Tag Archives: dinner

Bacon Mac and Cheese

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I didn’t have to try this before I knew it would have to be good because it has three ingredients that create pure awesomeness: bacon + three cheeses + pasta = amazing!
I decided not to make this in a skillet because I don’t have one large enough, and I poured it all in my trusty 13×9 inch baking dish instead.

Verdict: Wow! This was every bit as good as I hoped it would be. Even my picky daughter ate two servings and was more than happy to eat leftovers in her lunch 😉 The blend of cheeses, especially the nutty Gruyère works so well along with the smoky and salty bacon. I made a few changes and I have added those modifications to the recipe below – nothing major though. Thanks for reading, enjoy! 🙂

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Bacon Mac and Cheese – adapted from Kelsey’s Essentials via Cooking Channel TV

  • 1 pound dry pasta (recommended: elbow macaroni, shells, penne, etc.)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard, or to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
  • 2 cups grated sharp Cheddar cheese
  • 1 cup grated Gruyere cheese
  • 1 cup, plus 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 1/2 cups panko (Japanese) bread crumbs
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • 6 slices bacon, cooked – reserve about 3 TBSP of bacon fat (*I skipped this step*)

For the Bechamel Sauce:

  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 3 cups warm milk
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 tsp kosher salt, or to taste
  • 1/2 freshly ground pepper, or to taste

Directions –

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until nearing al dente, but not fully cooked; drain. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Whisk in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until the paste cooks and bubbles a bit, avoid browning, about 2 minutes. Add the milk, continuing to stir as the sauce thickens. Bring the sauce to a boil. Add the nutmeg, salt, and pepper, to taste. Reduce the heat, and cook, stirring for 2 to 3 minutes more.

Reduce heat to low and stir the dry mustard and cayenne pepper into the bechamel sauce. Gradually add the Cheddar, Gruyere, and 1 cup Parmesan cheese, stirring constantly until all of the cheese has melted. Add an additional milk. Taste and adjust the seasonings, if needed.

Add the cooked pasta to the bechamel and stir to coat evenly with the sauce. Pour the pasta in to a buttered 13×9  baking dish. In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs, chopped parsley, and reserved bacon fat. Coat the bread crumbs and chopped parsley with bacon fat and sprinkle the mixture over the top of the macaroni; and then top with 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese.

Bake until the top is browned and the sauce is bubbling, 20 to 25 minutes. Top with crumbled cooked bacon. Let sit 5 minutes before serving.

Slow Baked Salmon with Lemon Butter Sauce

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Quick Post: I served this with my favorite roasted green beans and this garlic rice pilaf – oh, and don’t forget to splurge a little and cover the whole plate with lemon butter sauce. I have baked salmon several times before, but I was curious about this “slow” baking method. It is easy to overcook fish, and there isn’t much you can do to redeem it; so using a lower temp and a little longer cook time is a safe bet. The salmon came out perfectly moist and flavorful – almost custard like in the center; and the addition of the tangy, rich lemon butter sauce made for a crave-worthy fish dinner. Thanks for reading, enjoy!

**Slow Baked Salmon – adapted from Epicurious

  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • 4 6-ounce boneless salmon fillets, skin on
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Fresh lemon, sliced thinly

Directions –

Preheat oven to 275°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Brush with 1/2 tablespoon oil. Place salmon fillets, skin side down, on prepared baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper, and lay lemon slices over top the fish. Bake salmon until just opaque in center, 12-15 minutes.

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**Lemon Butter Sauce – adapted from Food Network 

*This is half the original recipe, and we had more than enough for a pound of fish*

  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 1 lemon, peeled and segmented
  • 1 tablespoons minced garlic
  • 1/2 tablespoon minced shallots
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3 turns freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 dash Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 dash Tabasco sauce
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream 
  • 1 stick unsalted butter, cut up, at room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley

Directions

Heat a large nonreactive skillet over high heat. When the skillet is hot, add the wine, lemons, garlic, and shallots. Cook for 3 minutes, breaking up and mashing the lemons with a wire whisk. Stir in the salt, pepper, Worcestershire, and hot sauce and cook until the mixture is somewhat syrupy, for about 3 minutes. Stir in the cream and cook for 1 minute. Over low heat, whisk in the butter a few pats at a time. When all of the butter has been added, remove from the heat, but continue whisking until all of the butter is incorporated into the sauce. Strain the sauce, pressing all of the liquid into a bowl. Stir in the parsley. Serve immediately, or keep warm for a few minutes until ready to use.

 

 

Pasta with Mushroom, White Wine and Cream

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I love cremini mushroom,s and this dish is a new vegetarian fave of mine!  Out of all the produce that I have ever prepared, mushrooms are by far the most rich, meaty and flavorful. Of course, it helps to season and cook them properly; and I have my two favorite methods down! I love sautéing them in olive oil, butter and garlic; and a close second is roasting them with olive oil, salt and pepper. I had to fudge the amounts of ingredients in this recipe because the metric system and standard measurements don’t play well together 😉 When I make it again, I try adding some fresh thyme to cut through some of the richness of the sauce. This recipe yields about four servings, but if you served it as a side dish you could get at least six smaller servings. Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Pasta with Mushroom, White Wine and Cream – adapted from Real Italian Foodies

  • 10 ounces dried pasta – pappardelle, fettucine, tagliatelle.
  • 1 TBSP unsalted butter
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 12 ounces cremini mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/4 – 1/3 cup dry white wine
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • grated Parmesan
  • sea salt and black pepper to taste

Directions –

Bring a large pot of water to boil, add salt and pasta – cook until al dente.

In a large, heavy-bottomed saute pan over medium heat, add the butter and olive oil. Once the butter has melted, add your cleaned and sliced mushrooms along with the minced garlic. Cook until the mushrooms begin to turn brown – don’t salt the veg until this happens, about 5-7 minutes. Season the veg with salt and pepper to taste, then pour the white wine into the pan to deglaze. Continue cooking until the wine has evaporated, add your cream and Parmesan cheese, turn the heat to low and simmer until the sauce has thickened.

Drain the pasta and add it to your sauce, mix together and serve with extra Parmesan cheese.

Coney Island Chili Dog

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I have never been to Coney Island, so I can’t verify authenticity of flavor; but we really enjoyed it – my boy gave me two enthusiastic thumbs up 😉 It’s not at all spicy and the celery seed is an interesting but welcome addition to this meaty sauce. Also, if you’re a fan of bread making you could make these buns. These are flavorful with a much heartier texture than store bought buns so they hold up well to the chili. Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Coney Island Chili Dog – adapted from Key Ingredient

  • 1 pound ground chuck
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1- six-ounce can tomato paste
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 tablespoon prepared yellow mustard
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon celery seed
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin (heaping)
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions –

Brown ground beef in a skillet, adding onions half way through. Add minced garlic when meat is nearly done. Add remaining ingredients; stir well to combine. Simmer over low heat 15 minutes. Serve over hot dogs!

Caesar Dressing

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Whenever we go out to restaurants, he always orders a Caesar salad…always! I have only tasted a bite or two during my lifetime and I never understood the hype. I knew that one day I would have to make my own dressing, and I was sure that it would make all the difference. Homemade beats bottled any day, right? Well, I was pleasantly surprised with the savory, bold and tangy flavor of this dressing. I’m used to the oil/vinegar based dressings and I rarely make creamy ones.

First I made the homemade mayonnaise which is so easy to make and you don’t even need a stick blender. I whisked it by hand – not the quickest way of course, but easy. I mixed most of the Caesar ingredients in a small bowl before pouring into the mayo bowl to make sure that it wouldn’t separate. My husband liked the flavor and he told me it’s right up there with his favorite Caesar dressing – not too bad for a first time! Also, make your own croutons! 😉 They only take about 40 minutes in the oven and store bought can’t beat the flavor of homemade. Thanks for reading, enjoy! 🙂

Homemade Mayonnaise – adapted from Epicurious 

  • 1 large egg yolk*
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
  • 1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
  • 3/4 cup canola oil, divided (*I used 1/2 cup grapeseed oil and 1/4 cup olive oil*)

Directions –

Combine egg yolk, lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in medium bowl. Whisk until blended and bright yellow, about 30 seconds.

Using 1/4 teaspoon measure and whisking constantly, add 1/4 cup oil to yolk mixture, a few drops at a time, about 4 minutes. Gradually add remaining 1/2 cup oil in very slow thin stream, whisking constantly, until mayonnaise is thick, about 8 minutes (mayonnaise will be lighter in color). Cover and chill. do ahead Can be made up to 2 days ahead. Keep chilled.

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Homemade Caesar Dressing – adapted from Once Upon a Chef

  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon anchovy paste (found near the tuna fish in the supermarket)
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 3/4 cup homemade mayonnaise
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
 Directions –
In a medium bowl, whisk together the garlic, anchovy paste, lemon juice, Dijon mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Add the mayonnaise, cheese, salt and pepper and whisk until well combined. Taste and adjust to your liking.

Loaded Potato Soup

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I got my first cold of the season this week, so I was really grateful when I felt well enough to be up and cooking for my family again last night. I had plenty of organic russet potatoes in the pantry and homemade chicken stock taking up space in my freezer;  and even though it’s not exactly cold and gloomy here – it is dark and rainy! I pinned this recipe from The Pioneer Woman and went with it because she rarely steers me wrong.

Verdict: This was really tasty and the whole family enjoyed it – even my picky daughter! I served this with Parmesan garlic bread because what is soup with out some extra carbs for dunking? ( I will share that new recipe with you all soon). I will make this again and it makes a big batch and would be perfect for potlucks or to split and bring to a family in need. Thanks for reading, enjoy!

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Perfect Potato Soup – adapted from The Pioneer Woman

  • 6 slices Thin Bacon, Cut Into 1-inch Pieces
  • 1 whole Medium Onion, Diced
  • 3 whole Carrots, Scrubbed Clean And Diced
  • 3 stalks Celery, Diced
  • 6 whole Small Russet Potatoes, Peeled And Diced
  • 8 cups homemade chicken stock
  • 3 Tablespoons All-purpose Flour
  • 1 cup Milk
  • 1/2 cup Heavy Cream
  • 1/2 teaspoon Salt, More To Taste
  •  Black Pepper To Taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon Minced Fresh Chives or parsley
  • 1 cup Grated Cheddar

Directions –

Add bacon pieces to a soup pot over medium heat and cook bacon until crisp and fat is rendered. Remove the bacon from the pot and set it aside. Pour off most of the grease, but do not clean the pot.

Return the hot to medium-high heat and add the onions, carrots, and celery. Stir and cook for 2 minutes or so, then add the diced potatoes. Cook for 5 minutes, seasoning with salt, pepper, and Cajun spice.

Pour in the broth and bring it to a gentle boil. Cook for 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are starting to get tender. Whisk together the flour and the milk, then pour into the soup and allow the soup to cook for another 5 minutes.

Remove half to 2/3 the soup and blend in a blender/food process until completely smooth. Pour it back into the soup pot and stir to combine. Let it heat back up as you taste for seasonings, adding more of what it needs. Stir in cream, then stir in parsley, reserving a little for garnish.

Serve in bowls garnished with chives, grated cheese and crisp bacon pieces.

Spicy Fish Tacos with Avocado-Yogurt Sauce

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These tasted pretty good and the yogurt sauce is a must to cool down the spiciness of the fish. Thanks for stopping by! Enjoy 🙂
Spicy Fish Tacos with Avocado-Yogurt Sauce – adapted from Crumb
Spicy Lime-Chipotle Fish –
  • 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
  • 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 tsp chipotle powder (or chili powder, if you prefer)
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp sweet paprika
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 lb fresh mahi-mahi fillets (or any other firm white fish)
Avocado-Yogurt Sauce –
  • 1 large ripe avocado, pitted and roughly chopped
  • ¼ cup Greek yogurt
  • 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
  • ½ cup roughly chopped cilantro
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ¼ cup water
Tacos and Garnishes-
  • 12 small corn tortillas
  • Shredded cabbage
  • Cilantro sprigs
  • Lime wedges
Marinate the Fish:
  1. In a small bowl, combine the lime juice, olive oil, chipotle powder, cumin, paprika and salt, and stir until smooth.
  2. Pat the fish dry with paper towels. Rub on both sides with the lime-chipotle marinade. Transfer to a plate and cover tightly with plastic wrap, then transfer to the refrigerator to marinate for 15-20 minutes.
Prepare the Avocado-Yogurt Sauce:
  1. While the fish marinates, prepare the avocado-yogurt sauce.
  2. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the avocado, yogurt, lime juice, cilantro, salt and water, and process until smooth and creamy. Transfer to a serving bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Cook the Fish:
  1. In a large heavy-bottomed skillet set over medium-high heat, saute the fish in the remaining 2 tbsp olive oil until opaque and flaky, about 4-5 minutes per side.
  2. Remove from heat, and transfer to a platter. Using a fork, break up each filet into bite-sized chunks. Cover with foil, and set aside while you warm the tortillas.

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Warm the Tortillas and Assemble the Tacos:
  1. In a heavy-bottomed skillet set over medium heat, warm the tortillas one at a time for 20-30 seconds per side, or until soft and flexible. Wrap the finished tortillas with a clean dishcloth to keep warm between batches.
  2. To assemble, place three tortillas on each plate and drizzle with avocado-yogurt sauce. Divide the fish evenly between the tortillas, then serve immediately with bowls of toppings so that everyone can top off their tacos as they please.

Grilled Steak Tacos with Chimichurri

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These are the best steak tacos I have ever eaten and chimichurri is a new surprise fave 🙂 I used this pico de gallo recipe, caramelized onions, and this tortilla recipe. Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Grilled Steak Tacos – adapted from Feasting at Home

Steak and Marinade-

  • 2 lbs Flank Steak ( or pounded skirt steak)
  • 1 sliced sweet onion for grilling (optional)
  • Juice of 1 orange
  • Juice of 2 limes
  • 1/3 C soy sauce
  • 1/3 C olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp sugar
  • 4 smashed, chopped garlic cloves
  • 1/2 C chopped cilantro (stems ok)


Directions:
In a bowl, mix together ingredients for marinade. Place steak in a gallon size Ziploc bag and pour marinade over, sealing and turning several times to coat well. Let sit at room temp for at least 30 minutes, turning occasionally. ( Or marinate for up to 3 hours in fridge, bringing to room temp before grilling.) Grill steak on med high heat to desired doneness. A little char is good. Let rest 10 minutes, (grill the tortillas in the mean time) then thinly slice the meat across the grain.
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Cilantro Chimichurri-

  • 1 bunch Cilantro or about 1 cup packed (stems OK)
  • 1 bunch Italian Parsley- about 1 cup packed (thin stems OK)
  • 1/4 C fresh lime juice (1-2 limes)
  • 1/2 C olive oil
  • 1/4 C chopped onion
  • 2 garlic  cloves
  • ground cumin 2 tsp
  • ground coriander 2 tsp
  • salt 3/4 tsp kosher
  • jalapeño -1/2 a pepper

Directions:
In a food processor, place jalapeno, garlic, onion, and pulse several times until chopped. Add cilantro and Italian parsley, pulse again. Add oil, lime juice, cumin, coriander, and salt. Pulse until combined. Set aside in small serving bowl.

Re-Post: Italian Mac and Cheese

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I haven’t made this in nearly three years, but it tasted better than I remembered it. The leftovers didn’t last long in our house and  we happily ate them for lunch two days in a row – yeah, it’s that good! 🙂 Thanks for reading, enjoy!

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Italian Mac and Cheese Ingredients – adapted from The Food Network

  • 1 pound penne, ziti or rigatoni pasta
  • 1 pound bulk Italian sausage
  • 2 TBSP olive oil
  • 1 TBSP butter
  • 12 ounces baby portobello mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
  • 3 – 4 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 2 TBSP all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 2 cups shredded cheese blend ( I used Fontina, mozzarella, Pecorino Romano and Asiago)
  • 1 – 14 ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
  • 1 tsp hot sauce, optional *I used chili flake*
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan
  • salt and pepper to taste

Directions –

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt water and cook pasta to a chewy al dente, about 8 minutes.  In a large skillet, brown and crumble the sausage. Drain cooked crumbles on a paper towel lined plate. Return pan to heat and add extra-virgin olive oil, butter, mushrooms and garlic.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Saute about 5 minutes, until garlic is fragrant and mushrooms become lightly browned.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Add flour to skillet and stir, cooking 2 minutes. Whisk in stock, then stir in milk. Bring to a bubble, then stir in 2 cups of Italian cheese blend. When cheese has melted into sauce, add tomatoes. When sauce comes to a bubble, remove from heat and adjust seasonings, adding hot sauce if desired.  Combine cheese sauce with sausage and pasta and transfer to a large baking dish.  Sprinkle with the grated Parmesan.  Bake for 15-20 minutes or until cheese is browned and bubbly.

Tequila Lime Chicken

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Sorry for the radio silence! We recently came back home from our two-week long trip to California. I am really glad to be home again and I’m sure my kitchen missed me as much as I missed it. My husband sustained himself on one meal a day (not home cooked), and these goodies that I made for him before I left! What would he do without me? 😉 Since I’ve been back home, I have tried several new and successful recipes which I will share with you in the next few weeks.

Anyway, on to the recipe! This marinade gives the chicken amazing flavor and it’s a new family favorite. I used chicken thighs and served these tacos with pico de gallo, my fave Mexican rice and refried (in bacon grease!) pinto beans with lots of Monterey Jack cheese. I will make this again and again! Thanks for reading, enjoy 🙂

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Tequila Lime Chicken – adapted from The Pioneer Woman

  • 2 limes
  • 1/2 cup tequila
  • 1/4 cup olive oil (*I used grapeseed*)
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1 jalapeno, seeded and sliced
  • 1/2 bunch chopped fresh cilantro
  • 6-8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (*If you have a few more pieces, this makes plenty of marinade*)
  • Corn tortillas
  • Monterey jack cheese
  • pico de gallo

Directions –

Slice open the limes and squeeze the juice into a food processor or blender. Add the tequila, olive oil, salt, garlic, jalapenos and cilantro. Blend the mixture until totally combined. Add the chicken to a large plastic bag and pour in the lime-tequila mixture. Seal the bag and marinate in the fridge for several hours or overnight.

Remove the chicken from the bag and grill it over medium-high heat. Rotate the chicken 45-degrees on both sides to create nice grill marks, and continue grilling until the chicken is cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Serve with corn tortillas, fresh pico de gallo, beans and rice.