Tag Archives: Dinner

Vegetable and Four Cheese Stuffed Shells

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Boy, the Italians sure know what they are doing with food. I could stay happily fed for the rest of my life with all the varieties of cheese, pasta and red sauce from that region. This by far my favorite vegetarian dinner. Full of spinach and broccoli and oozing with cheesy goodness wrapped in a pasta shell and smothered with rich tomato sauce. You could easily turn this into a lasagna by layering the cheese mixture with noodles and sauce. Or, mini individual  appetizers by layering it with wonton wrappers, and sauce in a muffin tin. All of them would be absolutely delicious! Continue reading →

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Chicken Corn Chowder

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Oh the humanity!! Protect your children!! It’s (insert dramatic pause and deep announcers voice) Snowmageddon 2012!! It’s not often that Seattle gets snow. It’s even less frequent that we get pounded with a snowstorm that leaves anything but a trace of the white stuff. However, I currently have 8 inches blanketing my neighborhood with a foot or more of it forecast in the next 24-48 hours. Wow. I’m in heaven. Because unlike most of my Seattle counterparts who cower at the thought of a few flakes and hole up like  hibernating bears when it comes down, I love snow. Absolutely LOVE it. I’ve spent the last two days building snowmen, making snow angels, throwing snowballs and generally making like I’m 7 years old with my kids. It has been amazing. I’m looking forward to being buried in more of it tonight and tomorrow. Freezing temperatures and days spent playing like a child work up an appetite for a warm hearty meal. Insert this corn chowder. I got turned on to this recipe by a friend who said it was amazing (thank you Shannon!), and it was. You will love it. Especially if it’s a snow day in your neck-of-the-woods.
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Marinated Flank Steak – Carne Asada

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I will never be a vegetarian. Unless the world runs out of cows. In that case, I’d be motivated enough to figure out a way to repopulate the species. Just so I could have this steak. I love it. It makes me happy. You don’t have to wait until summer to BBQ ya’ know. I pulled out my Cuisinart grill tonight so I could have this. I didn’t really have a choice. When I half jokingly asked my hubby to fire up the grill he laughed in my face. He didn’t even for a moment think I might be serious. No matter. Indoor, outdoor – it’s all the same perfectly rosy hued goodness to me.

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Homemade Mini-Corndogs

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My kids LOVE corndogs. They would eat them breakfast, lunch and dinner if I let them. Seriously. If I ever make the mistake of asking what they want to eat, the unanimous enthusiastic response is CORNDOGS!! Here’s the problem-o though. My kids are still young enough that I’m paranoid about them choking on a hot dog. I still cut them in half lengthwise and then into small little bites for them. So, aside from not being that healthy, corndogs are kind of a pain. The kids can’t just dip them and eat them, it’s a big production for me before they can even touch their food. Annoying! I’ve found a great solution in these adorable mini corndogs made in my tart pan.
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Chinese Chicken Salad

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One of my all time favorite light meals is Chinese Chicken Salad. I always thought it was hard to make, until my friend Emily shared her recipe with me. Wow. So easy and scrumptious. I love it! Crunchy almonds mixed with a slightly sweet, slightly tangy sauce take a plain old bag of coleslaw mix to a whole new level. Rip apart a rotisserie chicken and toss it all together for an incredibly quick and easy delicious meal! I love to make this salad to take camping as well. We take a big batch of this, throw it in the cooler and munch on it for lunch and dinner. Fantastic. Continue reading →

Crispy Parmesan Asparagus Fries

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In general, my kids are very good at eating their vegetables. But I’m always looking for ways to make them more appealing. Although they’ll both eat asparagus with just a little olive oil, salt n’ pepper – they certainly don’t gobble it down like they did these crunchy flavorful asparagus fries. Yum yum! These would be great with any poultry or pork tenderloin or even as an appetizer for your next party. Bet you’ll even get those picky eaters to like asparagus with these beauties!
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Perfect Roast Chicken

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I love roasting chickens. I only recently discovered this easy (yes, easy) dinner. I used to think roasting a chicken meant slaving away all day, basting repeatedly. Not so. A few minutes of prep and then into the oven it goes. No work required for an hour and a half while it cooks. Just think of all things you could do in that amount of time! Read some books to the kids, do the dishes, fold some laundry, paint your nails, get some sun in the front yard while eating strawberries from a bowl. I highly recommend that last one. You should try it some time. It’s amazing. Then you come back inside high on vitamin D to the delicious smell of a roasted chicken. There is not a better way to spend an afternoon. Continue reading →

Mediterranean Chicken Bake

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This quick casserole includes great flavors like artichokes, tomatoes and olives. Tossed together in with chicken, pasta and cheese it takes boring chicken casserole to a new (delicious) place. It’s an amazing meal for a busy weeknight. You could use any leftover chicken you’ve already cooked, shred up a rotisserie chicken or quickly cook up some fresh chicken to use in this dish. I paired this with my Pear and Feta Salad and some hearty rolls for a perfect easy Friday night meal. Yum yum! Continue reading →

BBQ Pulled Pork

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Why is it when working out at the Y, the only good thing on TV is the Food Network? It kills me to watch fabulous dishes being made while I’m dripping sweat and struggling to breathe. But, since I don’t have cable television in my house (mostly because if I did, all I’d do is sit and watch the Food Network), I’m thankful for the great ideas I get from watching Rachel, Ina, Paula, Bobby and Guy at the gym. This week it was Paula Dean. This is the first recipe I’ve ever tried of hers. They always look amazing, but I’ve never actually remembered to look up the recipe once I get home. I think I’m in an indoor BBQ kind of mood because apparently in Seattle we’re going to skip right over Spring this year and go directly from Winter to Summer sometime in July. Seriously…I think there was a frost this week and I broke out my flip flops yesterday because it was going to be a whopping 58°. Continue reading →

Buffalo-Style Empanadas

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Empanadas originated in Spain and eventually made their way around the world in various forms. The name comes from the verb empanar meaning to wrap in bread. Some countries fill the dough with meat, some with sweet fillings or vegetables. I decided to combine the standard fare of the midwest (BBQ) with the Spanish tradition of empanadas. Mmmmm. Tasty. I know, it’s not really a traditional Mexican food. But for many years I’ve made enchiladas or tacos on Cinco de Mayo and today I wanted a little something different.
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