Shrimp Linguine

We were in the mood for something different, so I searched the cookbooks for something I'd never made before. I came across Shrimp Linguine in one of my Pampered Chef cookbooks. It has a lot of ingredients, but the mix is really quite delicious!

Ingredients:
3/4 pound uncooked shell-on medium shrimp (about 20-30), peeled, de veined and tails removed. Frozen shrimp can be substituted for the fresh shrimp, if desired. Simply thaw the shrimp and proceed as recipe directs.
3/4 cup coarsely chopped carrots (2 medium)
2 large plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
1/4 cup sliced green onions with tops
1/3 cup (1 1/2 oz) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
8 ounces uncooked linguine
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, pressed
3/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1/2 cup fat-free evaporated milk
1/4 cup snipped fresh basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
Additional grated fresh Parmesan cheese (optional)

Instructions:

1. Peel and devein shrimp; remove tails. Coarsely chop carrots using food chopper. Dice tomatoes and slice green onions using chefs knife. Grate Parmesan cheese using deluxe cheese grater.
2. Cook pasta according to package directions in professional (4 qt) casserole; drain. Return pasta to casserole; cover and keep warm.
3. Meanwhile, heat oil in large (10 inch) saute' pan. Add shrimp, carrots and garlic pressed with garlic press. Cook and stir over medium heat 3-4 minutes or just until shrimp turns pink; remove from skillet and keep warm.
4. Gently heat sour cream and evaporated milk in same skillet over low heat whisking with nylon spiral whisk. (Do not boil). Stir in Parmesan cheese. Add shrimp mixture, tomatoes, green onions, basil, salt and black pepper; mix gently. Pour shrimp and vegetable mixture over pasta; toss gently to coat. Serve with additional Parmesan cheese, if desired.

I wouldn't say this is my favorite meal, but if you are in the mood for pasta and shrimp it will definitely do the trick! Although both Carl and I agree that the next time I make it, I'm going to try a spicy chicken instead of shrimp!

Quick Kielbasa & Kraut

So tonight had to be quick and simple. I was just planning on having leftovers, but Carl was actually able to stay home longer than expected before leaving for work...so that meant another new meal. This isn't very exciting, but the thing I like about it is that the ingredients will stay good in your pantry/fridge for a long time. So it's a good meal to having "laying around."

Ingredients:
1 package of Polish Kielbasa
1 small can of sauerkraut
1 tsp of chili powder

Instructions:
Slice the kielbasa to 1/4 inch thick pieces and fry in a pan until they start to darken up. (I personally like it more on the burned side, but obviously, however you like it is how you should cook it) Drain about half of the grease and then add the contents of the sauerkraut can and top with the chili powder. Cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes. You'll know its done because the sauerkraut will start to have a cararmel brown color. I served this with my quick loaded baked potatoes (poke holes in the potato and stick in the microwave for 7ish minutes= perfection). If you serve it alone, it will feed about 2 people, give it a side dish and serve more like 4.

My notes: I've decided that sauerkraut is my beer. It's an acquired taste, but after trying it a few times I fell in love. I'm not sure which I like more, the smell or the taste. BUT if you don't like it...clearly you are not going to like this meal. If you do...yum!

Mom's Mac & Cheese

Growing up, my favorite meal my mom used to make was Macaroni & Cheese. I'm not talking Kraft- although I've never been one to turn down anything that includes cheese! This is homemade, real cheese, real butter stick to your thighs Mac & Cheese. I get cravings for it all the time, and am sure to make the full recipe so I can have it for lunch days later! YUM!

Ingredients:
1 stick of butter
3 cups of milk
3 tbsp of flour
1/2 cup of bread crumbs
1 pound of cooked elbow macaroni (or your favorite noodle for cheese)
1 large chunk of sharp cheddar (cubed)
1 medium chunk of swiss (cubed)

Instructions:
Melt the stick of butter and milk and add the flour to make a paste. Then add the cheese and stir. Add more milk or flour to get the consistency you like. Pour the cheese over the cooked macaroni in a casserole pan. Top it with the bread crumbs and bake for 45 minutes at 375. Then enjoy! This will easily feed an entire family- but trust me, make the whole recipe. You'll want more later!

My notes: I have none- this recipe in my mind is perfect. I don't mess with my mom's perfection :)

I'm a Meat and Potatoes Kind of Girl

Through and through, I will take a good red meat and potato over just about anything else I'm offered. So when I realized I had all day today to make dinner, I opened my slow cooker cook book and landed on "Spicy Beef Roast." I chose mashed potatoes and asparagus as the side dishes and it turned out really well.

The Spicy Beef Roast really wasn't spicy but it definitely had a LOT of flavor. It calls for a 3lb roast, but I bought a 4lb roast, cut it in half, food saved one part and cooked the other. It made enough for 4 people. So the saying is true, about 1/2 lb per person.

Ingredients:
3 lb round tip roast
1 tbs cracked black peppercorns
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbs Balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tbs Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp dry mustard

Instructions:
Rub the cracked pepper and garlic into the roast. Place the roast in the Crock Pot and make several shallow slits in the top of the roast. In a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients and pour over the meat. Cover, cook low for 8-10 hours or high for 4-5.

My notes: Like I said, I used a 2 lb roast, but still followed the sauce instructions. 3 hours on high was plenty of time. I also turned the roast about every hour. Then when it was done, I added about half a cup of flour to the leftover sauce and it made a very flavorful gravy for the mashed potatoes and put more juice into the meat. I steamed the asparagus for 11 minutes (perfect) and used my handy Kitchen Aid for the mashed potatoes. Overall, the meal gets a 10!

Welcome!

Ah yes, I'm joining the food blog world. I've decided to do it for two reasons: 1. The wedding is over and so I can really focus on what I make for dinner instead of that pesky wedding to do list. 2. I have a HORRIBLE memory and can barely remember what we ate last night, much less last week. So hopefully this will remind me how much I liked certain recipes...or maybe not so much.

I am no chef. I love my cooking tools, but that doesn't mean I am good with them. So I will try to give fair warning on any and all of my meals if they aren't exactly superb. And lastly, I grew up as the baby in a family of 8. Even when I was the last one there, my mom was still making enough food for 8. I have inherited this trait. But I am a huge fan of leftovers as lunch, so it works for me. Don't worry though, I will tell you how many people my meals feed, so you can always cut down on the proportions. Enjoy and happy cooking!