pasta e'fagioli

ok , so i have not been very good at posting what's for dinner (or much else, really :)... i mean, i don't cook a ton, but it's more than this blog indicates...

this was new years' eve dinner:


Olive Garden Pasta E' Fagioli - Pasta And Bean Soup
Yield: 20 Servings
( Just cut the recipe in 1/2 for smaller family needs!)

Ingredients
2 TB olive Oil
2 lb Ground beef or turkey
12 oz Onion; chopped
14 oz Carrots; slivered (grated or chopped works fine)
14 oz Celery; diced
48 oz Diced, canned Tomatoes
1 can Red kidney beans
1 can White kidney beans
72 oz Beef stock
2 Tablespoons chopped garlic
2 teaspoon oregano
2 teaspoon basil
2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon thyme
1 1/2 tsp Tabasco sauce
1 jar of your favorite Spaghetti sauce
cooked Ditali macaroni (or other)
Parmesan or other cheese for topping

Instructions
Saute garlic, onions, carrots, celery and tomatoes in oil and simmer for about 10 minutes... set aside*.
Brown beef in large 10-qt. pot. Drain fat & add to pot*.
Drain beans and add to the pot* with veggies.
Add beef stock, herbs, pepper, Tabasco, spaghetti sauce & veggies.
Simmer until celery and carrots are tender, about 45 minutes*.
Add in pasta just before serving.

*or put in crock pot(s) on high for 2 hrs, then on low until you're ready to serve it. Be sure to add pasta just before serving!

shrimp new orleans

mom's recipe...


SHRIMP NEW ORLEANS

2lbs shrimp (in the shells... mom says it's more fun that way)
1 stick butter
1/2 small bottle Tabasco sauce
lots of garlic (like 8-10 cloves or so, chopped or pressed)
OOPS! i forgot the Worcestershire sauce! Wet it all with some Worcestershire sauce!!
french bread for dipping

1. spread out the shrimp on a broiler-safe pan
2. cut butter on top of shrimp
3. splash Tobasco all over the shrimp
4. press garlic all over the shrimp
5. broil until tops of shrimp are done (a few minutes)
6. flip shrimp over with a spatula
7. broil until done (no more grey -- all pink, but not too long!)

Sit around the table with close friends, stick the pan in the middle, peel & eat while dipping bread into the sauce. Have cardiac doc on call.

5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE

my mother-in-love just sent this to me.... thought it was blog-worthy! let me know if you try it!!


5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE

4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional) (NOT OPTIONAL IN MY BOOK!)
a small splash of vanilla extract
1 large coffee mug
Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well.
Add the egg and mix thoroughly.
Pour in the milk and oil and mix well.
Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla extract, and mix again.
Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts.
The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed!
Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired.
EAT! (this can serve 2 if you want to feel slightly more virtuous).

And why is this the most dangerous cake recipe in the world?
Because now we are all only 5 minutes away from chocolate cake at any time of the day or night!

french onion soup

here's a recipe similar to mine (i noted my changes)... it was YUMMY tonight!

French Onion Soup

Preparation time: About 1 hour.

6 large onions, peeled and thinly sliced.
Olive oil
Butter
1/4 teaspoon of sugar
2-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 T flour
8 cups of beef stock
1/2 cup of dry white wine (i used a dark beer... used guinness once, & it was GREAT!)
Salt and pepper
8 slices of toasted French bread (stale is fine!)
1 1/2 cups of grated Swiss Gruyere with a little grated Parmesan cheese (any white cheese you like is fine... i love swiss... mike likes provolone)
you can also season with a bay leaf and/or thyme

1 In a large saucepan, sauté the onions in the olive oil & butter on medium high heat until well browned, but not burned (i like to burn mine a bit, actually - don't stir too much), about 30 minutes. Add the sugar about 10 minutes into the process to help with the carmelization.
2 Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add the stock, wine (beer). Cover partially and simmer until the flavors are well blended, about 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix in the flour well.
3 To serve you can either use individual oven-proof soup bowls or one large casserole dish. Ladle the soup into the bowls or casserole dish. Cover with the toast and sprink with cheese. Put into the broiler for 10 minutes at 350 degrees F, or until the cheese bubbles and is slightly browned.(i didn't mess with the oven... it's hot here! ....just stuck the bread & cheese in the toaster oven until melted, put it in the bowl, then poured the soup over top)
Serve immediately.

Serves 4-6.

trying to be domestic

i have an unhealthy relationship with cooking.

don't like to do it, but i am trying to do it more... so to motivate myself & keep myself accountable, whenever i try a noteworthy recipe (i am super unmotivated by doing the same stuff over & over), i'm going to post it here...

tonight's recipe was basically trying to find something with what was in my pantry bc i never think ahead to shop... tuna cans, green beans, parmesan cheese... the result was a recipe i subbed the green beans in for white beans & the result was disappointingly healthy-tasting. i won't post that here....

on the other hand, the other night i tried something to used up refridgerated biscuits, baby carrots, & canned chicken... to which mike commented "file that one away for later!"... a winner...

here it is (with my changes in parentheses... i have a tough time doing as i am told):



Quick(er) Chicken Pot Pie
by the Editors of Easy Home Cooking Magazine
Yield: Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:
1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch cubes (i used canned chicken)
1 can (about 14 ounces) chicken broth
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 package (10 ounces) frozen mixed vegetables, thawed (i used cut up carrots & frozen green beans, then zapped them in the microwave)
1 can (about 4 ounces) button mushrooms, drained
1/4 teaspoon dried basil (i used herbs de provence instead of the herbs listed & added garlic)
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 cup biscuit baking mix (i used refrigerated biscuits all cut up)
6 tablespoons milk

Preparation:
1.Preheat oven to 450°F. Place chicken and broth in large skillet; cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium; simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes or until chicken is tender.
2.While chicken is cooking, mix flour and butter; set aside. Combine mixed vegetables, mushrooms, basil, oregano and thyme in greased 2-quart casserole.
3.Add flour mixture to chicken and broth in skillet; stir with wire whisk until smooth. Cook and stir until thickened. Add to vegetable mixture; mix well.
4.Blend biscuit mix and milk in medium bowl until smooth. Drop 4 scoops batter onto chicken mixture. (i just dropped the cut up biscuits on top)
5.Bake 18 to 20 minutes (about 10 minutes with the fridge biscuits) or until biscuits are browned and casserole is hot and bubbly.

(by the way, please feel free to email me any recipes you find or leave them on the comments so others can see them, too!)