Broiled Broccoli

Ingredients:
2 bunches broccoli5 tablespoons olive oil1 teaspoon garlic salt 
1/8 teaspoon hot pepper

Directions:
1. Heat up the broiler. Use a broiling pan and cover with aluminum foil.2. Cut the broccoli into florets. Place broccoli on prepared pan. Pour the olive oil on the broccoli. Sprinkle with garlic salt and hot pepper. Mix until everything is coated. Put in the oven in the top rack for 8-12 minutes.

Chicken with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Ingredients: 
3 tablespoons olive oil 
1 1/4 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves 
1 shallot, finely chopped 1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup3/4 cup water 1/4 cup thinly-sliced sun-dried tomatoes 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar 

Directions:
1. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the chicken and cook for 10 minutes or until it's well browned on both sides.  Remove the chicken from the skillet.
2. Heat the remaining oil in the skillet over medium heat.  Add the shallot and cook and stir for 2 minutes. Stir the soup, water, tomatoes and vinegar in the skillet.
3. Return the chicken to the skillet and heat to a boil.  Reduce the heat to low. Cook for 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

Mushroom and Spinach Ravioli with Chive Butter Sauce

Pete and I just came back from our Italy trip and fresh pasta is on our mind! We hosted a pasta making party at our house and our friends came over to help us make home made pasta. This is the first time I put my KitchenAid Mixer to the test. I would have to say it was a lot of work, but it was totally worth it! Pasta taste so much better when it is fresh! We made two kinds of pastas, we had plain pasta with a red sauce and the mushroom and spinach ravioli. I found the Mushroom and Spinach Ravioli with Chive Butter Sauce recipe online and it turned out really well!

(Boys are watching football game and the girls are cooking pasta.....hummmmm!)

(Master pasta maker Ms. Erin) 

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons water, or more if needed
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour, or more if needed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 (8 ounce) package fresh mushrooms, coarsely chopped
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 egg white, beaten
3 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh chives

Directions:
1.Whisk together 1 teaspoon olive oil, water, and whole eggs in a bowl until evenly blended; set aside. Combine flour and salt in a separate large bowl, and make a well in the center. Pour the egg mixture into the well and stir just until combined. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, 5 to 10 minutes, adding more flour or water as needed. Wrap dough tightly with plastic wrap, and set aside to rest.
2.Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the garlic and onion; cook and stir until the onion begins to soften, about 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms, and continue cooking and stirring until the vegetables are soft and the liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and allow to cool.
3.Beat cream cheese in a bowl until smooth. Stir in the cooled mushroom mixture, Parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, spinach, 1 tablespoon chives, parsley, and cayenne pepper. Season with salt and pepper.
4.Roll the pasta dough out to about 1/16 inch thick. Cut 3 to 4-inch circles using a large cookie cutter. Roll each circle out as thin as possible. Working with one circle at a time, brush the pasta lightly with the egg white. Scoop about 1 heaping tablespoon full of the mushroom filling onto the center of the pasta, then cover with a second piece of pasta, pinching the edges to seal. Cut the sealed ravioli with the cookie cutter once more to create a uniform shape. Place the finished ravioli on a floured baking sheet, and repeat the process with the remaining pasta and filling.
5.Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, stir in the ravioli and return to a boil. Cook until the pasta floats to the top, 3 to 4 minutes; drain.
6.To make sauce: Melt butter in a skillet over high heat, cooking and stirring until browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in 1 1/2 teaspoons chives. Serve over hot ravioli.

Sweet Potato and Pork Chili

Found this chili recipe from Fitness Magazine. Why This Recipe Works for Weight Loss: A diet that includes plenty of lean protein has been linked in studies to successful long-term weight loss. Foods high in water volume, such as chili and soup, have fewer calories but still satisfy and fill you up. Beans are loaded with fiber, which helps to keep you feeling full longer.

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 1/2 cups chopped white onion
1 medium carrot, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced
3/4 pound boneless center-cut pork loin, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon unsweetened dark-chocolate powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2/3 cup low-sodium vegetable stock
1 14 ounce can diced tomatoes
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, diced
1 tablespoon adobo sauce
1 15 ounce can navy beans, rinsed and drained

Directions:
1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic and sweet potato; cook 8 to 10 minutes, until tender. Season the pork with the salt and black pepper; add the meat to pot and cook until browned, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes.
2. Mix in the chili powder, cumin, dark-chocolate powder, oregano and cinnamon; cook 2 minutes. Add the vegetable stock, tomatoes, chipotle pepper and adobo sauce; stir, then bring to boil. Reduce heat to low; cover pot and simmer, stirring occasionally, until pork is tender, about 1 hour. Stir in the navy beans and cilantro; cook until heated through, about 3 minutes.

Foolproof Standing Rib Roast

This past holiday season Pete and I hosted our first Christmas dinner. We made our first prime rib. We did a lot of research online before picking out this Paula Deen recipe. We didn't want to mass it up because the cut of the meat was so expensive. Everything turned out perfectly. One thing we learned from reading the reviews of this recipe is no matter how big the cut of the meat we should still follow the cooking directions. We don't need to adjust the cooking time to the weight of the meat. 

Ingredients:

1 (10-pound) standing rib roast

1 tablespoon House Seasoning, recipe follows

House Seasoning:

1 cup salt

1/4 cup black pepper

1/4 cup garlic powder

Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

Directions:

1. Allow roast to stand at room temperature for at least 1 hour.

2. Preheat the oven to 375 degree F. Rub roast with House Seasoning; place roast on a rack in the pan with the rib side down and the fatty side up. 

3. Roast for 1 hour. Turn off oven. Leave roast in oven but do not open oven door for 3 hours. About 30 to 40 minutes before serving time, turn oven to 375 degrees F and reheat the roast. Important: Do not remove roast or re-open the oven door from time roast is put in until ready to serve.

Slow-Cooked Carnitas Tacos

This is my all time favorite taco recipe. It's super simple and tasty.

Ingredients:
2 pounds boneless country-style pork ribs or pork shoulder, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
2 teaspoons dried oregano (preferably Mexican)
1/2 large onion, cut into 4 pieces
1 avocado, halved, pitted, sliced
Fresh cilantro springs
Corn tortillas

Directions:
1. Toss pork in bowl of slow cooker with salt, black pepper, and dried oregano to coat. Place onion pieces atop pork. Cover slow cooker and cook pork on low setting until meat is very tender and falling apart, about 6 hours.
2. Using slotted spoon, transfer pork to cutting board. Discard onion pieces. Using fingers, shred pork; transfer carnitas to platter. Place avocado slices, cilantro sprigs, and sliced red bell peppers, if desired, alongside.
3. Wrap corn tortillas in damp kitchen towel; microwave until warm, about 1 minute. Serve carnitas with warm tortillas and tomatillo salsa.

Marinated Chicken Breasts

FoodNetwork.com

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons vinegar, like cider, balsamic, or red wine
3 teaspoons dried herbs, like thyme, oregano, rosemary, or crumbled bay leaf
2 tablespoons mustard, whole grain or Dijon
2 teaspoon garlic
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast, each about 6 ounces

Directions:
1. Put the vinegar, herbs, mustard, powders if using and oil in a large re-sealable plastic bag. Close the bag and shake to combine all the ingredients. Open the bag, drop in the chicken breast in the bag. Close and shake the bag to coat evenly. Freeze for up to 2 weeks.
2. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, under cold, running water, or in the microwave at 30 percent power for 1 minute at a time.
3. Heat a grill or grill pan. When the grill is hot, place the chicken on the grill and cook for about 4 minutes per side, or until cooked through. You can also bake the thawed chicken in a 375 degree F oven for 15 minutes, or until cooked through.