A Simple Spaghetti Sauce

Spaghetti with meat sauce is one of my favorite Italian Classics. I grew up on it. I decided to post a second version in case you don't have 5 - 8 hours to tend my other recipe as it simmers. I myself don't always have that much time to wait, so when I don't I often use a jar of marinara sauce and just doctor it up a bit. A jar of spaghetti sauce can definitely come in handy when needed, but to me they just lack flavor. All it takes is a few fresh ingredients along with some dried herbs and you've got a spaghetti sauce worthy of an Italian restaurant. I love a simple weeknight meal that pleases everyone and this simple sauce is sure to do just that. Enjoy!

Simple Spaghetti Sauce

Yields about 4 - 6 servings

Ingredients:

1 (24 oz) jar marinara sauce*

3/4 lb lean ground beef

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 - 2 cloves garlic, minced (I love garlic so I use 2)

1 Tbsp chopped fresh basil, plus more for garnish

1 tsp dried parsley

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp dried rosemary, crushed

salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

shredded Parmesan, Romano or Mizithra cheese, for serving (optional)

Directions:

Heat 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Crumble beef into hot oil and cook, stirring occasionally and breaking up beef as you stir, until browned. Drain fat from beef (I like to process the drained, browned beef in a food processor for about 5 seconds so it's finely ground but it's not necessary). Return browned beef to skillet, add marinara sauce, remaining 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, minced garlic, chopped basil, parsley, thyme, rosemary then season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring mixture just to a gentle bubble, then reduce heat to a simmer, cover saucepan and allow to cook 20 - 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve warm, tossed into or spread over pasta, then garnish with shredded cheese and fresh basil ribbons. 

*I recommend Classico or Barilla. I think many of the others have too much sugar or corn syrup in them and they taste as such. 

Recipe Source: Cooking Classy

Grilled Chicken Teriyaki Kebobs and a Great Find

Check out this video...

Say what? Disposable bakeware! Has anyone tried these yet? I'm dying to get my hands on some. I absolutely love to cook and bake but I hate the cleanup. These things are genius. I definitely want these at the next dinner party I host. Thank you thank you Chinet for improving the world of cooking. Less stress due to less mess, yes please. I'd rather spend my time in the kitchen making delicious food rather than cleaning up after it. Bake, eat, toss, repeat =).

Feast your eyes on the perfect summer dinner. These Grilled Chicken Kebobs are so tantalizingly delicious! Tender chicken, lightly charred fruit and veggies all finished off with a generous smothering of homemade teriyaki sauce, yes these are wow good! I know the servings I listed says 4 but I might recommend 3, my husband and I each ate about 4 skewers. They were so tasty I just couldn't stop, but they're mostly veggies right? Really these are quite healthy. They are low in fat, full of fruit and veggies and a great source of lean protein from the chicken. I love when I can have a healthy meal that is so amazingly good. Healthy and yummy, it's a definite keeper. Enjoy!

Grilled Chicken Teriyaki Kebobs
Yields about 4 servings (10 Kebabs)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, diced into 1 1/2 inch pieces
2 small green bell peppers (or 1 1/2 large), diced into 1 1/2 inch pieces
2 small red bell peppers (or 1 1/2 large), diced into 1 1/2 inch pieces
1 large yellow onion, diced into 1 1/2 inch wedges
3 heaping cups fresh pineapple, diced into 1 1/2 inch chunks (and about 1/2 - 3/4 inch thick)

Marinade/glaze:
3/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
3 Tbsp orange marmalade
1 tsp molasses
1 tbsp finely grated fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp cold water
2 1/2 tsp cornstarch

Directions:
In a mixing bowl, whisk together soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, light-brown sugar, honey, orange marmalade, molasses, grated ginger, garlic and pepper. Reserve 1 cup of sauce mixture in a bowl in refrigerator and pour remaining sauce over diced chicken in a large ziploc bag. Seal bag and place bag in a bowl (to prevent leaks) in refrigerator and allow chicken to marinate 4 hours in refrigerator. 
To prepare glaze, pour reserved 1 cup sauce into a small saucepan. In a small bowl, whisk together 1 Tbsp cold water and cornstarch, then pour cornstarch mixture into saucepan and stir. Bring sauce just to a boil over medium high heat, stirring frequently. Once mixture reaches a boil, reduce heat and allow to gently boil 1 minute,  stirring constantly. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
To prepare kabobs, using either metal skewers or water soaked wood skewers, thread a piece of marinated chicken (discard marinade), followed by an onion wedge, a chunk of red pepper, a chunk of green pepper and a chunk of pineapple, then repeat pattern twice and finish with an additional piece of chicken (I fit 4 pieces of chicken on the kebab total then 3 of everything else).
Grill kebabs over medium heat, 12 - 16 minutes rotating once halfway through grilling, until chicken has fully cooked through. Remove from grill and brush kebabs with teriyaki sauce, serve warm with cooked white or brown rice if desired (alternately you can brush kebabs with teriyaki sauce during the last few minutes of grilling but I say why waste such good sauce that will drip to bottom of the grill).

Recipe Source: Cooking Classy

Cream Puff Pie (aka cream puff cake or eclair cake)

 Let me state things plainly, you are going to want to make this pie =). It is one of the easiest and tastiest pies I've ever made. I adore cream puffs. Basically I could eat about 20 or more in one sitting (if I didn't exercise any self control). So, when I saw this cake, and noticed how many of the reviewers had made a pie version of it I knew I had to give it a try. I don't want a little wimpy piece of cake I want a big slice of pie! I'm so glad I tried this pie. I like it equally as much, if not more than cream puffs. 
I used a different pastry cream than that listed on the original recipe. I like to call it "cheaters pastry cream" because it is made from a boxed pudding mix. It's not often I use mixes when I cook and bake but in this case, for pastry cream, I love to. It always guarantees the perfect consistency, a great texture, and I also like how it's just a bit sweeter than your average pastry cream that's made from scratch. I don't know if I would love it so much if it weren't loaded with so much cream though =). I've said it before, cream makes everything better. Yes, my Momma taught me right. She loves cream and she definitely handed that down to me. You will find this pie is anything but shy on the cream. That is what makes it so incredibly creamy, delicious and decadently divine. You may even want to make two of these because they are going to go quick. Enjoy and share! 

Cream Puff Pie
Yields about 8 - 10 servings

Ingredients:
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup butter
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup heavy cream

1 cup heavy cream
1 cup milk (preferably whole or 2%)
1 (5.1 oz) package instant vanilla or white chocolate pudding mix

3/4 cup heavy cream
3 Tbsp granulated sugar

Directions:
To prepare puff pastry pie shell:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Generously butter a 9 inch pie dish, set aside. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, bring water, butter and salt to a boil. Once mixture reaches a boil, reduce heat to low and stir in flour. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture comes together forming a ball and pulls away from the sides of the pan. Remove from heat and while stirring, add in eggs one at a time mixing until well combine after each addition. Using buttered hands, spread mixture into an even layer over the bottom and halfway up the sides of the pie dish. Bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes until golden brown. Cool pie shell completely. Meanwhile (you can do this while the pie shell bakes), prepare chocolate sauce by combining semi-sweet chocolate chips and 1/2 cup heavy cream in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave chocolate mixture on 50% power in 30 second intervals, stirring after each interval until melted and smooth. Cool completely (it needs to be cool or it will melt the whipped cream, you can chill it in the fridge while the pie shell bakes and cools, then reheat it slightly in the microwave on HIGH power in 5 second intervals, stirring after each interval until desired consistency is reached).

To prepare cheaters pastry cream:
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 1 cup heavy cream, milk and pudding mix, for about 3 minutes until mixture has thickened. Spread pastry cream into an even layer over cooled puff pastry pie shell (note that it's pretty much inevitable that you're going to have some bubbles in the pie shell, you can try and flatten them a bit before spreading in the filling).

To prepare sweetened whipped cream:
In a large mixing bowl, using an electric hand mixer, whip 3/4 cup heavy cream until soft peaks form. Add in granulated sugar and whip until stiff peaks form. Spread sweetened whipped cream evenly over pastry cream layer.

Cut pie into slices and drizzle each slice with cooled chocolate sauce. Serve immediately. Note: this pie is best served the day prepared. Also note, the sweetened whipped cream will begin to separate after about 3 hours so plan accordingly. Store in refrigerator in an airtight container.

Recipe Source: adapted slightly from allrecipes.com

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Grilled Chicken with Balsamic Barbecue Sauce

Are you looking for a wowing and simple grilling recipe for the upcoming 4th of July celebrations? Well, I'm quite certain you've found just what you are looking for. This grilled chicken smothered in a homemade Balsamic Barbecue Sauce simply said, is incredible! It is definitely up there with my favorite grilled chicken recipes. You get a tender chicken breast grilled to perfection that's basted with a flavorful, tangy, not overly sweet sauce that will have you coming back for more. I'd say this recipe is one you most definitely are going to want to try. Don't be scared by the long list of ingredients in the sauce, most of them are pantry staples that you likely already have on hand. I hope you enjoy and have a great 4th of July! 


Grilled Chicken with Balsamic BBQ Sauce
Yields about 6 servings


Ingredients:
6 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts halves (thighs would work great too)
Salt and pepper, to taste
Olive Oil for brushing grill
1 Recipe Balsamic Barbecue Sauce, recipe follows


Directions:
Preheat grill to medium high heat. Place chicken in a ziploc bag and somewhat gently pound chicken with the flat side of a meat mallet to an even thickness (you just don't want to destroy the chicken, that's why I say somewhat gently).  Season each side of chicken breast with salt and pepper. Brush grill lightly with olive oil. Place chicken on grill and cook (with lid closed) 5 - 8 minutes per side, until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees. Baste chicken generously with Balsamic Barbecue Sauce during the last few minutes of grilling (if you want sauce for dipping reserve some of the sauce in a separate container so you aren't contaminating sauce while basting chicken, or alternately you could heat remaining barbecue sauce over stove top to kill bacteria). Serve warm.


Balsamic Barbecue Sauce
Yields about 1 1/2 cups


Ingredients:
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 1/2 tsp cornstarch
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup apple juice
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 1/2 Tbsp molasses
1 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce
1 Tbsp Worcestershire
1 tsp liquid smoke, hickory flavor
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper


Directions:
In a medium saucepan, whisk together sugar and cornstarch. Stir in remaining ingredients then heat mixture just to a boil over medium high heat, stirring frequently. Once mixture reaches a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sauce has thickened and slightly reduced. Remove from heat, allow to cool and store in a non-reactive, airtight container in the refrigerator up to one week.


Recipe Source: Cooking Classy

Manicotti - A Simple Yet Incredible Entree

This is one my favorite recipes that has been in my recipe book and made in my home countless times over the last 8 years. I originally saw the recipe on Food Network and have made my own adjustments, you can follow the link below to view the fully original recipe. This dish is also one of my mom's favorites. Every time she comes to visit this is always on the menu and she still get's excited every time I let her know it's what we are having for dinner or supper as she calls it =).
Who knew a vegetarian dish could be so good? I actually prefer this over lasagna. I usually serve it along with Parmesan or lemon chicken (so there goes vegetarian =) and a side of steamed brocolli, but if you aren't up to preparing a big meal this manicotti is filling enough to be a meal on it's own. This is cheesey, flavorful, generously filled pasta drenched in a simple yet incredible marinara sauce. Basically it's comfort food at it's best. To sum it up, it's simple, satisfying and a family favorite.
Note: the photo posted above is a half batch, prebaked and not fully covered in sauce (so you could see what the manicotti actually looks like). I often do a half batch for my small family. Sometimes I will do the full batch and freeze some. You could even do two half batches in two 8x8 pans and freeze one and immediately bake the other. For the frozen one thaw it overnight then bake in a cool (not preheated) oven at 350 for 55 minutes.

Once you add all the sauce it should look more like this...

yum yum, all that saucay goodness =)

Three Cheese Manicotti
Yields about 14 Manicotti

Ingredients:
1 (8 oz) pkg Manicotti noodles
1 (15 oz) container Ricotta Cheese (I've used both whole or part skim, either works)
1 lb freshly grated Mozzerella Cheese (about 4 cups)
3 oz finely, freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about 3/4 cup)
2 large eggs
1 1/2 Tbsp dried parsley
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 Recipe Marinara Sauce, recipe follows

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook pasta according to directions listed on package and drain. In the meantime prepare Manicotti filling, in a large mixing bowl, using a fork blend together Ricotta cheese, eggs, parsley and pepper. Stir in grated Mozzerella and Parmesan cheese and mix until well blended. Divide cheese mixture evenly among the 14 manicotti noodles stuffing each one full (I just do this using clean hands, I hold one hand over the bottom opening of the manicotti noodle, then press cheese mixture into the noodle and slightly pack it in until the cheese mixture fills to opposite end). Align noodles in a single layer in a 13x9 baking dish. Pour marinara sauce evenly over filled manicotti noodles. Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes. Serve warm.

Marinara Sauce:
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 (28 oz) cans crushed Roma tomatos (I prefer Contadina brand)
1 Tbsp dried basil
1 tsp dried parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan, simmer 20 minutes (I do this while preparing the manicotti filling and pasta).

Recipe Source: adapted slightly from Food Network