Spinach and Ravioli Lasagne

Would you believe this is a 30-minute meal?

The Pillsbury kitchens have developed this awesome recipe that is so quick and easy, even beginner cooks will appear to be experienced in the kitchen and impress their dinner guests.  Add a salad and a crusty loaf of bread and you are good to go!

One of my favorite convenience foods is frozen ravioli.  We always keep it in the freezer for meals or snacks. Of all my favorite snacks and/or quick meals, frozen ravioli pan fried with butter and garlic is one of my favorites.  Simple and easy.  You must try them if you haven't yet.

Everyone seems to love italian pasta meals . . . try this one today.  It is a versatile recipe, so add your own spin . . . like adding italian sauce, which is what I am going to try out.  Happy cooking!

Ingredients

1 bag (6 oz) fresh baby spinach leaves, chopped

1/3 cup refrigerated basil pesto 

1 jar (15 oz) Alfredo pasta sauce

1/4 cup vegetable or chicken broth

1 package (25 oz) frozen cheese-filled ravioli (do not thaw)

1 cup shredded Italian cheese blend (4 oz)

Chopped fresh basil leaves, if desired

Paprika, if desired



Directions

Preheat oven to 375°F. 

Spray 11x7-inch (2-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray.

Toss spinach and pesto in a medium bowl. 

Mix Alfredo sauce and broth in another bowl. 

Add one-third of sauce mixture (about 1/2 cup) into baking dish and top with half of spinach mixture. 

Add half of ravioli in single layer over spinach mixture. 

Repeat layers. 

Top with remaining sauce mixture.

Bake uncovered for 30 minutes. 

Sprinkle with cheese. 

Bake 5 minutes longer or until bubbly. 

Garnish with basil and paprika.

http://www.pillsbury.com

Collection of Caramel Desserts

The Captain and I recently discovered the deliciousness of homemade caramel and we are in love with just about anything that includes caramel.

Well, I felt like I had hit the jackpot when I visited one of my favorite food blogs, Something Swanky . . . a collection of 80 caramel desserts . . . every type of dessert you can imagine.

Click here to go to the article . . . 

Click here to go to a collection of caramel candy recipes.

Delicious Lemon Cheesecake Pie

If you love cheesecake and lemons, you will love this pie!

For The Captain and I, it is a keeper.  The filling was slightly tart, slightly sweet with a creamy texture and so delicious.  Topping with whipped cream before serving is like icing on a cake.  I would not have it any other way!

The recipe is adapted from the website Real Simple . . . the photo is from Real Simple.  It shows a pre-made crust, but I wanted a graham cracker crust to make it more like a cheesecake.  Great choice!

Ingredients:

• Graham Cracker Crust
• 2-8 oz bars cream cheese (softened)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 large eggs
• 1/3 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 tsp salt
• whipped cream

Directions:

Combine all ingredients until smooth and pour into crust.

Bake at 325 degrees 40 to 50 minutes (filling will be set, but a bit wobbly).

Before serving, top with a layer of whipped cream.

Sage Butter Macaroni and Four Cheese

This is comfort food at it's best!!

Better than plain mac 'n cheese is the decadence of four cheeses, sage and a delicious crunchy topping!!

One of my new favorite cooking shows is Ask Aida on The Cooking Channel . . . check it out sometime!  That is where I found this recipe.  The link to The Cooking Channel is listed after the recipe.

INGREDIENTS

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus extra for baking dish

4 ounces finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (about 1 cup)

1/4 cup unseasoned dry bread crumbs

1 pound macaroni

3 tablespoons thinly sliced sage

6 ounces shredded Gruyere cheese

4 ounces shredded aged Cheddar

4 ounces mascarpone cheese

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

Heat oven to broil and arrange rack in top. Butter a 9 by 9-inch baking dish and set aside. Melt 1 tablespoon of the remaining butter and mix in a medium bowl with 1 cup of the Parmigiano and all the bread crumbs until thoroughly moistened; set aside.

Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for half the time indicated on package.

Meanwhile, melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. When it starts to foam, add sage and cook until crisp and butter begins to turn golden brown. Remove from heat and set aside until pasta is ready. Reserve 1 cup pasta water and drain pasta.

Return pasta to pot and place over low heat. Stir in sage butter, reserved pasta water, remaining 3 cups Parmigiano, Gruyere, Cheddar, mascarpone, and salt, and season with freshly ground black pepper. Stir constantly until cheeses are evenly melted and the pasta looks well coated. 

Turn pasta into baking dish and evenly top with bread crumb mixture. Place under broiler until mixture bubbles and top is browned, about 1 to 2 minutes. Let sit 5 minutes before serving.

Source: The Cooking Channel

German Chocolate Cake

This is the most gorgeous German Chocolate Cake I've ever seen!

German Chocolate Cake is definitely in my top ten favorite cakes and I have made it often for a special occasion or a weekday treat.  

By all means, use your chocolate cake from scratch recipe if you like, but for convenience, I love the semi-homemade idea of using a cake mix for the cake.  

The frosting in this recipe is homemade and sounds yummy . . . you can make it easier on yourself if you want to use canned frosting, which I have found to be awesome.  But I think I will be making my own frosting just to test out the recipe!

In my opinion, the gorgeous presentation makes this recipe super special, as well as the awesomeness of a German Chocolate Cake, whether you make it homemade, semi-homemade or totally from a box mix and canned frosting.  When I use the canned frosting, I always buy two cans to make it extra special . . . don't forget the chocolate frosting for embellishing!

The photo and recipe source is Mr. Food, who never lets me down.

Ingredients

• 1 (18.25-ounce) package chocolate cake mix, prepared according to package directions
• 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
• 2 cups shredded coconut
• 3/4 cup canned chocolate frosting

Directions

1. Bake cake according to package directions for 2 (9-inch) round cake pans. Let cool.
2. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine sweetened condensed milk, butter, and vanilla. Cook about 5 minutes, or until thickened, stirring occasionally. Stir in pecans and coconut.
3. Place one cooled cake layer flat side down on a serving platter. Spread half the coconut mixture on top. Top with second cake layer and remaining coconut mixture.
4. In a small microwaveable bowl, microwave frosting 10 to 15 seconds, or until slightly thin. Drizzle over top and sides of cake. Store cake in refrigerator.

Source:  Mr. Food's website 

Chili's Copycat Cajun Chicken Pasta

Doesn't it look delicious?

I love the pairing of chicken and pasta for the economic

 value of a delicious meal.  Make this restaurant quality meal

 at home for a fraction of what you would spend for your

 family meal at Chili's.  

Add a salad and some good bread for the perfect meal!

Ingredients: 

• 2 chicken breasts, boneless skinless 
• 4 teaspoons cajun seasoning 
• 4 tablespoons butter or margarine 
• 3 cups heavy cream 
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning 
• 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon black pepper 
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder 
• 8 ounces penne pasta, cooked and drained 
• 2 roma tomatoes, diced 
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, fresh shredded, to taste 

Directions: 

Slightly moisten chicken with water. 

In a large resealable plastic bag, shake chicken and cajun seasoning until chicken is thoroughly coated. 

In large skillet, saute chicken in 2 tablespoons butter, over medium heat, turning whenever necessary. 

When chicken is about half-way done, grab a second skillet and combine heavy cream, 2 tablespoons butter, and remainder of seasonings over medium heat, stirring occasionally. 

When cream mixture begins to bubble, add the pasta and turn off heat. Stir well. 

When chicken is cooked through, place on cutting board and slice into strips. 

Spoon pasta and sauce onto large serving plates (2) and top with chicken, diced tomatoes, and Parmesan.

Photo Source
Recipe Source

Lemon Ricotta Crepes

This recipe will be a totally new experience for me . . .

I've never made crepes before!

The Captain and I are thrilled that our lemon and

lime trees are vigorously producing fruit!  I'm

especially excited about a new citrus tree putting

out fruit . . . the seeds came from some

delicious little lemons from a friend's yard.

You guessed it . . . I'm on the lookout for recipes

using lemons and limes!!

Ingredients

• 1 1/2  cups  whole milk
• 4  large eggs
• 1  cup  all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
• 3  tablespoons  unsalted butter, melted, plus more for the skillet
• 1/4  teaspoon  kosher salt
• 1/2  teaspoon  finely grated lemon zest plus 2 teaspoons lemon juice, plus 1 thinly sliced lemon
• 1/2  cup  plus 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1  cup  ricotta
• 1  tablespoon  honey, plus more for serving

Directions

1. In a blender, blend the milk, eggs, flour, butter, salt, lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon of the sugar until very foamy, about 1 minute. Transfer to the refrigerator and let rest, at least 30 minutes and up to 1 day.
2. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, boil 1/2 cup of water and the remaining ½ cup of sugar, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Add the lemon slices and simmer until tender and translucent, 5 to 7 minutes; let cool.
3. Wipe a medium nonstick skillet with butter and heat over medium heat. Add ¼ cup of the crepe batter and swirl the skillet so the batter completely covers the bottom of the pan. Cook until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Gently loosen the edge of the crepe with a spatula and, using your fingers, flip the crepe. Continue to cook until cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes more. Transfer to a plate. (Don’t be disappointed if the first crepe does not come out well; the batter makes enough for 13.) Repeat with the remaining batter.
4. In a small bowl, combine the lemon zest, ricotta, and honey. Dividing evenly, spread the ricotta mixture on the crepes (about 1 tablespoon each) and roll up. Serve topped with the lemon slices and drizzled with additional honey.

Source:  Real Simple
By Charlyne Mattox , April, 2012
Photo Credit: José Picayo

Nikki's Homemade Refried Beans

This recipe originated from Nikki's mom!  

We love refried beans and this recipe seems

 very easy to make . . . love crock pot cooking!

HOMEMADE REFRIED BEANS

**These proportions are assuming you have a large crock pot- 5 qt**

Put about 2 inches (about 3 cups) of dry pinto beans into crock-pot.   (Wash and rinse beans first)
Fill crock-pot nearly to the top with water

ADD:
5 chicken bouillon cubes
1 Tbsp. garlic salt
1/2 medium sweet onion (Don’t chop up onion, just put half of onion on beans)

Cook on high until beans are soft.  (stir occasionally during cooking process.  You may have to add more water as beans absorb water.)

Strain beans or pour off juice, saving the juice in a separate bowl.

Add  1/2 cup of butter and a small amount of juice that beans cooked in.

Use a hand blender to mash beans.

Add juice and blend to obtain desired consistency.  You want to leave beans a little runny as they will set up quite fast.

Check out Nikki's blog, Chef In Training for more awesome recipes!

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake

It doesn't get any easier than this . . . cost effective too!

Have you bought a pre-made cheesecake lately?  Expensive!

Can't wait to try this recipe :)

Ingredients

• 3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 3 eggs
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 (16.5-ounce) rolls refrigerator chocolate chip cookie dough
• 
  

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 
    
2. In a large bowl, beat together cream cheese, eggs, sugar, and vanilla extract until well mixed; set aside. 
    
3. Slice cookie dough rolls into 1/4-inch slices. Arrange slices from one roll on bottom of a greased 9- x 13-inch glass baking dish; press together so there are no holes in dough. Spoon cream cheese mixture evenly over dough; top with remaining slices of cookie dough. 
    
4. Bake 45 to 50 minutes, or until golden and center is slightly firm. 
    
5. Remove from oven, let cool, then refrigerate. Cut into slices when well chilled.
   
   
   
   

Photo and Recipe Source:  Mr. Food

Potato Salad Recipes

Potato salad is one of my favorite foods!

It is one of those meal items that can be varied in so many ways.

Usually, I just add mayo, lots of hard boiled eggs, dill and pickles.

It is how I've made it for years and years.  I love to sneak a little

bowl of it while it is still warm!  Yum!!

Sometimes you just need to vary things a bit, so I went to one

 of my favorite food websites and did a search of potato salad

 recipes.  Lots to choose from!  

My choice to feature is this "No Bake" Bake Potato Salad

 since baked potatoes are another favorite!  

The photo comes from Mr. Food's website.

Ingredients

• 8 medium potatoes (about 3 pounds), 
• scrubbed and cut into 1-inch chunks
• 
  
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 
  
• 1 (16-ounce) container sour cream
• 
  
• 1/4 cup real bacon bits
• 
  
• 4 scallions (green onions), thinly sliced
• 
  
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 
  
• 
  

Instructions

Place potatoes in a large pot and add enough water to cover them. 

Add salt and bring to a boil over high heat. 

Cook potatoes 10 to 15 minutes, or until fork-tender; 

drain well and allow to cool slightly.

In a large bowl, combine remaining ingredients; mix well. 

Add potatoes and mix until well combined.  

Serve warm, or cover and chill until ready to serve. 

Click here for lots of potato salad recipes
 from Mr. Food's website

Truck Stop Home Fries

In celebration of 75 years of Idaho Potatoes, 

the Famous Idaho Potato Truck will be touring the country!  

Click here to see where you can see this giant spud on wheels

One of my favorite foods is the potato and home fries is one of my
 favorite ways of preparing them since breakfast is my favorite meal. 
 I love the spin of adding bacon to the mix!

Ingredients

• 6 Idaho russet potatoes, thinly sliced
• 8 bacon slices
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 
  

Instructions 

1. Fill a large saucepan 3/4 full with water; add potatoes and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook 10 to 12 minutes, or until fork-tender; drain and set aside.
    
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook bacon until crispy. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate to drain, then crumble. Add onion to bacon fat and sauté 5 to 7 minutes, or until it starts to brown. Add potatoes, bacon, salt, and pepper; toss gently and cook 15 to 20 minutes, or until brown, stirring occasionally.

Source:  Mr. Food

Almond Crunch Granola

Since we have been searching for healthy snack substitutes that we will actually enjoy, I was thrilled to find this awesome recipe for granola.  

Description 

This granola is packed with good ingredients, well as vitamin E. It's also low in sodium. Eat a handful or sprinkle it on berries or yogurt.

Serves 

12

Notes, Tips & Suggestions 

*To toast almonds: Spread almonds in a single layer in shallow pan. Place in cold oven, toast at 350 ° F, 9-11 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly toasted. Cool on counter.

Source
Almond Board of California

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Ingredients

• 1 cup slivered almonds, toasted*
• 2 1/2 cups rolled oats (either old-fashioned or quick cooking)
• 1 cup flaked coconut
• 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/4 cup almond or vegetable oil

Preparation 

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Combine toasted almonds with oats, coconut and cinnamon.
2. Whisk honey with oil and drizzle over almond-oat mixture, tossing to mix well.
3. Bake 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from oven, loosen with spatula and cool.