Steak Gorgonzola Fettuccine (Olive Garden Style)

Grilled beef medallions drizzled with balsamic glaze, served over fettuccine tossed with spinach and gorgonzola-alfredo sauce.

Serves 6
Cook time 10 minutes (depending on doneness of steak)
Prep time 30 minutes

Ingredients

2.5 pounds marinated steak (recipe follows)
1 pound uncooked fettuccine pasta
16 fl oz spinach gorgonzola sauce (recipe follows)
2 tablespoons gorgonzola cheese
2 tablespoons chopped sun dried tomatoes
2 tablespoons balsamic glaze (recipe follows)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Grill steak to preferred doneness.
2. Cook 1 pound pasta according to the directions.
3. Place drained pasta in saute pan with heated sauce.
4. Toss pasta with sauce and place on individual plates.
5. Place grilled beef on pasta and sauce.
6. Drizzle with balsamic glaze, and sprinkle gorgonzola cheese and sun dried tomatoes.

Steak marinade
1.5 cups Italian dressing
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1. Cut beef into 1 inch cubes and set aside
2. Mix the dressing, rosemary and lemon juice together
3. Add the marinade to the beef, toss, and let marinate for at least 1 hour.

Spinach Gorgonzola Sauce
16 fl oz Alfredo sauce* (you can make fresh or use bottled, I recommend fresh)
4 cups chopped spinach
½ cup chopped green onion
3 tablespoons gorgonzola cheese crumbled

1. Heat Alfredo sauce in a large saute pan.
2. Add onion, spinach and gorgonzola cheese.

Easy Alfredo Sauce

1/2 cup butter 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese 2 teaspoons garlic powder Melt butter in a medium, non-stick saucepan over medium heat. Add cream cheese and garlic powder, stirring with wire whisk until smooth. Add milk, a little at a time, whisking to smooth out lumps. Stir in Parmesan and pepper. Remove from heat when sauce reaches desired consistency. Sauce will thicken rapidly, thin with milk if cooked too long. Toss with hot pasta to serve.

2 cups milk 6 ounces grated Parmesan cheese 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

BALSAMIC GLAZE #1
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup water
2 Tablespoons brown sugar

Simmer until thickened (15-20 min), cool to room temperature.

Coconut crusted chicken w/ orange dipping sauce

I am such a saucy girl! I love a sauce with a side of entree! :) This was SO easy and so tasty!

Ingredients for 6 chicken breasts:

1 egg
1.5 C sweetened coconut flakes
3/4 C flour
3/4 tsp garlic powder
3/4 tsp salt
a little less than 1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 C melted butter
3/4-1 C orange marmalade
3-4 Tbs Dijon mustard

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Beat egg in medium bowl; set aside. Mix the coconut, flour, garlic powder, salt and peeper in a shallow bowl. Working with one chicken breast at a time, dip the chicken in the bowl with the beaten egg and then coat with the coconut mixture.

Place on the baking sheet. Once all the chicken breasts are coated and on the baking sheet, evenly drizzle with the melted butter. Bake for 30 minutes, or until cooked through.

Prepare the orange sauce by combining the marmalade and the mustard together. Serve with rice or quinoa.

Hawaiian Haystacks

Sauce:

1 sml onion

4 cubes of butter

2 C flour

3 Quarts of 2% milk

1/4 C fresh lemon juice

1/3 C Yoshida Gourmet Sauce (found @ costco or sams club)

around 8 chicken breasts cooked (I usually boil them in water) and cut into cubes

Brown onion in a little bit of the butter, then add the rest and melt. Slowly add flour to make a RUE. Let RUE bubble for a minute then slowly add milk, lemon juice & Yoshida's sauce, constantly stirring. Stir for a while until it warms and thickens, then add chicken. Stir, salt to taste and add small amounts of more milk at a time, depending on how thick you want the sauce. This recipe makes a huge amount so I usually half the recipe. It's easier to control that way :)

Rice - I love sticky rice!

Toppings:

mandarin oranges

pineapple chunks

green peppers

chopped celery

shredded cheese

olives

Chinese noodles

shredded coconut (broiled for a min)

almond slivers (broiled for a min)

Swai Fillets with Strawberry salsa

Credit for this recipe goes to the cute Walmart sample lady. She sold me on these yummy frozen Swai fish fillets topped with this salsa (which I'm sure would be good with chips or other fish or even other meat). It was yummy and fresh and healthy!! Perfect for the up-coming swimsuit season (for me anyhow)!

Strawberry Salsa:

Dressing-
1/3 C zesty Italian dressing
1/4 C cilantro
2 1/2 T jalapeno
*blend well in a blender or food processor

Salsa-
2 lb. diced strawberries
1 med orange, diced
1/4 C chopped purple onion
1/4 C cilantro, chopped
*stir dressing in, let sit for 2-12 hrs. in fridge. This makes alot!

Swai fillets-
Thaw, pat dry, and pan sear with a little salt, pepper, & olive oil. Or you can coat with salt, pepper, egg wash and panko bread crumbs and pan sear in olive oil. Top with salsa.  I tested it w/o the bread crumbs but the sample lady says she does it w/ the crumbs at home, so that's how I will try it when I make it.

Yummy Shepherds Pie!

Hi Ladies.  It's been a while.  Growing up I don't remember mom ever making this dish, but I know its a common one among the mormon community!  Josh suggested that I make it the other day, in celebration of Maddy finishing all her performances at the Dickens festival.  This dish originates from England (if you can follow the logic).  So I found this recipe and it was a HUGE hit with my family.  My kids wanted me to make this every night.  It is the new birthday dinner request.  Who would have thought.......  Here you go:

Ingredients

• 4 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
• 1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• salt and pepper to taste
• 5 carrots, chopped
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon ketchup
• 3/4 cup beef broth
• 1 C. frozen peas, thawed
• 1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

• Directions

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain and mash. Mix in butter, finely chopped onion and 1/4 cup shredded cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste; set aside.
  2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add carrots and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain, mash and set aside. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C.)
  3. Heat oil in a large frying pan. Add onion and cook until clear. Add ground beef and cook until well browned. Pour off excess fat, then stir in flour and cook 1 minute. Add ketchup and beef broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
  4. Spread the ground beef in an even layer on the bottom of a 2 quart casserole dish. Next, spread a layer of mashed carrots. Sprinkle peas. Top with the mashed potato mixture and sprinkle with remaining shredded cheese.
  5. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

crispy coconut chicken fingers

12 chicken tenders

1-2 eggs

1/2 C flour

1 C sweetened coconut flakes

1 C panko bread crumbs

1 1/2 tsp garlic powder

3/4 tsp table salt

3/4 tsp curry powder

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 450. Chop coconut so its pretty fine. Combine coconut w/ panko and spices and mix well. Place flour and eggs in 2 other separate shallow dishes. Dip chicken tender in flour first, then egg, then spice mixture so it's coated well. Place chicken on foil lined cookie sheet, drizzle with a tiny bit of olive oil (if you want a little extra crispiness), and bake for 15-25 min (depending on size). They're so good dipped in sweet & sour sauce!!!

Tangy cherry chicken

6 chicken breasts or thighs
2 Tbsp. diced onion
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 lb cherries - pitted (Bing is preferred for the pretty red color)
4 basil leaves (or 1 tsp. dried basil)
½ cup orange juice
1 chicken bouillon cube

Cook the chicken using your method of choice (grill, fry) until done. While the chicken is cooking, place cherries, basil, orange juice and bouillon cube in a blender or food processor. Add the onions to a frying pan with olive oil and cook until translucent. Add the onions to the cherry mixture, and puree only until it is slightly chunky. After plating the chicken, spoon the cherry sauce over the chicken.

This is different but good!

Panda Express Orange Chicken

This one's for April.

Many years ago, I was at the mall with April, we were in the food court, and she was lining up at Panda Express, and she says "Have you ever had the Orange Chicken from here?" That was the first time I ever had orange chicken, and I've loved it ever since! I found a recipe that tastes just like it! It was pretty easy too!

Panda Express Orange Flavored Chicken Recipe
Ingredients :
• 1 lb. chicken breast meat
• 1 egg white
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 4 cups vegetable oil to be used for frying
• 1 cup cornstarch
Orange Sauce
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/8 cup vinegar
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 4 teaspoons cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon grated orange peel
• 2 tablespoons chopped scallion
Instructions :
1. Cut chicken breast into 1/2-inch cubes, set aside.
2. To make marinade – combine egg white, salt and sugar in a bowl and stir vigorously until ingredients are thoroughly mixed. Add chicken cubes to marinade and stir to coat well.
3. To make orange sauce – combine water, ketchup, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, 4 teaspoons cornstarch and sesame oil; stir and set aside. Place a pot over high heat. When pot is hot, add the 2tablespoons vegetable oil and heat. Add orange peel and scallion and stir for about 20 seconds, taking care not to burn the orange peel.
4. Pour combined sauce ingredients into the pot and cook, stirring frequently, until sauce has thickened, about 12-15 minutes.
5. Preheat 4 cups oil to 350-375°F. Meanwhile, put marinated chicken in the plastic baggie containing the cornstarch. Shake chicken well for about 20 seconds or until chicken is covered with cornstarch. Shake off all excess cornstarch and fry chicken in hot oil until golden brown, approximately 2 1/2 minutes. Remove chicken from oil with a slotted spoon, drain well and set aside. Add fried chicken to pot with heated orange sauce, stir for about 30 seconds, and then serve immediately.
6. Serve with steamed rice.

White Cheese Chicken Lasagna

I made this for another Mom in our ward who is having a baby (we have tons). She is a vegetarian, so I ommitted the chicken and instead of using chicken broth, I used more milk, and then added artichoke hearts in one of the layers.
I made it normal for our family and it was delicious! Mike actually said "I think this might be my new favorite"


Ingredients
9 lasagna noodles
1/2 cup butter
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups milk
4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups ricotta cheese
2 cups cubed, cooked chicken meat
2 (10 ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese for topping


Directions
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain, and rinse with cold water.
2.Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook the onion and garlic in the butter until tender, stirring frequently. Stir in the flour and salt, and simmer until bubbly. Mix in the broth and milk, and boil, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Stir in 2 cups mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Season with the basil, oregano, and ground black pepper. Remove from heat, and set aside.
3.Spread 1/3 of the sauce mixture in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Layer with 1/3 of the noodles, the ricotta, and the chicken. Arrange 1/3 of the noodles over the chicken, and layer with 1/3 of the sauce mixture, spinach, and the remaining 2 cups mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Arrange remaining noodles over cheese, and spread remaining sauce evenly over noodles. Sprinkle with parsley and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.
4.Bake 35 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven.

Our New Family Favorite!

Hi Ladies.   So I get tired of the same old recipes that keep recycling through my kitchen.  I love this blog because I've gotten new and great ideas from all of you!  Thank You.   I like to purchase recipe books from time to time.... and tonight I dusted one off and hoped for inspiration.  I found an EASY recipe - most things we probably have in the pantry or freezer - and my kids LOVED THEM!  The nice thing is most of these ingredients are "lean" or "skim" or "low fat" if you so choose.  You could probably throw in  a few veggies and they would never know!  Here you go:

Cheeseburger Calzones

1 lb ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 tsp. salt
1 jar (1 lb 10 oz) Ragu Robusto Pasta Sauce
1 jar (8 oz.) marinated mushroom, drained and chopped (optional)
1 C. shredded Cheddar Cheese (about 4 oz.)
1 Package (12 oz.) refrigerated large flaky biscuits (8 biscuits)

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  In 12-inch skillet, brown ground beef with onion and salt over medium-high heat; drain.  Stir in 1 cup Ragu Pasta Sauce, mushrooms and cheese.

2.  Roll or press out each biscuit to a 6 - inch circle (this is key - roll them big enough!)  Place 1/2 Cup beef mixture on each dough circle; fold over and press edges to close.  Seal completely by pressing along edges firmly with tines of fork.

3.  With large spatula, gently arrange on cookie sheets.  Bake 13 minutes or until golden.  Serve with remaining sauce (warm it up and dribble on top of Calzone or serve on the side)

De-lish :)

Happy Cinco De Mayo!

 

Yummy Enchiladas:

1 lb. cooked chicken strips, or canned chicken (that's what I used)
1 brick cream cheese (can use low fat)
1 sm can green chiles

*warm in a skillet until cream cheese melts

*Spoon mixture into 10, or so, warmed large corn tortillas (I found mine at Walmart), roll up and place seam side down in a greased casserole dish. Pour over the top, 2 10 oz. cans Old El Paso mild green chile ench. sauce (Jon says it's hard to find good green ench. sauce and he thought this one was really good) and put grated cheddar cheese on top. Bake @ 350 for 15-20 min. YUMMY! EASY! FAST! It's good with or without sour cream and serve with spanish rice, corn and or beans.

Me, Jon, and Haleigh loved it. Lauren and Collin thought it was a little spicy but putting sr. cream on it helped to cool the spiciness and then they ate it up!

Easy Chicken Parmesan

chicken breasts
eggs
bread crumbs
olive oil
salt & pepper
marinara sauce
diced ITALIAN tomatoes
Mozz cheese
nooodles

Dip chicken breasts into 1-2 beaten eggs, roll around in bread crumbs, and slightly brown on pan covered in olive oil. Salt & pepper each side while it's cooking, then place into baking dish. Spoon marinara/tomato mixture around chicken breasts, but don't cover them. Cook for 45 min (give or take 10 min) @ 350. Cover chicken w/ mozz cheese about 10-15 min before it's done in the oven. Make noodles while chicken is cooking and you can use extra sauce mixture for noodles too. So so yummy and really easy!!!

Spaghetti Carbonara

This is a favorite in our house. Riley always ask for 2nds and 3rds! I love it because its so easy, and a complete meal in one!!

1 pound spaghetti

4 eggs

1/2 cup milk

1 tbsp chopped garlic

1 tsp salt

2 tablespoons chopped frozen spinach

**You can use a few handfuls of fresh spinach, or sometimes I use broccoli instead

1/4 cup butter

1 cup grated parm cheese

1/2 - 1 pound bacon, cooked and crumbled

Beat eggs, milk, garlic, and salt as for scrambled eggs. Add spinach to mixture. (if using broccoli, don't add to egg mixture - roast broc in oven for 10 minutes then add at the end)

Cook and drain spaghetti. With spaghetti in drainer, melt butter in pot. Add spaghetti and egg mixture to the pan. Stir constantly until eggs are nearly cooked. Add parmesan cheese and bacon and finish cooking.

We sometimes add fresh tomatoes to the top.

** Healthy options: Use turkey bacon in place of real bacon, and margarine in place of butter.

Chicken taco filling, microwave caramels, and Christmas meatballs!

 

8-10 frz. chkn. tndrs. or 4-6 breasts
1 jar salsa
2 T taco seasoning
1/4 C water
1 can black beans (rinsed)
1 can corn, drained or 1 C frz. corn

* Place chkn. in crockpot, add salsa, water and taco seas. Cook on high for 3-4 hrs. Shred chkn. w/ fork. Add beans and corn and cook for 30-45 more min. Serve with crisp or soft corn tort. and lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, sr. cream.

this is a nice change from beef taco meat.

 

These are heavenly and pretty easy, and great as neighbor gifts (so you don't eat the whole batch!).

1 C butter
1 C sugar
1 C br. sugar
1 C karo syrup
1 can sweetened cond. milk

* Melt butter in a lg. microwave safe bowl. Add rest of ing. and stir. Microwave on high for 5 min., stir. Another 5 min., stir. 3 min., stir. Test for hard ball stage by dropping a drop of the mixture in to a cup of ice cold water; pick it up and squeeze it between your fingers. If it's still soft and sticky then cook for 1 min. intervals, testing with the ice water between each min. (this may take another 10-15 min.) Once it is firm, when tested in the ice water, like caramels should be, then pour into a greased jelly roll pan or a 9x13 dish. Allow to cool for a couple of hrs. or until firm, then cut and wrap with wax paper. YUM!

 

Super easy and yummie!

You can make your own meatballs and cook them, then place them in a crock pot with the sauce and cook for a couple of hrs. on low or until hot.......OR, this way....

1 pkg. frz. meatballs
1 can whole cranberry sauce
1 12oz. bottle chili sauce
2 T br. sugar
2 T lemon juice

* Combine, pour over frz. meatballs in crockpot and follow pkg. directions. 2 hrs. on high then one hr. on low, I think.

Salmon Croquettes

 

Sounds fancy but these are very easy and my kids loved them so much that even my picky Lauren wanted one for breakfast the next day!

abt. 30 oz. of boneless skinless canned salmon, drained & flaked
4 T mayo (you can use low-fat)
1/2 c dry breadcrumbs
1/2 c gr onions, chopped
2 egg whites
2 T lemon juice

* Heat oven to 425, mix all ing. together, well. Shape in to eight 1/2 inch patties. Place on a WELL oiled baking sheet and bake for 16 min., turning the patties half-way through. Serve with lemon wedges. It would also be fine with tartar sauce, or a little sour cream with capers on top. YUMMY! (I say WELL oiled sheet because mine stuck to the sheet when I went to turn them.)

makes 8 patties

Mac n' cheese (from scratch!)

Ok, this is the bomb! This is nothing like the "blue box". Comfort food at it's best!

2 c macaroni noodles, cooked and drained
Make a roux (white sauce):
1/2 stick of butter
1/4 c flour
2 c cold milk
salt and pepper to taste
When smooth and thickened add:
2 c grated cheddar cheese
dash tobasco

* Mix with noodles and serve or for a more gourmet effect place in 9x13 casserole dish and top with 1/2-1 c bread crumbs mixed with a few Tbs. melted butter and bake for 20-30 min. @ 350. Sometimes I turn on the broiler for a few min. to brown the crumbs more.

Sorry there is no picture. I forgot to get one and we inhaled the whole thing so I couldn't get one. It was good!

Parmesan-Dijon chicken

 

I know I just posted something. I'm a little behind, sorry. My kids LOVED this.

6 boneless, skinless chkn breasts
1/2 stick of butter, melted
3/4 C dry bread crumbs
1/4 C grated parm. cheese
2 T Dijon mustard
My additions are as follows (use them if you want):
a dash of salt
a dash of garlic powder
a handful of crushed cornflakes (for more texture)

* Heat oven to 375. Mix bread crumbs, parm. cheese, salt, garlic powder, and cornflakes in a plastic bag. Stir Dijon into melted butter and mix well. Dip chkn, one piece at a time, into the Dijon mixture coating all sides, then place into the bag with the crumb mixture. Shake well to coat the whole piece of chkn. with the crumbs. Place on an un-greased dish or jelly-roll pan and bake, uncovered, for 20-30 min, turning once half way through. Check to make sure it's not pink and you're good to go.

Crock pot mexican lasagna

 

I know that some of you have seen this before and may have the recipe so I'll tell you this, the only difference is that I added a can of rinsed black beans to the mix. Otherwise here is the recipe:

4 C shredded chicken
1/2 C red enchilada sauce (you pick the spiciness)
1 C sour cream
1 can cr. mushroom soup
12-14 soft corn tort. cut or torn into pieces
1 t salt
1/8 t pepper
1 can gr. chiles
1 can rinsed black beans
1 - 1 1/2 C grated cheddar cheese

* Mix ench. sauce with chkn. Mix in everything else except cheese and tort. Spray crock pot with Pam and start layering with tortillas then mixture, etc., ending with the mixture on top. Cook on low for 4-5 hrs. Top with cheese and cook for 15 more min. then serve and enjoy.

Creamy Italian Chicken

 

Crock pot meal, gotta love it.

6-8 ch breasts
2 can cr. chkn. soup
1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese
1 envelope dry Italian dressing mix
1/2 to 1 chopped onion
1 can mushrooms, drained, or fresh if you want

*Grease crock pot, place chicken in, put everything on top (cube the cream cheese). Cook on high for 4 hrs. or on low for 6-8 hrs. depending on the intensity of the heat of your crock pot (mine cooks on the hot side so I did mine on low for 6 hrs.) You may want to stir occasionally to combine everything well. I served mine with brown rice, but you could also do egg noodles or even mashed potatoes. It was yummy!

Easy Apricot Chicken (a.k.a. Sweet n' sour chkn.)

 

Super easy and yummy.

6-8 breasts or thighs
1 18oz. jar apricot or apricot/pineapple jam
1 packet onion soup mix
8 oz. Russian dressing

*Mix and pour over chicken in a casserole dish. Bake @ 350 deg. for 1 hr. or 1 hr. 20 min. (diff. size pieces cook diff.). Serve with white or brown rice and veggies. Pour sauce from dish over rice! Yum!