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. :)