Spicy Shrimp Pasta

Here's a recipe I found the other day that is 1) delicious, 2) easy, 3) not too unhealthy, and 4) perfect for my Le Creuset. It actually tastes a lot like shrimp version of chicken spaghetti! SO yummy!

Spicy Shrimp Pasta (adapted from Kevin & Amanda)

2 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 lb frozen, pre-cooked cocktail shrimp, thawed, rinsed, and patted dry

2 cups diced onion
4 tbsp minced garlic
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 (10 oz) cans Ro-Tel tomatoes and green chiles, Mild
1 cup whole milk
16 oz whole wheat pasta
1 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup Colby Jack cheese, shredded
1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions

Preheat the broiler in your oven. 

Add olive oil to an oven-safe pot over medium high heat. Add shrimp and onions and cook until onion is soft, about 5-7 minutes. Add garlic and cook about 2 minutes longer.

Add broth, Ro-Tel tomatoes, whole milk, pasta, salt and pepper and stir. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer until pasta is tender.

Remove pot from heat and stir in 1/2 cup cheese. Top with remaining cheese and sprinkle with scallions. Broil until cheese is melted and bubbly.

You can eat it right away if you and your kids are starving, but if you can wait 10-15 minutes, the sauce will thicken and it will be even creamier. Enjoy!

Pork and Sausage Jambalaya

I found this recipe in a cooking magazine a couple of months ago, and it's quickly become one of our staple recipes. I don't remember which magazine it was or who even supplied the recipe -- I took a picture of the recipe with my phone, and printed it when I got home! It's not the best jambalaya I've ever had (that award goes to Big Ed's jambalaya at Milldale Baptist Church), but it is very good and it does taste like an authentic Louisiana recipe. :-)  (And, as an added bonus, it takes about half the time to cook as Big Ed's recipe.) 

Here's my fine-tuned version of the recipe. :-)

Pork & Sausage Jambalaya
olive oil
1 large onion, diced
1 large green or red bell pepper, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 lb smoked sausage, sliced (beef, pork, turkey, etc all work fine)
3 cups uncooked white rice (brown rice doesn't work that well, but is okay to use)
1 tbsp smoked paprika
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp coarse ground black pepper
5 cups low sodium chicken broth
28 oz can petite diced tomatoes
2 cups diced cooked pork or chicken thighs (chicken breasts will be too dry)**

In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, heat olive oil. Add onions, green or red pepper, and celery. Cook until browned, about 10 minutes. 

Add sausage to the pot, and cook for another 5 minutes. 

Add rice, paprika, red and black pepper, broth, tomatoes, and pork. Stir well, cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 18-20 minutes or until rice is cooked.  Enjoy!

This is a really horrible picture, because it doesn't look appealing at all and actually looks kind of slimy, but trust me, it's GOOD. Try it for yourself!! 

**I usually cook the pork or chicken thighs in the crockpot the day before, so I don't have to deal with that extra step on the day that I'm making the recipe. I usually use 4 large boneless pork chops or 4 or 5 boneless chicken thighs, and cook them on high for 4 hours. Shred the meat when it's done, and set it in the fridge until you need to use it. 

Minestrone soup (crockpot recipe)

This has become one of my favorite recipes over the past month. I've already made it 3 times! It's yummy, full of vegetables, and everyone seems to like it.

Minestrone Soup (adapted from Taste of Home)

2 cans (14 1/2 oz each) low sodium chicken broth

1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes

2 cans (15 oz each) kidney beans, drained

1 can (15 oz) garbanzo beans, drained

8 oz water

2 or 3 small Italian squash or zucchini, sliced into 1/2 inch rounds

1 or 2 celery stalks, roughly chopped

2 tbsp dried minced chives

2 tbsp dried parsley flakes

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp coarse ground pepper

2 tsp dried oregano

1 1/2 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp dried basil

2-3 cups cooked whole wheat pasta

1 package (16 oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

2 cups frozen peas, thawed

In a slow cooker, combine the first 14 ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. 

About 30 minutes before serving, stir in the pasta, thawed spinach and peas. Enjoy!

Bonus pictures of the cute baby boy (who's not quite a baby anymore, but will always be the baby).

Pumpkin bread with cinnamon cream cheese topping

Mmm, I love fall baking, with the savory scents of cloves, nutmeg, ginger, and cinnamon filling my house. It just makes you feel good inside to smell all of the yumminess baking in the oven.  :-)  

I made this pumpkin bread today and I ended up baking it for a little too long (recipe said to bake it for an hour and 10 minutes, but mine was done in about 40). It looked dry, so I made up a glaze to add a little bit of moisture and sweetness.  The result?  Super yummy, and reminds me a lot of carrot cake, but with less fat and calories. :-)  Yum!

Pumpkin Bread

1 1/2 cups white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 cup unsweetened applesauce

3/4 cup canola oil

3 large eggs

1 16-oz can pumpkin (the plain kind, not the "pie mix" kind)

2 3/4 cups whole wheat flour

1 tsp ground cloves

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

butterscotch chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 350. Spray 2 loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray. In a medium bowl, combine sugars, oil, and applesauce, mix well. Add eggs and pumpkin, mix well. In a large bowl, combine flour, spices, baking soda, salt, and baking powder. Add the pumpkin mixture to the flour mixture, stir and mix well. Divide the batter into the loaf pans. Sprinkle with butterscotch chips if desired.  Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until done. 

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Topping

*keep in mind that I didn't measure anything as I added it!

about 2 heaping tablespoons of whipped cream cheese (regular, not light or fat free)

1 tbsp packed brown sugar

dash of cinnamon

skim milk

Stir brown sugar and cream cheese together until they're well mixed. Add cinnamon, and stir. Add milk, a little bit at a time, until it's about the consistency of yogurt. Spread on the top of your still-warm pumpkin bread and enjoy!

Creamy Pasta with Sausage and Tomatoes

I used to make a weekly dinner menu so I would always be prepared for dinner, but then the 3rd baby came along and . . . 1 year later I still haven't gotten back in the swing of menu planning. :-)  Since I'm usually scrounging at the last minute to find something for dinner, the other day I found the All Recipes Dinner Spinner app and downloaded it on my phone, and it's not only fun but I've made two yummy recipes from it! This is the first one -- Creamy Pasta with Sausage and Tomatoes.

You'll need:

1 (12oz) package pasta

2 tbsp olive oil

1 lb Italian sausage, casings removed and crumbled (I used regular smoked chicken sausage and it was fine)

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1/2 cup diced onion

3 cloves garlic, minced (I used ~2 tbsp minced garlic)

(I also added ~2 cups of chopped fresh spinach)

1 (28oz) can Italian-style plum tomatoes, drained and coarsely chopped (I used 2 14oz cans of Italian-style diced tomatoes)

1/2 cup heavy cream (I used 1/2 cup whole milk)

1/2 tsp salt

3 tbsp minced fresh parsley (omitted)

Cook pasta, drain and set aside. Heat oil and saute onion and garlic.

After onion and garlic have caramelized, add sausage and cook on both sides until browned. Add spinach and cook a little bit longer, until it's wilted. 

Take a few minutes to play with the sweaty baby boy.  :-)

Stir in tomatoes, cream and salt. Simmer until mixture thickens, about 10 minutes. Stir cooked pasta into the sauce and heat through. 

Yum! Delicious, super easy, and it took about 20 minutes from start to finish. Everyone gobbled it up. I'm definitely making this again. :-)

Beef stew (slow cooker recipe)

I used to be too afraid to try to make stew. Something about it just seemed too . . . grown up, or out of my league for me to be able to make it. I don't know why! But I found this recipe in my Taste of Home Slow Cooker recipe book, and I've made it twice and I really like it! I'm proud to say that I feel like a competent stew-maker now. :-)

Beef Stew
2 pounds new potatoes, scrubbed clean and quartered
2 pounds lean beef stew meat
4 medium carrots, sliced (I actually use several big handfuls of baby carrots, to save time)
2 medium onions, sliced
3 celery stalks, sliced
1 15 ounce can tomato sauce, or 1 6 ounce can tomato paste + 8 ounces of water
1 cup water
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Place the potatoes in the slow cooker first, then top with beef, carrots, onion and celery. In a bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Pour over the vegetables.

Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours, or until veggies and beef are tender.

Creamy Ham and Potato recipe

I discovered this recipe last week and made it twice in 3 days! I even doubled the recipe on the 2nd attempt because it is just that good.

Creamy Ham and Potatoes from Taste of Home magazine

4 medium red potatoes, thinly sliced
2 medium onions, chopped
1-1/2 cups cubed fully cooked ham
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp ground mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1-1/3 cup water
1 cup shredded cheddar, optional

In a slow cooker, layer potatoes, onion and ham. In a saucepan, melt butter, then stir in flour, mustard, salt, and pepper until smooth. Combine soup and water, gradually stir into flour mixture. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened and bubbly. Pour over ham.

Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours or until potatoes are tender. If desired, sprinkle with cheese before serving.

Yield: 4 servings.