Broccoli Aglio E Olio

 Pasta with healthy broccoli was one of the Friday staples when I was growing up.  Raised Roman Catholic during our Lenten season we abstained from eating any meat on Friday's so Mom would make the below dish along with others on Friday's.  You can make it any day of the week but on Friday's it was either pasta with broccoli, homemade Italian mac and cheese with stewed tomatoes, tuna fish in pasta sauce, grilled cheese.  It our home there were many meatless dishes that I will share along the way.  Have a great day!

Family Favorites from my kitchen to yours,

Pasta with Garlic and Oil:(Aglio E Olio)

Italian for 'garlic and oil,' pertaining to pasta dressed with garlic and heated olive oil.

 You can make this recipe with cauliflower too! I have also used different shapes pasta too..Shells are excellent as well. or better yet try any type pasta you may have in your pantry!  Enjoy!  A nice veggie meal!  



When there are days I just don't know what to make for some reason pasta always tops the list..Everything seems  to go with pasta..Pasta and red sauce, pasta and roasted vegetables, Alfredo pasta, seafood and pasta, buttered pasta the list can go on and on.. So today I am making a favorite of ours,  Broccoli and pasta with olio. .I have eaten this before lots of times and I have brought it with me as a side for picnics and get together. Family and friends agree Broccoli is a nice add in to pasta and olio( Olive oil and garlic) you can't help but love. Enjoy!!!  Happy Cooking!!

Note:  You can make this dish minus the broccoli.  Saute garlic, oil slowly with parsley in olive oil..Cook pasta, drain and mix together.  Garnish with Italian cheese of choice!

1 large head broccoli or broccoli crowns ( cut in pieces)
3 garlic cloves minced
1/4 to 1/2 cup olive oil
2 T butter optional
salt and pepper to taste
grated Pecorino Romano cheese

Cook cleaned broccoli in lightly salted water. Drain.

In the pot that your cooked your broccoli place 1/4 to 1/2 cup olive oil and butter. Once butter is melted and oil is warm, Place drained broccoli in pot add minced garlic and simmer..Take pot off stove add and some salt and black pepper if necessary to taste.

Cook 1/2 to 3/4 lb. pasta of choice according to directions.  Before draining, reserve 1/2 pasta liquid..Add pasta, grated Pecorino Romano cheese and reserved pasta water..Stir..add a little more cheese and serve..  Bon Appetite! Note:  I have eaten it right from the refrigerator..so cold is good for me too!

Happy Cooking from my kitchen to yours,

7/5/12
8/30/12 
8/29/13 
11/7/14
6/8/16

Chicken Broccoli Alfredo

No fuss no muss just good home cooking to enjoy.

When we went to the beach this summer this is one of the meals we made.  It was very easy and everyone enjoyed it. A few of our grandchildren are food fussy but this meal was eaten by everyone with great enjoyment.

When I made this meal I used 2 +lb. farfalle pasta and doubled the cream and reserved water.

1 bunch broccoli florets, cut into bite-size pieces

1 boned, skinned chicken breast half (14 oz.), cubed 

8 ounces Farfalle

3/4 to 1 cup heavy whipping cream

About 1/2 cup freshly shredded parmesan or romano cheese

  Salt and pepper

Note: I doubled the above recipe for the cream sauce because we like lots of sauce as to not have the pasta become dry.

 

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook broccoli.

***There are two methods for cooking chicken.  Either cook chicken in water until it is no longer pink or saute chicken in several tablespoons olive oil and a little butter and set aside.  You decide.

Cook broccoli until tender and bright green, 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a colander, leaving water in pot.  Either Add chicken to pot; cook until opaque, 2 to 4 minutes or lightly saute chicken in olive oil and a little butter until slightly browned.  Cut chicken in bite size pieces as well as broccoli.

2. If using boil top method for chicken use the same pot and  boil pasta until just tender to the bite, about 10 minutes. **Reserve 1/2 to 1 cup pasta water; drain pasta.

3. In the same pot simmer cream, reserved 1/2 cup water, and 1/2 cup parmesan over medium heat, stirring often. Add broccoli, chicken, and pasta, stirring to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with additional  salad on the side.

We sauteed the chicken in olive oil and butter

Mixed salad

From my kitchen to yours,

7/10/14

12/1/14

Jumbo Coconut Macaroons

I prefer large coconut macaroons because I love coconut. lol

I have several recipes for macaroons but this is my favorite.

I love jumbo macaroons and my idea to make them was when hubby and I were at the Pittsburgh Market district and I had one from one of the bakeries in the strip area.  They were huge, sweet and so tender I rushed home and tried and succeeded in making some great macaroons but~~~~somehow my recipe as well as the blog post went bye bye so today I'm trying to make these from memory hoping they'll be spot on Delicious. 


Note:  I found these coconut Macaroons to be delicious.  Mine were a bit lighter and not quite as sweet and I added 1/2 tsp. almond extract and 1 tsp. vanilla extract opting for a slight almond flavor. Also you might like to drizzle a little chocolate on top.  If so melt 1/2 bag semi sweet chocolate morsels and drizzle over the macaroons.  Yummy!

***I used an ice cream scooper to get the size I was looking for and they turned out perfect!

EASY PEASY COCONUT MACAROONS

5 1/4 cups coconut flakes
1 (14 ounce) sweetened condensed milk
2/3 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. almond extract
melted chocolate (optional for dipping)


Preheat the oven to degrees (350F). Line a cookie sheet with non-stick baking paper or parchment paper.


Mix the flour and coconut together in a bowl with a large spoon. Add in the condensed milk,vanilla and almond extract and stir together until well blended.


Scoop by (I use an ice cream scooper) but you can make them any size you like. I moisten my hands, shape the macaroons into round balls or use the ice cream scooper if you want larger ones before dropping them onto the baking sheet. 


Bake for 12-15 minutes until top is golden brown.  Immediately remove from baking sheets. Cool completely before dipping in melted chocolate if desired. Enjoy!

Note:  If you are making larger macaroons you may have to leave them in the oven a little longer but be careful as not to burn them.  You should be able to see brown, golden but slightly firm on the outside appearance.

Enjoy!

12/6/14

3/9/16

Crockpot sweet and spicy chicken

Summer is going so quickly.  Well that's how I feel anyway.  We took several road trips that were short drives that made no overnights necessary other than my monthly visit to mom. I considered it a really fun and relaxing time.

 A few movies, shopping excursions and dinner with friends too made it perfect.  It was really a hot one and I'm not one to complain so let's leave it at that.  My flowers were perfect!

I'm feeling the lazy days for sure.  I've been doing this blog for over five years and I'm getting a little frustrated with the amount of people who seem interested enough to visit my page.

I put loads of effort trying to please most everyone.  I do realize it's impossible to please all of the people all of the time lol but I sure try.

This week I started cleaning up my freezer and refrigerator and making meals with what I have.  Sometimes it's a real challenge to come up with something that is easy, delicious and that both hubby and I enjoy.

 I think you'll like this one.  We did. Only 4 ingredients makes it even better.  No salt, pepper or spices other than a little soy sauce and optional sesame seeds were needed because the sauce was plenty flavorful.   I used pineapple habanero sauce because I was feeling sweet and slightly spicy but not overly spicy so that's why I added the chicken broth to cool it down a bit. 

A perfect meal for those who enjoy crockpot eating.

2+ lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into large pieces

2 cups pineapple habanero sauce

1 can chicken broth 

1 tsp. Soy sauce 

Sesame seeds (optional)

 IN a medium bowl place sauce, broth and soy sauce. Stir to blend

Cut chicken in large pieces. Place in crockpot . Pour sauce over chicken and Cook on low 5 to 6 hours. Serve over rice.

Note: to thicken sauce mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch with a few tablespoons of sauce and stir or whisk well so all lumps are blended.  Add to remainder of sauce and chicken in the crockpot.




From my kitchen to yours,

8/11/16
9/30/16

Baked Sausage and Peppers

If you are looking for a really good holiday recipe that involves your oven or your grill you have come to the right place.  I either make sausage in the oven or on the grill.  Since you can't predict the weather sometimes it's best to play it safe with some baked yummy sausage, peppers and onions....YUMMY!

A family favorite any time of the year is baked sausage and peppers.  I grew up eating either my mom's homemade sausage or Uncle John's.  Uncle John  had a fresh meat market when hubby and I were growing up.

I met Uncle John when hubby and I were first dating; a perky, feisty Italian who was a master of seasoning meat for sausage.  People came from all over for his sausage and I am totally serious.  They'd even bring coolers if they lived far away.

Unfortunately Uncle John passed away many years ago and so did his recipe.  Today I still buy the freshest and best quality sausage I can find and below is how I make it easily in the oven.  Enjoy!

Baked Sausage, peppers and onions.
1lb.+ mild or hot Italian sausage
1 large sweet onion, sliced thin
1 large red and green pepper, sliced thin

In a medium to large baking dish place several Tablespoons oil.   Place sausage (I remove casing) in dish along with onions and peppers. Add salt, pepper and slight amount of onion and garlic powder. Cover and place in 350 degree oven approx. 3/4 hour or more.

Remove cover toss and place in oven and bake until peppers and onions are soft but crispy about another ten minutes or so.

 Serve with fresh bread or rolls. YUM

7/27/14

2/24/16

11/12/14

Cubed Steak, red onion, red and yellow pepper for dinner!

When you want quick, tasty and easy and are in the mood for beef , cube steak is a great answer.

According to Wikipedia


Cube steak is a cut of beef, usually top round or top sirloin, tenderized by fierce pounding with a meat tenderizer, or use of an electric tenderizer. The name refers to the shape of the indentations left by that process (called "cubing").^[1] This is the most common cut of meat used for chicken fried steak.

Cube steak(round steak) that has been tenderized so it not only is tender it also cooks quickly and tastes delicious.  It looks different when you see it packaged because of it being pounded by a metal mallet which make indentations or marks on it.  They are usually packaged several in a package in your meat section of the grocery store.  If you don't see them ask.

Today I decided to cut my cube steak in strips and make a simple but delicious combo of steak, red onions and red and yellow peppers to have with some Risotto I was making.

While the risotto was simmering. In a large skillet with some olive oil over medium heat I added my onions and peppers and started to cook them slowly.  Once I saw they had cooked some I added my strips of cube steak and allowed to cook on medium until there wasn't any red color in the steak.  Added salt and pepper while it cooked and served it along side the risotto.  Yum!

11/3/14

Browned Butter Red Skinned Potatoes

I'm posting a few recipes that have caught my eye and I haven't made yet.  I think they look like something that will be easy to make for a quick add side dish to your meal.

This one will be # 1.  I love potatoes!!!!!!!!!



Taste of home Recipe

4 lbs. red skinned potatoes
8 cloves garlic minced
1 cup butter
2 tsp..salt
pepper as desired

1. Place potatoes in a Dutch oven; add water to cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cook, uncovered, 15-20 minutes or until tender.
2. Meanwhile, in a small heavy saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Heat 5-7 minutes or until light golden brown, stirring constantly. Stir in garlic; cook 30 seconds longer or until butter is golden brown. Remove from heat.
3. Drain potatoes; transfer to a bowl. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Drizzle with browned butter and toss to coat. Yield: 12 servings (3/4 cup each).
   
   
   
   
   

Originally published as Browned Butter Red Potatoes in Taste of Home November 2013

11/29/14

Easy Crockpot BBQ country spare ribs

I didn't feel like fussing at all today and I had bought on sale country style pork spare ribs so not having any special recipe I created this easy less than 5 ingredients crockpot dinner and served the fork shredded pork over mashed potatoes.  Pretty simple, pretty darn good!

Simple and delicious! Two great words..............

2+ lb. country style spare ribs
1 bottle (18 oz. or more) favorite BBQ sauce
1 onion chopped or grated
1/4 cup dark brown sugar (optional)  We like our ribs on the sweet side

Place spare ribs in crockpot, add BBQ sauce and top with onions.  Cover.  Cook on low 6 to 8 hours.  Mine cooked on low for about 7 hours.

I served the BBQ over mashed potatoes and added a side of fresh cole slaw.

10/12/15