Pasta Caprese

One of my most favorite dishes to eat in the summer! It's so light and so filling and so delicious!

Pasta Caprese

Ingredients

• 28oz can of diced tomatoes
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp salt
• fresh ground pepper, to taste
• cayenne pepper, just a pinch
• 1lb rigatoni
• 8oz mozzarella, cubed
• approximately 15 fresh basil leaves, finely shredded

Directions

1. Place the peeled and diced tomatoes in a colander for about 15 minutes to remove excess juices.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the drained tomatoes, olive oil, vinegar, garlic, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. Mix the ingredients well and let sit for 20 minutes at room temperature.
3. Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a boil over medium-high heat.
4. Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente.
5. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot.
6. Add the tomato mixture, mozzarella and basil to the pasta. Toss gently and serve immediately. 

Pasta with Vodka Sauce

I'm in love with homemade pasta sauces specially simple ones with lots of flavor. This one is so similar to this pasta with tomato cream sauce recipe so if you've tried that one, you're guaranteed to love this one. It's heavenly. I think it will become a huge staple in our house and just thinking about it right now makes my mouth water, yum!


Pasta with Vodka Sauce

Ingredients

• 4 tbsp unsalted butter
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1/2 cup Vodka
• 28oz can of crushed tomatoes
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp fresh basil, silvered, plus additional for serving
• 1lb penne pasta
• 1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated, plus additional for serving
• red pepper flakes, generous pinch

Directions

1. Cook pasta in well salted water until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of cooking water, drain pasta and set aside.
2. While the pasta is cooking, melt the butter in a large skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and continue cooking until fragrant, about a minute more. 
3. Stir in tomatoes and their juices. Bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium and stir in the tomato paste and vodka. Cook until most of the alcohol has evaporated, at least 5 minutes. 
4. Stir in cream, red pepper flakes and salt. Bring to a a simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low.
5. Cook sauce until thickened, about 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. 
6. Stir in basil and cheese.
7. Add pasta to skillet and toss to coat, adding pasta water as needed to thin the sauce.
8. Serve topped with additional basil and Parmigiano-Reggiano.
   
   

Sweet & Spicy Bacon Chicken

I came across this recipe by a friend and wanted to try it out for some time now. I finally got around to making it the other day and it was so good. The whole house smelled delicious as it was baking. I served it with rice and a veggie, but it would go nicely with mashed potatoes too. My friend likes to serve hers on ciabatta rolls for a lighter meal.

Sweet & Spicy Bacon Chicken by Full Bellies

Ingredients

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into thirds (12 pieces)
• 1 pkg of bacon
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• Garlic Powder
• Chili Powder
• Brown Sugar

Directions

1. Mix together garlic powder, chili powder, salt & pepper to desired consistency
2. Cut each breast into 3 pieces, and season with season mixture
3. Wrap each piece of chicken in bacon then roll in brown sugar. Place chicken in a 13x9 baking dish.
4. Bake at 400 degrees for 30- 40 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and bacon is nice and brown and crispy. 

Chicken Bruschetta Pasta

A few weeks ago while I was couponing I came across Kraft Philadelphia Cooking Creme on sale. I was able to pick up 15 of these but had no idea what to actually make with them. I found this recipe on the Kraft website and it's really good! Normally I am not a big fan of Kraft recipes, it seems like 95% of them call for Italian dressing (I'm not even kidding!), but this was nice and creamy and light. Definitely will be making it again!

Chicken Bruschetta Pasta

Ingredients

• 1lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
• 1/3 cup fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tub (10oz) Philadelphia Original Cooking Creme
• 2 cups grape tomatoes
• 2 cups farfalle (bow-tie pasta), cooked
• 12 fresh basil leaves, torn

Directions

1. Cook chicken in a large nonstick skillet on medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes, or until done. 
2. Stir in broth and garlic powder; cook 3 minutes.
3. Add cooking creme and tomatoes; cook and stir 3 minutes.
4. Stir in pasta
5. Top with basil, and serve

Beef with Peppers

I saw this recipe on Pioneer Womans site and thought it looked delicious. We dont eat usually come across too many meals that have steak in it that look appealing so when I saw this I knew we had to make it. I was worried it will be too much like peppered steak but the flavor was delicious and my husband enjoyed it and he is not big on "stir fry". Definitely worth a try!

Beef with Peppers by Pioneer Woman

Ingredients

• 1-½ pound Flank Steak, Sliced Very Thin Against The Grain
• ½ cups Low Sodium Soy Sauce
• 3 Tablespoons Sherry
• 2 Tablespoons Packed Brown Sugar
• 2 Tablespoons Cornstarch
• 1 Tablespoon Minced Fresh Ginger
• 2 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1 teaspoon Red Chile Paste (or A Few Dashes Red Chile Oil)
• 2 Tablespoons Canola Oil
• 1 whole Medium Yellow Onion Sliced
• 2 whole Red Bell Peppers, Cored And Sliced Into Rings
• 1 Tablespoon Diced Fresh Jalapeno (or 1 Teaspoon Dice Hot Pepper)
• Red Pepper Flakes, For Sprinkling
• Cilantro Leaves

Directions

1. Mix together soy sauce, sherry, brown sugar, cornstarch, ginger, garlic, and chili pasta (or chili oil.) Place sliced beef in the mixture and toss to coat. Set aside.
2. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large skillet over medium-high to high heat. When it is very hot throw in the onions, cook for less than a minute. Remove to a separate plate.
3. Return skillet to flame, allow to reheat, and add bell peppers (and hot pepper/jalapeno if using). Cook for a minute, tossing, until peppers have brown/black bits but are still firm. Remove to a plate.
4. Return skillet to heat and allow to get hot. Add the remaining tbsp of oil to the skillet. Add 1/3 of the meat mixture, evenly distributing over the surface of the skillet. Allow to sit for 20 to 30 seconds then turn with tongs. Cook for another 30 secionds then remove to a separate plate. Repeat with remaining meat until all brown. 
5. Reduce heat to low. Add all meat, onions and peppers to the skillet and toss to combine. Pour in remaining sauce (the sauce the meat marinated in*) and stir. Allow to simmer on low for a few minutes. Sauce will slowly thicken. Turn off heat.
6. Turn off boiling water, then throw in noodles. Stir, then allow noodles to sit in hot water for 8 minutes or so (check package directions to be sure). Drain, then add 1/2 the noodles to stir fry. Toss together, then add more noodles to taste. Add very hot water if needed to thin.
7. Top with cilantro leaves. Serve immediately.

* Update/Note: you can also whip up extra batch of liquid if you do not want to use the same liquid you used for the meat.

Gorgeous Garlic Shrimp

I was addicted to the Real Housewives of New Jersey since the very first episode and even though Teresa comes off as a big mouthed, big hair, guidette, I couldnt help but love her. I received her cookbook for Christmas and not only is is full of really good information on Italian cooking (real Italian cooking, none of that fake stuff!), it is also full of delicious recipes, this being one of them.

My husband whipped this up real quick last night as a sort of "snack" since we had a late lunch and werent hungry. We had originally planned to serve it with rice and a veggie but ended up just making the shrimp to nibble on.

Gorgeous Garlic Shrimp by Teresa Giudice

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 pounds large shrimp, peeled & deveined
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Directions

1. Heat oil and garlic together in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the oil is hot and the garlic is softened, about 1 1/2 minutes.
2. Add the shrimp and season with the salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until the shrimp turns opaque, about 4 minutes. 
3. Add the lemon juice and parsley and stir well. Serve hot. 

sausage, spinach & roasted red pepper alfredo

We've made this before... several times actually but it was so yummy the other night I had to take a picture to share. Click below for the original recipe.

Recipe: Sausage, Spinach & Roasted Red Pepper Alfredo

Happy St. Patrick's Day

I'm only a little bit late on this one ;-) but at least it's still March? We enjoyed some delicious corn beef, cabbage, potatoes & carrots on St. Patty's Day and it was delicious! All of the the leftovers are officially gone... bummer :(

Irish Soda Bread

I was feeling festive this year for St. Patrick's Day and even though we arent Irish... or remotely close to being Irish, I wanted to go "all out". I like to celebrate and do special little traditions or have parties for no reason other than to eat good food and enjoy the company. I dont need a reason to celebrate, I'll make up my own and since there is no holiday for the Italians, I might as well live it up like I am Irish. So I did, and I made this bread with my son and it was delicious and my daughter ate a majority of it which is of no surprise, she is carb lover.

Hope you enjoy it!

Irish Soda Bread by MP Welty

Ingredients

• 4 cups Flour
• 4 tbsp white sugar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup margarine, softened
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1/4 cup buttermilk 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degres. Lightly grease a large baking sheet.
2. In a large bowl mis together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and margarine. 
3. Stir in 1 cup of buttermilk and egg.
4. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead slightly. 
5. Form dough into a round and place on prepared baking sheet.
6. In a small bowl combine melted butter with 1/4 cup buttermilk. Brush the loaf with this mixture. Use a sharp knife to carve an X onto the top of the loaf.
7. Bake in oven for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Continue to brush the loaf with butter mixture will it bakes for a crispy crust.

Spinach & Mushroom Quesadillas

I love quesadillas but wasnt in the mood for regular cheese or chicken ones. So we decided to switch it up after seeing Pioneer Woman's spinach & mushroom quesadillas. So this is our adapted version of hers and its REALLY good and there werent any leftovers, my kids even loved it. We served it with some salsa on the side for dipping which gave it a nice little kick.

Spinach & Mushroom Quesadillas by Pioneer Woman, adapted by Kimba


Ingredients

• 3 tbsp butter
• 16oz sliced mushrooms
• 1/3 cup white wine
• 3 tbsp (additional) white wine
• Kosher salt & pepper to taste
• 1 bag baby spinach
• 1 pkg flour tortillas
• 8oz Monterey Jack cheese
• Extra butter for tortillas
• Salsa, for serving

Directions

1. Melt 2 tbsp butter in a large skillet and add sliced mushrooms. Sprinkle with salt & pepper, than saute over medium-high heat for 2 minutes, then pour in the wine. Add salt & pepper. Continue cooking for 6 to 8 minutes, or until all liquid is evaporated. Remove mushrooms from skillet and set aside.
2. Return skillet to stovetop and reduce heat to medium-low. Melt additional 1tbsp of butter and add a couple tbsp's of wine. Add spinach to skillet and stir gently as it wilts. Sprinkled with salt & pepper, then cook for 2 minutes. Remove from skillet.
3. To assemble the quesadillas, arrange cheese, spinach and mushrooms on top of one tortilla. Top with second tortilla and then smear softened butter lightly on both sides of the quesadilla and bake until golden brown and cheese is melted. 

Ranch Chicken

I've had this recipe for a while now and really wanted to try it but never got around to it. The other day I took chicken out of the freezer to defrost and planned on putting it in the crockpot the following morning. Well I ended up being busy and not getting around to putting it in the crockpot so I looked at my recipes on hand to see what I could make and already had ingredients for. We ended up making this and it was really good. Both of the kids goobled it right up too. It takes even better with a little hot sauce on the side to dip it into.

Ranch Chicken by Betty Crocker

Ingredients

• 4 boneless chicken breasts
• 1/4 cup ranch dressing
• 1/3 cup bread crumbs
• 2 tbsp olive oil

Directions

1. Dip chicken into dressing, then coat with bread crumbs.
2. In a skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. 
3. Cook chicken in oil for 12-15 minutes, turning once, until outside is a golden brown color and juice is no longer pink when cut in the thickest part.

Meatloaf

Believe it or not, I went almost my entire life thus far without eating meatloaf. I guess because the name is kind of sketchy and I watched several shows as a child where the cafeteria served mystery meat which I linked directly with meatloaf. My mom never made it so I never ate it. Then last year I was thinking about how many people love meatloaf and decided to try and make it. My first time didnt go horribly (I did enjoy it enough to make again) but I felt like it was missing something. So after several attempts at meatloaf, this is my tried and true recipe. We always come back to this one. 

Meatloaf by Kimba

Ingredients

• 1.5- 2 lbs of ground beef
• 1 egg
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup Italian breadcrumbs
• 1 small onion, diced
• 4 cloves of garlic, diced
• 1/4 tbsp pepper
• 1/4 tbsp sage
• 1/2 tsp ground mustard
• 1 tbsp worcestershire sauce

Topping Ingredients

• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1/2 cup ketchup

Directions

1. Mix together beef, onion, garlic, pepper, sage, and ground mustard. Once it is mixed add in egg, milk and worcestershire sauce. Once that is mixed add in breadcrumbs. Mix until evenly coated.
2. Form meatloaf into loaf pan.
3. In a small bowl combine vinegar, ketchup and brown sugar. Whisk to dissolve of any clumps. 
4. Spread ketchup mixture over the top of the meatloaf and bake at 350* F for 45 minutes.

Oriental Glazed Chicken

I was in the mood for something different and kind of Asian but not the traditional type stirfry. We all ended up enjoying this and my daughter who is the pickiest eater ever, actually ate quite a bit of it.

Oriental Glazed Chicken 

Ingredients

• 1lb boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1" peices
• 1/4 cup light soy sauce
• 1/4 cup honey
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 tbsp chili sauce (dont worry, you dont even taste it)
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 4 cups coleslaw mix
• 3 cups of rice (I used brown).

Directions

1. Place chicken in a baking dish. (Make sure you pound the chicken before cutting it up so that it absorbs the marinade).
2. In a small bowl combine soy sauce, honey, 2 tbsp veg oil, chili sauce, ground ginger and garlic power. Pour over chicken and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for an hour.
3. Mix together the broth and cornstarch until smooth. Set aside.
4. Heat large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and marinade and bring to a simmer. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Remove chicken; set aside.
5. Add reamining oil to skillet and add coleslaw mix. Cook, stirring until tender, about 4 minutes. Stir in broth mixture, bring to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer 1 minute, until suace thickens. Add in chicken and any accumulated liquid and heat through.
6. Serve over rice.

Red Velvet Cupcakes Filled With Cream Cheese Frosting

                            

Mmm... what says Happy Valentine's Day better than red velvet cake? Besides chocolate, flowers and jewelry...nothing. And what says red velvet cake better than cream cheese frosting? Absolutely nothing. I love cream cheese frosting. On red velvet cake. On carrot cake. Out of the bowl. I love it. I also love red velvet cake because it is essentially chocolate cake, but dyed red and is there really anything better in the universe than chocolate cake? I think not. 

I made these cupcakes for the guys (and the 3 ladies) at my husbands job. I'm pretty sure they loved them since all 30 of them were gone within an hour. I know, I know... I am awesome. 

Anyways, here is the recipe, and it's easier than pie (since pie isnt that easy) and it's delicious, and with cream cheese frosting it is heaven. Enjoy!

Red Velvet Cake by Kimba

Ingredients for cupcakes

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 bottle (1 oz) red food coloring
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions for making cupcakes

1. 1. Preheat oven to 350°F. 
2. Mix flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside. 
3. Beat butter and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. 
4. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time. 
5. Mix in sour cream, milk, food color and vanilla. 
6. Gradually beat in flour mixture on low speed until just blended. Do not overbeat. 
7. Spoon batter into muffin cups, filling each cup 2/3 full.
8. Bake 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted into cupcake comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire rack 5 minutes. Remove from pans; cool completely.

Ingredients for frosting

•  8oz package of cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 2 tbsp sour cream
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 16oz confection sugar

Directions for frosting

1.  Beat cream cheese, butter, sour cream and vanilla extract in a large bowl until light and fluffy. 
2. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar until smooth.

Assembling Cupcakes

1. Make an indentation in the center of each cupcake using the handle of a wooden spoon or a straw, making sure not to break through bottom of cupcake. 
2. Spoon frosting into a cake decorating bag (or resealable plastic bag with a small piece off one of the bottom corners of bag cut off). 
3. Pipe about 1 teaspoon frosting into each cupcake. 
4. Decorate the tops of the cupcakes with remaining frosting. 

**Tips**

I used a smaller star tip to fill the cupcakes, and then a large one to decorate the tops. The cupcake recipe makes about 30 cupcakes, where as the frosting wasn't nearly enough. I ended up making 3 batches of the frosting recipe to fill all 30 cupcakes and then frost them. I had some leftover too so I would recommend using 2.5 batches of frosting.

Lobster Bisque

I have loved lobster since the very first time my parents took me camping and I tried it at the campground restaurant, I was 8 months old. Growing up in Maine lobster was a summer staple, to us its as important as burgers and hot dogs on the grill. Oh how I love lobster, and warm butter, together, oh.em.gee. One of my favorite ways to eat lobster is in a chowder. I love having a bowl of nice, warm, lobster stew and some oyster crackers. Is there anything better than lobster mixed with heavy cream? I think not. 

This past October we went to a friends wedding and as part of the menu they had lobster bisque. I died. It was so delicious. In fact, they're entire menu was delicious but nothing beats the lobster bisque! My husband has been dreaming of it sense too and begging me to add lobster bisque to the menu but I was very hesitant as lobster is not very cheap, unless bought off the boat. I decided to go ahead and add it to the menu for Valentine's day. My husband was excited to make it that even and needless to say, there were no leftovers. I kinda figured that would happen though!

Lobster Bisque by Fred McClelland

Ingredients

• 3 or 4 lobsters, depending on how much meat you want and the weight of the lobsters
• 5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 leek, halved lengthwise
• 1 onion
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• grated orange zest (about half an orange)
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1/4 cup cognac
• 3 tbsp flour
• 4 cups heavy cream
• 1 tsp whole peppercorns
• kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. Cook the lobsters if they are uncooked. You can do this by boiling a pot of water, adding the lobsters head first and cooking until bright red.
2. Let cool and then chop up the lobster; remove the claws and tail. Clean out the lobster meat from the claws and tails and chop it up roughly into bite sized pieces.
3. Heat 3 tbsp olive oil in a large pot over medium heat and melt 3 tbsp butter in it. Add the chopped lobster bodies and heads and their juices, the leeks, onion, thyme, orange zest and the tomato paste. 
4. Cook for about 10 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and carefully pour in 1/4 cup cognac. Ignite the cognac with a long kitchen match and let the alcohol burn off. Return to the heat, sprinkle in the flour, stir, and cook for another 2 minutes. 
5. Add water to cover and stir up all the browned bits on the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Add the cream and bring to a boil. Immediately decrease the heat and gently simmer until the soup is reduced and thickened, about 30 to 45 minutes.
6. Strain into a clean pot and season with salt and pepper if needed. Add the chopped lobster meat.
7. To serve, ladle the bisque into warmed soup bowls and enjoy!
   

Tortellini Soup

It was supposed to snow yesterday. Everyone said it was going to snow. When I made the menu last week I put down tortellini soup for Wednesday because it was going to snow and nothing is better on a snowy day than hot soup for dinner. It never snowed. I still made the soup and it was delicious but it would have been better with some snow. 

I love tortellini! I love pasta in general but it's extra good when stuffed with cheese or the like. Yum! Is there anything better than tortellini? I think not! When I came across this recipe I knew I had to make it simply because it had tortellini and I have a slight obsession with tortellini. Mmm!

Tortellini Soup by The Well-Fed Newlyweds

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 whole small onion, minced
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1 qt low-sodium chicken broth
• 15oz can of whole tomatoes
• Salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 9oz tortellini (fresh or frozen)
• 3 cups fresh spinach, chopped
• Parmesan cheese, to serve

Directions

1. In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion. Cook until the onion is softened and the garlic has turned light gold, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the oregano, broth, tomatoes, and salt and pepper to taste. (You can break up the tomatoes with your fingers as you add them to the pot, or break them up with a spoon once you’ve added them to the soup.)
3. Bring the soup to a boil and add the tortellini. Cook according to the package directions.
4. One minute before the tortellini are done, add the spinach. Stir to combine.
5. When the tortellini are cooked, remove the pot from the heat immediately so they do not overcook. Season with additional salt and pepper, if necessary.
6. Serve the soup immediately, topped with grated Parmesan cheese.

Pantry Pasta for Two

Another one of Pioneer Woman's delicious pasta recipes! This past week I was in the mood for pasta so on the menu for this week is 3 pasta dishes (technically 4 if you count the tortellini soup). This cold weather we have been having has made me crave comfort food and what better comfort food than pasta? I decided to give this a whirl and we enjoyed it last night at dinner. My favorite part was the olives, next time I am adding a bunch more because I am an olive lover. We ended up cubing the chicken after it was cooked to make it easier for the kids to eat (we used more than 2 pieces). I think I prefer it this way, though I have nothing to compare it to so what do I know!

Pantry Pasta for  Two by The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• ½ whole Red Onion, Diced
• 3 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1 can (14.5 Ounce) Diced Tomatoes With Juice
• ⅓ cups Assorted Olives, Pitted And Roughly Chopped
• ⅓ cups White Wine
• 2 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, Pounded To Even Thickness
• Kosher Salt
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1 Tablespoon Butter
• Grated Parmesan Cheese
• ½ pounds Linguine, Cooked Al Dente And Drained
• 1 teaspoon Olive Oil

Directions

1. Heat medium skillet over medium-low heat. Add olive oil. When warm add diced red onion and stir. Cook slowly for five minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic, then stir and cook for one minute. Pour in diced tomatoes with their juice. Add chopped olives. Stir and cook for a minute or two. 
2. Splash in wine, then stir and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. While sauce is cooking, sprinkle salt and freshly ground black pepper over the chicken breasts. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a separate skillet. Cook on both sides until golden brown and done. Set aside. 
4.  Toss cooked linguine in olive oil and arrange on a small platter. Spoon 3/4 of the sauce over the pasta. Place chicken on top, then spoon remaining sauce over the chicken. Sprinkle on grated Parmesan and serve immediately.

Pasta with Tomato Cream Sauce

Is there a pasta dish by Pioneer Woman that I do not love? I highly doubt it! When it comes to pasta, Ree knows her stuff! I think my obsession with her pasta dishes come from an obsession of fatty products (butter, heavy cream & wine!). It's not a PW recipe if it does not contain butter! 

Growing up in an Italian family pasta was pretty much a novelty. We had pasta at least twice a week and always on the holidays (along with an assortment of meat). But the kicker is, I dont really like "pasta". Sure, I love noodles (carbs anyone?) but when it comes to the sauce, I am not a huge fan. Not only do I not really care for the sauce, the smell is almost nauseating to me. So I avoid pasta usually because that marinara smell does not my mouth water. I dont enjoy homemade sauce, nor do I enjoy the jarred stuff.

This dish however is delicious, its like pasta for grown-ups, except my kids love it to! I could live on this pasta, it's that delicious (as are all her other pasta dishes). What makes it so different? The butter, the cream, and the lack of thick, pasty, tomato sauce. 

Pasta with Tomato Cream Sauce by The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 2 Tablespoons Butter
• 1 whole Medium Onion, Finely Diced
• 4 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 2 cans (15 Ounce Each) Tomato Sauce Or Marinara Sauce
• Salt And Pepper, to taste
• Dash Of Sugar (more To Taste)
• 1 cup Heavy Cream
• Grated Parmesan Or Romano Cheese, To Taste
• Fresh Basil, Chopped
• 1-½ pound Fettuccine (I used penne in the picture but have used fettuccine in the past)

Directions

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta water.
2. Heat butter and oil over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and saute for a minute or so. Pour in tomato sauce and add salt, pepper, and sugar to taste. Stir and cook over low heat for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Remove from heat and stir in cream. Add cheese to taste, then check seasonings. Stir in pasta and chopped basil and serve immediately. (Thin with pasta water before adding basil if needed.)

Buffalo Chicken Wraps

One of my most favorite things to eat at college were the buffalo chicken wraps. The actual cafeteria food was less than desirable but in the student center there was this place to order food that we called the crack shack. You could buy all types of snack food and drinks but they also made food, mostly teenager food (hamburgers, french friends, chicken tenders, philly cheese steaks, ect). Their buffalo chicken wraps were a favorite and I am pretty sure I ate one almost every day. I would rotate between the buffalo chicken wraps and the chicken cesear wraps, so yummy! 


It's been a while since I was out of college so I was looking for an old time favorite to make at home. I came across this recipe on eating well and decided to try it out. Holy goodness! Beware though, it's incredibly spicy! My mouth was on fire after eating this delicacy.


Buffalo Chicken Wraps by EatingWell.com
Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons hot pepper sauce, such as Frank's RedHot
• 3 tablespoons white vinegar, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 pound chicken tenders
• 2 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons nonfat plain yogurt
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
• 4 8-inch whole-wheat tortillas
• 1 cup shredded romaine lettuce
• 1 cup sliced celery
• 1 large tomato, diced

Directions

1. Whisk hot pepper sauce, 2 tablespoons vinegar and cayenne pepper in a medium bowl.
2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken tenders; cook until cooked through and no longer pink in the middle, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Add to the bowl with the hot sauce; toss to coat well.
3. Whisk mayonnaise, yogurt, pepper and the remaining 1 tablespoon vinegar in a small bowl. Stir in blue cheese.
4. To assemble wraps: Lay a tortilla on a work surface or plate. Spread with 1 tablespoon blue cheese sauce and top with one-fourth of the chicken, lettuce, celery and tomato. Drizzle with some of the hot sauce remaining in the bowl and roll into a wrap sandwich. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.