American Chop Suey

American Chop Suey is made differently in almost every home. I find it to be a recipe that you grew up with that gets passed down with small tweaks.  To be honest it was never one of my favorite meals since I don't eat hamburg so I always would take the noodles plain with some sauce before mixing it together.  On the other hand it is one of my husbands FAVORITE meals and his mothers version is much different than my mothers version so I have learned to make her version over the past year.  The one change that I made is that I add extra hamburg and Italian sausage since that is Scott's favorite part.

I start be removing the sausage from their casings (I use about 3 or 4) and adding them to about 1lb of hamburg in a large skillet.  I combine them and cook until no longer pink.  I then add a tablespoon or so of Basil, Italian Seasoning and garlic powder with salt and pepper to taste.  Once mixed together I add 1/2 of a large sweet onion, 1/2 a green pepper (I used orange this time since that is what I had) and 1/2 a red pepper.  I cover the pan and simmer until the veggies are tender. 

Once they are tender I add in a box of pre-cooked elbows or shells (- the bowl i took out for myself!) and a jar of vidalia onion spaghetti sauce and mix together.  I let this simmer for about 10 minutes and then it is ready to ENJOY!

BLT Pasta Salad

The ""BLT" Bacon Lettuce and tomato turned into a tasty pasta salad side dish!"

Now as you know from the Bacon wrapped corn on the cob post, my husband loves his bacon!  So here I took the classic BLT and turned it into the perfect meal.  Here we both get our favorite things, pasta and bacon!  You will need the ingredients below to get started:

Ingredients:

1 Box Mini Bow Tie Pasta (cooked) 2 Ripe Heirloom Tomato's (chopped) 2 Cups Iceberg Lettuce (chopped) 5 Strips Apple-wood Smoked Bacon (cooked and chopped) 1 Can Medium Black Olives (Sliced) 1 Cup Ken's Light Ranch Dressing 1/2 Cup Ken's Ranch Dressing 1/2 Cup Sunflower Seed Oil 2 TBSP Lemon Juice 1 TBSP Dried Basil 1 TBSP Black Pepper 1 TBSP Salt 5 TBSP Bacon Bits Once you have the above items prepped and ready to go you can follow my easy to follow instructions below:

Combine Ranch dressing, Sunflower Seed Oil and Lemon juice in large bowl. Add Basil, Black Pepper and Salt. Next, Stir in prepared pasta and mix well to coat pasta. Gently Stir in Tomatoes, Lettuce and olives. Lastly stir in the chopped bacon and bacon bits. Refrigerate for 1 hour and ENJOY!

Peppery Monterey Jack Pasta Salad

I love pasta salads and make them year round.  Most people give them up once fall arrives.  They are easy to throw together and make a great lunch for the week.  This Peppery Monterey Jack Pasta Salad is one of my favorites.  You have your carbs, veggies, dairy and meat all in one, PERFECT meal!   This also only takes about 25 minutes from start to finish and will get you about 8 good servings.  This receipie was passed down from my mother in law and one of my husbands favorites as well! To get started you will need......

* 8 oz. Mini Bow Tie Pasta
* 2 1/4 Cups Diced Plum Tomatoes
* 1/3 Cup Capers (rinsed and drained)
* 1.4 Cup Banana Peppers (sliced)
* 2 TBSP. Cider Vinegar
* 1 TBSP. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
* 1/2 TSP. Dried Oregano
* 1/8 TSP. Salt
* 3 oz.Pepper Jack Cheese (shredded)
* 1 oz. Salami (Chopped)
* 1 Garlic Clove (Minced)


Once you have everything prepped and ready to go it is quite simple, first cook the pasta, drain and set aside. Next combine all other ingredients in a large bowl, add pasta, stir and Enjoy!

Parmasan Pasta Salad

So last night I was starving when I got home from work and wasn't really in the mood for any meat!  My husband cooked himself some delish chicken but while we waited I through together a quick on the spot pasta salad with what we had in the house.  I love using Barilla Veggie Pasta.  You get a full serving of veggies in each serving without having to add in the extra's.

Once this was done cooking I drained the pasta and tossed it with some EVOO.  I added a few shakes of grated parmesan cheese, that melted right into the warm pasta, a little parsley and a little basil.  I finished it up with 1 can of sliced black olives and sea salt.  For throwing something together at the last minuted it was absolutely delish and my husband agreed! Had to write about this one to make sure I never forget how to make it!

Spicy Pineapple Crockpot Chicken

I love the taste of rich foods with lots of flavor and a bit of spice, but after that I always feel like a need something a little sweet.  To cover all the flavors above I came up with my latest crockpot meal.  I love using a crockpot as I can prepare dinner before leaving for the day and it is done and ready to go right when I walk int he door 8 hours later!  It also slow cooks the meat to really infuse and soak up all those yummy flavors!  For my Spicy Pineapple Chicken you will need the following:

Roughly 10 Chicken Tenders (may be frozen)
1/2 Jar Tostitos Pineapple Peach Salsa
1/2 Bottle Archer Farms Hot Chile Pineapple Grilling Sauce
1/2 Package of McCormick Fajita Seasoning
1 Bottle Light Beer
1 Cup Water

I always begin by lining my crockpot with a liner, this means no clean up later! Place the chicken in the bottom of the pot and sprinkle with 1/2 a package of Fajita Seasoning.  Next pour in 1/2 the beer and water around the chicken. Top the chicken with 1/2 bottle of Hot Chile Pineapple grilling sauce and spoon the salsa into the liquid.  Cover, set to low and go on with your day.  Return roughly 6-8 hours later and shred the chicken.  Return chicken to the pot and ass the other half of the beer.  Let simmer on low for about 30 minutes more while you cook rice to serve it over.

 Place the Spicy Pineapple Chicken over rice and top with sea salt and parsley! The perfect mix of spicy and sweet all in one bowl.....Enjoy!

Fried Coconut Shrimp and Mashed Butternut Squash

So tonight we both felt like seafood, as you can't eat chicken and pork EVERY night!  I picked up some shrimp and coconut on my way home and couldn't help but grab a delicious butternut squash as I walked by the veggies! This is one of my favorite veggies but it is sad as it means Fall is fastly approaching.  I like to prep all my ingredients before I begin.  In one bowl I mix 3/4 cup of beer with one egg, in the next flour and in the last coconut.  I also have peeled my shrimp (about 30) and removed their tails as well as cut up my squash to get it boiling in the prepared water. 

I first coat the shrimp in the beer mixture, then the flour, beer mixture again and finally the coconut before setting aside on a cookie sheet.  Once done place in the fridge for about 20 minutes while you heat your vegetable oil on the stove.  Once the oil reaches about 350 degrees it is time to throw in the shrimp!  I do it in 2 to 3 batches and place on a plate lines in paper towels to help absorb some excess oil. 

Once the squash is fully boiled and soft (about half an hour) drain and return to the pan.  I use a potato masher to mash the squash and add 1/3 cup of packed brown sugar, 3 tablespoons of margarine and salt and pepper to taste!  Lastly it's time to place everything on a plate and.......

ENJOY!

Farmer Market Finds: The Husk Tomato

After work this evening I headed to the local Farmer's Market in Mattapoisett, Ma.  I love fresh sweet corn and it is getting to the end of the season in New England so it was a must to grab a few ears.  While I was there I came across a carton of Husk Tomatoes! I love these little fruits.  These come out in late summer and are also known as Ground Cherries, Dwarf Cape Gooseberries or Strawberry Tomatoes. As you see below they have a papery looking husk that reminds me of a paper Chinese lantern!

 The main purpose of the husk is to be able to tell them apart from a poisonous form that do not have a husk.  Once peeled from their husk you will find a small fruit inside about the size of a grape.  The flavor is one you will have to taste for yourself but I would have to say it is a cross between a cherry tomato and some type of sweet fruit, I can say one thing, Delish!

I have bought these a few times now and never seem to actually cook with them nor add them to a salad.  They are just so good on their own we always end up eating them before I can even think of what to do with them!