Creamy Vodka Sauce

♥♥ Intermediate

If you've made the homemade Lobster Ravioli then I can only imagined you've made your way on over here looking for a great sauce to top them with. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, and you just wanted a great new pasta sauce in your catalog then you've come to the right place. (You should still check out the Lobster Ravioli here though, because they are so good.) This sauce can be used with any pasta, and tastes terrific!




What you'll need: 
1 Oz. Vodka
1 Cup Marinara Sauce
1/2 Cup Heavy Cream
1 Cup Grape Tomatoes, Quartered
2 Tbsp. Butter

Alternative (I suggest this with the Lobster Ravioli) Add: 
1/2 Cup Seafood Broth
1 Cup Peeled & Deveined Shrimp, Cooked and Quartered



How it's done: 

1. In Saute Pan, add Vodka and burn off the alcohol. Add Marinara, Heavy Cream, and grape tomatoes. Stir and heat through. Add Butter and stir to incorporate. Simmer for 3-5 minutes.

If you're making the variation - In saute pan, cook shrimp until warm, add vodka and burn off alcohol. Add remaining ingredients including the seafood broth, and simmer for 3-5 minutes.

Lobster Ravioli, Homemade

♥♥♥ Advanced

I don't know about your family, but mine is part Italian and we're serious about our Pasta. I mean, my maiden name is Vivona for heaven-sake. We don't let a week go by without having SOMETHING made of semolina flour. And last week was no exception.

My mom and I were at work last week, working our tails off (anyone need a Realtor? Anyone? Bueller?) and we stopped to grab some brain food before we collapsed. Occasionally we'll get gift cards from vendors in a hope that we'll send them more business, and we had one for a local restaurant that we needed to use. After going through their menu online we settled on a Lobster Ravioli in a Creamy Vodka Sauce. It was delicious. Blow your mind good. But at the same time, seemed so simple and refined.

That's when it hit me. I have to make this. Now. Right now.

Okay, not right that minute because I was waist deep in work, but it definitely made its way onto my menu for the following week.

If you've been following the blog or very long, then you know that I usually like to try and find meals that don't take more than 30 minutes in the kitchen (because who has the time?), so if you're looking for another quick recipe you'll want to skip this one. It doesn't take a lot of hard work, just time... I found that it was perfect for a Sunday afternoon when everyone was napping after church. The house was quiet, and I didn't have anyone on my heels yelling, "hold me!"

FYI - You can't buy Lobster Ravioli in the frozen food section. Trust me, I looked. So you'll have to make it (or order out) if you get a hankering.  I suggest making a double batch and freezing the extras for later.

What you'll need:

For the Filling - 
1 Tbs. Olive Oil
2 Cups Lobster Meat, Cooked - Chopped roughly (I used the pre-packaged Lobster Meat from my local grocery store)
2 Pinches of Parsley
1/2 Lb. Ricotta Cheese
3-4 Tbs. Parmesan Cheese (You know I went crazy overboard with this one.)
Pinch of Salt & Pepper

For the Pasta Sheets- 
1 Cup Semolina Flour
1 Cup All-Purpose Flour (You can use a wheat flour if you would like)
2 Large Eggs
1 Tbsp. Olive Oil, Extra Virgin

How it's done: 

1. Start by making your pasta dough. Sift the flours together, and add them to your kitchen-aid mixing bowl. Add in the eggs and oil, and a Tbsp. of water. Using the dough hook or paddle attachment, mix on 2 for several minutes. Dough should look crumbly. Turn off mixer, and squeeze dough together with your hands. If dough forms a soft ball, turn it out onto the counter and kneed for 10 minutes. *If dough feels to dry, add 1 Tbsp. of water and mix for another minute. Repeat as necessary.

2. After kneading, wrap dough ball tightly in plastic wrap and set in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to chill.

3. For the filling - Add Olive Oil, Lobster Meat, and Parsley to a skillet on Medium Heat. Once warmed, remove from the heat and add the Ricotta and Parmesan Cheeses. Combine well, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Set Aside.

4. After dough has chilled, remove from refrigerator and knead for another 5-10 minutes. Pasta should feel silky and all of the graininess of the flour should be gone. Cut in half and roll into a large rectangle. Get the dough as thin as you can without tearing - as it sits on the counter it will tighten back up. Cut into ravioli squares or circles.

5. Take half of your ravioli squares and add 1 Tbsp. of filling to them. Brush the edges with egg wash, and then seal with another pasta sheet. Press edges firmly, and press with fork if needed. (If they aren't well sealed, they will open back up in the water while boiling.)

6. Lay all of your finished ravioli on a cookie sheet (do not let them touch each other) and place them in the freezer. I layered wax paper between them so that I could get more in the freezer. Freeze them for 1 hour, then put them in a large freezer bag, label and freeze.

7. To cook immediately: Cook the ravioli in a pot of boiling water for 7-8 minutes, until they float up.

If you're interested in making the Creamy Vodka Sauce that goes with them, check it out here!

BBQ Chicken Salad

♥ Beginner

I left the kids at home with the hubby, and left early for work. I worked all day long, then realized that our Home Teachers would be coming by... and earlier than usual. I raced home, and with thirty minutes to spare, whipped out this little gem. It was easy, tasty, and out of the norm for us. The kids were so-so on it, but that's okay for a last minute meal that requires less preparation. And it includes beans. Beans are hard to get my kids to eat, and I don't even think that they realized they were in there. (Win for Mom!)

What you'll need:
2 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, cut in half (made thinner)
1/4 C. BBQ Sauce
6 C. Romaine Lettuce
1 Roma Tomato, Diced
3/4 C. Corn Kernels
3/4 C. Black Beans
1/4 C. Monterrey Jack Cheese, Shredded
1/2 C. Cheddar Cheese, Shredded
1/3 C. Ranch Dressing
Tortilla Strips, desired amount

How it's done: 
1. Preheat oven to Broil. Broil Chicken breasts until cooked fully, flipping once. Cover in BBQ sauce and lower rack in oven. (Keep your eye on it, unless you like blackened, crispy chicken!)
2. To assemble salad, toss lettuce, tomato, corn, beans, and cheeses. Cut up chicken to desired size, and toss into salad. Top with ranch dressing and tortilla strips.

Wonton Soup

♥ Beginner

When I was at the store a week or so ago, I was just looking for ANYTHING that didn't include dyes and preservatives. Somehow a package of wonton wrappers made it's way into my cart, and home with me. I've never had any desire to make wonton anything. I didn't even know how to use them. I guess I was just excited by the prospect of something that I could actually BUY.

Anyhow, they've sat in my fridge, just staring at me ever since. I've combed Pinterest looking for ideas of fun desserts that I can make with them, or something that was creative. Alas, I settled on just trying our own Wonton Soup. It actually turned out pretty good if I do say so myself. 

For being a 'foodie', I really shouldn't be called that, because I've never used ground PORK before. Ever. It's embarrassing really. It surprisingly tasty, and fairly easy to work with. And the fat content... wow, that stuff could hold anything together. 

Wonton Soup is not something that I would ever order at a Chinese restaurant. It's not a soup I "have to have" or even really care to make, but it was a really great dinner on a super cold winter night. The extra helping of Soy Sauce may have helped some too. 

What you'll need: 

1/2 lb Lean Ground Pork

1 Large Egg

2 Green Onions, Chopped

1 Tbsp. Soy Sauce

Salt & Pepper to taste

Approx. 30 Wonton Wrappers

2 Liters of Low Sodium Chicken Broth

How it's done: 

1. In a large bowl, combine the Pork, Egg, Soy Sauce, and Green Onion. (If you use a wooden spoon to combine it, it will hold together much better. 

2. Lay out all of your wonton wrappers on a flat surface. Place 1 teaspoon (it doesn't seem like enough, but it is!) of the pork mixture on the middle of the wonton. *Note: You don't want to over-stuff them or they won't cook through completely!) Moisten edges of wonton with water and your finger. Fold opposite corners together and pull back the opposite corners. 

3. In a large saucepan, bring the chicken broth to a boil. Drop in wontons and let them cook for 15 minutes. 

4. Garnish with green onions and enjoy! 

And extras too! 

The kids loved it. Score!

**If you want to get really creative, you can add things like garlic, red pepper flakes, or sesame oil to your filling.

Meatball Sub Casserole

♥ Beginner

Click here for original recipe.

Meatball Sub's are not my favorite food. But the kids sure do love them, and so does the Hubs. So we tried this recipe awhile back, and everyone really liked it - so it's hung around a bit. Maybe your family will like it too.

What you'll need:
* 1 Loaf of Italian Bread, cut into 1" slices
* 8 oz. Cream Cheese, Softened
* 1/2 C. Mayonnaise
* 1 tsp. Italian Seasoning
* 1/4 tsp. Pepper
* 2 C. Mozzarella Cheese, Shredded
* 1lb. Fully Cooked Frozen Meatballs, Thawed
* 1 (28oz) Jar of Pasta Sauce
* 1 C. Water

How it's done:
1. Preheat oven to 350*F, and arrange sliced bread in the bottom of an un-greased 9x13 Pyrex.

2. In a bowl, combine cream cheese, mayo, italian seasoning, and pepper. Spread the mixture over the bread slices.

3. Sprinkle 1/2 C Mozzarella cheese over the top.

4. Mix together the pasta sauce, water, and meatballs and gently spoon them over the cream cheese mixture. Top with remaining mozzarella cheese.

5. Bake uncovered for 30-35 minutes.

I like to serve this with the remaining Italian bread as garlic bread, and a side salad.
Enjoy!

Chubby Chicken & Cream Cheese Taquitos

♥ Beginner

OMG, a new family favorite!!!! I made these tonight and they were a huge success. They were super simple, and were quick to make. I had one kid in bed my 6:45pm.... haha!So what if he has ear infections, that had NOTHING to do with his bed time (eye roll). 

If you make these, I know you'll love them too. They made enough to store, and snack on (but they'll be gone by tomorrow night for sure. :)

What you'll need:

* 3	cups cooked shredded chicken (I like rotisserie)
* 6	ounces cream cheese, softened
* ⅓	cup sour cream
* ½	cup salsa
* 1	+ ½ cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
* 1	+ ½ cups chopped baby spinach, stems removed
	coarse salt and fresh black pepper, to taste
* 9 - 10	(6-inch) flour tortillas
*	vegetable or canola oil, for frying

How it's done:

1. In a large bowl mix together the chicken, cream cheese, sour cream, salsa, cheddar and spinach. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 2. Working with one tortilla at a time add 2 heaping tablespoons of the chicken mixture off center and spread out like a log. Roll up and set seam side down on a platter. Repeat until all the tortillas are filled and rolled. 3. Add enough oil to a large skillet to generously cover the bottom. Heat on medium to medium-low heat, cook tortillas in batches, turning to brown each side. Remove to paper towels to drain. Serve with your choice of dunking sauce.

Pulled Buffalo Chicken Sliders

♥ Beginner

First off, this recipe is amazing. It's amazing for more than one reason. It's a slow cooker meal, it's super easy, and tastes so good you'll make extra just to have left overs.  It's perfect for conference weekend too.

Secondly, I stole this out of a magazine at my OB's office when I was in for a visit. By stole, I mean I snapped this pic of the recipe. I would disclose what magazine I stole it from, but I really have no idea. Just consider this, an 8 month pregnant woman comes across a recipe in a magazine and thinks it looks good... you're not going to be questioning the source, you're just going to start gathering ingredients.

This truly has become one of our easy go-to-meals around our house. I'm sure you'll enjoy it as much as we have. In full disclosure: you need a few hours in the crockpot! 


What you'll need: 

* 4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts, about 1 1/2 lbs.
* 1/4 Cup hot wing sauce (such as Franks), plus more for serving (optional) - our family suggests Franks!
* 2/3 Cup of Water
* 16 Dinner-Size potato rolls
* 1 Cup Blue Cheese Dressing (we prefer the chunky kind!)
* Celery/Carrot sticks optional as a side dish!

How it's done: 

1. Coat slow cooker bowl with nonstick cooking spray. Place chicken breasts in a single layer in bottom; combine hot sauce with water; pour over chicken. (For a hotter sauce, which my hubs prefers, omit water.)

2. Cover and cook on HIGH for 6 hours or LOW for 8 hours. Remove chicken to a cutting board and shred with two forks. Return to slow cooker and stir to coat with sauce.

3. To serve, place shredded chicken on bottom halves of rolls and top each with 1 Tablespoon of dressing. If desired, serve with celery/carrot sticks and additional hot sauce.

Enjoy!

Classic Baked Mac & Cheese

♥ Beginner

Who doesn't love Mac n' Cheese? Maybe it's that I spent a good portion of my formative years in the south and midwest, or maybe it's just such a good comfort food, but we almost always have a baked mac n' cheese in the fridge.

Some mac n' cheese recipes call for some ingredients that might have you scratching your head. For me however, I like the classics. It should just be noodles and cheese! Here you'll find a classic recipe for a wonderful baked mac n' cheese.

What you'll need: 

*16 oz. Package of Noodles (I like to use cavapatti)
* 4 Tablespoons of Butter
* 4 Cups of Milk
* 4 Tablespoons of Flour
* 4 Cups of grated Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese (You can use Sharp or just regular Cheddar Cheese
* Salt & Pepper to taste
* Panko Bread Crumbs

How it's done:

1. Prepare pasta according to directions on box.

2.  Preheat oven to 400*F.

3. In a large saucepan heat milk & butter to boiling and then turn down to medium & whisk in the flour. Make sure to whisk until it's completely combined so you don't get chunks of flour. Whisk for 5 minutes or until mixture begins to get thick.

4. Remove the milk mixture from the heat and add in half of the cheese. Stir until completely melted.

5. Drain pasta and put them in a pyrex baking dish, and pour cheese the over the pasta evenly. Top with bread crumbs.

6. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the top starts to brown. Let it set for 10 minutes before serving.

Enjoy... I know we have! :)

Chinese Plum Salad Dressing

♥ Beginner 

In the hunt to make the best Chinese Chicken Salad ever, I knew I would have to make my own dressing. Especially since there were no dressings at the store labeled "Chinese Plum". I found a recipe, and tried it out. With a few tweaks to the recipe, it was just how I like it! I'm sure you'll love it too.



What you'll need: 

• 2 oz. chunk of Ginger Root (or I used 2 Tablespoons, add more to taste) 
• 1/3 Cup Sugar
• 1/3 Cup Rice Vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon + 1 Teaspoon Sesame Oil
• 1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce
• 1 Tablespoon Plum Sauce
• 2 Tablespoons Water
• Pinch of White Pepper
• 2 Tablespoons crushed Peanuts

How it's done: 

1. You can use a Braun mixer, or food processor. I used the food processor so I didn't have to chop the ginger finely by hand. Which ever way you chose, peel and grind the ginger root finely.

2. Combine the vinegar and sugar in a small pot and bring to a boil, uncovered. Boil for one minute. Add the ginger and boil for one more minute. Take off the heat and pour into the food processor.

2. In the processor, mix all of the ingredients until combined. You should have about 3/4 of a cup.

This dressing is perfect for most types of salads, as well as dipping sauce. We used it for chicken finger dip today and it was great!

Chinese Chicken Salad

♥ Beginner

I'm one of those people who always orders the exact same thing off of the menu, every time we frequent the same restaurant. It may be a surprise to you, but I don't like change, especially with my food. I always get the Black & Bleu Salad at O'Charleys, the California Club at Ruby Tuesday's, The Button Sandwich at Best Bet, and the Chinese Chicken Salad at P.F. Changs... well, I used to, until recently when they took it off the menu. :(  I should say they took it off the menu a year and a half ago, but it's still bothering me deep in my soul. We don't even eat there anymore because that would mean I would have to find a new menu item! Gasp!

I once found a similar salad (with the same name) across the street at The Cheesecake Factory, but it still isn't the same. SO, with that said, I've come up with my own (or stolen parts of others and pieced them together).  If you're a connoisseur of Chinese Chicken Salad, like me, hopefully this will meet your needs. I know it did mine! 

What you'll need:

• 1 Head of Iceberg Lettuce (or lettuce of choice) 
• 2 Chicken Breasts
• 1 Bottle of Teriyaki Sauce
• Crispy Fried Wonton Strips (or those chinese noodle things you buy in a can) 
• 2 Tablespoons of crushed peanuts
• 1 Can of Mandarin Oranges (or the fresh mandarin oranges if they are in season) 
• Chinese Plum Salad Dressing (Click for recipe) 

How it's done: 

1. Prepare your head of lettuce by washing and chopping into bite size pieces. 

2. Broil the chicken breasts, and in the last few minutes brush on the teriyaki sauce. Once it's completely cooked, chop it into small bite size cubes. Place a one cup of chicken on top of the bed of lettuce. 

3. Top with mandarin oranges, crushed peanuts, and wonton strips. Dress with plum dressing, and enjoy! 

***This is one of my favorite salads yet, it's pretty easy to make and can be prepared and left unassembled in the fridge for a few days. It makes for some great lunches! 

Baked Mac n' Cheese

♥♥ Intermediate

There really is no better comfort food than Mac n' Cheese.  Especially here in the midwest, where mac n' cheese is on every menu. This mac n' cheese recipe is even better than the normal because it's baked... and has a crispy crust on top. MMMMmmmmm, excuse me while I eat some for breakfast....

My husband, Jared, is the one who is submitting this recipe to the blog. He's the one who decided to make it, and share it with all of you, so direct your thanks to him. :)

What you'll need: 

• 6 Cups (uncooked) Elbow Macaroni Noodles (or another shape!)
• 3 Cups Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
• 1/2 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
• 2 Cups Whole Milk (Vitamin D) 
• 1/2 Teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 Teaspoon Dijon Mustard
• 1 1/2 Cups Crushed Corn Flakes
• 5 Tablespoons Melted Butter
• 1/2 Lb. of White American Cheese

How it's done: 

1. Preheat over to 350*F.

2. In a large saucepan heat milk until simmering.

3. While waiting for the milk to bubble, fill a medium saucepan with water and boil the noodles. I suggest making them al dente since you'll be baking them as well.

4. Once milk begins to bubble, add in the cheese and stir constantly. Once the cheese is completely melted, remove from the heat continuing to stir (if you would like it a little thicker, add a Tablespoon of Flour).

5. Once the cheese mixture has cooled some, add the Worcestershire sauce, mustard, and pepper to taste.  Mix thoroughly!

6. After straining your pasta, gently fold your cheese mixture into the noodles.  Once completely combined, pour the noodle mixture into a greased pyrex dish.

7. Combine crushed corn flakes and butter in ziplock bag, and pour on top of mac n' cheese.

8. Bake for 30 minutes!

Enjoy!!!

The Best Chicken Salad Sandwich

♥ Beginner

For anyone who has ever gone on a lunch date with me, you would know that I'm a sucker for two types of sandwiches. One of which is a Chicken Salad Sandwich (the other is a club sandwich!) and sometimes I'm even picky about the way my sandwich is made.

I know that this is typically a baking blog, so don't think you'll get a ton of foods that aren't full of sugar and carbs (yay us!), but I did think it would be a fun and easy recipe to share since it is one of my absolute favorites.  ... and a great summertime lunch or dinner!

What you'll need:
1 Rotisserie Chicken (You can get them at any grocery store)
2 C. of quartered grapes (or more to taste)
3/4 C. Chopped Pecans (or more to taste)
3/4 C. Celery (I didn't add it this time, but I usually do!)
1 1/2 - 2 C. Mayonnaise
Lettuce for your sandwich
Baked Rolls

How it's done:

1. Quarter your grapes! (And cut up your celery if you choose to add it.  I like the added crunch) I like to add a lot of grapes, I love a sweet chicken salad, so feel free to add a few more.

2. Pull your chicken off the bone - I make Jared do this because I don't like to, haha.  Once it's off of the bone, I like to shred it and get it as stringy as possible, I'm not a fan of a chunky chicken salad sandwich.

3. I didn't buy chopped pecans because I already had a bag of halved pecans for something else. So if you're in the same situation as me, and need to chop your pecans, there are two ways to go about it:

Chop them on the cutting board with a knife... 

OR, putting them in a bag and hitting them with the back of the spoon (my preferred method).... 

4. Once you're done shredding the chicken, chopping the pecans, and quartering the grapes, you're ready to put it all in a bowl and mix it all up with the mayonnaise! 

5. And whalah!!!  Once it's all mixed up, throw it on a roll with a leaf of lettuce and you're good to go! EnJoY!! 

(This picture looks like a bad menu photo, hahaha!)