Peach and Whiskey...Who Knew?

I've been saving this recipe for Peach Whiskey BBQ Chiken for a while now and finally made it tonight. Gotta put that Jameson to use right? LOL. Anyway, it was the PERFECT combination of sweet and savory. I served the chicken over Mashed Potatoes like the recipe suggested and it was comfort food at its best!

German-Inspired Pork and Spaghetti

I was inspired by a recipe for German Pork Cutlets from an old magazine and decided to make my own version for dinner. It's basically pork in a sauce with mushrooms, sherry cream, and surprisingly Ham! It turned out very tasty and even though I usually don't like spaghetti, it paired very well together.

Ingredients:

1/2 lb pork, cut into 1-inch pieces
Salt and pepper
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 c onions, diced
1 c mushroom, sliced
1/4 c dry sherry
1/4 c beef broth
1/4 c diced ham
1/4 c heavy cream

Prep:

1. Season pork with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add pork and brown 2 minutes on each side. Remove and set aside.

2. Add onion and mushrooms and cook until softened, 5 minutes.

3. Deglaze with sherry and stir in broth, ham and cream. Bring mixture to a boil and add pork back. Turn heat down to a simmer and cover. Cook until meat is cooked through, 10 minutes.

Leftover Fire-Roasted Tomatoes and Lamb

I've expressed many times my love for Fire-Roasted Tomatoes and tonight I added them to some Lamb Shanks along with red wine and couldn't have been happier. I made a sauce of tomato paste, brown sugar, bay leaf, red wine, beef broth, rosemary and oregano and served the lamb over mashed potatoes. YUM YUM!

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp olive oil
2 lamb shanks
Salt and pepper
1/4 c onions, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 c fire-roasted tomatoes
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 bay leaf
1/2 c red wine
1/2 c beed stock
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp dried oregano

Prep:

1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season lamb shanks with salt and pepper. Add to the pan and brown on all sides. Remove and keep warm.

2. Add onion and lower heat to medium. Cook until softened, 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook another minute.

3. Add the red wine and deglaze for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, brown sugar, bay leaf, rosemary and oregano. Stir to combine and bring to a boil.

4. Nestle lamb shanks back and cover. Simmer for 1 hour or until meat is tender. Remove lamb shanks and discard bay leaf. Boil sauce until thickened, 5 minutes.

Stuffed Shells Mexican Style!

I can't even explain how much we LOVE stuffed shells at our house and our love for Mexican food is no secret either. So tonigh, I decided to combine our 2 obsessions with Mexican Stuffed Shells. They're stuffed with Chorizo and cream cheese and cooked in a taco sauce. The best part is the topping which were crushed tortilla chips and sour cream. YUM YUM!

Ingredients:

6 Jumbo pasta shells, cooked al dente
1/4 c onions, chopped
1/2 lb chorizo
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 c taco sauce
1 c shredded Mexican cheese
1/4 c crushed tortilla chips
Sour cream, for serving
Green onions, for garnish

Prep:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a small baking dish.

2. Cook chorizo in a skillet over meidum-high heat 5 minutes, stirring until browned. Stir in cream cheese and stir until cheese is melted. Remove from heat.

3. Fill pasta shells with meat mixture and place in baking dish. Pour taco sauce over shells.

4. Cover and bake 20 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with cheese and bake 10 minutes longer until cheese is melted.

5. Garnish with tortilla chips, sour cream and green onions before serving.

Paula Deen's Shrimp Pasta is a WINNER!

I watched Paula Deen make her Company Shrimp and Mushroom Pasta with her son Jamie (HOT HOT!) and couldn't wait to make it for dinner. My hubby LOVES shrimp and I don't make them enough since I'm always afraid of overcooking them. This recipe is a definite winner all around! The shrimp was succulent, the sauce was deliciously creamy and the mushrooms added a nice earthy flavor. Thanks Paula!

What to do with Chorizo

I discovered Chorizo a while back and fell in love. It's SO flavorful and makes Mexican meals a breeze. Tonight, I made Rachael Ray's Smoky Chipotle Mac and Cheese and it was comfort food at its best!

Creamy Shrimp Pasta Oh YEA!

I don't cook shrimp a lot because I'm always so scared I'll overcook them but with a little practice I think I'm getting the hang of it! Tonight, I made a Creamy Shrimp and Pasta meal and we couldn't have been happier with it! It was so easy and so incredibly delicious!

Ingredients:

1/2 lb peeled and deveined shrimp
1 Tbsp butter
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 c chopped green onions
1/4 c heavy cream
1/4 c grated Parmesan cheese
Pasta, cooked

Prep:

1. Pat shrimp dry with paper towel. Melt over in a pan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add shrimp and green onions. Cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until shrimp is cooked.

2. Add cream and Parmesan. Stir until cheese is melted. Add pasta and coat the noodles well. Serve.

Easy Stuffed Pasta!

We LOVE stuffed pasta at our house and one of our favorites is Manicotti. It's great cuz you can stuff them with anything and tonight I made mine with left-over chicken and cream cheese. All topped with Marinara Sauce with Mozzarella and dinner is served!

Happy Valentine's Day with Lobster Tails!

These are not your ordinary Lobster Tails, they're Crabcake-Stuffed Lobster Tails! I don't have an actual recipe for these but I basically just mixed together crabmeat, breadcrumbs, an egg yolk and seasoning and topped my lobster tails with it. Then I baked everything in the oven for about 20 minutes and I was rewarded with the BEST Valentine's Day present ever, good food! :)

Stuffed-Meatballs to Get Us Through the Week!

I don't know about you, but we LOVE meatballs at our house, especially if they're stuffed with cheese. Ok, we just love anything with cheese in it! LOL. Anyway, tonight, I decided to stuff some meatballs with Pepperjack and we had an amazing comforting meal!

Ingredients:

1 egg yolk
1/4 c ketchup

1/4 c chopped onion

1/4 c Italian-seasoned bread crumbs

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 lb ground beef

6 (1/2-inch) Pepper Jack cheese cubes

1 Tbsp oil

2 c Marinara, Sauce

Penne, for serving

Parsley, for garnish

 

Prep:

 

1. In a large bowl, stir the egg, ketchup, onion, bread crumbs, garlic, salt, and pepper together. Gently mix in the ground beef.

2. Divide the beef mixture into 6 balls. Firmly wrap each piece of meat around a cheese cube.

3. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs and brown 5 minutes on each side.

4. Add Marinara and down heat down to a simmer. Cover and cook until meatballs are cooked through, 10 minutes.

5. Serve over penne and garnish with parsley.

It's ALL Peachy!

I LOVE the combination of chicken and fruit so tonight I decided to braised some thighs with a peach flavor. It was AMAZING! The sweetness of the peach preserve and canned peaches pair just perfectly with the Worcestershire and ginger. I served the thighs over rice to soak up the amazing sauce! What a yummy weeknight meal!

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp olive oil
2 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
Salt and pepper
1/2 c onions, diced
1 tsp ginger, grated
1/4 c chicken stock
1/4 c peach preserve
1 tsp hot sauce
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp butter
1/2 c peaches, diced
1 tsp lemon juice

Prep:

1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper and add to the pan. Brown 5 minutes on each side and remove.

2. Add the onions and ginger, and cook 1 minute. Stir in stock, preserve, hot sauce and Worcestershire. Bring mixture to a boil and add chicken back.

3. Turn heat down to a simmer and cover. Cook until chicken is cooked through, 20 minutes. Remove chicken to serving platter.

4. Stir in butter, peaches and lemon juice. Turn heat up to a boil and cook until sauce thickens, stirring often, 5 minutes. Pour over chicken and serve.

Fire-Roasted Tomatoes and Sausage Equals DELICIOUS!

I LOVE using Fire-Roasted Tomatoes wherever I can because they're so incredibly flavorful but pair them with Hot Sausage and I can't think of anything better! Tonight, I decided to make some Rigatoni with a sauce of that combination and I couldn't have been happier! Try it, you'll like it, I promise!

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 lb hot sausage, casing removed
1/2 c onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1/4 c red wine
1 c fire-roasted tomatoes, diced
1/4 c beef broth
Rigatoni pasta, cooked
Parmesan cheese, for serving
Fresh parsely, for garnish

Prep:

1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and brown, crumbling the meat, 5 minutes. Stir in the onion, garlic and pepper flakes until softened.

2. Stir in tomatoe paste for 1 minute, then add the wine and reduce for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and stock and simmer to thicken.

3. Add the pasta and toss for 1 minute. Serve with cheese and parsley on top.

Happy Chinese New Year!

You must wonder what type of horrible Chinese person I am to not acknowldege Chinese New Year. Well I'm definitely NOT a horrible person and I decided to celebrate with some LOBSTER! Not Chinese but INCREDIBLY delicious! I just cooked the tail meat in some melted butter and served them over mashed potatoes. I don't care what nationality you are, this is a GOOD DINNER!

It's ALL About the Figs!

I love keeping dried fruit on hand because they add so much flavor to both sweet and savory dishes. Plus they last forever so that's a bonus! I came across Martha Stewart's Braised Lamb Chops with Red Wine and Figs and couldn't wait to try it! I didn't grow up eating figs whether fresh or dried but as an adult, I discovered how yummy they are. They paired so perfectly with the red wine and vinegar and I just love the meatiness of the shoulder chops. I served them over rice to soak up all that incredible sauce and it was a simple yet elegant dinner!

Yummy Chicken with Dried Fruit!

I came across this recipe for Glazed Chicken with Dried Fruit and knew it would be a winter comfort winner. I mean, what is there not to like about a sauce made of Apricot Preserves and mustard? Add some dried fruit and it's definitely a comforting winter meal!

Advertises Recipe Works!

I came across this Italian Meatballs recipe on an Ad and actually wanted to make it so I saved it. I made it tonight and was I glad! I mean, you can't really beat meatballs in any shape or form even if the recipe was just a way for you to buy their product!

Easy Baked Pasta with Sausage

You can never go wrong with baked pasta with a meaty sauce and that's exactly what I did with what I had in the fridge tonight. Baked shells with Sausage Tomato Sauce was simple and incredibly comforting! Hey, we needed some comforting after the horrible Super Bowl lost we suffered!

Ingredients:

1/2 lb Italian Sausauge, casings removed
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1/4 c heavy cream
1/4 c Parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 c Mozzarella cheese, shredded
Medium shells, cooked al dente

Prep:

1. Preheat oven to 450F. Grease a baking pan.

2. Cook sausage over medium heat, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until browned, 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, red pepper flakes and cook untili fragrant, 1 minute.

3. Stir in tomatoes and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer 5 minutes until slightly thickened.

4. Stir in shells, heavy cream and Parmesan. Transfer to baking pan and sprinkle with Mozzarella. Bake until cheese is melted and browned, 10 minutes.

What to do with Leftover Marinara Sauce

What do I do when I have leftover Marinara Sauce? Make Cheesy-Stuffed Meatballs of course! You really can't go wrong with cheese and ground beef all simmered in a tomato-goodness sauce!

How to Jazz Up Boxed Mac and Cheese

I've never been a fan of boxed Mac and Cheese but sometimes, they just come in handy especially if you can jazz things up with Salmon Mac. I was VERY pleasantly surprised by the result and believe it or not, it was pretty healthy too! I jazzed things up even more by topping the dish with breadcrumbs and browning it in the oven. :)