Italian Stew

I am a huge fan of crock pots...

I don't know about you all, but I just love being able to throw something in

it in the am and then  8 hours later come back to a finished product!

This particular recipe for Italian Stew comes

from a dear friend of our family

Ingredients::

• 2 1/2 lbs mild Italian sausage
• 1 medium green pepper
• 1 onion
• 2 c of carrots
• 7 c of beef broth
• 1 6oz can of tomato paste
• 4 c tomato juice or pureed stewed tomatoes
• 1 T seasoning salt
• 1 t garlic powder
• 1 t basil
• 1 t oregano
• 1 bag of frozen cheese tortellini

Chop your vegetables

Cook the sausage and then add peppers and onions

and seasoning salt

Drain grease from sausage and vegetables

Combine the rest of the ingredients into the crockpot and add the meat and vegetables

Cook on high for 2 hours and then set on low for remainder of the time

About 30 minutes prior to serving add the frozen tortellini

Top with mozzarella cheese if you desire

Bon appetit!

Come see some of my photography over at Serendipity-Images.

and yet another pasta dish...

 I have this addiction to pasta.

When I was deciding what to make for dinner the other day, all of my ideas were pasta.

So I decided to try something new from my pinterest board;

something called Crispy Chicken with Creamy Italian Sauce and Bowtie Pasta.

(Kind of complex, I know, therefore I have renamed it::

Italian Manna) :)

Ingredients::

{serves 6}

• 3 chicken breasts
• 5 C corn flakes
• 3/4 C flour
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/2 C milk
• 6 T olive oil
• 1 12 oz package of bowtie pasta

Sauce::

• 1 10 oz Philadelphia cooking cream (Italian Cheese & Herb flavor)
• 2 cans cream of chicken soup
• 1 C chicken broth
• 1/2 C milk
• fresh parsley

  

Crush the corn flakes into crumbs and put in a loaf or pie pan.

Add the salt to the flour and put into another pan.

Place the milk in a separate pan.

Split the chicken breasts into two

Pound the chicken flat with a meat mallet. 

Dredge the chicken in flour

Lay the chicken on a plate and put in the freezer.

Let sit for 5-10 min.

Prepare the pasta

 

Remove the chicken from the freezer and dredge each piece in milk and then into the corn flake crumbs.

Lay the chicken in the hot oil.  

Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

  

Cook both sides until golden brown,

then let sit on medium heat for 7 minutes.

When the chicken is cooked through remove and place on a plate.

Cover with tin foil.

Into the skillet pour your chicken broth, cooking cream, cream of chicken and milk.

Whisk the sauce until it is warm and bubbly.

Approximately 3-5 minutes.

Slice your chicken into strips 

and serve over cooked pasta and sauce.

Garnish with parsley.

Enjoy!

 

Bon Appetit.

Come see some of my photography over at Serendipity-Images.

Dessert for breakfast?

Eating this breakfast treat is a delicious way to jumpstart a morning!

I stumbled across Paula Deen's gorilla bread on Pinterest.

You can blame my lack of blogging on pinterest; it has become a slight addiction of mine.  :)

I have gotten several crafting, decorating, and cooking ideas from there and I

have had the pleasure of trying dozens of things out, you can view my boards here.

Ingredients:

1/2 c of sugar

1 T of cinnamon

1 stick of butter

1 c of brown sugar

8 oz pkg of cream cheese

2 - 12 oz cans of refrigerated biscuits

1 1/2 c of coarsely chopped walnuts 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.

Spray bundt pan with cooking spray.

Mix the sugar and cinnamon.

In a small sauce pan, melt the butter and brown sugar over low heat.  Set aside.

Cut the cream cheese into 20 equal cubes.

Press the biscuits out with your fingers and sprinkle the cinnamon and sugar mixture on it and then place a cream cheese cube in the center wrapping and sealing the dough around the cream cheese.

Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the walnuts onto the bottom of the bundt pan.

Place half of the prepared biscuits into the pan and then sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, pour half of the butter mixture, and sprinkle with walnuts.

Layer the remaining biscuits and follow with cinnamon sugar, butter and walnuts.

Bake for 30 minutes.

Cool, then place a plate on top of the bundt pan and invert.

Enjoy with a large glass of milk!!

Bon apetit! :)

Come see some of my photography over at Serendipity-Images.

I am hungry...

so, I thought I would write about the meal my sisters and I made

for Mother's Day per request::

Fettuccine with Vegetables & Prosciutto

{ingredients} {4 servings}

[8 oz. fettuccine broken

1 lb. bias sliced asparagus into 1 1/2"

1 T. oil

4 chopped Roma tomatoes

3 oz. prosciutto cut in thin strips

1/3 c. grated Parmesan cheese

*optional: Alfredo sauce of choosing*]

Cook fettuccine, drain, and keep warm.

Meanwhile in large skillet cook and stir asparagus in hot oil for about

4 minutes or until nearly tender.

Add tomatoes and prosciutto.

Cook about 2 minutes or until heated through.

Add to fettuccine, stir gently.  Add optional 1/2 jar

of Alfredo sauce.

Sprinkle with Parmesan and season with salt and pepper.

Are you hungry yet?  :)

Linguine Carbonara

I have been slacking on my weekly meals and so this week I finally determined 

to get to the store and make my family a meal. 

Being Italian, I, of course, decided on an Italian dish; one we had never had before...

Ingredients:

2 c. grated Parmesan cheese

3 eggs

1 1/4 c. heavy whipping cream

16 oz. of linguine

10 bacon slices chopped

1 lrg. onion chopped

1 T. minced garlic

1 t. crushed red pepper

Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

Whisk 1 1/2 c. Parmesan, eggs, and cream in a bowl and set aside.

Cook linguine and drain, setting aside 1/2 c. of cooking liquid.

Meanwhile saute bacon in a large skillet until crisp.

Add onions, garlic, and crushed red pepper.

Saute until onion is translucent about 8 minutes.

Add onion mixture and cream mixture to pasta.

Toss over medium heat, until mixture thickens and coats pasta.

Add reserved cooking liquid by t. if sauce is too thick about 4 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper and garnish with parsley and grated Parmesan.

Bon Appetit!

A Thanksgiving Treat

This delicious Oyster Cracker Snack is a must have for my family at the holidays!

It combines the tang of lemon pepper seasoning with the sweetness of ranch to get
a taste sensation-try to eat just one!

Ingredients:

2 bags of oyster crackers

1 cup of oil

1/4 t. of lemon pepper seasoning

1 pkg. of Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing

Combine all ingredients together.

Place on baking sheet place in the oven at 250 degrees for 20 minutes.

You can be enjoying this savory snack in less than 1/2 hour!
Bon Apetit!

Italian Dish!

Despite living in a predominately Italian family, we do not eat Italian dishes as often as I would like. Since my Father grew up eating it almost every day, we usually limit it to once a week for him! One (of many) of my favorites though is...

LASAGNA!

Can't help my taste buds from watering just

looking at this deliciousness...:)

Start by browning 1/2 lb. of ground beef

Cook lasagna noodles according to back

of box...

Combine 12 oz. of ricotta cheese with two eggs and 1 1/2 c. of mozzarella,

and sprinkle in some garlic powder and oregano with a touch of cinnamon.

Set aside.

Once hamburger is browned add 1/2 lb. of Italian sausage,

then mix in 1/2 jar of Spaghetti sauce to moisten the meat.

Tell your mother (who has these Italian dishes down)

to pause so you can get a picture of both the food process and

of course, its lovely chef!

Pour spaghetti sauce, just enough to cover the bottom of

a 9x13 pan then start to layer with cooked noodles followed by

1/2 ricotta mixture...

...then 1/2 meat mixture, followed by lasagna noodles, etc.

For the last layer cover with the remaining spaghetti sauce

and Parmesan cheese. Generously sprinkle with Italian seasoning.

Bake covered with aluminum foil for 40 minutes, then uncover

and cook for another 10.

Bon Appetit!