Southwest Pasta Bake

Since I started my blog I have become very comfortable with experimenting. Well, tonight I threw this together myself and it turned out really good. I am Italian and I love to cook Italian. My husband LOVES LOVES Mexican. Tonight I put them together and it was awesome.It is a wonderful feeling when you throw ingredients together and the meal turns out so well. Thank you for visiting. Enjoy.

One more thing, I used a Southwest Chicken Sausage. It has tomatoes, spices, Cheddar cheese, and black beans in this sausage. It is the best sausage EVER. I get it at Petty's in Longwood, FL. The butcher makes it fresh every Saturday morning. I go...Especially for this sausage. You can use it for tacos, pizzas, queso's, soups or even pasta. My husband and I throw them on the grill and then throw them in hot dog buns. I top them with cheese, my homemade salsa (below), guac., and onions. SO GOOD....Anyway, that is what I used in this recipe.

2 TB Vegetable oil

4 links of Southwest Chicken Sausage

1 Red onion, Cut in half then slice thin

1 15 oz. can fire roasted tomatoes

2 1/2 TB lime juice

1 15 oz can black beans

2 ears of corn

1 cp. cilantro

1 lb. of elbow mac.

2 cps. Monterrey jack cheese

1. I heated a pan with the vegetable oil. Add the links and the sausage. When the sausage is brown and the onions are tender add the tomatoes and lime juice. Cook for a few minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients.

2 Heat oven on 350

3. Boil pasta.

4. Toss the pasta with the sausage mixture. Put in a 9x13 pan. Top with cheese. Cook for 20-30 minutes. When the cheese is brown and bubbly.

Angel Food Cake

12 egg whites

1cp flour

1 1/3 cp. powdered sugar

2 tsp. vanilla

1 1/2 tsp. cream tartar

1 cp. sugar

1. Beat whites until frothy. Add the cream tartar and vanilla.

2. Sift the powdered sugar and flour together while the eggs are beating on high.

3. Once the eggs formed high peaks add sugar one TB at a time. Turn off mixer when the sugar is dissolved and there is peaks.

4. Fold in the flour and powdered sugar mixture 1/2 cp. at a time until well mixed.

5. Put in greased tub pan. Run a butter knife through the batter to get all the air bubbles out.

6. Bake on 350 for 45 50 minutes. When the cakes springs back when you press on the top.

Berry and Strawberry topping:

1 cp. blueberries

3cps. strawberries

4 TB sugar

3 tsp. corn starch

1. Add all in a saucepan on medium heat. Cook until sauce is thick. I put it in the fridge when it was done. My husband likes the sauce cool.

Put on top of the angel food cake with a scoop of icecream!!! Yummy!!!

Chicken and Triple Onion Soup

My husbands favorite soup is french onion. I decided to try something a little different. It turned out really good. Today, it totally hit the spot for the rainy and dreary day in

Chicken and Triple Onion Soup

1/2 stick of butter

2 Leeks

2 Large Sweet Onions

4-6 Large Shallots

4 garlic cloves

4 Lg. Chicken Breast Shredded

6-8 cps of HOMEMADE stock (It makes a difference)

2 TB fresh Thyme

2 TB fresh Basil

salt and pepper

Bread

Provolone cheese

1. Melt butter ,Then add the onions and garlic. Let it carmalize. Cook low with the lid on until turns a light brown.

2. Add the broth and fresh herbs, salt and pepper. Simmer until ready to eat.

3. Top the soup with a slice of baguette and provolone cheese. Broil this on high until the cheese is brown and bubble. Remove the soup from the oven and it is ready to eat. Serve with more crusty bread.

Guiness Corned Beef

My Guinness Corned Beef

1 head of cabbage, shredded

6 TB butter

2 Guinness beers

1 cp. brown sugar

1/2 cp. white vinegar

1. Rub the corned beef with brown sugar. Put in a greased 11x13 pan and put the cabbage around the corned beef. Add the two beers.

Top with the butter.

2. Cook on 250 for 5-6 hours. When it falls easily off with fork.

3. When the food is done....Drain the cabbage and toss in the vinegar with salt and pepper. YUMMY.

Roasted Veggies

5-8 carrots, skinned

5-8 red potatoes, quartered

2 leeks

4 TB fresh rosemary

4 TB fresh thyme

4 TB butter

2 TB olive oil

1. Toss the veggies in olive oil

2. Put the veggies in a greased 9x13 pan. Top with the fresh herbs and butter. Bake for 2-3 hours (when soft) on 300.

My Simple Marinara

2 TB olive oil
1 sweet onion
3 garlic cloves minced (not the jar stuff, minced yourself)
28oz. fire roasted tomatoes
4 TB fresh basil
3 TB fresh oregano
1 TB fresh rosemary
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. pepper



1. Added the olive oil. Then added the onion and garlic on med heat until soft. Then added sauce and the rest of the ingredients. I cooked on low (simmering) all day. (6 hrs)

Pecan Shortbread Cookies for Dad

My dad loves shortbread and Pecans. I found this recipe on http://www.joyofbaking.com/shortbreads/PecanShortbreads.html .

I followed the recipe, but I added my own touch. I dipped into melted chocolate!!!!! Yummy!!!

Pecan Shortbread Cookies

Pecan Shortbread's:
1 cup pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped
1 cup butter, room temperature
2/3 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

1 bag of good semi sweet chocolate

1. I toasted the pecans. 350 for 8 minutes

2. I creamed the butter sugar and vanilla together.

3. Added the flour and salt.

4. Folded in the pecans

5. I then formed it into two logs and then put it in the fridge for a couple hours

6. I cut them about 1/2 inch thick and put on a greased baking sheet. Baked for 15 minutes on 350

7. Melted a bag of good semisweet chocolate in the microwave for 30 seconds, stirred, then another thirty seconds. Only 30 seconds at a time until smooth. I then dipped the cookie in the chocolate.

Granola for Mom

My mom and dad are flying to see me and kiddos tomorrow. I can't wait! My mom is very healthy conscience after being sick a little over a year in a half ago. So...today I made a few special items for her and my father. My mom is the one who gave me the passion of motherhood and cooking. Why not return the favor? This recipe is adapted from Giada's from the Food Network. I added a lot of different things.

Enjoy!

Cranberry Granola

1/2 cp. pine nuts

1/2 cp. sunflower seeds

1 cp. Almonds

3 cps oats

1/2 cp of blueberry syrup (you can use regular maple, but it adds a lot of flavor)

1cp. cranberry juice

3/4 cp. of brown sugar

1 cp. cranberries, dried

1. I toasted the nuts in the oven for 8 minutes on 350. I then chopped the almonds and threw it all in a big bowl. I then added the oats.

2. In a saucepan I added the syrup, juice and sugar and only cooked long enough for the sugar to dissolve.

3. I threw the sauce in the big bowl full of nuts and oats. Stir.

4. Added everything onto baking sheet and baked for 30 -40 minutes.

5. Removed and added cranberries. Let cool.

Spring into Spring with this Incredible Spring Roll

WOW! These turned out amazing. Refreshing.

Spring Roll

3 chicken breast ( I grilled) julienned

1/2 cp. carrots julienned

1/2 cp. cucumber julienned

1/2 cp rice vermicelli
4-10 rice sheets. It depends on the size of the spring roll.
1/4 cp fresh cilantro
1/2 cp shredded lettuce
2 TB fresh mint
(I only use fresh herbs)
1. After all the prep. (following directions on rice vermicelli, cutting vegs and herbs, and cutting chicken) then you dip the rice paper into water. Let soak 5 sec and remove. Put on a plate add a little of each ingredient and roll. (To roll: I recommend this site www.youtube.com/watch?v=uw-7pYq7wSc )
That is it! Super simple, but a lot of prep work. I loved this. I made a few extra for my hubby and I for a snack tomorrow. This is so healthy and yummy.

HINT: I cheated and threw the veggies in the shredder of my food processor. But it was quick and still tasted GREAT.

The dipping Sauce:

4 TB soy sauce
4 TB rice wine vinegar
2 tsp. fish sauce
2 tsp. sesame oil
4 tsp. brown sugar
2 tsp. hot sauce
2 TB cilantro

1. Whisk everything together for the sauce.