Basil Pesto

Basil Pesto 

recipe and image from "Dang" Delicious

INGREDIENTS:

3/4 cup fresh basil leaves

2 cloves garlic, peeled

3 TBS pine nuts

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

salt and pepper to taste

1/3 cup olive oil

DIRECTIONS:

To make the pesto, combine basil, garlic, pine nuts and Parmesan in the bowl of a food processor; season with salt and pepper. With the motor running, add olive oil in a slow stream until emulsified, set aside. 

Pesto Pasta with Sun Dried Tomatoes and Roasted Asparagus

Pesto Pasta with Sun Dried Tomatoes and Roasted Asparagus
recipe and image from "Dang" Delicious

INGREDIENTS:

8 ounces medium shell pasta
1 pound asparagus, trimmed
2 TBS olive oil
salt and black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup basil pesto
1/3 cup julienned sun dried tomatoes, drained
1/3 cup diced mozzarella cubes

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 450.
2. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions, drain well.
3. Place asparagus in a single layer onto the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper, to taste. Gently toss to combine. Place into oven and roast for 8-12 minutes, or until tender but crisp. Let cool before cutting into 1 inch pieces.
4. In a large bowl, combine pasta, asparagus, pesto, sun dried tomatoes and mozzarella.

My mom made this for us and it was so delicious! We added thinly sliced grilled chicken and oh man, so delicious! This pasta makes 4 servings and we barely had enough because my two year old devoured it!! Yum, that fresh pesto!

Stuffed Pizza Bread

Stuffed Pizza Bread
recipe and image from Joyzz

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1 TBS Italian Seasonings
2 cans Pillsbury Grands Homestyle Biscuits
2 cups finely chopped pizza toppings (pepperoni, cooked sausage, green peppers, mushrooms, onions, whatever
1 cup marinara sauce
2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese

DIRECTIONS:
1. Grease a bundt pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together melted butter, garlic salt and Italian seasonings until combined. Set aside.
3. Remove biscuits from the cans. Take a raw biscuit, and cut a slit in the side. Use your fingers to open up the biscuit to form a "pocket" for the toppings.
4. Carefully tuck a pinch of cheese into the pocket of the biscuit, then add in a tsp or so of marinara, then add in some pinches of your pizza toppings, top with a final pinch of cheese, then use your fingers to pinch together the dough to seal in the pocket. Be sure it is well sealed.
5. Dunk the pocket in the butter mixture on both sides, then place in the bundt pan with the seam side up.
6. Repeat with remaining biscuits until they are filled and placed in the bundt pan side by side.
7. Pour any remaining biscuits until they are all filled and placed in, then bake for 30 minutes until the dough is cooked and lightly browned. Remove and let sit for 5 minutes.
8. Carefully turn the bundt pan on top of a plate and give it a slight jiggle to release the monkey bread. Then remove the pan and serve the monkey bread with a side of extra marinara sauce for dipping.

*Yum! I needed to add more cheese, sauce, and toppings into the pockets. It was a little too much bread! Other than that, yummy, fun alternative to pizza!

Balsamic Glazed Steak Rolls

Balsamic Glazed Steak Rolls

recipe and image from Picture this Recipe 

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2-2 pounds flank steak, or 8-10 sliced sirloin steak

salt and pepper

3 TBS Worcestershire sauce

any steak seasoning you like

1 TBS olive oil

For the Veggie filling:

1 carrot

1 bell pepper

1/2 zucchini

5-6 green onions

2 cloves of garlic

1 tsp Italian herb seasoning

For the balsamic glaze sauce:

2 tsp butter

2 TBS finely minced shallots

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

2 TBS brown sugar

1/4 cup beef broth

DIRECTIONS:

 -Start by prepping the steak. (I used skirt steak cos it’s what I had on hand, but in hind sight, I probably would have gone for a more leaner cut like flank steak or looked for thin sliced sirloin.) I trimmed as much fat as I could and cut the steak into 3 inch wide strips. I managed 8 strips and used the odd shapped ends to taste test my marinade and balsamic glaze. You can then tenderize the meat with a meat hammer (if you’re using sirloin it doesn’t need any tenderizing).
- Season the steak pieces generously on both sides with salt, pepper and worcestershire sauce. And let them sit in the marinade for atleast 30 mins if not a couple hours.
- While the steak is marinating you can prep the filling for them. Chop up the carrot, bell pepper and zucchini into matchstick size pieces, little longer than the width of the steak strips. I used a mandolin slicer to jet thin sliced and hand cut them to make matchsticks. I then cut the green onion in a similar size and sliced them in half length wise. For the garlic, simply peel and crush the cloves with the flat side of your knife, just enough to bruise them.
- Now for the sauce, melt the butter in a small sauce pan on medium heat.
- Add the finely chopped shallot and sautee it for a minute or 2 until they turn soft and transluscent.
- Add the balsamic vinegar, brown sugar and beef stock and stir to mix everything well.
- Allow the sauce to come to a boil and reduce to almost half its volume. You’ll notice it starts becoming thicker and have the consistency of syrup. The butter also starts separating and comes to the top. Turn the heat off and transfer the sauce to a bowl.
- In the same pan (no need to wash it) add a touch of olive oil and toss in the garlic cloves to allow them to flavor the oil for a few minutes.
- Turn the heat up to high and toss in the carrots, bell pepper and zucchini (there’s no need to cook the green onion) and stir fry the veggies for no longer than 2-3 minutes.
- Season them with the the itlalian herb seasoning and salt and transfer the veggies to a bowl.
- To assemble the steak rolls, simply take a strip of the marinated steak and lay it with the short side towards you. Place the veggies (dont forget the green onion!) in the middle and oll the beef up over the filling, securing it with toothpick. Repeat the same with the other rolls.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add a touch of oil swirling to coat bottom. When hot, add beef rolls, seam side down, not touching and pan fry for a couple minutes. Then turn roll and cook it on all sides in the same way. Cook until you’re desired done-ness. I cooked mine medium well and seasoned it with some mesquite seasoning for a touch of a smokey flavor.
- Remove the toothpick and serve with the balsamic glaze sauce spooned over the top of each roll.

*These steak rolls were something fun and different and delicious!

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

Chicken Enchilada Casserole
recipe and image from I Wash You Dry

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup sliced yellow onion
2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
2 cups red enchilada sauce; divided
1 cup black beans; drained and rinsed
1 cup pinto beans; drained and rinsed
1/4 cup freshly chopped cilantro
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp freshly ground pepper
2 avocados, pitted, peeled and sliced
6-8 corn tortillas
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup sliced black olives
sour cream (optional)
diced tomatoes (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Turn a large, dry, non-stick skillet to medium high heat and add sliced onions. Let onions cook till they turn a golden brown color; stirring occasionally. Remove from skillet and set aside.
3. In the same skillet add the shredded chicken, 1 1/2 cups enchilada sauce, black beans, pinto beans, and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper. Let simmer over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally for 3-5 minutes.
4. In a 8"x8" casserole dish tear up 3-4 of the corn tortillas into 1" pieces, and layer them on the bottom of the dish. Spoon half of the chicken filling on top of the torn tortilla pieces.
5. Layer the caramelized onions on top of the chicken filling, then lay the avocado slices on top of the onions. Spoon the remaining chicken filling over the avocados.
6. Tear up the remaining 3-4 corn tortillas to make a top layer over the chicken filling. Drizzle the remaining 1/2 cup of enchilada sauce evenly over the top layer.
7. Spread out the shredded cheddar cheese on top of the casserole and then sprinkle on the sliced black olives.
8. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool slightly before slicing.
9. Serve with sour cream and diced tomatoes. Enjoy!

*I love casserole dishes so while it's cooking you can actually clean up the kitchen a little! :) This was so yummy! We loved it. I really loved the avocados and it served with sour cream and tomatoes. 

Crockpot Brown Sugar Balsamic Glazed Pork Tenderloin

Crockpot Brown Sugar Balsamic Glazed Pork Tenderloin

recipe and image from Laura's Sweet Spot

Ingredients
2 pounds Pork tenderloin
1 teaspoon Ground sage
½ teaspoon Salt
¼ teaspoon Pepper
1 clove Garlic; crushed
½ cup Water
½ cup Brown sugar
1 tablespoon Cornstarch
¼ cup Balsamic Vinegar
½ cup Water
2 tablespoons Soy sauce

Instructions

1. Mix together the seasonings: sage, salt, pepper and garlic.
2. Rub over tenderloin. Place ½ cup water in slow cooker; place tenderloin in slow cooker.
3. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
4. hour before the roast is finished, mix together the ingredients for the glaze in a small sauce pan: brown sugar, cornstarch, balsamic vinegar, water, soy sauce.
5. Heat over medium and stir until mixture thickens, about 4 minutes.
6. Brush roast with glaze 2 or 3 times during the last hour of cooking. (For a more caramelized crust: remove from crockpot and place on aluminum lined sheet pan, glaze, and set under broiler for 1-2 minutes until bubbly and caramelized. Repeat 2 to 3 more times until desired crust is achieved.)
7. Serve with remaining glaze on the side.

*This pork tenderloin was amazing!!!! Joe LOVED it! And he is pretty partial to his smoked pork but he loved the glaze on this. Yum!! I think we served the pork with mashed potatoes. 

Creamy Chicken Picasso

Creamy Chicken Picasso
recipe and image from Kayotic Kitchen

INGREDIENTS:
4 chicken breasts
2 medium onions
3 bell peppers- red, yellow, green
2 large garlic cloves
14oz can diced tomatoes (pomodori)
1 vegetable bouillon cube
grated cheese (melting cheese)
1 tbsp Italian herbs
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup cream
2 tbsp oil
1 tbsp butter
pinch nutmeg
pepper
salt

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 
1. Cut bell peppers into rings. Cut onions in half circles. Mince garlic.
2. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. 
3. Combine 1 1/2 TBS oil with 1 TBS butter in pan. Lightly brown the chicken and transfer to baking dish.
4. Add the onions to the skillet and cook until translucent. Transfer to baking dish.
5. Add the peppers to the skillet and cook until slightly pliable and transfer to baking dish. 
6. Add the grated garlic to the skillet and cook for 30 seconds before pouring in the water and diced tomatoes. Stir well.
7. Add the Italian herbs. Crumble up the vegetable bouillon cube and season with pepper, salt and a pinch of nutmeg.
8. Pour in half cup of cream. Stir to combine. 
9. Simmer the sauce, over low heat, for 5 minutes. Pour it all over the chicken and vegetables. Cover the tray with aluminum foil.
10. Place dish in over at bake for 30 minutes. 
11. Once those 30 minutes are up, grate some good melting cheese. Sprinkle it all over the chicken and place it back in the oven, uncovered, for another 15 minutes. Until the cheese has melted.

Serve it with spaghetti and/or crusty bread. 

*Yummy and full of vegetables! This dish was really yummy served over thin spaghetti. We really enjoyed this!