I know I've said this before....

I really need to cut back on my pasta intake...but I can't help it...I LOVE it! How could you not???? There are so many things you can do with it, it's ridiculous! Linguine with Clam Sauce being one of them and also happens to be a favorite of mine! I have made it once or twice before, each a little different and I must say...this was my best yet. It is SO simple and delicious. This version is actually quite light, no butter or heavy cream! Although I did eat a nice chunk of bread and butter with it...oh well, ya win some ya lose some!

Also, I did pretty good with the "trying to cook just for two" thing...this is enough for 2 hearty portions with some pasta leftover for lunch...we destroyed the clams! They were SO good and would make an impressive appetizer prepared this way as well!!!!

Linguine with Fresh Clams

12-18 littleneck clams, scrubbed

1/2 pound fresh chopped clams

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1/2 yellow onion, sliced

1/3 cup dry white wine

1 cup chicken stock

juice from 1/2 lemon

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped plus more for garnishing

salt & pepper, to taste

1/2 lb linguine, cooked al dente

fresh cheese for grating

• Heat olive oil in medium skillet over high heat. Add the garlic & onion, cook until translucent. Approx 8 minutes.
• Add the wine, chicken stock, lemon juice, oregano, crushed red pepper flakes, parsley, salt & pepper. Bring to boil, turn down heat and add the chopped clams. Simmer for about 5 minutes.
• Next, add the clams, cover and steam for approx 8 minutes or until the clams open. Transfer to bowl and discard any clams that do not open.
• Finally, toss the linguine with the sauce right in the pan, serve into bowls and top with the whole clams.
• Garnish with freshly grated cheese and parsley.

Printable Recipe!!!

Don't forget the fresh bread & fresh grated cheese!

There's no more left?!?!?!?! May need to up the clam quantity next time!

Enjoy!!!

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I did it...

FINALLY!!!! 

I managed to make a FABULOSO meal without going to the store...I was so proud...because we all know if I had gone to the store...I would have walked out with over $100 worth of shiat I didn't need! 

I introduce you to...

Lemon Pepper Shrimp & Penne Alfredo

1 box whole grain penne, cooked according to directions

5 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 1/2 cups whole milk

1/2 cup flour

2 teaspoons pepper

2 teaspoons garlic salt

2 tablespoons lemon pepper seasoning

2 fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped

2 cups shredded Italian cheese blend

2 tablespoons olive oil

3/4 pound large shrimp(approx 18-20) peeled, deveined and tails removed

• Coat shrimp with 1 tablespoon olive oil, season with 1 1/2 tablespoons of the lemon pepper and mix together. Set aside in the fridge.
• Heat butter in a medium sized sauce pan over medium heat until melted. Stir in the flour, whisking constantly to make a roux.
• Slowly stir in the milk and cook for 10 minutes. DO NOT LET IT COME TO A BOIL.
• Next, add the pepper, garlic salt, the remaining lemon pepper and fresh basil. Let cook down for about 20 minutes or until it has reached your desired thickness and stir in the cheese. Remove from heat and set aside.
• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium saute pan. Add the shrimp and cook for 5 minutes or until the shrimp has turn pink and opaque.
• Toss the sauce with the noodles, top with the shrimp and finish off with some freshly grated parmesan.

This is enough to serve 4-6. And yes, it was just Matt & I last night...I do NOT know how to cook for just 2. SERIOUSLY...need to get on that train...

Printable Recipe!!!

Delish!!!

Well folks, I hope you have a fabuloso weekend! I'm off to DC tomorrow to see my brother, eat at some delish food and hopefully catch up with some friends!

Foodie post upon my return!!!

xo

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Someone's got a case of the Monday's...

Hello out there! I hope everybody had a great weekend. I can't believe it is already Monday....Why can't the weekend be 5 days long and the work week be 2??? How great would that be??? In all honesty, I should be enjoying my freedom on the weekends because soon enough the 7 day work week will be back...Soooo I now retract my first question.
I spent the weekend getting some stuff done around the house and doing laundry. The two of us suuuuuuuuuuure do go through a lot of clothes during the week...Just when I think the laundry is caught up, another piles appears out of nowhere. Very mysterious...but the fact that my washer keeps giving me an error code and stops working every other load, doesn't the matter either!
Anyways, I'm debating on what to make for dinner tonight but I know it will probably be something simple..because I got lazy side tracked yesterday and need to finish the aforementioned laundry...
I saw this recipe over at Cooking With Libby last week(it may have even been Monday), new I had most of the ingredients at home and made it that night. It was oh so delicious! I made a few alterations because I couldn't remember the recipe exactly off hand but it turned out great. Thanks Libby!
If you haven't checked out her blog, you must do so, she's got great stuff goin on over there.

Chicken Chile Pasta Casserole

Adapted from : Cooking With Libby

1 pack boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 chicken bouillon cube

1 box fusilli noodles, or pasta of your choice

4 tablespoons butter

4 stalks celery, chopped

1 whole yellow onion, chopped

1 red or green bell pepper, chopped

1 14.5 oz can fire roasted or regular diced tomatoes

1 14.5oz can stewed tomatoes

2 4.5oz cans diced green chilis

1 lb. processed cheese, cubed, I used velveeta

1 tablespoon hot sauce, optional

1 cup shredded cheese, cheddar or Mexican blend

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• In a medium pot, add about 4 cups of water, the bouillon cube and chicken. Cook until the chicken is no longer pink. Approx 30 minutes on med/high heat. 
• Remove the chicken but reserve the water. Set chicken aside to cool, when cooled, shred or cube.
• Bring the water back up to a boil, add the noodles and cook for 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.
• In a large saute pan, melt the butter over med/high heat. Add the onion, pepper and celery, cook until tender. 
• Next add the cheese, cook until almost melted, then add the chicken, green chilis and hot sauce (if you are using it)
• Finally, add the pasta, mix well, pour into a 9x13 pan, top with shredded cheese and bake at 350 degrees for 30-50 minutes.

***Mine took close to 50 minutes because it sat out for a couple of hours before I baked it***

****The original recipe called for 2 cans of sliced mushrooms. I didn't have them on hand but would definitely use them next time****

NOTE : You could use a store bought rotisserie chicken but make sure to cook your noodles with canned chicken broth or bouillon cubes.

Printable Recipe!!!

I guess I forgot to take pictures of the chicken...SORRY!!!!!

It was paper plate night...

I hope ya'll like it!!!!!!!!

Adios for now!

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All about Leeeeemmmmmmmoooooooooonnnnsssssssss!!!

Ok, I know the title of this post is ABSOLUTELY ridiculous. But it is an inside joke that I share with some girlfriends from an incident that happened on a trip to Vegas back in 2008....and I thought they would get a kick out of it.

I LOVE lemons...seriously...LOVE them. 9 times out of 10 I will order lemons and just eat them with salt while I am waiting for my food...I get this from my Mom because she does the same thing. But they are just SO good, I can't resist. DELISH!

Yesterday, I was craving something lemony...I was browsing through this cookbook and found a recipe for Chicken with a Lemon Caper sauce...and ended up with this...

Kickin' Lemon Chicken

1 package boneless, skinless chicken breast

1 can artichokes, drained and roughly chopped

1 small jar capers, drained

1/2 yellow onion, sliced

2 cups fresh mushrooms, sliced

1/2 tablespoon garlic, minced

1/2 cup flour

2 eggs, slightly beaten

2 cups dry white wine

1 cup chicken stock

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

2 large lemons or 3 smaller

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup olive oil

salt & pepper, to taste

1. Set out two dishes for dredging, one for the flour and one for the egg.
2. Pound out the chicken breast until uniform in size. You want them about 1/2 inch thick. Season with salt & pepper on both sides.
3. Dredge the chicken in egg mixture on both sides, then the flour.
4. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over high heat, melt the butter and place chicken in the pan and cook on high for 5 minutes.
5. Turn heat down to medium and turn chicken over and continue to cook until no longer pink. About 10 minutes. You may have to cook in batches, depending on the size of the breast. You don't want to overcrowd the pan.
6. When done, set aside and cover or place in the oven to keep warm.
7. In the same skillet, add the onions and garlic, cook about 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook about 2 minutes.
8. Add the artichokes, capers, fresh lemon juice, chicken stock, white wine, parsley, salt & pepper. Stir together and let simmer for about 5 minutes.

I served this over spaghetti noodles, drizzled with a little extra lemon juice and parmesan. You could also serve with a salad, wild rice, broccoli or even asparagus! The sauce would be delish on fish! YUM!

Printable Recipe!

DELISH!!!

Now, to continue on with the lemon theme...I give you Lemon Cake...this recipe comes from my Grandma Shirley. Hi Grandma!

Leeemmmmmmmmmoooooooooooooonnnnnnnnn Cake

1 box lemon cake mix

1 small package instant lemon pudding

4 eggs

3/4 cup oil

3/4 cup water

2 cups 10x sugar

2 tsp oil

1/3 cup orange juice

For the cake :

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Beat first 5 ingredients for 8 minutes
• Bake for 40 minutes.
• As soon as you take it out of the oven, poke holes with wooden spoon handle. 

For the frosting :

• Mix last three ingredients together well.
• Drizzle over top of cake.

Printable Recipe!

No idea why I had the milk out and notice the cake mix...it says yellow. Yep, my ability to follow directions shines again! It was as lemony as it should have been but still good.

This is the best cake...in my opinion...even my brother loves it and he is SOOOO not a sweets person...at all.

I just got a call on skype from my Nana in Ocala, FL. How cute is that??????????? While I had her on the video chat, I asked her for her banana pudding recipe and it brought back so many delicious memories! I can't wait to make it this weekend and share it with ya'll!

Have a DELICIOUS weekend everyone!

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Wowza! White Lasagna with Chicken, Spinach & Mushrooms.

I don't have much time today so I will just get right to it....

DRUM ROLL PLEASE....................................................................where is Clark Griswold when you need him???

Wowza White Lasagna

adapted from : BAM!!! Emeril

3 boneless skinless chicken breast

1 10 oz package fresh spinach

2 cups fresh mushrooms, slicedx

1 whole yellow onion, sliced

1/2 tablespoon garlic

4 cups heavy cream

1 stick butter

1/2 cup flour

1 box "no boil" lasagna noodles

3 cups shredded parmesan

1 package Italian blend shredded cheese

1/2 tablespoon dried oregano

salt & pepper to taste

3 tablespoons olive oil

For the chicken:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Season the chicken generously with the blackening seasoning. 

Heat a cast iron skillet over high heat for 2 minutes then place the chicken in the skillet and blacken on each side. About 2 minutes per side. Then place the skillet in the oven and cook for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool, then shred.

For the sauce:

Turn oven up to 375 degrees.

Heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large saute pan over med/high heat. Add about 1/2 the spinach and let cook down a bit then add the rest. Remove from pan and set aside.

Add an additional tablespoon of olive oil to the pan. Now add garlic and onions, cook for about 3 minutes then add the mushrooms and cook until tender. Add the spinach and set aside.

In a large sauce pan, heat 5 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk constantly to make a roux. Next, slowly add the heavy cream while whisking constantly. Season generously with salt & pepper and add the dried oregano. Let simmer appox 10 minutes then add 2 cups of the parmesan. Mix well and then add the onion, mushroom and spinach mixture.

To assemble the lasagna:

Spoon a small amount of the sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish.

Place 4 of the lasagna sheets horizontal in the dish.

1/2 of the shredded chicken

roughly 1 1/2 cups of the sauce

a generous handful of the Italian blend cheese and 1/2 of the remaining parmesan.

REPEAT this step for the second layer.

The third layer will not contain chicken.

Ending with the shredded cheese on top.

*Using the remaining butter, cut into small cubes and evenly place on top of the cheese*

This will help it brown to perfection

I ended up adding some shredded mozzarella on the top to make it extra cheesy...!!!

Bake covered for 45 minutes, remove cover and continue to cook until browned & bubbly.

Printable Recipe!

I reallyyyyyyyyy need to cut back on my carb intake...but how am I supposed to do that with such DELISH meals like this one????

I hope ya'll enjoy this as much as we did. I had two pieces and I think Matt had 4...maybe 5 but who's counting?

Have a FAB FRIDAY everybody!!!!!!!!!!!

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