(EASY) Hearty Split Pea and Ham Soup

  Winter is really giving us something to talk about this year here in lovely New Hampshire.  It is COLD outside. There is a @#%^ ton of SNOW every where you look. And there is even icicles hanging from any possible place they can hang from. It is just hard core Winter time.  That is that.  All we can do it complain, pretend to like it, bundle up, lather on lots of lotion to remedy our dry skin, crank up the humidifiers and eat LOTS of soup.  We have to survive it some how! 

 Split Pea and Ham Soup has always been a favorite of mine.  It is delicious, filling and plain old comforting. Believe it or not this was the first time I ever made it.  I have made many a soup in my adventures in the kitchen but not a split pea soup.  I was delighted with this recipe as it is super simple,  foul proof (especially if you follow the directions) and can easily be adjusted to your liking.  If you don't like carrots go ahead an omit them - just add in more of another veggie.  If you wish to keep the soup vegetarian no worries - use vegetable bouillon instead of chicken and replace the ham meat with more vegetables.   I chose to make my broth with a nice big meaty ham bone.  I placed the ham bone in a large pot and covered it with good water (such as filtered or spring water).  I then brought the water to a nice gentle boil and then simmered it for about an hour to get all the flavor possible out of the bone.  Bones truly do give off the best flavor for a broth in my opinion. If you would like to keep things super simple for this soup go ahead and skip the ham bone and toss in some nice bouillon cubes of your choice into good water. 

So please,  join me in warming your bones and embracing the rest of this looooong WINTER to the fullest and make a pot of this soup.  Your bones will be happy as will your tummy.

Hearty Split Pea and Ham Soup
(recipe slightly adapted from Taste of Home)

Ingredients:
*1 large meaty ham bone
good water (spring or filtered) - enough to cover bone completely plus more to make 8 full cups
1 16oz. bag or 2 cups dried split peas
2 medium onions - chopped
2-3 carrots, chopped
2 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/2 cup sliced celery
2 cups chopped ham
1 tsp poultry seasoning
1 tsp dried marjoram
3 chicken bouillon cubes (6 cubes if you don't use a ham bone to make the broth)
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1/2 tsp salt 
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese for garnish/topping

Directions:

*If want to make your broth with the ham bone* - place ham bone in a large pot and cover with good water. Bring to a gentle boil and then lower heat to simmer for another 30-60 minutes.  Remove bone from water and set aside to cool. Once bone is cool enough to handle cut off any meat that is not too fatty and add to soup.  Measure broth and then add in additional water to make 8 cups of liquid. ~ If you chose not to make your broth with a bone just add in 8 cups of water and 6 bouillon cubes along with the rest of the ingredients of the soup ~

Pour the 8 cups of liquid back into your large pot along with all the remaining ingredients.  Stir well and bring to boil.  Lower heat to a simmer and cook soup for at least 1 hour or until all veggies are tender and soup is thick. Adjust seasoning if you wish and serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and a piece of yummy bread on the side.  Enjoy! 

 Happy Hearty Split Pea and Ham Soup Making!

Cinnamon Cauliflower Coffee Cake

I have used cauliflower in many dishes.  I have made cauliflower au gratin, I have made quite a few stir fries with cauliflower tossed into it.  I have also made MANY a salad with cauliflower and even soups.  I have NEVER made a coffee cake (or anything sweet for that matter)  with cauliflower.  That is until just this month.  This month I made a lovely puree of steamed cauliflower, mixed in some eggs, melted coconut oil along with some maple syrup and honey and stirred it all into a dry mix of flour and other regular components of a coffee cake batter.

Magically the pureed cauliflower made a beautiful and delicious coffee cake!  Imagine that.  Once again, my world as been enlightened by my participation in the Secret Recipe Club.  I was assigned, 84th&3rd this month.  I owe my new insight and experience of baking with cauliflower to the lovely and EXTREMELY talented, JJ of 84th&3rd. JJ's world on her blog of 84th&3rd is full of exquisitely gorgeous food.  Although JJ was born and raised in the United States she now lives, works and plays in Australia.  Her writing is witty and well spoken.  Her recipes are full of vibrant flavor, beautiful presentation and amazing creativity.  Even though JJ eats eggs, dairy and fish (no meat though) many, if not most, are gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan.  I have honestly never seen so many beautiful and decadent CHOCOLATE recipes that are actually good for you as I have on JJ's blog.  So yes, I am completely smitten with amazement over all JJ's talents in the kitchen.  She truly creates a beautiful world around eating well and eating healthy (delicious and beautiful) food. 

 I did alter JJ's recipe for this fantastic one-of-a-kind coffee cake in a few areas as I didn't have all the special gluten-free or vegan ingredients available in my pantry.  For the cake batter instead of using spelt flour and arrowroot or tapioca flour I used all-purpose and whole wheat pastry flour.  For a sweetener I replaced rice syrup with maple syrup.  And then in the filling ingredients instead of using coconut sugar I used brown sugar. All of these substitutions worked out fine as the taste and appearance of the cake both came out wonderfully and I was given rave reviews from those that shared the cake with me. 

Please take the time to make this cake.  It may sound a little out of the norm at first glance but it really is a wonderfully creative treat.  Your friends and family will be impressed and maybe even in a little bit of shock once they discover that cauliflower has been baked into such a delicious cake.  But seriously, no matter what they will continue to eat the cake with a smile on their face along with happy taste buds to encourage them to continue on eating.


Cinnamon Cauliflower Coffee Cake 
(recipe adapted moderately from 84th&3rd )

Filling Ingredients:
1 cup raisins
1 Tbsp rum or fruit juice
1 Tbsp warm water
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 Tbsp brown sugar (JJ used 1 Tbsp coconut sugar)
2 Tbsp flour (my addition to the recipe as it helps keep the raisins and chopped nuts from falling down into the batter)

Cake Ingredients:
1 1/2 -2 cups fresh cauliflower
2 Tbsp lemon juice 
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
1/2 cup maple syrup (JJ used 1/4 cup rice syrup)
1/4 cup honey
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract (my addition)
1 cup all purpose flour (JJ used 2 cups spelt flour)
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (JJ used 1/4 cup arrowroot or tapioca flour)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease and flour bundt pan and set aside. 

2. In a medium bowl combine raisins, water and rum (or fruit juice).  Toss all together and allow to sit for 15-20 minutes. Then add in chopped nuts, cinnamon, brown sugar and flour.  Mix well and set aside.

3. Steam fresh cauliflower until very soft and then place into a food processor along with lemon juice.  Mix in food processor until cauliflower is smooth and silky. Add in 1/2 of melted coconut oil and pulse to combine.  Add in remaining coconut oil, eggs, maple syrup and honey - mix well all together.

5. Sift all dry ingredients together into a large bowl and whisk to combine well.  

6. Add cauliflower mixture into dry ingredients.  Mix well all together.   

7.  Pour 1/2 of batter into prepared bundt pan.  Spoon filling mixture evenly over batter and then pour on remaining batter over the filling layer.

8.  Bake for 40-50 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean and cake is golden brown.  Cool in pan for 15 minutes before inverting onto serving plate. * Serve warm or at room temperature.  Enjoy!

 

 Happy Cinnamon Cauliflower Coffee Cake Baking! 

*JJ made a delicious caramel sauce to be poured over this cake.  I choose not to make the sauce but instead to sprinkle confectioner's sugar over the cake. 

Broccoli Cheese Bites

 

Can you believe it!?!  I am actually blogging about something savory today!  Not sweet but savory! Honestly, I couldn't help myself.  I found the recipe for these little yummy treasure bites on Megan's blog called,  Cooking Whims.  Cooking Whims was my Secret Recipe Club assignment for this past month.  What fun I have had browsing through Megan's blog!  Megan lives in New England (the Boston area) and it always makes me happy when I find a fellow food blogger from New England.  Megan also has a soft spot for all things sweet.  Hello HAPPINESS!

 

 

 

 

I almost made her Chocolate Peanut Butter Surprise Cookies but then realized that maybe I should make something with banana in it as I had a lot of VERY ripe bananas that needed to be used.  I looked closely at her recipe for Chocolate Swirled Banana Bread until I realized that I needed something with veggies for dinner that night.  Thus I ended up making these fabulous Broccoli Cheddar Bites.   Everyone loved them!  The kiddos loved dipping them in Honey Mustard sauce and the adults enjoyed just popping them right into their mouth. These bites can easily be served as an appetizer or a side dish.  No matter what they will disappear fast!

 

I thank Megan for all her dedicated work that she has put into her food blog.  I thoroughly enjoyed "visiting her" and discovering lots of new recipes that I can't wait to make in my near future!

 

Broccoli Cheddar Bites

         (recipe found on Cooking Whims)

 

Ingredients:

 

1 (16 oz.) package of frozen broccoli florets, cooked according to package directions (I used 2 cups of fresh broccoli, steamed and cut up)

1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (I used 1 cup mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup cheddar cheese)

3 eggs, beaten

1 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs

 

Directions:

 

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Line a cookie sheet with foil sprayed with non-stick cooking spray or parchment paper.

 

2. Prepare broccoli - cool and chop up into uniform small pieces.

 

3. In a medium bowl combine beaten eggs, broccoli, cheese and bread crumbs with a wooden spoon until well combined. 

 

4. Scoop batter into balls with a medium size scoop or spoon and place onto prepared cookie sheets.  Flatten slightly with the back of your hand to create a patty or leave as is for a rounder "bite".

 

5. Bake for 15 minutes and then flip bites.  Bake for an additional 5 minutes.  Cool slightly and enjoy!

 

Happy Broccoli Cheese Bites Baking!

 

Enjoy the recipes below that my fellow Secret Recipe Club  members made this past month too!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Risotto and Beef Stuffed Tomatoes

All year long I wait patiently for FRESH garden tomatoes out of my mother's garden.  There is nothing better than a beautiful, ripe, red tomato!  Popped right into my mouth from the vine or sliced thickly on a piece of homemade bread with cheddar cheese makes my taste buds sing with happiness.  I also LOVE a good stuffed tomato.  Comfort food at it's best in my book! 

 

 

 

 

  It takes time and patience to prepare stuffed tomatoes.  A true recipe from the heart as it is a deliciously comforting dish that only requires simple ingredients.  I chose to make my stuffing with ground beef to accompany the risotto.  Ground chicken, pork, turkey or sausage could be easily put in place of the beef. 

 

I found this recipe to be a perfect weekend meal as it does take a little time to prepare with the use of Arborio rice in the filling.   But the risotto is a perfect addition to the tomatoes and meat as it has such a lovely texture and is full of flavor.

 

 So grab those last garden tomatoes, your favorite ground meat and some lovely risotto so that you can whip up a batch of stuffed tomatoes for this coming weekend.  It's truly the right thing to do!

 

 

Risotto Stuffed Tomatoes

(recipe from Ms. enPlace)

 

Ingredients:

 

2-4 large tomatoes

1 lb ground meat of your choice (I used ground beef)

1 Tbsp olive oil, plus more for drizzling \

2 Tbsp chopped garlic - about 2-3 cloves

1/2 cup Arborio rice

1/2 cup reserved tomato juice from tomatoes

1 1/2 cups chicken broth, warmed

1/3 cup loosely packed chopped basil or parsley

salt and pepper to taste

 

 

Directions:

 

1. Cut off top 1/3 of each tomato and set aside.  Remove insides of each tomato with paring knife/spoon and reserve what you scoop out.  Be careful not to puncture the walls of the tomatoes as you work.  Drain reserved tomato pulp over a bowl in a strainer.  Breaking up the tomato pieces will help this process along.

 

2. Place tomatoes in a medium greased baking dish.  Propping the tomatoes up against one another may need to happen in order for them to stay upright.

 

3. Using a large skillet heat 1 Tbsp olive oil to sauté your meat over medium heat.  Saute meat until lightly browned.  Add in garlic and then lower your heat, cooking a few minutes more.

 

4. Add rice into the skillet with the ground meat/garlic mixture.  Saute until the rice is translucent - about 5-7 minutes.  Add in 1/2 cup of the reserved tomato juice - stir until almost all absorbed.  Add in warmed broth - 1/2 cup at a time, each time stirring after each addition until adsorbed.  Test rice for "doneness" after about 15 minutes.  If rice is still hard add in more liquid - 1/2 cup at a time, stirring until almost absorbed each time.  If rice is chewy, remove skillet from heat. Stir in herbs along with salt and pepper to taste.

 

5. Preheat oven to 400. Spoon mixture into prepared tomato shells (most likely you will have extra filling left over that you can use for another meal/dish - we made burritos out of our extra filling). Place tomato tops over the stuffed tomatoes and then drizzle with olive oil.  Bake for 35-40 minutes - tomatoes will be soft and the rice tender when done.  Remove your lovely stuffed tomatoes from the oven and cool for 10 minutes before serving.

 

 

 Enjoy!!

 



 

 

 

Happy Risotto and Beef Stuffed Tomato Making!



Apple Acorn Squash

 

Hooray for the magic of Fall as it has arrived here in New England!  I feel so fortunate to be able to experience such beauty!  The trees are all in full glory of reds, yellows, oranges and golds.  And at least once every day this past week I have seen and heard flocks of geese flying south for their winter homes.  All signs of the crisp and warm season of Fall that has gently settled into our lives for the next couple of months.

 

In my effort to embrace and welcome Autumn I choose a lovely recipe of Apple Acorn Squash to share you today.  I discovered this recipe from a beautiful lady named, Bean who writes, creates and photographs for her blog called, Without Adornment.  I was given the opportunity to explore Without Adornment this past month as it was my September assignment through the Secret Recipe Club.  For those of you that prefer to stay away from gluten by choice or even necessity Bean's blog is a must for you to check out. All of her recipes are gluten free unless otherwise noted.  And they look fabulous! Along with all of her beautiful recipes, Bean shares stories of her adventures in life with her hubby along with her talented creations of cakes.  Gorgeous, gorgeous cakes! Along with her adventures and recipes she also has a beautiful gallery of her photography. Such a talented lady I say!

 

 

I was delighted with how my Apple Acorn Squash came out.  Completely easy to put together.  Completely delicious! And oh yes, completely Fall.

I did add a little butter along with salt and pepper to this recipe.  They can easily be omitted if you wish to stay clear of extra fat or sodium.

 

 

 

 

 

Apple Acorn Squash

recipe slightly adapted from Without Adornment

 

1 Acorn squash

2-3 apples, peeled and sliced  

2 Tbsp brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1-2 Tbsp butter

salt and pepper

 

 

Preheat oven to 375.  Cut squash in half and then scoop out seeds. Season each half with salt and pepper if you wish along with a pat of butter.  Toss apple slices with brown sugar and cinnamon and then carefully spoon into each of the squash. Another pat of butter can go onto of the apple pile if you are so inclined.  Place squash halves in a baking dish with just enough water to cover the bottom of the dish.  Cover with tinfoil and bake for 45 minutes or until squash is done.  Enjoy!

 

 

 

Happy Fall!  And Happy, Happy Apple Acorn Squash baking!

Cheesy Ham, Broccoli and Rice Skillet

Have you noticed a change around these parts? That's right there is some serious new cuteness on my blog!  I am just giddy with excitement over my look here at Baking and Creating with Avril!!! The fabulous Ashton from Something Swanky is the master mind behind my new look.  I can't thank her enough for all her help and talent that she has provided me.  I highly, highly recommend her services.  And to boot she is an AMAAAAZING baker too! Please do go check out her yummies and then you must check out her artistic creations too!

 

 

Speaking of changes, today instead of a recipe that is sweet and requires baking I've got a savory recipe for you.  That's right nothing baked.  No sugar or flour involved.  Not even a tiny bit of vanilla extract.  Just a simple, delicious and savory dish that will knock your socks off.

 

 

All this dish requires is a large skillet with a lid that can contain all the ingredients.  And then of course some rice (white or brown is just fine), a couple of cooked ham steaks and a couple small heads of broccoli.  All of the other ingredients can most likely be found in your pantry and fridge such as chicken broth and some grated cheese.

 

 

 

Now Easter is just around the corner - the end of this month in fact - and most likely there will be LOTS of good deals out there for ham.  Make sure you grab some or save some from your left-overs and make this recipe.  It's super easy and SUPER yummy!!

 

Cheesy Ham, Broccoli and Rice Skillet

(recipe from the fabulous Karly from Buns In My Oven)

 

Ingredients:

 

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 cup long-grain rice

2 1/4 cups chicken broth

2 small heads fresh broccoli, cut into bite size pieces

2 Tbsp butter

3 cups cooked and diced ham, hot (warm up in microwave before adding into skillet)

1 cup sharp cheddar cheese (or a mixture of cheese of your liking...I used 1/2 parm cheese and 1/2 cheddar cheese)

1/2 tsp garlic powder

salt and pepper,  to taste

splash of milk, if needed

 

 

Directions:

 

1. Place large skillet over medium heat.  Drizzle olive oil into pan and then pour in rice.  Stir to coat.  Cook rice until toasted and light brown, stirring often so that the rice doesn't burn.

 

2. Pour in chicken broth and bring to a boil.  Lower heat to low and cover.  Cook covered for 10 minutes.  Add in cut up broccoli and cook covered for an additional 5-10 minutes or until liquid has been cooked down.

 

3. Take skillet off of heat and add in butter, ham, cheese and garlic powder. Stir well to combine and then cover for 5 minutes more.  Add in S and P to taste just before serving.

 

Serve, enjoy and rejoice over a simple and delicious meal!

 

Happy Cheesy Ham, Broccoli and Rice Skillet Making!

 

 



Mini Carrot Peach Loaves

Sometimes it is fun to drop off a special treat to a friend....for no reason at all other than a gesture to show that we care and that we were thinking of them. Not only do I enjoy bringing a special smile to someone's face over an unexpected treat but it also helps me NOT eat so much of the baked goodies that I seem to produce quite often - yes, I admit I have a serious problem...I LOVE to bake!!!  Shhhhh....don't tell anyone, that doesn't already know. ;-)

 Recently after making a batch of Mini Carrot Peach Loaves my oldest daughter and I piled into the car and delivered the treats to a couple of special people in our lives. 

We tied cute and colorful ribbons around the mini breads (another problem of mine...I just ADORE anything mini...and ribbon too!-I have a special place in my heart for ribbon.) and away we went.  The breads were a hit!  The flavors of carrot and peach matched well with one another that was accented with just a touch of cinnamon.  The texture and taste of the sweet bread was perfectly moist and with just enough sweetness to allow it to be eaten for breakfast, snack or even dessert.  Warmed with a layer of butter was also reported to cause great happiness to our friend's taste buds.  Can you blame them?!  Butter = YUM!

Because of my love for anything mini I choose to make this recipe into 4 mini loaves....

....but of course you can just as easily just pour the batter into 1 regular size 9x5 bread loaf pan and be just as successful with this recipe. 

Mini Carrot Peach Loaves

(recipe is from Ryan Bakes - Ryan has super yummy recipes on her blog!)

Ingredients:

3/4 cup pecans, chopped (optional)

2 1/2 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

1 1/2 cups peeled and chopped fresh, ripe peaches

3/4 cup freshly grated carrots

2/3 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup milk

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 4 mini loaf pans or 1 regular loaf pan.  If you choose to use pecans place nuts in a single layer in a shallow pan and bake for 8-10 minutes or until toasted and fragrant.  Stir halfway through baking.  Cool nuts 15 minutes before adding to the recipe.

2. In a large bowl stir together flour, sugar, spices, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Add in peaches, carrots, oil, milk, beaten eggs, vanilla extract and toasted pecans.  Stir just until dry ingredients are moistened - do NOT overmix as bread will become tough if overmixed. 

3. Spoon batter into prepared pan(s) and pop into oven.  Bake for 30-40 minutes for mini loaves, 1 hr - 1 hr and 10 minutes for regular size loaf or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool for 5 minutes in pan before removing.

Happy Mini Carrot Peach Loaves Baking!

p.s. This week my oldest daughter entered into Kindergarten.  We are SO proud of her for her happiness, braveness and willingness to learn new and exciting knowledge from school. Below is a picture of her coming off the bus from her first day of school ...

Hello there Kindergartener!!!



Cauliflower and Broccoli Salad

Ahhh the beauty of summer has arrived.  HOT days filled with trips to a near by beach, ice cream cones, the smell of sunscreen (and bug spray) along with BBQ's with good friends all make summer-time so special.

Yes, I am a lover of summer.  Another thing I love to do (as many of my friends know) is talk about food.  I LOVE to discover new recipes that friends have made.  And I especially LOVE it when they pass on those recipes to me.  There are some people out there that do not like to share their recipes...which I feel is a crime! - but that's just my feeling on that issue.  I honestly think that it is one of the highest forms of a compliment when someone requests a recipe of mine.  I always feel flattered that someone enjoyed the dish or baked goodie that I made and shared with them enough to want to eat it again AND to make it themselves.  Enough said.  I think you get my point. 

Needless to say whenever my friend Diane and I see each other (especially just after the weekend) we most often chat about food and what we have made over the weekend or in the past.  Diane always surprises me with something wonderful.  Recently she passed along a lovely recipe for Cauliflower and Broccoli Salad.  As soon as she started listing off all the yummy ingredients of this salad I knew I had to make it.  Fresh broccoli and cauliflower...YES....chopped red onion...oh yeah!...crumbled feta cheese...for sure!...diced grape tomatoes...absolutely!....all tossed with a lovely dressing (that I thought I had ALL the ingredients for...not so much).  With all those yummy characters in mind I would like to share with you today my version of Diane's Cauliflower and Broccoli Salad.  I will also provide you with the original ingredients that are in Diane's salad...you know the ingredients that I didn't have on hand....;-)

Cauliflower and Broccoli Salad

(many thanks Diane for passing along this recipe to me)

1/2 head of cauliflower - chopped up into bite size pieces

1-2 good size bunches of broccoli - chopped up into bite size pieces

1/2 red onion - chopped

1 heaping cup grape tomatoes - cut into quarters

2-4 oz. feta cheese - crumbled

1 dry packet of Italian dressing (this is where I changed up Diane's recipe for lack of dry RANCH dressing on hand)

2 Tbsp water

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar (Diane's recipe called for red rice vinegar)

1/2 cup olive oil (canola oil could be used in substitution)

Directions:

1. Place cut up cauliflower and broccoli into a large bowl.  Add in chopped red onion and quartered tomatoes.  Set aside.

2. Make dressing by combining dry salad dressing mix, oil, vinegar and water in a jar that can be covered tightly with a lid. Once lid is securely place on jar shake for a minute or two until well combined.  Pour dressing over veggies and toss gently to coat.  Fold in feta cheese.

3. Refrigerate salad for a good hour (if not longer if possible).  All the flavors of the dressing will melt into the veggies as it hangs out in the fridge.

Serve with happiness!

Of course you could always add in any of your favorite veggies to this refreshing summer salad.  Red peppers, cucumbers or black olives are a few additions that come to mind.  Go ahead be daring and toss in different veggies.

Happy Cauliflower and Broccoli Salad Making!

It's good for you!!! - Spinach, Cheese and Pasta Dish

Not only is this dish good for you, it is an easy "Week Night Meal" too!  Good for you and easy peasy to make........Wonderful!  And the fun part about this dish is that there are crispy French Fried Onions it in!- SUPER YUM!  It is so much fun for me to find a recipe that has an unexpected ingredient mixed into it.  Who would've guessed that French Fried Onions would be part of this recipe??  Yes, to the spinach, pasta and cheese (the title kind of gives it away....) but French Fried Onions?!?  Okay, enough of my own personal happiness with this recipe. Time for ME to share the recipe and for YOU to be the judge if this pasta dish makes YOU happy! :-)

Baked Spaghetti with Spinach and Cheese

(recipe from a delicious blog....Cassie Craves)

Ingredients:

 

4 oz. thin spaghetti or angel hair - broken into 2-inch pieces

1 egg

2 cups (16 oz.) sour cream

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/4 tsp garlic powder

salt and pepper to taste

2 cups shredded monterey jack cheese (or cheese of choice)

1 package (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained

1 can (2.8 oz.) french-fried onions, divided

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.   Cook spaghetti in salted water according to package directions.   Drain.

2. While pasta cooks, beat egg (as you can see I got so excited for this recipe that I just combined all ingredients instead of beating egg before adding in the other ingredients....worked out fine) in a medium bowl.  Add sour cream, parm cheese, garlic powder and salt and pepper to taste.....

3.  Add cooked and drained noodles to sour cream/egg mixture along with cheese, spinach and 1/2 of the fried onions....

  Stir well all together.  Pour mixture into a well greased 2 quart baking dish.

4. Sprinkle remaining fried onions on top of noodles....

 ....and then cover with tin foil. Bake for 30 minutes then removed tin foil and continue baking for another 5-6 minutes or until onions are nice and golden brown.

For those of you that like/need to have a meat included on your dinner menu just add a nice grilled piece of chicken along side this dish and viola you've got your *protein, veggie and starch all at once! *Call me crazy but when I serve a dish for dinner if it has cheese in it of some form or another I consider it the "protein" of the dinner.

Enjoy!

Happy Baked Spaghetti with Spinach and Cheese Baking!

A Week Night Meal - Chicken with Balsamic Mushroom Sauce

I always enjoy finding a recipe that makes a quick and delicious meal for the middle of the week.  Something that doesn't take hours to make and without a lot of steps and a variety of simple ingredients.  Simple and yummy is the key here!  With that in mind I now present you with the first installment of "Week Night Meal".  It is my hope that at least once a week I will be able to share a quick yet tasty meal recipe that can be made in no more than an hour and served with happiness on your part.

No better way than to kick off this new category from Baking and Creating with Avril with a lovely chicken dish that is full of flavor, healthy and quick to make.

If YOU have a favorite "Week Night Meal" please do share with the link at the end of the post.   Be kind and link back to my blog along with leaving a direct link to your recipe.

Chicken with Balsamic Mushroom

Sauce

(recipe adapted from Home Sweet Farm)

Ingredients: 

* 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

*2 Tbsp flour

*1/4 tsp salt

*2 tsp oil

*8 oz. mushrooms, sliced

*1/2 cup finely diced red onion

*1 cup chicken broth

*2 chopped or sliced cloves of garlic

*2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

*1/2 tsp thyme

*2 Tbsp butter

*FRESH parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top

*cooked rice or pasta

Directions

1. Pound chicken breasts to an even thickness.  I like to put my chicken breasts in a galloon plastic baggie and bang them with a rolling pin - use the technique you like best to pound your chicken down.

2. Place flour and salt in a large baggie.  Add in chicken and toss to coat.

3. Heat oil in a large skillet or dutch oven over medium-high heat .  Add coated chicken.....

  Cook, turning once, until golden brown and meat is no longer pink in center - about 6 minutes on either side.  Remove chicken to a plate and set aside.

4. To the same pan/pot that chicken was cooked in add mushrooms, diced onion and garlic.....

Saute for 4 minutes or until lightly browned.  Remove veggies to a bowl.

5. Put broth, balsamic vinegar and thyme in pan/pot.  Bring to a boil and then reduce heat - simmer for 4 minutes to thicken slightly and blend the flavors together....

 Add mushroom mixture to liquid.  Stir in butter until melted. (I have double the original recipe for the sauce ingredients as I thought the sauce was so yummy that it deserved to be doubled).

6. Return cooked chicken to pan/pot and gently stir to cover with sauce and mushrooms....

  Cook just enough to heat chicken through.  Serve over rice or pasta with parmesan cheese.  YUM-O!

Happy Chicken with Balsamic Mushroom Sauce Cooking!

This post has been linked to ....

Quit Eating Out - Saturday Swap of Recipes