Tag Archives: Main Course

New England Clam Chowder

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Quick Post: Yesterday I had a brilliant idea – clam chowder in a bread bowl. I have never eaten clam chowder this way, but I knew that it would be worth making. This was rich, flavorful and a definite keeper! We enjoyed eating the bread bowl after because it soaked up so much of the broth, which also made the bread easier to eat (it’s pretty chewy – but perfect for this kind of soup). December is the best excuse for making this kind of meal 😉 So are all the other cookies and carb heavy recipes I have shamelessly eaten lately! Thanks for reading, enjoy!
New England Clam Chowder – adapted from Food Network
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 medium onion, finely diced
  • 2 celery stalks (reserve tender leaves) trimmed, quartered lengthwise, then sliced into 1/4-inch pieces
  • 3 tablespoons AP flour
  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • 2 (10-ounce) cans chopped clams in juice
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 2 bay leaves
  • sprigs of thyme
  • 1 pound Idaho potatoes, cut into 1/2 – inch cubes
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions –

Heat the butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and celery and saute until softened, mixing often. Stir in the flour to distribute evenly. Add the stock, juice from 2 cans of chopped clams (reserve clams), cream, bay leaves, and potatoes and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer, stirring consistently (the mixture will thicken), then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook 20 minutes, stirring often, until the potatoes are nice and tender. Then add clams and season to taste with salt and pepper, cook until clams are just firm, another 2 minutes.

Spaghetti Shrimp Scampi

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This was a quick and easy dinner that the whole family enjoyed. I didn’t change a thing about it either, but next time I may add a little more butter and lemon juice. If you like really saucy pasta dishes, you might find this too dry for you but that is easily remedied. Overall this was a light and flavorful dish that I will make again. Simple ingredients, simple steps equaled a new family favorite – you can’t beat that! Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Spaghetti with Shrimp Scampi – adapted from Food Network

  • Kosher salt
  • 3/4 pound spaghetti
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons good olive oil
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic (4 cloves)
  • 1 pound large shrimp (about 16 shrimp), peeled and deveined
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
  • 1/2 lemon, zest grated
  • 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
  • 1/4 lemon, thinly sliced in half-rounds
  • 1/3 cup frozen peas (optional)
  • 1/8 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
Directions
In a large pot of boiling water, add 1 tablespoon of salt and the linguine, and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, or according to the directions on the package.

Meanwhile, in another large (12-inch), heavy-bottomed pan, melt the butter and olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the garlic. Saute for 1 minute. Be careful, the garlic burns easily! Add the shrimp, 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt, and the pepper and saute until the shrimp have just turned pink, about 5 minutes, stirring often. Remove from the heat, add the parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, lemon slices, and red pepper flakes. Toss to combine.

When the pasta is done, drain the cooked linguine and then put it back in the pot. Immediately add the shrimp and sauce, toss well, and serve.

Shredded Pork Tacos

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This pork couldn’t be easier to prepare and it’s so flavorful. I love crock pots for this reason – set it and forget it. I haven’t made this recipe in at least a year and a half, but pork shoulder was only $1.77  a pound at Downtown Produce – dirt cheap! I love a good deal 🙂
I seasoned this the night before, wrapped it in plastic wrap and let it chill out overnight. I started it pretty early in the morning so it could cook for at least 8 hours, and shredded it with two forks once it was done. After cooking, I took out about 2 cups of the liquid just to make serving this less messy.
Verdict: So good – tender and flavorful. I served this with my taco/burrito go to “orange” rice and fresh pico de gallo. The leftovers will be even better and this makes a ton. Thanks for reading, enjoy!
Pulled Pork Tacos – adapted from feasting.in
  • pork shoulder roast (mine was almost 3 pounds)
  • 4 tbsp. paprika (I used half smoked, half sweet)
  • 2 tbsp. black pepper
  • 2 tbsp. salt
  • 2 tbsp. chili powder
  • 2 tbsp. cumin
  • 2 tbsp. brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp. oregano
  • 1 tbsp. cayenne pepper
Directions –
1. Prep the night before – Mix up the seasoning well and liberally coat your pork roast, wrap in plastic and store in the fridge.
2. Place the roast and enough water to come up half the side of the meat. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours. Shred with two forks and enjoy with your favorite taco or burrito fixin’s.

B.L.A.S.T.

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It has  all our faves – shrimp, check! Avocado, check! Bacon, check! I love a classic BLT, but the shrimp and the avocado really make it a substantial meal. I made ciabatta bread for the first time ever – yes, a bit time consuming, but a heck of a lot cheaper and flavorful than Publix. Once the bread was baked off this meal came together pretty quickly. Something I usually do to make life a little easier is bake my bacon at 400 degrees on a wire rack and half sheet pan lined with foil so I don’t have to babysit them.

Verdict: Everyone enjoyed this but it was a little difficult to eat, only because the sandwich’s innards wanted to fall out – but that seems to be a problem with lots of sandwiches. The shrimp weren’t too spicy and the lime mayo was a nice complement to this. I’ll try this with marinated grilled chicken next time. Thanks for reading, enjoy!

BLAST Sandwich – adapted from Soupbelly 

  • 4 sandwich rolls, I used these
  • 1 pound shrimp, thawed and deveined
  • 1 lime
  • 3 TBSP olive oil
  • Chipoltle powder
  • Chili Powder
  • Kosher salt
  • 6 slices of bacon, cut in half (12 small strips)
  • 1 avocado, sliced
  • 1 tomato, sliced
  • 4 large leaves of lettuce

Lime infused Mayo:

  • 4 tbsp. mayonnaise
  • 1/4 lime, juiced
  • salt
  • pepper

Directions:

1) Make the marinade – squeeze the lime in a container, add the olive oil, kosher salt, chili powder and chipotle powder to taste; mix well and pour over shrimp. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.

2) As shrimp are marinating in the fridge, slice and toast rolls. Cook bacon in skillet until crispy. Place on plate lined with paper towel to drain excess grease.

3) In a small bowl, squeeze lime juice, and 2 tsp of lime zest into 4 tbsp. of mayo. Mix thoroughly. Salt and pepper to taste.

4) In a skillet on medium high, cook shrimp until they turn opaque (approx. 2-3 minutes). Place cooked shrimp in bowl.

5) Slather mayo onto toasted rolls, assemble sandwiches with avocado slices, lettuce, 3 slices of bacon, 4-5 shrimp, and a slice of tomato. Serve and enjoy!

Whitefish with Lemon Vinaigrette

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Quick Post: I was at a loss as to what I should make for dinner…again. Last night I used my get out of jail free card, and we ordered Chinese. Tonight that wasn’t an option. Yet again, Publix was selling tilapia for $5.99 so that was what I went with. It’s seasoned simply and paired with a fantastic vinaigrette. The family enjoyed this, and I enjoyed the simplicity of the dish and the speed at which it came together; and I will definitely make this again. Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Whitefish with Lemon Vinaigrette – heavily adapted from Giada De Laurentiis

  • 3 TBSP extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 TBSP unsalted butter
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 pounds tilapia
  • Lemon Vinaigrette, recipe follows
Directions –
Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoons and butter of oil in a 14-inch (or 2 smaller) nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the fillets with salt and pepper. Fry 3 fillets in each pan until they are golden brown and just cooked through, about 3 minutes per side.
Drizzle the vinaigrette over and serve immediately.
Lemon Vinaigrette –
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 2 TBSP dried parsley flakes
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Blend the lemon juice, parsley, garlic, lemon zest, salt, and pepper in a blender. With the machine running, gradually blend in the oil. Season the vinaigrette, to taste, with more salt and pepper. (* I used my stick blender and it worked great*)

Fettuccini Alfredo with Grilled Chicken

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Quick Post: Super simple dinners that can be whipped up quickly are a mom’s best friend! I thought this one up while looking through the weeks sale items on the Publix website. I was happy to find boneless, skinless chicken on sale and snapped up a few packages. Hopefully I can come up with good ideas for the four or so pounds of chicken that I have in the fridge! Thanks for reading:)

Grilled Chicken and Fettuccini Alfredo – a Mom Makes original

  • 3 TBSP olive oil
  • juice of one whole lemon
  • salt, pepper and dried oregano to taste
  • 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast – pounded to an even thickness
  • 1 pound fettuccini noodles
  • 1 jar of alfredo sauce (I had a few jars I needed to use, or I would have made this one)

Directions –

1. Mix the oil, lemon juice and seasonings together then pour over the chicken. Let marinade for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator.

2. Preheat your grill and cook the chicken about 10-15 minutes or until done.

3. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to boil. Add a generous amount of kosher salt and add the noodles – cook to package directions, drain and set aside.

4. Take the chicken off the grill, add the alfredo sauce to your cooked and drained noodles. Slice the chicken, serve up the fettuccini alfredo and top with the grilled chicken. Serve with a nice green salad and garlic bread. Enjoy!


Grilled Teriyaki Sandwiches with Pineapple, Bacon and Swiss

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One of the biggest stress relieving things I can do for myself is to come up with a weekly meal plan. There are only a few things that are more frustrating and stressful than not knowing what I’m going to make. This was a good week because I easily came up with five meals without really trying and that isn’t something that happens often. This was one of them:

Teriyaki Marinade – heavily adapted from Allrecipes

  • 1/3 cup white sugar
  • 2 TBSP honey
  • 1/2 cup low sodium soy
  • 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/3 tsp. grated fresh ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1.5 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breast – pounded thin
  • these buns
  • 1 pineapple sliced 1/2″
  • 3 strips bacon
  • 3 slices baby swiss
  • romaine lettuce

Directions –

1. Combine first 7 ingredients in a microwave safe container. Heat the marinade for about 1 minute or until the sugar is dissolved. Set aside to cool.

2. Place pounded chicken in a Ziploc bag and pour marinade over top. Marinade for at least 12 hours.

3. Preheat grill to 350 -400 degrees. Grill the chicken for 15 – 20 minutes total. Once you’ve flipped the chicken to cook the other side, put the pineapple slices on the grill. After about 5 minutes, flip the pineapple slices over and place the bacon and cheese on the chicken to warm through.

Chicken Parmesan

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Quick Post: This recipe is a combination of a few different techniques and ingredients I pulled together from some simple chicken parm recipes. I liked the addition of Panko in this recipe verses the typical Italian breadcrumbs. I pulled the shallow fry method from the same recipe, but baked the chicken, sauce and cheese in the oven before serving like this one. Oh, and I used my favorite marinara sauce for this recipe. This was a tasty and filling meal – even my picky eater happily ate this. Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Chicken Parmesan – a Mom Makes Recipe

  • 4 chicken breast cutlets
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten with 2 TBSP water
  • 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • oregano, salt, pepper to taste (for Panko)
  • 2 TBSP butter
  • 3 TBSP olive oil
  • 1 batch of this marinara or at least 2 jars of your favorite store-bought sauce
  • 1 pound of thin spaghetti
  • 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese
  • 1/4 Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Directions –

1. Preheat oven 400 degrees and put a large pot of water to boil.

2. Clean and dry your chicken well. Set up an assembly line for your breading – one shallow dish for your flour, one for your egg, and one shallow dish for the season Panko. Season your chicken with kosher salt and pepper then lightly coat with the flour, then dip in the egg mixture, then coat the chicken with the seasoned Panko – set aside.

3. Heat oil and butter in a large, heavy bottomed skillet over medium heat until a pinch of the breadcrumb mixture sizzles immediately when added. Add the chicken breasts and fry without disturbing for 5 to 6 minutes, or until golden brown. Using tongs, turn the chicken breasts and fry another 4 to 5 minutes, or until just cooked through and golden brown.

4. Place the finished chicken in a 13×9 baking dish. Top the chicken with enough marinara sauce to cover the tops of each, then sprinkle the parm and mozzarella cheese. Bake for 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

5. While the chicken is in the oven, cook off your spaghetti noodles in rapidly boiling, liberally salted water – cook according to package directions. Drain pasta, spoon over some marinara and set alongside your yummy chicken parm! Enjoy!:)

Three Ingredient Crock Pot Dinner…(and it’s good, too!)

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Quick Post: Easiest.Dinner.Ever. Crock Pot meals are so convenient and this one is no exception. If you want to use the store bought ingredients, it’s even easier. I had some carrots that I needed to use up so I roasted them in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes seasoned with kosher salt, pepper, and some olive oil. I didn’t roast any garlic for the potatoes described on the blog, so I just mashed my potatoes with Parmesan, some butter, half and half, milk, salt and pepper. They’re really basic, but that’s okay because the pork makes its own gravy – yum! Thank for reading, enjoy!

Ranch House Crock Pot Pork Chops – adapted from Picky Palate

Directions –

Place all ingredients in a crock pot – cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6 hours.

Baked Teriyaki Chicken

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I have used this recipe so many times and we’re not sick of it yet. This time however, I served myself a lot less rice than I used to and tons more veggies instead. This picture was taken after I had already eaten some (oops) then I remembered I wanted to blog about it! Normally this is served over white rice and steamed broccoli then topped with some of the sauce the chicken cooked in – it’s so yummy! Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Baked Teriyaki Chicken Ingredients – adapted from Allrecipes.com

  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon cold water
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1/2 cup soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup cider vinegar
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 12 skinless chicken thighs

Directions –

In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the cornstarch, cold water, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, ginger and ground black pepper. Let simmer, stirring frequently, until sauce thickens and bubbles.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).

Place chicken pieces in a lightly greased 9×13 inch baking dish. Brush chicken with the sauce. Turn pieces over, and brush again.

Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Turn pieces over, and bake for another 30 minutes, until no longer pink and juices run clear. Brush with sauce every 10 minutes during cooking.