simmered italian rice

recipe courtesy of swanson (campbellskitchen.com)

prep: 10 min; cook 25 min. makes 4 servings

1 3/4 cup chicken broth
1 tsp italian seasoning, crushed
3/4 c uncooked long-grain white rice (zataran's is my favorite)
1 cup chopped fresh spinach
1/2 cup grated parmesean cheese (i also add a random amount of romano)


1.  heat broth and italian seasoning in saucepan to a boil.
2.  stir rice and spinach in saucepan.  reduce heat to low.  cover and cook 20 min or until rice is tender.  stir in cheese.  add salt and pepper to taste, if desired.

quick and easy oven baked chicken parmesean

1lb fresh chicken breasts
panko (or regular) bread crumbs
jarred marinara sauce
mozzarella cheese
grated/shredded parmesan cheese
1 tsp dried oregano

1. salt and pepper both sides of chicken. cover both sides in bread crumbs and lay on a foil-lined (for easier clean-up) baking pan.

2. baked at 400 for 20 min or until cooked through. top each chicken breast with marinara sauce and cheeses. sprinkle with oregano. bake an additional 5 min or until cheese is melted (i usually then broil it for a few minutes to get the cheese yummy and brown).

as a side dish, i usually prepare fettuccini noodles and either toss them with some of the left-over marinara or with butter/parmesean/parsley.

new orleans red beans and rice

tradition is, you serve these on monday.

recipe adapted from emeril lagasse

serves 6-8; appx 4 hours cooking time after beans soak overnight.

16 oz dry red beans (camila)
2tbsp olive oil
1 c chopped onions
1/2 c bell pepper
1/2 c celery
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp thyme
2 bay leaves
2 links savoy sausage, sliced
1.5 tsp chopped minced garlic
32 oz chicken broth
water
rice (i love zatarans)

cover beans with water and allow to soak overnight. drain and rinse.

heat oil in large stock pot over med-high. saute onions, bell peppers, celery, salt, peppers, and thyme 5 minutes. add the bay leaves and sausage. saute 5-6 minutes. add beans, garlic, chicken broth, and enough water to cover the contents well. bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally for 2 hours. add more water if it becomes too dry or thick. use wooden spoon to mush 1/3 of beans to side of pot and cook 1.5 hours more until creamy and beans are soft.

serve over white rice and with cornbread on the side!

jamba juice pomegranate paradise

i found this online, but i'm not sure where...oops.

1 cup pomegranate juice blend (i used v8 fushion pomegranate-blueberry juice)
1/2 cup strawberries, frozen
1/c cup mangos, frozen
1/2 cup peaches, frozen
1/2 cup ice

mix all together in your blender and enjoy!

notes: this is EXACTLY like the one at the store. and it doesn't cost $4 for a serving. no added sugar, just pure tastiness!

pesto chicken florentine

recipe courtesy of allrecipes.com (adapted a bit)

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into strips
1 bag fresh spinach leaves
1 jar alfredo sauce (i used bertoli's light version)
2 tablespoons pesto
1 (8 ounce) package dry penne pasta (i used some veggie rice pasta i had on hand)
1 tablespoon grated Romano cheese

Directions

1. season chicken (salt, pepper, a little tony's) and cook in 1-2 tbsp heated oil for 7 to 8 minutes on each side.
2. remove chicken from skillet once cooked and place in foil, covered.
3. in same skillet, heat 1 more tbsp oil over medium. add garlic, saute for 1 min. add spinach and saute all together for 3 or so minutes.
4. add alfredo and 2 tablespoons pesto; set aside.
5. in a large pot of boiling water, cook pasta for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente. Rinse under cold water and drain.
Add chicken to sauce and then toss in pasta. top with cheese and serve.

notes; very easy and delicious! a variation i read on this said to top with diced tomatoes before serving. yum! oh, the possiblities...sun dried tomatoes, pine nuts...

also, it reheats beautifully. i even froze some. we'll see how that comes out when i use it on a busy night!

sugar-free pumpkin muffins

courtesy of http://ladonnamobile.wordpress.com/


1 and 3/4 cups of whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup apple sauce
1/2 cup honey
1/3 cup water
optional:
3/4 cup raisins or miniature semisweet chocolate chips–NOT milk chocolate which is too sugary–but this does add sugar to the recipe, though just a bit.

Mix wet and dry ingredients separately, then mix together until combined. Bake in muffin cups at 350 for 20-25 minutes.

notes: super easy, quick and wholesome recipe. the kids loved these, and i loved that they were so good for them. of course, i like some sugar in my muffins but these are great for the kids. packed them up and froze some of them for a rainy day.

bug's chocolate sheet cake

for the cake:
1 c butter
2/3 c water
1/2 c cocoa
1 tsp salt
2 c sugar
2 c flour
2 eggs
1 c buttermilk
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda

for the frosting, add the following together:
1/2c butter, melted
3 tbsp cocoa
2 c sifted powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3 tbsp milk
1 c finely chopped pecans (optional)

1. melt butter; whisk in water and cocoa.
2. add salt, sugar and flour.
3. in separate bowl, whisk eggs, milk, vanilla and baking soda
4. combine mixture and pour into a greased jellyroll pan (9x13).
5. bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes
6. ice while warm for glazy-type frosting (as shown) or cool completely for more traditional buttercreme texture.

this is super-moist and light. so, so, so tasty. don't expect it to rise much. i particularly love the texture with the pecans mixed in, but it's great either way. also makes a very pretty (very light) cupcake.