Spaghetti Squash

Shhhhh!!!  Don't tell my kids this isn't pasta!  This is one of my favorite side dishes and my kids think it's pasta!  It is super easy and delicious!!!

Ingredients: 

1 small spaghetti squash (about 3-4 pounds)
2 tablespoons butter
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/4 cup finely minced parsley (or basil)
1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Pierce squash a few times with sharp paring knife (to let steam escape). Bake spaghetti squash for 60 minutes, or until a paring knife pierces easily through skin with little resistance. Let squash cool for 10 minutes.

2. Cut squash in half, lengthwise. Use a fork to remove and discard the seeds. Continue using fork to scrape the squash to get long, lovely strands. If the squash seem difficult to scrape, return the squash to bake for an additional 10 minutes.

3. Heat a large saute pan with the butter and the garlic over medium-low heat. When garlic becomes fragrant, add parsley, salt and spaghetti squash strands. Toss well, sprinkle in the parmesan cheese and taste to see if you need additional salt. The spaghetti squash should have a slight crunch (i.e. not mushy) - but if you like it softer, cover the pan and cook 2 more minutes.

Broccoli Salad

In honor of St. Patty's Day, I'm posting a green recipe :)  It is so easy to make and you will not be disappointed.  I make it all the time when going to dinner at a friends house or having friends over.  I get requests to make this all of the time!!

2-3 heads of fresh broccoli
1 red onion
1/2 lb bacon
1 cup cheddar cheese
3/4 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup craisens
1 cup mayo
1/2 cup white sugar
2 TBS white wine vinegar

Directions

1. Place bacon in a deep skillet and cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Cool and crumble.
2. Cut the broccoli into bite-size pieces and cut the onion into thin bite-size slices. Combine with the bacon, craisins, your favorite nuts and mix well.
3. To prepare the dressing, mix the mayonnaise, sugar and vinegar together until smooth. Stir into the salad, let chill and serve.

Jacked Up Baked Beans

Looking for a big dish to take to a party??  This is one of my favorite dishes!  It is oh so easy and frankly there is no other way to eat baked beans after you try this! 

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef
2 large cans of baked beans
1 small onion
1 bell pepper
1/2 bag of brown sugar
Small bottle of ketchup
4 TBS Worcestershire
2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
Bacon


Brown meat with onion and bell pepper.  Drain.  Add all other ingredients and mix well till cheese and sugar are melted.  Pour into a large baking dish and top with bacon.   Cook on 350 for 1 1/2 hours.  Enjoy the yumminess!

Roasted Asparagus and Grilled Tomatoes

Saturday night is our usual steak night. Ahhh..I love steak! I had a conference all day today so on the way back into town I stopped and picked up some fresh veggies. We grilled steak and I roasted some asparagus and baked some sweet potatoes. We had some tomatoes ready to eat from our garden so we stuck them on the grill. I sauteed some mushrooms to go with the steak. My husband said it was his favorite meal we've ever cooked. I have to say it was pretty amazing!

Roasted Asparagus:

Lay asparagus on a foil lined cookie sheet

Coat Asparagus in Olive oil

Sprinkle with salt, pepper and lemon juice

Bake on 350 for about 10-15 minutes

Grilled Tomatoes:

Cut ends off tomatoes where they will sit flat on the grill

Cut tomatoes in half, and once opened, drizzle tomatoes with Olive Oil,

sprinkle minced garlic on top and then top with mozzerella cheese

Cook for 5-10 minutes based on heat

Happy Cooking!

Fried Rice

We were on a shopping trip to Sam's the other day (which was an interesting adventure with 2 kids in tow). My husband and I decided to divide and conquer to get everything on my list in as short of time as possible. I was moseying around the meat section and my husband came up and said you have to try this General Tso's chicken that's in the frozen food section. You have to know my husband..he walks around tasting every free sample they hand out. Well, I went over and tasted it and it was AMAZING! So, I bought a box and said this would be a great "I don't want to cook night" dinner. Today, my hunny came home for lunch and said I want that General Tso's chicken tonight. This was music to my ears because I was not in the mood to cook today. My kids have not been angels today to say the least. So..I'm fixing to start cooking and i decided to make some Fried Rice to go with it. This is such a simple recipe and is yummy. Be careful not to put too much sesame oil in it cause it can overpower the dish.

INGREDIENTS
2 cups enriched white rice
4 cups water
2/3 cup chopped baby carrots
1/2 cup frozen green peas
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 eggs
soy sauce to taste
sesame oil, to taste (optional)

DIRECTIONS
In a saucepan, combine rice and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.
In a small saucepan, boil carrots in water about 3 to 5 minutes. Drop peas into boiling water, and drain.
Heat wok over high heat. Pour in oil, then stir in carrots and peas; cook about 30 seconds. Crack in eggs, stirring quickly to scramble eggs with vegetables. Stir in cooked rice. Shake in soy sauce, and toss rice to coat. Drizzle with sesame oil, and toss again.

Brown Rice and Sauteed Zucchini

Brown Rice is one of my all time favorite dishes!! The recipe comes from my mom and I make it ALL the time. I use it as a side when we grill something or with my pork tenderloin. Just throw it all together in a casserole dish put it in the oven and that's it!! Trust me..you'll LOVE it!

Brown Rice:

2 Cans Beef Consomme

1 Cup Long Grain White Rice

1 Stick of Butter

Sprinkle Onion Powder

Bake Covered on 325 for 45 minutes to an hour or till all liquid is gone.

The sauteed zuchinni is very easy and my kids even love it. I play around with how I cook it all the time and I think this is my favorite way.

Sauteed Zucchini

Melt butter in skillet. Throw in cut up Zucchini. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle in about 2 TBS of soy sauce and about 2 TSP dry sherry. Saute about 10 minutes on medium heat.

Happy Cooking!