Lasagna

It's Friday, we're hungry for dinner already, let's make lasagna. Here is how you do it.

Ingredients: 

• Salt
• 1 pound lasagna noodle
• 1.5 pound of ground beef
• Italian Seasoning
• 1 large egg
• 1 pound ricotta cheese
• 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
• 2 Bottles of Italian Tomato Sauce (6 cups)
• 1 pound fresh mozzarella cheese, cut crosswise into 1/3 inch thick slices
• Extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the noodles and a generous pinch of salt and cook for half as long as the package suggests. Drain and float in cold water. (Skip this step if noodles are precooked.)
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, fry the sausage links until cooked through, about 10 minutes. With kitchen scissors, cut the sausage into disks in the pan and continue to fry over low heat until the cut surfaces are crispy, about 20 minutes. Drain off the fat.
• In a medium bowl, stir together the egg, ricotta, and 1/2 cup of the pecorino.
• To assemble the lasagna, spread 1 cup of the tomato sauce in the bottom of a greased 9-by-13-inch baking dish. 
• Drain and pat dry the noodles. Overlap one third of the noodles atop the sauce to cover the pan bottom. 
• Spread all the cooked beef over the noodles and spoon over another cup of sauce. Lay down the second third of noodles. 
• Evenly dollop all the ricotta mixture on top of the noodles and flatten with the spoon to make an even layer. 
• Top with the remaining noodles to completely cover the cheese. Pour over 1 1/2 to 2 cups sauce to cover. 
• Evenly lay all the mozzarella slices on top. 
• Sprinkle around the remaining 1/4 cup pecorino and drizzle with olive oil.
• Bake uncovered for 40 minutes, or until the lasagna is bubbling all over and lightly golden on top. Let rest for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing. 
•  Serve with grated cheese and warmed extra sauce at the table.

It seems like a lot of work, but it's worth the trouble. After you make this a few times it becomes second nature. Enjoy this with the family this weekend and wow them.

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Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas

Today I am going to share with you a recipe for homemade chicken enchiladas with green chile sauce and guacamole. Sounds like a lot huh? It's so easy though and so good to eat. This is also a great recipe to do for parties since the original recipe yields you about 8-10 enchiladas. So, let's get started.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons butter 
• 1/4 cup flour 
• 2-1/2 cups chicken broth 
• 1 teaspoon dried coriander
• 4 oz of minced green chiles
• 2 cups cubed cooked chicken
  
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 8 flour tortillas (8 inches)
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

• Cook chicken first before you start anything else. This will take around 45 minutes. Once chicken is done, cut in cubes and put aside to cool off. 
• Melt butter in a large saucepan. Stir in flour until smooth. Gradually add broth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in coriander and half of the chilies. 
• In a large bowl, combine the chicken, Monterey Jack cheese and remaining chilies.  
• Spoon 1/3 cup chicken mixture onto each tortilla; roll up. Place seam side down in an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Pour sauce over enchiladas. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese.
• Bake, uncovered, at 375° for 15-18 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted. 

I also like to guacamole on top of it to add some greens and nutrition to it. Here is my recipe for Guac.

• Take 3 large avocados and peel the skin off and throw seed away (Yes, I know I am very white for doing that.)
• Add 2 minced tomatoes, and 1/2 of a minced onion.
• Add a good amount of garlic salt. I never measured, but it's around a tablespoon.
• Add lemon juice.
• Add a little bit of minced cilantro.
• Mix up all up until there are no chunks and it is creamy.

I was very vague because everyone varies in what they think is perfect guacamole. So I will usually make it according to everyone's preference. This recipe should help you make an awesome bowl of guacamole. Put a big spoonful on one of the enchiladas and you are good to go! Tex Mex.

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Pasta Carbonara

Today I will show you how to make my popular Pasta Carbonara. It's a big hit with people of all ages and is pretty easy to make. Let's get started.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups uncooked penne
• 8-10 bacon strips, diced
• 5 oz fresh mushrooms
• 1 cup half-and-half cream 
• 1/2 cup butter, cubed 
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes 
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic 
• 6 to 8 drops hot pepper sauce 
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup sliced green onions 

Directions:

• Put penne in boiling water with tablespoon of salt for 8 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Using a slotted spoon, remove to paper towels to drain. Brown mushrooms in drippings; remove to paper towels. Drain drippings from pan into a container that can handle hot temperature. Put the grease in the fridge for an hour before discarding.
• Add the cream, butter, parsley, garlic, pepper sauce and salt to the skillet; cook and stir over medium heat until butter is melted. Drain penne; add to cream mixture. Stir in the bacon, mushrooms and cheese; heat through. Remove from the heat. Sprinkle with green onions. Done

This takes about 30 minutes to do and is great for families of 4. Enjoy.

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Frontier Potato Salad

TGIF! I decided this week that I was going to share my potato salad recipe that I created for my Mom's restaurant. When making this, I had certain requests I needed to follow. The first, was no egg. Whoa, potato salad with no eggs? OK. Also they wanted to use red potatoes instead of Yukon, which is no big deal really. They also weren't really a fan of traditional potato salad, so I needed to spice it up some, literally. It turned out great and they loved it. They eventually added bacon to it, but I think that's up to you. I'm going to share the non-bacon recipe but you can add bacon if you want. So here you go, try it out next time you BBQ.

Ingredients:

• 8 medium red potatoes
• 1 1/2 cups of real mayo
• 2-3 tablespoons regular mustard (depends if you want less mustard or not)
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 3 green onions (3 bulbs)
• 1 jalapeno
• 1/2 of a large onion
• 2 teaspoons of dill weed
• 1 teaspoon salt (kosher if you have it)
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon of paprika

Directions:

1. Cut potatoes into quarters, leave skin on.
2. Boil water and cook potatoes for 15-20 minutes or until skin starts to peel a little. Leave skin on though!
3. Chop green onions into small pieces.
4. Chop up dill weed, if needed.
5. Mince onions, use food processor if you need to get it that small.
6. Cut jalapeno open and de-seed it. Chop into small pieces, but not too small.
7. Get your 1.5 cups of mayo and 3 tablespoons of mustard ready
8. When potatoes are done, place in a big bowl.
9. Slightly mash up potatoes so there are no large chunks, but not so much that it turns into mashed potatoes.
10. Throw in mustard, mayo, green onions, onions, and jalapeno.
11. Add the salt, pepper, and 1 teaspoon of dill weed.
12. Slowly and carefully start to mix up everything, don't let it get too mashed potato like.
13. Add paprika and dijon mustard.
14. Mix one more time very gently.
15. Throw one teaspoon of dill on top to garnish.

And there you have it! A unique and yummy recipe that I created on my own. Make this at your next party and I'm sure people will love it. For my vegan friends, substitute the mayo with vegan mayo and you should be good to go.

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Black Bean Sliders

I think over the weekend I am going to make some black bean sliders in respect to my vegetarian friends. If you're reading this Moe, come over. I got this recipe from a page on Facebook. Check them out... https://www.facebook.com/VegetarianRecipes247

The burgers:

• 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp canola oil, divided
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium chipotle pepper, seeded & minced
• 3/4 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup cooked brown rice
• 1 1/2 tsp fresh lime juice
• 3 tbsp panko breadcrumbs
• 3 tbsp minced cilantro

The sauce: 

• 1 California avocado, chopped
• 1/4 cup minced cilantro
• 2 tbsp nonfat plain Greek yogurt
• 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 small chipotle pepper, seeded & minced
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 8 whole wheat dinner rolls, but in half
• 2 Roma tomatoes, sliced

Instructions 

The burgers:

• Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a medium skillet set over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until soft. Add garlic, chipotle pepper, cumin, salt and pepper. Saute for additional 2 minutes.
• Scrape the mixture into the food processor. Add black beans, brown rice and lime juice. Pulse until the beans are chopped, but not pureed.
• Scrape the black bean mixture into a large bowl. Add the breadcrumbs and the cilantro. Stir the mixture until combined.
• Divide the mixture into 8 equal portions (about 1/4 cup each) and form into patties. If the mixture is too moist to form patties, add more breadcrumbs.
• Place the patties on a baking sheet lined with plastic wrap and cover with additional plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
• Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in a large skillet (preferably not nonstick, so a good crust can form) set over medium heat. Add the patties and cook for 3 minutes per side. If the skillet is not large enough to fit all of the patties, cook them in two batches.

The sauce:

• While the patties are resting in the fridge, make the sauce.
• In the bowl of a food processor, combine the avocado, cilantro, yogurt, lime juice, olive oil, chipotle pepper and salt. Puree until smooth.

Assembling: 

• Divide the avocado sauce between the rolls (about 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon sauce per roll). Top each with one black bean patty and one slice of tomato. Serve.

Sounds like a lot of work but really it's just a bunch of ingredients to give the burger texture and flavor due to lack of beef. Comment below if you give this a try and I will do the same!

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Sweet and Spicy Chicken

TGIF! At this point, I'm going to stop apologizing for not posting everyday, my readers know I'm busy and can't post everyday, so there I said it. On to the food! Today on Foodie Fridays I am going to share a recipe I made this week called Sweet & Spicy Chicken. The family loved it and I think you will too. Let's get started.

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons taco seasoning (Get low sodium if you can find it)
• 1 pound of boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 2 tablespoons of canola oil
• 1 jar of chunky salsa (11 oz)
• 1/2 cup peach preserves
• Hot cooked rice

Directions:

• Place taco seasoning in a large resealable plastic bag; add chicken and toss to coat.
• In a large skillet, brown chicken in oil until no longer pink. Combine salsa and preserves; stir into skillet. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 2-3 minutes or until heated through. Serve on top of cooked hot rice.

Tell me that is not the easiest recipe ever?! It is also very delicious and you can double the ingredients and feed a ton of people. So next time you feel like some Chinese take out, opt for this healthier version instead and save some money. Hope you all have a great weekend! 

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Spicy Bacon Mac & Cheese

Friday, Friday! Yep it's that time of the week again. Work doesn't seem too bad, you are planning your weekend, and I am going to share a delicious recipe with you. This week I am going to talk about a dish I am going to try over the weekend. My friend Ram told me that one of his favorite foods is mac & cheese, and because he is a picky eater, I see this as a challenge to see if I can win his palette. I didn't want to just make a side dish of it, so I went for a main dish version which calls for bacon, mmmmm bacon, and some other exciting flavors. Let's see how we are going to make this bad boy.

What You Need:

• 3 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
• 1 pound bacon strips, chopped
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
• 1.5 cups 2% milk
• 1 cup shredded pepper Jack cheese
• 2 cups process cheese (Velveeta), cubed
• 1/2 cup shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• Dash hot pepper sauce
• 2 green onions, chopped 

 This Is How You Do It

• Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain and set aside.
• Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven or big pan, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Using a tongs, remove to paper towels; drain, reserving 1 tablespoon drippings. Saute jalapeno in reserved drippings. Add milk and cheeses to pot; cook and stir until blended. Stir in the onion powder, chili powder, salt, pepper and pepper sauce. Add the onions, cooked bacon and reserved pasta to pan; mix well.
• Transfer to a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Cover and bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Uncover; bake 10-15 minutes longer or until heated through. 

Pretty easy huh? It will also leave you with plenty of leftovers. I have had something similar before but a few things are new to me. I think this will be a great version of a classic favorite. I will update on how it went! Have a great weekend everyone.

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Baked Fish and Rice

TGIF! This is the last day of work until vacation for me. I might do a few posts next week, but definitely not one every day. I have much needed relaxing time with my family coming up! So today on Foodie Fridays, I am going to share a recipe I made last week that was really good and something different. Let's get started.

You will need:

• 1-1/2 cups chicken broth  - Try to use Low Sodium
• 1/2 cup uncooked long grain rice  
• 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning  
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder  
• 3 cups frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and drained  
• 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese  
• 1 can (2.8 ounces) french-fried onions, divided 
• 1 pound salmon
• Dash paprika 
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese 

This is how you make it:

• In a large saucepan, combine the broth, rice, Italian seasoning and garlic powder, bring to a boil. Transfer to a greased 11-in. x 7-in. baking dish. Cover and bake at 375° for 10 minutes. Add the broccoli, Parmesan cheese and half of the onions. Top with fish fillets; sprinkle with paprika.
• Cover and bake 20-25 minutes longer or until the fish flakes easily with a fork. Uncover; sprinkle with cheddar cheese and remaining onions. Return to the oven for 3 minutes or until cheese is melted. Yield: 4 servings.

Pretty easy to make and will fill you up quickly. Adding the broccoli really helps give you nutrients you need. If you ever try one of the recipes I post, let me know how you liked it. Hope you all have a great weekend!

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Chicken Alfredo and Biscuits

TGIF! The allergies are kicking me hard today. One thing I like when I don't feel good, is some home cooking. Today on Foodie Fridays I will show you how to make Chicken Alfredo and Biscuits. At first I wasn't sure how this would taste, but once I took a bite, it tasted just like chicken pot pie. Very good! So let's get down to business.

Here is what you will need:

• 2 cups chopped fresh broccoli
• 1-1/2 cups sliced fresh carrots
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cups cubed cooked chicken
• 12 ounces of Alfredo sauce
• 1 cup biscuit/baking mix
• 1/3 cup 2% milk
• 1/4 teaspoon dill weed 

Now here's how you make it:

• In a large skillet, saute the broccoli, carrots and onion in oil until crisp-tender. Stir in chicken and Alfredo sauce; heat through. Transfer to a lightly greased 8-in. square baking dish.
• In a small bowl, combine the baking mix, milk and dill just until moistened. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto chicken mixture.
• Bake, uncovered, at 400° for 18-22 minutes or until bubbly and biscuits are golden brown. Yield: 4 servings.

The hardest part about this is prep. After that it is a breeze and sure to be one of your favorite dishes. This is pretty healthy for you because of all the broccoli, carrots, and onions. Try to shoot for a low sodium alfredo sauce or make your own if you can. I would only recommend eating one serving a meal, because it will fill you up fast. Hope everyone has a great weekend. Let me know in the comment sections if you try one of the recipes and what you thought of it. Adios.

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Black Bean Enchiladas

Happy Easter everyone! I forgot to post my foodie recipe on Friday, so here it is! This week's recipe is for black bean enchiladas. I made this last night because my friend is a vegetarian and can never enjoy my wonderful cooking when he comes over. The original recipe called for chicken broth, but I took that out and added other things that I think make it even better and vegetarian-friendly. Let's get to it.

What you will need:

• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 medium green pepper, chopped
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 1/2 tablespoon cumin
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, rinsed and drained, divided
• 1-1/2 cups picante sauce, divided
• 12 flour tortillas (6 inches)
• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
• 1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 3 cups shredded lettuce
• 6 tablespoons fat-free sour cream

Here's how you make it:

• In a nonstick skillet, cook and stir onion and green pepper in water with cumin and salt
• for 2-3 minutes or until tender. Mash one can of black beans. Add to
• the skillet with 3/4 cup of picante sauce and other can of beans not mashed; heat
• through.
• Spoon 1/4 cup mixture down the center of each tortilla. Roll up and
• place, seam side down, in a 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish coated with
• cooking spray. Combine tomatoes and remaining picante sauce; spoon
• over enchiladas.
• Cover and bake at 350° for 15 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with
• cheeses. Bake 5 minutes longer. To serve, place 1/2 cup lettuce on 
• each plate and top with two enchiladas. Garnish each serving with 1
• tablespoon sour cream. Yield: 6 servings.
• 
  

Easy huh? And because it yields 6 servings, you will definitely have leftovers for tomorrow's lunch. Try this out if you want to try a delicious vegetarian meal that even the manliest of mans that live off meat would devour. 

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Chili Over Baked Potato

TGIF everyone! Time to share a yummy recipe with you all. This week I am sharing my Chili Over Baked Potato.This is great for many occasions and yields a lot of food. So let's get started!

First you will need:

• 1.5 lbs of ground beef
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 1 medium green pepper, chopped
• 1 can (28oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 can (16oz) chili beans, undrained
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 4-6 baked potatoes

Once you have everything, get started:

•  In a dutch oven or big pot, cook the beef, onions, and green pepper over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. 
• Drain the grease.
• Add tomatoes, beans, sugar, and seasonings.
• Bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat, simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes
• Serve on top of a hot baked potato.

Not too hard, right? This is a pretty healthy recipe for being something so delicious. You can also add butter to the baked potato before you pour the chili on. Have a great weekend and enjoy!

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Enchilada Casserole

TGIF everyone! I hope you are ready for the weekend as much as I am. On this week's installment of Foodie Friday's, I show you how to make Enchilada Casserole. I made this earlier in the week and my wife went crazy for it. It was even better as leftovers the next day. Let's get to it.

Here is what you will need:

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 large onion
• 2 cups homemade salsa
• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/4 cup Italian salad dressing
• 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 6 flour tortillas (8 inches)
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend
• 1 cup shredded lettuce
• 1 medium tomato
• 1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro

Once you have everything prepped, get to cooking!

• In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain.
• Stir in the salsa, beans, dressing, taco seasoning and cumin. 
• Place three tortillas in an 11-in. x 7-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. 
• Layer with half of the meat mixture, sour cream and cheese. Repeat layers. 

• Cover and bake at 400° for 25 minutes. Uncover; bake 5-10 minutes longer or until heated through. 
• Let stand for 5 minutes; top with lettuce, tomato and cilantro. 

Easy stuff huh? This is one of the easiest and most delicious meals I have made in a long time. The tortillas create a soft crust and the filling is so good. Make sure to rinse and drain the black beans, the extra juice in the can will mess up your filling. Also, make sure to drain the grease from the meat, or else the grease will surface while cooking and be unpleasant to look at.

Try this meal out next week or over the weekend for your family or friends. I guarantee they will love it! It is cheap and yields about 8 servings. Bon Appetit!

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Turkey Sliders

The first recipe I want to share is for Italian Turkey Sliders with Honey Dijon Mayo. I made this earlier this week and it was a huge hit with everyone. I found this recipe on a Disney website of all places, but it is perfect for families and groups because it yields a lot of food. The cost per slider should run you around 40 cents, so it is really affordable.

Here's what you need:

• 20 ounces lean ground turkey
• 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1 clove garlic - minced
• 1/2 teaspoon basil, dried
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano, dried
• 1 teaspoon salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 16 slider buns
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon honey Dijon mustard 

Once you have all the ingredients prepped, the rest is pretty easy.

1. Combine ground turkey, cheese and all seasonings. Mix together well.
2. Shape turkey into 16 small patties.
3. Place patties on a greased baking sheet.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F for 8 - 10 minutes or until cooked through. Be careful not to cook too long or they will become dried out.
5. Combine mayonnaise with honey Dijon mustard and stir until well blended.
6. Place on turkey patties on the rolls and top with honey Dijon mayo. 

Pretty easy huh? All the seasoning you add helps the turkey have flavor, because face it, turkey is super bland and not the most fun to eat unseasoned. Using turkey cuts your fat in half as opposed to using beef. I also used whole wheat slider buns because the fiber content was higher and is healthier than white bread. Multigrain buns are even a better choice if you can find slider buns that are multigrain. You can also use low-fat mayonnaise and low-fat Parmesan cheese. If you are watching your carbs heavily, then you can just take away the bun and it will still be a good meal, although it kind of takes away the fun of making sliders.

Try this out at home next week and let me know what you think.

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