Italian Wedding Soup

My husand had Italian Wedding Soup at a restraunt recently and asked me to make it at home.  I did a quick google image search and had him pick out a picture of the soup that looked the most like what he'd had at the restaurant.  That brought us to this recipe:
http://castirondarling.blogspot.com/2009/11/italian-wedding-soup.html

Instead of buying frozen meatballs or making them from scratch I decided to use Jenny-O Turkey Store Hot Italian Sausage.  I've used it before when making spaghetti and meatballs, and it's a quick, tasty and healthy option.  I decided to use them for this soup, and I really think that they make the soup.  There's no need to add extra seasoning because the meatballs will season the broth.

....and because I can't ever just follow a recipe as is here is what I wound up making...


INGREDIENTS

- One (19.5 oz) Package Jenny-O Turkey Store Hot Italian Sausage
- 1 Celery stalk, diced small
- 1 Medium yellow onion, diced small
- 1 Carrot, diced small
- 2/3 cup Pearl barley
- 8 Cups Low sodium chicken broth
- 2 Cups Baby spinach, roughly chopped or torn
- Shredded parmesan cheese (optional)

Remove the turkey sausage from it's casing and form bite size meat balls.  Over medium high heat brown six to eight meatballs at a time in a large soup pot (no oil needed).  The meatballs don't need to be cooked all the way through at this point. Brown each batch and then remove them from the pot and set them aside.  Once all of the meatballs are browned and removed from the pot add the diced onion, celery, and carrot.  Once the onions are translucent add the barley and the chicken stock.  Increase heat to high and bring to a boil.  Place a lid on the pot and tilt it so that there is a little bit of a vent.  Reduce heat until you have a low rolling boil.  Continue cooking for 30 minutes and then add the meatballs back into the pot.  Cook for another 15 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked all the way through and the barley is tender.  Turn the heat off and add the baby spinach.  It will wilt quickly.   Serve topped with parmesan cheese.

This will yield about 6 servings.  The calorie count is just under 230 calories per serving....so of course I had a ton of yummy French bread with mine ;)

Baked Salmon with Sauteed Zucchini & Squash

What You'll Need for the Salmon:

- 2 Center Cut Salmon Fillets

- Olive Oil Spray

- Garlic Salt & Pepper to taste

- Dried herbs of your choice (I used thyme)

-Lemon wedges (optional)

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees.  Rinse salmon fillets and pat dry.  Spray baking dish with olive oil spray.  Place fillets in baking dish and spray them with olive oil spray (you can also brush them with olive oil if you don't have the spray).  Sprinkle with garlic salt, pepper, and herbs.  Place in oven and bake for 20-25 minutes (depending on thickness).  Serve with a lemon wedge or two on the side

What you'll Need for the Zucchini & Squash:

- 1 Medium sized yellow squash sliced into rounds

- 1 Medium sized zucchini sliced into rounds

- Garlic Salt & Pepper to taste

-1 TBS Olive Oil

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium/high heat.  Place zucchini and squash in the skillet in a single layer and cook for about three minutes.  Flip the zucchini and squash rounds over and sprinkle with garlic salt and pepper.  Cook for another three minutes.

I served this with whole grain rice from the natural food section of my grocery store and whole grain wheat French bread.

Creamy Hummus Salad Dressing

What You'll Need:

- 2 TBS Prepared Hummus (I used Roasted Garlic Hummus)

- 1 TBS Extra Virgin Olive Oil

- Juice from one lemon wedge

- Ground pepper to taste

Combine hummus, EVOO, lemon juice and pepper in a small bowl and mix well.  Drizzle over salad or use as a sandwich spread.

Spicy Baked Garlic Orange Tofu and Green Beans

What You'll Need For the Baked Tofu:

- 1 Package of Extra Firm Tofu

- The Juice of One Orange

- 2 TBS Old Bay Seasoning

- 3 Cloves of Garlic, minced

Whisk together the juice of one orange, minced garlic and the Old Bay Seasoning in s small bowl and set aside. Drain any excess liquid from the tofu and then cut it into bit sized cubes.  Place in a shallow dish and pour marinade over the tofu.  Cover and refrigerate (the longer you let it marinate the better....anywhere from 30 minutes to overnight).  When you are ready to bake the tofu preheat your oven to 425 degrees.  Spray a baking dish with olive oil or other cooking spray.  Place the tofu in a single layer on the baking sheet.  Bake for 15 minutes, turn the tofu and bake for another 15 minutes.

What You'll Need for the Sauce:

-Juice of two oranges

-1 TBS Old Bay Seasoning

Whisk together the juice and Old Bay Seasoning in a small sauce pan.  Bring to a boil and stir constantly.  As the mixture boils it will reduce and thicken.  Once it has reduced to about four or five tablespoons it's done.  Drizzle over tofu before serving.

The green beans were super quick.  The produce section of my grocery store has these little bags of veggies that steam in the microwave.  I microwaved them for a minute less than the instructions on the back called for.  Then i heated a tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over high heat.  Once the pan was really hot I added the green beans and cooked them for about five minutes.  Then I just sprinkled them with salt and pepper.

Turkey, Spinach & Mushroom Frittata

What You'll Need:

6 Eggs (you could use 3 egg whites and 3 whole eggs)

2 TBS 1% milk

1 Tsp Salt

1 1/2 Tsp Pepper

1 Cup Sliced Mushrooms

3 Slices Deli Turkey

1 Tsp Garlic Salt

3 Scallions

2 Cups Baby Spinach, sliced thin

Olive Oil spray or other cooking spray

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Beat together the eggs and milk.  Add the salt and pepper and mix to combine.  Set aside.  Spray a medium sized skillet with olive oil spray or cooking spray and heat over high heat.  Add sliced mushrooms and stir often as mushrooms brown.  When mushrooms are golden brown on both sides start adding the turkey by tearing the slices into bite sized pieces.  Reduce heat to medium high and add sliced scallions.  Once turkey is heated through add the spinach (tear it into bite sized pieces as you add it).  Continue cooking until the spinach is just starting to wilt (stirring often).  Sprinkle with garlic salt.

If the skillet you are using is oven safe then you can give the egg mixture a quick stir and then add it to the skillet.  Allow it to cook on the stove for two or three minutes and then transfer to the oven.  Bake for 17-20 minutes or until the center of the frittata has set.

If you aren't using an oven safe skillet you will need to transfer the contents of the skillet into a baking dish (spray the dish with the olive oil spray first).  Then add the egg mixture over the top.  Gently tap the baking dish on the counter to help the egg settle to the bottom of the dish.  Place in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the center of the frittata has set (is firm)

For a fluffier frittata you can add 1/4 of low fat ricotta cheese, cottage cheese, or marscapone cheese to the egg mixture when you beat the eggs.  You can also add any kind of shredded cheese at this point (or you can wait until the last five minutes of baking and add it to the top). 

Three Bean Turkey Chili

What You'll Need:

- 1 lb Lean Ground Turkey

- 1 Small Onion (diced)

- 1 tsp Salt

- 1 1/2 tsp Pepper

- 2 (15 oz.) Cans S&W Pinquito Beans (drained but NOT rinsed)

- 1 (15 oz.) Can Black Beans (drained and rinsed)

- 1 (15 oz.) Can Kidney Beans (drained and rinsed)

- 1 (14.5 oz) Can S&W Diced Tomato with Green Chilies and Seasonings

- 1 (28 oz.) Can Diced Tomatoes (do not drain)

- 1 TBS Ground Cumin

- 2 TBS Chili Powder

- Dash of Mustard Powder (optional)

- Dash of Garlic Powder (optional)

- Sliced scallions and or cilantro for garnish (optional)

Heat large pot over medium high heat.  Add ground turkey and break apart as it browns.  Once turkey has browned drain excess fat.  Add diced onion to the browned turkey and continue cooking until onions are translucent.  Add salt and pepper and stir.  Add beans, tomatoes, and seasonings and stir well.  Turn the heat up to high an bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for at least 20 minutes.  Garnish with sliced scallions and/or cilantro and enjoy :)

Sauteed Chicken, Caramelized Onions & Roasted Sweet Potatoes



What you'll Need for the Roasted Sweet Potatoes:

- 1 Large Sweet Potato (one is enough for two people)

- 1 1/2 TBS Olive Oil

- 3 Cloves of Garlic (minced)

- Four Sprigs of Fresh Thyme (or 1 tsp dried thyme or herb of your choice)

- Salt & Pepper

Preheat oven to 350. Peel and cube the sweet potatoes into bite sized pieces and toss with just enough olive oil to lightly coat it. Add garlic and thyme and toss again. Spread sweet potatoes out on a baking sheet in a single layer and sprinkle with salt and pepper Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until they are starting to turn brown and are crispy at the edges.

What You'll Need for the Caramelized Onions:

- 1 Yellow onion

- 1 TBS Olive Oil

- Salt

- Pepper

Peel the onion and cut off the ends.  Slice onion into thin strips.  Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium low heat. Add sliced onion and cook until onions are translucent.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Continue cooking over low/medium heat for about 15 minutes stirring often.  When they are done they will be a caramel brown color. The key to caramelized onions is cooking them slowly, so resist the urge to crank up the heat on the stove ;) Once the onions are cooked remove them from the pan and set aside.  You'll be using the same pan for you chicken.

What You'll Need for the Chicken:

- 1 lb Thin Sliced Boneless/Skinless Chicken

- 1 TBS Olive Oil

- Seasoned Salt

- Pepper

Add the oil to the pan and heat over medium high heat.  Sprinkle chicken with a little bit of seasoned salt (a tiny bit goes a long way) and pepper on both sides.  Place chicken in the pan and cook 3 to 4 minutes each side.





Garlic Lemon Thyme Chicken & Oven Roasted Brussels Sprouts

What You'll Need for the Chicken:

- 1 lb Think Sliced Boneless/Skinless Chicken Breasts

- The Juice of 2 Lemons

- The zest of 1 Lemon

- 3 or 4 Sprigs of Fresh Thyme (or 1 tsp of dried thyme)

- 3 Cloves of Garlic (minced)

-2 TBS Olive Oil

- 1/4 cup Low Sodium Chicken or vegetable broth (if you don't have this on hand you can use water)

Mix lemon juice, lemon zest, thyme leaves, garlic and olive oil in a shallow dish.  Add chicken and marinate at room temperature for at least ten minutes (turning half way through).  If you want to marinate it longer you can put everything in a large zip lock and marinate in your fridge for up to a day.

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat.  Place chicken breasts in the skillet and cook for three minutes.  Flip chicken over and cook for another three minutes.  By now the skillet should have some brown bits stuck to the bottom.  Add the chicken broth and simmer for another three minutes scraping the brown bits off of the bottom of the pan. 

What You'll Need for the Brussels Sprouts:

- Desired amount of Brussels Sprouts

- Just enough Olive oil to toss and coat the Brussels Sprouts (a few tablespoons is enough for about a pound)

- Garlic Salt

- Pepper

Pre-Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Cut off the ends of the Brussels Sprouts and remove any yellow or brown leaves.  Slice in half.  Line a baking sheet with tin foil and drizzle with olive oil (use a large enough baking sheet that your be able spread the Brussels Sprouts out in one layer).  Place Brussels Sprouts on baking sheet and toss with your hands to coat them in olive oil.  Sprinkle with garlic salt and pepper.  Place in preheated oven for about 35 minutes or until the sprouts have browned nicely.

Optional - You can squeeze a little lemon juice over the top before you eat them to add a little zing ;)

*The rice in the picture is just a while grain rice pilaf I found in the Natural Foods section of my grocery store.

Southwest Style Lettuce Wraps

What You'll Need:

- 1 lb Lean Ground Turkey

- 1 TBS Ground Cumin

- 1 Tsp Garlic Salt

- 1 Tsp Ground Pepper

- 1 Cup Salsa of your choice

- 1 (15 oz.) Can of Black Beans (drained and rinsed)

- 1 Cup Frozen Corn

- 1 Head of Butter Lettuce

- 1 Avocado (diced)
- 1 Lime (cut into wedges)
- Cilantro (optional)

Heat a skillet over medium high heat.  Add ground turkey.  As Turkey browns add cumin, garlic salt and pepper.  Break up the turkey as it browns and mix the seasonings in.  Once the turkey is browned drain any excess fat from the pan.  Add salsa, corn, and black beans to turkey and stir often.  Reduce heat and let simmer for five to ten minutes. 

Use lettuce leaves as a wrap by filling a lettuce leaf with the turkey mixture.  Top with diced avocado and cilantro.  Squeeze a lime wedge over the top and enjoy!

Roasted Shrimp Cocktail

Another yummy recipe from foodnetwork.com :)  Here's a link to the original recipe...

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/summer-chopped-salad-with-ranch-dressing-recipe/index.html

I made my cocktail sauce with three tablespoons of lemon juice (instead of three teaspoons) and two tablespoons of prepared horseradish (instead of three tablespoons).  If you like shrimp cocktail you will love this cocktail sauce.  You can serve the shrimp hot from the oven, room temperature, or chilled.  I made the cocktail sauce first and put it in the fridge to chill while I made the shrimp.

Mexican Sloppy Joe's

1 lb lean ground beef

3 TBS onion diced small
1 ½ cup tomato sauce
1 packet taco seasoning
1 TBS Worcestershire sauce
2 TBS Ketchup
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
8 hamburger buns
1 avocado (optional)
Cilantro, sour cream, and shredded cheese (optional)

Place ground beef and diced onions in a large skillet. Cook over medium high heat until the meat is browned and the onions are translucent. Drain any excess fat from the pan. Add packet of taco seasoning and stir well. Add tomato sauce, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, cumin, pepper, chili powder, and garlic powder. Stir well. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for ten minutes.
Serve on hamburger buns (cheese, avocado, sour cream, and cilantro are optional).

Beer Battered Fish Tacos

Beer Battered Fish Tacos

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus extra for pre-coating the fish

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/8 teaspoon chili powder

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste

1/3 cup beer

8 ounces tilapia fillet, cut crosswise into 1-inch wide strips

2 teaspoons canola oil

4 tortillas, warmed

pico de gallo (or salsa of your choice)

cilantro

shredded cabbage

diced avocado

chipotle lime aioli (recipe follows)

Combine 3 TBS flour, cumin, salt, pepper, chili powder, and cayenne in a medium bowl. Whisk in beer to create a batter.

Cut fish lengthwise into inch wide strips. Dust fish with a little flour (this will help the batter to stay on the fish). Heat oil in a skillet over medium high heat until the oil begins to ripple. Dip the fish in the batter coating all sides. Place the coated fish in the skillet and cook for three minutes on each side. Remove to plate. Assemble tacos by placing some chipotle lime aioli on a tortilla. Top with shredded cabbage. Place the fish on top of the cabbage. Top with pico de gallo, diced avocado, and cilantro.

Chipotle Lime Aioli

2 tablespoons sour cream

2 tablespoons mayo

zest and juice of one lime

1 tablespoon chili powder

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

Whisk together ingredients and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes to let flavors blend.

Tea Time

Savory Bacon Cheddar Scones

3 cups Bisquick

2 eggs

1/3 cup milk (plus a few tablespoons more to brush on top of the scones before baking)

1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese

2 scallions, sliced thin

6 slices of pepper bacon, cooked/cooled/chopped

shredded parm (optional)

Mix together the ingredients in the order they are listed.  You'll end up with a soft dough.  Form this into a ball.  Press the ball of dough flat until you have a circle that's about an inch thick.  Use a knife or a pizza cutter to cut the circle into wedges.  Place the wedges of dough on a greased baking sheet (or you can use parchment paper).  Brush each wedge with a little milk and sprinkle with shredded parm.  Bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes. 

Chicken Salad BLAT Tea Sandwiches

4 slices wheat bread

2 chicen breast, cooked and shredded (see below)
1/4 cup diced tomatoes (I cut grape tomatoes into quarters)
4 slices of pepper bacon, cooked/cooled, and chopped
1/4 cup diced avocado
1/2 cup mayo

Juice and zest from half a lemon
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp cajun seasoning
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp whole grain or dijon mustard
lettuce
You can use any cooked chicken for these sandwiches. If you have leftover roasted chicken or grilled chicken you can shred it up and use it for this sandwich (as long as it isn't seasoned in a way that would clash with the cranberries). I like to cut up a carrot, celery stalk, and an onion and put them in a pot with a bay leaf and a chicken breast (and some fresh thyme if I have it). Then I add water to cover everything and bring it to a low boil. When the chicken is cooked through I remove it from the liquid, shred it, and put it in the fridge. Once it's cooled I add the tomato, and bacon. In a small bowl mix together the mayo, lemon juice, lemon zst, seasonings, and mustard until blended well.  Add the seasoned mayo to the chicken mixture a few tablespoons at a time.  Add as much or as little as you like for your chicken salad.  Place the chicken salad on white bread with lettuce.  Add diced avocado and top with another slice of bread.  Cut off crusts and cut into finger sandwiches.
 
 
Cranberry Walnut Chicken Salad Tea Sandwiches

I posted a recipe for this chicken salad a while back.  To make them as tea sandwiches just cut off the crust and cut them into small squares or triangles.  Here's a link to the recipe I posted before...

http://justdishin.blogspot.com/2010/02/cranberry-walnut-chicken-salad-sandwich.html

Cucumber & Cream Cheese Tea Sandwiches

These are too simple to really write a recipe for ;)  All you do is spread cream cheese on two slices of white bread.  Top one slice with thin slices of cucumber.  Put the other slice of bread with cream cheese on top.  Trim the crusts off of the bread, and cut into small triangles.

Salmon BLT with Lemon Aioli

Why a salmon BLT?  Because you can't go wrong with bacon :)  It makes everything better...even things that are already yummy on thrir own.

12 oz salmon filet

4 slices of pepper bacon, cooked until crispy

cajun seasoning

pepper

butter lettuce (you can use whatever lettuce you like or have on hand)

one tomato

Lemon Aioli (recipe below)

4 slices of sourdough bread, lightly toasted

For this sandwich I made the salmon using my Blackened Cajun Salmon recipe.  Once the salmon is cooked allow it to cool for about five minutes.  Then remove the skin by sliding a spatula or a knife between the salmon and the skin. 

Toast four slices of sourdough bread.  Spread the lemon aioli on one side of each slice.  Top two slices with lettuce, salmon, bacon, tomato, and another slice of bread. 

Lemon Aioli

1/2 cup mayo

Juice and zest from half a lemon

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp garlic salt

1 tsp cajun seasoning

1 tsp chili powder

1 dash hot sauce (if you want a little heat)

Whisk all of the ingredients together and set aside in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.  This makes a great sandwich spread or a dip for veggies and/or seafood.

Mini Calzones and Spinach & Artichoke Dip

This recipe is a combination of a few different ideas,  and ended up making two dishes instead of one.  The recipe for the filling came from the show 'Every Day Italian' on the Food Network.  Giada made these veggie stuffed pancakes...and while the filling looked yummy I just couldn't wrap my head around putting it in a pancake.  I'm sure it's good I just thought it'd be even better in a calzone ;)  They turned out to be preety darn yummy.  A great way to hide some veggies from the kiddos...or yourself ;)  What I should have realized was that the original recipe made WAY more filling than I needed....so I ended up using that to make spinach & artichoke dip...which turned out to be pretty yummy too :)  If you wanted to just make the calzones you could cut the amount of veggies...or you could make a bigger batch by using two things of pizza dough.

Here is the link to the original reecipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/veggie-stuffed-pancakes-recipe/index.html

And here's how I made it:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, finely diced
2 carrots, peeled and finely diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 pound frozen spinach, thawed and drained
2 Roma tomatoes, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus 1/4 cup
1 (8-ounce) container mascarpone cheese
1 1/4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (plus another 1 cup for the dip)
8 oz. sliced pepperoni
1 package refridgerated pizza dough

1/2 to 3/4 cups whole milk

galic salt

pepper

olive oil

Your favorite pizza sauce or marinara sauce and/or ranch for dipping
Directions

Warm the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the onions, carrots, and garlic and saute until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Add the spinach, tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Transfer the vegetable mixture to a large bowl. Add the basil, 1/4 cup Parmesan, and mascarpone cheese. Stir the mixture until well mixed.

Roll out the refridgerated pizza dough on a lightly floured surface.  Using a large cookie cutter or a drinking glass cut circles out of the dough.  Once you've cut as many circles as you can pickup the extra dough and roll it out again to cut more circles.  You should be able to get 18-20 circles. 

Preheat according to the teperature on the pizza dough package.  Lightly grease a 9 by 12-inch baking dish (or individual baking dishes). Using about half the vegetable mixture fill the calzones. Lay one circle of dough down on a work surface, top with a tablespoon of vegetable mixture, a slice or two of pepperoni, and sprinkle with some mozzarella cheese. Fold the dough in half around the vegetable mixture and place in the baking dish. Crimp the edges closed with a fork and poke a few holes in the top.  Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with shredded parm.  Continue with the remaining dough, placing in the baking dish about an inch apart.  Bake for 10-12 minutes.

Spinach Artichoke Dip:

Place the remaining vegetable mixture in a blender with 1/2 cup whole milk. Blend until smooth.  Return to the pan.  Add 1/4 cup shredded parm and 1 cup shredded.  Heat over medium low heat until cheese is melted.  Season with garlic salt and pepper to taste.  Place in a serving dish.  Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan.  Serve with chips and/or sour dough bread.

yummy

Seared Ahi Lettuce Wraps

I have always wanted to make seared ahi, but I was a little intimidated by it.  I wish I had tried a long time ago....it was actually really easy and SOOOOO good.  This would make a great appetizer, but for two people it was a meal.

One 8 to 10 oz. ahi tuna steak

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 TBS honey

2 TBS mirin

2TBS rice vinegar

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground pepper

1/4 cup sesame seeds

1 TBS vegetable oil

Head of butter lettuce

1 carrot, peeled and shredded

1 scallion sliced thin

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1 avocado, peeled and diced

1 cup cooked brown rice

In a shallow dish whisk together the soy sauce, honey, mirin, rice vinegar, sesame oil, ginger, and pepper.  Add the ahi and let it marindae in the fridge for at least an hour.  Place the sesame seeds on a plate or in a shallow dish.  Press the marinated ahi in to the sesame seeds.  Turn the ahi to coat it in the sesame seeds.

Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet....you want it super hot...the oil should be starting to ripple, and about to smoke.  Add the ahi and let it sear for about a minute each side.  Remove from the pan and let cool for 5-10 minutes.  Slice against the grain. 

Use one lettuce leaf as your "cup".  Place a few spoonfuls of brown rice in the cup.  Top it with carrot, scallion, cilantro, avocado, and place a few slices of the ahi on top.

For a dipping sauce combine 3 TBS soy sauce, 1 TBS rice vinegar, a tsp sesame oil, a tsp honey, a tsp garlic salt, and a pinch of crushed red pepper.

Penne with Chicken, Asparagus, and Tomatoes

The original recipe was just for penne with asparagus and tomatoes, which would make a good side dish....but I decided to add chicken to make it a main dish. 

For the chicken I just seasoned two chicken breasts with dried basil, dried oregano, garlic salt, and pepper.  Then I sauteed it in a few tablespoons of olive oil.  Then I set it aside while I followed the rest of the recipe.  Once the recipe was complete I sliced the chicken up and added it on top of the pasta.  Then I sprinkled some shredded parm on top and ate it up :)

Here is a link the original recipe...

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/penne-with-asparagus-and-cherry-tomatoes-spring-recipe/index.html

When I make this again I think I'll be adding one more garlic clove and a tiny bit of crushed red pepper.

Honey Soy Broiled Salmon

This is a yummy and quick way to enjoy your salmon, and goes great with a little steamed rice.  Here is a link to the recipe...

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/honey_soy_salmon.html

Boozy Beef Stew With Caramelized Onions

Ok...the original name for this recipe is "Beef Stew With Caramelized Onions and Amber Lager" and it calls for a 12 ounce bottle of beer.  I ended up using a 12 ounce bottle of beer and a half a cup of wine....so it's a little more boozy than your average stew ;)

Here's a link to the recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/beef-stew-with-caramelized-onions-and-amber-lager-recipe/index.html

And here is how I made it....

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 lbs beef stew meat, preferably chuck, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 yellow onion, sliced
2 large baking potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose (plain) flour
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 bottle (12 fluid ounces) good-quality amber lager or pale ale
1/4 cup red wine
1 cup (8 fluid ounces) beef or chicken broth
Salt and ground pepper

Directions

In a large, heavy pot, warm the oil over high heat until hot but not smoking. Season the meat with a dash of salt and pepper.  Working in batches, brown the meat well on all sides, 5 to 7 minutes. Adjust the heat as necessary to keep the meat from scorching. Transfer the browned meat to a plate and repeat until all the meat is browned.

Add the onions and butter to the pot and stir over high heat until the onions start to soften, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and sprinkle in the sugar. Continue to cook the onions, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Add the flour, thyme, rosemary and carrots and raise the heat to high. Stir for 1 minute, then pour in the lager or ale and wine, letting it come to a vigorous boil. Stir in the broth and return to a boil.
Return the meat and any accumulated juices on the plate to the pot.  Add the potatoes and let the liquid come just to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the meat is tender when pierced (about 1 1/2 to 2 hours). Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve on warmed individual plates.

Spicy Orange Garlic Shrimp

Another yummy recipe from thepioneerwoman.com.  The great thing about this recipe was how little time it takes to make.  There's very little prep, and the shrimp cooks quickly.  Plus you really cannot go with a shrimp recipe that includes butter and garlic ;) 

I like to keep a bag of peeled/de-veined shrimp in the freezer for a quick dinner because they defrost quickly and you can do a lot of different things with them.  This receipe used things I always have on hand so I am sure I'll be making it again :)

Here's a link the the recipe...

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/11/spicy-orange-garlic-shrimp/

The only change I made to the recipe was to cut back on the cayenne pepper.  I only used about an 1/8 of a teaspoon.  That gave it a little heat, but nothing too crazy.