Quick jazzed up BBQ sauce

1/2 c italian dressing
1/4 c BBQ sauce
2 TBS Orange Marmalade

Just heat together on the stove. It just gives boring bottled BBQ sauce that extra little something.

Pesto bow-tie pasta

3 cups bow-tie pasta
2 tablespoons butter
1 pound chicken
1 can cream of chicken
1/2 cup pesto
1/2 cup milk.

Cook the pasta and the chicken. Bring soup, pesto and milk to a boil. Cover and leave on low heat for 5 minutes. Add cubed chicken and cooked pasta.

One of my favorites, but I never have it because Steve hates Pesto :(

Thai Ribbons

1 pound beef flank steak
1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger root
2 clove garlic, minced.
1 teaspoon sesame seed(can be toasted)
1/3 cup teriyaki sauce
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Soak 30 six-inch skewers. Combine teriyaki sauce, ginger, oil, garlic, and red peppers. Cut steak acroos grain into 1/4 inch slices; place slices in ziploc bag. pour marinade over steak, turning to coat. Marinate atleast 15 minutes. Pour off marinade. Thread each slice onto a bamboo skewer. Place ribbons on rack in broiler pan so surface of meat is 3-4 inches from heat. Broil 2 minutes on each side. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

I love this recipe!!! It is from my cooking class cook book.

Recipes from "Campbell's Everyday Easy Meals"

Ok, so I lost my camera cord, but hopefully I will get some pictures up sometime when I find it! So I have had this book since we got married, and I cook from it a lot, so I've picked a few of our favorites to add on here! I will put the recipes as written and then add my notes to them

Country Skillet Supper
1-pound ground beef
1-chopped onion
1/8-teaspoon garlic powder/1 clove garlic minced
1-can Campbell's Condensed Golden Mushroom Soup
1-10oz can condensed beef broth
1-14oz can diced tomatoes
1-zucchini, sliced
1/2 teaspoon-dried thyme leaves, crushed
1 1/2 cups-uncooked pasta

1. In medium skillet over medium-high heat, cook beef, onion and garlic powder until beef is browed, drain off fat.
2.Add soup, broth, tomatoes, zucchini and thyme. Heat to a boil. Stir in pasta. Reduce heat to low. Cook 15 minutes or until pastt is done, stiring often.

My changes: I add some italian seasoning, red pepper flakes,and whatever else I can find that seems like it will go. I also use stewed tomatoes instead of the diced. I put 2 zucchinis because that is our favorite part!


Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Beef Bake
(really it is just a garlicy shepherd's pie)

1 pound ground beef
1 can Campbell's Cream of Mushroom with Roasted Garlic
1 tbl Worcestershire sauce
1 (16lb) bag of frozen veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, carrots)
3 cups hot mashed potatoes

1. In medium skillet over mediumhigh heat, brown beef, drain fat.
2. In 2 qt. shallow baking dish mix beef, 1/2 the can of soup, worcestershire and veggies.
3.Stir remaining soup in potatoes. Spoon potato mixture over beef mixture. Bake at 400 for 20 minutes or until hot.

I usually add some cheese as well to the beef mixture.

Cornbread Chicken Pot Pie

1 can Campbell's Cream of Chicken Soup
1 can drained whole kernel corn
2 cupscubed cooked chicken or turkey
1 package corn muffin mix
3/4 cup milk
1 egg
1/2 cup shredded chddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400. In baking dish (8x8 or 9 inch pie pan) mix soup, corn and chicken.
2. Mix muffin mix, milk and egg. Pour over chicken mixture. Bake for 30 minute or until golden, sprinkle with cheese

I mix the cheese in with the chicken mixture. This is really good. You could probably add more to it, but I love the sweetness of it. They also have a chili version, where you add a 4 oz can of drained, chopped green chilis in with the chicken mixture.

valetines cherry pie

i decided to go big or go home for my first post to the recipe blog. :)
i made a cherry pie. from scratch!

it turned out so so good. and it only took me all day.
so before you try it out make sure you have a good 4 hours... hehe.

first you gotta make the crust:

Pastry Two-Crust Pie (9-inch)

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons shortening
• 4 to 5 tablespoons cold water

1. mix flour and salt in medium bowl. cut in shortening, using pastry blender until particles are size of small peas. sprinkle with cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with fork until all flour is moistened.
2. gather pastry into a ball. divide into two balls and shape into flattened rounds on lightly floured surface. wrap each round of pastry in plastic wrap and refridgerate about 30 minutes.
3. roll one round of pastry on lightly floured surface, using floured rolling pin, into cirlce 2 inches larger than upside-down pie plate. fold pastry into fourths and place in pie-plate. unfold pastry and ease into plate.

Pie Filling:

• 2 cans (21 ounces each) cherry pie filling - this is the easy part. :)

now back to the directions...

1. pour pie filling into pastry-lined pie plate, 9 x 1 1/4 inches. trim overhanging edge of pastry 1/2 inch from rim of plate. roll other round of pastry for top then cut into strips about 1/2 inch wide.
2. place 5-7 strips across filling in pie plate. place cross-strips over tops of first strips to make lattice. trim ends of strips. fold trimmed edge of bottom crust over ends of strips.
3. bake at 425 degrees for 35-45 minutes or until crust is golden brown.
4. cool on wire rack at least 2 hours.
5. enjoy!
   
   

Hearty Split Pea Soup

In a slow cooker or large pan leayer these ingredients in order, do not stir.

2-16 oz dried split peas

2 to 3 C of diced ham

2 C shredded carrots, I cut baby carrots into thirds

4 chopped green onions

2 large diced potatoes

4 TBSP minced garlic

5 bay leaves

1 TSP salt

1 1/2 TSP pepper

12 cups of boiling water

4 TBSP powdered bullion

1 1/2 TBSP Cumin

1/2 TSP chili powder

Cover and simmer for 4-5 hours.

Discard leaves, add a cup of milk and taste test.

Jess's Sicilian Double Stuffed Meatballs and Spaghetti

Basic Sauce

2-28oz cans of crushed tomatoes

2 small cans of tomato paste

1/2 quart of chicken stock or water

4 TBSP sugar

2 TBSP chopped garlic

1 TSP of salt and pepper

4 TBSP of FRESH chopped Basil

1 TBSP dried oregano

Throw all into a crock pot or large pot and simmer for at least an hour. Make sure to leave some room in the pan when you add the meatballs.

Double Stuffed Meatballs

1/4 lb chunk of sharp provolone and soft mozzarella cheese

1 lb of ground beef, pork and veal (only beef is fine)

1 C of parm. cheese

2 eggs

2 slices of bead with out the crusts

1/2 C of milk

1/2 Tsp of salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper

Mix all together and make golf ball sized balls and put a small chunk of each cheese inside.

sear in a frying pan-do not fully cook! Put in the sauce and cook for at least another hour or more. Make sure the meatballs are fully cooked through before you serve.

Tips...I usually double this recipe and keep the extra sauce for another meal. We felly believe in taste testing things before we serve them, often we add more salt and pepper.