Chicken Pot Pie with Cheddar Cheese Crust

My sweet girl Tori LOVES chicken pot pie...it is one of her top dinner requests! This pie not only tastes amazing, feeds a HUGE crew, but could not be any simpler to put together. The "Super Mom" shortcuts get dinner on the table fast(with out sacrificing taste or nutrition)! If you aren't feeding a crowd, divide the filling mixture into two 8x8" pans, top each with a crust and stick the extra one in the freezer for later.

For The Crust

2 Pilsbury Ready Made Pie Crusts (one box)
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese
1 tbsp half & half

For The Filling

1 Rotisserie Chicken, deboned and shredded*
3 cups chicken stock (homemade or store bought is fine)
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 medium onion diced
6 stalks celery, chopped
5 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 cup diced carrots
8 oz white mushrooms, sliced
small can sweet peas, drained
7 tbsp flour (white or wheat)
1/2 cup white wine
2/3 cup half & half
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 400. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter with olive oil. Add onions, celery, thyme, carrots, mushrooms and 1 tsp kosher salt & 1/2 tsp pepper. Stir and cook until veg is softened, about 6 minutes. Add flour, stir to coat veg and cook 2 minutes more. Add wine and cook until wine is almost evaporated, 1-2 minutes. Add chicken stock, half & half, poultry seasoning and garlic powder, stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally until thickened, about 5 minutes. Add chicken and peas. Stir, taste and correct seasoning with salt and pepper. Pour filling into a 13x9" baking pan. Set aside.

Roll both crusts out onto large cutting board (or clean countertop), overlapping in center. Using a rolling pin, roll crusts into a rectangle (roughly 15x11" in size). Fold in half and carefully lay crust over baking dish, unfold to cover filling. Press crust down to seal in filling and fold excess crust into baking dish. Pinch between thumb and finger to create edge. Brush crust with 1 tbsp half & half. Sprinkle with cheese and create 3-4 slits in crust with sharp knife. Bake pie 35 minutes or until bubbling and golden brown. Remove from oven and let sit 10 minutes before serving.

*You can use a rotisserie chicken, leftover roasted chicken or even that leftover holiday turkey.

Slow Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Apricots & Thyme

Anyone who knows me personally knows I am a bold in your face kind of girl...this attitude and gusto follows me into the kitchen and into the foods I enjoy the most and tend to serve my family...my kiddos have been eating Indian, Thai, Malaysian and Mexican food since they were tiny tots. My family loves flavor, plain and simple...we are so not a "vanilla" family!

I like my food like I like my music...loud and rocking!

This delish pork tenderloin does not fit that description...think of it as the ever present tender love ballad on your fave hard rock cd!

The pork is melt in your mouth tender...the sauce delicate...the apricots transform from dried and wrinkled to plump, soft, almost buttery bites of happiness. This dish is family friendly fare...everyone will enjoy it from your toddler to your big kids.

1/4 cup flour
generous pinch kosher salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
2 pork tenderloins, trimmed and silver skin removed
2 tbsp olive oil
1 small sweet onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup orange juice
3 cups dried apricot halves
2 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp fresh orange zest

In a gallon baggie, combine flour, salt and pepper. Add pork tenders, seal and shake to coat pork evenly.

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium high heat. Add pork tenders and cook until browned on all sides, turning frequently, 5-7 minutes. Transfer pork to slow cooker (or dutch oven*).

In same skillet you browned pork, saute onions until golden and soft, about 5 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook 1-2 minutes more. Add stock and stir scrapping up any brown bits. Pour stock mixture over pork tenders. Add orange juice, apricots and thyme. Cover and cook on low setting 4-6 hours, until pork is very tender.

When pork is done, remove tenderloins & apricots to a plate and keep warm. Pour sauce into pot and heat over medium heat. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes, until sauce thickens slightly. Add orange zest and mustard. Stir and cook 2 minutes more. Taste and correct seasoning with kosher salt and pepper. Slice pork and return to crock pot. Top with apricots and any accumulated juices. Serve immediatley.

*You can use your crock pot for this recipe or if your oven has a slow cook setting as mine does, a dutch oven. If you go the dutch oven route, you will not have to transfer the sauce at the end of recipe to reduce on the stovetop.

Albondigas (Mexican Meatball Soup)

This soup is delish!!! Even Mr. "Picky Pants" likes it...and that's saying something! You control the "spicy factor" by how much chile powder you add to the meatballs.

For The Meatballs

1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 tbsp olive oil
1 lb ground pork
1 lb ground turkey
2 eggs
1/2 sweet onion, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp fresh oregano, roughly chopped
2 1/2 tsp ancho chile powder
1 tsp cumin
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp freshly ground pepper

For The Broth

2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 sweet onion,chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp cumin
1 1/2 tsp minced chipotle chiles in adobo
6 cups chicken stock
1 can diced tomatoes
4 ribs celery, chopped
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup fresh (or frozen) corn kernels
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
1/4 cup roughly chopped cilantro
cooked white or brown rice, for serving

In a large mixing bowl, combine bread crumbs and stock. Stir to form a paste and set aside.

In a skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and saute until golden brown, about 7 minutes. Add garlic and cook another 2-3 minutes until garlic is fragrant and softened. Remove from heat and scrape into bowl with breadcrumb paste, let mixture cool about 5 minutes. Once cooled, add pork, turkey, eggs, oregano, chile powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Using your hands, thoroughly (but gently) mix together until well combined.

Cover bowl and let meat mixture rest in fridge at least 30 minutes.

While meat mixture is "chilling", heat 2 tbsp olive oil over medium heat in a dutch oven or stock pot. Add chopped onion and saute until golden brown, about 5-7 minutes. Add garlic, cumin and chipotle peppers. Stir and continue cooking 2 more minutes. Add chicken stock, tomatoes, celery, carrots and corn. Reduce heat medium low and simmer until veg is softened, about 30-40 minutes.

While broth is simmering, preheat oven to 350. Take meatball mixture out of fridge and shape into 1" meatballs. Place meatballs onto lightly oiled baking sheet. Bake meatballs until cooked through and golden brown, 20-25 minutes. Remove meatballs from oven and add to broth. Add lime juice and cilantro, stir and cook 5 minutes. Taste and correct seasoning with kosher salt & freshly ground pepper.

To Serve - Place about 1/2 cup rice in soup bowl. Ladle soup over rice and serve.

Simple and Oh So Heavenly Vanilla Butter Cream Frosting

I LOVE BUTTER CREAM FROSTING!!! There I said it...are you happy!?!? There is simply nothing like homemade butter cream. You can tint this lovely frosting with gel or paste food colors or use it as is.

3 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 stick salted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tbsp whipping cream


In stand mixer fitted with a whisk, mix together sugar and butter. Mix on low speed until well blended and then increase speed to medium and beat for 3 minutes.

Add vanilla and cream and continue to beat on medium high speed for 3-5 minutes more until frosting is thick and creamy.

Chocolate Truffle Tart...Can You Say Chocolate Heaven!?!?

It's that time of year again...as Thanksgiving (and Christmas) approach, I begin pouring over recipes old and new to add to the holiday dinner table. I found this recipe in one of my Gourmet Holiday magazines...it is 110% chocolate overload...and I love it!!! It is a keeper. This tart is so simple and elegant that it needs little adornment. You could easily serve it "naked" with a light dusting of cocoa powder. I like the lightly sweeted whipped cream because it cuts through the intense richness of the tart. The original recipe did not call for Teddy Grahams, but it's what I had in the pantry and the crust turned out fab using those cute little bears!

For The Crust

1 1/2 cups finely ground Chocolate Teddy Grahams (use your food processor)
6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled

For The Filling

1/2 lb good quality bittersweet chocolate (I use Scharffen Berger 62% cacao semi-sweet)
6 tbsp unsalted butter
2 large eggs
1/3 cup heavy whippping cream
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla

For Serving

Lightly sweetened fresh whipped cream
fresh berries

Preheat oven to 350. In a bowl, stir togehter cookie crumbs and melted butter. Pour crumb mixture into springform pan and pat evenly onto bottom of pan and 1 1/2" up the sides of pan. Bake 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool 15 minutes before filling.

While crust cools make ganache filling. Melt choclate and butter over low heat, stirring until completely smooth. Remove from heat and cool 5 minutes. Whisk eggs, cream, sugar, salt and vanilla in a bowl. Whisk in chocolate mixture until thoroughly blended.

Pour filling into cooled crust, spreading to edge with spatula. Bake until filling 1" from edge is set and firm and center still jiggles slightly when pan is shaken, 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on a rack for 2 hours. Cover loosley with plastic wrap and refrigerate 4 hours before serving.

When ready to serve, whip 1/2 heavy whipping cream with 1 tsp sugar. Slice tart and plate with a dollop of whipped cream and a few berries.

Better Than Almost-Famous Swedish Meatballs

This was dinner tonight...pure comfort food!!! My family loves, loves this recipe..I hope yours does too! The orignal recipe was Food Networks attempt to recreate Ikea's famous Swedish Meatballs...I played with it until my family said it was perfect...maybe even better than Ikea's...I'm just saying!

For The Meatballs

3/4 cup breadcrumbs
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1/3 cup minced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp allspice
2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly cracked pepper
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
3/4 lb ground turkey
1/2 lb lean ground pork
1 large egg plus one egg white, lightly beaten

For The Gravy

2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp flour
1 1/2 cups beef stock
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup cream (or half & half)
salt and pepper
Egg noodles, cooked according to package directions and kept warm for serving
Lingonberry jam for serving (optional)

To Make The Meatballs

Place breadcrumbs in a large bowl and set aside. In a medium skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, allspice, salt and pepper and cook, stirring often, until onion and garlic is softened, about 5 minutes. Add the milk and worcestershire sauce and bring to a simmer. Pour hot milk mixture over breadcrumbs. Stir to combine; let cool. Once cool, add the turkey, pork and egg and mix thoroughly. Cover bowl with platic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour. Remove mixture from fridge and shape into 1" meatballs. Place on a baking sheet sprayed with Pam cooking spray. Preheat oven to 400. Bake meatballs 20-25 minutes, unitl cooked through.

To Make The Gravy

While meatballs bake, melt butter in medium pan over medium heat. Add flour and whisk until smooth. Continue to whisk constantly until roux is pale golden brown. While still whisking, slowly add beef stock. Add worcestershire sauce and lower to a simmer. Add cream and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occassionally.Taste and correct seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.

To serve

Place a generous amount of noodles on plate. Top with 5-6 meatballs and ladle gravy over meatballs. Place a bowl of lingonberry jam at the table to serve with meatballs. My sweet girl Tori uses lingonberry jam like ketchup...dunks her meatballs in a ramekin filled with the darn stuff...whatever makes her happy!

Leonards's Chicken meets Hot Pockets Equals One Tasty Handheld Dinner

While reading my most recent edition of Food Network magazine, I came across a recipe for homemade "Hot Pocket" style sandwiches. Problem was that none of the mag's flavor combos were ever gonna fly with my kiddos! All were either too boring or too wierd....which got me to thinking, what would my family want in a homemade Hot Pocket...(besides gobs of flavor)? I refuse to buy the commercially made Hot Pockets much to my kids dismay...those things are plain nasty pockets of artifical flavors...blech!

Going thru all the possible flavor combinations, I had a lightbulb moment and decided to take my kids FAVE chicken dish (Leonard's Chicken), deconstruct it and voila...the Leonard's Hot Pocket was born! Juicy roasted chicken, baby swiss cheese and sweet & smoky Black Forest ham...yum to the max! The critics all gave them two thumbs up and Harrison even had one for a snack today after school. In this test recipe, I used white french bread dough, next time I am going to try whole wheat and see what the critics in my house have to say.

3 cups shredded chicken (rotisserie chicken rocks here)
1 1/2 cups shredded baby swiss cheese
1 cup julienned Black Forest ham ( I love Boars Head)
1/4 tsp fresh cracked pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp seasoned salt
flour for dusting
2 tubes refrigerated french bread
1 egg, lightly beaten with 1 tbsp water

Preheat oven to 425. Spray baking sheet lightly with Pam cooking spray. In a large bowl combine chicken, cheese and ham. Sprinkle spices over mixture and toss with hands to combine thorughly.
Open tube of dough and unroll on a lightly floured surface. Cut into 4 eqeual pieces, repeat with second tube of dough. Roll each piece of dough into a 6x8" rectangle, dusting with flouring to keep dough from sticking. Place a generous handful of filling mixture in center of each dough rectangle, pressing filling down slightly. Fold the two shorter sides of dough over filling to cover. Fold in the two long sides of the dough to form pocket. Pinch edges to seal. Place pockets, seam side down on baking sheet. Brush tops with egg wash and place in oven. Bake 15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and serve.

Korean Style BBQ Pork Ribs/Korean Tacos

If you can stick it in a tortilla my family will eat it! Not into the whole taco thing, serve the ribs on the bone with the slaw and other goodies on the side. Traditionally, Korean BBQ is made using Korean-style short ribs (beef chuck flanken, cut 1/3 to 1/2 inch thick across bones)...I had pork ribs in the fridge and sick kids...the beef would have to wait until another time!

3/4 cup soy sauce
3/4 cup water
3 tbsp white vinegar
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
2 tbsp honey (or Agave)
1 tbsp fresh cracked pepper
2 tbsp dark sesame oil
1/4 cup minced garlic (8-10 cloves)
6 green onions, sliced thinly (green tops and bulb)
3 pounds pork ribs (one rack)
sweet and sour slaw
chopped cilantro
lime wedges
go-chu-jang (Korean Sweet & Sauce) or Sriracha sauce
flour and/or corn tortillas


Sweet and Sour Slaw

2 cups cole slaw mix
1 cup julienned cucumber
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp sugar
generous pinch kosher salt

For The Ribs

In a glass bowl, whisk together all marinade ingredients. Place ribs in a gallon ziploc (cut rack of ribs in half to fit)and pour marinade over ribs. Seal bag and turn a over a few times to coat meat. Lay flat in fridge and marinate 24 hours.

When ready to cook, preheat gas grill to medium high. Place ribs on grill and cook 10 minutes, flip over and cook 10 more minutes. Turn flame off on one side of grill and move ribs to this side. Continue cooking ribs another 4-6 hours, until meat is tender. (you can also slow cook your ribs and finish on the grill...whatever works for you).

For The Slaw

While ribs are doing their thing...whisk together vinegar, sugar and salt in a small bowl. In a glass bowl combine cucumber and slaw mix. Pour dressing over slaw and toss to combine thoroughly. Cover and let sit in fridge until ready to serve.

When ribs are done, remove from grill and let rest 10 minutes. While ribs are chilling, warm tortillas, cut limes into wedges and coursely chop cilantro.

To Asemble Tacos

Shred some of the pork off the bone and pile in a tortilla. Top with some of the slaw and cilantro. Squeeze some lime juice over and drizzle with go-chu-jang...Enjoy!

Maple Apple Crisp

This dessert defines Autumn...apples, cinnamon, maple syrup...yum!!! Serve it warm with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream. The original recipe is from The Neeley's (of Food Network fame)...I tweaked and played around with it and love the results.

Filling

6 apples peeled, cored, chopped (I use 3 gala and 3 honey crisp), but use your fave apples
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
pinch kosher salt
1 tbsp pineapple juice
1/4 cup maple syrup

Topping

1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
8 tbsp (1 stick) chilled butter, cut into pieces
1/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350.

Butter a 9 by 13-inch baking dish. In a large glass bowl mix all the filling ingredients with the apples and toss to coat evenly. Spoon into the prepared baking dish.

In a food processor combine the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in large bowl. Pulse to blend. Pulse in the butter until mixture forms pea size lumps. Add the pecans and pulse 1 or 2 more times. Sprinkle over filling. Bake crisp for 45 to 50 minutes. Remove from oven and cool 15 minutes before serving.

Salisbury Steak with Mushroom Gravy...A Classic TV Dinner...Rox Style

When most of us think Salisbury Steak we think of those gray machine formed patties covered in brown goop from the Swanson TV dinners...blech!
Trust me, this is soooo not the Salisbury Steak from childhood! Even my picky eater gave this a two thumbs up! I served it tonight with creamy mashed potatoes and steamed brussels sprouts with a red wine vinegar reduction...YUM to the max!

For The "Steaks"

3 tbsp olive oil
6-8 large white mushrooms, finely diced (should be about 1/2 cup)
1/2 cup finely minced onion
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1 1/2 pounds ground sirloin*
3 eggs
1 1/4 cups fresh bread crumbs
1 1/2 tsp seasoned salt
1 tsp freshly cracked pepper
2 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tbsp worsterchire sauce

For The Mushroom Gravy

3 tbsp butter
4 tbsp flour
3 cups beef stock
1 lb sliced button mushrooms
1/4 cup sherry
1 tsp fresh cracked pepper
1/2 tsp seasoned salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder

Saute onions,diced mushrooms and garlic in 1 tbsp of the olive oil until softened and fragrant,about 5 minutes. Spoon out of pan and set aside to cool. In a large bowl, mix ground beef with cooled onion mixture, eggs, bread crumbs and next 4 ingredients. Using dampened hands, make 6 oval shaped patties, about 1 1/2" thick and saute in the remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil until golden brown on both sides. Remove from pan and keep warm. In large skillet melt butter and add flour and cook over low heat for 2-3 minutes until roux looks like wet sand. Begin to add stock 1/3 cup at a time, constantly whisking and bringing to a simmer each time making sure there are no lumps. Add mushrooms, sherry, pepper, seasoned salt, onion & garlic powders. Stir to combine and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Place patties in a roasting pan (I prefer my 13x9 glass baking dish) and pour gravy over patties and bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 45 minutes.

Serve with mashed potaotes, your fave veg and enjoy!

*You can use ground turkey or chicken if you are cutting back on your red meat.

Mojo Criollo Grilled Chicken with Black Beans & Rice

What does a girl do with a surplus of oranges??? Well...you make this amzing Cuban marinade (as well as last night's Orange Rosemary Pork Tenderloin)! Serve this tasty chicken with my quick and easy Black Beans and steamed rice.

6 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1/4 cup fresh squeezed lime juice,
1/2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp cumin
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp fresh cracked pepper

In a gallon size ziploc, combine marinade ingredients. Add chicken breasts. Seal bag and turn to coat chicken. Place bag in fridge and marinate at least 8 hours.

When ready to grill, preheat grill to medium heat. Grill chicken turning occassionally until cooked through and deep golden brown, about 18-20 minutes. Remove from grill and let chicken rest 5-7 minutes before serving.

Quick and Easy Black Beans

2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 small onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 15 oz can black beans
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes
2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp seasoned salt
1/2 tsp fresh cracked pepper
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp worcestershire sauce

In a dutch oven over medium heat, saute onions until softened, about 7 minutes. Add garlic and cook 2 minutes more. Add beans and tomatoes (with their juices) & remaining ingredients. Stir to combine. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, stirring ocassionally until beans have thickened, about 20-25 minutes. Taste and correct seasoning with kosher salt and pepper to taste. Serve over steamed rice as a side to Mojo Criollo Grilled Chicken.

Orange Rosemary Grilled Pork Tenderloin

2 pork tenderloins (about 2 lbs total), silver skin removed
1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 1/2 tbsp rosemary citrus rub*
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp fresh cracked pepper
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp olive oil

In a gallon size ziploc bag, combine all marinade ingredients. Seal and shake to combine. Place pork tenderloins in bag. Seal bag, turn to coat tenderloins and place in fridge. Let pork marinate at least 3 hours.

When ready to grill:

Heat gas grill to medium high heat. Remove pork from bag and gently shake to remove excess marinade. Reserve marinade. Grill pork 15 minutes (or until internal temp reads 140-145), turning once. While pork is cooking, pour reserved marinade into small saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer. Cook until sauce is reduced and thickened, stirring occassionaly. Remove pork from grill and cover loosely with foil and let rest 5 minutes. Slice pork and drizzle with some of the sauce. Enjoy!

*I use La Madeline restaurant brand Rosemary Chicken Seasoning. You can use any rosemary citrus based seasoning blend.

Red Wine Braised Beef Short Ribs with Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes & Sweet Peas

Ahhhhhh....feels sooooooo great to be back in the kitchen post surgery!!! Cooking for the ones I love is truly therapuetic! Think of this as a marriage between beef stew, shepard's pie and beef burgandy....can you say yum to the max!?

1/4 cup Olive Oil
3 lbs boneless beef short ribs
kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper
1 small sweet onion, chopped
2 handfuls baby carrots, cut into halves
3 stalks celery, sliced into 1" pieces
1/4 cup sherry
5 cloves garlic, minced
6 sprigs fresh thyme
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1 bay leaf
3 cups beef stock
2 cups red wine (Shiraz, Zin or Pinot Noir is best)
14 1/2 oz can diced tomatoes with juice
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 packet McCormick Reduced Sodium Brown Gravy Mix

Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes for serving

1 can sweet peas, drained and heated thru for serving


Preheat oven to 350. In a large dutch oven heat olive oil over medium heat. Pat ribs dry with paper towels and season with salt & pepper. Cook ribs, in batches, until browned. Remove ribs to a plate. Add onion, carrots and celery to pot and deglaze with sherry, making sure to scrape up the browned bits on bottom. Cook veg until sherry is almost completely cooked off, 4-5 minutes. Add garlic, thyme, bay leaf, oregano and rosemary and stir until garlic is fragrent. Add wine, stock, tomatoes and vinegar. Stir and bring to a boil. Cover pot and place in oven. Cook 2 1/2-3 hours or until meat is tender. Remove from oven and place on stove top. Remove ribs and most of veg from pot; cover and keep warm. Remove & discard thyme and bay leaf. Add gravy packet to dutch oven, stir to dissolve. Simmer sauce until reduced and slightly thickened, about 30 minutes. Return ribs and veg to pot and warm thru. Taste and correct seaoning with salt and pepper. To serve - in a pasta or soup bowl place a generous spoonful of mashed potatoes. Place 2-3 ribs on top of potatoes and ladle some sauce & veg over top. Sprinkle about 1/4 cup peas over dish and serve.

Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes

6-8 large buttergold potatoes, scrubbed, peeled and cut up
kosher salt
freshly ground pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
buttermilk
4 tbsp butter

Place potatoes in large pot of salted water. Heat over medium heat and cook until potatoes are tender, about 25 minutes. When potatoes are cooked thru, remove from stove top and drain into large colander. Return potatoes to pot. Add 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, garlic powder and butter. With potato masher, mash potatoes and incorporate butter & seasonings. Add 1/2 cup buttermilk. Stir to combine. If potatoes are stiff, add 1/4 cup buttermilk (at a time) until desired consistency is reached. Taste and correct seasoning with salt and pepper.

Linguine with Roasted Veg & Almond Pesto...YUM!

This wonderful side dish from Fine Cooking (or main dish on Meatless Mondays)is great paired with a juicy Ribeye, herb roasted chicken, even grilled salmon.

Kosher salt
3/4 lb. asparagus, trimmed
2 cups grape tomatoes
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
2 tbsp. finely grated Paremesan
1 lb. dried linguine
Freshly ground black pepper


Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and heat the oven to 425°F. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil over high heat.

Arrange the asparagus in a single layer on one half of a large rimmed baking sheet. Arrange the tomatoes on the other half of the sheet. Drizzle both with 1 Tbs. of the oil, season with 1/4 tsp. salt, and toss to coat. Roast on the top rack until the tomatoes have collapsed and the asparagus are bright green, about 20 minutes.

While the vegetables roast, put the almonds on another rimmed baking sheet and toast on the bottom rack, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and lightly browned, 10 to 12 minutes.

Reserve 1 heaping Tbs. of the almonds for garnish and put the remaining almonds in a food processor. Remove the tips from the asparagus and set aside. Roughly chop the remaining asparagus and add to the food processor along with the basil, cheese, 1/2 tsp. salt, and the remaining 3 Tbs. olive oil. Pulse until a coarse paste forms, about 10 seconds. Season to taste with salt and pepper and transfer to a large serving bowl.

Cook the linguine in the boiling water according to package directions until al dente. Drain the pasta and reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water. Add the pasta to the pesto and toss to coat. If necessary, add some or all of the reserved cooking water to loosen the pesto to a saucy consistency. Garnish with the tomatoes, asparagus tips, and reserved almonds, and serve.

Getting Back To Simple... a Mother's Promise... and Italian Sausage, Lentil & Spinach Stew with Grilled Parmesan Toast

I was sitting at the lake Shack on Labor Day and my heart sank as the cloud of smoke on the horizon grew larger and larger…a wildfire was now rushing through the Montgomery area. By the grace of God, our area was spared. Many others were not so lucky…their homes gone… families left to sift through the ashes in hopes of finding any simple piece of the life they knew.
The billowing smoke brought back memories of 9/11…watching that plane hit the second tower and later that day being witness to the towers falling…the smoke and ash that filled the skies haunted me then and continue to haunt my mind now. That day in September changed our lives as a nation forever...I held tight to my children that day and thanked God for all the simple pleasures in my life…a hug from my sweet baby boy (he was three at the time), the gentle cooing sounds that Tori made as she drifted to sleep in my arms (she was 10 months old), hearing my husband whisper “love you” in my ear every morning before leaving for work. My heart was heavy for the families that would never again enjoy such simple moments with the ones they love.
The wildfires ravishing my beautiful state and the tenth anniversary of 9/11 made me take a step back and ask myself, “Rox, are you taking the time to enjoy the simple things life has to offer”. Unfortunately, my answer was a resounding “no”…in the fast paced, rush from activity to activity life we all lead, the simple moments had been pushed aside. If you are reading this, you are most likely nodding in agreement. I prayed and promised God to do my best not to overlook the simple beauty in my world.

Earlier this week when Emily rushed into the room thrilled to show me her latest loose tooth, I had to remind myself of my promise and how that simple loose tooth was so very important to my little girl and instead of half way paying attention to her because I was cooking dinner, I stopped what I was doing, hugged her and did a happy dance right in the middle of our kitchen. I shared in her enthusiasm of an impending visit from the Tooth Fairy.

We tend to focus on the “big bang” moments in our lives and unfortunately the simple moments get lost in the shuffle. As Emily would say, “that makes God sad”. It makes me sad too…life doesn’t always need to be extravagance, over-the-top, gourmet…after all, at the end of the day are you going to cherish the bling, the glitz, the gourmet meal or the sound of your children breathing as they sleep?

The kitchen tie to this post is a simple one…dinner for your family doesn’t need to be a “black tie” affair every night. Sure, I love, love to prepare gourmet meals for my family, but I also enjoy pulling together simple kitchen staples that when simmered together create a delicious (and yes, simple) Italian Sausage, Lentil & Spinach stew for my family to enjoy…combine that with a (all together now…simple) grilled Parmesan toast for a simply wonderful dinner.

Italian Sausage, Lentil & Spinach Stew with Grilled Parmesan Toast

The original recipe is from Rachel Ray. I tweaked it and love the results!

For The Stew:
1 tbsp. Olive Oil
1 lb. bulk sweet Italian sausage
1 small onion, chopped
3 large carrots, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp. freshly minced Rosemary
3 sprigs fresh Thyme
1 cup lentils, rinsed and drained
4 cups chicken stock
1 14oz can diced tomatoes
3 generous handfuls of baby spinach
¼ cup sherry
Salt and freshly ground pepper

For The Parmesan Toast:
1 loaf of your favorite French bread, sliced into 1 1/ 2" slices
Softened butter
1 cup finely grated Parmesan Cheese

In a large Dutch oven or stock pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the sausage, breaking up meat with back of a large spoon and cook until browned; transfer to a plate with slotted spoon. Add onion and carrots to pot. Cook veg until softened, about 5 minutes. Add minced garlic, rosemary & thyme and stir. Cook until fragrant, 1-2 minutes. Add stock, tomatoes (& their juice) and lentils. Cover the pot and simmer until lentils are tender 30-45 minutes. Once lentils are tender, add sausage,spinach and sherry and continue cooking another 5 minutes. Taste for seasoning and correct to taste with salt and pepper. Remove thyme sprigs before serving. Ladle stew into bowls and serve with Parmesan toast...Enjoy!

Parmesan Toast

Heat a large griddle or skillet to medium heat. While pan is heating, butter each slice of bread on one side. Place parmesan on a plate and press bread, butter side down into cheese. Lift bread slice and gently shake to remove excess cheese. Place bread slices, cheesy side down onto griddle. Cook until golden brown, 5-7 minutes. Serve warm with stew.

"Kick The Canned Sauce To The Curb" Sloppy Joes

As the title suggests...once you try this from scratch sloppy joe recipe, you will never use canned sauce again!
My kiddos gave dinner two thumbs up and had no clue what they were scarfing on was actually healthier and better for them...love it when that happens! The orginal recipe is from Rachel Ray, I played around and gave it my own tweaks.

1 small onion, roughly chopped
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded & roughly chopped
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1 tbsp olive oil
1 lb ground sirloin
2 tsp chili powder
2 cups tomato puree*
2 tbsp packed dark brown sugar
1 tbsp worcheshire sauce
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp kosher salt
burger buns

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the chopped onion & pepper. Cook until softened, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook until garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. Add ground sirloin to skillet and break meat up with a spoon. Cook until meat is browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in chili and garlic powder.
Add tomato puree, brown sugar, vinegar,worcheshire and salt. Stir to combine. Reduce heat and simmer until sauce thickens, 15-20 minutes. Spoon mixture onto burger buns and serve...Enjoy!

*You will find tomato puree right next to the tomato sauce, paste and canned tomatoes. It will be in a glass jar...not a can.

Pan Grilled Salmon with Tuscan Butter

2 center cut salmon fillets
2 tsp lemon pepper & herbs seasoning
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp kosher salt
Olive Oil Spray - I LOVE Terra Creta brand, find at HEB, Whole Foods.
Tuscan Butter - store bought or make your own.**
1/2 stick butter, softened
1-2 cloves garlic, minced (depending on how much you love garlic)
1 tsp Italian Herbs

Tuscan Butter

In a small bowl, combine the butter, minced garlic and Italian herbs. Stir to combine, cover and place in fridge.


Preheat medium skillet over medium heat. Spray (or brush, if you don't have spray) fillets with olive oil. Sprinkle lemon pepper, garlic powder & kosher salt evenly over fillets. When pan is heated, add salmon, skin side up and cook until deep golden brown, about 5-7 minutes. Turn fillets over (now skin side down) and cook 5 more minutes. Reduce heat to medium low and place a generous tbsp of tuscan butter on top of each fillet. Cover skillet with lid and continue cooking until salmon flakes easily with a fork, about 10-12 minutes. Remove fillets using wide spatula and serve with addtional Tuscan butter, if desired.

**Challenge Brand Tuscan butter is great! I use it all the time. Perfect on pasta, steaks, veges...it's all good!

Yakitori Marinated Flank Steak

Another tasty marinade for the ever popular flank steak. You can also use skirt steak, sirloin, pork tenderloin, even chicken breasts...whatever makes you happy!


For The Marinade

1/2 cup Mirin
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 tbsp fresh grated ginger
1 tsp minced garlic

1 1/2 lb flank steak
2 tsp toasted sesame seeds, optional

Combine marinade ingredients in medium sauce pan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

When marinade has cooled, pour into a gallon size ziploc bag. Add steak, seal bag and turn gently to coat steak. Place in fridge 8 hours and upto 24 hours.

When ready to grill, heat grill to medium high heat. Remove steak from bag and shake off excess marinade. Discard marinade. Grill steak 7 minutes and turn over. Continue grilling another 7-10 minutes, or until steak is cooked to desired doneness. Remove from grill and let rest 5-7 minutes. Cut steak against the grain into thin slices. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds* and serve.

*To toast sesame seeds, heat a small skillet over medium high heat. Add seeds and shake pan gently as seeds begin to toast. This will take 2 minutes max. Pour hot seeds onto a plate to cool.

Carmelita Bars

These cookie bars are gooey, buttery, chocolately happiness! One bite is sure to make you smile even on the worst of days!

2 cups flour
2 cups oats
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups butter, melted
12 oz bag chocolate chips ( I use semi-sweet,but you can use milk choc,or a combination of both)
1 17 oz jar caramel topping (use your fave brand)
1/2 cup chopped pecans, optional

Preheat oven to 325. In large bowl, mix flour, oats, brown sugar, baking soda, salt, and melted butter. Spray a 9x13 baking pan (I prefer glass) with Pam non stick spray and press half the oat mixture over bottom of pan. Bake for 17 minutes. Remove from the oven and cover equally with chocolate chips,caramel topping and pecans(if using). Crumble the rest of the oat mixture over the top and bake for another 17 minutes. Cool on a bakers rack for at least 3 hours before cutting into 24 bars.

Butterfly Dressing - A Salad Dressing even Your 10 Year Old Will Love!!!

A dear friend of mine introduced this yumm-o Italian dressing to me a few weeks ago when she came for dinner....it was FABU!!! Tori and her friend Ashley couldn't quit eating the darn salad...SERIOUSLY...imagine two 10 year old girls fighting over salad!!!

I asked for the recipe and my friend (who wants to remain anonynmous) sent it to me..she told me "please don't mention my name...knowing you love it is mission accomplished". I am flattered...really flattered!!! This friend means the world to me and since I know just how much butterflies mean to her...I have named this yummy dressing, you guessed it..."Butterfly Dressing". I love it over a simple salad of baby spinach, mandarin oranges and honey roasted almond slices...oh so good!

Butterfly Dressing

1 package Good Seasonings dry Italian Dressing seasoning
1 Tablespoon Sugar
Original Rice Vinegar
Vegetable Oil (I use Canola)


Combine equal parts of Rice and Oil (I use 1/2 cup of each), use 1/2 package of Italian dressing, add sugar and shake well. Pour lightly over salad right before serving and enjoy.

Lake Shack Corn Dip

This dip is oh so tasty!!! Perfect for snacking on while hanging at the lake with your best girlfriends :)

I served it for a party the other night and everyone wanted the recipe...super easy, fast and yumm-o to the max! Make a batch to enjoy with the ones you love, they will be glad you did!

2 cans Mexicorn, well drained
1 cup mayo
1/2 cup sour cream
1 small can chopped green chiles,(I prefer Hatch chiles)
1/2 small can diced jalepenos
16 oz package shredded mild cheddar cheese
generous pinch of sugar

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Cover and chill for about hour to blend flavors. Serve with tortilla chips and enjoy!

Simple Grilled Skirt Steak

Who can't use another super easy and tasty skirt steak marinade/recipe?! Not into skirt steak...no worries, use flank, hanger, sirloin or what ever makes you happy.

2 lbs. skirt steak, cut into two 8-10" pieces
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup veg oil
4 cloves garlic, minced

Put steaks into gallon zipoc, add all marinade ingredients. Seal and shake gently to combine marinade and coat steaks. Refrigerate steaks, turning bag over occasionally for 8-24 hours (depending on how much time you have).

When ready to grill, heat grill to medium high heat. Remove steaks from marinade and grill 5-8 minutes per side or until cooked to desired doneness. Remove from grill and let steaks rest 5-7 minutes before serving. Slice steaks against the grain, holding knife at a 45 degree angle.

Happy Camper Ice Cream Sandwiches

My sweet 12 year old just came home from being at camp for two weeks and he had a blast! One of his favorite treats was chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwiches...he requested I make them for dessert last night. You can make your own cookie dough, buy it from the store or use the last tub from your kids school fundraiser...truly doesn't matter... just grab your kids, some cookie dough, your fave ice cream and make a batch together!

1 half gallon of your fave ice cream (I used Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla)
1 batch fresh baked chocolate chip cookies, cooled completely
1 bag mini chocolate chips

Pour mini chips onto a plate and set aside. Soften ice cream in microwave for 20-25 seconds. Place one scoop of ice cream on flat side of cookie, top with another cookie and press gently together. Roll edges of cookie sandwich in chocolate chips. Wrap in waxed paper, place in ziploc and put in freezer to firm up (about 30 minutes). Remove from freezer and enjoy!

You can switch all of the goodies in this recipe to suit your family's tastes. You can roll your treats in anything that floats your boat...crushed oreos, mini m&m's, graham cracker crumbs, sprinkles, toasted nuts.

Try:
oatmeal raisin cookies with cinnamon ice cream
chocolate chip with chocolate or coffee ice cream
sugar cookies with strawberry ice cream
peanut butter with chocolate ice cream
snickerdoodles with butter pecan ice cream

Buttermilk Brined Panko Crusted Onion Rings

I made these last night to serve with big juicy cheeseburgers...talk about yumm-o! I created this "in my head" yesterday, so please forgive me if the recipe seems to ramble...I typed it as it came to me. I have always made beer batter rings in the past, but so love the crunch of Panko, I came up with what you are reading here.

3 or 4 large onions (I used Vidalias)
1 quart buttermilk
Seasoned salt
Fresh cracked pepper
Garlic powder
Kosher salt
3 cups flour
3-4 cups Panko
Veg Oil

Peel onions, cut off ends and slice into 1/4" slices. Seperate into individual rings. Place rings in gallon ziploc. Pour buttermilk over onions, add 1 tsp seasoned salt & 1 tsp pepper. Seal bag and shake to combine. Refrigerate at least 4 hours.

In glass baking dish, combine flour, 2 tsp seasoned salt, 1 tsp pepper and 1/2 tsp garlic powder. Stir with whisk or fork to blend. Pour Panko into another baking dish and season with 1 tsp kosher salt. Take your onion rings out of fridge and pour off half the buttermilk into another baking dish. Drain rings in a colander.

Dip each onion ring into seasoned flour, shake off excess and dip in buttermilk brine then into Panko, gently pressing Panko onto ring. Place onion rings on large rimmed baking sheet and once all rings are coated, let rest on baking sheets 20 minutes.

While rings are resting, heat 1 1/2 " to 2" veg oil in large skillet over medium high heat. Oil is ready when it begins to "pop" (about 7 minutes or so). Preheat oven to 200 degrees.

When oil is ready place 4-5 rings in hot oil and fry until golden brown about 1 minute), turn rings over with wooden skewer or chopsticks and fry another 30 seconds to 1 minute. Remove rings and drain on paper towel lined plate. Place cooked rings on large baking sheet and keep warm in oven while frying remaining rings.

Serve with homemade Honey Mustard dressing (here on blog) or what ever dipping sauce makes you happy!

Mexican Seafood Cocktail

I love this refreshing seafood cocktail especially during Houston's hot summers! It makes a wonderful party dish.
For my recipe challenged friends, please don't get daunted by the multiple steps in this recipe! It comes together quite easily and effortlessly...I promise!


For The Sauce

1/4 cup green olives, chopped*

1/3cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup ketchup

1/2 cup chile sauce

1 tablespoon fresh oregano

1/4 cup parsley, chopped

1 teaspoon serrano pepper, seeded and chopped

1/4 cup lime juice

1 cup Clamato juice



For The Pico

1/2 cup tomatoes, seeded and diced

1/4 cup white onion, diced

1 teaspoon garlic, minced (about 2 cloves)

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

1/2 teaspoon salt



For The Seafood

1 1/2 avocadoes, peeled and diced

1/2 cup Anaheim Chiles, roasted, peeled and diced**

1 1/2 lb. shrimp, boiled and peeled ( cut larger shrimp in half)***

1/2 lb. lump crabmeat (buy the freshest you can find - can't find it in your local market...skip the crab & add another 1/2 lb. shrimp)



In food processor or blender, combine all sauce ingredients and puree, scrapping sides down with spatula as needed.

In glass bowl, combine pico ingredients. Pour sauce over pico and stir to combine. Gently fold in shrimp and crab. Cover and refrigerate over night.

Two to three hours before serving dice avocado and fold into seafood mixture.

When ready to serve you can serve individual cocktails in tall sundae or parfait glases. For large gatherings, serve in your prettiest crystal bowl. Serve with warm tortilla chips.

*Remove pimento from olives before chopping.

** Heat grill to high heat and roast chilies until blistered and black on all sides. Remove from grill and place chilies in large ziploc. Seal and let peppers rest 5 minutes. remove from bag and peel away charred skin. Cur stem off and split chilies open to remove seeds. Now you are ready to use in recipe.

*** I buy peeled (I loathe peeling shrimp) RAW shrimp. NEVER buy the already cooked ones...they are always mealy and overcooked. To prepare shrimp for this recipe, I bring a large pot of water to a boil with 1 tsp Tony Chachere seasoning. Add shrimp and cook just until shrimp float to top (3-5 minutes). Remove from heat and pour shrimp into large colander in sink. Immediatley place shrimp in a bowl and place in fridge to cool.

BBQ Pork Burgers with Slaw & Caramelized Onions

This amazing burger got rave reviews last night!!! Think McRib....only a whole lot tastier and not made with mystery ingredients! Served on homemade burger buns (see previous post for recipe), your whole family will say "Thanks Mom".

1/4 cup mayo (or plain greek yougurt)
1 tbsp milk
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
pinch kosher salt
2 cups packaged cole slaw (I LOVE Rainbow Mix)
1 cup your fave BBQ sauce
pinch cayenne pepper
1 tsp Mesquite Seasoning (I use Goode Co. Mesquite Shake)
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 lbs ground pork
1 large Vidalia onion, sliced into thin rings
1 tbsp butter

For The Slaw

Whisk together mayo, milk, 1 tbsp of the vinegar, black pepper, sugar and pinch of salt. Add slaw mix and stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate up to 8 hours.

For The Caramelized Onions

In a large skillet over medium low heat melt butter. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, unitl onions are deep golden brown, about 35-40 minutes. Remove from heat until ready to serve.

For The Burgers

Heat grill to medium high heat.

In small bowl, whisk together bbq sauce, remaining tbsp vinegar, cayenne pepper, mesquite seasoning and garlic powder.

In another bowl, combine ground pork and 1/3 cup bbq sauce. Gently mix with hands to combine. Shape into 6 patties.

Place burgers on grill and brush with some of the remaining bbq sauce. Cook, turning once until cooked through, about 7 minutes per side, basting with sauce.

To Serve

Rewarm onions over low heat during last few minutes burgers are cooking.
Toast buns if desired. Place a burger on bottom half of bun. Top with some of the slaw and onions. Add top half of bun and serve.

Homemade Burger Buns

Tori had a blast helping make these tasty buns! This recipe is so darn easy to make, you may never buy buns from the store again...seriously!

To Make The Dough

1 1/4 cups whole milk
1cup heavy cream
1/4 cup warm water
1 pkg dry active yeast ( or 2 1/4 tsp jarred yeast)
1/4 cup sugar
5 cups flour
2 tsp salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Bring milk and cream to a bare simmer and remove from heat. Let cool until it reaches 105-115 degrees.
In stand mixer, stir together warm water and yeast, let sit 5 minutes.
Add milk mixture, sugar, flour and salt to yeast mixture and with paddle attachment, mix at low speed, just until flour is incorporated. Increase speed to medium and beat 6 minuutes. Dough will be sticky.

Place dough into a large oiled bowl( I use olive oil spray) and turn dough to coat with oil. Cover with a clean cotton (not terry cloth) dish towel and let rise in a warm spot until double in size, about 2 hours.

To Make The Buns

Butter two large baking pans. Punch dough down (Tori's favorite part), then roll out on a floured surface with flour coated rolling pin into a 14" circle (about 1/2" thick). Cut out as many rounds with a 3" cutter (I use a drinking glass), arranging buns on baking pans, 3" apart. Reroll scraps, then cut out more rounds.

Cover pans with lightly oiled plastic wrap and let rise 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until dough holds a finger mark when gently pressed.

Preheat oven to 375. Brush buns lightly with some of the egg. Bake buns untl golden brown on top and bottom and sound hollow when tapped, 20-25 minutes. Remove first pan from oven and repeat with second pan. Remove buns from baking pan and let cool on racks.

***you can also use a bread machine to make your dough. Place ingredients into machine, set to dough mode and turn machine on. From here follow recipe...blend until flour is just incorporated, using a spatula to scrape sides down. after machine takes its "dough rest break" (lasts about 2 minutes, depending on your machine) let machine beat dough for 6 minutes, turn off machine and proceed to next step in recipe.

Pollo a la Brasa aka Grilled Peruvian Chicken

Tori and I made this for dinner last night and it was FANTASTIC!!!

I always so enjoy cooking with my children...it really brings us together and gives me a chance to spend wonderful quality time with them. Harrison is off at camp for another week, Emily has VBS this week....so, it was just Mom and Tori. She helped me shop for our ingredients and when we got home went right to work creating the marinade for this dish. I cut up the chicken while she enjoyed smelling all the spices involved... the earthiness of cumin, the smoky sweetness of paprika and the minty-ness of the oregano. Once she tossed everything in the blender and hit the on button, the kitchen smelled heavenely!!!

Everyone agreed that this chicken is a keeper! Tori served it with steamed green beans, a simple rice pilaf and extra lime wedges for squeezing on our chicken at the table.

Peruvian Grilled Chicken

1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tbsp fresh squeezed lime juice
5 cloves garlic
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp paparika (NOT hot paprika)
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 tbsp veg oil
1 whole chicken, quartered (about 3 1/2 - 4 lbs)
lime wedges

Blend soy sauce, lime juice, garlic, cumin, paprika, oregano and oil in blender.

Place cut up chicken in a gallon ziploc and pour marinade over chicken. Seal bag and turn to coat. Place in fridge and marinate 8 hours or overnight.

Preheat grill to medium high heat & oil grill rack. When grill is ready, remove chicken from marinade and place chicken skin side down on rack. Grill 15-20 minutes per side, turning occasionally and moving chicken around until cooked through and well browned. Serve with lime wedges.

Weeknight Shrimp Scampi

Kosher salt
1/2 lb linguine
1 lemon
1 lb. extra-large (26 to 30 per pound) shrimp, peeled and deveined
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp unsalted butter
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/8 to 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
2 Tbs. thinly sliced green onions


Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil over high heat. Cook the linguine in the boiling water according to package directions until al dente. Reserve about 3/4 cup of the cooking water and then drain the pasta.

Meanwhile, finely grate 1-1/4 tsp of zest from the lemon and squeeze 2 tbsp of juice. Toss the shrimp with 1/2 tsp of the zest and 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper.

In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat until the foam subsides. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until the garlic just begins to brown, about 1 minute. Add the shrimp and cook until just opaque, about 3 minutes. Add the wine and lemon juice, bring to a boil, and cook until slightly reduced, 1 minute.

Add the drained pasta, mascarpone, and 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Toss well, adding more cooking water as needed, until the pasta and shrimp are coated and the sauce looks creamy. Remove from the heat. Toss in the remaining 3/4 tsp. lemon zest and the green onions. Correct seasoning with additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve with a salad and plenty of warm bread...Enjoy!

Quick and Easy Chicken Piccata

8 boneless, skinless chicken breast cutlets
Kosher salt
Fresh cracked black pepper
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
3 tbsp capers, rinsed & chopped
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
3/4 cup chicken stock (homemade or storebought)
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice, plus more to finish dish to taste
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 tbsp unsalted butter


Season the chicken with 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add as many cutlets as will fit in a single layer and cook until lightly browned on both sides and just cooked through, 1 to 3 minutes per side. Remove chicken to a plate and tent with foil. Repeat with the remaining chicken, adding another tbsp of oil between batches if needed.

Reduce the heat to medium and add the capers, garlic, and the remaining 1 tbsp oil to the pan. Cook, stirring, until the garlic softens and becomes fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the chicken broth and lemon juice, raise the heat to high, and cook, stirring, until the mixture reduces by about half, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove pan from heat and sprinkle in half of the parsley and the butter and season with more lemon juice, salt, and pepper to taste. Spoon sauce over the chicken cutlets, sprinkle with the remaining parsley, and serve.

Summer's Harvest Pasta Salad

This is not your traditional chilled pasta salad, although leftovers taste great straight from the fridge!

6 slices bacon
1 lb. corkscrew, bowtie or penne pasta
3 ears of corn, kernels cut from cob
1 1/2 lbs. zuchini, chopped into 1/2" pieces
3/4 cup of your fave pesto *
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan
kosher salt
fresh cracked pepper

Fry bacon in a large skillet over medium heat, turning occasionally, until crisp. Remove and drain on paper towels.

Cook pasta in large stock pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, then add veg to pot with pasta and cook two more minutes. Drain and set aside.

In large skillet over medium heat, combine pasta/veg, pesto and 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water tossing to coat pasta/veg with pesto. Season to taste with salt and add additional pasta water to moisten (if needed). Top with crumbled bacon, parmesan cheese and a generous amount of fresh cracked pepper.

* You can use homemade pesto or store bought...my fave brand is Texafrance Traditional Basil Pesto.

Chicken Lo Mein...Take-Out Straight From Your Kitchen

The whole family will enjoy this chinese take-out classic, it not only tastes great, it's better for you too! You can switch the veg out, add more or less, you can use fresh lo mein noodles or spaghetti...whatever makes you happy!

1 lb fresh lo mein noodles (or spaghetti)
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup Mirin rice wine
1/2 cup soy sauce
3 tbsps potato starch*
2 tbsp sugar
2 tsp dark sesame oil
2 tbsp canola oil
1 1/2 lbs. chicken breast, sliced into thin slices
2 cups veg ( I love red peppers, carrots and brocoli florets)sliced thin**
2 scallions, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced

Cook noodles according to package directions; drain and set aside.

In a small bowl, combine stock, mirin, soy sauce, potato starch, sugar and sesame oil. Whisk until potato starch & sugar dissolve; set aside.

Heat large skillet (or wok) over medium high heat. Add 1 tbsp canola oil, swirl in pan and add chicken. Stir-fry until just cooked through, 4-5 minutes; transfer chicken to a plate. Add remaining tbsp canola, then add your veg, scallions and garlic. Stir-fry until softened, about 3 minutes. Add chicken stock mixture and cook, stirring frequently, until sauce thickens about 5 minutes. Stir in chicken and noodles. Toss noodles to coat with sauce and heat through. Serve immediatley.

* You will find potato starch in the baking aisle at the grocery. I use Bob's Red Mill brand. Potato starch dissolves easier than corn starch and also doesn't have the pasty flavor corn starch can impart.

** To slice nice thin carrot ribbons...grab the potato peeler! Pull peeler across carrot, creating thin ribbons. You can use whatever veg floats your boat....add mushrooms, zuchini ribbons, chinese cabbage.

Berry Lemonade Pie

I love lemony desserts, especially in the summer! The berries really pair well with the lemon custard and I think the flecks of vanilla bean (and true vanilla flavor) knock this one right out of the park! You can use regular, low fat or fat free ingredients...whatever makes you happy.

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup sugar
6 tbsp butter, melted
1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk (I use reduced fat)
2 (3.4 oz.) packages lemon instant pudding mix
2 tbsp. lemon zest
1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened (I use reduced fat)
1/2 vanilla bean, cut in half and scraped
1 (12 oz.) can frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
2 cups assorted fresh berries (I love using strawberries, blueberries & raspberries)
Whipped cream, optional


Preheat oven to 350. Melt butter in microwave. In medium bowl combine graham cracker crumbs and sugar. Pour melted butter over crumbs and stir well to combine. Press crust into pie plate and bake 7-8 minutes. Remove and let cool completely before filling.

Whisk together evaporated milk, pudding and lemon zest in a bowl 2 minutes or until mixture is thickened.

Beat cream cheese and vanilla "seeds" (scraped with paring knife into bowl) at medium speed with an electric mixer (or in stand mixer) until light and fluffy. Add lemonade concentrate, beating until smooth; add pudding mixture, and beat until blended. Pour into crust. Cover and chill 8 hours or until firm. Before serving top with fresh berries. Serve with fresh whipped cream if desired.

Pork Tender Stir-fry..SUPER Fast & Tasty

I made this for dinner last Thursday, when I had exactly 30 minutes to cook, feed and get all three kiddos to different events...whew! I served it over steamed brown rice and it got raves from the whole family.


1 recipe of Puri-puri oil ( see blog recipe Broc w/puri-puri & key lime ponzu - March 2010), once oil is cooled, strain garlic and discard.
1 recipe Key Lime Ponzu sauce
1 pork whole pork tenderloin, silver skin removed and sliced in to thin strips
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded & thinly sliced
2 cups brocoloi florets
2 cups sugar snap peas

Heat puri-puri oil in wok over medium high heat. Add pork and stir-fry until no longer pink 2-3 minutes. Add veggies and cook 3 minutes. Add 2/3 cup ponzu sauce (or more to suit your taste), stir to combine and continue cooking 3-5 minutes or until veggies are crisp tender. Serve with steamed rice or over udon noodles...Enjoy!

I keep ponzu sauce ready made in the fridge, it is truly the best stir-fry sauce.

Turkey Meatball Sammies on Wheat Garlic Bread...Can you say YUM!

I created this recipe this afternoon between loads of laundry...the recipe for the red sauce is here on the blog. My kids devoured these sandwiches...they gave dinner two thumbs up! Creating a meal that all three kids LOVE is challenging. Definitely keeping this one in my rotation :)

Serves 4-6.

3 cups " Simple Red Sauce" (find under August 2010)*

For The Meatballs

1 lb. ground turkey
1 tsp. season salt
1/2 tsp fresh cracked pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 cup ketchup
1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs*
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 tsp Italian Seasoning

For the garlic toast

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 tsp garlic powder
pinch kosher salt
1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning
Wheat Bollilo Rolls (or your favorite wheat sandwich roll)

Sliced sharp provolone cheese

Preheat oven to 350. In a medium bowl combine all meatball ingredients and using hands gently combine. Spray a baking sheet with PAM or olive oil spray. Shape meat mixture into walnut size balls and arrange on baking sheet. Place in oven and bake 15-17 minutes or until golden brown. While meatballs are baking, heat red sauce over medium heat. Keep sauce at a gentle simmer.

When meatballs are done, remove from oven and set aside. Set oven to broil.
In a small bowl combine garlic butter ingredients. Cut rolls in half and spread halves with some of the garlic butter. Place on baking tray and broil until deep golden brown. Remove from oven.

To serve: Top bottom half of garlic bread on plate and spread a thin layer of red sauce over it and top with 3-4 meatballs. Spoon about 1/4 cup sauce over meatballs. add a slice of provolone & put on top half of garlic bread. Gently press down and serve with remaining red sauce for dipping.

*If you don't have time to make your own red sauce, use your favorite store brand.

** Take one of the bollilo rolls and process to fine crumbs in food processor. Store leftover crumbs in plastic container in freezer.

Grilled Chicken Remoulade

I took Chris and the kiddos to HEB with my last weeknd to do some "quick" grocery shopping....yeah, I know...what the heck was I thinking?! Besides having to tell the kids and hubby "NO" on all the junk they kept putting in the basket, we had to stop at each and every food sample station!

One of the in-store cooking demo chefs was making a tasty looking pork stirfry...unfortunately, it didn't taste as yummy as it looked. I took the recipe card with me anyway. Fast forward to the other day when I was trying to decide what to cook for dinner. I saw the recipe card on the counter and thought "I really liked some parts of the dish, maybe I can fix it"...so I did. The original recipe was for a pork stirfry with snow peas. The new recipe is what you see here. The sauce is reminiscent of my fave remoulade recipe. I kept the snow peas, just steamed them, drizzled them with garlicky butter and served the brown rice on the side. Even "Mr. Picky Pants" aka my 12 yr old son loved this dish.

6 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
olive oil
3 tbs. Adams Reserve "Kicked Up Chicken" rub*
3/4 cup apricot preserves
1/4 cup yellow mustard
3 tbsp apple juice
1/2 tsp fresh cracked pepper

In a small bowl combine preserves, mustard, juice and pepper. Stir to blend and set aside.
Preheat grill to medium. Spray or lightly brush chicken breasts with olive oil. Sprinkle rub over chicken and gently press into chicken.
Once grill is ready, grill chicken 8 minutes. Flip chicken over and brush (or spoon)glaze over chicken. Let chicken cook 3-5 minutes and glaze again. Grill chicken another 7-8 minutes or unitl chicken is cooked through.

*Can't find Adams brand, no worries. Just use your fave spicy chicken rub.

Summertime Sangrias

You will enjoy sipping this white sangria at the pool, in the backyard, heck...you will enjoy this cocktail anywhere!

1 (750 ml) bottle of your fave Pinot Grigio
3/4 cup Peach Schnapps
1/3 cup frozen lemonade concentrate,thawed
1 lb. frozen peach slices
1 cup red grapes, halved
1 cup sliced strawberries
1 apple, cored and sliced thinly

In a large pitcher, combine all ingredients. Stir to combine. Refrigerate overnight. To serve: Pour sangria in to ice filled glassed and spoon some of the fruit into each glass.

My Fit Foods Lean Lemon Turkey - My Version

Drumroll please....after many hours in the kitchen (and at my local MFF), I have come up with a pretty darn awesome home version of everyone's fave Lean Lemon Turkey. You can serve over rice like MFF does, stuff it in a whole wheat pita or eat it plain...it's up to you!

1 1/4 lbs. ground turkey
1 1/2 tsp Tony Chachere "More Spice" Creole Seasoning
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 small whole dried red chili pod, seeded and crumbled
pinch crushed red pepper flakes
generous pinch cayenne pepper
4 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
zest from half of a lemon

In a large skillet over medium heat, add ground tukey. Break meat up with back of wooden spoon. Add creole seasoning, garlic powder, crumbled pepper, pepper flakes, cayenne, lemon juice and zest. Stir to combine and continue cooking until turkey is browned 8-10 minutes.

Matzo Toffee with Fleur de Sel

Okay, I have be honest with you...this stuff is like CRACK to me...holy moly! It is sweet, chocolately, salty, crunchy goodeness!!! It is the BEST "cure" for PMS...EVER!!! My kids love it and my poor husband can't quit eating it either. Needless to say, I don't make it very often...if I did, I would seriously weigh 300 lbs. It is fun and easy to make...get the kiddos involved.


5 sheets whole wheat matzo
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 cup packed dark-brown sugar
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips*
1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted**
1 tsp fleur de sel (you can use kosher salt)

Preheat oven to 275°F.

Line a 13"x17" in. rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Place matzos in an even layer. You may need to break some matzos to fit the pan, and you should have extra matzo left over.

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add brown sugar and immediately reduce the temperature to low. Cook, stirring, until sugar has completely dissolved and beings to bubble. Drizzle toffee over matzo and spread evenly to cover using an off set spatula.

Transfer toffee-covered matzo to oven and bake until the toffee gets shiny for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with chocolate chips. Let stand for 5 minutes, and spread melted chocolate over matzo to cover. Sprinkle with the toasted almonds and salt.

Transfer matzo to the refrigerator and chill for at least 2 hours.
Break chilled matzo toffee into pieces. Store Matzo toffee in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

* Try using one cup chocolate chips and one cup peanut butter chips...super tasty.

**My kiddos are not big nut fans, so I leave them off...do whatever makes you and your famly happy! To toast the sliced almonds, place in a single layer on a microwave safe plate. Cook 1 minute and stir. Continue cooking at 30 second intervals, until nuts are golden and fragrant.

"Herb-tastic" Roast Chicken

I LOVE fresh herbs and use them every chance I get. This is a simple roast chicken that the whole family will love. Play around with the herbs you use...you know what I say..."whatever makes you happy"!

2 lb roasting chcken, rinsed and patted dry.
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp fresh cracked pepper
2 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp each minced fresh Rosemary, Thyme and Marjoram
Olive oil

Preheat oven to 425. In a small glass bowl, combine salt, pepper, lemon zest and herbs. Place chicken in roasting pan and rub a couple "glugs" of olive oil over chicken and pat herb mixture evenly over chicken. Roast until juices run clear, about 40-45 minutes.

Remove from oven and using tongs, flip chicken over breast side facing down. Let chicken rest 10 minutes before flipping back over and carving.
This method allows juices to return to breast meat ensuring juicy white meat.

Perfect Doesn't Live Here Anymore...And That's A Good Thing!

I was talking to a friend the other day about how both of us have days where we feel like “less than perfect” wives and mothers. All of you reading this are shaking your heads because you know exactly what I'm talking about...been there...done that, we ALL have those days!

For some reason (I am beginning to think it is genetic) women strive to attain unattainable perfection and have such high personal expectations, that we constantly beat ourselves up for “failing”. We look at the women around us, in magazines and on television and say “I must be a failure because I’m not like Susan or Jill or that actress with the 5 nannies or the mom who gets up at 4 am to head to the gym”. We consider ourselves failures because our children aren’t perfectly coifed each and every day like so & so’s kids…you get my point.

Newsflash…there is NO such thing as perfection….PERIOD…end of discussion! As for all those lofty ridiculous expectations we burden our lives with…LET ‘EM GO! Once you kick ‘em to the curb, you will start to see your life and yourself in a whole new light. It is the mistakes, screw-ups, mismatched outfits, lack of showering and messy houses that make life so interesting…it is what makes memories.

My husband is lucky to see me showered and dressed in something other than workout clothes more than a couple times a week. No matter how hard I try pulling it all together, I still end up in workout clothes and no make-up. I used to have terrible guilt about not “dressing up” (I use that term loosely) and being coiffed by the time Chris got home. One night I finally asked him if it bothered him. He laughed and told me “No, don’t be silly…you are a busy mother to three…I don’t care what you look like when I get home…I love you just the way you are”. I needed to hear those words…knowing that my husband wasn’t judging my “wife skills” based on whether I showered that day or not took the pressure off and I quit beating myself up about it. I still make an effort to shower, put make up and look presentable…but I don’t kick myself if I I can’t make it happen some days.

My kids still laugh when they share the story about the morning I overslept, woke up at 7:45 in a panic and raced around trying to get everyone out the door to school…in my rushing around I forgot to pack a lunch for one kid and sent the other two with the wrong lunchbox! I felt like a complete failure that morning…my kids on the other hand thought I was a rock star for letting them go to school late! That story gets funnier every time the kids bring it up and it also reminds me that no one is perfect (including me) and in the grand scheme of things, who cares?! The world didn’t end, my kids still got to school and now we have a funny story to share together.

At the end of the day, when I am tucking my kids into bed all the less than perfect moments of my day fade with hugs and kisses, storybooks and “I love you mommy…to the moon and back”…those simple actions and words let me know I must be doing something right.

Until next time…have a blessed and beautiful day,
Rox

It's All Greek To Me - Souvlaki Inspired Burgers with Grilled Onions & Peppers

My family loves souvlaki,so one night I decided to get creative and make burgers instead of kebabs...everyone raved about dinner that night!

2 lbs. ground sirloin, turkey or chicken (whatever makes you happy)
4 tsp minced fresh garlic
2 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 tbsp white wine
2 tsp olive oil
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp salt
1 tsp fresh cracked pepper
1 red bell pepper,cored and sliced into thin strips
1 green bell pepper, cored and sliced into thin strips
1 red onion, sliced into thin rings
tzatzki sauce (see recipe below)
1 small log goat cheese
1/2 cup chopped kalamata olives
8 ciabatta rolls or your favorite burger bun (my kiddos love Fuddrucker's buns - you can buy them to-go)

In a large glass bowl, combine ground meat and next seven ingredients. Gently combine to incorporate. Cover and place in fridge while preparing grilled veg.

In a small bowl, combine goat cheese and olives. Stir to combine. Cover and place in fridge until ready to use.

Heat grill to medium high. Toss peppers and onion slices with a splash of olive oil and with tongs place either in grill basket or directly onto grill. Grill, turning frequently until veg is crisp tender and charred in spots. Remove from grill and set aside in small bowl.

Remove meat from fridge and make 8 patties, making sure not to overwork meat.

Pur burgers on grill and cook until burgers reach your desired level of doneness. Remove from grill and tent with foil.

Brush buns with a bit of olive oil and grill until toasted.

To assemble burgers - top one bun bottom with a burger patty. Spread a bit of cheese/olive mixture on patty and top with some of the onions and peppers. You can either spread some tzatziki sauce on top bun or serve on side. Enjoy!

Tzatziki Sauce

1 (16 ounce) container FAGE brand plain Greek yougurt
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and grated
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in sealable container. Let sauce chill in fridge 2 hours before serving.

Brownies...S'mores...Now You Don't Have To Choose!

Made these sinfully good brownies for our Girl Scout camping trip this past weekend...talk about yumm-o! The girls and grown ups loved em. Ooey, gooey goodness!

You can change up the recipe to suit your taste. I have made this recipe with chopped Reese's peanut butter cups instead of regular chocolate. You can also add chopped salted peanuts and a drizzle of caramel topping for "Hot Tin Roof Sundae" treats...the combinations are truly endless!

One box of Duncan Hines Family Style Chewy Fudge Brownie Mix
2 eggs
1/4 cup water
1/2 canola oil
2 cups mini marshmellows
6 Hershey bars, broken into bite size pieces
8 graham crackers (full sheets), broken into bite size pieces

Preheat oven to 350.

Combine brownie mix, eggs, oil and water in medium bowl and stir to blend. Spray 9x13" pan with Pam spray and pour batter into pan. Spread batter evenly with off-set spatula.

Bake brownies for 22 minutes.

While brownies are baking, combine marshmellows, chocolate and graham crackers in a bowl, set aside.

Remove brownies from oven and top with s'mores mixture. Press topping gently into brownies. Return to oven and continue baking 5-7 minutes (until marshmellows are puffed and golden and chocolate has melted).

Remove from oven and let cool on rack at least 2 hours before slicing and serving.

"Wimberley Weekend" Tres Leche French Toast....YUM to the max!

This french toast ROCKS!!! Just ask anyone that has been to our house in Wimberley :) Serve with sausages and brown sugar bacon...yumm-o!!!


2 (12-oz.) cans of evaporated milk
1 (14-oz) can of sweetened condensed milk
1 tbsp vanilla
10 eggs
1 tsp salt
"Texas Toast" (I use Mrs. Baird's) bread slices or french bread, sliced 1" thick
1 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup sugar
butter for frying
dulce de leche (or your fave caramel sauce) for drizzling
fresh berries (I like raspberries)

In a large bowl whisk together evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, eggs, and salt until combined.

Place liquid in a wide baking dish and press slices of bread into egg/milk mixture until bread absorbs some liquid. Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes, turning over bread 15 minutes through.***

In the meantime prepare the topping by placing the heavy cream and sugar in a stand mixer. Using the whisk attachment, whisk together until stiff peaks are formed. Refrigerate whipped cream until ready to serve.

Melt a couple tbsp butter on griddle on medium-low heat and cook the slices of toast for 4-5 minutes on each side, until golden brown.

Serve french toast with a spoonful of whipped cream, a drizzle of caramel and a few mixed berries scattered over top. Serve immediatley as the cream will melt quickly.

***If you are in a rush, skip the 30 minute soak and dip bread into bowl of egg/milk mixture and submerge 2-3 minutes, shake off excess and proceed with above cooking directions.

Tortellini Vegetable Soup

A quick and easy soup for those nights when we simply run out of time (and steam)! You can add other veg to this soup to really customize it to your family's tastes. Serve with warm french bread and a salad...Enjoy!


2 tbsp olive oil, plus more for drizzling
2 carrots, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
2 zucchini, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
6 cups chicken stock (homemade or store bought is fine)
1 lb. fresh cheese tortellini
1 can fire roasted diced tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, warm 2 tbsp olive oil. Add the carrots, celery, zucchini & garlic and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the broth & fire roasted tomatoes and bring to a gentle boil.

Add the tortellini and cook for 5 minutes (or according to the package instructions). Remove from the heat. Stir in the parsley and season with salt and pepper.

Ladle the soup bowls, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with the cheese and serve.