It's Springtime Pasta Bake

 

Here’s a delicious veggie-loaded pasta bake that's perfect for a springtime meal!  

 

Delicious!

It’s a great dish for the nights you want to go meatless.

 

Not So Sweet, Sloppy Joes!

Tradition here in our family is a huge dinner for Christmas Eve ~ and Christmas Day is all about sloppy joes!

Fresh Green Beans Cooked to Death with Bacon

I know the trendy sophisticated way is to barely cook green beans so that they have some crunch to them while maintaining their brilliant green emerald-like color.  That’s not my way for an old-fashioned down-home side dish of garden fresh green beans in my kitchen...

I grew up in Louisville ~ I learned to cook fresh green beans the Southern way ~ slow-cooked to death, usually with bacon drippings, a ham hock or bacon like this recipe.  We all know the saying, “bacon makes everything better!”  Pour a little chicken broth in with the seasonings, for a perfect side dish.

Spicy Garlic-Lime Shrimp with Grits

Remember what Bubba Gump said?

"Shrimp is the fruit of the sea. 
You can barbecue it, boil it, broil it, 
bake it, sauté it. 
There's uh, shrimp-kabobs, 
shrimp creole, shrimp gumbo. 
Pan fried, deep fried, stir-fried."

And then there's this dish that has all the right ingredients: ~ Spicy Garlic-Lime Shrimp!

Cornmeal-Crusted Lake Perch

Bill Jr., (Bubba here) just returned from vacationing in the United Kingdom and had more than one meal of fish and chips in England.  

In his words, the fish was the best, "Awesome! Crunchy, tender and tasty."  The Brits choice of fish is cod and haddock, with him liking haddock more.

I'd be the first to order fish and chips at a pub anywhere, but we all know that at home it can turn into a "grease-feast!"

 
That is, unless it's made in an air fryer! 

Baked Lime-Mustard Salmon

I adore salmon ~ unfortunately I'm the only one here who feels that adoration.  Salmon is one of the most widely loved varieties of seafood in the world.  Fresh, canned or smoked, it makes me happy when I enjoy a meal of it...

Eating two or three servings a week of salmon is a good way to improve your health, with it being  a healthy tasty alternative to chicken, beef and pork.  It’s rich in Omega-3 fatty acids and protein.  Plus providing iron, niacin, zinc, Vitamins B6 and B12, and a whole host of other ingredients essential for good health. 

Chicken Pizzaiola with Capers ~~~ Lightened Up

I’ve never made, nor even eaten, Chicken Pizzaiola before, but I positively plan on cooking it again!

Chicken Pizzaiola is a traditional Italian food, as far as I know.  A lot of you, my foodie friends, out there are Italian, so please let me know if that is true---what is the origin of this dish?  I believe the original recipe combines the taste of herbs with tomato sauce, poured over cooked chicken and topped with slices of mozzarella cheese.  

I clipped this light variation of Chicken Pizzaiola from our local newspaper, The Northwest Herald.  It has the delicious tomato sauce with plenty of oregano, red pepper flakes and piquant capers.  Instead of layers of mozzarella, this is topped with grated Parmesan cheese. 

It was delicious!  I served it with a green salad and cooked spinach.  It would be great served with spaghetti!

Chicken Pizzaiola with Capers

Ingredients:

3 chicken breasts; boneless, skinless

1 teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon seasoned pepper

2 teaspoons olive oil

5 green onions, chopped

1 green bell pepper, sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 (14-ounce can) tomatoes, no-salt-added

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon capers, drained

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese, optional

Method:

Place chicken between 2 pieces of plastic wrap.

With meat pounder or rolling pin, pound evenly to about ¼” thickness.

Sprinkle chicken with oregano, salt and seasoned pepper.

Spray large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and set over medium-high heat.

Add chicken and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side.

Transfer to plate.

Add oil to skillet and reduce heat to medium.

Add onion and bell pepper; cook stirring frequently, until tender.

Add garlic and cook about 1 minute.

Return chicken to skillet along and add tomatoes, pepper flakes and capers.

Cover and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 10-15 minutes longer; depending upon thickness.

Serve sprinkled with Parmesan, if desired.

Tender, Moist & DELICIOUS! 

Be sure to visit my friend, Linda’s blog @My Kind of Cooking for great tips on Tuesday’s and good and easy recipes every Friday!

Grilled Italian Sausage and Peppers

Add some spice into your next barbecue with quick and delicious Italian sausage!  Just light the grill, throw on a few sausages.  What could be easier?  There is an art to it though and Bill has it down pat!

The problem is they may burn easily.  I used to parboil them in water before Bill grilled them and then realized that even if a little beer is added to the water, all the parboiling did was pull the flavor out of the sausages and make flavored water in the pot.

Now they go straight from the refrigerator to the grill.  Bill’s secret to grilling the Italian sausage is to grill them on low heat.  It keeps the flavor in and cooks the middle perfectly.  And he uses tongs, no forks!  Once the skin is pierced, you’re in for some flare ups which leads to burnt sausages.  It takes a while longer to grill them this way but, the appearance is great and they’re packed with delicious flavors. 

Of course, sautéed red peppers are almost mandatory for topping Italian sausage sandwiches!  I go for hot Italian sausage, Bill likes the mild.  They’re great and grill them up Bill’s way for the best Italian sausage and pepper sandwich!

Grilled Italian Sausage and Peppers

Ingredients:

6 Italian sausages

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

1 red bell pepper, sliced

1 green bell pepper, sliced

1 large white onion, sliced

1 small tomato, cut into wedges

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ teaspoon dried thyme

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Salt and pepper, to taste

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Method:

Slow-cook the sausages over low grill heat.

In a skillet, heat olive oil.

Add peppers and sauté for 2-3 minutes.

Place onions in with peppers.

Add remaining ingredients and sauté for about 3 minutes.

Cook until onions are limp.

Assemble Italian sausage on a bun, adding pepper mixture.

Top with horseradish sauce or mustard.

Ummmm, gooood!

Visit my friend, Linda’s wonderful blog, My Kind of Cooking, for a chance to win her great cookbook!

My Homemade Ketchup

I love mustard but, ketchup is an American icon for hamburgers and French fries!

Years ago, Dad not only had the garden at home but after his retirement, he started the first community garden in Louisville and had a garden plot there as well.  The amount of tomatoes he raised was amazing.  

Mom canned a lot of tomatoes, made tomato juice and then she made ketchup.  Bubba reminded me of how much he likes homemade ketchup and that I haven’t made it in a long while.  So, yesterday I made ketchup.  The aroma of it cooking is unbelievable, very spicy and good. 

This is sweet, tangy and spicy and it takes time for it to cook down.  It’s easy but, it’s definitely not for an impatient cook because it takes time!  I ended up with close to 3 pints of ketchup from this recipe.  

I let it cook down until it was very thick, mainly because Bill likes it thick, not “runny” like Mom made it.    If you don’t want it so thick, cook a shorter period of time and you will have a higher yield.  Another good thing is that you know exactly what is in it, no preservatives!

If you like ketchup, you should really try the homemade kind!  Add more sugar if you like it sweeter, more vinegar for a bite and then start in with the spices until it suits your taste.  Add more red pepper flakes if you like some heat with it.  Experiment!

Waiting to be skinned and chopped

Cooking with the spice bundle

Strained and cooking down ~ dark, rich color from the spices

Ummm, mmmm!!!

My Homemade Ketchup

Ingredients:

½ bushel canning tomatoes, about 30 pounds

3 large onions, cut into large chunks

2 cups white vinegar

1 cup granulated sugar

½ cup brown sugar, packed

1 tablespoon red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon salt

2 tablespoons sweet paprika

2 teaspoons ground cloves

2 teaspoons allspice

2 tablespoons onion powder

3 teaspoons cayenne pepper

2 teaspoons ground cardamom

2 teaspoons ground coriander

10 garlic cloves

6 cinnamon sticks

5 tablespoons peppercorns

3 tablespoons mustard seeds

2 tablespoons celery seeds

Method:

Wash, peel and chop tomatoes.

Add to a very large heavy pot and bring to a boil.

Add onions, vinegar and sugars.

Lower heat to a simmer.

Stir in next 9 ingredients.  Mix well.

Cut a square of cheesecloth.

Place on the cheesecloth the garlic cloves, cinnamon sticks, peppercorns, mustard seeds and celery seeds.

Tie into a bundle, drop into tomato mixture.

Stir it all well.

Cook for about 1-2 hours until it is about half of what you started with, stirring frequently.

Remove cheesecloth bundle, set aside.

Carefully put tomato mixture through a sieve into a large bowl.

Return strained mixture and cheesecloth bundle to pot.

Continue to simmer, stirring very frequently so as not to burn.

This could take another 30 minutes to an hour, depending on heat level and how thick you like it.

Cook until it reaches the desired consistency.

Pour into sterilized jars.

Cool.

Cover with a tight fitting lid and refrigerate.

It’s lick-your-lips delicious!

Visit my friend, Linda’s blog, My Kind of Cooking, for the prize winning recipe at the fair and for a chance to win her great cookbook!

Corn and Bacon Succotash with Rice

The Chicago Tribune published this recipe several weeks ago and I knew I had to try it.  I love succotash but usually only serve it at Thanksgiving time for some reason.  And then it is just corn, lima beans, a dab of butter, a little milk and salt and pepper.

Start by using a sharp knife, cut the corn off of 4 ears of corn on the cob. Then combine and cook it with lima beans, bell pepper, bacon, garlic and spices and serve it over rice.  The recipe calls for red bell pepper; I only had a green one. Omit the bacon and add water instead of chicken broth for a great vegetarian dish.  Don’t like lima beans?   Substitute great Northern beans. 

This would work as a great side dish with grilled ribs or chicken; however, it is hearty enough to stand on its own.  Just compliment it with just a nice green salad.  Try this one for those great summer veggies!

Corn and Bacon Succotash with Rice

Ingredients:

6 strips bacon

1 onion, chopped

½ red bell pepper, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

½ teaspoon dried thyme

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 can (15 ounces) low-sodium chicken broth

4 ears corn, cut off the cob

2 cups fresh lima beans or 1 bag (14 ounces) frozen

2 cups rice, cooked to package directions

Method:

Fry bacon in skillet until crisp.  Drain on paper towel, set aside.

Remove all but a teaspoon or two of bacon grease.

Add bell pepper, garlic, thyme, salt and red pepper flakes.

Cook, stirring for 3 minutes.

Add chicken broth, cook, stirring up any browned bits, 2 minutes.

Add corn and lima beans.

Cook, turning often to cook evenly, until corn and beans are tender and liquid reduces slightly, about 5 minutes.

Stir in bacon.

Serve over rice.

4 servings.

It’s good!

Pam’s note:  I have mixed the rice with a can of Rotel tomatoes and green chilies.  It makes the succotash even better with a little zip!  I used fresh lima beans from the farmer’s market.  This recipe makes a lot!

Italian Sausage in Tomato Spinach Sauce with Pasta

Love that Italian sausage and this time I wanted it cooked inside instead of on the grill.  Good thing that it was made last night because today they are predicting the heat index to be around 105!  So it will definitely be back to the grill tonight.

I didn’t grow up eating a lot of pasta; just the usual macaroni and cheese, spaghetti and meatballs and occasionally lasagna.  There is such a wide variety of pasta now, it’s amazing and I like them all. 

We definitely never had Italian sausage back then when living on the farm in Ohio and having our own pork sausage made.  That is a whole other story from years ago.  My grandfather had a great recipe for making pork sausage and it was a wonderful thing; nothing like the store bought.  Bill would wholeheartedly agree!

This Italian sausage with pasta is cooked in a tomato sauce with a spinach addition.  We destroyed this quickly and liked every single bite of it!

Italian Sausage with Tomato and Spinach Pasta

Ingredients:

½ pound rigatoni

1 pound hot Italian sausage links

2 tablespoon olive oil

3 tablespoons chopped garlic

1 large can tomato sauce

½ teaspoon each, dried oregano and basil

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Salt and pepper, to taste

½ pound baby spinach, chopped

¼ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Method:

Cook rigatoni per package directions, drain well and set aside.

Cut sausage into bite-sized pieces.

Heat olive oil in skillet, add sausage and sauté.

Remove sausage when cooked.

Add garlic, sauté.

Place tomato sauce in skillet.

Add oregano, basil, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes.

Bring to a simmer.

Add spinach; cooking until wilted.

Add sausage and rigatoni to mixture.

Heat thoroughly.

Serve with parmesan cheese.

ENJOY!!!

Tortellini in Mushroom Tomato Sauce

Pasta Italiana

Riccardo Marcialis

Although researchers believe pasta originated in China and was taken to Italy by Marco Polo in the 13^th century, there is no mistaking that Italian cooks transformed it to the versatile dish we enjoy today.

Pasta comes in so many different shapes; no one is sure how many, not even the Italians.  I just know that I’m a fan of most of them with tortellini being at the top of the pasta scale.  Tortellinis are small rings usually stuffed with meat, cheese, herbs or greens and resemble cappelletti.

I love, love tortellini; however, I have not gotten up the nerve to make it myself.  So I take the easy way out ~ I select a package from the refrigerated section of the local grocery store and then prepare it with whatever sauce I choose.  It is delicious and perfect any time of the year with a salad. 

The spicy blend of ingredients in this recipe is mellowed by a little white wine, making it one of our favorite ways to enjoy tortellini!

Tortellini in Mushroom Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons butter

1 small onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, sliced

8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced

1 bay leaf

½ teaspoon dried basil

¼ teaspoon dried oregano

Salt and pepper, to taste

Pinch of red pepper flakes

3 tablespoons tomato paste

1/3 cup dry white wine

1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes

¼ teaspoons sugar

½ to ¾ pound cheese tortellini, or your favorite

Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Method:

Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat.

Add onion and garlic, cook until golden, 1-2 minutes.

Add remaining ingredients, except tortellini.

Stir mixture well and simmer for about 20 minutes, until sauce is thickened.

Meanwhile, cook tortellini per package directions.

Drain pasta well.

Add pasta to sauce.

Heat thoroughly.

Serve with freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

Serves 4

Now that’s Italian!  That’s amore!

One Spicy Slaw

The crisp crunchiness of coleslaw is a wonderful thing, and you can serve it with almost anything.

This version leans toward the tangy spicy side, flavored with a vinegar dressing instead of a mayonnaise-based dressing.  The recipe calls for one tablespoon of brown sugar which I think really makes it too sweet since the ketchup seems to sweeten it just fine.  So add the brown sugar, or not, depending upon your taste. 

I have a passion for a good slaw and this is one of the best with me eating up more than my share of it!  How about you, do you have a passion for coleslaw?

Spicy Coleslaw

Ingredients:

1 small head green cabbage, finely chopped
3 or 4 green onions, chopped

1/3 cup cider vinegar

¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon water

2 tablespoons plus 1½ teaspoons ketchup

1 tablespoon brown sugar or to taste

1½ teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste

½ teaspoon freshly ground white pepper

Method:

Place cabbage and onion in a large bowl, set aside.

Combine vinegar, water, ketchup, brown sugar, salt, red pepper flakes and ground pepper in a non-reactive medium bowl.

Whisk until sugar and salt dissolve.

Taste for seasoning, stir into cabbage.

Let stand 10 minutes.

Cover, refrigerate until ready to serve.

 Cole slaw ~  the quintessential barbecue side dish!  Yum!