice Cream Sandwiches

Sorry it's been a while since I have posted a recipe! I have lots to post, but my hubby has been hogging the computer in the evenings with his online class. But anyway, I can't remember where I first saw the idea for these...but I've been wanting to try them since before the 4th of July. This weekend was perfect. I used my favorite brownie recipe but a boxed mix will work too. And any flavor of Ice cream you want... I used mint chocolate chip because we had just eaten at Olive Garden and had their chocolate mints after dinner... and thought I would use that idea of flavors for this dessert after dinner since I was having company. These were yummo!!!

Homemade Ice Cream Sandwiches

1 (1/2 gallon) carton ice cream, any flavor
For the Brownies:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 2 (13x9) cookie sheets with parchment paper (leave a little hanging over the short sides, this makes it easier to lift the brownies out of the pan.)

Melt in saucepan:
2 sticks of butter (1 cup)
4 - 1 ounce squares of unsweetened chocolate
Remove from heat and add:
2 cups of sugar
Stir then add:
4 eggs, one at a time, stir after each
Then stir in:
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Then add:
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
Stir till well mixed. Spread half of the dough in one parchment lined cookie sheet, spread to cover bottom fo pan, and then do the same with the other cookie sheet. You want your brownies thin... mine were a little under a half inch thick I think, but you could go thinner if you want.
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or depending on how thin your batter is you just want to bake them until center is set and they brown slightly around the edges and not gooey. Remove from oven and let cool completely.

When brownies are completly cooled, lift out of pan and place upside down on counter or cutting board, peel off parchment paper.
Then, undo the carton of ice cream so all the ice cream is exposed, and slice into about 4 or 5 -1 inch thick slices

 (you might need to let it sit for about 5 minutes to soften, so you can slice through it.) Then place your slices of ice cream over the bottom layer of brownie to cover.

 Then flip the other pan of brownies over on another cookie sheet, and peel off the parchment paper, then place ontop of ice cream so the bottom is on the ice cream (it really doesn't matter which side goes down, but I think the top is prettier this way.)

Slice into desired size of ice cream sandwiches you want, and wrap  each one in sarah wrap and store in freezer. 

These should set up for an hour or two before eating, or the ice cream squishes out the sides.

YUMMO!  I think I will try a chocolate almond ice cream next time... or a strawberry cheesecake ice cream... oh yum!!

My improved Chicken Alfredo Recipe

I love chicken Alfredo...especially from the Olive Garden. I had read somewhere , I think on a copy cat recipe site,  that the Olive Garden uses a garlic paste rather than minced garlic in their Alfredo sauce. I have roasted Garlic bulbs before for Garlic Mashed potatoes, it seems to give the garlic a sweeter taste. So I thought, why not try that in my Alfredo sauce??? So I did! (See the Video on how to roast a garlic bulb that I posted right before this one.) After it was roasted I squeezed the garlic out onto a small plate and mushed with a fork until I had a paste.  I also had some sun dried tomatoes that were packed in Olive Oil that I needed to use up as well so I mushed them up like I did the garlic, but you don't have to use them if you don't want to. This was yummo! The only thing I would do different is make more sauce... the fettuccine noodles tend to soak up a lot! Also I just noticed that I've never posted my chicken Alfredo recipe.... I can't believe I haven't!! I have just posted my alfredo sauce recipe.... Goodness, I'm a slacker.....

Improved Chicken Alfredo

4 boneless, skinless Chicken breasts
1 package Grill Mates Garlic, Herb and Wine Marinade
1 (1-lb.) box Fettuccine Noodles

For the Alfredo Sauce:
6 Tablespoons butter
1 whole garlic bulb, roasted
2 Tablespoons sundried tomatoes, packed in olive oil (optional)
2 cups heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
dash of nutmeg
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for Garnishing

Make the Grill Mates Marinade according to the package directions, and pour over chicken that you placed in a Ziploc bag. Zip shut and mush around so the marinade is on all the chicken. Let marinade for at least a half an hour, longer is better... I have even done mine overnight. The longer you marinade the more flavorful your chicken will be.
Next, roast your garlic bulb. See the video I posted, remembering that it roasts at 350 for about 45 minutes, plus you want it to cool so you can handle it. Squeeze out the roasted garlic and mash into a paste. Set aside.

When ready to make your Chicken alfredo, Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add salt, and your noodles and cook according to package directions.
To make your Alfredo sauce:
Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic paste and the sundried tomatos (if using it, it's optional) to the butter and cook for about 1 minute or until slightly browned. Then whisk in the cream, keep the heat at about medium to medium-low, and bring this to barely a simmer (if this boils too hard, the cream and the butter separate and look curdled) Once its at a low simmer add the salt, pepper, nutmeg and Parmesan cheese. Bring mixture back to a low simmer and continue to cook another 5 to 8 minutes until slightly thickened, stirring often. ( Remember, don't simmer at too high of heat or it will separate)
While sauce and noodles are cooking, heat your grill to medium high heat. Then cook your chicken breasts about 5 to 7 minutes per side (depending on the thickness of them) When done, let sit on plate for about 5 minutes.
When noodles are cooked: drain and add to your thickened alfredo sauce, toss to combine. Then slice your chicken in thin slices and place on top of noodles (you can toss some in to mix up and then place the rest of the chicken on top, I usually slice 2 chicken breasts and toss in with the noodles, then slice the other two and place on top)

Garnish with more Parmesan cheese and serve with breadsticks, or crusty frenchbread and salad. ENJOY!!! YUMMALICIOUS!

How to roast a garlic bulb

This last couple of weeks I had been busy trying to lose a few pounds and eat healthier, then I went on a little vacation to visit my daughter and I had a great time. When I got back I felt quite down at work and not myself. I thought maybe it was because I missed my daughter, plus my day off in the middle of the week went away due to business picking up a little, which is a good thing, I thought that was the reason I was a little down. Then I realized it was because I wasn't cooking much!! It really was! I got out my recipes I'd been wanting to try this weekend and have been a cooking fool, and I seem to have the old me back. I guess I"m going to have to let myself eat what I like, but keep portions down and exercise. After all you only have this one life, and why not do what makes you happy, but just use self control. So this weekend I made a lovely chicken alfredo (don't worry, I will post my re-vamped recipe for that here when I get a chance) I decided to roast a garlic bulb and mash it into a paste, I heard that Olive Garden uses a garlic paste instead of just minced garlic so that it was I tried and it turned out yummo! I've roasted a whole bulb of garlic before for garlic mashed potatoes, and its way better than just using minced garlic, although there is nothing wrong with minced garlic, but roasted garlic just has a bit sweeter taste and not as pungent! But I thought some of you may not know how to roast a garlic bulb, so I thought I would put this little video on here to show you just how to do it. I also have a few new recipes to share eventually, that were fun and yummy, I hope you enjoy them all! :o)