Red Pepper & White Wine Angel Hair w/ Spicy Italian Sausage

(alternate title: how to give yourself heartburn in 30 minutes or less)

Ingredients:

3 roma tomatoes

1/2 yellow onion

3 cloves garlic

3 tablespoons of red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon sweet oregano

1 lb spicy italian sausage (I used NY style)

1 cup white wine

4 tablespoon heavy cream

1 lb cooked angel hair pasta

Olive oil & Salt/Pepper to taste

Directions:

Drizzle tomatoes with olive oil and place under a broiler on a baking sheet until they are slighlty charred. Chop the tomatoes. Drizzle olive oil into a skillet, brown italian sausage, about halfway through cooking it, add in the garlic and onions. Cook until browned. Add red pepper, white wine, oregano, salt and pepper and simmer until the wine cooks off (5 to 7 minutes usually) add the cream. Stir into warm angel hair pasta and add the tomatoes.

I topped ours with a little parm cheese... yummy!

Tamale Loaf

This recipe should not be confused with Darlene's Tamale Casserole (Darlene's is yummier and harder to make but this is still good).- Thanks, Allie

Ingredients:

1 can Rotel diced tomatoes, with onions and chiles
1/4 diced olives (a tiny can)
1 clove minced garlic
1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup of chicken stock
1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 cup of frozen corn
1 package jiffy corn bread mix, with preparations required to make it
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese.

Directions:

Brown beef in a skillet with garlic. Add Rotel, olives, beans, and stock. Simmer 10 minutes. Add frozen corn. Turn off heat and set aside. Mix Jiffy as directed.

Poor beef mixture into an 8x 8 pan. Top with cornbread mix. Bake 350 degrees until corn bread is thoroughly cooked (about 30 minutes) top with cheese and place back into oven 2 minutes to melt.

Serve warm w/ a dallop of sour cream if desired.

Chicken & Black Bean Tortilla Soup

Ingredients:

3 cups cooked chicken, chopped

1/2 yellow onion diced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 jalepeno, seeded and diced

2 cans of black beans, drained and rinsed *

1 cup of frozen corn

2 cans of diced organic tomatoes, no salt *

1 pint of chicken stock, no salt *

1 tsp olive oil

1/4 cup (or 1 package) of taco seasoning

8 flour tortillas (or whole wheat but not corn)

shredded cheese & diced avocado for garnish

Directions:

Heat olive oil in the bottom of a stock pot, add onions and garlic and cook until translucent. Add chicken and diced pepper (if you have little kids use less jalepenos). Stir in stock and bring to a boil. Add beans, tomatoes, and taco seasoning. Simmer 15 - 20 minutes. While the soup is simmering, take tortillas and lay them on a cookie sheet. Place the sheet in the oven on broil. After 2 minutes flip the tortillas so they brown on both sides. Once they are done chop them into small squares. Add frozen corn to soup and stir until cooked through. Add in tortillas. Serve with cheese and avocado as garnish.

* I used Full Circle organic canned produce.

** I used a pre-diced jalepeno in a can. I also only made half a batch of this because I am the only one at my house that eats soup.

Cream Cheese & Chicken Enchiladas

Oh so many recipes for Enchiladas... so many... here is the latest one.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablesspoon olive oil

1/2 white onion, diced

1 clove of garlic, minced

1 rotisserie chicken, removed from bone and shredded

1 teaspoon each, cumin, pepper, salt, and chili powder

1 can of red enchilada sauce

1 8 oz package of cream cheese

1 can of diced green chilies

1/4 cup milk

2 cups shredded cheese (I used monterey jack because that's what I had)

6 flour tortillas

Directions:

Put butter and oil in a skillet and cook onion and garlic until tender. Add cream cheese and milk and cook until it is saucey. Mix in seasoning and set aside. Once cool- add chilies and chicken and stir.

Fill each tortilla with creamy chicken mixture. Roll into a tube and place in a 9 x 13 pan. Pour enchilada sauce over enchiladas and top with shredded cheese.

Bake 350 degrees until sauce is bubbly and cheese is melted. (30 minutes?)

Chicken & Brocolli Casserole

Ingredients:

2 cups shredded chicken
1 head of brocolli cut into bit sized pieces
1 lb of spaghetti
1 can chicken broth (2 cups)
1 shallot, diced
1 clove of garlic, minced
2 cups cream
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
salt & pepper
2 cups monterey jack cheese, shredded

Directions:

Boil spaghetti as directed by package, for the last 3 minutes add your brocolli and blanch it. Drain. and set aside.

In a pan melt butter and saute shallot and garlic until translucent. Mix in flour to create a light brown paste. Mix in cream and thin out with chicken broth until saucy in consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Mix brocolli, chicken, pasta and sauce in a bowl and pour into a 9 x 13 pan. top with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees until cheese is melted.

Un-Defined Chocolate Dessert

I made this tonight for the 4th of July BBQ. On my facebook status I called it a mudpie cheesecake "thingie"...um yeah... it needs a name...help a girl out with that would ya?

Ingredients:

12 oreo cookies

2 Tbs melted butter

8 ounces cream cheese

1/4 sugar

2 tubs of cool whip

chocolate fudge pudding mix

2 1/2 cups milk

Directions:

Crush oreos (I put mine in a ziploc freezer bag and smushed them by hand) and mix with melted butter, press into the bottom of a pan (in hindsight....use a 9 x 13 I used something smaller and it was a mighty tall dessert).

Mix cream cheese, sugar and 1 tub of cool whip with a mixer until well blended. Spread over oreo crust.

Mix pudding and milk together. Spread over cream cheese filling.

Top with whip cream (honestly the topping was unnecessary but extra darn tasty).

Vegetable Skewers

Ingredients:

2 Bell Peppers, diced

Red Onion, diced

2 Summer Squash, cut into rounds

1 head of garlic seperated and peeled into individual cloves

1 package of button mushrooms (if they are large cut them in half)

1 package of cherry tomatoes

Balsamic Vinegar

Olive Oil

Rock salt & Freshly Ground Pepper

Dried Oregano

Directions:

Place chopped vegetables in a bowl (except the summer squash and tomatoes). Coat with equal parts oil and vinegar. Season to taste (it's vegetables so I usually grab a bell pepper and try the mix to make sure I like the flavor). Let sit at room temperature 1 hour. Add tomatoes and summer squash, mix. Cover and let sit 30 minutes (or more).

If you use wood skewers soak them in water as directed on the package. If using metal skewers (or after they have soaked) you can go ahead and skewer your vegetables until you are ready to use them. I usually put them in a dish and pour the marinade back over them if it's going to be awhile.

Grill over low heat 5 minutes (or until vegetables are tender).