Bucatini pasta, arugula and chicken quick meal

An Easy meal which is my short cut recipe.


Although my freezer has lots of meatballs and meat sauce  I found a great substitute for a marinara sauce that IMO takes like my fresh sauce.

 The brand is Victoria and I found it at Costco and most recently I have been seeing it at many other stores in our area.  You can use any jar brand you like but IMO Victoria brand marinara is really as close as I can get to homemade and I'm extremely fussy.

  I've been cooking for 50 years and make sauce all the time but after reading a little more about the brand I decided to go off my high horse lol so to speak and try it.  It's good.  Recently I found their vodka sauce in a 16 oz. jar and decided why not?  Happy to say it's super good and I used it in this recipe.

Note:  I like thick meaty pasta so Bucatini was in my pantry and I used it.  If you don't have Bucatini a nice more dense pasta would be good too!  Such as fettuccine or linguine but use what you think your family would enjoy.  The ingredients and instructions are below. Enjoy!!

1 lb. Bucatini pasta or pasta of choice
1 to 2 cups arugula washed and drained well
1 lb. Boneless thin chicken breast
Salt, pepper, paprika
2 cloves minced garlic
1/4 cup water 
1-16 oz.oz. jar Victoria vodka sauce
Olive oil
Pecorino Romano cheese 

First:  Sauté chicken in a large deep skillet with olive oil, salt, pepper paprika and garlic.

After chicken is slightly browned on both sides add 1/4 cup water, scrape so you get all the pieces that may have stuck a little to bottom of pan and simmer slowly covered for ten minutes.  Add vodka sauce directly to pan(do not drain), cover and simmer slowly for a several minutes or until sauce is bubbling slightly. Keep on low heat until pasta is cooked.



While chicken and sauce are simmering bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Cook pasta for approximately 8 to 10 minutes depending on your pasta directions.  A’dente is preferred choice.  Add arugula and cook for another 2 or 3 minutes.

Drain pasta and arugula.  Place cooked pasta and arugula back in large pot (the same pot you cooked the pasta in)add sauce and top with chicken.  From stove to plate approximately 45 minutes.

Happy Cooking! Yummy!!

You can definitely used homemade vodka sauce for this recipe.  I do have my recipe under Labels but this is a great option for us busy on the go people. xo

Stuffed French Toast w/ Mascarpone Cheese

Recipe repost 👍

Here's another Great Stuffed French Toast Recipe!

8/27/16

This recipe is so delicious and easy to do so I surprised my hubby and made his favorite..The only thing I had to remember to do was to buy the Mascarpone cheese..I always have cream cheese in my frig but this recipe calls for Mascarpone so I had to make a note to purchase it when I went grocery shopping..Also some good bread is a must..I used already sliced Italian from the Bakery but any good thick bread will do..It has to be sliced on the thick side to hold all that wonderful cheese.. 

Happy Cooking!  Hope you enjoy this as much as we did. (I couldn't resist to indulge)

I start by Making my Mascarpone filling:

1- 8 oz. tub Mascarpone cheese
3 to 4 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla( I use the best vanilla I can find)
dash of cinnamon

On to the French Toast:

8 slices (thick) good bread(Italian, Texas Toast or any good thickly sliced bread)
3 eggs
1 cup milk
dash salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In an electric mixer blend Mascarpone cheese with the brown sugar, vanilla and cinnamon.  Looks so good!

Next make Mascarpone sandwiches by spreading a generous amount of the filling between the slices..Beat eggs, milk and salt thoroughly..I use a large baking dish so you have enough room to dip bread sandwiches. Turn sandwiches over and repeat.


Heat butter (I use 1/2 of a stick) on medium high in a large skillet.  When butter starts to bubble place filled sandwiches in skillet.  Cook about 2 minutes on each side until golden brown..Put them in a buttered baking dish and bake for about 5 minutes..  Delicious !

Ingredients

Dip and press to soak .

Baking it in the oven for 5 minutes or a little more to seal  in the flavor

Perfect Breakfast, Brunch or anytime treat!

I serve the French toast with fresh strawberries or any fresh fruit..No topping is really necessary(why mask that wonderful butter/ sweet flavor) but if you choose ; you can blend in a food processor raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, add a little lemon juice and drizzle over French Toast.. Enjoy!  Happy Cooking!


Happy Cooking!

From my kitchen to yours,

7/4/11
5/28/13
1/19/14

2016 Dinner with Nonna

A great holiday with friends dinner. Memories forever!!!

Our annual Dinner with Nonna was today and with the chill in the air and a little of snow on the ground it really felt like Christmas time.

As usual Maria aka Nonna prepared so many wonderful appetizers when we arrived. I can't remember the names of most of them but each was special and delicious.

Maria is such a gracious hostess and her assistent Linda always makes us feel so comfortable.  She continues to tell us while preparing what goes into her dishes.  Questions are always answered in a manner that I wish I could take notes because always great suggestions for me since I love to cook.

We started the meal with Stracciatella soup.(Stracciatella (soup), an egg drop soup which is popular in central Italy).

On to ricotta gnocchi in a light marinara sauce topped with a little fresh mozzarella cheese.

Next was the main entree which was roasted pork tenderloin seasoned with basil, dill, parsley and thyme roasted with potatoes, butternut squash and celery.

A huge mixed and seasoned salad tossed with white balsamic vinegar and olive oil.

To complete the meal it was sweet ricotta filled cannoli.  the ends were dabbed with pistachios and chocolate chips. Expresso and orange not lemon cello to sip. A great relaxing dinner as usual.  Bon Appetite! 

Note: Maria's website is  https://merante-gifts.com/private-dining/. check it out. <3 M.j.

Five Days of Easy, quick and delicious meals and a bonus dessert

Since school will be starting for a lot of kiddo's Mom's and Dad's will be pondering what to make for dinner.  I like sharing some easy suggestions for everyday meals.  I have over 300 easy recipes on this blog but occasionally don't post all of them because they are so easy I'm thinking them up while I am cooking.

You really can do this too!  It is not difficult.

I find that for my hubby and I since we are the only two most days I cook for that buying a few items at the beginning of a week or pay period works for easy meals. Whether you are a large family, single or a couple these recipes can be easily adjusted to your needs.

These meat, fish, poultry items can be found in small packages or larger depending on what size of family you are cooking for.  I'm thinking about some meals that take very little preparation and time to say the least but satisfy and taste good.

Here's where my idea comes in handy.

  If your store has specials this may be the way to start.  My local grocery store has items that they sell 5 for $19.99 which works for us.  They package approximately one lb. packages of ground beef, chicken, round steak, beef cubes, pork cutlets etc.  They are all fresh cut and will have a use by within a week. If I don't use them by the time of expiration I freeze them for later.  Check out your local grocery store they may have some too!    I buy that special quite often and play with ideas I have as well as what I have in my pantry, refrigerator or freezer.

You can make meals so quickly adding spices and herbs. Onions, garlic and different seasonings (as in paprika, lemon pepper etc. your family might enjoy.  Play with spices remembering to start slowly with amounts.  You can season too much and that would possibly not work as they might not want that particular seasoning again if you are too heavy handed with them.

Below are a few I have made this past week.  I did link several recipes but most are my playing with food so no recipe is needed.  Enjoy!

Crockpot honey pork in garlic sauce

Link:  Sticky Chicken

Pink Angel Food Cake  Box Angel food cake prepared as directed on box.  Add 8 drops red food coloring

5/11/16

8/19/17

Pizza Sauce

Here I am yet again trying to master my hometown pizza recipe.  I did find nice flatbreads that had substance(not too thin) to use as a crust.  2 to a package and the bottom ingredients are perfect for two flatbreads or one large pizza.

Pizza Sauce
2 T. Butter
2 T. Olive oil
1-15 oz. can petite diced tomatoes (pulsed in food processor)
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. dried basil
salt and pepper to taste
pinch baking soda(optional)

In a deep pan place butter and olive oil.  Allow butter to melt and blend with olive oil sauteing until starting to sizzle.  Add processed tomatoes, onion powder salt and pepper.  Note:  you can used crushed tomatoes for your convenience. 
Allow ingredients to simmer on low until tomatoes begin to reduce slightly.  Taste test.....If you find the tomatoes taste raw add a pinch of baking soda and stir.  The tomatoes will foam slightly...no worry and continue to cook for another few minutes.  Start to finish approximately 20 minutes.

While sauce is simmering shred cheese with your hand shredder. 

Pizza Topping
1/2 lb. American cheese shredded(buy a 1/2 lb. piece and shred)

1/4 lb. mozzarella cheese shredded(I bought already shredded
 mozzarella but fresh mozzarella would be better) . Grate cheese on a dish or piece of wax paper. Blend cheese together after grating with hands to even the ratio of cheese.  The key is to have the mozzarella cheese help to hold the cheese together when it's placed on the crust and baked.  Go easy on the mozzarella.

Add any other topping you might enjoy(cooked chopped sausage, thinly sliced peppers,mushrooms or pepperoni).  There are many toppings to choose from.  Make the pizza your way! Use can use a pizza pan, a pizza stone or if you are lucky enough to make your own crust why not try a cookie sheet pan.  Back home we call pizza in a sheet pan a tray of pizza.

Bake 400 degrees approximately 10 to 15 minutes or until cheese melts completely.