Angel Shrimp Pasta

Excellent recipe I found online.  If you like a shrimp and mushrooms in an ‘alfredo-like’ sauce, you’ll love this one.

ingredients

1/2 cup margarine
1 onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1 (10.75 oz) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
8 oz package of Philadelphia Cream Cheese with Onion and Chives
1 pound fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 pound angel hair pasta

preparation

1. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt margarine and saute onions and mushrooms; add soup and processed cheese and blend together.
2. Add shrimp and cook for about 10 minutes
3. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil.  Add pasta and cook for 5 to 7 minutes or until al dentel; drain.
4. Pour sauce over pasta and serve.

serving size

Serves 5 people

Turkey Stew

A twist on our typical zuchini, squash, asparagus recipe.  A very protein packed, quick dinner that is warm & hearty.

ingredients 

1 pound of ground turkey
2-3 carrots chopped
1 can kidney beans, drained
1 can vegetable soup
season salt
celery seed

preparation

1. Brown turkey meat in wok w. olive oil
2. Add carrots, zuchini & kidney beans & a 1/3 cup of water…cook for 12-15 minutes on medium heat
3. Add vegetable soup and seasonings…cook on low to medium for additional 12-15 minutes

serving size

4 servings

Chicken Napoleon

Chicken with ‘attitude’.  Dee and I collected this recipe from our cooking class in Cincinnati.  To make it even more ‘special’ include the Marsala Wine & Blue Cheese Sauce recipes found under my ‘Sauce’ section.  A very tasty twist on traditional chicken.

ingredients 

1 – 5 oz chicken breast
1 slice provolone cheese
1/2 roasted red pepper
1 slice proscuitto ham
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup orzo pasta, cooked
1/2 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 cup sliced white mushrooms
1/2 cup spinach julienne
1/4 cup diced tomatoes
1/4 cup white wine
1 tablespoon herb butter
2 oz marsala wine sauce (see my ‘Sauce’ section for this recipe)
1 oz. blue cheese cream sauce  (see my ‘Sauce’ section for this recipe)
1 oz. parmesan cheese
Salt & pepper to taste

preparation

1. In a saute pan on medium heat, add 1 tablespoon olive oil
2. Season chicken with salt & pepper and quickly sear on both sides
3. Drain off excess oil
4. Place proscuitto, roasted pepper slice and provolone cheese on top of one side and heat in 350 degree oven until cook through (about 5 minutes)
5. While chicken is in oven, make the vegetable orzo.
6. Heat a saute pan on medium heat.
7. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and minced garlic, cook 1 minute, add the mushrooms & cook 2 minutes.
8. Add the orzo, spinach, tomato and white wine, cook 1 minute
9. Add the herb butter and permesan.
10. Season with salt & pepper
11. Spoon orzo in the middle of plate, place chicken on top, laddle sauce around. Drizzle with blue cheese cream.

serving size

The ingredients cover enough for 1 - 5 oz chicken breast.  Pick up additional ingredients to cover each additional 5 oz breast.

Crabcakes

Ah, when you get the craving for Old Bay seasoning…it can only mean one thing, CRABCAKES!  This is another excellent recipe Dee and I collected from our cooking class in Cincinnati.  This is great for appetizers or the main course.  One word of caution….when you are getting ready to test the heat of the oil prior to putting the crabcakes in, BE CAREFUL…i used an old trick of testing with a bit of water to hear it ‘sizzle’ and ended up covering half the stove and myself with hot oil.  Yep, there’s a first for everything.

ingredients 

CRABCAKE
1 lb jumbo lump crabmeat
1 rib celery, finely diced
1 tablespoon onion, finely diced
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon whole celery seed
1 egg
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 dash tobasco
1/4 cup bread crumbs (can substitute w. Panco — if you’re feeling gourmet)
Vegetable oil for cooking 
Old Bay Seasoning to taste

DIJON AILOI
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup dijon mustard
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 tablespoon minced chives
Half & half to thin
(Mix all ingredients together in a bowl very well)

preparation

1. Combine all ingredients except for the crab & bread crumbs in a bowl & mix well
2. Fold in the crab & the bread crumbs — don’t over fold as you want to keep some of the ‘lump’ in the crab
3. Form into 2 to 3 oz cakes (using an ice cream scoop is a good tool) by rolling into a bowl and flattening
4. Using a saute pan, heat oil until hot and brown cakes on both sides & heat until hot in the middle

Serve with the Dijon Aioli sauce on the side

serving size

12 cakes (main course/ice cream scoop size); 20 cakes (appetizer size), 24-30 (hor d’oeuvres)

Baked Rigate with Cheese

We received this recipe from my cousin Angela at our wedding shower in 2006.  This one is a keeper for anyone who loves Italian food.  Toss a nice green salad, toast a loaf of garlic bread and grab a semi-dry red wine…it’s Italy without the travel.  Ciao!

ingredients 

3 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic
1 can tomato, whole
1 can tomato, crushed
Basil
1 lb rigate
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
Nutmeg, generous grating
2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup asiago Cheese
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
1 cup mozzarella, sliced  

preparation

1. Boil pasta
2. Heat oil & garlic; add tomatoes & simmer 10 minutes, add basil
3. Melt butter over medium heat, whisk in flour, salt, pepper & nutmeg to flour.
4. Add milk & bring sauce to a bubble – simmer 5 minutes
5. Pour tomato sauce over pasta
6. Pour the bechamel (flour sauce) over already cooked pasta
7. Cover top with asiago, parm & mozzarella
8. Place in broiler 3 minutes until cheese is bubbly 

serving size

1 batch

Chicken Paprika

We received this recipe from Deanna’s mother Marge at our wedding shower in 2006.  Marge made this dish quite often when Deanna & her siblings were growing up.  Very moist chicken dish…don’t take out the noodles, these are what make it a ‘comfort’ meal.

ingredients 

1 onion, chopped
4 tbsp shortening
1 tbsp paprika
1 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp salt
1/2 cup water
1/2 pt sour cream
4 lb chicken, disjointed
1 lb wide egg noodles, or substitute dumplings

preparation

1. Brown the onion in shortening.
2. Add seasoning & chicken; brown 10 minutes
3. Add water
4. Cover & let simmer slowly until chicken is tender
5. Remove chicken add sour cream to drippings in pan & mix well.
6. Add dumplings or noodles to drippings
7. Arrange chicken on top of noodles and heat through.
8. Chicken can be served on-top of noodles or separate from noodles

For more ‘gravy’, add 1/2 pt sweet cream to sour cream

serving size

6 persons

Gourmet Chicken

Deanna & I received this recipe from my Mom at our wedding shower in 2006.   We have tried this dish a number of times and the water chestnuts definitely make this one addictive. 

ingredients 

3 cups chicken breast, chopped & precooked
1 package Uncle Ben’s Long Grain & Wild Rice Mix
1 cup mayonnaise
1 can celery soup
1 can water chestnuts, sliced
1 onion, chopped
1 can green beans, french style

preparation

1. Cook rice mix according to box.
2. Mix cooked chicken in with rice mix.
3. In separate bowl, combine soup & mayo & microwave for 30 seconds
4. Whisk well together & fold rice-chicken mixture into soup & mayo mix.
5. Add drained water chestnuts and fold in drained green beans
6. Bake at 350 degrees.

 serving size

4 persons