Main Dishes

Andrea’s Tuscan Casserole

This is a recipe that I posted back on Facebook in October 2009. It was created because I couldn’t figure out what to make that night and just put together what I found in the refrigerator. It was so good and filling and the leftovers were just as good of course! The ingredients aren’t written in stone so please omit what you don’t want or add something you think fits better! So sit down with a nice glass of wine and relax and pretend you are in Tuscany.

Andrea's Tuscan Casserole


Ingredients:
1- 10-12 oz boneless, skinless chicken breast, sliced thin into strips or bite size pieces
6-8 oz. uncooked large shrimp, peeled and deveined, and cut into pieces
8 oz. approx. frozen, thawed spinach (doesn’t have to be drained)
1 medium sweet onion chopped
6-8 cloves garlic chopped (I like garlic so if it’s too much for you add less)
2 large scallions, chopped (green and white parts)
1 small tomato, chopped
1- 8oz. package Shirataki Tofu Noodles (follow prep instructions on package/found in Produce organic section) or you can use your own cooked noodles.
2 TBS or so light or regular sour cream
1 wedge Italian Herb Laughing Cow Cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
– Heat oven to 350 degrees.
– In a large saucepan heat oil and sauté onions till translucent, maybe about 5 minutes or so. Add garlic and scallions and sauté about 2 minutes.
– Add chicken and cook till no longer pink.
– Add spinach and mix thoroughly.
– Add shrimp and tomato, stirring till all mixed.
– Add Laughing Cow cheese and sour cream, mix well. Let cook a couple more minutes.
– Add noodles, mixing well. Let cook about 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
– Add half of the mozzarella cheese till mixed in and starting to melt. Pour into casserole dish, round or whatever you have.
– Sprinkle rest of mozzarella cheese on top of mixture and place in oven till mixture starts to bubble and cheese melts and browns a bit. About 15 minutes.

Bloody Mary Chicken

This is another recipe courtesy of Anna at The Spice and Tea Exchange in Stuart, Florida. Anna has raved about this recipe ever since I met her and I am finally going to try it tonight.  I will post a picture of it as well as how it tastes either tonight or tomorrow. It seems like a very easy recipe and can be served with rice, pasta or a vegetable.

Bloody Mary Chicken

INGREDIENTS:

Bloody Mary Mix Seasoning Packet

Tomato Juice

4 large boneless chicken breasts (or any other chicken part you like)

olive oil


DIRECTIONS:

1. Place chicken pieces in a Ziploc bag. Pour tomato juice over the chicken to cover.

2. Sprinkle Bloody Mary mix into the bag with chicken and tomato juice until it looks like a Bloody Mary. Marinate 1 hour or longer, even all day.

3. Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Remove chicken pieces from the bag and sauté until brown.

4. Once the chicken pieces are browned on both sides, add the tomato juice mixture to the skillet. Lower heat to medium and cook for 20 minutes.

**If you cannot get a hold of a Bloody Mary Seasoning packet you can always substitute a pre-made bloody mary mix for the seasoning and tomato juice.

Bloody Mary Chicken w/Jasmine Brown Rice and Green Beans

9:45pm:

The verdict is in! We love the Bloody Mary Chicken! It was so moist and zesty and spicy, but not too spicy! I had jasmine brown rice and green beans as sides. John put a little sour cream on top of his which was good as well. BUT, of course I did change the recipe slightly. I had real bloody mary mix leftover from the weekend and I used that to marinate the chicken and topped it off with V-8. Still delicious! I will make it again. It was easy, quick and good for you!

Leaner, Meaner Shrimp Scampi

One of my all time favorite shrimp dishes is Shrimp Scampi. I love the butter, the oil, the garlic and of course, the shrimp! I am actually going to make this recipe tonight. I found it today in my email from Hungry Girl. Who is Hungry Girl? I am sure some of you have heard of her lately or seen her on TV. She’s on Rachael Ray quite a bit as well as all the talk shows. She shows us a healthier way to eat all of our favorite dishes. I have to say that I use quite a lot of her recipes and love them all. I have all her cookbooks, there are three. One of the newest ingredients for me that she uses as a noodle/pasta substitute is “House Food Tofu Shirataki Noodle Substitute”. I  can hear some of you groaning…Tofu?? Yes, tofu. It’s not a horrible thing. Really!! When you prepare these noodles with sauces they are delicious. No they do not taste like real pasta, but they are still fantastic. Loaded with soy protein and fiber! GOOD!!! They come in pouches covered in water in the organic section of the produce department. I buy them all the time and use in casseroles, for fettuccine alfredo and a ton of other dishes. Today’s recipe calls for the Fettuccine style noodles. They come in spaghetti style and angel hair style as well. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE my regular pasta but living with a carbophobe makes me nuts so I have to make substitutions.

(Check http://www.house-foods.com/Tofu/tofu_shirataki.aspx for recipes and information) So tonight’s recipe is courtesy of Hungry Girl Lisa Lillien. I will take a picture and post it afterwards but for now I am including a picture of hers.

One more thing on this recipe that I really like. The shrimp calls for the tails removed! Hooray! This is one of my pet peeves. Why must the tails be left on with almost all shrimp dishes? Besides that it looks nice? Really? Is that the only reason?  I hate having to make a mess attempting to remove these tails while I am eating. Especially in a restaurant! Come on, cook without the tails! You’re not going to eat them anyway so why leave them on? Okay I feel better now!

INGREDIENTS:

1 small lemon

2 packages House Foods Tofu Shirataki Fettuccine Shaped Noodle Substitute

¼ cup chopped onion

1 teaspoon chopped garlic (I will add more garlic as we are LOVE garlic)

8 oz. raw shrimp, peeled, tails removed, deveined

1 plum tomato, chopped

1 tablespoons light whipped butter or light buttery spread (I use I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter w/Olive Oil)

2 teaspoons grated Parmesan cheese

Optional: Salt, pepper, crushed red pepper, chopped parsley, fresh basil

DIRECTIONS:

1. Cut lemon in half, and squeeze the juice from one half into a small dish; remove any seeds, and set aside. Cut the other half into wedges, and set those aside as well.

2. Use a strainer to rinse and drain shirataki noodles well. Pat dry. In a microwave-safe bowl, microwave for 1 minute. Drain excess liquid. Dry as thoroughly as possible, using paper towels. Cut noodles up a bit, using kitchen shears if you have them. Set aside. (The noodles are very long so this is why you need to cut them up a little)

3. Bring a skillet sprayed with non-stick spray (butter flavored if you have it) to medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and cook until softened, 2-3 minutes.

4. Add shrimp and tomato. Stirring occasionally, cook until shrimp are opaque, about 2 minutes. Add lemon juice and continue to cook and stir for 1 minute.

5. Raise heat to medium high, add shirataki noodles, and mix well. Continue to cook for 1-2 minutes, until entire dish is hot and shrimp cooked through. Add butter and stir.

6. Plate (or bowl) your scampi and top each serving with 1 teaspoon Parmesan topping. Garnish with lemon wedges and, if you like, season to taste with optional ingredients. Enjoy!

Makes 2 servings

Serving Size: ½ of recipe (about 1¾ cups)

POINTS® value: 5 (for all you WW fans)

Black & Red Chili

I love chili. Even on a hot Florida evening I love chili. It is so simple to make and tastes even better the next day! I call mine red and black because I use red kidney beans and black beans. Lots of fiber and protein! Sometimes I like to add some brown rice to mine or even ditalini pasta.This recipe usually makes a big batch and will serve 4-6. It also freezes well so when you are searching the freezer or fridge for something to cook when you don’t have time, just defrost and heat! I think this recipe is pretty spicy too but of course my husband thinks otherwise!  Enjoy it with a cold beer or even a nice glass of wine! I make this at least once a month because it’s so good.

Black & Red Chili

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound ground beef, crumbled (your choice)

1 medium onion, chopped (I use Vidalia)

3-4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can Rotel tomatoes (your choice)

1 can (15 oz.) diced tomatoes (fire-roasted are my choice)

¼ cup Basic Chili Seasoning (See past posting)

sour cream

shredded cheddar cheese

olive oil

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large saucepan heat about 3 tablespoons of olive oil and sauté the onions until soft. Add the garlic and sauté a few minutes more.

2. Add the ground beef and cook till there’s no pink left, stirring well.

3. Add the drained beans and mix well. Heat through a few minutes.

4. Add the tomatoes and heat through. Add the chili seasoning and stir well.

5. Bring mixture to a boil, stir and lower heat to simmer. Cover. Simmer for about 30 minutes or more and stir occasionally.

6. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and shredded cheddar cheese.

Basic Meat Filling

This is the basic meat filling to use with the stuffed plantains. It can also be used with stuffed peppers, stuffed cabbage etc. The recipe calls for ground beef but you can also add ground sausage to the mix if you wish.

Ripe Plantain

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound lean ground beef (or ground pork)

3 chili peppers, finely chopped and seeded (any type of pepper you want is fine)

1 green pepper, finely chopped and seeded

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon wine vinegar

6 green olives stuffed with pimentos

1 teaspoon capers

1 tablespoon vegetable or olive oil

hot sauce to taste

Stuffed Pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a heavy pot, add 1 tablespoon oil and saute chili peppers, onion, green pepper and garlic for 10 minutes.

2. Add oregano, salt, vinegar and ground beef. Stir over high heat until meat loses its red color.

3. Turn heat to low. Add olives, capers and hot sauce. Mix and cook 30 minutes for beef or 1 hour for pork.

4. Let cool slightly so it won’t be too hot to handle when stuffing the plantains or other item.

Stuffed Cabbage

Mom & Grandma’s Stuffed Plantains

Stuffed plantains are one of my favorite recipes from when I was growing up. I haven’t made it in quite a while but maybe I will soon! My mother and grandmother used to make this quite often for us. It is a little involved but tastes so good it’s worth the trouble! They are filled with a delicious meat filling but you can also substitute shredded cheddar cheese for the meat filling.

INGREDIENTS:

6 whole ripe plantains, unpeeled and halved

2 quarts water

1½ tablespoons salt

4 tablespoons butter

½ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons cornstarch

Basic Meat Filling (recipe to follow in separate post)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Bring the water and 1½ tablespoons salt to a boil. Add plantains, cover and boil rapidly for 20 minutes. Drain, peel and mash together with the butter, ½ teaspoon salt and cornstarch. Allow to cool slightly.

2. Coat hands with cornstarch. Spread some of the plantain mixture on a flat surface (cutting board) and make a nest in the center. Stuff center with filling. Cover with plantain mixture and form into balls or mounds. Repeat to make 16 stuffings.

3. Fry in large pan until golden. Remove and drain on paper towels. Serve with rice.

Serves 8

Spicy Garlic Barbecued Pork Ribs

Who doesn’t love barbecued ribs? Nobody that I know of! But when it comes to barbecuing them everyone tends to shy away because they “take so long”! No they don’t! Not how I do them anyway! For my recipe you do have to think ahead and marinate them overnight for the best results. You can also marinate them a few hours ahead of time, but overnight is best. I’ve searched and searched and watched and watched all the ways to have great barbecued ribs. The one recipe I found to be the best so far was from Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa. I tweaked her recipe to make it more Genua! These are also made to be cooked on a grill with charcoal. I’m sure they’ll be fine with a gas grill but we have charcoal. I also use either pork loin ribs or St. Louis Style ribs as we love to have meaty ribs! Don’t be scared by the amount of ingredients either. It’s not so bad. I am the first one to skip making a recipe because of the amount of ingredients! Remember it’s all for the marinade/sauce!

Spicy Garlic Barbecued Pork Ribs

INGREDIENTS:

3 racks of pork loin ribs or St. Louis Style ribs (6-8 lbs)

1/3 cup vegetable or olive oil

1 small red onion, diced (about 1 cup)

6 cloves garlic, minced (you can add less if too much garlic for you)

1 tablespoon chili powder (you can add less if too spicy)

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (you can add less if too spicy)

1 teaspoon lime zest

1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger (or you can use 1 tsp powder)

1/3 cup cider vinegar

½ cup tomato paste

½ cup honey

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce

¼ cup orange juice

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat the vegetable or olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Saute the onions and garlic for 5-7 minutes, until the onions are translucent but not browned.

2. Add the chili powder, ground cumin and red pepper flakes and continue to cook for 1 minute. Add the zest and ginger and cook for an extra minute.

3. Add the vinegar, tomato paste, honey, mustard, soy sauce and orange juice and simmer uncovered on low heat for 15 minutes, until thick. Stirring occasionally.

4. Marinate the ribs in 2/3 of the sauce for a few hours or overnight in the refrigerator.

5. When you are ready to grill prepare the grill with a single layer of hot coals and then add a few more coals 5 minutes before cooking, which will keep the fire going longer. Place the ribs on the grill and cook for about 25-30 minutes, turning once or twice to cook evenly on both sides. Brush with marinade as needed.

6. Check the ribs after 30 minutes. If they are still not ready (thicker ribs may take longer) just cook for another 5-10 minutes. Check to make sure they are to your liking. EAT!!

Juicy Soy & Garlic Infused Pork Chops

Yes there is such a thing as juicy pork chops. If you cook them the right way that is! My recipe is simple and takes only about 12 minutes to cook. I marinate them in the ingredients listed below a few hours or more before cooking. The longer the better. I make these quite a lot especially since I can get them at such a great price at BJ’s Wholesale Club. Using boneless pork loin chops also makes them juicier as they have a little fat on them.

Soy & Garlic Infused Pork Chops w/Cold Peanut Sesame Noodles

INGREDIENTS:

4 boneless pork loin chops (I usually get the ones that are about 1½-2 inches thick)

garlic powder

soy sauce (I use the light version)

paprika

DIRECTIONS:

1. Place pork chops in a container with a lid so they can be put in fridge to marinate. Poke  the pork chops with fork several times on both sides. This is so the soy sauce is infused better into the chops.

2. Sprinkle the pork chops liberally with the garlic powder and paprika on both sides.

3. Shake the soy sauce onto both sides of the pork chops until they are well coated and you have soy sauce in the bottom of container. Make sure they are all well coated.

4. Put in refrigerator for 2 hours or more. You can turn them once if you like to make sure the soy sauce gets all over.

5. Spray a broiling pan with cooking spray. Place pork chops on broiling pan and broil on high about 4 inches from the heat. Broil for 6 minutes and turn. Broil for another 6 minutes. Check the chops to make sure they are cooked through. You can use a meat thermometer also. I usually just cut them in the middle a little. If they need more cooking just cook for another minute. You don’t want to over cook!

Mom & Grandma’s Arroz Con Pollo

Mom and me at 4 months (May 1962)

My mother and grandmother used to make this recipe quite a bit for us when we were growing up. Nothing I tried in restaurants ever compared to their cooking! It has been years since I’ve had this or even attempted to make it myself. It’s a Puerto Rican recipe and always brings me back to those days growing up. We had all kinds of different ethnic dishes in our house. Our mom wanted us to be well-rounded when it came to food. Maybe that’s why I’m obsessed with food!

Grandma with me (23 months) and Billy (11 months) Christmas 1963


INGREDIENTS:

1 teaspoon oregano

1 tablespoon salt

2 peppercorns

1 teaspoon vinegar

1 onion, chopped

1 green pepper, diced

1 teaspoon capers

1 cup uncooked rice

1-2 packets Sazon

1 garlic clove, minced

2 teaspoons olive oil

2 ½- 3 lb. chicken pieces

¼ cup butter

6 pitted green olives, chopped

1 tomato, peeled and chopped

½ cup tomato sauce

1 can green peas

2 tablespoons achiote for color (Sofrito)

slivered pimentos (from a jar)


DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine oregano, peppercorns, garlic, salt, oil and vinegar. Crush together. Rub mixture over chicken.

2. Brown chicken pieces in butter in large skillet.

3. Add onion, green pepper, olives, capers, achiote, sazon, tomato  and tomato sauce to chicken in skillet. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

4. Drain peas, reserving liquid.  Add enough water to liquid to make 2 ½ cups.

5. Add the water to skillet and bring to a boil. Sprinkle in rice. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

6. Add peas. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Garnish with pimento strips.

Meatloaf in the Round

One of the all time favorite comfort foods, meatloaf. I could make meatloaf every night for John and he’d be so happy! But after a while the same old loaf gets boring. So to change things up a bit I have made them in muffin tins or as today’s title says, “in the round”.  All I do is take a round casserole dish and invert a small bowl in the center and put the meatloaf mixture all around the small bowl. Ta da! Meatloaf in the round! Still tastes exactly the same just in a different shape! The muffin tin is great too because you get little mini meatloaf muffins, though the pan is a pain to clean so I don’t do that too often!

Meatloaf in the Round

Meatloaf in the Round

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound ground beef of choice

1 cup bread crumbs of choice (I like Italian Panko)

2 eggs

1 small onion or half of a large onion chopped

3 cloves garlic chopped

½ cup parmesan cheese of choice

¼ cup milk of choice

2 tablespoons dried parsley

1 tablespoon dried basil

Meatloaf Ingredients

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

few dashes Tabasco hot sauce, optional

tomato sauce or tomato paste for topping (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Place all ingredients in a large bowl and mix till everything is evenly mixed in. Don’t over mix though.

Meatloaf Ingredients in Bowl

Meatloaf Ingredients in Bowl

2. Place small bowl upside down in center of round casserole dish. Place meatloaf mixture evenly around small bowl in casserole.

3. Bake at 350º for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and spread tomato sauce or tomato paste over top of meatloaf if you wish.

4. Return meatloaf to oven and continue to bake for 15 more minutes.

5. Let sit 5 minutes before serving so it can set up a bit.

6. Enjoy!

After 30 minutes at 350 degrees

Meatloaf after cutting

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