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Not Your Average Pasta

Enough for 3 reg. servings or 2 large

Cooked pasta (I used 225 grams of rigatoni, but whatever)
Green beans, bite sized, about 2 handfuls (I used frozen, and dumped them in with the pasta to cook)
1.5 cups diced tomatoes
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup toasted pecans or pine nuts (you can use a pan or put them under the broiler- but watch them! They burn FAST!)
1/4 brown butter (put butter in a saucepan, cook on low med/low heat until it gets lots of little brown flecks, should look like dark caramel. It WILL foam, and you'll want to stir it here and there. Keep an eye on it, it can burn pretty quick!)

salt and pepper to taste

Dump all things together while hot. The cold tomatoes and feta will warm up, and the feta will start to melt.

The Cheesecake Factory Key Lime Cheesecake

Serves 8

1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
5 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
3 8-oz. packages cream chees, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup fresh lime juice (about 5 limes)
3 eggs
whipped cream

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Make the crust by combining the graham cracker crumbs w/ the butter and 1 tablespoon of sugar in a medium bowl. Stir well enough to coat all of the crumbs with the butter. Keep it crumbly.
2. Press the crumbs onto the bottom and about one half of the way up the sides of an 8 inch springform pan. You don't want the crust to form all the way up the back of each slice of cheesecake. Bake for 5 minutes, then set it aside until you are ready to fill it.
3. In a large mixing bowl combine the cream cheese, 1 cup of sugar, and vanila. Mix with an electric mixer until smooth.
4. Add the lime juice and eggs and continue to beat until smooth and creamy.
5. Pour the filling into the pan. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes. If the top of the cheesecake is turning light brown, it's done. Remove from the oven and allow it to cool.
6. When the cheesecake has come to room temperature, put it into the refrigerator. When the cheesecake has chilled, remove the pan sides and cut the cake into 8 equal pieces. Serve with a generous dollor of whipped cream on top.

ARBY’S CHICKEN SALAD SANDWICH MIX

2 cups chopped apples
2 cups cut red globe grapes
2 cups chicken cubes or shreds
1 cup finely chopped walnuts
1 cup (about) mayonnaise
1/2 cup (about) sour cream
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon (about) chicken fajita seasoning mix

Mix all together and serve in individual sized cream puff shells, or on a whole grain bread, pita, or tortilla.

Cinnamon Pull-Apart Bread (yum!)

3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tbsp. ground cinnamon
3 cans (16.3 oz. each) refrigerated buttermilk biscuts
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, melted
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 to 2 tbsp. milk

preheat oven to 350 degrees
mix granulated sugar and cinnamon in medium bowl, set aside
cut each biscut into quarters and roll in cinnamon sugar
place half of the biscut pieces in greased bundt pan
drizzle with half the butter
place other half of biscut pieces in pan
drizzle with remaining butter
sprinkle with remaining cinnamon sugar
bake 40-45 minutes, or until golden brown
cool in pan 5 minutes
invert onto serving plate
beat cream cheese and powdered sugarin small bowl unil well blended
add milk slowly and beat until glaze is of desired consistency
drizzle over warm bread (or dip!)
ENJOY!

CAPELLINI WITH LEMON AND GARLIC

SERVES 4 (6 to 8 as a side dish)

This is quick and easy, as well as healthy and very good. I prefer it as a side dish, but you could use it as the main dish.

INGREDIENTS

* 1 pound capellini or other thin spaghetti
* 1/2 cup olive oil
* 3-4 tablespoons minced garlic
* Salt and pepper to taste
* Juice and half of the zest of 1 lemon
* 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
* Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Cook the pasta according to package directions for al dente. Drain. Add the oil and garlic to pot and sauté about 1 minute. Return the pasta to the pot and toss. Add salt, pepper, lemon juice, zest and parsley. Toss again. Serve, passing the cheese separately.

Note: If using as a side dish, this pasta can be made up to an hour ahead, set aside at room temperature, and reheated in microwave.

Ground beef with gravy and rice

ground beef and gravy with onions and mushrooms over steamed rice.
ground beef (however much you'd like)
packaged brown gravy
onions
garlic
mushrooms (sliced)
fresh ground pepper - to taste
steamed rice

caramelize the onions and garlic in skillet with olive oil. add the ground beef and brown. once beef is fully cooked, add mushrooms til soft. make the brown gravy until fairly thick and add the gravy to the beef, onions, garlic, and mushrooms. pour this stuff over white steamed rice and call it good!

post whores  

My fave: MILK SHAKES

makes 1 serving

1 cup skim or low fat milk
1/3 cup non fat dry milk
1 frozen over ripe banana, ut into chunks
1 teaspoo vanilla extract
dash of ground cinnamon, or to taste (optional)

note: freeze the over ripe banana peeled and wrapped, 12 to 24 hours before making this shake


puree all ingrediants in the blender. serve ASAP

Enjoy

Superbowl Dip
1 jar hot, chunky tostitos salsa (or medium/mild... whatever you like)
1 tub sour cream
1 pound bag sharp cheddar cheese
1 bag frito lay scoops

mix salsa, sour cream, and cheese in large bowl.
dip scoops in dip, and enjoy!

Okay, I got this recipe from the Everyday Italian on the Food Network and everyone who tries them has a tiny food orgasm.


Brownies

1 box regular brownie mix (no fancy nuts/chunks/hershey syrup) just get what's cheap
2 eggs
1/3c water
1/3c oil
2T instant coffee pwdr (while you're preggo you can use decaf)

Mix
Put in 8 x 8 pan
cook at 325 for about 30 minutes but it honestly really depends on your oven.
They are done when the toothpick in the center comes out very moist yet kinda crumbly.

I'm telling you, these are delicious! And they have a more fudgy consistancy than normal dry brownies and are EASY (2 minutes tops to make)

Banana Bread


This is another of my favorites from the "Mandy hates dry baked goods" file

Mix together (in one bowl if you want, it makes no difference)

1/2c oil
1/2c sour cream
1 1/2c sugar
1 1/2c flour
3 whole bananas, brown and smooshy
a little vanilla
2 eggs
1t baking soda
1/2t salt

Cook at 325 for about an hour. It's done when you tap the top of the loaf and it feels fairly solid yet still gives. This banana bread needs no butter, it's that moist!

I love Olive Garden Alfredo sauce but damn it's expensive, and sometimes I don't want to get out of my jammy pants to eat it! Here's a really good recipe for it.
And yes...there's a ton of fat! You have to just get over that part!

1pint heavy whipping cream
3/4c parmesan (not powder, the good stuff, shredded)
1 stick butter
garlic powder/salt
2T cream cheese

You are going to mix (very slowly under low heat) all of these in a sauce pan. I use a whisk to blend the stubborn cream cheese into the rest. Stir it often as it thickens (probably 10 minutes of cook time). The cream cheese is the thickening agent, so make sure you add that!
The garlic powder/salt is a taste thing. Add then taste untill it tastes great to you!

I usually make home made raviolis for this or store bought frozen ones for $1.50 a bag. If you boil a couple chicken breasts and throw them in, you get protien too which is good for pregnancy (that's how I justify all the fat!)

APPLE CRISP

4 sliced apples ( I will add 2 or 3 depending on the size I need)
3/4 cp brown sugar
1/2 cp flour
3/4 cup oats
1/2 cup marg. or butter
cinnamin

Slice apples into fairly thin pieces, place into buttered 9 x 12 baking pan
mix together brn. sugar/flour/oats/marg - spread on top of apples
sprinkle with cinnamin
Bake at 350 for approx. 30 min

Yummy!

7-Eleven Cherry Slurpee

2 cups cold club soda
½ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon plus 1/8 teaspoon cherry flavored unsweetened Kool-Aid mix
½ teaspoon cherry extract
2 ½ cups crushed ice

1. Pour 1 cup of the club soda into a blender. Add the sugar, Kool-Aid mix, and cherry extract. Blend this until all of the sugar is dissolved.
2. Add the crushed ice and blend on high speed until the drink is a slushy, smooth consistency, with no remaining chunks of ice.
3. Add the remaining club soda and blend briefly until mixed. You may have to stop the blender and use a long spoon to stir up the contents.
4. If necessary, put the blender into your freezer for ½ hour. This will help thicken it up. After ½ hour remove blender from the freezer and, again, blend briefly to mix.

Makes one 32-ounce drink (or two 16-ouncers.)

T.G.I.Friday’s Jack Daniels Grill Glaze

1 head of garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
2/3 cup water
1 cup pineapple juice
¼ cup teriaki sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 1/3 cups dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon Jack Daniels Whiskey
1 tablespoon crushe pineapple
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1. Cut about ½ inch off the top of the garlic. Cut the roots so that the garlic will sit flat. Remove the papery skin from the garlic, but leave enough on so that the cloves stay together. Put garlic into a small casserole dish or baking pan, drizzle olive oil over it, and cover with a lid or tin foil. Bake in a preheated 325 degree F oven for 1 hour. Remove garlic and let it cool until you can handle it.
2. Combine water, pineapple juice, teriyaki sauce, soy sauce, and brown sugar in a medium saucepan over medium/high heat. Stir occasionally until mixture boils then reduce heat until mixture is just simmering.
3. Squeeze the sides of the head of garlic until the pasty roasted garlic is squeezed out. Measure 2 teaspoons into the saucepan and whisk to combine. Add remaining ingredients to the pan and stir.
4. Let mixture simmer for 40-50 minutes or until the sauce has reduced by ½ and is thick and syrupy. Make sure it doesn’t boil over.

Makes 1 cup of glaze.