Tag Archives: recipes

Buffalo Salmon

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Buffalo Salmon

In the attempt to eat more salmon, we discovered a twist that certainly makes this salmon irresistible.  We all know that Frank’s Redhot Sauce packs a punch to our favorite chicken wings.  Well, move over chicken, salmon gets a chance to swim in Frank’s goodness.  I served our Buffalo Salmon with salad and celery sticks.  It was a hit! Enjoy your kick!- Amanda

1 (2-lb) salmon fillet

5 T  unsalted butter

1/4 cup Frank’s Redhot Sauce

1/3 cup Panko

1 T  vegetable oil

1/2 t pepper (divided)

1/2 t salt (divided)

Lightly oil a shallow baking pan.  Melt butter with hot sauce and add 1/4 pepper and salt.  Set aside 1/4 cup sauce.  Toss Panko with oil in a bowl. Put salmon, skin side down, in baking pan and sprinkle with remaining salt and pepper, then brush with remaining sauce. Sprinkle Panko evenly over top of fish.  Bake salmon at 425 degrees.  Cook until Panko is golden and fish is just cooked through about 16 to 22 minutes. Serve reserved sauce on the side.

Angel Hair Pasta with Chicken and Grape Tomatoes

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We all want a quick weeknight meal.  A meal that does not need a lot of brainwork and is delicious.  This meal has all our favorites: pasta, tomatoes, and chicken.  Serve it with a salad and garlic bread.  Here’s to keeping it easy on a weeknight!- Amanda

Angel Hair Pasta with Chicken and Grape Tomatoes 

2 skinless chicken breast halves, diced in 1 inch cubes

cooking spray

1/2 t dried basil

kosher salt and fresh pepper

8 oz angel hair pasta

2 cups grape tomatoes, halved

6 cloves garlic, minced

4 T extra virgin olive oil

3 T chopped fresh basil

Heat a large skillet on high heat. When hot, coat with cooking spray and add chicken. Season chicken generously with salt, pepper, and basil. Cook about 3-4 minutes, until no longer pink. Remove chicken and set aside.

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add pasta and cook according to package directions. Reserve about 1/2 cup pasta water before draining.  While pasta cooks, add olive oil to skillet on high heat. Add garlic and sauté until golden brown. Add tomatoes, salt and pepper and reduce heat to medium-low. Sauté about 4-5 minutes. Add drained pasta to garlic and tomato mixture and toss well. If pasta seems too dry, add some of the reserved pasta water.  Then add fresh basil and chicken and toss well. Serve and top with grated cheese.

The Giant Cookie Cake

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I love to celebrate!  It is usually not too hard to find a reason for a celebration.  In our house, we celebrate “half” birthdays.  This week we celebrated William’s half birthday.  I wanted to make something new and tasty.  He recently discovered The Great American Cookie Company and told us about the amazing cookie cakes this place creates.  I’m a bit competitive and did not want my son to think this cookie company had anything over his mommy!  Well folks, let’s just say I impressed the whole house with my own Giant Cookie Cake. (No hard feelings cookie company!)  The boys approved this dessert and continued to support it for breakfast!  It is super easy and delicious!  Happy Half Birthday, sweet boy!- Love, Mommy

The Giant Cookie Cake

1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup chocolate chips

With a mixer in a medium bowl, cream together the sugars and butter. Add the egg and vanilla and mix. Add the dry ingredients and mix well. Gently add chocolate chips.  (you can get crazy with it and add M&Ms, nuts, or white chocolate chips too).
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Press the cookie into a circle or desired shape.

Bake at 350 degrees for 13-16 minutes until the cookie is lightly golden brown. Let the cookie cool completely on the baking pan. Once the cookie is cool, use icing to add decor.

Salmon and Rosemary

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We all know how nutritious salmon is for your body.  It is full of brain food and a healthy option.  Don’t be nervous about cooking fish at home.  As I have confessed before, I was intimidated by fish.  The secret is finding a great fish market and using fresh ingredients.  This particular dish, Salmon and Rosemary, is a favorite in our house.  William loves this meal and has no trouble cleaning his plate.  I have adapted this recipe from The South Beach Diet.  We all know that only means good things!  Serve it up with sautéed zucchini and a green salad.  Enjoy some tasty brain food!- Amanda

Salmon and Rosemary

1 pound salmon (I use Wild Alaskan)

1 T olive oil

2 t fresh lemon juice

1/4 t kosher salt

1/8 black pepper, freshly ground

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 t fresh rosemary, chopped (cut from my herb garden)

Cut the salmon into 4 equal-size portions.  Coat oven dish with olive oil.  Place salmon pieces in oven dish.  Combine the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, garlic, and rosemary in a bowl.  Brush the mixture onto the fish.

Bake salmon at 425 degrees for 20 minutes.  If your salmon pieces are thick, make sure they are fully cooked.

Chicken and Spinach Shells

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I was in a pasta mood.  I needed a meal that would cure my craving and be healthy.  This dish controls the amount of pasta you use and adds fabulous ingredients that don’t leave you with guilt.  It’s simple and healthy.  I whipped up these chicken and spinach shells without much thought.  It has a tasty hit and has been requested in the future.     Enjoy!- AF

Chicken and Spinach Shells

12 jumbo pasta shells

1 1/2 cup pasta sauce

2 large egg whites, gently beaten

1 1/2 cup part skim ricotta cheese

2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and diced

1 cup frozen spinach (chopped) thawed (drain all excess water)

2 t garlic powder

1 T oregano

1 T chopped basil

1 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded

1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

Cook shells in boiling water according to the directions on box.
Rinse with cold water and set aside for later use.
Lightly spray a 9×13 pan with cooking spray and spread 1/2 cup of pasta sauce evenly over the bottom of the pan. Set aside.
Pasta shell filling: Stir together egg whites, ricotta, chicken, spinach, garlic powder, basil, and oregano. Stir in 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese.
Fill each shell with mixture and place filled shells in the baking dish on top of the sauce. Spread remaining sauce on top. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and salt and pepper to taste.  Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Amanda’s Guacamole

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It’s that time of year when the avocados are ripe, delicious, and usually not $3 each.  I love avocados.  We add them to salads and sandwiches. (I’ll be sharing an avocado chicken salad in a few weeks.) With these magic green things, I create a guacamole that does not last long.  It is simple, fresh, and addictive.  Perfect as a starter to your fajita or taco night.  This amazing guacamole is a staple for any summer get together.  To Avocados! –AF

Amanda’s Guacamole

3 ripe avocados (must be ripe)

1/2 cup chopped tomato

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

1 jalapeño pepper, chopped

1 T fresh lime juice

1 t salt

freshly ground black pepper

Cut each avocado in half and remove seed from avocado.  Scoop out avocado pulp into a large bowl.  Mash avocado until desired consistency.  I like to leave small chucks in my guacamole.  Add tomatoes, onions, jalapeño, salt, and lime juice.  Stir until avocado mixture is blended.  Top with black pepper.  Serve with tortilla chips.  Makes about 2 1/2 cups.

Pork Chops and Sauerkraut

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Everyone has an opinion about sauerkraut.  As a child I could not stand the smell of the stuff.  But I have grown and my tastes have changed.  This is an easy dish that you create and let it do its thing.  The paprika and caraway seeds have a way of transforming the sauerkraut into a delicious masterpiece.  Enjoy! -AF

Pork Chops and Sauerkraut

4 (1/2-inch-thick) pork chop (I use boneless, but bone-in is fine)

1 T vegetable oil

1 (14 oz.) can sauerkraut

1 1/2 t caraway seeds

1 large tomato, chopped

1/2 t paprika

In heavy skillet, heat oil. Then brown pork chops on both sides.
Top with sauerkraut and tomato sprinkle with caraway and paprika.  Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 40 minutes or until chops are tender.  I check on this dish to make sure the heat is not too high.

Basic Meatloaf

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It is really simple!  Everyone loves a comfort meal.  I’m not the biggest meatloaf fan.  It’s okay but it does not stop the mixer for me.  Let me paint the mood: A couple of weeks ago, it was rainy, gray, and cold.  The kind of day that I wanted to stay under a blanket instead of cooking.  It was a day for warm comfort food.  Investigating my refrigerator and pantry, I uncovered the perfect ingredients for a basic meatloaf.  Bonus, I had potatoes for mashing!  Verdict: The meatloaf was a hit and I will definitely make again. Enjoy! -AF

Basic Meatloaf

1 lb. lean ground beef

1 1/4 t salt

1/4 t ground black pepper

1/2 cup onion, chopped

1/2 cup bell pepper, chopped

1 egg, lightly beaten

8 oz. canned diced tomatoes with juice

1/2 cup quick-cooking oats

Topping:

1/3 cup ketchup

2 T brown sugar

1 T prepared mustard

Mix all meatloaf ingredients well and place in a baking dish. Shape into a loaf.  Mix all topping ingredients and spread on loaf.
Bake for 1 hour at 375 degrees.

Nana’s Banana Pudding

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This week my mom came to visit.  Our first visitor to our new home and state.  One evening for dessert, she whipped up her banana pudding.  A couple things to understand: (1) My mother’s daughter (me) does not like bananas in her banana pudding.  (2) Since I was young, my mother made banana pudding just a little differently compared to others just to please her daughter.  Yes, you will notice that she uses vanilla pudding instead of banana pudding.  And you will notice that two separate containers are prepared.  One container with bananas and one delightful dish containing NO bananas.  Simple and Easy!  Yes, it might be weird but I’m the girl who loves banana pudding without bananas… and no, it’s not just vanilla pudding with vanilla wafers to me! -AF

Nana’s Banana Pudding

1 cup cold milk

2 cups half and half

1 can Eagle brand milk

1 large pkg. (5.1 oz) JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding & Pie Filling

1 (8 ounce) container Cool Whip Whipped Topping , thawed

30 vanilla wafer cookies

3 bananas, sliced

Pour milk into large bowl. Add pudding mix. Beat with wire whisk 2 minutes. Let stand 3 minutes. Gently stir in whipped topping.

Line the bottom and sides of your serving bowl(s) with vanilla wafters.  Choices are to be made here.  Do you want a big container or individual containers?  My mom makes two larger containers.  (one with bananas, one without bananas) Now, top wafers with bananas.  Then top with of the pudding mixture. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Prior to serving sprinkle banana pudding with crush vanilla wafers.

Amanda’s Green Drink

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The Beginning

In the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day, I wanted to share my favorite GREEN drink.  I began juicing about one year ago.  For weeks I did my homework on the best juicer and felt confident in my Breville purchase.  There is nothing like making a yummy, energizing juice to start your day.  By experimenting, you will find the veggies and fruits you love the best.  There is a ton of recipes and ideas that can get you started.  I LOVE my green drink- super healthy and gets me going for the day.  On a mommy note:  William loves me to juice up an apple/grape juice.  So yummy and no yuck preservatives.  And little does he know that it has a whole head of broccoli in it too!  Mommy tricks are the best!
I encourage you to get out there and juice something delicious. -AF

Amanda’s Green Drink

1 head of broccoli
1 bunch of kale
1 cucumber
1 head of celery
1 inch size of ginger root, skin peeled
1 apple
1 lemon (remove rind)

Wash all veggies before juicing.  Combine all ingredients in a juicer. This makes approximately 24 ounces.

The Machine