Pesto Pasta with Grilled Chicken Recipe

By Woman's Day Kitchen from Woman's Day; May 5, 2009 | May 5, 2009
* Active Time: 8 minutes
* Total Time: 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 lb cavatappi or other pasta
12 oz chicken breast cutlets
Olive oil cooking spray
1⁄4 tsp each salt and pepper
1 tub (6 to 7 oz) cilantro or basil pesto
1 cup jarred roasted peppers (preferably red and yellow), drained, cut in strips
1 cup halved grape tomatoes

PREPARATION

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook as package directs, reserving about 1 cup of cooking water before draining.

2. Meanwhile, heat stovetop grill pan. Coat chicken with cooking spray and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill chicken 4 to 5 minutes, turning once, until cooked through.

3. Cut chicken into strips. Add to drained pasta along with pesto, peppers, tomatoes and about 1⁄2 cup pasta cooking water (or more if desired). Toss to mix and coat.

Creamy Nobake Strawberry Cheesecakes

Need I say more! YUMMY! This recipe comes from Jonna at Get off your Butt and Bake.
I made these for dessert and they were scrumptious! I will totally be making these more!

Dark Chocolate Truffle Cake

The cake that is supposed to fall! It was so yummy! I got this recipe from Paula Deen's Chocolate celebration magazine! Paula, Chocolate, what isn't to LOVE!

What you will need:
9 inch spring form pan
Parchment paper
6 large eggs
8 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
4 oz. dark chocolate
2 sticks of butter
1 1/4 cups sugar


You'll need a 9-inch springform pan. It has a latch on the side that helps you release the cake. Because there's no turning this one upside down to get it out.

Place some parchment paper on the bottom so it hangs over. Close the latch to hold the paper in place and secure the sides. You'll also want to spray the paper with some non-stick cooking spray just to be safe.

After your pan is ready, preheat your oven to 325 degrees.

Separate 6 large eggs. Yolks in one bowl and egg whites in another. Set aside.

You'll also need 8 oz. semi-sweet chocolate and 4 oz. dark chocolate. Break it up in a large bowl and add 2 sticks of butter (thank you Paula!). Melt in the microwave at 30 second intervals, stirring in between until completely melted and smooth.

Whisk in 1 1/4 cups sugar until combined.

Then add the six egg yolks to the chocolate and sugar mixture, one at a time, whisking after each addition.

Now, in a medium bowl, beat the six egg whites on high with an electric mixer. Beat it for several minutes until stiff peaks form.

Then, gently fold your egg white mixture into the melted chocolate mixture until combined. Pour it in your pan and bake for 1 hour at 325 degrees.

It will rise pretty high in the oven, but when you take it out to cool, it will fall. And fall hard. Yay!

Let it cool one hour on the counter and then for at least four hours in the refrigerator before you release it from the springform pan.

Sprinkle top with a little powdered sugar! And enjoy! It is truly yummy and glorious!

Beans

If you like beans or want to start using them, vegetablewithmore.com is a great website.

My Favorite Sugar Cookie Recipe (from Allrecipes.com)

INGREDIENTS

* 5 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 tablespoon baking powder
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 cup shortening
* 2 cups white sugar
* 3 eggs
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 2 cups sour cream

DIRECTIONS

1. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside. In a large bowl, cream together the shortening and sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time then stir in the vanilla and sour cream. Gradually mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended. Cover or wrap dough and chill overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/4 inch in thickness. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters. Place cookies 1 1/2 inches apart onto cookie sheets.
3. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven, until edges are lightly browned. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Chocolate Crepes

This recipe makes a ton, so consider having a party if you make them.

1 box (19.5 oz.) Brownie Mix
1 cup of Flour
3 Eggs, beaten
1 ½ cups of Milk
½ cup of Vegetable Oil

1.In large bowl, stir together brownie mix, flour, eggs, milk and oil until smooth.
2. Spray 10-inch skillet with nonstick cooking spray; heat over medium heat. Pour about 1/4 cup batter onto center of skillet. Immediately rotate skillet until thin layer of batter covers bottom. Cook over medium heat about 1 minute, turning once, until top appears slightly dry.

Topping Ideas: Fresh fruit, ice cream, cool whip, caramel, fudge, roasted coconut, pecans, walnuts, etc.

Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

We have decided to start making our own spaghetti sauce after watching a segment on the Today Show. Here is the recipe from the show. We are playing around with it to see what we like. So far we have found that it tastes better the next day. I will follow-up when I get our version figured out.

1/4 cup olive oil
1 large onion or 2 medium onions, chopped
About 4 pounds canned whole tomatoes (two 28- or 35-ounce cans),chopped, liquid reserved
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley or basil leaves (optional)

Put the olive oil in a pot over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the onions, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 3 minutes. Then add the tomatoes.

Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes break down and the mixture comes together and thickens a bit, 10 to 15 minutes. For a thinner sauce, add some or all of the reserved liquid and cook for another 5 to 10 minutes; if you want a thick sauce, save it for another use. Taste, adjust the seasonings, stir in the herbs, and keep warm. (Or let cool, cover, and refrigerate for up to several days; reheat gently before serving.)

TIPS

Note: You can buy pre-chopped tomatoes, or just chop them in the cans by swirling a knife through them. See the first variation for fresh sauce.

Rosemary Chicken with Zucchini (Make-Ahead Meal from Simple Magazine)

1 lb. New Potatoes
2 Carrots
2 Small Zucchini
Olive Oil
Whole-Grain Mustard
1 Bunch of Rosemary or Dried Rosemary
Salt and Pepper
4 6oz. Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
4 1-Quart Resealable Bags

Quarter the potatoes. Peel the carrots. Cut the carrots and zucchini into 2-inch sticks. Mix them in a bowl with 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons mustard, 1 tablespoon rosemary, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Season chicken with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Divide everything among 4 bags. Freeze, until ready to cook, for up to 3 months.

Heat oven to 400F. Remove bags from the freezer (you'll need 1 bag for each serving). Empty the contents of the bags into a baking dish. Roast for 25 minutes. Toss the vegetables, turn the chicken, and continue roasting until the chicken is cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes more. Divide among individual plates.
Makes 4 servings.

Philly Cheesecake Brownies

These are so yummy! I found them on this blog www.fromtheheartofmykitchen.blogspot.com

Ingredients:

1 pkg of brownie mix (I used the basic Betty Crocker mix.)
1 pkg (8 oz.) Philadelphia cream cheese
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:
1. Prepare brownie mix as directed on package. Pour into greased 13 x 9 in baking pan.
2. Beat cream cheese with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add sugar, mixing until well blended. Ad egg and vanilla and also mix until well blended.
3. Pour cream cheese mixture over brownie mixture; cut through batter with knife several times for marbled effect.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes or until cream cheese mixture is lightly browned.

Cool and cut into squares. Makes 24.

Garlic Fries

If you haven't noticed I am a fan of garlic! This recipe is from Cooking Light magazine. I like to go to the library and check out old cooking magazines. I try everything I think sounds good and then give it back.

4 teaspoons canola oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 pounds peeled baking potatoes, cut into 1/4-inch-thick strips
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons butter
8 garlic cloves, minced (about 5 teaspoons)
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400°.
Combine first 3 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag, tossing to coat. Arrange potatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 50 minutes or until potatoes are tender and golden brown, turning after 20 minutes.
Place butter and garlic in a large nonstick skillet, and cook over low heat 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add potatoes, parsley, and Parmesan cheese to pan; toss to coat. Serve immediately.
Makes 6 servings.

White Chocolate Chip Chocolate Cookies (Nestle)

This recipe is from a bag of Nestle White Chocolate Chips and its YUMMY!

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup Cocoa
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1/4 tsp. Salt
1 cup Butter (2 sticks), softened
3/4 cup Granulated Sugar
2/3 cup Packed Brown Sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
2 Large Eggs
2 cups (12 oz. pkg.) Nestle Toll House White Morsels

Preheat oven to 350F.
Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat Butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels. Drop by well-rounded teaspoon onto ungreased baking sheets.
Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until centers are set. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wirer acks to cool completely.
Makes about 5 dozen cookies.

Chicken and Creamy Garlic Sauce

I absolutely love this recipe and it is so simple!

1 teaspoon Olive Oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 jar (1 pound) RAGU Cheesy! Roasted Garlic Parmesan Sauce
1 Small Tomato, chopped
8 ounces Rotelle Pasta, cooked and drained
Crumbled Bacon and Chopped Fresh Basil (optional)

In 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat and lightly brown the chicken. Stir in RAGU sauce and tomato. Simmer covered, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly cooked. To serve, spoon chicken and sauce over hot pasta. Garnish, if desired, with crisp-cooked crumbled bacon and chopped fresh basil.
Makes 4 servings.

Welcome!

My Dad has become quite the baker and wants to share. Welcome Dad!

Organic!

We always hear how expensive cooking with organic foods. I have always tried to cook healthy and organic for my family... There are some things I still like to get organic, however I don't do all organic. If you are interested here is a good article.

Oatmeal Cake

This is my Grandpa's favorite cake...
What you need:

1 ½ C Boiling Water
1 C Rolled Oats
½ C Shortening
1 C Brown Sugar
1 C Sugar
2 Eggs-Well Beaten
1 ½ C Flour
1 Teaspoon Cinnamon
½ Teaspoon Nutmeg
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
½ Teaspoon Salt

Preheat Oven 350 Degrees
Pour boiling water over oats and let stand until cool. Cream shortening with sugars and eggs until fluffy. Add oats and water mixture. Sift flour with other dry ingredients and blend into mixture. Pour into a greased and lightly floured 13x9x2 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes or until cake tests done. Spread topping on baked cake as soon as it comes out of the oven.

Topping for Oatmeal Cake

½ C Butter or Margarine
1 C Brown Sugar
1/3 C Evaporated Milk
1 C Coconut
1 C Nuts-Chopped
1 Teaspoon Vanilla

Melt butter and add sugar. Blend. Add remaining ingredients and spread on baked hot cake. Place under broiler for a minute or two, if desired to lightly brown.
~Bonnie

Easy Taco Soup

What you need:
ground beef
2 cans pinto beans
2 cans black beans
2 cans kidney beans
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 or 2 cans corn
2 packages of taco seasoning
2 packages of ranch dressing mix

Brwon the ground beef and drain. Then mix in the beans, tomatoes, corn and the seasoning packets. If cooking in a crock pot, cook for 4 on high or 6-8 on low. I like to serve with corn chips or tortilla chips, cheese, guacamole, sour cream or any other desired toppings.

Biscuits and Gravy anyone!

What you need:
Breakfast Sausage
Flour
Milk
Salt
Pepper
Biscuits-Canned or Homemade

Slice the breakfast sausage and place in a warm pan. Cook the sausage according to the package instructions. Remove them to a paper towel to drain.
Place your biscuits in the oven to cook according to instructions for canned or homemade biscuits.
Pour grease out of the skillet you used for the sausage, adding back in only what you want to use to make the gravy. For one to two people, use about 2 to 3 tablespoons or grease. Over low to medium-low heat, add about 2 tablespoons of flour to the grease and whisk immediately. If you add a little to much flour and the mixture seems to dry, add in a little more grease so it is smooth and storable. You want to find a good balance between the flour and the grease.
Once you find it, just keep stirring with the whisk and allow the mixture to brown for a few minutes. As you whisk, scrape in anything from the bottom of the pan.
After 2-3 minutes, whisking constantly, pour in about a cup of milk. If the mixture is dry, lumpy or pasty, add in more milk - again, drawing a balanced mixture. Add salt to taste. Let the gravy warm up over low heat, stirring occasionally. Cut prepared biscuits in half and pour gravy on top of them
~Bonnie

Baked Cinnamon Apples

A warm, sweet baked apple dish is the perfect ending to any meal. This recipe helps keep it light.

What you need
4 baking apples (I use golden delicious)
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
4 teaspoons margarine
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1. Remove core from apples and place upright in baking dish.
2. Place two tablespoons brown sugar, 1 teaspoon margarine and 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon in the center of each apple.
3. Pour water into baking dish to 1/4 inch depth.
4. Bake at 375° F for 30-40 minutes, or until tender.


NUTRITION INFO
(per serving) serving size is one apple
Calories: 223.5
Fat: 4.3 g
Carbohydrates: 49.2 g
Protein: 0.2 g
This is delicious recipes is Thanks to Babyfit.com
~Bonnie

Italian Chicken and Vegetable Soup (by Paula Deen)

2 tbl. Olive Oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces (about 1 3/4 pounds)
1 small onion, chopped
1 cup sliced carrots (about 3 small)
2 1/2 cups sliced zucchini (about 2 medium)
2 (14.5 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano
2 (14.5 ounce) cans of chicken broth
Grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add onion and carrot, and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in zucchini, diced tomatoes, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Top each serving with grated Parmesan, if desired.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

We added some pasta to it at the end. Yum!