My version of zuppa toscana ( soup from olive garden)

This is another family favorite! Sausage, potato and kale soup.

Start with some chopped up bacon.. render the fat and add some spicy Italian sausage and brown. Take it out after it browns, drain and set aside.

Add some finely chopped onions and garlic to the pot. Cook them until the onion starts to sweat...cut up about 4-5 medium sized potatoes and add it to the pot. Add about 5-7 cups of water to the pot and scrape up the bits on the bottom of the pan.
ok so I never measure anything.. so it's hard for me to say exactly how much chicken buillion to add. Add about 2 tbls and check the saltiness of the soup.. If you need more add more.. remember you are going to add the sausage and bacon that will increase the salt level.

Bring the soup to a boil and cook until the potatoes are tender. Reduce the heat.. and add about one and a half to two cup of heavy whipping cream and simmer. Add the sausage mixture as well as some cracked pepper.
Chop up some kale and add it to the soup, cook for about 5 mins and turn off the heat.
To spice it up a little I add a bit of chilie flakes. Serve with some crusty bread.

Penne casserole with sausage

Super easy recipe... I cheat and use canned pasta sauce..

Start with some minced garlic and onions.. sautee for a bit and add a can of your favorite pasta sauce. After it gets going for a bit I add about half a cup to one cup of heavy cream, check your seasoning... simmer.

At the same time the sauce is going, I cut up some spicy Italian sausage and fry it in a pan. Boil a packet of your favorite pasta.. I like to use penne. Add the sausage and the sauce and mix well.

Layer the pasta mixture and grated fonitna/gruyere/gouda or havarti in a casserole. You can use any kind of melty cheese. Top the casserole with a layer of cheese and bake in the over at 375 until golden brown.

Chicken Piccata with a lemon butter pasta

This is a favorite in our house! Simple and yummy!
I start with a whole chicken breast cut in half. Put a piece between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound with a mallot until about 1/2 inch thick. Season the chicken with salt, pepper and some garlic powder.

Dip the chicken in some beaten egg and then drench in flour, dust off extra and fry in a little bit of oil. Cook both sides until crispy.. take it out of the pan when it's almost done and let it rest on a plate.

Work fast when making the sauce (don't let the chicken get soggy) deglaze the pan with some white wine.. scrapping up the bits in the pan.. Add about half a can of chicken broth, 1/4 stick of butter, chopped up garlic, handful of capers and juice of 1 lemon. I also like to add some marinated artichoke hearts into this. Let it reduce a little bit.. check seasonings.. add salt/pepper if necessary. Add the chicken into the pan and serve immediately!

I like to serve this with some angel hair pasta with butter and garlic salt and some freshly chopped parsley!

Thai panang curry w/ pork

This recipe can be made with different types of meat. You will need
1-2 cans of thai coconut milk
1 1/2 tbls of red curry paste/ panang curry paste
2 tbls of fish sauce
2 tbls of sugar
kaffir lime leaves

I like to add some veggies and herbs to this.. I guess this is my version... panang curry paste is hard to find so I used the Thai red curry paste that can be found in almost any grocery store. kaffir lime leaves are found in Asian speciality stores, I omitted these since I didn't have them.

Start with 1 can of coconut milk in a pan, add the red curry paste until all mixed through, simmer until red oil appears.. do NOT bring to a boil.. cook on medium heat.

Slice the meat really thin.. you can use chicken, beef, pork or even seafood. I season the meat with a little salt and pepper. Add this to the coconut milk until evenly coated. Add the fish sauce, sugar and the rest of the coconut milk. I also added some lemon grass, sliced onions, chopped garlic and thinly sliced carrots and green bell peppers. cook about 15-20 mins until the meat is cooked and tender. If you like it spicy you can add some chilie oil or flakes or saracha! Oh I almost forgot.. add some basil leaves in the last 5mins of cooking.. serve with some steamed rice.

Lamb chops with black cherry balsamic reduction

Belive it or not Bailey made this delicous meal for us on Valentines Day last year.

Grilled lamb chops with a black cherry balsamic reduction, parmasean risotto and some grilled veggies. yummmmy!!!

yea .. I know my hubby can cook!! =)

We used lamb loin chops.. lightly seasoned with salt,pepper,olive oil and grilled to a medium rare.

The sauce :

Use canned black cherries. Chop them up and put it in a pan with the juice from the can. Add finely chopped shallots and about 3 tbls of balsamic vinegar. Bring to a boil and then simmer till sauce is reduced.. you may have to add a pinch of salt to taste.

The risotto is made the normal way... just add parmasean cheese and some finely chopped parsley when ready to serve.

The grilled veggies are delicious.. cut up some carrots, zucchini, yellow squash and green beans. Throw them in a ziplock bag and add mcormicks grilling mates steak seasoning.. chopped garlic, creamy dijon mustard, lemon juice and some worcestershire sauce. Mix together and let marinate for about 1/2 hour.. Toss them in the oven for about 20 mins at 375.

Honey walnut shrimp

This is sooooooooo easy to make and it's delicious! It goes well with some white rice.. I made the kung pao pork and also some chinese string beans with this.

Start with some walnuts. Heat up a couple tbls of butter and toast the nuts. Add a 1 tbls of brown sugar and a little bit of water and mix together. Cook for a couple mins drain and set aside.

Peel and devein the shrimp. Season the shrimp with some salt and pepper. Make a batter for the shrimp using corn starch and water (elmers glue consistancy) season with salt and pepper, dip the shrimp in the batter and deep fry for less than a minute. Fry a few at a time so they don't stick together.

Sauce: half a cup of mayo, half a cup of condensed milk, a couple tsp of honey. Mix together.

In a pan heat up some oil and fry some onion and chopped garlic, add the shrimp, walnuts and the sauce until heated through. Simple and easy!

Kung pao pork

Well I have made kung pao chicken before, but never pork. I think it turned out really well.. my husband seemed to really love this meal!

I didn't have any chicken so I used boneless country style strips... cut out most of the fat and cut it into little cubes/strips.

marinade for meat: 1 and 1/2 lb meat

salt n pepper

a few drops of sesame oil

2 egg whites

4 tsp corn flour

a couple tsp of soy sauce

I really hate to measure stuff.. I'm more of a season to taste n handfuls or pinches of things =)

so.. you mix the ingredients and add it to the meat, let it sit for about 10.. 15 mins. Fry it in hot oil until it's 3/4 way cooked and take it out. I like to use a lot of veggies in my dish.. I chopped up some zucchini, mushroom, bell peppers, green onion.. also added some water chesnuts, toasted peanuts.

Heat up some oil, add some chopped garlic, ginger, dry red chillies. Fry for a little bit and then add the veggies and nuts.. cook for about 3-5 mins until tender and add the pork.

Make a sauce with: 8 tsp soy sauce, 4 tsp vinegar, 1 tsp sesame oil, 4 tbs water, 2 tsp corn flour. Mix together and add to the pan. I like to add some saracha chillie sauce for the heat.. you can also use chillie oil.